Dear Readers,
I’m at my parent’s house in Arizona. And I always get a little wordy with my posts when I’m out here in the country. All this fresh air clears my head, I think. :)
I’ve been keeping up this site for a long time – going on six whole years! (how did that happen?!) I’ve been a blog reader for even longer, and by now, I’ve learned a bit as both a producer and a consumer of creative sites. It feels like there’s a change in the wind lately, doesn’t it?
All of us content-producers that work for ourselves, we’re all trying to figure out our place in this fast-paced, idea-sharing world – with its Pinterests and Tumblrs and Instagrams (and now Vines!). I know it’s weird to be on the content-consumer end of things right now as well. Blogging is such a new, and kind of weird media. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, we are not (which I think is part of the charm and allure of blogging). As we all know, most of the time, blogs are run by one person, out of their home, who happens to have a passion, who wants to share it, and who hopes to eventually make a fair wage for their labors. We’re still trying to figure out the money bit. What’s appropriate when we genuinely feel that our readers are our friends, and when we’re often talking about deeply personal things? You readers are front and center as we muddle through all of this and more: sponsorship opportunities, attending and feeling the need to report on conferences about blogging, then also dealing with difficult “real life” situations as well as just the small-scale highs and lows of everyday life. And then of course (!), producing content all the while.
I’ve tried to be better about this in recent years, but back in the day I felt like I had to have a project *done* before I shared it here. It wasn’t like that in the very beginning though. When I first started blogging, I was openly sharing everything I had on my mind – big and small. When no one’s reading your site (and with no mean-spirited comments occasionally coming in) there’s nothing to be self-conscious of. When I started getting more traffic (and some of those less-fun comments), I noticed myself holding back a little more. Also, some of the real joy of sharing was starting to leave, which is a bummer for me to think about.
Well, I’ve decided to let go a little, to get back to basics. And I’m determined to reclaim some of that lost joy, especially now that my interiors business is doing well and other media opportunities are opening up to me. I know now that I’m not blogging as a means to an end. It’s the blogging itself that I think I love the most. So, how to make that more sustainable and more fun?
As a blog reader, I know that I love getting to know the writer behind the blog as much as I love their great content. I love the small projects just as much as (sometimes even more than) the grandiose room reveals. I like feeling like I’m along for the ride as the blogger lets me get inside his/her head. This is where bloggers can differentiate themselves from the other social media outlets. We can dig deeper into the story. We can share more.
And what’s the point if we’re not? Might as well stick with Instagram.
I know this is a rather wordy, out-of-left-field post, and I don’t mean to pull back the curtain in an unsavory way. And I don’t write it to make any sort of announcements about the future of this site. But, as my site redesign and url change (!!!) are finally reaching completion (and after several lengthy, late-night conversations with other bloggers at Alt), I’ve come to the realization that if I want to keep going with LGN, I need to be willing to share more. All with less worry for what other people think of my projects and my style, because that is the whole point. I named this site Little Green Notebook after an idea journal I used to keep in my bag (before the days of iPhones) that would record all my notes to self. Project ideas with sketches, shopping lists, clothes and shoes to save up for, stores to look up online, dreams and goals. So, all that to say, I hope you keep joining me here during the week as I get back to sharing more of these things again. I love, love, love having you. I imagine you all as my girlfriends that I feel comfortable enough to have over even when my house is a bit messy. Thanks for being so chill, thoughtful, respectful and cool to me as I put my ideas and my personal life out there. :)
I did this little project last week. As I snapped the photos I thought, no one is going to care about a piece of ribbon on a lampshade in an unfinished room. But those sound like the worries of Old Jenny, don’t they? And New Jenny digs simple, achievable projects and shares. So, onward with the post!
Before I went to Alt, I was changing the girls’ sheets, dreaming/lamenting about how much I want to do to their room this year (like new bedding – stat!). In the spirit of making small, but impactful changes, I decided there needed to be more red in the room. I ran down to the lamp graveyard (as Michael calls it) in the basement and grabbed this tomato red ginger jar lamp (seen here previously). I wish I had a black paper shade on hand, but this cheapy white one from Target worked too. (It is so hard to pass up those dang uno shades at Target. They are SO inexpensive and accessible! I just wish they would make more shades that work with harps. Same with IKEA’s shades).
