home looks different these days

It feels strange to sit down and start writing again.

There was a time when sharing in this space felt like a natural extension of my life. Writing about design ideas that I love, recipes worth making over and over, things happening around our home and whatever else was on my mind at the time.

I took a three year hiatus from blogging because life just got busy. Like, REALLY busy…

As life became more needy, the blog became something I kept telling myself that I needed to get back to. I would think, “I want to write about that” and then another week, month and eventually a year (then years) would pass.

But now, looking back, I don’t think the passing time has been such a bad thing. I’m coming back to this space as a much different person that the one who started here.

My children have grown up far faster than I ever expected. I’ve watched chapters of motherhood end and others beginning. Those of you who have followed along know that I’ve experienced the pain of divorce, a wonderful remarriage, blending family life and all of the complicated, amazing and sometimes truly heartbreaking things that come along with it (more on this later…).

I’ve built my design business. I’ve opened and moved the store (three times!). I have certainly made mistakes, changed directions, tried things that didn’t work and taken chances on things that did.

But, through all of this, I’ve continued to deeply believe in home.

Not the perfectly styled version of home.

Real home.

The kitchen where everyone somehow ends up standing around even though there are perfectly good chairs five feet away.

The room you redo three times before it finally feels right.

The recipe that isn’t even impressive but your family asks for over and over again.

The teenagers walking through the door with friends.

The arguments, celebrations, holidays, vacations, piles of laundry, deep talks, laughs, Sunday gatherings and ordinary Tuesday nights.

I’ve spent years helping other people make their houses homes and I’ve learned that the most beautiful spaces aren’t necessarily the ones with the most expensive furniture or the newest kitchen.

They’re the spaces that feel like the people who live in them. The warm, friendly, welcoming feeling that only people can bring to their spaces.

And I think that’s exactly what I want this blog to be about now.

I’ll still talk about design. I’ll still share ideas to make your house feel like a home or a particular paint color I love.

There will be recipes, too. Not complicated ones (because who really has time for that?). Just really good food that people actually want to eat…and ask for again and again.

I’ll sometimes share lessons I’ve learned about running a business, travel, clothing I love and ways to maybe make everyday life feel a little more special.

But, I’m also going to talk about life.

The good parts, of course, and some of the harder ones that we have experienced.

Motherhood when your children aren’t little anymore. Marriage. Divorce. Blending families. Friendships. Starting over. Letting go. Building something of your own. And figuring out what you want the next chapter of life to look like.

I certainly don’t have all of those things figured out but, damn, we have been through so much in such a short time. Actually, I think that’s part of why I’m ready to write again. Years ago, I probably thought I needed a more eloquently planned out post before sharing. Now I know that sometimes the most interesting parts of life are the ones happening between the pretty and happy pictures and posts.

So, I’m starting again. No elaborate relaunch here. No promise that everything I write about fits neatly into one category. No schedule of posts, nothing daily, maybe nothing weekly.

Just design, food, family, home and life as I know it now.

I’m glad you’re here.

Let’s see where this next chapter takes us.