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. :)
Jenny, yours has always been my favorite blog. I love your style. I love the snippets into your world and life. This space you have created is a happy little place. Thank you.
Jenny, yours has always been my favorite blog. I love your style. I love the snippets into your world and life. This space you have created is a happy little place. Thank you.
So excited about the new direction, I love these small and doable projects. Thank you for sharing, Jenny, this has been my favorite blog for a couple of years now. Just ignore overly sassy comments (wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy?) – haters gonna hate!
love you even more after this. didn't know that was possible!!
Phew, I thought you were leaving. (I had a big social media fast after my grandpa died last year.) Yay for more new Jenny! Who cares about naysayers, I say.
Great news! So many of the blogs I love and started reading a few years ago are starting to feel less and less authentic and natural. I think many of us enjoy blogs for the peek into others lives and in your case the inspiration and ideas. Most of us don't like products being pushed down our throats every other post so I think this will be a step back in the right direction. (Though I do understand the need to earn some money of course :) )
Thanks for sharing this – I have had a blog since 2007, but my blogging has really fallen off in the last couple years and I think it's because somewhere along the line I developed an insecurity about sharing and felt this need for everything to be PERFECT before I posted. But that is not what attracted me to blogging and I feel like that personal touch is what blogging has lost in the last couple years. I am so glad to hear your thoughts and always feel like you are being authentic, so I am excited for more.
I think you could write about watching paint dry and I'd read it – I love your blog so much. Just blog what you love and your readers will be here! You are such an inspiring designer, even the smallest projects you write about are so fun to read about (and daydream attempting one day!). Here's to listening to your gut and following your heart.
Thank you for being our girlfriend too!
I'm really digging the smaller projects and I love seeing progression posts as well.
You amazing and so human and real and I love your style beyond words!
Dear Jenny! I would love to see more little steps. I love your style and I am crazy about your room reveals… but sometimes it's too big for me!!! :-)) I like to see how simple, one hour, projects can change a room and make you feel better in the space. This lamp is super cute!
Thanks Jenny for your candour. I must say that your blog is one of my favourites. I am always looking out for your projects which you share generously with us. I am thinking about" silvering" a sideboard and as I throw it around in my mind I know that that's something JK has down & her steps will give me the insight I need to get on with it.
I love instagram & follow you on it as well.
BUT, I'd hate to see blogs go up in smoke for the easier option.
Also I think you've carved out an authentic & individual space that is yours.
I wonder if all the "science" of "a new way to approach blogs" can become confusing in itself.
Jenny ,keep on keeping on. Your blog is a delight to read.
Sorry, I've just read the other comments and I want to say only you can decide what you want to share. Its your life and we are welcomed into the snippets you share. You don't have to disclose any more than you do. Life is fascinating & complex. Just take care of yourself & those you care for. Wx
Oh gosh, dear Jenny, The beginning of this blog terrified me. I held my breath hoping you weren't announcing that you're done with blogging as other areas of your life has grown. I adore your blog and read it religiously every day for the last 3-4 years, some times 3-4-5-6 times a day (ha!) I'm always in love with the colorful ways to chose to decorate. Thank you for deciding to stick around .
You can do no wrong Jenny!! Six years is a huge achievement. Can't tell you the number of times I head straight from your blog into a project around the house- thank you for inspiring and for giving me courage to tackle projects (big or small) like a boss.
Great honest out there post. Love the trim on the shade & that you are sharing little projects. Happy weekend.
We love you Jenny, and all you do!
Stay brave!
Hi Jenny, so sweet post!
I love your blog and style, you're definitely one of a kind! And I thank you for keeping on blogging and being so generous to share your inspiration and work with the world!
I'm also glad you didin't care about the photo, cause we were able to sneak the bunk beds!
As for the lamp, I always wonder, once you glue the trim, could you be able to reuse the lampshade or unglue the trim to use another one latter on?
XO from Spain!
I so agree about sharing the small projects with your personal stories. The little ones provide attainable inspiration that many of us can aspire to accomplish. So glad that you will be sticking with the best of The Little Green Notebook. It is always a pleasure to visit with you.
Thanks for this post. I check Little Green Notebook every day for that daily dose of creativity and inspiration. I love that your projects are both attainable (like this lampshade) and aspirational (because I, too, could reupholster a couch…if only I learned how to sew!). You've definitely inspired me to do more DIY and have fun with decorating my home. Many thanks!
Where did ya get the trim? Love the braid and the colors! Lamp is beyond fab too!
Do what you do, Jenny, we love you for it!
I love your blog and I love love love getting to know my favorite blog writers. As a blogger myself I definitely struggle with all that you mentioned but agree it is best to show even the small changes and projects. Your blog is one of my favorites!
