I haven't touched based with you in awhile. Sure I have been sharing projects here and there, but I haven't just chatted with you in what seems like forever. I am not sure if it is because I'm coming off a winter (and winters are hard for me) or if it is because I got caught up in the whole "deadline" rat race. When I first started this blog I was much more open to sharing what was going on in my daily life, not just my DIY life. But I got burned a few times and it made me a little weary to share too much. And because of that, I feel like over time I have lost my voice. Or at least part of it. I allowed others to take it. And I'm not sure how to get it back. I used to make crazy stupid music videos, and share funny stories about my kids. I used to put more of myself into every post, not just some. Somewhere along the way I started to compare myself to others, which we all know is never good. The confidence I gained through blogging started to turn into self doubt.
A voice in my head said my blog should be more professional. More polished. A voice said I should focus on projects only. "People don't care about YOU. They came from Pinterest and they will quickly move on." it said.
While I know that blogging has changed, and I will never get 100+ comments on a post anymore, I am hoping to start sharing more of me. I poured myself into my book and it felt GOOD. I put my passion and my heart, my opinions, and my ideas in there. I felt like it was truly ME. And then I turned my focus back on the blog at the beginning of the year and that's when it really hit me that I was missing part of that here. I felt like what used to make my blog unique was my voice and personality. Without that, what is there to make it stand out from all the others? (*cough* This is where someone pipes up and says "really cool projects" *cough*)
I apologize if the tone of this post came off a bit down, but life (and blogging) is not always rainbows and laughter. But I do promise that moving forward to inject more of my personality and more LIFE into the blog.
I love you all who support this little blog of mine. I love the email updates I get from some of you. If I could have ONE bloggy wish I would wish things could go back to how they were before Pinterest. I love Pinterest most of the time, but if we are being honest, it has changed blogging. I wish we had more conversations. More interaction. As at stay at home mom, that has always been my favorite part. So thank you for the photos you email of projects you made, thank you for commenting, thank you for reading. I think I may have to brainstorm and find some fun ways to bring that feeling of community back here. I am open to suggestions!
I appreciate this heart felt post. I have been following you, almost, since the beginning :) one of my favorite stories is the one where you decided to cut a hole in the floor for a laundry shoot and then your hubby came home from work :)
I always liked your blog as one of my favorites because of your theme of not buying new things all the time but getting creative with what you have and making it work to fit what you need. In the grand blog world you seemed like the one voice who went against the "buy it now, designer everything" to the unique, diy, make it your own, love what you have. You're amazing and I look forward to reading your heart and love and personality in your blog again. *hugs*
I understand completely! I'm just re-entering the blog world after taking a very long, unintentional break. I'm trying to remember that it is about enjoying the process and not just the results.
I"m right there with you. I totally miss the interaction of the good old days. Now I struggle knowing how much "personal stuff" I should share. And I'm like you- winters are hard in more ways than one. I always loose my mojo on cloudy days.
I have been following your blog for about 4 years, and I can truly say that I have enjoyed your honesty. It is refreshing to hear that sometimes life just doesn't go as planned. And you're not trying to hide it. Your projects are beautiful, and you're down to earth. Keep up the great work :) can't wait to read more!!!
I can completely empathize. I've always been sort of down to business when it comes to tutorials and blog posts. I guess I always felt like maybe most people wouldn't relate to some parts of me and think I'm crazy. Especially at conferences and all it's easy to become self conscious and intimidated by others, their blogging style, and their expectations. Lately I've started sharing my sort of crazy colorful side, especially on Instagram and it has made all of blogging more fun. I've definitely had a good amount of unfollows, but I've also connected to a new group of people who appreciate my crazy pictures and projects. And I really love it when you share more! You are such a sweet, interesting, creative, and unique person and it really shows through! (and I think it shows through in your projects too, even when you're not trying!)
