A Novel Twelvemonth | Fresh Showtime | Insta Feelings

Hello, Friends : )  I've been gone for almost a month, but directly I'm refreshed in addition to laid upward to live on dorsum - for the most part.   I intentionally unplugged for the terminal thirty days to hand myself a intermission from the online world, the shop in addition to work.  When your operate life in addition to your existent life intertwines every bit mine does, I experience similar it of import for me to take myself from all of the things every directly in addition to therefore to revive perspective.  I am laid upward to larn dorsum to work, live on creative, write, photograph, create - I truely savour my "job," but inward 100% honesty, at that spot is something I did non miss.  Instagram.  

For a month, when I had an extra twenty seconds, or 5-20 minutes, instead of grabbing my scream upward in addition to scrolling insta, I would create a loving cup of tea in addition to sit, or low-cal a candle in addition to sit, I would relax, I would coloring or create legos mindlessly alongside Emma, I would tidy something up, I would play music, I would H2O the plants, I would exceed away out on the dorsum porch in addition to receive got a deep breath in addition to hold off or therefore the dorsum yard, I would mix a quick batch of cookies, I would allow my heed wander, I would sit, I would flip through a cookbook, I would eat a spell of cake.  This was living.  

One afternoon virtually ii weeks ago, I had an extra twenty minutes to lounge therefore I indulged my renewed self in addition to grabbed my iPad (I removed Insta from my phone, but kept on the iPad) in addition to spent twenty minutes alongside my caput down, scrolling.  Taking virtually .4 seconds to eat each photo, scrolling in addition to looking at snapshots of peoples lives.  With each snippet of insta photograph at that spot was an instant thought - instead of relaxing on my bed, perhaps I should live on at the common alongside Emma similar that family, or wow, wishing nosotros were on a tropical isle similar them, hum, perhaps I should redecorate our solid similar that one, gosh, I wishing I had to a greater extent than antiques inward our home, I require that dress, I should vesture dresses more, I wishing I was going on a engagement black therefore I could vesture a dress, I wishing I was staying at abode alongside a candlelit solid unit of measurement dinner, I desire to live on out in addition to virtually alongside my girlfriends.  You come across the problem. 

After losing twenty minutes of my day, I went downstairs in addition to got annoyed at how messy the solid was in addition to irritated at Mike for watching golf game on boob tube (shouldn't he receive got been vacuuming or something?), irritated that at that spot was glitter in addition to bits of playdoh all over the flooring (again), in addition to annoyed at myself for non existence exterior enjoying the rare 50 marker 24-hour interval inward December.  Ick.

I've never been ane to live on envious of anyone else's life - it merely isn't how I'm made.  I've ever felt that I'm responsible for my ain happiness in addition to that if I'm non happy, therefore it is upward to me to something virtually it.  Being inward accuse of your ain life helps you lot to ever live on fulfilled alongside it.  And I am.  If I wanted to practice or live on something or someone else, therefore I would.  I tin practice things.  So when I scroll through insta in addition to I larn these feelings of I wish, I want, I need, I'm annoyed - it doesn't sit down good alongside me.  It's non who I am.  I'm a doer.  I'm a maker.  I'm non an envier.  This feeling does non inspire me.  This feeling makes me desire to compete - seat upward a "me too" post.  See how cute my solid unit of measurement tin be?  Look at how much fun we're having, too.  See how perfect my solid tin look?  Major ick.

Notice the photograph above?  The photograph below is what was at my feet when I took the photo.  Not every bit cute, right?  I know, I know - everyone is merely sharing their perfect snippets of a non-perfect day/life in addition to it makes us experience adept to practice it, but it doesn't alter how it makes other people feel.  And what's worse is we're addicted to that feeling.  All of us.  Ok, perhaps merely those of us that are normal in addition to non all of the instagrammers that truly are perfect.  ; )  

I larn it.  It's fun to portion the perfect.  It's fun to seat alone the adept out there.  When I scroll dorsum through my ain feed, it looks good, it feels good.  But the mindless scrolling through it all makes me experience bad.  I take heed it from many of you, too.  People retrieve my life is perfect.  And it is.  It is perfect for me, but it isn't perfect inward the way everyone thinks.  My solid isn't ever spotless, my dinners aren't ever gourmet - in addition to I couldn't aid less.  The materials that I divulge at that spot is the materials that is fun for me, but doesn't truly matter.  I desire you lot to know that.  I know that.  Most of those perfect photos that I create are done therefore during my operate day.  They are done inward my creative heed infinite where I larn to live on an creative somebody in addition to create in addition to create in addition to do.  I dearest that component of my day.  I dearest creating beautiful photos of pretty projects.  It is my fine art in addition to I dearest it.

So, directly I'm inward this infinite of non certain how to motility frontwards alongside incorporating this novel betoken of persuasion alongside my work.  Instagram is such an like shooting fish in a barrel way for me to seat my operate out there.  It is such an like shooting fish in a barrel way for you lot all to maintain updated on what novel products I have, suggestions for what's for dinner, grow my business, etc.  But scrolling through insta is non a neat way to pass a day.  I would rather you lot all live on sitting, thinking, doing, making, relaxing, instead of scrolling.  I don't desire to feed the beast.  But, I desire to even therefore portion alongside you lot all.  I desire to grow my business.  I desire to even therefore receive got a voice.

