s The Kim Six Fix: Update
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Showing posts with label Update. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Update. Show all posts

Flashback Friday: Reassessing My Goals and March In Review

Welcome to another edition of Flashback Friday!  Can you believe that 2014 is already ONE QUARTER over?  Since I only have 75% of the year left, I am stepping back to make sure that I’m still on track with the goals I set for myself back in January in order to make 2014 AWESOME!
source
Since you don’t remember what they were (heck, I can't remember what they were) let me remind you: I had 5 blogging and 5 project goals for the year.

Blogging goals:
1. Find my voice:  I wrote about that extensively back in February, and I feel the same way still.  I have been trying to focus on putting out the best quality content I can, and not worrying so much about all the background noise out there.  There will always be more successful bloggers and there will always be less successful ones.. and I can’t compare myself to them. I just have to be the best *me*

2. Social media: Honestly? I’m doing much better at this.  I have actually gotten a handle on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even Google+!  (I’m even hosting a big Google+ plus party with Amanda from MommyisCooCoo next month!)  Soon I might even add StumbleUpon to my repertoire!   I’m not spending nearly as much time on them as I used to, but am still interacting with a lot of readers and other bloggers.  It has been pretty wonderful.

3. Attend Haven and BlogHer 2014: I HAVE MY PASSES AND AIRPLANE TICKETS!!


Continue Reading...

When Imitation is NOT the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Instead of my regular Flashback Friday post, I instead wanted to write about something that made me really really angry today.  Some of you may have heard about it already, since it has been swirling around social media, but in case you missed it I thought it was important enough to bump today's regular post.

Yesterday Target's marketing team (specifically TargetStyle) copied a room design originally posted by Mandi of Vintage Revivals (without her knowledge or consent) and shared it all over their social media channels. Even though it is clearly an exact knock-off, they didn’t credit her at all.
Image source (and another interesting read)
You may be thinking: Why is this a big deal?  Shouldn't she be flattered that Target liked her idea?

To understand my outrage you first have to understand how bloggers ‘make their living.’  I use that term loosely since many many many of us [myself included] don’t make enough money to LIVE on, but we do earn a small revenue stream from blogging.  We do that mainly through advertising revenue which is tightly correlated to page views (how many people visit your blog).

That is why some the most financially successful bloggers tend to be those with the most creative, unique and beautiful content.  A post that features something that has never been seen before can easily go viral and drive thousands of people to a bloggers page (and result in a decent adverting profit.)  On the other hand, once an idea has been shown on a much larger site, it is much harder to compete for those same page views if you are the 'little guy.'

Bloggers work really hard to make sure they put out the best content they can, and it may take dozens, if not hundreds of hours to come up with a post that is a ‘game changer.’  Mandi’s fantastic hexagon wall was one of those ideas.  It is something most of us had never seen before, and it was visually stunning and completely unique.  She did it first.

And then Target stole it.

The blogging community is keenly aware of sites who steal content, often chopping off watermarks and reposting images in order to get page views without having to actually do any work.  It has even happened to me dozens of times. It isn’t a new phenomenon. Those sites (called scraper sites) have always been a problem, and yes they PISS us off,  but they are normally run by anonymous cowards who typically close up shop when they get caught.

On the other hand, scraper sites aren’t usually wealthy multinational companies who operate in almost every state across the country.  They don’t have multi-million dollar adverting budgets and huge social networks which can expose thousands millions of people to their content.  Target does.
Image source
That is why what they did to Mandi is so horrible. That is why they are worse than scraper sites. They knew better and they did it anyway.  Maybe they didn’t think they would get caught. Maybe they justified by saying it was merely an ‘imitation’ of her work and thus she should be flattered.

It wasn’t, and she isn’t.

Target stole, not “was inspired by” but downright STOLE Mandi’s room design.  See for yourself:
Image source (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! I CREDITED HER!)
And it isn’t like Mandi wouldn’t have agreed to work WITH Target.  Her room had just recently been featured in HGTV magazine and so it is clear she was open to sharing to her content, as long as she was given credit for it.