I have loved ya since the start...do you, you're a perfect Stacy! Be personal if it works for you, don't if it doesn't...(though I like to know I'm not alone in my craziness ;) )
Ditto! I love Pinterest but also think it could be improved. I love following people and getting to know them via their blog. So many bloggers look at it as a business and loose the personal touches. To each their own but I look for that personal touch. That is why I've followed your blog for a few years. I always enjoy your posts :)
You inspire me. I just wanted you to know that. I have been following your blog about 2 years now. I copied your little houses pillow. So I just want you to know I love your blog!
Michelle
i actually love your blog just the way it is. Love your style. I know what you mean about Pinterest. Too, too much. Don't get me wrong, I love to peek but have to limit myself. Just be yourself!
Amen!! Great post. I miss the interaction and comments too - that's what makes blogging so fun and rewarding. Thanks for sharing.
And thank you for sharing with us. Yes, I follow you because of the cool projects, but more so because you are real down to your paint covered hands. :-)
Honesty, I've always liked the posts where you talk about your life more than your project posts. The projects are cool and all (and really you are super-duper talented) but I love reading about your thoughts on life. Your post about the grass not being greener on the other side and your post about being afraid to go to New York the first time are some of my favorite posts from any blog. Keep sharing.
I love your DIY projects, but also love getting some personal details. I think it helps people relate to you better. Sorry you've been burned before. Hopefully, there's a lot more positive people than haters out there. Keep up the GREAT work!!!
I love the various things you post. I drove past the lavender fields and the drive-in theater the other day, and thought about how you'd shared your experiences with both. I also have 4 boys so I feel like we have a connection. And your blog it's SUCH a good reminder we can make our homes wonderful even if they're small, or older, or whatever. I really like the posts where the YOU shines through.
I loved this - honesty is a great thing! I never thought about how Pinterest changed blogging. I blogged for years had fun with it sharing our family story and recently started a new blog in a topic that is right for me because I've now raised my family. I've noticed when I share more of myself those that read really like it. I have a theory if you set the example others will follow..... sometimes it takes time. Keeping things real and sharing our heart is why blogging started. Love all your stuff and look forward to your book. -Carole
Even though I am retired, life is still very busy. Early on in retirement I subscribed to many blogs I felt would be interesting and would stimulate me to do/try new things for my home. Many, I felt, said nothing....showed lots and lots of photos of the same thing to fill in space or advertised to subscribe to other blogs. No time for those.
Now, I subscribe to very few. In fact, maybe only four or five. Keep up the good work young lady!
You are an inspiration! So talented. Love reading your blog. Love the way you write. Keep fighting the good fight!
Thanks for being so honest. Life happens, and the paths on our journey through life do change, sometimes for better and sometime for worse. I think you are the kinda girl that makes lemons out of lemonade! Keep up the hard work! Your projects are beautiful, you are beautiful inside and out and I love your blog! Thank you, I very much appreciate you and what you share.
I really enjoy blogs who are down to earth and share about their lives. Don't give up!! Be you! I love reading about your "little 1938 cottage".
I started following your blog a few months ago,. It has become one of my favorites. I personally like to know about the lives of the writters of the blogs I read, but I would never write a nasty comment either. I hate people who write mean comments they make it very uncomfortable for people to share.
Beck
I agree with you... I love Pinterest. In fact, I found this blog through Pinterest. But there is absolutely no interaction on Pinterest. If you have a question, forget it! If you want to compliment the poster, forget it! It's a good thing for posting to a "bulletin board" so you can remember it or find it again, but otherwise, give me a blog every time. And although I don't comment on all your blog posts, I am a faithful reader, and have gleaned many good tips and tricks from your blog over the year or so I've been following. So keep it up, Stacy, and don't feel like you're being upstaged or superseded by Pinterest or other bloggers or anything. Your blog is uniquely yours and it's a good one! (Besides that, we all love you.)
