Man, it seems like it gets harder to start back up in January every year. I always go through this reevaluation phase of trying to figure out what I want my blog to be, if I need make changes, and if I even want to keep going. (I’m going into my 10th year!) I think that comes from all of the noise I see on Instagram (and Facebook and Pinterest and Twitter) and how everything looks and feels ands sounds the same. (It seems like I talk about this every new year.) Instead of feeling refreshed and inspired, I end up feeling bored, annoyed and indifferent.
I think this means two things for me: I need to personally stop scrolling so much. I want to concentrate on providing good posts and helpful tips and then put my phone down. Instagram told me the other day that I had spent one hour and 47 minutes on the app. Talk about feeling like I wasted my day! (I’m not looking at that stat anymore, but I am trying to do better.)
And second, I need to refocus on who my audience is when I’m writing. This means reminding myself that most of you are just looking for easy decorating ideas (the heart of my blog!) and ways to make your homes feel happier. Most of you aren’t concerned with algorithms or perfect lighting or maybe even the trendiest accessories. You don’t care if I attend a blogger conference or write a book or design a product line. (I have no plans to do any of those things this year, by the way.) I feel like I know you and want to keep my posts running with the “design simplified” theme that I love most.
While I work on putting together a few of my favorite things from 2018 (to be posted later this week), I’d love to hear your thoughts on blogs in general. There’s still a buzz that they’re going away and everything is moving to Instagram. (I personally hope not. How would I ramble like this on IG?) Are you still reading them as often? What would you like to see in the new year?
PS– A free download of that colorful art is available here.
I enjoy reading blogs and I read all of yours! I like your decorating ideas (your home is beautiful), reading about your family, your book posts and your posts about faith and the occasional link to a song that has been meaningful to you. I do not even have an Instagram account and Pinterest drives me crazy. I’m hoping you continue to post — you’re doing a great job!
No Instagram? Good for you! :)
I agree whole heartedly. Love the simple decorating ideas, love your style and seeing your home, love hearing your perspective as a mom, LOVE LOVE LOVE your book recommendations. Keep it all comimg. I still love reading blogs and hope they don’t go away. I don’t do social media at all. Every time I get on social media I ‘m just left feeling sort of empty. Blogs feel different to me.
THIS is exactly why I come to your blog and look forward to EVERY post you write (even the occasional sponsored ones). Cheers to another not so boring year!
If you need validation from a reader — here it is. I’m always eager to read/see your posts and love your approach to feathering your nest. You have a great eye for detail that isn’t cookie – cutter, I can easily think of several blogger’s homes that could have all be styled by the same person and yours certainly isn’t in that line-up. I encourage you to continue at your own pace but don’t leave us.
Reading blogs is still my favorite! I just deleted my Instagram app from my phone to make more room for storage, lol, and I don’t even miss it! I’ve been reading about this feeling that blogs aren’t as popular, but I personally don’t think that is true. It is true that I am less likely to comment on a blog than on social media, or the posts don’t get the quick “like”, so maybe bloggers aren’t getting as much feedback from blog posts as instagram or Facebook posts.
I love your blog and your voice! Please keep it coming!
I think you’re right about the quick feedback. Thanks for your thoughts :)
I love exactly how you run your blog. I think you must have priorities right. It seems like you would be enjoyable to sit and have coffee with and I mean that as a compliment! I love book suggestions and reviews and your practical suggestions for the home!
Keep up the good work however often you want to post.
What she said!!! I feel the exact same way! Keep up the great work! Yours is a blog I have read for years and years. Others seem to lose my interest.
I still love to read blogs and to blog myself. I love IG as well but sometimes I want more details. Many of my former fav blogs have become homogenous and are basically promoting their sponsors. I do want easy do-able decorating ideas. I’m tired of so many blogs having these incredibly expensive makeovers month after month. I want some DIYs and great finds. I do not want post after post of shopping links. I know a lot of bloggers make a living promoting sponsors but I have unfollowed so many in the last year and found new bloggers from IG who are not making a living or pleasing sponsors etc. I still check your blog and enjoy it regularly! I’ll keep blogging because I like it even though I’ll never make $$ or be a “big” blogger but it’s fun and that’s what I want for myself as a blogger and as a reader!
I’ve always enjoyed reading your blog and lately have seen a few IGrs starting blogs so maybe they aren’t going away….
I also spend way too much time staring at my screen – why? As you said, so much of what I see looks exactly the same as the next person I scroll down to see. Please let the signs, pillows, plates with inspirational words or sayings start to wane. I’m pretty sure I don’t need a pillow to tell me I’m blessed😂. Your style is lovely and not cookie cutter and I hope you continue on with the blog. PS: I never mind seeing pics of your kids!
You have just the right mix of insta and blog. I love it! Thank you for encouraging me in so many good things…decor, reading, Jesus, family!
Yours is one of my favorite blogs that I have been faithfully reading for the last ten years. Please keep doing what you’re doing! I’m so tired of the other blogs I follow becoming one big tonal beachy bohemian bloated mass. It was cute and interesting for a hot minute, but maybe I’m too old (I’m 43) or have too many kids (5) to find this type of decorating applicable to me. And I live in Southern California by the beach!!! I enjoy your blog, keep up the good work!
Your blog is the first one I read! Please keep blogging. I much prefer reading blogs to Instagram. Instagram is overrated.
You have the perfect mix of simple decorating ideas, snippets from your sweet family and your personal journeys.
I don’t mind occasional sponsored posts. You work and deserve those. I have stopped reading blogs, however, that have sponsored posts after sponsored posts.
My favorite is your Saturday Six! What a great way to start my weekend!
I hope you continue to blog!
You are my favorite!
I’ve read your blog for ages, but I don’t leave comments. I just wanted to say though that I love your blog…keep doing what you are doing. I love seeing small changes you make in your house and how you make them work with your kids in the mix. I read a lot of blogs while I am at work, and look at Instagram when I get home so I love the mix of both. Keep up the good work!
I still love blogs and yours has been one of my favorites for years! I feel like Instagram stifles my own creativity. Last year I unfollowed hundreds of beautiful, worthy accounts. Except for Pinterest and Facebook (to stay in touch with real life friends and family), I am weaning myself off of social media.
I still read about five blogs consistently. They are the ones I love that continue to post regularly. I’ve stuck with them because they uplift me and I feel that I learn from them. I love yours because you exemplify to me that I can have a house full of kids and still hope to have a lovely looking space, even if it is routinely a complete mess.
i’d love to know which blogs a fellow “Emily” reader also reads – Love seeing your beautiful family grow Emily, and your Very useful design advice and ideas!!!
Yours is one of the few blogs I read. I love your priorities and your heart! You stand out because you don’t follow the crowd. I follow many accounts on instagram that look very similar and seem to buy into and feed the crazy. I may scrool past their squares, but I never comment or take the time to read their blogs. They aren’t worth it! Keep doing what you are doing. You are a breath of fresh air!