Mandi addressed this issue on her blog today, and honestly, she is a LOT more understanding about this whole thing than I would be.  She just wants Target to give her credit now, after the fact.  She still is willing to work with them.  I don’t know if that is how I would feel.

I know this is a David and Goliath story and she probably won’t win, but that doesn’t mean Target should get to run roughshod over the little guy.  Target needs to be held accountable for the way they promote and market their products when using other people as 'inspriation'.  If Target wants to use someone for their creative ideas, they need to put them on their payroll or at least get their permission.   

I hope you can now understand why I am so outraged, and agree with me that what they are doing isn’t okay. I know most of you aren’t going to stop shopping at Target because of this (although I will), but I want to encourage you to reach out to Target on social media (Target and TargetStyle's Facebook pages, Twitter Account, or Customer Service email) and express your opinion on this situation.   Tell them you know the content they are using is stolen from a blogger and she deserves the credit.

The blogging community (and I include blog readers in that community) needs to stick together and watch out for each other.   When one of us is wronged we need to speak up and tell big companies that it isn't okay.

Target needs to understand that they are stealing a blogger's livelihood when they steal their content. 

And even if nothing changes, I want Mandi to know: 
We've got your back girl.  #TeamMandi #LoveYourGuts
image source


EDITED TO ADD  (March 21 10:30 PM) :
It appears that the social media campaign got Target's attention.   Mandi just updated her Facebook page with the following: 
Hey everyone! I just got an email from Target, hopefully we can connect next week! THANK YOU for all of the love, you guys constantly blow me away with your support and encouragement!! MUAH!

What I've Learned By Hitting (and Missing) My Blogging Goals: January In Review

January was a whirlwind month for me.  I am going to do a round up of all my projects at the end of this post.. so if you are looking for projects, feel free to scroll on down.  But first I wanted to take a little time to write about some things that have been weighing on me lately.

Earlier in the year, I set out some goals for myself (both for the blog and personally) and I wanted to use this time to reflect on how well things are going and if I need to make changes.  I found that looking back on what I set out for myself not even 30 days ago has really opened my eyes to things I like and don't like about my blog and how it is influencing both my personal and online life. 

First, on the blogging side:
  1. Find my voice
Ironically this post is actually in response to this exact goal.  Normally I would never have written this out for you to read.  I always have focused on PROJECTS PROJECTS PROJECTS (since hey.. this isn't Dr. Phil) but since my new goal is to be more real, I decided to share my feelings with you.

The blog community is changing, and not 100% for the better (in my opinion.) I feel like there is a lot of great chatter out there, but unfortunately, it is all getting eaten up by the fast frenzy that is social media and Pinterest.  It is starting to feel like you are only as good as you latest and greatest project.  You can have a post go viral, and have thousands of views, and dozens of new facebook fans.. Your instagram account may blow up.. but in a flash it is over.  Everyone moves on to the next great project.. and you are left feeling (I don't know a better word): used. 

And I will admit, I am just as guilty of it as anyone else.  I have hundreds of blogs in my reader.  I get notified of at least 100-150 new posts EVERY.DAY.  And of course I don't read them all.. I skim the titles, maybe join a linky party or two, stop by a couple which catch my eye, pin a few projects, mark the rest as read.. and move on.

And it seems like a lot of blogs are going that way.  With readers picking out the highlights, and not really developing a 'relationship' with bloggers like we would have before.  Jennifer at Rambling Rennovater said it best in her epic ode to blogging:
There is a lot of noise in my life that detracts from the joy of blogging. Each new person I follow on Twitter or Instagram, each blog that I add to my reader, deflects my attention from what is already there. We live in a society where more is better. Where more subscribers makes you a more successful blogger and more Facebook fans makes you more influential.

But we know the numbers are not the whole truth - even if the social media marketers and brand sponsors try to convince us otherwise.
That is why I think a post like this is important even though it is never going to make it to Pinterest. (Heck, it probably will barely get read), but it shows you the 'real' me.  I am more than just my projects.. My blog can't be boiled down to one pretty picture on a Pinterest board.  There is someone behind it, who struggles to keep a good balance.  

