Welcome to 2021! I know that 2020 was a tough year, and everyone was hoping that 2021 would be a better year. Yup so far, people aren’t very happy with 2021 either. I have faith that it will improve! On another note, I wanted to let you know that I’m still here, although I am not posting as often as I was. I’m continuing to podcast every week, so there’s a new episode to listen to every Weds. As for the blog, I have taken some time away from my blog to do some offline things over the past several months. The blog is very, very time consuming, and I am coming up on my 10 year anniversary, so that represents a lot of my life spent online.
I still love blogging, but I was spending almost my entire waking hours on my business, and that became too much. So I have stepped back so I can enjoy time with friends and family. I also love to cook and bake, and that’s allowed me to spend time in the kitchen, away from my computer. And when you aren’t taking photos of what you are baking, you can finish in a quarter of the time.
I also had a big birthday a few weeks ago. That definitely makes you think about your life and how you are spending it. I want to make time savor life’s events. Balance has been difficult for me, as it is for most entrepreneurs. You just can’t have a full personal life and a full business life when you own the business.
All of that to say, I’ll still be here, but I won’t be posting every week. At one point I was posting 5 times a week, podcasting 3 times a week, and we managed an online shop. No wonder I was feeling exhausted. We have new podcast episode every Weds, and you can find Kelly and me in the Apple Podcast app or any podcast app like spotify or podbean, just look for Decorating Tips and Tricks. Or you can always go to our website DECORATING TIPS AND TRICKS.
So what’s new here? My daughter Evie moved out in August 2020 to begin her student teaching at a school in a small Texas town. She comes home on weekends, so that’s always wonderful. My daughter Elise is still in her group home that she moved into last June. We get her every weekend. She seems to have settled into the new routine. Her day program is still closed since March 2020. Now her group home joins with one other one for day activities during the week. My husband is still working from home, and that has been very nice. We have lunch together every day, and I bake fresh gluten-free bread most days. I only make the dough once a week and keep it in the refrigerator, so it’s not a big effort every day.
On a side note, when the pandemic hit in 2020, I stopped coloring my hair. It’s got some silver in it, but not as much as I thought it would have. It feels so freeing! I still have another 6 month to 12 months to go until I completely transition to my natural color. So I figure the money I now saving by not going to the salon I can now spend on a new sofa!
This January I have been spending a lot of time organizing my closets. I don’t have any photos yet, but it’s amazing how refreshing it feels to walk into an organized closet! Seriously! You can catch our podcast episode on organizing below. We discuss several organizing tips and recommend a few organizational items for your home.
So I hope you are doing well, and I hope to be writing more blog posts this year. I want you to know I think of you and appreciate you so much. Thanks for hanging out with me!!!
I was so glad to see this post today and thank you for the update. I have missed getting them in my email!
I was glad to see this email also. Miss seeing you but understand you need time for family and friends. I saw your house in a magazine yesterday. I can’t remember which one because I looked at several while at book store. Your home decor is beautiful. Enjoy your free time…life is short!
Happy to see your post Anita! I certainly understand you taking more time with family and friends,…… that is so important as tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us. So glad your family is doing well. Stay well Anita and we will be watching for you! 😊
Hello Anita,
so glad to read your blog today; I worried maybe you had gotten sick! I am relieved and understand where your priorities are taking you. Your house is beautiful and I wish you happiness!
God bless your family!
Love that furry throw! Where can it be found?
Shirley, it’s from Soft Surroundings from a few years ago. I don’t think they have this one, but probably have something similar.
Thank you for this beautiful and honest post. It sounds like your little journey is a parallel to mine right now. I have cut my presence on social media and have tried to fill my days with more productive and positive ventures such as reading and listening to beautiful and holy stories of saints. I also have three daughters and even though one of them is not nearby, I still like to be in touch with them and do whatever I can for them. I stopped coloring my hair about three or four years ago and I can’t tell you how liberating it is. And actually it’s amazing that I receive so many compliments about my natural color. I will look forward to your posts whenever you post them. I wish you and your lovely family a blessed and healthy week. 💝
I have seen so many that have gone natural, and most people look better (in my opinion) with their natural hair color.Thank you!!!
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Good for you. Simplification and organization are stepping stones to sanity. It is all part of the process of learning to say “no”. You have to prioritize what is most important in order to keep healthy mentally and physically. I applaud and admire your work, blog, podcast, book and your ability to do all that while caring for a family. Thank you for sharing your love of art, home, values and family all these years. You helped me discover a world of beauty in my own home the was always right in front of me.
Oh Susan, I love that you have ‘discovered a world of beauty in (your) own home that was always right in front of me.’ What a delightful quote!!!
Anita, it was so good to get your post! I have thought about you often.
It’s great to hear that you are taking time away from your posts. This was a great decision as now you have more time with your family and keeping up with things that you really enjoy!
So happy for you! Take care! Blessings!
Thanks Mary Ann! I’ll be around!
Hi Anita , I have missed your post very much , as my decor is very similar to yours and it always inspires me . Isn’t it amazing how so many of us through this past year have been able to embrace what could have been very depressing and overwhelming into re evaluating what is truly important ? I have seen my natural nails for the first time in 30 years , left my eyebrows to grow and also have pretty silver hair coming through ! Apart from all of this new found liberation , I am realising just how free from the things of this world , I am in Christ ! Bless you for all that you do .
Hey, ANITA! I’m so glad to hear the girls are doing well and flourishing in their environments. I knew you were ok and taking time off for the more important things in our lives. But like good friends, I don’t need to hear from you to know your still out there for me, as I am for you! You were my first blogger to show me the direction of where I wanted my interiors to go. Enjoy yourself!
Ginger xxxooo
Anita, it sounds to me like you are making some wise decisions. I thoroughly understand what you are saying, as I have reached a big birthday, too, and one starts to look at life a little differently.
Love that you are letting your hair go natural! I have done this for many years, and never once regretted it.
I continue to love reading your blogs and enjoy seeing all the lovely decorating ideas you share. Thanks so much for sharing part of your life with us!
I quit ALL social media 2 months ago after being fed up with so many fake, judgemental, superficial so-called “friends”. No one knows what true friendship is anymore…and I’m so much happier not giving a damn about what everyone had for diner, where they vacationed, how much money they have, etc…I have my own life to live and have my own problems to deal with, that more than enough to keep me busy. The ironic thing about social media is it turns us into antisocial people, who don’t want to talk face-to-face anymore but instead communicate using emojis and 4-word sentences, that’s not social, that’s antisocial. If I have a true friend, I want to sit down with them, and have a good conversation, preferably over a bite to eat or coffee. Because of social media, we’re losing our ability to communicate effectively, and that’s not something I want to be a part of, so I quit, and I am so happy that I did! I think I missed it for about a day or so, but after that, I felt free!!!
Please tell me the name of the fabric on this chair in this post. Just love it. So happy to have joined your mailing list. Thank you
Hi Valerie, the chair is from Soft Surroundings. I don’t know what the fabric is. Sorry I don’t have more information for you!