I actually think blogs are coming back around. Not a ton, but Laura Tremaine started a new blog and Tsh Oxenreider is refocusing on her blog. So maybe there is something there.
I love reading your Blog! Please keep it going! I enjoy the realistic design choices for families to have function & beauty without busting the budget! Blogs are way to select what you want to see & IG has too many unhelpful distractions. All the best to your family in 2019!
I still love blogs! I hope they don’t go away. Instagram is just not the same at all.
I agree with all of the above! I love your blog posts and would prefer to read those over an instagram post.
I’m thrilled to hear you’ll be doing more of the same. I considered you a kindred spirit (even though we’ve never met). I love classic style, blue and white porcelains, am a mom of 4 (you’ve got me beat there), and live in the Carolinas too (Charleston area). I love that your blog is an approachable take on good design. I so appreciate all of your sources, and I will be devastated if you ever stop with the Saturday six!
Love your blog and your Insta posts about design and appreciate how you show real life as well. Thanks for all the inspiration, Emily!
I love your blog! Only stop if it serves you. Otherwise, keep going with the easy design ideas. I honestly enjoy my own home more because of the simple inspiration I get from your blog. Your “Give and Take” series is one of my favorites!
I actually really like blogs, but find it’s harder (than in the past) to find them! I only have a handful that I stalk regularly, and am always looking for some good new-to-me ones. I like seeing the inspiration & designers that inspire designers themselves.
Oh, please keep blogging! I love your blog and glad you’re back! I read every one you post. It seems so much more personal, informative and in depth than instagram. I’ll pick a blog any day over instagram.
I love how you decorate, your easy decorating tips, book recommendations and Kentucky mentions (I grew up in Western KY). I still read blogs but like the prompts or sipe ups to the blog post are helpful!
I just want to read how you decorate and how you handle being the mom to five kids. I have six and we all learn things that are helpful to others.
I still enjoy reading blogs. I really enjoy yours because I love your decorating style, your sense of humor and that you are not afraid to discuss God and church. I do enjoy IG, but I also agree with you. There is so much sameness out there right now. I look to design blogs and IG accounts for inspiration for my own home, but many times I am disappointed. I am never disappointed with your posts and hope that you continue writing. The authentic ones seem to be a dying breed, but I hope readers and sponsors will continue to recognize the gem that your blog is. Happy 2019!
I love reading your blog! It’s not just the pictures, it’s your words! I’m on Instagram too but for design and home things I much prefer blogs. Aside from the design posts, I LOVE your favorite things and recently read books posts!
Totally agree with your thoughts about your blog today.
I hate the thought of blogs disappearing in favor of just having a brief “thought” on instagram.
(Love your design work by the way.0
Please keep doing what you’re doing! I much prefer blogs to facebook and pinterest (and I don’t even check my instagram or twitter accounts anymore). I like “real” and blogs feel more real to me. Happy New Year!
You are SO right in saying “I know you” – you hit the nail on the head! Your approach on the blog is so perfect for me. Love following along. Pls keep the “same thoughts”!! HNY!
Yours is the *only* one I read. First, you’re my friend I’ve never met! I’ve read your blog since the earliest days and you translate as down to earth, as having a great sense of humor, and our spiritual/political/family/friend/extra curricular ideas are very similar (extra bonding!). Plus, as you have rightly divided about your readers, your style is impeccable but you translate that perfectly for the average-house, average-budget, average-eye decorator! And! Yours is a blog that reads like a conversation, which is fun (sometimes less about decorating and more about other somethings). I love that you don’t fill your blog with filler content. Short, sweet & to the point. Then, when you have longer posts, I can’t wait to see what you have to say because you haven’t rambled & gambled with your previous content. I’d follow your mommy blog again—it was great too :)
You do as the Lord leads, but I say throw out the uninspiring bits & lean in to the parts you love! God gave you the eye & the gift (way before IG), and we’re enjoying you using & sharing those gifts. I’d miss you! Xo
Thank you! Glad we’re “friends”. :)
Absolutely DITTO Everything said!!!!!
I love your blog and your style!! Please keep at it. I enjoy how you break things down, simply and realistically. Thanks so much:)
Please keep blogging. You are my favorite ❤️ I love your home.
I love your blog and your style! Please keep posting ! :-)
Emily, I love coming to your blog. While I am so so guilty of the Instagram scroll, I prefer having the opportunity to read and glimpse your thoughtful additions and moments in the home!
I love your blog because you have a unique style. I like the ideas you share for creating a beautiful home that is your own! I really like when you help readers out and offer simple design solutions. Before and Afters are my all time favourite. Knowing you are more than a designer, but a mother with a houseful of children who enjoys her home and family resonates with many women. Thank you for your ten years of blogging! I hope you continue.
I only go to a few blogs these days because I feel like IG has taken over. However, you have always been my favorite blogger and I don’t miss a post bc I love your style. I think your plan to keep the “design. Simplified” posts is perfect!
Please keep doing what you do! I love your posts, especially the Saturday 6 and your book posts. I will keep reading! I only got an Instagram account a couple of months ago and it is fun but in my mind, it will never replace blogs.
I love your design simplified roots. I think I have been around most of the ten years. I am also a big fan of the favorite things and fashion posts. I will admit that you have shopped for some of my clothes and accessories. I also have 24” pillows on my sofa. 😉 I come to the blog from Instagram frequently now. I had a blog, but I lost interest in writing it. I understand the feeling. I will be around to read your posts as long as you enjoy writing them.
I’m finding that I am looking at less,and less blogs. It seems I start to feel inferior because I don’t have the lastest,greatest new pillow,lamp,etc. I can not redo my home to comply with the current trends. I enjoy simple,easy, and stylish decorating. And that is why I look forward to your posts! Thanks for all you do!
I much prefer reading a blog for more in depth content. IG is ok, but I recently whittled it down drastically. I (like you mentioned) would find myself spending embarrassing amounts of time scrolling, and not really have anything to show for it. I would feel distracted and unsatisfied, maybe?
I have been one of your readers for almost as long as your blog has existed. Personally, your faith and practicality in day to day life speak to me. Your home doesn’t look like a Pottery Barn store, or feature all the trendy stuff like the majority of pics that used to come across my feed. And no offense, I occasionally shop at PB!
As a wife and mom I get if you need to step away, but I reeeaaaalllly hope you don’t!!! 😁
“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” Dr Suess.
Easy & simple decorating ideas .. yes please!
I love your blog and hope you continue….I’ve narrowed down the blogs I spend my time reading and your blog is one that I read!
I love your decorating posts, seasonal posts, musings on motherhood, and books you’re reading. I would love the occasional style post too – I know, and respect, that people tire of the “list of links” style posts, but occasionally, especially from someone not paid to churn those types of posts out, is fun. I was thinking of you the other day when I wore this wrap cardigan thing I have from Nordstrom that I bought because you posted about it. I love it, and love your style. Your blog is one of my very favorites, and I always look forward to your posts. I look forward to whatever you throw out there in 2019!