Table lamps in kids rooms can look a little stuffy, you know? So one of my favorite tricks is to glue colorful trim to the top and bottom lips of the shade. Instant whimsy! (…I hate myself a little bit for saying that word). Like with almost every textile project I do, I used MagnaTac here (but Fabritac works equally well). Also, I used to recommend grosgrain for trimming out shades, but I think something with more stretch and give works best with shades that have any kind of sloped sides. This orange and violet vintage woven trim I picked up from SAS in Phoenix worked perfectly. Just roll under and glue the last inch where the ends meet to prevent fraying.
Five minutes of gluing later, I had some tangy, bright persimmon red in the room, and I felt better about the space. And (to bring it all back home) isn’t that what it’s all about? Small and simple steps. :)
love your blog…sounds like i will love it more when you start sharing your deep heart. sometimes it's hard for regular girls like us to see perfect homes through your photographs. we know it's not always like that, so it wil be nice to see the half ways of a lady i look up to.
p.s. my husband calls our house the museum because i work so hard to keep it blog picture worthy all of the time. :)
Love all of this: the more personal thoughts AND the smaller, still-somewhat-in-progress projects. Big room reveals are inspiring and wonderful, but sometimes small attainable projects are even more inspiring, as they help me realize that I can do small things to make my spaces more beautiful while I am waiting for the far-off "someday" when I'll (maybe!) have funds to do the huge dramatic changes!
Your blog is always one of my favorites!
Loved reading this, Jenny. I'm on the new side of blogging and have always found you so inspiring. Sometimes the hardest thing for me is getting out of my own head and shoving those insecurities down enough to be myself on the blog. Thanks for the reassurance :)
Love this post. It's hard sometimes to just blog like the old days, and not over-thinking it. I love progress photos just as much as completion photos! Good luck with your new blogging outlook!
Really looking forward to your site redesign!
Your blog has always and will continue to be one of my favorites. Your personality shines through and your taste is beyond compare. Love this little piece of your girl's room (and I totally forgot about that inlaid marble DIY you did on the lavender dresser – so pretty). I'm trying to change my blog a bit now too but have been at this blogging thing for only half as long (and don't blog as much as I used to). You're an inspiration, so do whatever you need to do. I'll keep reading!
GOOD post, GOOD for you, and yes, I got through it :) I look forward to more of these kinds of posts, and while I admire your openness, I still feel it's difficult to find a balance between Sharing and TMI :)
What a great, honest post. I've been reading for awhile (although I rarely comment!) I don't blog for a living, but I identify with the authenticity issue. Trust me, we're all reading your blog in our messy houses – the more real the better!
That fresh air can be a dangerous thing ;) Blogging is such a vast ocean that it can be a challenge to decide which way to set your sail. But you've always been a great navigator Jenny. I like room reveals and DIYs, but the smaller bits, the moments in between, change up the pace and draw me in in unexpected ways. I was a reader way back when and it'll be fun to see what brought me here in the first place back again.
This makes me smile, Jenny :) I came away from Alt with the feeling that I need to share my personality more too :) Can't wait to read more.
i am so excited!! this direction is just what i crave from the blog and i can't wait for you to bring it!
and the lampshade trick is a favorite of mine as well… i use hot glue. can't wait to read more posts!! and for the record… yours is the ONLY blog i check obsessively throughout the day for new posts. LOVE IT!!
Jenny–part of the reason I read the blogs I do, is because of that personal voice of the blogger. My favorite blogs, such as yours, also show a glimpse into that person's life. You bloggers are like my internet girlfriends that I can find inspiration from in the five minutes I have in between things. So, keep on keepin it real. We recently moved to Show Low, and I am dying that you are somewhat "in town". Would love to meet you in person, but I know you have many family obligations this weekend.
My friend and I had a long chat yesterday about this very topic – so many of the blogs we used to love now feel very "manufactured" now that they have large followings – your's was one example I had of one that hadn't. She is just starting to blog and worried about sharing too much, whereas I've been blogging for four years and want to get back to the freedom of being a new blogger.
As a side note, if you ever figure out an easy way to convert those Target and Ikea lampshades to be harp-friendly, I'd bookmark that post in a heartbeat ;)
Jenny I applaud your courage to share yourself so freely. Your great design style goes without saying, but you are so much more! Don't ever let the negative nancies get to you. You are very talented and you have an amazing blog!
As a new blogger, I'm inspired by your honesty and I really appreciate your candor. All the best!
Karen
xo
Reading your blog is the highlight of my day!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I'm a new blogger and I needed this! Love your blog! Looking forward to every one of your posts, giant and tiny, many words or few words, they're all fantastic! Thanks again!
