okay i need to say this.so bear with me.
i've been simplifying. that's been the name of the game this summer.
not only have i simplified my extra curricular activities (aka trying to keep up with the ever super duper fast paced tutorial blogging world), but i'm using this time to simplify my life all around and return to the core basics.
that means:
i've returned to exercising daily, that means i've returned to dejunking my house from the inside out on a weekly basis(my kitchen feels the most organized at the moment), that means i've been going places with my kids...just because we have time to kill, that means i've started picking up a book and reading it, that means i've spent too much time in the yard with the husband because he's good at gardening and i'm not but i'll be supportive which opens up a ton of quality and lovely times as a couple, that means i've been spending less time in front of the computer and seeing what's going on in the blogging world and spending more time with my family having lazy afternoons and sitting and watching my kids grow right before my eyes. that means i'm reclaiming and going back to who i am.
i've decided you have a right to see the other sides of me...and not just the "here's another tutorial for you" me.
my kitchen with less things on surfaces
trying to decide what to paint my wallsso yes, a little soul searching has been had this summer. i knew something had to change when i started to have a love hate relationship with blogging. as in i loved to see the #s go up, but i hated how i knew what i needed to do to keep them going up. so i started letting that dictate what i did. i thought so many times about quitting this little corner of the cyber world, but i knew that i would miss it and all of you tremendously.
so i'm going back to the basics.
oh i'll still create new tutorials, and i'm in the middle of starting like a bazillion new patterns because i've been drawing new ideas out like crazy...but i'm not doing it for the #'s anymore, and i'm not doing it so i can get it out before anyone else does, i'm just going to create because i love it.. i hope not much will change on your side, but lots is changing on my side. it feels rather liberating really, and i really can't wait to show you some of the stuff i've been creating to waste the time at the pool.
have a great weekend.
i know i will.
we'll talk soon.
;)
ps next week we'll have a giveaway.
108 comments:
amen.
I LOVE THIS! You're a smart girl. <3 And your kitchen is gorgeous!! Love your decorating style.
I love this post!! I can TOTALLY relate to what you have been going through - simplifying, cleaning, going back to basics... This summer feels very organic and transforming in a way - old patterns are dissolving, old skin - shedding and growing a radiantly sparkling new one.
I am new to blogging and find it fascinating, but it is such a demanding and time consuming hobby!
Thank you for being authentic, honest and true to what is really important to you.
I feel the exact same way right now. Maybe I'll just link people over here, since the words aren't coming for me. ;)
Good for you!!
It looks great!
I don't have a blog, but I can totally relate to what you are going through! I feel the same need to simplify & go back to the core basics that make up who I am. I don't know you & probably never will, but thank you. God bless you on your journey.
Is this a real kitchen where people live, eat, drop mail...? Do you really have children who can fold the laundry and not assume it comes straight from the dirty pile in their room to the closet (after being washed, dried & ironed, of course)?
If yes, I want to live in your world! Especially as I feel the same way now, but our apartment & my office at work still look like a warfield (or nearly) & I still have to use the computer on a daily basis because I'm still working until the end of the month... :-(
Lucky you...
Enjoy the weekend!
linedupuy(at)hotmail(dot)fr
Thank you so much for 'keeping it real'! I enjoy your blog & ideas. I just started a blog and this post is one of my fears. I'm blogging for fun, about stuff I like. I hope I never get into a love/hate relationship with it.
Hope you have a summer filled with simple pleasures! (and we hear about a few?)
Good for you Vanessa! As much as I too love the blogging community, it is only right and fair that the "real world" comes first - every time.
Oh, and with such an inspiring blog, we'll all still be here I'm sure :))
I have always loved reading your random thoughts and feelings more than just tutorials anyway! (Although your tutes are brilliant too) So I am excited for you to be getting back to basics!!
V,
First of all I want to thank you for being so transaparent.
I always thought that you blogged and whipped out tutorials because you did love to create and share. I am glad you have realized that something needed to change. Lots of ladies, including myself, are stepping back from blogging like a crazy woman. There is just too much more in life like you stated...your family, etc.
Look forward to reading your posts no matter what they are about because you are one funny chica and always have something great to share.
Vanessa-
I've always loved your blog, even before you had a fancy camera, even before you were "famous" and while I love your patterns and tutorials I'd read even without them. I've actually missed seeing pictures of your house and your latest decorating so that is fun to see. I've always said that blogging and crafting is something I only do for fun when I feel like it, of course for you it is kind of a business, but I still think you have to do it to a level where you still enjoy it, or it's not worth it. I actually look forward to you writing about the everyday stuff, like home, family and decorating, and your funny stories of course! I'll be interested to see what changes you make to your house too!