Thanks for the feedback! I think I know the wrap cardigan you’re talking about :)
I love a good blog and have been sad to let go of a number of really good ones that have quit updating or choosing to quit all together to follow the pack to IG and self promotion above all else. I hope you will enjoy a new year of blogging and I will continue checking in.
I love the content/blogs you put out there. I pretty much only read your blog because what you write about & your ideas seem attainable to me (a stay at home mom who doesn’t have a 100,000 budget for decorating but I’m happy for someone that does). My favorite blog post was the one you did on maple cabinets. Our home has beautiful ones that were custom made years ago & honestly I like them. We can’t afford right now to remodel our kitchen. However we can afford a window treatment & a few new things to spruce it up. I can’t tell you how much that inspired me. Thank you!
I will be the first to admit, that I don’t read as many blogs as I used to. Your blog is one of three that I still follow. I always enjoy your posts and the variety. I also like that your home doesn’t look the same as everyone else’s all white kitchen, bath, etc. I don’t mean to knock it, but I’ve come to feel that interior design has boiled down to paint everything white, and use furniture that isn’t realistic for most people. While they are beautiful, they usually aren’t spaces that I see my family feeling comfortable or at home in. And that is what your blog gives me…real life.
I also found that time indicator on Instagram and felt that I need to spend less time. Thankfully I’m not on Facebook or any other social media, but sometimes I need a “reminder” that life is bigger that that 2×2 square. Haha
I enjoy your blog as is. I find it and you to be genuine and full of the design tips that I can easily incorporate. I also LOVE that your blog and IG page isn’t a massive Liketoknow, Nordstrom or Amazon advertisement. I don’t mind supporting the blogs/pages that I follow by clicking links from
time to time but the push to buy at every turn is a negative for me.
I hope that you continue posting if it’s still working for you and your family.
Love your blog, Emily. I’ve been reading it for 6 years. Keep doing what is important to you and your family, and tune out the other noise. Who cares what beat the other drummers are playing ? ;) Happy new year.
Happy 2019!
I totally agree with you on Instagram, FB, Twitter etc.. I have spent way too much time on some of them. I would love tips, tricks or “how to” ideas on decorating and keeping things simple this year. You’re blog has been wonderful for that. And it’s fun to see your reality in the family too.
Keep it up and thanks so much!
I enjoy reading blogs and yours is one of my favorites! You are true to yourself and I appreciate all your content: family, faith, décor, fashion and one of my very favorites, what you are reading. I’ll read whatever you share – you are a breath of fresh air.
Please keep blogging! I’m so glad that the other people commenting are saying the same. Instagram just wouldn’t be the same. I’m on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest – I’d say I spend a bit of time on Insta and FB most days – but for really good info I read blogs – yours specifically. Thanks for taking the time to do it!!! And I hope you continue!!
Happy 2019!
I always seek out my favorite accounts, or tag them so that I get a notification from instagram when there is a new post. However, I do look forward to blog reading when my favorites on instagram let me know there is a new blog post up. I look forward to your posts because they are relatable to me and your style is very similar to my style, and I enjoy your posts and your blog so much! I am frustrated and tired of instagram, so just like I did with your account, I make sure I get notifications when my favorites post so I’m not scrolling through picture after picture …
Stay exactly as you are. I look forward to your posts. There are only a few that I read. Most are selling something, I can’t waste my time on this!
Hi Emily,
Thanks for sharing your wisdom and your perspective on your blog. I still like reading blogs although these days I read just a few, good quality ones (like yours :) ). I have never done IG, and let go of my Facebook account in late 2017. ( So much of what I read there seemed artificial and I really don’t have time to read about someone’s dinner at fill-in-the-blank restaurant.)
Some specific design tips I’d like to see are how to coordinate (without being matchy-matchy) pendant island lights and kitchen table chandeliers — maybe some specific examples of that. I’ve read things on coordinating them but it’s harder than it sounds! I’d also like some specific guidance on how to add some modern touches to my traditional interior that will wake it up and give it some relevance and some recommendations for some affordable cheetah-print upholstery fabric. Happy New Year!
Emily, I always look forward to reading your blog. I am not a fan of Instagram, preferring the personal touch and narrative from a blog. Two things I enjoy about your blog are 1) your unique and creative ideas and inspiration and 2) your personal, yet professional writing style. I do realize that hosting a blog must take a lot of time and energy. With that said, I hope it is rewarding enough for you to continue, but as a reader, I wish you to be happy.
I always look forward to your posts and would miss them!!!! Your sense of style inspires me and I also like your book recommendations. I am probably one of your older readers at 69, but still enjoy reading about your family. Please keep it up!!
Oh! And I can’t forget your book recommendations! Thank you!
I am a soon to be 40 year old female that adores all things decorating!! I do still enjoy reading blogs & very rarely get on instagram because of the rabbit hole I find myself going down. Your blog is my absolute favorite and I am always intrigued and interested in what you have to say. It would be so very unfortunate if I weren’t able to read your blog!!! Looking forward to what all u have to offer in 2019. Thanks for all of ur hard work.
I could not agree more with you or any of these smart ladies replying to you ! Blog away Miss Emily! I dont do Instagram, FB or any of those: too impersonal & a time suck – but I do still like to poke around on Pintrest sometime. Pretty pictures & do-able tips/ideas make me happy :) and so does your post!
I agree with all of these positive comments! Your blog is simple and sincere. I’ll be back whenever you have a post!
Your blog and other publications are my favorite of all the Internet!! I’d love to hear from you on parenting. But I understand if you aren’t comfortable with sharing that area of your life. My oldest is about a year younger than your youngesT.
I check in with you every day and miss when you don’t blog as often. Fairly new to IG but def agree it’s not blogging. Definitely like the quick decor ideas and tricks! My busy life needs them. Thanks for all the great info ideas and inspiration!
I have been reading your blog for years because we have similar decorating styles and I’ve found a lot of good ideas in your posts. They are down to earth and don’t cost a mint to emulate. Today I did a search for my sister because she had lost the link I had sent her about decorating with oak cabinets. She wants to do some updates to her kitchen and loved the first grouping with the red, gray, and gold print fabric. I found it in the September 2018 posts.
I also enjoy your Saturday Six posts and your book reviews.
Thanks for your great ideas! Happy New Year!
I agree with all of those who say keep up the good work and stay grounded! I still have your blog come to my inbox…cant say the same for many others.
BUT YESSSSS…it seems all of the content is starting to look the same, but partly that is due to the way instagram and Pinterest operate only showing you things similar to things you’ve looked at. It seems people are afraid to try something different and put it out there.
I am on instagram and have less than 300 followers but I do it for me…not anyone else and certainly not for the numbers. I am sickened by the follow-unfollow crap that happens on there by grown adults so they can “increase their numbers” and I guess that makes them feel popular – that isn’t what Instagram was supposed to be about. I follow people I truly enjoy seeing posts from and you are one of them! :)
I love your blog, keep doing what your doing. House changes and improvements, kiddo updates, fashion finds and favorite things.