I love your honesty and sincerty in this post. Thanks for sharing!
I love your blog, especially the more personal posts :)
You know, yours was one of the first blogs I fell in love with…so long ago! I hear you loud and clear here. I've felt many of the same feelings. All I can say is, there's something inherently "you" that kept me coming back, when I'm really not a fancy decoratey girl. You are accessible and down-to-earth and GAH- so classy and wild and fun! So lay it on us, sister. We're all ears. Literally. (in my case.)
You are, hands down, my favorite blog of all time! Thank you!
Jenny – I just started reading your blog a month ago and am already knee-deep in half-painted 2.5 inch maskeros flowers, have found my new favorite inspiration fabric (Schumacher dragon), and am heading to ikea soon to create my own stair runner. I'm not a blogger, just a reader who loves finding a style muse that fills me with inspiration and motivation. The smaller the project the better! I'm just waiting for the day a fellow LGN reader walks into my house and recognizes my plagiarism — if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, well, I have nothing but glowing comments to make. Please keep it up and keep it real!
funny, you know we all love to see the snippets of one's behind the scenes life. it's not all pretty and perfect…
it's all a process.
pve
Love your blog, Jenny… and you are very inspiring especially to us newbie bloggers who wonder why on earth we even started a blog when there is such amazing talent as yourself and many others out there. I certainly appreciate the candor. Don't stop doing what you're doing.
Great post, Jenny! I do find myself loving the blogs where the authors are down to earth, openly imperfect and appear to be leading "real" lives the most. Of course, creativity and personality go a long way too. It leaves me feeling like all of us are in this together, sharing thoughts and ideas about a passion we have in common, regardless of whether we are a well-known "successful" blogger or someone who is just starting up.
Thanks so much for doing this post, I love how candid you are. And that ribbon you found is so fun – keep the "small" projects coming! :)
This is my first comment on your site. I just wanted to say how much I admire your style. I think you're incredibly talented and you've inspired me in so many ways. My husband and I just bought our first home and are slowly and steadily making it ours. Thanks for the laughs, the amazing tutorials and all the gorgeous photos. Rude commenters be darned.
Thanks for a great post. I agree with all of it. I don't care if you show me before, during or afters, I just like seeing what you do :)
Jenny, I got about five sentences in and started to have a mini panic attack, thinking you were about to announce that you were retiring from the blog. Don't think I could bear it! Yours is the best blog out there, and I'm so, so happy with this new direction you're taking.
Thank you SO much for this blog, Jenny. You've inspired me to rethink my living space time and time again, and I've even tried my hand at a few of your projects. Basically, this blog is a highlight in my week, helping me to access and embrace my creative side. I really do adore reading your posts. So, again, thank you — and I hope you continue writing for a long time. :)
Love this post! Looking forward to the changes :)
Transparency is the key to better everything. Glad this is on your heart, Jenny.
Also — PLEASE post the "small" projects and the works in progress! The small projects are so inspiring (in a, "Hey! I can do that, too!" way), and the works in progress help me remember that not everything needs to be finished in an hour (which I DESPERATELY need reminding of).
Okay, I think I'm actually done now. :)
yeah, go new jenny! i like the old jenny, too, but i do love the idea of you letting loose and sharing more. i agree, i'd love to know a bit more about your day to day, how you juggle this work with being a mom and wife (i've always been impressed that you put "wife, mother, decorator" in that order on your mini bio up top because they are 3 separate, tough jobs). i also love the idea of seeing more of the in between steps. my sister and i couldn't stop talking about how your bookshelf project with your parents a couple posts ago was a "weekend whim." it's incredible what you guys did, but i'd love for you to break it down a little more so i'd maybe have some kind of hope of doing it myself someday. but, seriously, whatever you post, i love it. you are the real deal, my friend.
also, i chose a floral blazer the other day and my sister said, "that is so jenny komenda." ha! you are so famous you are like a label now.
Way to get back to the basics of LGN, m'dear. And thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. You've drawn me in for good…
Great post Jenny! I enjoy your blog and you!
Thanks for writing this and the inspiration – wonderful words! ~ Stephanie Lynn
I've been a blog consumer since 2007. Of all the blogs I read, yours is, hands down, my favorite. Your blog is my nightly glass of wine. I don't read it on my phone–it is my special treat at the end of the day, when I'm home from work, baby is in bed, kitchen is clean… then I sit down and read your post on my computer. And then I smile. If you change nothing about your blog, I will still love it and blissfully read it. I like your post frequency, post length, number of pics… you always hit that magic spot of not too little and not too much. Someday we will purchase our forever home (always debating btw a midcentury or a 70's ranch with all the walls removed) and we will fly you out to San Diego and you will decorate my home. Some day!
