Dear Nooks In Bloom family, today I’m sharing a different post than you’re used to reading. This one is personal in nature. It’s not a tutorial, although I can’t help but throw in some pretty home and garden pictures, but a post where I’ll open up about my journey and why I’m so, so grateful for each of you!
This time of year is very heartfelt for me as I’m sure for many of you. It is a time to pause from the normal routine and draw from favorite childhood memories as we create new ones with our loved ones.
Another champagne-worthy occasion occurs around this time of year and that is the anniversary of the Nooks In Bloom Blog, woohoo! This year we completed our second year. I realize that I’m still a baby blogger and two years doesn’t sound like much compared to many of the established home decor blogs that I so admire, but it truly is something I can’t help but feel deep pride about.
The idea of the blog came from my mom. About a year before her passing she planted a seed in my brain. She always believed in my potential even when I couldn’t see it.
I’ve always loved being a creative, but with two kids in diapers, sleepless nights, a tween, a teenager and self-building a house….uhh, writing a blog was definitely not on my priority list!
But as life would have it, that little seed began to sprout. As we worked with our hands and our creativity every night and weekend for almost a year on our dream home, I was able to tap into the depths of my love for design.
Once we moved into our home and we settled into the fruit of our labor, I could not wait to start the blog and share my passion with others. It kind of took over my being…
With the help of my husband’s technological savvy, we began to develop Nooks In Bloom—acquiring the domain name, creating an LLC, finding a web server, and embarking on the process of developing the website.
All these efforts take incredible time and detail and for me there was a HUGE learning curve. Building a website from scratch that was even worth peeping its head out onto the internet realm, uhhh, let’s just say came with multiple moments of despair and outbursts of unladylike frustration I’d rather not mention. And photography, trying to put forward some level of a professional shot…well that’s a whole ‘nother post in itself.
In the first year of the Nooks In Bloom journey we learned a ton. I’m still learning every day and always seeking to make your experience more enjoyable. I get so overjoyed when you like something I share! It truly makes my heart sing.
Posts, photography, editing, videos, painting, projects all these things happen in the cracks of life. 30 minutes here, an hour there, if I’m lucky an uninterrupted weekend day—it all happens during those fleeting moments away from Mommy duty. But one thing I know for sure, when I’m creating I am the most alive. Do you have a passion that takes you away?
This year exponential growth in viewers and subscribers has been both gratifying and scary. I still pinch myself that someone cares to read what I post and doubt myself over and over.
But I just want to say, you are each part of this tribe, the Nooks In Bloom tribe. I’m blessed to have your interest and support. It inspires me to do more. I wish to teach, inspire, and empower others to believe in all their amazing talent—that’s my little mission in this world.
Of course life is constantly throwing us curve balls even when other things are going great. For me I got smacked with a ball right in the face when I received my Lyme diagnosis early in the year.
It’s been a journey of trying to feel better, learning, making drastic lifestyle changes, feeling better, learning, feeling worse, adjusting, improving, healing…
I’ve learned how widespread Lyme Disease is with most of us not knowing we even have it. It is all too often misdiagnosed and overlooked. But the good news is once you start educating yourself, instead of simply putting your fate in the hands of medical doctors, and you tap into your intuition, it is amazing how you will begin to heal! And that goes for so many other medical conditions, in my humble opinion.
I’ll be sharing more of my Lyme journey in 2022 for any one who may be interested. I’ve acquired loads of resources that are effective for symptom reduction and restoring well-being. An invaluable source for educating yourself is Lyme360. If you know anyone with Lyme or simply want to rule out that you may have it, I would suggest starting there.
Ridding myself of harmful chemicals as much as possible has been a critical step and one that is totally paying off. Since April of this year I ditched the dye and have taken the silver plunge! You will be seeing more pictures of my transition to gray hair and with a new hair cut I’m embracing my new look. I have to say making the decision took some nerve but now I feel soooo liberated!
I know COVID has taken a toll on many. It has weighed the world down in many ways. It has brought incredible loss. It has shaken things up.
If this season can give you respite and a sense of “normalcy” I wish that for you. We are traveling for the first time since the pandemic and are sooo ready for the break. I’ll be unplugging for a bit but promise to be sharing some vacay pictures from Costa Rica, my country of origin.
So my lovely readers, thank you for taking the time to read this post and hope it wasn’t too long-winded.
And remember, if it were not for each of you, well, this blog would be only but a dream. Thank you for making it a reality. I always love to connect with you so drop me a message whenever you like. In the meantime, Merry Christmas, keep creating, and be well!
