Well hello there, Blog World!

     I've been away for a long time and I've missed you.  There have been so many changes at our house lately - I think I'll share a little bit.

 
     First up, my long absence from cyberspace.  Although I've been reading blogs and pinning like a mad woman, I haven't been very inspired to post.  Here's why:  I got caught up in the comparison trap.  I thought for a time that I might like to make this blog my business.  And then I began to look into the world of sponsorship and increasing my online presence and got really overwhelmed by all of it.  I knew my blog would never have as many followers as some other blogs.  I wasn't a great photographer.  I wasn't enough as a blogger.  And that made me feel badly about blogging.

     Around the same time, big change number one happened.  I got a real job in my field.  So I'm working at the university here and I'm loving every minute of it.  I'm loving the extra income, using my brain and having a professional life after 8 years of being stay-at-home mom (not that being a mom wasn't some of the hardest work I've ever done... and not that I would trade those 8 years for the world).  But the transition has been a little...er... tricky.  Things are disorganized, messy and we're often eating take out because nobody has time to cook.

"Want me to pick up dinner or are you going to do it?"

"Where is my soccer gear?"

"I don't even have a clean gymsuit!"

     Things have not been pretty.  As a result, there hasn't been time to take photos and write well thought out posts. Over the holidays, I did some thinking on what really makes me feel satisfied as a blogger.  I thought about how I'd like this blogging thing to look for me.  I felt better when I wrote this blog as a journal of my life.  I was recently looking back over my posts and I really enjoyed reading about all our projects.  I'm hoping you do too.  I've decided to remove the links to my facebook page and twitter.  I'm not going to do that stuff - it's too much pressure and I really don't have time.  I added my instagram feed and I'd love it if you'd follow me so I can follow you back.

     My posts will be about the renovation projects that are going on around here.  And some other things in my life (like my kids, some outfit posts and some meal posts).  I'll still write from my heart about the things that matter to me.  There are so many things to catch you up on.  We've painted the exterior of our home and done some other curb appeal updates.  We've finished the basement and are mostly done with Elliott's Room.  But this blog won't be about self promotion and I'm not looking to be the next big blog on the block.

 I hope some of my old friends are still out there reading this little blog of mine.  And I hope you'll join me moving forward.  If you're a reader with a blog, I'd love to follow along on your journey.  Link up with your address in the comments section and I'll add you to my sidebar.  I'd really love to continue the conversation.

xo Meg