I so enjoy your blog Jenny. It is one of the first I look for updates on. I so appreciate all the work you do to share your ideas. Thanks for all that you do!
This is my first comment EVER – even though your blog is my favorite. I love your candor AND your style. I have been blogging for 3 short years and am reaching and thinking more about how I approach blogging, which I never really did before.
Enjoy sunny AZ!
xo~Jill
http://forevercottage.blogspot.com
hi jenny! i've been reading your blog for a whole year now. love, love it. haven't judged you once and don't ever anticipate doing so! :] please continue to share more! thank you!
I have been enjoying your blog for around 4+ years. You are an excellent writer and relate-able. Your thoughtfulness today is most poignant because you bared it all. You will continue to be successful as long as you stay true to you. I look forward to your new endeavors large or small. Keep up the excellent work. Karen
6 years! GASP!! I haven't been reading quite that long but I am a huge fan of all that you do, Big or small. Because you have fantastic ideas and you execute them with flair! I will happily read about a lampshade, because I know it's going to be a kick-a#@ lampshade!! I'm excited for your site reno and would be quite sad if you ever quit your blog, (so please don't do that!) You have been so inspiring to me on a daily basis. Enjoy that fresh warm air out there! And know you have a friend in Cincy rooting you on with every post!
xox Elisa
I am a longtime reader of your blog and have to say that I have always loved your unpretentious, friendly online persona. I also love the small projects!
Just wishing you all the best and encouraging you to stay true to yourself …dont let a small minority hold you back xx
I love the blog the way it is but I'm sure I'll love it even more with the changes you mentioned. You are so talented and I'm always amazed with the way you turn things around in a way I would never think of. Been a reader for a couple years and I'm not going anywhere! One if my favorite daily reads. Here's to more personal blogging!
Amen, Jenny! I've been a faithful reader for a few years now and so look forward to these little personal projects you share. Thank you for being so willing to share!
This post really spoke to me- I totally agree- I mean what is really important in life? The person or the project? I do not blog so I can not even begin to understand all that is involved in maintaining a blog- but I so so appreciate what you do :) I encourage you to focus more on your heart as that is where your passion for design is ignited. Thank you again for what you do! Your blog is my favorite.
Thank you for the blog. It is my nighttime ritual to enjoy your posts. I'm typically a silent reader but feel that now is time to mention my appreciation.
This is your place to share your creativity. I love what you do but even if I don't i can still appreciate your expression. My traditional style enjoys the excerpts you provide. And this has made my home decor that much more interesting. Color bursts-yes! Mixing patterns-yes!
To sum it up- do what you do. You're good at it. And if people don't like it they don't have to follow it.
Thanks for giving me so many ideas. I'll be sure to leave a smiley or something so you can feel the positives!
This post made me happy. This is good for all of us, I think. The little projects often have a more accessible feel about them to most readers anyway, so why not share them?
Also, I've been meaning to tell you: you're not only the design blogger I respect the most, but my favorite blogger, period. You're the one I always wish I could meet because I imagine us being great friends! (But I'm sure you hear that all the time). I'm visiting New York City this spring and I'm hoping to get a glimpse of your brownstone and your giant periwinkle chandelier through the window. ;)
I love this post, Jenny! You are so right, sometimes the smallest, simplest projects are the ones that make the biggest impact. Some blogs can be so intimidating if the projects and outcomes are unrealistic and unattainable. The thing I love about yours is that despite being a big time designer, your thrift store transformations and DIY projects are SO achievable – I cannot wait to keep reading and see what you have in store for us!!
I'm always so confused about anyone who writes negative or hateful stuff on people's blogs – no one is forcing you to read it, go somewhere else if you don't like it! I've loved reading you blog for years and adore your bold style that I'll forever be to timid and beige to go after. Simple projects are right up my alley an would love to see you share the small stuff or the life happenings even though its a "design blog". Keep it up
Can I just say, I love this. Everything has shifted with pinterest and instagram – most don't read blogs for inspiration anymore – they read blogs of people they feel a connection to.
Like you, because my business is in a good place, I thought I'd do whatever makes my blog more enjoyable for me and that meant sharing more of my family. Today, I actually committed blog suicide and posted a family video. Eek.
Anyway, I can't wait for the new vibe here!