Glad you're slowing down and enjoying summer with the kiddos, that's what it's really all about, right?
Elisabeth
good for you!
It's always comforting to know that you're a real person behind the blog V!
yours is the best post i've read in a while and it's something i've been thinking about all week. i need help with the everyday stuff - the cleaning and organizing and decluttering... i love whenever you write and don't need a tutorial (really, who needs one more thing to do??).
Hi V.
Oh what a great post!!
I know you must feel such a weight lifted and you will really enjoy posting about what you love. And I can't wait to see and learn more about you! :o) It has always been so fun reading your blog. :o)
I love how you said you are watching your children grow right before your eyes! It goes way too fast to pass it up. :o) We have had a marathon summer of watching MASH and playing UNO. It has been so hot and no pool near by, but we are making great memories that will last a life time. :o)
Enjoy your summer!!
Sincerely ~ Trish
Ps. I am doing the same thing in my home, ironically my kitchen is being hit the hardest and I love it!! :o)
pss. Our little wren family hatched and we have 4 fuzzy little babies who are about to take flight - what a joy to watch life. :o)
LOVE this post! This sounds exactly like what I've been feeling lately. I just haven't started getting back to basics because I didn't have the words for my thoughts and feelings.
THANK YOU!!! Now maybe I can start sleeping again.
proud of you girly. I bet you will need less pepto now.
I think you will find people love you for who you are and not all the great stuff you produce.
Maybe I should teach my kids to fold laundry...as I sit here and can see MT. Unfolded Laundry out of the corner of my eye.
I will have to email you about what is up with the job thing.
Keep having a GREAT summer.
tell me how you did it because it sounds like i need that in my life. what is it like to actually sit down and read a book?! and have a clean house?! tell me your secrets! :)
change is good. and it sounds like your change will be fabulous!
tiffany {Simply Modern Mom}
Thanks for the open and thoughtful post. We all need to find the right balance and figure out what our priorities. And most of all make the right choices for our families without guilt. Have fun!
LOL! I don't know I'd have called that word vomit ... it came across pretty clear and concisely to me! Good for you and amen!!! Your kitchen looks lovely, by the way! :)
Good! For! You!
I'll keep reading because I enjoy hearing your voice. Do what makes you happy and the rest will follow :-)
I just wanted to let you know that I check your blog at least a couple times a day to see what's going on and if you posted anything new....to prove to you that I'm not here for the tutorials only, I became a followerl...I like to read blogs where I feel like I get to know the blogger....so keep the words coming, tutorials or not!! You still rock :-)
I love reading about the day to day lives of people. We are all in various stages and walks of life, so it is neat to see what people aare up to. If in that reading somebody has an awesome tutorial... yea bonus; if not we get to learn and grow together:)
I am relieved, to tell you the truth. There are a TON of tutorial-every-day blogs out there, but not a lot of V & Co. sugar and spice blogs:) I look forward to your "found again" simplicity.
Great post! I totally agree with what you say, and I'm glad you're back because you really want to share all your talent with us!!
enjoy the weekend and all the days!! :)
Good for you!
Now, could you come organize my house and get my boys to cheerfully clean their rooms? I am feeling woefully inadequate in those areas this summer.
Good for you! No, really. That's how life should be. You shouldn't let a silly computer website dictate how you live your life. If you want to spend more time with your kids, go ahead! Hopefully you'll remember to take some pictures and post them here, if you're still wanting to incorporate us :)
I LOVE your kitchen, by the way. I love the idea of greenery in the kitchen, and yours looks so peaceful. I'd love to spend a day in there :)
you go girl!
Agreed. I love the other side of you...the sassy say what the heck you want side, the here's my real life side. So, bring it. I have also been dejunking in a big way this week. It feels wonderful. I went through the laundry room/office/craft room, then boys and girls rooms. I can actually open up drawers and find what I want.
That is exactly what I want to hear about! Ive missed hearing about your family and your life. Maybe that's because I don't sew :)
Your post reminded me of this quote:
"Mothers should be selective about their own activities and involvement to conserve their limited strength in order to maximize their influence where it matters most."
-Julie B Beck
I'm not trying to be preachy with that quote but to give you affirmations that you are making the right choice!
I'm so excited for you!
