Well HELLO!
How are you!?!?
Me....i'm wonderful.
I thought i'd just stop in to let you know what i've been up to!
I've had quite a few of you e-mailing me to see if i'm ok.....I am.
I just really needed a break from the computer to see if I still wanted to blog, etc.
Don't you sometimes just feel like you need a break.
Don't get me wrong...I love each and every person who stops by to say "hello."
And I really appreciate being able to share my simple little life with all of you.
But sometimes......trying to keep up with it all started to not make me feel so happy.
And being the kind of person who likes to keep things very simple and uncomplicated.....I just took a break:) And truth be told....i'm not sure how often i'll be popping in here.
The blogging community is wonderful and I just love seeing what everyone is up to.
But sometimes....when I don't spend time all alone with my thoughts.....I get confused about what I want out of life.
Reading all of the "popular blogs" started to make me feel unsure of myself....
do I want to grow my blog...do I want to grow Simple Daisy...
maybe I should like shabby white more...
Maybe I need to turn my whole house into a shabby white palace...yeah...that's what i'll do to get more visitors....
Maybe I need to own a shop.....maybe...maybe...maybe...my brain started to spin!
I retreated into just doing what I like and how I like to do things to rediscover that....
at this point in my life...
i'm content to keep my creative spirit as a hobby
I can't sit still to save my life....and thank goodness my husband doesn't get too upset when I go tearing up a room
I don't really like rooms all shabbied out and all white....maybe it's an Indiana thing...but when winter's really bearing down for months on end....I want a home I can feel warm and cozy in...
and you know what else I discovered.....I like yellow!
I just started re-doing my dining room and kitchen and yellow just started pouring out of me.
hmmmm.
I still love love love turquoise.....but yellow is starting to win my heart over!
It bright and cheery in the summertime and warm and cozy in the wintertime:):)
We went to Saugatuck, MI for a long weekend and I made my poor husband climb way too many stairs just so I could see the beautiful view:)
Nevermind how I look....it was first thing in the morning and I didn't have a stitch of make-up on. And i'm not one of those girls who can hop right out of bed and look presentable:)
I painted the cabinets using rustoleum cabinet transformations~
It was super easy......VERY labor intesive but I just love how they turned out! Here is what they looked like before ....don't mind how messy the kitchen is....it was during one of our Christmas parties:) And we all know how parties can be:):)
We still have to lay the floor and do a few other touchups but I just feel so warm and happy in there now~ My heart is rested in the kitchen now!
We went to IKEA in the middle of a snow storm so I could get our butcher block counters. My husband...it's a darn good thing he loves me!!
Maybe when it's all finished I'll show you it!!
And I had my husband cut metal ...that I painted with chalkboard paint...for the closet doors!!
Now instead of the louvered look....they are magnetic chalkboards! L.O.V.E
I've just been kind of slowing down and enjoying little get-aways.
I am learning to be more thankful and instead of wishing I could move away...
I've been finding beauty right in my own area:)
no ...I need to do this this weekend
or wait...I have to do a blog post...
on and on.
Just live life.
Spend time with my friends and not have any time when I feel I need to be back home:)
And I have to say...the chalkboard wall in the dining room has been super fun!!
I have always wanted to do it in our dining room but never did....
and now that I have...I am so happy:)
Still creating pretty little things! But have not really advertised so it's been a little more slow and I am
a-ok with that for right now:)
Ok...well there you have it! A tiny bit about what i've been up to lately:)
And just in case I don't get back here for awhile....just know i'm fine and just appreciating what each day has to offer me!!! I still love ya and am always very, very appreciative that you take time out of your day to stop by:)
xoxo
~Heather
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity." Charles Mingus
Hi girl! So glad you're doing well!! I completely understand why you needed a break. Life just gets crazy at times & you need to simplify. I've been trying to do the same thing. Finally sold my biz in AK last week. Went up for a few days to close the deal. It's a HUGE relief. Just gotta move one step closer to simple when we can!!
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Kamichia :)
I love your kitchen -- maybe you will inspire me to try to do something like that. The cabinets turned out great! And I love the counters -- wish I had someone to put them in for me! Enjoy your space, but it is nice to see you again!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather, just last night I was browsing around on your Etsy shop wondering where in the heck you've been! :-) You have been missed, but I totally understand the need to simplify, step back and get some perspective. It's easy to get caught up in the blog world and to start neglecting the people/things who are right there in front of you. At any rate, good to hear how things are going for you. The kitchen looks great, you look happy, and your talent is still going strong.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Hi Heather!