So I want to say that yours is one of the blogs I always want to read because of 1) your sense of style- you have a REAL budget, a REAL family, and yet you make your home uniquely beautiful despite/because of that. I feel like you have inspiration I can actually translate into my own home. 2) you are fearless in your color decorating (I love how you use so much green!) , and it makes your home looked “designed” and beautiful and pulled together, rather than like everything else out there. 3) I admire the way you mix antiques/ thrifted items and store bought items. I always want to try to some of the stuff that you are putting out there because I see the formula rather than just the pieces. Keep doing what you are doing! (or if you want to ramble more on Instagram, I am SURE yours is one of the only ones I would want to watch!!)
I will probably end up saying the same things as everyone else, but I really do look forward to your posts. I love your style, which is different and makes me think how I can be different in my style! I enjoy hearing about your family, faith and life in general. I hope you will find inspiration again from hearing all of us tell you how much we enjoy your blog.
Love the blog! No Instagram ~ and I feel like I know you too, just because we live in the same county!
Love your down-to-earth blog, Emily!
I’m weary of blogs with sale alerts and advice on what to buy.
I’m also tired of blogs showing how to set a beautiful table for the holidays. Yes, they look nice, but this isn’t how my family lives. We have big country kitchen and at family gatherings, everyone helps their plate buffet style and heads to the table. Ha!
Also, I love several blogs of the pros, but they leave me frustrated, since all the items they use in their projects are available to trade only. I’ll see something that I’d like to try, but can’t get the product.
Emily, I have followed your post for a lot of years. Please do not stop blogging, I don’t know what I would do…you’re my favorite! I check instagram once in awhile, but mainly Pinterest and blogs. My problems is, I like too many different styles. I like to check in with you because I feel you keep me on track and give me a lot of inspiration! Thanks for all your hard work and your wonderful talent!!
Love your posts! My favs are the ones about what you’re buying (clothing and decor), the decor fixes from your readers and the diy posts! Thank you for the work you do to make them relevant, price effective and stylish!
Emily, please keep posting! Your blog is my favorite. I follow a handful of bloggers, whose style I love but… one gets way too political at times. I see she’s using her platform to push her cause, good for her, but she’s just stirring the pot, and it turns many off. There are enough places to go for bickering. The others I love and drool over, such talented people, but are too pricey and unattainable for the average person. Love their style, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t feel right spending such money, when affordable style is just as nice. I guess if money is not in question, good for them, but still:/ There is too much repetition amongst them also. Your posts are always enjoyable, unconfrontational, and real life. I love the Saturday Six, what your reading, average person design and fashion tips, your beautiful family…. I look forward to your posts and always feel positive after reading – thank you! I hope you decide to keep on blogging. Maybe do fewer, life is crazy I know, but selfishly I would hate for you stop!
Your blog is one of my favorites. You can keep it just as it is and that will be fine with me! Your content is always interesting and the tips are useful. Thanks for all of the hard work behind the scenes to make the blog great! And I live in Charlotte but never find good stuff like you do in our thrift stores!!
Well, I commented on Instagram (a pathetic please don’t go away) but wanted to be more specific and appreciative here. I love your Saturday 6, love your book posts, love your sponsored posts, love your posts about helping a reader fix a problem area in the house, and I also love when you post about your children. I feel like an Auntie and love seeing them grow up. I love when you post links to good finds. I love that you share how your Faith plays a part in your life. You have such a good eye which is automatic for you but for someone like me, I need to be taught how to see a room so that I can ‘make it pretty ‘. Thanks for all that you give your readers. But if you need to step away; I’ll understand. You need to do what’s best for you and your family.
Brenda, you are always so nice and encouraging to me. Thank you!!
😊 My pleasure. 😊
Always enjoy your blog and continue to read those that post ‘real’ content. I despise blogs that waste my time with non-ideas or 2 weeks worth of snippets of a makeover when one post could have covered it. I don’t need continuous content – just content that is worth my time. Also tired of those that have their whole homes sponsored when I will never have the resources to do the same. Not sure where to draw the line with those, as I have purchased some of those things, and perhaps introducing me to a new sponsor is a good thing. Also look forward to your book recommendations.
Hi Emily! I love your point of view and I am sure scrolling through all the noise crowds out your own voice. You are created uniquely and what you in turn create is unique to you and we love it!
I would love to see you new bathroom renovations and more details on your choices and why as I too have a traditional colonial and bathrooms are next up for me. I don’t want trendy. I want classic but fresh. I know your bathrooms will be just that!
My favorite posts are the designer rooms made simple and attainable through your lense. I also love your book selections and your simple staple fashion purchases.
I love Instagram too, but mostly use it to connect back your blog and see your instastories of your sweet family.
Happy New year!
Ps the new coach is awesome
The whole upstairs renovation is on my list! :)
I too have tired of the same old, same old on many blogs, but YOURS is the one that is different. I love your style (painted my living room the same color based on yours) and down to earth, honest nature. You feel like someone I would know versus someone who is trying to sell me something or is unrelatable. So many bloggers have become simply salespeople for products that aren’t that great. I appreciate your content AND pictures and agree just having Instagram would not work!
I have read you blog for years and never comment!!! I love decorating ideas, easy projects and you are different than other blogs! I love that! I have deleted blogs that are now just advertising their books, classes and etc. Thank you for not doing that!! Blessings!!
No Instagram here…so keep the blog going!
I have made the big switch to Instagram and love it there because it is quick and more pictures than words. I do have a handful of blogs I continue to read and yours is at the top of that list but overall I am over blogs!
I do like looking at Instagram but I still like reading a blog. I don’t follow too many but I do enjoy your blog. I like seeing what you are up to in your house and seeing your family pictures. I also love your posts on products and have bought many that you recommended. Keep doing what you do!
Keep writing the blog! I love your style and enjoy checking in every few days to see what you’ve done. I’m not on instagram or any other social media. I like to relax at night by reading blogs for a while. I hope they’re not all going away!
Hi Emily! Your blog is the ONLY one I’m still reading after all these years! I love your Saturday 6 posts and I love your simple home decorating tips. I also like your light-hearted thoughts on parenting and mom-life. 😊❤️ I usually go through Instagram— I love your posts and stories— except on Saturday mornings when I sit down with coffee and laptop.
Thank you! I’m bringing the Saturday 6 back. It fell of the schedule during the holidays. . .
Your blog is at the top of my list! I am subscribed and look forward to every blog post you publish! I feel like we are friends just because I live in NC too! Don’t change a thing! I have copied so many if your ideas!
I read 2 design blogs. Yours is one of them. I don’t do Instagram. As long as you write, I will read! Have a blessed 2019
Please keep your blog, I dislike Podcasts (no pictures) and Instagram doesn’t show enough.
I never comment but love your blog. Please keep it up! Personally, I’m getting tired of Instagram. The quick images with no background information leave me wanting a little more detail. You do a fabulous job of linking sources and explaining choices. I know it’s a lot of work. Thank you!