THANK YOU, Vanessa!! I'm so glad that you're not worrying about that stuff anymore. Blog politics are awful, aren't they? I think readers can tell when things aren't sincere or fun for us anyway. And besides, we love hearing your random thoughts! Most of all I'm just happy that you're enjoying life so much now! That's exciting!
I don't know how you craft/recipe bloggers do it. I just try to keep up on my little family/personal site and some weeks I'd rather jam a hot stick in my eye then sit there and type and upload pictures. And I'm not concerned with losing visits or anything - this active blogging thing is a part time job!
I'll still come by for your awesome ideas and cute decor. I don't expect you to reinvent the wheel three times a week. Just get to it when ya can and I for one will still be here!
P.S. I'll pay you in fabric. lol.
Good for you! I love the house stuff and the real life stuff!
numbers, shmumbers.
bring on the mundane. the trivial. Your tired and poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free.......
or something to that effect.
Bravo!! Well said :oD
BRAVO! I promise I'll still read your blog even if you never post another tutorial as long as you live. I just like to see what you're up to!
Brooke
Amen! If you enjoy blogging for you, then when your posts pop up on our readers - we'll enjoy what you've shared. I've been trying to do the same. Declutter the house and life!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I sometimes want to get my blog really big, but am not interested in being a slave to it. I think it will take the fun away from the hobby.
Your post is a good reminder for me that home and family are the most important. At the end of the day they are the ones that give me a hug and kiss goodnight.
Good for you.. enjoy every minute of every day if you can.
:) have a lovely weekend.
tutorials & talent is great- but I subscribe because you seem nice and funny and I appreciate your sense of humor and outlook on life. So, hooray for more "you, your life" posts!
Your house is so beautiful it looks like a showroom. But it is clear it is a home and not just a house. You have such a talent for decorating among other things. Enjoy the journey.
Vanessa, that's quite a wonderful epiphany. You know, I love blogland and can see how it can become all-consuming. But I only post and read others when the spirit moves me. So should you. Enjoy life, it goes by too fast. karen
LOVE this post. I might have to link because this is how I feel. For some reason it seems a lot of bloggers are feeling like this.
I wouldn't call it word vomit, more like LIFE and kids--two things we should be focused on more than blogging. More power to you! And Happy Clean House!
can totally relate!! felt like this myself a month or so ago
Congratulations!!!! I've been doing some of the same and it feels great.
I've been feeling this way too, hence my lack of blogging. I figure the Internet will always be here, my kids at this age won't....... Your kitchen looks fabulous!
We just did a MAJOR purge of tons of stuff we just weren't using anymore 3 trips to the DI pods and 2 trips to the dump later we are C.L.E.A.N & O.R.G.A.N.I.Z.E.D!! It feels oh so good!
There must be something in the water this summer because I'm going through the same thing! Unfortunately I haven't acted on mine as efficiently as you have. So move this blog in whatever direction you want! Inspiration can be found in many different ways. I think you should blog what you enjoy, not what you "need" to.
Good for you! Love the kitchen
Found you from Lemon Squeezy. :-) You help make me feel that it's ok that I don't have a daily post or weekly tutorial on my blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you for penning my thoughts. :-)
God bless you. I totally understand. I've had to make changes in how I blog too, in order to keep some assemblance of enjoyment in my life. It meant not returning a bajillion comments (which made the numbers, and comments, go down). It meant cutting back on the money I was spending less money doing decorating projects (which made the numbers go down). But my husband told me, "If it's fun do it. If it's not fun anymore, don't do it." So that changed how I saw blogging, and how I approach it. My numbers are much smaller, but it's fun again. I wish you the same results. Thank you for your honesty, lots of people never talk about this.
Hugs,
Liz
As I dip my toe into the waters of blogging (years and years and years on LiveJournal don't count), I am working hard at telling myself it is okay to just be real and normal. Do I love Freelance Interior Design? Heck yeah. But life isn't always paint swatches and fabric samples. There are also daily battles with my cat and moments where I am entirely random.
Thank you for opening this up to us and showing us more of you.
I really love this post. It's so true and so real. I'm sure you have inspired many others by this post too...I know I definitely want to simplify and this just may have given me the courage to start it!
ummmm, YES. This exactly what has kept me from starting a blog. I'm afraid that I would feel pressure to be cool. You, you're just naturally cool so you don't have to worry about it. Live your life chica, we're all blessed to be able to get a little glimpse of your creative awesomeness from time to time.