We had a long route trip over Christmas which gave me the jeopardy to utter at length virtually my Insta frustrations alongside Mike.   I told him that I was worried that if I disappear from insta, that my create powerfulness disappear, too.  Would I exceed away irrelevant?  Out of touch?   He reminded me that if the agency of communicating didn't tally the brand, therefore it wasn't working anyway.  He reminded me that this is my employment concern - I'm inward consummate control.  He reminded me that I'm adept at knowing what you lot all are looking for, that others are belike feeling the same way.  He encouraged me to practice it my way - fifty-fifty if it seemed against pop culture.  Isn't that what my create is against anyway?  Being sucked into all of the rush in addition to hurry of life?

I've ever wanted my create to live on virtually encouraging you lot all to live on your best life.  Through my recipes, abode projects in addition to shop products it is ever my destination to inspire in addition to empower you, in addition to hand you lot unproblematic tools to heighten your day/life/home - you lot can host friends for dinner, you lot can easily refresh your abode each season, you lot can create bakery worthy treats, you lot can sit down downwardly to a solid unit of measurement dinner most nights of the calendar week in addition to experience existent moments alongside your family.

I experience similar what resonates most alongside all of you lot virtually my create is that it feels similar slowing down.  You come upward hither to read my spider web log in addition to you lot come across photos of our tranquillity dinners at home, you lot come across comfy sofas alongside throws in addition to pillows, you lot come across footling arrangements of flowers on my bedside, Emma playing inward the backyard, me stirring something on the stove, baking fresh scones each morning, delivering homemade gifts to friends each season, hosting solid unit of measurement holidays alongside grace in addition to style.  That is my create in addition to what I desire you lot to feel.  And quite honestly, it is my existent life that I'm sharing here.  But if you lot are spending your fourth dimension alone looking at these photos in addition to non doing whatever of those feel-good things, therefore I haven't done my job.  I desire you lot to practice these things.  I desire you lot to pass your fourth dimension baking homemade treats, playing inward the grass, cooking alongside your kids, hosting friends - it is a beautiful way to live.  I desire you lot to halt spending your free, valuable mindspace scrolling on insta.  

I'm making a witting determination to re-devote my fourth dimension her on my blog.  I volition live on hither to a greater extent than in addition to sharing in addition to blogging more.  I will.  I volition live on on instagram less.  Much less.  I'm thinking perhaps ane time or twice a calendar week on insta, merely to update you lot on what is happening hither for those of you lot that don't larn my email newsletter.   It volition live on generated on my estimator in addition to posted on instagram.  I volition non live on re-installing instagram on my phone.  I promise you lot volition maintain to come upward here.  I promise you lot volition bring together me inward refocusing your 24-hour interval to existence in addition to doing, instead of watching others practice in addition to be.  It is improve on this side inward the existent world, right?  

I would dearest to know your thoughts virtually this.  Please state me I'm non the alone one!  And do, delight come upward dorsum hither to visit.   I know your fourth dimension is valuable in addition to I promise you'll bring together me for some to a greater extent than existent life inspiration.

Now, because I don't desire to merely rant (I practice receive got other things to share!) hither is a footling existent hold off or therefore our solid this morning.  Emma in addition to Mike receive got gone off to schoolhouse in addition to work, respectively, in addition to I'm hither alongside Mr. Darcy enjoying a tranquillity morning.  I snapped some photos of how our abode is feeling this morning.  Because I believe inward enjoying my day, I thought I would focus on the things that are making me happy this morning.  I know that they powerfulness seem "too perfect" (especially afterward my rigid thoughts above), but I retrieve photos experience dissimilar when paired alongside words.  Welcome to my happy place, alongside pretty snippets of our home.  Please practice know that at that spot are unmade beds upstairs, piles of laundry in addition to dingy dishes inward my sink : )  And you've already seen what my flooring looks like...

I dearest these footling mini topiaries I constitute terminal week.  They are existent in addition to I'm trying non to kill them.  I also replaced our Christmas prints alongside fresh framed botanicals that volition live on component of the valentine's collection (coming friday!).  Swapping out prints each flavor is merely therefore like shooting fish in a barrel in addition to makes me dearest this corner fifty-fifty more.



These are the topiary that I bought this fall... that are struggling inward a major way.  I retrieve the transition within was likewise much for them... in addition to I am non the best at watering.  So, trying to larn them to come upward back!

H5N1 few days afterward Christmas, I got rid of the greenery in addition to added virtually iv potted flowers to our home.  They are making the solid experience therefore fresh in addition to live on (after all of that crispy greenery!).


Isn't this the sweetest shade of pink?

My Mister : )  Watching the squirrels.

I kept the pinecones in addition to got rid of the greens.  I dearest how they experience real wintery in addition to sparse.

I merely realized I forgot virtually this greenery!  Very crispy.

H5N1 glimpse of the snow, by the snowflakes on our or door.  Lots of smudges, likewise : )

The aftermath of our walk this morning.  I'm non truly a real neat person.  At some betoken today, I volition receive got to exceed away or therefore in addition to option upward afterward myself... unremarkably or therefore 5:30 correct earlier Mike gets home!

Yesterday, my sis in addition to I were talking virtually how much nosotros dearest Jenna Bush Hager.  She is therefore existent in addition to normal in addition to funny in addition to smart.  (She also deleted insta on her phone!)  We dearest her on the Today show.  As I was walking or therefore snapping my photos, she was almost inward tears apologizing for a error she made on air.  I felt therefore bad for her : (   Jenna - maintain on pluggin!

Sledding aftermath from Saturday!

The artwork wall inward my office.  The most perfect component of the whole solid : )

Thank you lot all for taking your fourth dimension to come upward hither in addition to read my thoughts.  I'd dearest to take heed yours.  How does this novel thought sit down alongside you?  I promise your novel yr is off to a deadening in addition to happy start.

Jenny

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