I really appreciate blogs!! I love the deeper content. Also, I struggle with Instagram and other forms of social media, as it’s just too much of a barrage of too perfect photos. I need more reality with my inspiration. Blogs provide that for me, and once I’m done reading, I can turn my attention elsewhere without the endless scrolling. Love what you do – especially the Saturday posts!!
I like the before and afters where you look at the space and suggest changes and accessories to update. No knocking down walls or painting everything white.
I really enjoy your blog and have purchased a few things you highlighted that I just love! Your home has great style and feels real – I have two teenagers and I appreciate a well-lived-in and loved home. Instagram is great for a quick visual pop but it is no substitute for the substance of a blog. Please, keep up the good work!
I wouldn’t change a thing about your blog posts. I also really like your IG posts. One of the few blogs I actually go to from IG. You seem so much more genuine, your home is absolutely beautiful, and the things you do seem very relatable. I enjoy all of your posts…family, books, things you like and of course home decor. Only thing I wish you would add to your blog is a tab with a home tour. I also love blue and white porcelain. If you quit blogging who in the world would I copy?? Thank you for being the blogger you are!!
I have been reading your blog for a long time and Looooove it. Instagram is fun for me for about 5 minutes because, I agree, it’s all superficial sameness and just sponsored and linked stuff. I find it exhausting and a little icky. There are only a few blogs I follow and actually read and when I click they make me happy, inspire me, and I can actually learn something, Keep up your work! Your amazing!
Long time reader! I love your blog when it’s simple- about design, pretty things and family life. I feel like I connect to your blog because of how real you are and how down to earth you are. Keep up the great work- even if the posts are sporadic, I will keep reading!
Your post resonates with me as a reader. Over the holidays as I caught up on sleep, life priorities, and indulged in a few of my favorite blogs, I reflected that a few I’ve historically loved now feel kind of “transactional” – like marketing tools there to sell you something. I am a realist and I know many bloggers are now able to make a career of blogging via links and sponsored posts and I am not here to begrudge anyone that opportunity. However, I think there needs to be some balance and I kind of miss the days when people were posting about “how to choose between 3 pairs of lamps I bought at Home Goods at lunch time” (not sponsored by Home Goods but b/c someone really went there on their own)– when it was approachable stuff I could do myself. I think you’ve done a good job of keeping it real and you have always shared your OWN design boards and ideas. I think you have a great eye and pretty honest approach to your blog. I am not bothered by your sponsored posts or product posts b/c the frequency is not overwhelming, they are sprinkled in with other content, and I feel like you present things you would buy or use in our “real life” and tell your “real” friends about over coffee. Please keep sharing the design ideas and inspiration and the slices of your real life you are comfortable to post online. I’ve been a reader for many years — pbly close to 10 :) I don’t think I’ve ever posted but I really enjoy your blog! Thanks for sharing your talent, ideas, and life with us. All the best to you and your family in the new year!
Love your blog! The Saturday posts, the books your reading, pretty much all of it. Please keep writing. Instagram looks the same everyday…
Your blog is my favorite! You’re writing is so enjoyable and your decorating, elegant. I also love your book and fashion ideas! I hope you don’t change a thing!
I know everyone has already said this, but I love your blog. I’ve read it for several years and never commented (forgive me), but I just want you to know that I love the way you talk about style and your real life, too. It makes me remember that it’s normal to like pretty things but also to have a house that is a mess because my kids and husband actually live here too. And I also really love your book posts. You haven’t steered me wrong yet. :) Thank you for being a voice that is inspiring and also honest. It seems like a rare combination these days.
I personally don’t use instagram. I look forward to sitting down after a long day and visiting my favorite blogs including yours. I hope you continue to provide the great content that you do. I especially like your lists of favorite things and books.
I read your blog because you’re one of the few not pushing product all the time, you incorporate color in your decor, you talk about your faith, and you give practical and interesting tips that are affordable. As an old mama who homeschooled and find my self on the other side, I feel concerned when a young Mama spends so much time on social media. I needed all of my focus for the job at hand and would have felt so inferior if social media consumed so much of my time. Having said all that, you seem to be anchored in your faith and self monitoring your time on social media. It may be a good message to share about how you balance those areas in more detail.
Hi!
Love your blog- and I love reading blogs! Instagram is ok for a quick pic to see what’s on the blog and peak my interest…. but I’ve stared deleting people I follow if I don’t read their blog…. it helps keep me from seeing more Than I can or want to handle.
Happy new year!
Yours is the first blog I put on my desktop about 8 years ago. I remember when you found out you were expecting the twins. I look forward to your posts. I love the simplicity of your projects, your love of blue and white, your casual lived in style, family updates, and shopping tips. I have used your paint colors. By far my favorite blog! Hope you continue.
Hey Beautiful, I’ve always enjoyed writing in a small blog I had because it some how allowed me to spew out the rambling thoughts that bounced around in my head. No matter how many people or who ever read it, for a moment they got to look into my soul and see the real me. No hiding behind social facade that most of us put on every day so we can face the world looking our best. It just allowed my heart to flow out in any style or fashion that I was feeling at the time. So….for most of us who adore the thought of knowing just a little bit of the real Emilya it would be a tragedy to lose even the smallest connection to you. Most of us just see the movie star actress and a few of us see a small window into your heart filled with beauty and kindness. (Never stop being you)
I still read blogs, yours being one of them. And over the past few months or so, I’ve found myself looking up blogs I hadn’t read in a while. I think I’m looking for something not so cluttered and fast-paced and a blog provides that.
And, I will keep blogging, too.
I still enjoy reading a few blogs, but certainly not as many as I used to. That’s mainly because so many of them all seem so fake and sponsor driven these days. I love yours and always look forward to your posts. I crave more than IG gives regarding renovations, styling rooms, etc. I would love more peeks into your house, even if all the rooms aren’t perfectly styled yet- I love seeing the process unfold. I love when you share finds, as they seem genuine.
DON’T CHANGE A THING. I LOVE YOUR BLOG!
I love reading your blog! I feel like the blogging/content creating/influencers that I have followed over the last several years are starting to feel… off. Perhaps I’m completely alone in this, but people who I used to follow because I loved their creativity or their ability to find great things that their followers would love, have started to feel disingenuous. So, so many sponsored posts, and many bloggers all promoting the same brands. As a consumer, it is definitely starting to feel more like they are trying to sell, sell, sell to their readers (which I understand that blogging is a business), and less about their passion for whatever their blog started out being about. I love your style, your writing, and your refreshing take on decorating and life with a family, so keep doing what you’re doing!
I am always so happy when I see one of your posts in my Feedly feed. I love your style and I love your voice, and I love that you don’t apologize for being yourself. Your Saturday Six posts are such a treat – not just because they’re always full of awesomeness, but because no one else posts on the weekend, and that’s when I have more time available to really peruse posts. I’m ok with some sponsored posts because I feel they’re curated carefully and you’re not throwing junk at us to make a few bucks.