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you again. Sounds like you are putting everything in your life into perspective...making it work for you.
I truly understand your thoughts about blogging.I have cut back on writing, too. I'm lucky to get one written every other week.I still check the blog roll, frequently, and pop in to say hello occasionally.
Stay SIMPLE...and true to yourself.
Hugs,
J
Looks like you have made the best of our IN winters and had fun doing it. Love the kitchen update too :)
ReplyDeleteIt was so good to hear from you again, Heather! I was beginning to worry that something was wrong - but am glad to hear that you're just layin' back and enjoying life! Good for you, girl! Sending you hugs and hope to see you again this summer at the Flea!! :) (I'll be a vendor there in May!)
ReplyDeletexoxo laurie
Thank you for writing this post. You put into words what I couldn't. I have stepped back from blogging this year too...to live more...and I am liking it very much. I was going to write a little bit about how I've been feeling on Monday. I agree with the stress you were feeling from 'should you build up your blog', etc...I miss the simple, sweet blogging days that seem to be gone now. Blogs have become businesses, How to's, and advice sites. And I was beginning to feel lost too. Taking time away brought me back to my purpose. Cheers to living and just being my friend. Thank you for being YOU! oxox
ReplyDeleteI meant to say:
ReplyDeleteCheers to living and just 'being', my friend. Not just being my friend. tee hee!
I think we all feel that way from time to time, Heather.
ReplyDeleteBlogging is hard work and sometimes it really does feel like highschool all over again ... the popular blogs, the little cliques, etc. Sometimes it can all get so silly!
I hope your're feeling 100% soon!
Sue
xo
I was just thinking about you the other day and I am so glad that you are doing well. I hear ya about the breaks, I took a long one too between Thanksgiving and New Years, I just needed to be away for a while, it does make you spin out of control a bit when we blog so much. I feel better now and I am glad that you are too. Do what you feel, when you feel it, this blog is for you and if you do what you love, others will love it too. I love your photos of Saugatuck. I have been driving out to the beach everyday in the morning just taking pictures of what I love. Your kitchen looks beautiful and summer is right around the corner!!! Good thing for a mild winter this year!!
ReplyDeleteHugs to you!
xoxoxox
Great post! I don't like blogging to be hard work or forced. I like crafting when I feel like it. I can't always be bothered taking photo's. I blog if I feel like it, and am incredibly grateful that I have people who follow with me being so inconsistent. But the minute I feel pressured to present things a certain way to impress others, I'm not going to enjoy it anymore. We are in wonderful summer right now, so the beachy white theme in my home is big, come winter it goes rustic and cosy.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a business out of a blog, it needs to be more about finding what others want to see. But if you do it for pleasure, it's about when and what you want to blog about.
Good for you, for keeping it real.
Hey Heather, I was actually just thinking about you and what you are up to. Great to hear from you. I love your kitchen and that chalk wall. I see you have got snow-we only got the cold part of it. Cheers
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear from you and I'm so happy you've been having some fun. Sometimes I think we all need a break to rejuvenate our soul. I do hope you'll continue to blog. I miss your visits to mine too.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kat
I came here via Kerrie at Sea Cottage. All we can do is BE ourselves. It is hard to compete. Your kitchen is STUNNING! AND...I am a turquoise fan but suddenly, I am loving yellow too!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy LIFE!!!!!!! Anita
Greetings Heather!
ReplyDeleteWell said! Blogging has changed it seems and Google changes as well are confusing. I found it easier to post less. I prefer the non photoshopped to the max photos that show every day life like dogs eating shoes instead of home without a spec of dust...
I think this is why I always enjoyed your blog You shared your joys, your trials and your zest for life, the beautiful person you are. I am always inspired by you and hope to read a post from you now and again.
Wishing you peace and happiness and
lots of sunshine yellow in your world.
Found you via kerrie. Thank you!!!! This says it all. Yea for yellow!!! Yea for all you said. God bless you. Xo laura
ReplyDeleteHeather, you have been busy! I was glad to hear from you and that you are doing good. Totally understand what you're saying. I felt my blog was not good enough seeing all the followers and number of comments others had. But I realized my blog was for ME... MY thoughts, MY gardening, MY family, MY journal. So I continue it and if I get visitors, it's great; and if not, no problem. The handful I have are a treasure to me!
ReplyDeleteWhenever you have the opportunity to post, I will be here cause I love how you think and how you put it words!