Good for you. Blogging can certainly take over. What starts as a hobby, perfect for a full time mom, can turn into a full time job, making motherhood a part-time chore. I'm glad you are enjoying this time with your kids.
Congratulations and enjoy your new more simplified summer!
love this Vanessa, so glad that you are doing this. And glad I'm not the only one who feels like this blogging pace needs to slow down for a bit. It's also hard because I've had to force myself not to reply to emails, stop reading some blogs, and just try and chill. I definitely don't want to look back and wish I had spent more quality time with my girls at this age.
I used to be a working novelist, until the whole market-market-market pressure became more work - and frustration - than the actual 'work' of writing. Now I'm a happy housewife, focusing on the hubby and kid and cats, and everything is much, much better. I write a blog post once in a while, but mostly I just do my own thing as I feel the need and desire to do it, and it's so wonderful to not have that heavy cloud of pressure and expectation hanging overhead all of the time.
You take care of YOU and your family and whatever makes YOU happy. If you have something to blog, then blog, if not, we'll still love ya.
Many heartfelt {{hugggs}}
Sounds like a great change. :)
Awesome!!! I agree with you on this and have been thinking about the same thing with my blog.
These are the things I crave when blog reading! Enough with the tutorials! I get so overwhelmed with craft ideas that I never end up making anything. I'd love to know what your cleaning schedule is like, but if you don't feel like blogging about it, don't! Word.
this is a wonderful goal and it has inspired me. I also get so overwhelmed with all the great ideas in Blogland , and I don't end up creating most them.
I am planning to simplify this summer and you are motivating me!
Thank you and enjoy your family!
~Marie
Beautifully stated, V. Your children, your marriage, your home and your life and the goodness of them all will benefit from your introspection.....as will we, your faithful readers. Bravo to you! What an incredible inspiration you are!
Suzy
i am right there with you- my blog is my journal- very few can view it and it drives me crazy when i get pressured to post more. i want more time with my kids and get caught up on the blog at my convenience, i am doing it for me, not anyone else!
Good for you!
Oh! Words like fresh air to inspire...see, there are many ways to inspire! After reading your post (I was right in the middle of making your ribbon flower!), I put my friend glue gun and his partner scissors down, pulled out my Nicolas Sparks...hopped in my paddleboat with my doggies...read and watched the most glorious sunset ever! I almost missed it!!! Thank You!!!! It is dark now...flower is finished!
Amen and hugs. Love you, V!
I like your blog better this way anyway. Fewer tutorials means fewer projects I feel like I should be doing. More real life encourages me to have more real life too. Thanks!
I'm new to your blog, and I'm fairly new to blogging myself ... I think you have the right idea...that is always important to keep your priorities in check, enjoy your family, they grow up so fast! Oh by the way...I love your Kitchen :)
Sally
And this, my friend is what real life is about. So happy for you and so glad to see that you will still stick around and inspire us. No need to be the "latest and greatest", just be you. That's why we come here in the first place... you keep it real V!
I think we're all feeling the same lately... I blogged the same sentiments not that long ago! Glad I'm not the only one...
If you are looking at blues to paint with....take a look at Columbia Paint. There is an Historic America Collection and in that is a color called Cottage Green........it is the best color I have seen in a long time and I want to paint everything that color!!!
I'm looking forward to seeing your changes. I need some big-time change right now it my life but I'm totally bogged down by morning sickness. My change will have to wait until school starts up again (it's easier to dejunk anyway when the kids don't know what's going out the door).
Thanks for your transparency! Enjoy your family! As you know, kids grow up fast and before you know it they will be gone! I'm glad you are making the changes your heart is longing for!
Hurray for domesticity and the simple pleasures in life!
Thank you. I hope you find happiness and peace in blogging about "normal" things. :) Just don't forget to post a tutorial or two every once in a while....
I have felt so much the same this past little while. Getting back to reading (and studying) the scriptures, back to playing outside with my daughter, back to going on walks and enjoying the town I live in. I love blogging because it's fun to swap ideas and support with so many wonderful people, but it was definitely about the numbers for me a little while back too and now it's not. (Although, let's be honest, it is still fun to see the numbers go up after a good post.) :) Anyway, way to simplify. And I'm totally looking forward to reading about how you teach your children to clean. I have no idea how to do that. Happy Saturday!
please don't stop completely but I love that you are getting back to basics! that seemed to be the theme for our primary presidency this year. No more activities that make us look better than the ward next door. No more fancy sharing times that take more time to prepare than share. Back to the basics is what all of us should be doing. hopefully you've started a trend!