I also love your blog, mainly for your design sense, which is just beautiful (but more accessible than many others’). I don’t really do or “get” Instagram–I like to actually have content to read and think about. Please don’t stop–you are so inspiring and not cookie-cutter like so many! Your home is gorgeous but real, and I enjoy anything you write/show about home and design. I also enjoy hearing about your family (I’m not too interested in the fashion or religious topics). I’m an almost-60-year-old who shops mainly on Craigslist, and you give me inspiration.
Still love blogs, and still love you just the way you are! I’ve been reading since your early days, and I appreciate your transparency and REAL voice. Please keep being authentically you. :)
Emily,
I like how you show us examples of really good design but also give us practical applications – like the time you used shorter curtains in your house because it made sense and the post about paint colors that work with oak trim. Your blog has always seemed original and specific to you. Thanks from a long time reader!
First, I have NEVER respnded to a blog so this is a first. I’m much older than you, but your blog is a bookmark that I read regularly and it has impact. Example, I put a book you recommended in my daughter’s stocking—just took your word for it. I bought one of your Christmas recommendations for my daughter-in-law. I ALWAYS read the Saturday post—-is it 6 links? Especially enjoy those—I like interior design. For me, you are a big help…..maybe more like who I was when I was your age, but helps me be more current. I guess I could learn Instagram, but I don’t currently have an account….I would miss your blog.
I feel honored to be your first blog comment ever. :)
Love your blog! I won’t be going anywhere! I appreciate every single post and know there’s a lot of time and energy that goes into them. Instagram is good (and yes, sometimes maybe a little time stealing evil too 😜) but blogs are my first love! Thank you for all you do and for the endless inspiration! 😊
Gosh, I hope you’ll keep blogging. Your voice has stayed consistent over the years and it always brings me back for more. I’m trying to pare down my time on social media, but blogs aren’t something I can step away from. To me they are the meat and potatoes while IG is a fluffy dessert – fun and yummy, but I can’t live off of it.
As for what I’d like to see, I like everything you do. Even when it’s a sponsored post, we still get YOU. I love Saturday Six, Give and Take, your book recommendations, your family tidbits, the random fashion recs, and just your random thoughts on decorating. Thanks for all you do!
I love your blog and would be very unhappy if your blog or any of the others I read went away. I am on Instagram too but it’s just not the same. I would easily give up Instagram if I had to choose between that or reading blogs. Happy New Year!
Please keep up the great work and do not change based on IG! I adore your blog for so many reasons. Not the least of which is because it is authentic.
I agree with everyone that I prefer blogs. Instagram just seems like a magazine to me. It’s pictures, so I look at it for a couple of seconds when I’m trying to kill time, then “turn the page” and forget about it. I’m not going to delete it, but it’s just fluff. There’s nothing to learn or take away from Instagram. You can learn something from blogs, so I hope yours and others don’t go away.
I prefer blogs because I’m not on social media, it’s just not my thing. I was reading that most IG users are under 35. I guess I just don’t care what people are thinking or looking at on a daily basis and the gazillion LOL/emoji comments. Maybe two or three blog posts per week would be doable? Perhaps an online survey to ask what types/categories of posts people like might help. Many thanks for all you do!
Absolutely love reading your blog and seeing your home. I love how you decorate your home and don’t fall into the trends. Plus, kudos for telling us what works with a family since Pinterest and Instagram are nice but 99.8% the style doesn’t work for people with kids and pets! I also appreciate your book selections and fashion tips!
I love the “realness” of your blog. You said it so well-I’m not into hearing about someone’s conference experience with other bloggers, nor their new product line-I want ideas that can make my home warm and comfortable and inviting-a place to love and care for the people that live there and to welcome neighbors, friends and new acquaintances! I am so glad you are bringing back the Saturday 6-I look forward to that all week. Sitting down (usually I’m in bed with a cup of tea) leisurely reading and taking in all the beautiful photos is such a treat! You have a gift of curating and presenting it to your readers. Thank you! Maybe I’m getting old, but the tiny pictures on instagram don’t inspire me. They are beautiful but often unattainable. I want to know how to make my home the best it can be within my means. I still love blogs-they feel more relational thatn instagram.
I still love blogs. I don’t comment as often because Instagram gave me a quicker way to interact with my favorite bloggers. I love your blog so keep it going.
I echo many of the comments above. Keep up the great work!!
Your blog has a lovely mix of personal anecdotes, affordable style, with just enough “reach” ideas to encourage me to save for important purchases. I adore learning how you’re doing life…and the sponsored post on walmart decorating helped pivot my mindset this holiday. As I cleaned, and prepped and cooked and freshened up for a large family gathering, I copied your boxwood wreath idea, added satin ribbons, and admired how cheery the house felt. Thank you!
A few sponsored links is totally okay – somebody has to keep the lights on, right? And help us look stylish, too.
Like others, I’d describe my style as classic with a twist, family focused and design minded, and focused on livable warmth. We redecorate a room a year (and renovate spaces about every 2 years), so I appreciate your myriad of design ideas. They help me connect the dots! This summer, we added 700 ft to our third floor, opening a playroom loft, bath, and bedroom for my oldest (13). With my other four kids shuffling rooms on the 2nd floor, all five needed new bedding and art and furniture and phew! I was rudderless…your blog and pinterest links helped me narrow down lighting (and more) choices.
I’m tithing and saving for college, so my fancy pants house will wait until later. Thanks for inspiring me to dream about cutely appointed rooms filled with reading nooks and endless bunk beds. :)
All the best in 2019!
Love your blog and reading blogs in general. I still don’t understand Pinterest and mostly follow only family and friends on Instagram. Keep up the great work!
Your recommendations please for teen books, or any helpful tips in raising children in this crazy world of social media and so on?
At the risk of a redundant comment, I LOVE your blog. It’s just right. It’s not so much that it distracts me from work, but it’s a happy little eye-candy every now and then. I too have been pining to see your bathroom renovations. I too love how affordable and relatable your posts are. I thought the one on wood kitchen cabinets was pure practical genius. Please keep letting your light shine.
I hope you will keep doing what you’re doing! I enjoy a quick scroll through IG now and then, but that doesn’t compare to reading a blog post with a real voice that includes the whys and hows of certain decorating decisions. I personally do not care about your stats, lighting or attendance at blogger conferences! Simple tweaks, some lifestyle ideas — that’s all I’m looking for!
I find myself sharing your annoyance with social media. I sure hope blogs do not go away. I think that Pinterest and Instagram are mostly to blame for the sameness, the bombardment with “new” and “buy me” that is making my brain feel stressed and cluttered lately. At least with a blog I can get to know the person, read a story, see what’s going on in their lives. If you take away blogs, then it is all just reduced to pretty pictures. Part of my resolution this year is spending less time on those other platforms.
I guess part of my frustration with other blogs is it seems to have turned into a money making, marketing industry. I’m happy these women have found success, but at the same time I no longer find them at all relatable. My favorite posts from your blog are those where you make simple changes around your home, so I’m very excited to hear that will be your focus this year! Best of luck!