Blessings,
Julie
♥
Hi Heather, so glad you are doing well. I can so relate to what you are saying. I have not been posting as often since starting my etsy. I know I should be probably posting more to help promote it but it's hard to do it all! I wish I could figure out how the big bloggers do it and they seem to have small children! Maybe I just need to be more organized, I don't have the answer. Just doing my best.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen looks fantastic, you guys did a great job. It is a lot if work!
Heather, don't remember how I stumbled across you way back when, but I'm so glad I did. I've always loved your blog and believe it or not, I refer to you for inspiration and "pick me up" from all the way out here in San Francisco. I love your spirit, your photos, your home, your art studio, your creations, and pretty much everything you share including fun, vulnerability, sassiness, and the ability to convey what I (and I'm sure others) feel often. Thanks for returning to your blog after your breather. Breathers are good!
ReplyDeleteAnd I loooove your kitchen. It looks fabulous! PS I used to live in Ontario, and the winters can be brutal -- but the open space, seasons, lakes, and attitude of the Midwest is done thing to be cherished!! (and the occasional beach holiday....)
:-)
Lisa
Hey girly!! glad to hear from you again. Ya know? I think one's blog should be a reflection of oneself..which is EXACTLY what yours is! we've come to know you as a person and how you like to live your life. and its refreshing. I blog only to document my family's life, which you know I then make into a book for them each yr. That is my only goal in writing my blog/journal. no ads. no awards. only words and pics for my family to reflect on and to one day remember me for!!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know you're doing just what you want to do with your life, your home, your family and with us,...your buddies!
Love ya girlfriend...gonna go look at your new stuff on etsy! mwah!
Hi Heather!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post & seeing your photos on what you've been up to lately. Congrats on the new kitchen butcher block tops; they look really great! You don't know how much I can relate to what you've written here! In the beginning, I felt intent to makeover my whole house how you described. I didn't even feel comfortable with showing pictures of my house because (gasp) I did not have a pure white couch fluffed with pretty pillows or white kitchen cabinets. I started thinking to myself "oh I will be happy when x, y, or z gets done." Fast forward to now, I have lost all those thoughts & I am completely happy & comfortable in my home just the way it is & how it is with everything that I "thought" was lacking before. My style has changed a little more now. I still dig white, but I respond more to brightness & freshness with color. I like a sort of mod indie look now. And yes, yellow sure is a perky color! Write & blog for you. I agree with the above commenter said about your blog being a reflection of you. To me, my blog is my art; that's how I look at it. xo
Hi Heather!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post & seeing your photos on what you've been up to lately. Congrats on the new kitchen butcher block tops; they look really great! You don't know how much I can relate to what you've written here! In the beginning, I felt intent to makeover my whole house how you described. I didn't even feel comfortable with showing pictures of my house because (gasp) I did not have a pure white couch fluffed with pretty pillows or white kitchen cabinets. I started thinking to myself "oh I will be happy when x, y, or z gets done." Fast forward to now, I have lost all those thoughts & I am completely happy & comfortable in my home just the way it is & how it is with everything that I "thought" was lacking before. My style has changed a little more now. I still dig white, but I respond more to brightness & freshness with color. I like a sort of mod indie look now. And yes, yellow sure is a perky color! Write & blog for you. I agree with the above commenter said about your blog being a reflection of you. To me, my blog is my art; that's how I look at it. xo
I love all your redos and especially the chalk boards. You need a lot of places for your creativity to bloom and you are sure finding it! I love your attitude about enjoying your life and not letting your blog consume you. That's why your blog is still so enjoyable. Your joy shines through! Blessings, Tia
ReplyDeletebeautiful words and thoughts! love the simplicity of your beach photos and your creative jewellery.
ReplyDeletepinning the 1st words so i can remember them.
x
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteYou are finding your way. If you continue to keep surmounting those peaks and walking through the valleys with your eyes and heart open, you'll get there. Your photos make me miss Lake Michigan. Have a lovely Sunday!
xo,
Anne
Thanks for a lovely post. Just came by from the Inspired Room. As I watch the days grow longer I can't wait for spring. Even though here in the northeast we've had a mild winter so far, I crave more daylight, birds chirping and flowers blooming.
ReplyDeleteSometimes taking a break from blogging could be the best thing you could do. I think that to much of anything is not good. Blogging is no different. Try spending more time with friends and try to take on other hobbies. It may be too that you've outgrown blogging.
ReplyDelete-Zane of ontario honey