Pick the third one from the bottom. It matches the color in the leaves.
I'm so happy to hear this & excited to read more about your "real life"! Congrats on taking a genuine stand for your self and your life!
Good girl. If your up in our neck of the woods, bring the kidlins and come by Camp W and hang out with me, Burg & all our nutty kids at the pool...
I think it's great for you! I'll be still continue reading your blog and love hearing what you are doing!
Sounds like you're developing a very balanced life. Good for you! Our blogs should be about "us" and whatever we feel at the moment. I actually just keep a few posts up at a time and delete the rest since mine is a family journal. I leave my sewing blog ones up all the time though. Keep enjoying what matters most!
Cindy
I agree with everything, and good for you!
Your kitchen is cute, I have that same exact kitchen island :)
i've missed the old you ;)
Beautifully said...and your kitchen makes me want to barf with envy.
:)
I'll still read your blog. Because I like even your "regular" posts. Good for you for not letting it suck you in.
smile.
So glad!
Your blog is a happy place to read, so I hope it can be a happy place for you again as well. :)
~Keri
Nothing changes here! I will still love your blog...I am just going to have to be more patient and wait for more of you fabulous ideas whenever you have a change to post.
P.S. And I dont mind reading about the so called "boring stuff" either :)
Love your blog. So glad that you are here. I made your bandana skirt for my little girl today and she loved it. She received so many compliments on it. Thank you!
yay for you little mama!!
I'm excited you are heading in this direction. I totally hear you on the pressure thing (of course, my blog has a fraction of the followers you have). I feel like if I don't post something creative for awhile that I'm going to lose viewers. I should actually just say psh to them and create when and only when I feel like it. It's fun to see the numbers go up, all the comments, etc. but it is also overwhelming to up the anty so to speak. I hope you find what you are looking for as you soul search, and I hope you continue posting photos of your gorgeous house. Someday mine will look like yours...someday!
Vanessa, I love your attitude! You do what's right for you and yours - the rest will fall in to place as it should. XOXOXOX
I reeeeallym loved this post and didn't get to write a comment before. I'm not even a "somebody" in the blogging world and I always feel like I get sucked in. It's nuts. I'd rather live life than feel pressured to write about it all the time. It makes life more fun to sit back and live it. Thanks for your words!
I started reading your blog only a few months ago. When I have spare time, my favorite thing is to click on your "somebody shoot me" tag. It cracks me up! You are awesome. Keep on blogging!
Love, love, love ya! It's great know others out there trying to stay alive in this crazy world. LOL- I've had several paint chips on my walls for the last 4 months, maybe I'll paint this week. Thanks for sharing!
I'm so excited! I love the mundane every day stuff too and at the end of the day I think we should blog about whatever is on our mind... because they're our blogs anyway :)
Good for you! I think we all need to regain control... life is to be enjoyed, not just endured, right? I've been feeling like the world is passing me by lately - I need to slow down... thanks for the inspiration!
way to go, i also have been away from blogging and there is a huge difference when you start doing it for yourself and not for others. way to go! btw, how lovely is your home!!!!
Hi Vaness - I'm so happy to hear you say this. This is PERFECT after what we talked about a couple of weeks ago.
You're great.
The pictures of your simplying look amazing.
And that color strip is fantastic! I can't wait to see what you end up doing.
Keep smiling and remember that you are wonderful.
Amy
So when you get 105+ comments do you actually read them??
Remember me? I "quit" blogging back in April because I felt much the way you said you are feeling...love hate goin' on.
Well, life for me could not be better, and I'm so glad that you're going back to the basics because honestly I get a little tired of all the "crafts" out there that are actually sorta like cluttering my home, my life, my mind...I like geniune, down to earth, real people bloggers. Even if that means sporatic, spontaneous, non-tutorial blogs!
Good job. and i hope some day I can meet you cause I think we'd get a long =)
Well I don't blog just because I know it would take over my life.
We are making a big move to go and help our daughter in another town. She is on dialysis three days a week and has a three year old who is blind and life is overwhelming her. The big thing I have to do is to simplify my home because we will live in a smaller place. I know I am happy to have an excuse to get rid of the clutter and nick nacks. I love the simplicity of your kitchen. So wish me luck.
good for you!!!
it's so much easier said than done, though, isn't it?!?!?!
Can I ask where you got your kitchen island?
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