I notice the blogs I continue to go back to are the ones that I feel personally connected to. Like yours…your reader gets some insight to who you are, your thought process and a bit about your family…making the blog feel like a familiar “friend”, not just great pictures of decor. I sincerely get a little thrill when I see a new post…it’s like we get to “catch up” while enjoying similar interests (beautiful home interiors!). I do not look at Pinterest or Instagram at all anymore because it seems boring and repetitive. We are inundated with pictures everywhere, so I think a blog can offer more! I enjoy your blog and have hoped you will continue. I’d miss “catching up” with you and peeking inside your home and ideas!😉
I started reading your blog when I was pregnant with my first and you were pregnant with the twins. I never comment or post but I love checking in every few weeks and catching up. I enjoy seeing easy/simple things I can do and how I can still have a house that I enjoy and if family friendly. I work outside of the house and travel for work and currently have a 6 year old and 21 month old. I still have not unpacked boxes from when we moved into this house 3 years ago.
I also enjoy when you post books you are reading and various recommendations on items to purchase.
I always find your posts relevant and helpful, and not just about interior spaces. I enjoy learning about your reading lists and favorite purchases. Thanks for keeping it real. Happy new year and blessings to you and yours!
Please just keep doing what you’re doing! I feel like you’re one of the few remaining “real-life” design blogs. Everything else just feels like sponsored content. I’m fine with the way you do it because it’s not all.the.time and it doesn’t feel forced. Like everyone else has said, I really love the bits of life you give us with sharing your faith, family, books, etc. I understand reasons for not doing it, but I would love to see more of your kids’ spaces – even if they’re a hot mess. I suspect your “hot mess” would still be an inspiration to some of us! I have boys, so I would love to see more of your boys’ rooms.
Your posts are an important part of my day. You do not seem as focused on product promotion as so many Instagram accounts. You have remained a regular person with wonderful family values. There is such a balance and variety in your posts. They are helpful and informative and real.
Thanks for remaining that way. Although I am a retiree, I am reworking some decorating in my home and garden. I am limited budget-wise much as I was when I had young children. I remember you saying you bought the white pagoda from Ballard because it was on sale. You still recommend a rug after years of use. You tell us what you read.
It does come down to your being believable and authentic. Thank you.
Please keep blogging – Instagram is no comparison to blogging in my opinion. I love your blog posts and have read for years!
I seldom read blogs (I’m of the baby boomer generation), but I do love yours. I love your style, which I see as a fresh colonial style. Most bloggers are too egocentric and self promoting and I’m not interested in that silliness. Yours is a perfect balance. I love that your decorating gives me ideas to bring the old colonial style, that I love, up to the present. Thank you!
I love reading your blog as well as following along on Instagram. I enjoy the quick snapshots of your home and life on IG but really do love to come to the blog to see longer posts about design dilemmas, thoughts on quick design solutions, and family life! Thank you for the time you put into both your blog and IG. Your readers truly appreciate it!
I have loved your blog for years and I would love to see you continue with those basics you mentioned in this post! Your decorating is real, elegant, and incorporates just the perfect amount of class (on a good budget!!)
Wow – blogs are going away?? I LOVE reading your blog – it gives me way more info than instagram (which I also love) but I guess it’s also nice to feel like you know someone that you don’t know at all (and could possibly be friends with) and feel happy and inspired when this person you like gives a little more of their time, insight and inspiration through their blog. There are definitely several people I follow on Instagram that I look forward to reading their blog posts and you are certainly at the top of my list.
Also, I even went so far as to purchase all the required items for the easiest Christmas decor ever which I though was beautiful on your blog – unfortunately the candle from Target arrived shattered in the box so it never came to fruition in my home! Oh well – that’s life! And Christmas still arrived and we all celebrated! But next Christmas it will happen!🤣
I love blogs. i love reading the story. I like the big reveals, but honestly the “design simplified” type of thing is my favorite.
I don’t do instagram. i don’t do pinterest. i don’t do twitter. i haven’t got time for podcasts and videos. I just like looking in on my favorite blogs at my leisure.
and i like my facebook to be for seeing my friend and family, not for social media marketing.
i’d kind of like to go back to the good ole days of blogging, 2010 style…
I love your blog and am so thankful to you for putting in so much effort to make it authentic. I can not tell you how many great ideas I have used from your blog. I recommend it all the time. All the younger adults in my family, many in their first “real” homes have your blog bookmarked! You are an inspiration to those of us trying to be our best and just so very real.
I love your style and sense of humor. Please don’t stop blogging! Yours is one a few I continue to read!!
Can I just tell you that I love your blog. I am so tired of all the blogs (I used to read) being the same! If I go to one, i know exactly what the other three or four will look like. You start out reading a nice story and at the end of it, someones trying to sell me something!!! You do you, and I love that!
Your blog is one of my favorites and I check it daily. I live your design style and find it inspiring. I just signed up for an instagram account a month ago and although I enjoy that, I still appreciate blogs- especially when they show tasteful, thoughtful and realistic every day design inspiration. I’m more of a maximalist but love your colors, pattern use and unique sense of style of your home. Keep it up as long as comments like these motivate you to do so and not a moment longer 😎.
I’ve honestly been feeling disenchanted with social media; I love IG but find that subconsciously, it leaves me comparing myself in some way or just feeling annoyed.
I personally love to read my tried and true favorite blogs (especially yours). It’s sort of like hitting the pause button for me. It’s a breather away from the noise and distraction I find on IG, a chance for me to read more thoughtfully, the blogs that I connect to and enjoy.
I think tomorrow I need to delete IG from my phone for a bit and reset! I hope the blogs I love stick around. Happy New Year and keep being you. You’re so authentic and talented. It’s why so many of us are here.
I prefer blogs to any other type of social media. I was ‘ forced’ to go Instagram as most bloggers stopped posting. Thank you for blogging!!
I really enjoy your blog. I look forward to each post. I am a little older than you and still don’t have Instagram! I thought I was the only person left without it. Ha! I was considering getting an account but the ‘stinch’ of social media chaos keeps me from it. I will say I love and enjoy my home. I am constantly seeking ways to make it something special while still keeping it simple. The home is about the people gathered there. If I can be inspired by a book you have read to love my people better, or take an idea to refresh or decorate a room so that those same people want to be there as often as possible and even invite more to come with….well then, I have done something right! I find many helpful ideas and tips on your blog to make that happen so I am all in as a fan fav! I even enjoy your amazon finds and fashion steals and deals throughout the year! Thank you and please keep it going! We need you!
I still love blogs and yours is a favorite for many reasons- I love the simple decorating tips to the more elaborate ones, the book recommendations, your fashion finds etc. Your blog offers a good mix of inspiration with a dose of reality! I love it!