I often find myself falling into the trap of spending more time promoting my content, than actually working on my content.. and often that is to the detriment of my family.  In the struggle to make myself heard, I am spending time away from the things I should be focusing on.

Heather Lynne from Raising Memories really struck a nerve with me when she re-focused her blog and re-prioritized her blogging career. She wanted to limit the amount of time she was spending on her blog vs. spending with her family... and I definitely understand that. Ultimately, Heather Lynne didn't feel successful, and decided to completely step away from her blog for the month of February.  (A move I completely understand and respect. I applaud her for doing it, since it is quite courageous to do so.)  She took drastic action in hopes of getting a dramatic result and I truly hope that it works for her and she can come back to find the right balance.

I have begun to find that my blog is defining me.  I look at the world though the lens of my blog.. "Wow! That would be a great project for the blog" or "This recipe is really good, I wonder if I should blog about it.."  I see something cool and immediately take a photo for instagram, or tweet about it.  People are now immediately associating me with my blog.  My friends and family are constantly giving me ideas, and I love to share my successes with them.

But when is it all too much?  When do you start losing who you are and start being nothing but "that blogger"? That is a hard line to define sometimes, which is why I am in awe of Heather Lynne and  her ability to pull the plug and step away.  I feel like if I did that, I would be missing an actual piece of myself.  But I do think I need to work on my moderation.  I know like I am constantly saying that (and have been since 2010) but I still haven't gotten a handle on it.

Which leads me to:
2. Get more organized with my social media
Notice I didn't say "Spend more time on social media"? Since that is definitely NOT the goal.  I want to work smarter not harder.  I won't lie.. I want my blog to be successful, so I will have to play the 'social media game', but I have to always remember that my job is not social media.. my job is BLOGGING.  

Ironically, I do think I have been doing much better with this goal this month.  I am engaging with a lot of people (especially on Facebook.)  The problem with the book of face, is how it screens out what people see.  So although I love being myself over there and sharing things with everyone, it is still hard to get to 'know' everybody like I wish I could. 
I have been having a little more fun on Instagram, and of course twitter (which comes in fits and spurts) and I am finally dipping my toes into the waters of Google+.   I also have been much better about using Pinterest more consistently.  
All of this 'promotion' must be working because I had more pageviews in the month of January than I have ever had (since moving to my thekimsixfix.com URL.) 

I want to tell you that I am using some social media scheduling apps to make this a lot easier on myself.  I do go through and manually check all my notifications so if you do respond or ask me a question, send me a PM or email I will eventually get back to you.  But understand how I am not always immediately available, even if it seems like I'm tweeting, posting or pinning!

3. Attend Haven and BlogHer 2014
As of now, this is still the plan. I have my tickets for BlogHer.. and am trying to plan my trip to Atlanta for Haven, but there is no big rush.. yet.

4. Introduce Flashback Fridays
I hope you all are enjoying this series. I have been having a blast looking through my old photos when I'm preparing the new posts. I find pictures like this, which melt my heart and remind me of how fast the time is going.  
E: Dec 2009
J: Nov 2009
Baby J: Jun 2013
It brings up the same sentiment that I talked about earlier.  And can be summarized best with a quote from my favorite 1980s bad boy: 

Those kids are barely recognizable now.  They have grown up so fast.  I want to make sure I am enjoying them in every stage, since one day it will all be over.
Continue Reading...

What Haven Means to ME! (Haven Part 2)

I wrote yesterday all about what I learned at Haven and how that it will impact my blog going forward. But there was a whole other aspect to Haven that I didn't even touch.  The interpersonal relationships.

I met (or just saw from across the room) so many amazing bloggers and it felt so empowering to be in a room full of other people who love the same things that I do, who understand what a "blog" is and why you would even want to write one.
Haven Conference 2013 

My whole adventure began at the airport, where I was flying cross country alone with the kids.  We were actually spending 3 weeks at my parent's house in addition to the conference and so we didn't pack light! 

