It All Started With Paint

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Christmas Home Tour: Living Room

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Christmas Decorations in Gray, White & Red – Christmas Home Tour – Living Room.

This post is dedicated you.
 
 
All of you.
 
 
All of you lovely, lovely people!
 
 
Thank you … thank you … thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
 
 
Your responses to my where have I been blog post last week overwhelmed me. All your support and encouragement lifted my spirits …
 
 
and gave me back my joy!
 
 
Did I say thank you?
 

You all reminded me about the very best part of blogging.
 
 
You!
 
 
Your comments. Your words of encouragement. Your words of understanding.
 
 
Seriously, it filled my heart! I felt like that moment in The Grinch where his heart just grows and grows and grows. With the reading of each and every comment you left my hear just grew and grew and grew!
 
 
Thank you!
 

I’m not sure how I lost sight of all of you in my blogging journey, but somewhere along the line blogging turned from a passion to a burden. Honestly, I was having a teen girl moment.
 
 
You know the one, right?
 
 
Where I was standing on the sidelines watching all the other girls get asked to prom and invited to all the best parties. Standing on the sidelines as all the other girls (or so it seemed) made it onto the cheer squad and dance team. And there I was. Standing on the sidelines.
 
 
Brooding.
 
 
I know, I know. Not an attractive look.
 

 
But then it dawned on me. Not everyone is going to get asked to prom. Or go to parties. Or make the cheer team. Or dance team 
 
 
And who says it’s all that. Right?
 
 
And who says that’s the only — or the right —  path in life?
 

Sometimes it’s best just to do your own thing.
 
 
Be your own person.
 
 
Own it (as Lisa Rinna says on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).
 
 
Sometimes you just need to follow your own path.
 

 
And once I stopped looking at what the popular girls were doing, I felt freed up to just be me.
 
 
Okay, true confession time. I still do take a peek at the popular girls from time to time. But only in a see-what-I-can-learn/pick-up-from-them way. Not in a I’m-so-jealous-I-wasn’t-asked-to-the-party way.

 

So thank you!

 

Thank you for supporting me … and encouraging me … to do my own thing!

 

And thank you for being here when I finally realized my path is a pretty darn good one! 🙂

 

And it only took me seven years! Sigh.

 

And I’ll end with the holiday dog picture.

 

Yes, yes, I realize all the cool girls have a well-behaved holiday dog picture on their holiday home tour posts. But here’s the catch: Ernie hates the camera. He runs from it with his head hung low and tail tucked between his legs. But for once Ernie didn’t run away when I pointed the camera in his direction. Perhaps he was really tired. Or perhaps he was really enjoying the Christmas tree.

 

Or perhaps he really wanted to give me a popular girl blog moment! Ha! 🙂

 

Comments

  1. Linda I am so glad to have you back!!! Not sure who the popular girls are…maybe some of the other decorating blogs? But I LIKE your style, I have actually unsubscribed to a bunch of those ones…..I mean really how much unrealistic decor can you take? Not my style at all, I too like to go my ow way with what pleases me not what is currently on trend. And I have two Beagles, and being a Beagle mom is a very nice club to be in….

    Reply

    • Two beagles! Oh my. I can just imagine the barking! And the shedding (Ernie had a serious shed this year!). Yes, we are Beagle mom buddies! And thank you for your kind words (and, yes, the popular girls are some of the other decorating blogs!). And I agree with some of those unrealistic standards (hey, I have a serious budget as I put two kids through college!). 🙂

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  2. Comparison is the thief of joy, so always, always be you and do your own thing. Thanks for being unique and joyful you!!

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  3. Beautiful room… Love the gray on walls.. what is the name of this paint color.. I have tried many grays. But loving this one!!!

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    • Thank you so much! The color is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. I really love it! It’s a warmer gray — not too blue, not too green. I’m really happy with how it turned out! 🙂

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    • You are so sweet Shirley! And your compliments on my photography means so much to me since you always take amazing pictures! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 🙂

      Reply

  6. I always love the pictures of your sweet place. So bright and cheerful. I love Ernie’s name how cute is that and how cute he is. Glad you could snap his pic. My little new puppy Buddy only lets me take his pictures quickly or else he is off on a run!

    Hey I think you have to look at blogging as something fun or else it is not worth it. I will never be in the league of the Popular Girls and their blogs either but I love to share my decor crazy and I love all the friendships I have made. That is what it is about for me.

    I could never keep up with some of these “popular” girls and all the money they have to spend on decor. Just do not let them discourage you. You have a great blog and a great eye for decor and your pictures are so beautiful. Not sure what camera you use but it give you wonderful pictures. Always happy when you pop up in my email as having a post.

    Have a great rest of the week
    Hugs,
    Kris

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your sweet, sweet response! And how fun, a new puppy!!! I did invest in a full frame camera and a few really great lenses so I’ve been practicing a bit with trying to improve my photography – so thank you so much for the compliments!!! I feel like I was asked to the dance! Ha! 🙂

      Reply

  8. From passion to burden, I know that feeling. Sometimes we just need to take a step back, which has obviously worked for you. It’s strange how we see and compare ourselves to others at times. I often go to the blogs and vlogs of some of the cool girls. yet it’s funny, I only told my husband this week that I sometimes forget whose home I’m looking at as they can be so similar. I mean no disrespect to them, they work hard and I love looking and getting ideas.. However you have your own style, you’re an individual amongst the masses. While I would never underestimate the amount of works it takes to keep a blog fresh and moving forward, I hope you never change how you approach yours. You, the person behind the blog is what keeps me coming back to read. Cheers.

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  9. Wow, the interior design & photography is so comforting to see. The white walls are definitely a sign of simplicity, but the glowing Christmas tree grabbed my attention. Great design, keep it up. 🙂

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  10. I’m so glad you are back and that you feel positive. I sure it’s not easy running a blog so I give you lots of credit. Thank you for being real and opening your home to us. Ernie us adorable!

    Reply

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