Stacey......I appreciate your heartfelt comments this morning. I think llosing oneself occasionally happens to all of us at one time or another. I love the aha moments when we snap our heads around and say,hey this is not me and this isn't working for me.
So you get centered again and i and others will still be here.
I have no interest in Pinterest never been there . I do Hometalk and a very few blogs.love ya gal..hang in there.
I know people can't just be all sunshine and unicorns in blogs, and you get busy.... I think many things in the old days were better. I remember letter writing BEFORE email! I turn 56 in June. Today I worked in the back yard reclaiming land, that many used for a dump. I am pulling out of the ground rusty wire, rusty old door knob/locks, glass, odd metal bits...bones! My right elbow tendon screams at me all night after thirty minutes of raking, and boxing up the trash. I have half an acre to do. I found a yr 2000 nickel. Then I found a three inch tall plastic glittery dino .... somehow this softens the blow of the rotten work. Just do what you can when you can. We all are just human.
I love your blog and your sweet, down-to-earth personality. Your honesty is refreshing, your projects realistic. Not everyone lives in a picture perfect house with a husband that makes six figures. Your creativity is inspiring and contagious... you're doing a great job!
I know exactly how you feel, Stacy. I've actually been contemplating this over the past few weeks and started writing my weekly Saturday's letters again as a way to share more about my and my family and what's going on. It's a really fun post to just write and be funny and serious or whatever!
I miss the old days, but love the pinterest traffic. I know I don't comment on as many blogs as I used to, so I can't blame anyone for not commenting on mine. Things change and we have to adjust.
Wonderful post! Loved every word.
<3
Gwen
I can't tell you how happy I was to read this post. It's so needed, and I'm so happy that someone like you is standing up for this issue. I don't usually speak my mind, but I'm so passionate about this and am going to spill. It makes me sad to think about how blogging has become strictly about the content and less about the blogger. I think it should be a combination of the two things. I started blogging a year ago, and to be honest, it's almost impossible to stay afloat in this blog world that has become so robot like and voiceless. Just a personal opinion, but a blog has to have voice for me to read. Those are the blogs that I'm drawn to. I refuse to give in to what blogging has become and maybe my blog will never grow to what I want it to be because of that. I love everything you do and even if you feel like you haven't had voice lately, you always do!! Your personality always shines through your projects. Such an inspiration to use newbies of what a well rounded blog should look like! xoxo!
I for one am so glad that YOU are back! I follow very few blogs but yours has always been one that I am drawn too. I think it is because you have always been so open and honest with your personal life. You have shown your ups and downs and it makes you human....albeit with an extremely creative side that I love too! I was thinking of an old post of yours where you redid some hardwood floors. I think you just used gel stain on them?? Anyway, I was thinking about that as we are embarking on a kitchen redo (all done by us) and it made me think.....hmmmm....what is Stacy up to? So again....keep on blogging about the real you! It's what I love most about this blog!
The personal stuff is what drew me to love you. One of the very first posts I read of yours was about your husband being laid off and how "not perfect" your life was. And I so LOVED that. Not that I wanted to see your family struggle of course, but that you were REAL and HONEST! Because it's rare to find. And quite frankly, I get tired of reading all these "perfect" blogs. It's phony and I found you to be so perfect while still having normal everyday life blended right in!
I agree. Pinterest has sucked the conversation out of blogging. But I'm glad you've had an epiphany and I'm glad you'll be putting more of YOU in your posts because let's face it, I ADORE you.
I love this post and I couldn't agree more with what you said.
I miss those days too.. I miss blogrolls and replying in comments to find new bloggers.. I miss that you used to know what people were actually DOING on a daily basis. How one post would run into another.. Now life is boiled down to a simple pinterest-worthy snippet. *sigh*
I'm glad you are getting your voice back! I can't wait to hear from 'you' again! #GetitGirl
Thanks for reminding me to enjoy my life. While things are very different it's all good. I love myself today and so does God. God bless you all. :)