As a (usually exhausted) SAHM to an active toddler and military wife who moves A LOT, I find so many design ideas and life inspiration from your blog! I have found some of my now favorite books from your “what I’m reading now” lists, I always love seeing how you’re changing this tablescale or that lamps location to find a fresh use for a staple piece; and I adore your occasional outdoor/backyard posts, one of my favorites still being your dad’s garden! Although there are a TON of bloggers and IGs who decorate, I persistently come to yours for design (and whit!). Just this last weekend I emulated your spray painted gold Michael’s frames from your old black and white striped entry way for our new (and 8th moved into) house. I understand that feeling of “haven’t I seen this before?” But I can also honestly say that your designs and ideas always feel fresh to me. I’d love to see you do decorating posts for other people’s homes like you used to too, and maybe more kids rooms for us moms who enjoy having a fun, yet sophisticated place for our minis to unwind. Either way, your website will always auto-fill in my browser after typing just two letters because I enjoy your blog so much! 💜
Always good to discern what serves you and feeds your heart. If writing the blog continues to give you a chance to be creative and establish community with your readers, then that is a good thing. Otherwise, time to revise and retool.
I find your blog useful and authentic. I no longer read decor blogs that showcase high end design aesthetics nor do I visit blogs that are basically store fronts for various businesses. Some decor blogs have become fashion/lifestyle blogs, showcasing the perfect 10 blogger modeling name brands in dressing rooms. These kinds of blogs sink my boat but your blog continues to float my boat.
I especially like your Saturday posts and your posts that focus on improving our spaces through simple adjustments that work. I would like to see posts on combining different styles in one house say, farmhouse and boho or farmhouse and modern, etc. And posts on creating hygge through texture and posts on creating serenity in a home so that home becomes an oasis where the heart always wants to linger.
Love and continue to love your blog- it’s a little happy place for me to see beautiful, accessible design. Please keep it coming!
I love your blog. In fact, I have two chairs from overstock that I purchased because I saw them on your blog and they were exactly what I was looking for. So thanks for that!
Emily, Emily, Emily- YOU are such an inspiration to so many woman around the WORLD. As mentioned in so many other readers comments- we all LOVE your style, your honest approach to decorating, parenting, books, etc. Your blog posts really are my favorite- I know it can be a lot of hard work to make posts that are worth reading & yours always are). Life with 5 kids must be busy- so do what feels right. Just know you really are touching so many lives- your readers need what you are putting out there. From the bottom of my heart- I really appreciate your time and effort to brighten up my life. Also- I don’t do any other social media. Long time Oregon reader. xoxo
Admittedly I don’t read blogs as often because 4 kids, youngest two being 17 month twins.
But I do like to check them out occasionally. And my husband who is in the tech field says influencers/bloggers should still keep up with blogging and not rely solely on Instagram to reach their audience. You can’t control Instagram, but you can control your blog.
Been following you for around 5/6 years ❤️
I like Instagram for a quick scroll but it turns into an unproductive black hole most of the time – even though I follow some very inspiring accounts. It can be overwhelming.
I’m a huge fan of blogs and prefer reading these to scrolling IG. It’s less draining and more inspiring. So when you hear that millennials prefer IG to blogs, know that isn’t the case for all of us :)
Also I am a big fan of your style and how you share that with us. What you post here is timeless and beautiful yet fresh and achievable at the same time. It’s a breath of fresh air.
Stay true to yourself! I personally, don’t want to hear about your blogger conference or care if you write a book. Maybe a product line would be fun, but honestly, there’s so much available out there. I like when you do mood boards and/or makeovers and link to where I can buy things.
Cheers to 2019!
I love blogs and yours is one of the very first ones I ever read! I did just unsubscribe to a handful of others because I was no longer enjoying them, but yours is MY perfect mix of real life, design and decor, books, thrifting and a little fashion/beauty from time to time.
I love your blog because you’re relatable! Your house is decorated but it’s also lived in and your designs are doable by the not so design-savvy like myself. I love it that your posts aren’t too wordy because I just don’t have time for that! And I really appreciate that you don’t follow some obvious formula for your posts like so many bloggers seem to do. I’m glad that you’re sticking with it!
YES YES YES!!! I love blogs and am so sad they’re waning. I think they provide such a better platform for sharing and connecting than Instagram does; it’s too curated and image-focused.
and YES! you’re right about the professional photos and lighting. we don’t care. but we DO get excited every time we see a new post!
I’ve giving up on a lot of blogs that I used to enjoy because they were sponsored and it just felt like I was spending my time reading someone’s commercial. I think you have a good mix and few sponsored posts – I’ve never felt ‘tricked’ by your blog. You also keep it real with how messy life can be and I appreciate that.
Thanks for your feedback. I know exactly what you mean and hope none of my readers ever feel that way.
I refuse to get another social media account beside me Facebook. So yes I still read blogs. I love yours. I love that they aren’t super long and wordy. I love that you don’t post everyday because it makes me more excited to read yours when you do post. I love that you don’t post about super expensive items that everyday people can’t afford. I hope you continue blog! I know you’re private about your children but I wouldn’t be opposed to read about parenting challenges, wins, or fails!
Yours is the first blog I ever “followed” and I’m so glad I did. I continue to love your posts and your recommendations. You have such great tips and style and you are so realistic. I hope your blog doesn’t transition over to Instagram only. I know I would miss your however often posts. Thank you, Emily, and congrats on 10 years!
Hi Emily and Happy New Year! Just wanted to pop in and let you know how much I STILL love your blog, and I think I’ve been here for almost the entire 10 years?! For me, your blog feels like a space to breathe a little, find some inspiration, and always something interesting — whether it’s a décor tip, a new book to read, a little snapshot of your life or what you’re wearing. Variety is the spice of life!! I find that I’ve stopped reading a lot of blogs that only have décor/design, or DIY, or fashion. Give me some real life, well-rounded women with interesting thoughts and I’m in. All that to say, please keep blogging. I enjoy my stops here. :)
Wishing you a joyful year ahead… blessings, Heidi
The best part about your blog is you.
You have perfect taste in décor. Whatever you do is good. So just keep following your taste, and taking pictures of it so we can see.
Even if it’s just putting a vase of flowers on the table or whatever. It really is enough.
Thank you for continuing to share.
Happy 2019 to you!
I love your blog! Please keep doing what you have been doing, you do it so well!
Your blog is still one of my favorites and I have been reading it since before the twins were born.
Hi Emily,
I discovered your blog some time ago, and as I was going through phase of my life, where I had plenty of time, but not much strength to do a lot more than reading short pieces of text (going through a cancer journey at age of 43), I went to your archives and read all of these, till I catch up just this week.
I am much better now, back to work for half a year already and more and more active in life in general, but I keep reading your posts with big pleasure.
What I specially appreciate about your blog (compared to others that I followed in the past and discontinued) is that your blog remains about interior in a real family house (that’s what attracted me in the first place) and you didn’t move to posting 50% or more content on your clothes shopping escapades, didn’t start pushing for your books or product lines and keep welcoming us to your life. And living in Europe (Belgium), I enjoy taking glimpse into American way of life.
So I hope you keep going!
And now that I am catch up, I may join the discussion in comments more often.