Hello 2018!

Well helllooooo there! Long time no talk. I mean, it’s only been three weeks but for me, that’s a looong time. Did you know, this is actually the longest I have gone without posting on the blog in over SIX years? Not even after I had my kiddos. Woah. I debated on whether or not I even needed to address my tiny little break. It really hasn’t been THAT long, but I want to give you all an official welcome to 2018 and let you know what’s been happening behind the scenes.

I’m sure it’s pretty obvious, but the holidays are absolutely crazy around here. I’m actually pretty sure they are for EVERYONE. It’s by far my busiest time of year for the blog and by the time Christmas gets here I’m really ready for a break. And I’m ready to check out for a bit. January is always a little slower for me but instead of keeping up with blog posts I decided it was time for me to schedule an intended break to reevaluate my blog/business and really focus on my goals for this year. I often think of crazy new ideas and then a deadline approaches or I get an idea for a new project and then I get distracted and nothing actually gets accomplished.  Sound familiar to anyone else?

If I’m being totally honest, last year was filled with some fo the highest of highs for my business, but also many, many lows. From rebranding from Design, Dining and Diapers to Taryn Whiteaker, to appearing on the Rachael Ray Show, to being published in several magazines this fall like Better Homes & Gardens and Family Circle, to having our house shot for an upcoming issue of Modern Country magazine. When I look back, I am truly humbled and absolutely blown away at the opportunities that happened in 2017! It really was an amazing year and I want to continue to move my blog in the RIGHT direction for 2018.

But then there is this other side of blogging. The side that often goes unnoticed. When you are working in an industry where your business is greatly affected by social media and outside influences, it can often be very unpredictable. This year brought about many changes in social media that weren’t so great for bloggers, in fact many of them made our jobs about 100X harder. Bringing about some incredibly frustrating, exhausting and make my head spin moments.  I’ll spare you the details on all the boring stuff,  but moral of the story is, keep interacting with me on social media whenever you see my posts and that will help both of us A TON! And I will love you forever.  Like, comment, share… the more you do it the more you will see my posts!

All of this to say, I felt like I needed a little time to figure things out and make 2018 the best one yet. I love blogging, I love being creative, I LOVE showing you our journey decorating our home and sharing design tips. This really is the best job ever. But over the past few years I feel like I’ve gotten into a bit of a rut. Maybe not a rut, but more like a hamster spinning the wheels. I feel like I’ve been churning out the same type of content and I often wonder if you guys are getting bored over here!?! So I’ve spent the past few weeks planning out a year with NEW content and one that you will hopefully NOT be bored with!

The thing is, I’m not burnt of of blogging, or tired of designing, I am actually more motivated than ever! I am SO excited for this year. In 2018 I want show you even more aspects of my life and my home. I want to show you more of our life within our home, our travels, more of my personal style and of course ALL the design work being done on our house. Because we have LOTS of that going on this year! How does that sound?

I’ve already started to incorporate some fun new aspects to my Instagram feed, I also started a whole NEW Instagram where I’ll be chronicling our travels this year. So if you like beautiful scenery and travel photography, hop on over there!

I’m really looking forward to mixing some things up this year and continuing to hone in on my design skills. It’s been an incredible journey and I’m looking forward to growing even more this year. I look back over the past few years and it’s always interesting to see how trends have shifted over the years and how I’ve changed. I started primarily as a craft/mom blog, shifted into large scale DIY projects, then moved more into home decor and design. I’ve watched my photography improve year after year (and cringe at the poor quality of old posts, sorry guys). One thing I know for sure, I still have so much more to learn and so much room for growth, but I’m heading into this year with even bigger dreams and goals.

So here’s to a new year with new possibilities. Thank for letting me ramble. If you are still reading up to this point, can I ask YOU something? As I continue to plan out the year, what would you like to see more of on here? Shopping guides for my favorite products? More of our travel adventures withe places to visit? More room reveals or big makeover? My personal fashion?

I’ll be back posting on my normal schedule starting the week, I’ve got some fun decor tips coming up on Monday and even starting some spring decor later in the week!