I was really happy with how great the kids were and what big helpers my older girls were.  I ended up leaving the girls with my parents and drove the 7.5 hours down to Atlanta with just the baby.  Once again I was so impressed with how well he handled the drive but it was a huge relief to see the signs for Atlanta!
I was really lucky that my husband had flown directly into Atlanta for the weekend and watched the baby in the hotel room while I was at the conference.  I never would have been able to go without him. 

The opening night of the conference they held a cocktail party/mixer.   I hadn't really been nervous about meeting new people up until the point I walked onto the patio, into a sea of women.  I was really lucky to meet two super sweet bloggers right away and they became sorta my bloggy BFFs for the remainder of the conference.
 
Leslie of Puddy's House and Amy from AlwaysNeverDone were by far my FAVORITE girls from the entire weekend.  They are brand new baby bloggers who attended Haven last year and started up their own blogs recently. 
Continue Reading...

What Haven Means to My Blog (and to YOU!)

I am finally getting a chance to sit down and write about the wonderful experience I had at the Haven conference.  I have so much to talk about that I decided to split it into 2 posts.
Haven Maven
Today I am writing about what I learned at Haven and how it is going to impact my blog and ultimately how it is going to effect you, my awesome readers!

My second post will be about how Haven impacted me personally, and I will tell you about all the people I got to meet, from my super-hero bloggers I always have admired, to all the newbies who I hadn't heard of before, but can't wait to follow.
So what did I learn at Haven?

1. My blog is an expression of who *I* am, take it or leave it. 
I realized something big at Haven that I didn't understand before.  Although it is a niche conference, for DIY blogs.. people's definition of DIY is very different.

I met people who ran the gamut from hard core power tool totin' hands on and getting dirty types (like Ana White, Pretty Handy Girl and Sawdust Girl) all the way to the other end of the spectrum, bloggers who mostly focused on design and decorating (like A Thoughtful Place and Infarrantly Creative) as well as people who loved home improvement and used professionals to do the work while they were the full time bloggers.  That diversity is what makes DIY blogs so awesome.  You can always find someone who thinks like you, has a similar skill sets as you, and you find interesting.
Hands=On at Haven Conference 2013

At the conference I attended a lot of the 'hands on' classes that were offered.  I refreshed my skills on how to install molding at the "Let's case this Joint" class taught by Brittany and Sandra.

I consider myself on the "get dirty and lug around lumber" end of the DIY spectrum. I've never used a stencil or chalk paint in any of my projects!  Shocking I know!  But my blog does have a lot of other non-home-improvement projects like sewing, crafts and recipes.  I know that may not be what everyone enjoys, but that is what interests me and that is what I will continue to post about.  I always want to be genuine, to be the 'real' me.   I don't have to please all the people, all the time.  And if I'm not your niche, I understand.  No hard feelings!

If you aren't interested in a recipe, or you don't know how to sew, feel free to skip on past those posts when you see them in your feed, I promise that soon I'll have another DIY home improvement project on the horizon!  I just can't be tearing out bathrooms and remodeling kitchens 24/7! And even if you don't want to be the actual person installing light fixtures or new faucets, that is okay too.  I just want to inspire people to know that things are possible!

2. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. 
I've been blogging for a long time, and when I see successful bloggers I have to remind myself that their success didn't happen overnight.  Ana White was a wonderful keynote speaker and she touched on this a lot.  That you have to focus on the long term, and what is not only best for your blog but also what is best for you.  Be the tortise not the hare.

Being a successful, well liked blogger with a good reputation takes time and hard work.  I have a lot going on in my life, and I have to prioritize my children and husband first.  It is possible to be successful without sacrificing them, but it will take me longer than someone who is blogging while not simultaneously taking care of a second grader, preschooler and 3 month old.   I have to be careful about taking on only as much as I can handle, since if I am going to around for the long haul, I don't want to burn out early, and I don't want to miss out on my life.  My kids will only be this little once.

