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I have been unconnected the last couple weeks and have been letting myself be nice and busy with cooking, faithfully attending group strength training at my gym (thank you), and potty training my littlest (success!)
I also cleaned out my closet on a whim and tossed several things into the donate pile. It felt amazing to slide over one hanger after another and love everything. (And just to make sure we’re clear, I am no fashion maven. On no, I rely completely on fashionable friends and consider blogs like this, this, and this required reading.) But I felt like everything left was truly me. I love editing things. I love the result. I love a well-edited kitchen utensil drawer or a well edited room design.
It got me thinking about this blog. I have been thinking since the holidays that I need a little time to rethink this blog, but haven’t quite figured out what to do about it.
I’ve been thinking that, because I love being in the kitchen and I have a chocolate shop, it would be professional of me to blog more about the kitchen. But I also get excited about mothering and organizing and good books and happy mail (as you know) and on and on. And I start wondering if it would be good or exhausting or unprofessional to blog about all of this.
I edited down my posts over the last year (in case you are a blogger and want the stats—I went from 5 posts per week to 1 or 2 without losing traffic, if anything my traffic climbed a bit, crazy and unexpected). And I have truly enjoyed the focus.
But lately I’ve been thinking I need to pull in more things that are truly me. I thought with enough experience, a more honest version of me would surface in every post, but on occasion I feel my posts starting to feel forced.
Up until now, I have had this desire to try new things, to swim in unfamiliar waters. But lately I’ve been feeling like I want to get down to what I do best. I think maybe it’s a natural part of growing up, of wanting to give back. I want to focus on the places where I am sure footed, and enjoying myself, and contributing. Do you know what those areas are for you?
They say that editing your wardrobe leaves you with more to wear, not less. I’d like to make that happen here.
And I’m thinking a new approach might help me trim down the sheer time that a good post takes, which is always a concern when it comes to putting first things first.
So I think I’ll take a little time away and rethink things. I may stop by and share if I send any happy mail, because sharing that is my very favorite.
Until then, thanks for listening. And here’s to pursuing the things you do best. Here’s to finding wardrobe and blogging s-w-a-g-g-a.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m a little sad to hear that you are taking time away but I totally understand. I hope you enjoy your rethinking. :)
I love your blog. Found your happy mail on Pinterest and have sent some myself. I sent my nephew w/ a broken arm a roll of duct tape (checkerboard) and then seperately a set of sharpie markers to draw on the tape and cast:)) it was SO fun! Also sent my girlfriends each a flip flop in the mail, bc they were coming to FL to visit. It MADE their day!! Keep the ideas coming. I had never even thought to send something like that in the mail:)!!
Thank you, Courney and Jenni, for brightening my day! Courtney, what a completely perfect way to cheer up you little nephew. and mailing duct tape is pure brilliance!!
Lol!! The ladies working in the PO were cracking up. You could tell they’d never mailed much like that before! I’ll hafta post some pics and show you. :) I am such a huge mail fan, so i’m LOVING your blog. Me and my Mom looked for like an hour at all your happy mail posts!! So creative!!
I so agree with your sentiment. It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately too. Not so much blogging less, but being true to who I am and what I like. I don’t think I’ve been bad about it, but I think what I’ve been doing lately in life and on my blog has been better. If that makes sense. Creating and sharing is rewarding, but creating and sharing things you truly, truly love is far more rewarding.
I hope you won’t be away too long. :)
I totally get it! Since I only recently started following your blog, I will be anxiously waiting for your next one! Good luck!
I really enjoyed this post (as I do ALL of your posts!) – I, too, wonder if I’m spreading myself too thin. At the expense of quality as well as personal satisfaction. Which is why I started blogging to begin with! I look forward to seeing where you go with this, as it may inspire me to listen more carefully to what is really right for me! Thanks for sharing!
thanks for the note, sheri! you are so sweet, as always, and I couldn’t agree more with how you said it, finding balance vs quality and satisfaction in your work, totally true!
I know exactly how you feel. I find blogging is like exercise. I love it when I’m doing it, and after i’ve finished doing it, but it’s the thinking about doing it when I’m not feeling it, or the guilt of not doing it as often as I should that’s the issue for me.
If you’re passionate about your chocolate shop, blog about that. You know, I think what you and your sister-in-law have done is quite an inspiring thing. More mom’s like me would drove to read about how you’ve done it and how you continue to do it.
That’s just my 2 cents:)
tina,
thanks for the sweet note, and the encouragement! totally true about the comparison to exercise! and i love your 2 cents, thanks for that : ) i will definitely start thinking that through.
Just wanted to drop you a note to tell you i posted some pics of my happy mail on my blog:) Enjoy!
What a thoughtful post. Hope you get back to us soon.
LOVEeeeee your happy mail posts!!! I hope that you have time to blog those!!! <3
Hope you get new insight and inspiration from your “step away” and I hope to see more Happy Mail in the future since I do love it oh so much. Thank you for all you do. It’s inspiring!
as you know, i’ve been there too. you are such a crafty wonder woman, somehow managing so many amazing things; we’ll be here when you return!
I was particularly interested in the idea of editing down in the blogger aspect of life, and to see that your stats didn’t diminish with an edited blog. I follow this idea–have for a while–for, while I could throw up lots of post (my mind is always thinking up new things to say), I find that my blog “feels” better if I only have 2-3 posts a week, rather than a daily digest. I think many bloggers, as they mature in their blogging, are following this idea.
Now excuse me, while I go edit down my closet!
I was just thinking I hadn’t seen a post from you in a while. I’ve missed you! I also totally understand where you’re coming from. I was searching for teacher appreciation ideas. Again. I thought instead of thinking of a theme first I would look at cute gift ideas and then find a theme to match. A little backwards, but that’s me. Thanks for your great ideas.
My searching brought me to this entry and reading it made me think of the Pioneer Woman blog/website. She has many varied interests too (cooking, photography, homeschool, etc) Ree has put together a blog that can be approached separately or as a whole; meaning if you’re only interested in photography you go to that area and don’t have to be bothered by the other posts. You are so blog/internet savvy you probably have great ideas, but that’s what I thought of reading your post.
Aside from all of that, thank you. Thank you for being true to yourself and sharing wonderful things with the rest of us. Do what is right for you and the rest of us will either love it and support it or go someplace else. (Personally, I don’t think anyone will be going anyplace.) Personal priorities and streamlining our life is a daily reminder of who we are and what we want to accomplish.
I think you’re amazing.
I like the idea of slow blotting; commendations to you on taking breaks and loving life to its fullest!
Silly auto correct! Slow BLOGGING :)