7.01.2013

{a home in the making} State of the Blog.

Let's just dive right into where I've been for the past month. Wait, has it been two months? Yep. I originally wrote this post at the beginning of June! So, I've edited to update to the rest of June, but the basic message remains unchanged :)


I started in May in Miami (above) for work, as soon as I got home we headed to the Oregon coast, then a long weekend visiting friends in Bend, Central Oregon (below) and I finished the month visiting a dear friend in Dallas Texas. May was awesome! And, my head is in fact still spinning. 

June was a little quieter, but included an amazing trip to wine taste in eastern Washington (below). Quite frankly, I'm not used to traveling that much and lots of other things fell through the cracks. Including, sadly, this lovely space.



There's another issue I've been having, though, with blogging in general. Early in May - pre-travel craziness - I actually thought to myself that I need to hire a landscaper to come weed our terribly overgrown yard and lay barkdust. My reasoning? Besides being lazy (!), getting our yard in shape would take a full weekend day and it's not something I could blog about so I didn't want to spend time doing it. What shocked me the most is that I realized this is only one example in a list of things that I've been avoiding doing because they aren't blog worthy.

It hit me hard that I don't want to live my life according to what's blog worthy. Since I started my new job about 8 months ago, I've had very limited time during the week to blog - thanks to crazy work days that often lead into evening work activities. I've been managing the blog by filling my weekends with starting and completing projects, photographing the projects, uploading and editing photos and then, at a bare minimum, writing Monday's post and starting the other two posts for the week. I'm sure you can guess how much time that leaves me for anything else on the weekends! :)


I was chained to my house last summer trying to make progress on our kitchen remodel, and I don't want to feel the same way this summer. I want to go hiking and pull weeds and go for bike rides and touch up the back entry steps that are chipping. I want to enjoy my weekends!



I'm not completely sure what all this means. I know I'm not going away. The first couple weeks of May I felt really free in my non-blogging life, but the few weeks I've really missed it - and all of you! I think this summer I'll just be winging it more than usual. There are still small home updates I'm working on - living room furniture, fabrics for the kitchen, the sage of our kitchen chairs - and I'll definitely be updating you as I get to them. But there might be weeks when I just don't have time to contribute here. And I think right now that's fine too.

Thanks for hanging in there with me friends! I appreciate you reading and checking in here and not giving up on me when life kinda gets in the way :)


17 comments:

  1. Good for you! I've struggled with making sure that I'm not just doing things for the sake of the blog and since then there's a load off my shoulders. It's definately a balancing act and it's great that you are in tune with it. Enjoy the moment.

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    1. Thanks Kim! Finding that perfect balance is SO HARD!

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  2. Did you climb inside my head in order to write this post???!!! This is exactly how I have been feeling too, basically blogging when I have something worth talking about and not trying to do things just to blog about them. I too have been rather sporadic and hope that my blog friends don't give up on me! I know I get excited to see a post come through from you no matter how long it has been since the last. If we are not blogging for profit, our blogging should be fun, not a chore. Good luck with it all and ENJOY every minute of your Summer!!!

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    1. Hahaha! It sounds like a lot of people are feeling like this these days! Cathy, I for one, would never give up on you - I love your blog and all your content! :)

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  3. It's your blog, you can do whatever you want...you told me that a few months back! You have to do what makes you happy, no matter what that is! Make sure you have fun with whatever you do!

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    1. HA! Thank you for reminding me of my own advice! :)

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  4. I can soooo relate to this! I haven't been posting as regularly as I used to pretty much since around February. I just don't have anything to talk about and I'm not going to force myself to write a half-assed post. If I'm not interested in it then others probably won't be either. I also agree with you, you don't want to NOT live your life and do regular things just because it wouldn't create a great blog post. We all had lives before we started blogging, there's no reason to stop "living" even if it's not blog worthy.

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    1. Lauren - you are so wise my friend. Life isn't always blog worthy, but that doesn't mean it isn't awesome!

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  5. Hi, Jenn!!! Sounds like you have been busy and been having fun!!! Good!!! So glad to hear I am not alone, makes me feel better about myself that others are having trouble keeping up or just don't feel like putting in all that much energy...phew!!! So, I hear ya and I'll read whenever you post:)

    Ok, ps. This might be an idiotic question, but I feel comfortable asking you...is google reader the same as having all your blogs on your blogger dashboard? or is it different? not sure if I am supposed to be panicking about tomorrow!!! thanks!

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    1. Sarah! I emailed you :) It's not the same things. And thank you for the support! You have a better excuse for not posting than I do though ;)

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  6. Friend, these photos are gorgeous! And your words, well, you know they resonate with me. Take your time, enjoy your weekends and the summer, and I'll be here when you're ready (and obviously before that too...duh.). Happy 4th of July week! :)

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  7. I completely understand!!! It's hard to keep up with blogging, working full time (in a not-blog related job), keeping up with friends and family, and just enjoying life. As you know, my blog goes for weeks on end without an update. Sometimes my update is that I'll have an update coming soon haha. It would seem so easy to just come home and snap a quick photo before changing my clothes, but alas it is more time-consuming than that (photo editing, blog design, writing, etc--you know the deal). Point is, I enjoy your blog and all the good homeowner tips you have (and design inspiration), and I look forward to whenever you post! But you also need to get out and enjoy life--like making a trip to Montana! :)

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    1. Maren, that's it - exactly. There so much that is time consuming outside of just taking the photos! Thank you for the support - and Montana is on the short list! :)

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  8. Love your honesty and thank you for sharing! I can relate having a blog as well. Live life, vs. living a life to blog. There is a balance so I hope you find it and feel both free and still connecting to what you love doing.

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  9. AMEN!!! I've pretty much given up on blogging and my high hopes for a wonderful website - especially now with a little bean ball. It's the "facebook" syndrome where people start feeling inadequate for not so perfect photos, or a lifestyle not accurately portrayed ;) Not that you guys don't have a fantastic house, etc. etc. but I think you know what I'm getting at!

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Your comments make my day! Thanks for stopping by and sharing! :)