3. Good content is KEY! And I want people to know when it is MINE.
This was a main theme in a lot of the talks at Haven.  If you build good content.. they will come.

Am I dating myself by using a Field of Dreams reference? 

I try really hard to generate my own content, and to try not to step on the toes of any other bloggers.  It is a fine line between being inspired by someone, and copying them (not to mention downright stealing their content!)

Sawdust and Embryos had a great post recently about the proper etiquette you should use when visiting links and pinning to/from Pinterest. Always try to find the original source! This is a huge pet peeve of mine since I get about 30% of my blog traffic though Pinterest.  And as great as that is, I often see my content pinned from other places.  Roundups and features, which although they may link back to me, aren't actually driving traffic to my site.  When someone takes a bunch of projects that they love, and puts them into one large composite graphic, very few of the people pinning that graphic are going to visit all the original sites which actually CREATED that content. 

And if you think it doesn't matter consider this: My kitchen remodel has been pinned more than half a million times.  We aren't talking about just a few page views. If I only knew the numbers from all the other sites that have used my images I am sure I would be depressed.
If you are interested in finding out your URL's pincount this is a great little site to do it!

To counteract this as best as I can I have always watermarked my photos, so that I stake my claim to a project. I know it isn't an iron clad guarantee, but it doesn't hurt.  I will continue to do that, and in the future, you may even see that my watermarks will probably cover slightly more of the image than they currently do.  Now that I am aware of how important finding the original source can be, I am going to try to make myself easy to find!
Okay, maybe not THAT easy to find!
And NO! I didn't use ESP on those cabinets so stop saying that on the pins!!**

4. It is okay to ask for help
It wasn't until I met other bloggers in person that I realized that not everyone is doing their own site coding. When did I miss the memo?!  I am still plugging along in Blogger, using a free blog template and tweaking my own HTML with the help of Professor Google.   I had no idea that even smaller bloggers were using webmasters and having custom sites templates made.

I now see how much time and energy I spend trying to re-invent the wheel.  It must just be the DIY (and the cheapskate) in me, but I always thought I could figure stuff out on my own.  Perhaps long term I will look into having someone help me redesign my site.  I know it isn't the most user-friendly layout, and I wish stuff was easier to find. Plus, after my migration over from my old site I know there are a lot of broken links and missing content.  I want my blog to be more user friendly, and I now see that I may just have to recruit some help to get it that way!

5.  Blogging is a TON of work and there is no shame in getting paid a little to do it.
I have always shied away from a lot of advertising on my blog and I have never have run affiliate ads or sponsored posts. I always felt I wasn't a 'big enough' blogger to do those things. I didn't feel like I should be be making money doing something I enjoy.

I am not sure why I thought that, because in all honesty, blogging has been a losing venture for me.   The costs of projects (not to mention time investment) is way more than I have ever earned back   And although I never started my blog to make a living out of it, I did think it would cost less than my other hobbies.

I did join BlogHer a while back, and although I made a little money, it barely covers the cost of my hosting fees and other expenses.  After sitting through the SEO (search engine optimization) class with Brooke and Court and advertising class with Rhoda, Beckie and Cassity during the conference, I know I could be earning a little more than I currently am, and so going forward you may see a little more advertising in my sidebars.  I am hoping that I can generate enough revenue to justify hiring someone for a big site redesign (see point #4.)
Learning how to get my Google Juice on!

I promise not to go crazy with advertising.  And bear with me since it is a learning process.  I'll be honest with you when I say that I am not 100% sure of what I am doing!  I do know that I want to stay true to who I am, and I will NEVER endorse or recommend something I wouldn't actually use myself. I only want to work with products and services that I really believe in, the integrity of my blog is on the line.  I waited this long to take on advertisers, you know I am going to be picky about it!
The great swag we got at the conference.. and while some vendors would be a great fit (*cough* cough* Home Depot) others just don't fit my niche.

So there you have it: Haven has changed me, and my blog, hopefully for the better.  I hope you stick around and see how it all works out!


** This is sorta an inside joke.  Someone has scraped my content and incorrectly identified the photo with the following description:
"To paint over ANY surface, without sanding, use a product called ESP Easy Surface Prep, available at hardware and paint shops. Wipe on, wipe off and paint in 90 minutes. Works well over enamel paint , without having to sand. SAVES HOURS of work. It was recommended to me by a professional painter."  
Anyone who reads my blog knows I didn't do ANYTHING remotely like that and it irritates me to no end to read that on thousands of pins!!!!Must be an ESP salesman! 


Welcome Baby Joshua! (I return to the blogosphere!)

I am officially ending my blogging "maternity leave."  It has been 6 weeks since my last post and in that time there has been some big changes in the Six household.
My Mother's Day Gift This Year
On April 28th we welcomed our third child, and first boy, into the family.  Joshua Daniel was born at 4:56 pm weighing in at 7 lbs 8 oz, 19.5 inches.  

After a long and eventful pregnancy, the labor and delivery was no sweat. 

 He has been a super baby, but life with three kids is still chaos. 

 Luckily, the girls have been great with him and he is settling into the family.
 

Although I am not sure my blog will be updated as frequently as it has been in the past, I do have a bunch of projects lined up in the coming months which I can't wait to share.  

In August I also will be attending Haven, my first ever blog conference! (A cross country trip with just myself and 3 kids will be a life-altering experience in itself!) I am really looking forward to it, and hope it helps me re-connect to the rest of the blogging community since I feel a little disconnected after being 'gone' for so long.

But for now.. life with a newborn, pre-schooler and second grader are nothing if not unpredictable. It can be a huge headache, but it also can be tons of fun!

Confession time: Jealousy, Resentment and Just Being Dog Tired

Warning: Today's post is going to be a little different from my usual style.  I don't usually write personal posts about my life choices, and why I do the things I do.  I actually don't share much about myself and my motivations for blogging.  That isn't what this blog is about.  I try to write my posts from a "just the facts ma'am" POV.  You wanna know how to drywall? Knock off some girl scout cookies?  Put together a mantlescape for $0? I'm your girl.  No fluff about it. But today is not going to be one of those posts. 
 
Today I am doing a little reflecting, and decided I was going to share my thoughts with you, since honestly, it has a lot to do with you.  Therefore, if a few personal confessions aren't what you want to read about, please feel free to skip this post.  I won't be offended.   And I promise starting Monday I will be back to sharing the nitty gritty details of my kitchen transformation.  
**********************
 Lately I have been in a funk, and want to get it off my chest, since it has been bugging me.  The thing that pushed me over the edge was Kristi's post at Addicted to Decorating called "The Ugly Truth about Jealousy and Comparison" (which you should TOTALLY read if you get a chance.)  She said a lot of the things that have been on my mind too.  Kristi is another DIY blogger, who unlike a lot of other DIY bloggers (especially those who do large scale construction/renovation projects) doesn't have help from her spouse.  There is nobody waiting in the wings to give her a boost when things get hard.
 
For Kristi, it is health reasons that prevent her husband from helping her as much as she would like (and she confesses her own need to control things,) but for me it is complete lack of interest and apathy by my husband.  He is not, and never has been, a handy guy. He was like that when I married him, and I honestly don't want to change him.  I have always been the one who jumped in feet first to a project, and I will always be the one holding the bag.  HOWEVER (and yes, I am back-pedaling here a little) it would be nice to have someone there to hold the ladder when I am installing can lights in the ceiling or manhandling 6x8 foot sheets of beadboard in a 6.5x8.5 foot powder room.  Sometimes, being on your own just sucks. 
 
Now this is where my other confession comes in to play: When it comes to my blog, I always feel like I am not doing enough. I'm not productive enough, I can't come up with ideas which are unique enough or interesting enough,  I can't network enough or keep up with the latest trends.  I always feel like I could be doing better, especially in the world of blogging where you are only as "hot" as your latest project.  I don't feel like I can keep up. 
I know this is all in my head, since there are no blogger police out there regulating the quality and quantity of blog posts, but I still feel it.  The self-induced pressure to be a successful blogger for no other reason than to make myself happy (since I have no aspirations of ever making a living off my blog.. I could earn a lot more going back to work at my previous occupation.)  
 
I am well aware I shouldn't spend time comparing myself to all those bloggers who do have help behind the scenes.  Those big blogs with thousands of followers and where every post gets dozens of comments.  That isn't what my blog is supposed to be about.  I should be proud of what I can accomplish on my own, and not worry if I can't crank out a new awesome reveal every other week. 
Yes, I know that in my brain..
 
  So why then do I still wish I could be more successful?  I just can't help it!  I wanna be just like them (because they are friggin' awesome!!!)
I get frustrated, and (I confess) jealous, of those other bloggers who have someone there to help with, and in some cases, to actually do some of the work for them.  I know that not every successful female DIY blogger has someone helping her, the comments on Kristi's post prove that, but some days it seems like some of them must have an army of helpers behind the scenes the way they pump out projects like an episode of Trading Spaces.  I look at blogger couples and think, "Wow! If only there were only another one of me, I could be twice as productive!"   
 
Or would I?  
 
Even those bloggers who work as a couple have commitments and pressures.  For example, Roeshel at DIYShowoff admits her house is not always as picture perfect as it seems, and Alison at House of Hepworth, who often gets help from her husband Ben on her projects, got hate mail for taking a step back from her blog for the summer in order to spend more time with her kids.    You just can't win.
 
Being with my kids is one the reasons I started working on my home improvement projects in the first place.  After leaving my long-hours, high-pressure career to be a stay at home home, I wanted to contribute to my household by making my home a better place to be.  I wanted to actually do something constructive with my time.  Something that was satisfying and at the same time taught my kids that girls can hang out at the Home Depot or fix a faucet without having to wait for someone to do it for them.   It was about feeling empowered and feeling useful. 
Becoming a successful DIY blogger was an afterthought.  
 
 And if I had to do it over again, I would do it mostly the same way.  I love what I have contributed to my family both emotionally and financially, by improving my home(s) and even increasing their value.  I would still blog about all my projects, I would still go public and I would still join my first ever link party.   I adore the DIY blogging community and all the inspiration I get from other bloggers out there. I feel like I get just as much as I give.  
 
For example, I would never have come up with the idea for my most popular post if it weren't for an inspirational blogger who put it out there. If I hadn't jumped into it whole-heartedly I wouldn't have accomplished everything I have.  Reading about everyone else's projects has inspired me, made me a better DIY'r, and given me the courage to try things I never thought I could handle.   But it also has given me unrealistic expectations for myself.   
 
The one thing I would change is
I would cut myself a break. 
I am only one person.  One middle aged woman, with two kids, a backlog of dirty dishes in the sink and pile of dirty laundry affectionately known as Mt.Washmore.   I am squeezing in my home improvement projects while juggling the carpool line, potty training and getting dinner on the table. You are never going to see a fantastic $50,000 renovation, because we live off a single income so I can stay home with my kids.  The budget is the budget and there are only 24 hours in a day.  That is the real me.    
So I need to cut myself some slack and maybe even step away.. because some days I am just plain TIRED.  There are times when I have big plans and I just can't seem to follow though (can you say "Garage Reveal" anyone?!) but I am doing my best.  I want to be a good great super awesome blogger and I want to post as often as I can, but some days I have to leave the blog behind and focus on my kids.  I want to be creative and amazing and funny and humble, but some days are better spent fulfilling a three-year-old's request. My blog has become really important to me, but I can't let it define me, either as a success or as a failure.  
 
I am more than my blog.
 
  But I do want my readers to know that whenever you comment on a post and you tell me you like something I have done, I take it to heart.  You have no idea how much it means to me to see my inbox light up with comments and emails.. you seriously have NO IDEA.  I appreciate every encouraging word.  And please know that when you talk about my blog, you are talking about ME!  My projects.. since that is what they are: 100% MINE.  And I am so happy to know you enjoy them, warts and all.
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