Thank you!
First of all, sorry to read about your grandfather…
Secondly, this was a very nice post…I got nervous at first when I saw "letting go", Thought may be you were going to stop blogging. I am so glad that is not the case.
Keep up the great work, whether it be small or grand!!!
So excited for all you have to share!
At first I was afraid that you were closing your blog. Whew, so glad I was wrong.
Keep up the fantastic job that you do on your blog. I'm a big fan.
adore adore adore your blog and have been tuning in for a looooong time now. I love the huge room reveals, but the truth is, I don't have time (or energy or know-how) to pull that off most of the time. The small details are sometimes much more inspirational for me because they seem much more achievable. Bravo on making the blog what works for you. If anything you will continue to gain more readers!
I think you hit the nail on the head Jenny. The reason we all love reading blogs is because we get to know the person behind them.
I absolutely love your content (befores, durings and afters), and I look forward to hearing more about you!
Thank you for sharing this Jenny. I am new to blogging, and I am not in a place where I have to worry about negative comments! My readers are just friends and family who know me in "real world." I am so glad you continue to blog! I look forward to learning more about you!!
We are all here because of you :)
This post made me like LGN even more! Bravo and all best wishes for many more year. :)
love it all. Love reading your thoughts. You're right, that's why we're here. We want something more than just pretty projects. Can't wait to follow along where ever you take LGN!
And yes, the smaller projects may seem obvious to you but they feel attainable to your readers which is always good :)
Wow – great post, Jenny! I am sure there are a lot of inner struggles working on a blog of your stature.Thanks for opening up a little and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings you. Please keep it up, you are a daily unspoken friend! Love the ribbon, by the way. xxoo Caroline
Your blog is my very favorite. Keep fighting the good fight!
Your blog is literally the first thing I look at when I turn on my computer in the morning!! You should feel so proud of what you do. I am envious!! And, the little DIY projects are what I am constantly coming back to for my own house — tortoise shell resin tabletop, frame projects, etc. Keep going!! And, congrats on your success.
Jenny, as I am inching my way through teaching myself every aspect of a bathroom makeover, and then blogging about it…THIS is exactly what I needed to hear! I have always felt a connection with YOU and your blog IN your blog . You are a stylish, talented rules breaking cool chick…who is just sharing as she goes…I am so excited that you will share more and I will more defintely be along for the ride! Thanks
luv, luv, luv your blog. luv your ideas.
luv your take on things. it is the little things that make a house a home. luv how you high lite the little things. thank you.
Your blog is one of my very favorite reads. I've learned SO many things from you and love your style. I know you work very hard at what you do but you make it all seem so easy and effortless.
Thanks Jenny.
I love your style and taste, another commenter said it was beyond comparison and I really have to agree! I'm constantly thinking about how I can create similar spaces in my home, particuarly emulating your use of color.
I'm so excited for you to share little projects/pieces of projects! You bring something so unique and wonderful to the design world, can't wait to see more!
My husband and I often talk about what makes a blog successful, as I rely on mine for my business, and we always come back to the fact of whether or not it's personal, and true to the person itself. You can't be someone you're not, even on a blog, or it shows through as fake. Thanks for making a point to be transparent and real. Your blog's a joy to read and I look forward to what's ahead!
Jenny, I'm a reader from Buenos Aires, so please forgive my English. Last november our family had a very painful loss, when I miscarriaged an advanced pregnancy of twin girls and we were told that I couldn't have any more children. My husband, my two very little boys and I were, and still are, devastated. I restarted reading your blog (the kitchen posts) after I returned home, and I can't tell you how much your positivity and fun projects (both big and small) helped me. With the help of my sweet husband I started making small projects myself at home (we live at a house that resembles yours, though much, much smaller) while recovering, to pass the time, and to try to heal. Some are finished and some are still ongoing. Thank you for somehow being there!! Your blog is the best!! Dolores.
I'm not a blogger. I'm not an interior designer or an artist. I stumbled upon your blog a few years ago. A lot of blogs I've followed in the last few years have overtime become commonplace, sterile and generic. Most design sites feature the same type of room with a million shades of white with a few splashed of color. There is something about your blog I find invigorating. It is so different and stands out among the rest. You have something so special. I think the thing I love about your blog, is that you are so scrappy (and I mean that in the most positive way). You change things in small to big ways and suddenly things are different from what they originally appeared. It's hard to describe, but most people do not have this type of ingenuity. I personally have a very different ascetic than you too. But you are unique and I hate hearing that somehow some asshole on the internet sent you anything unflattering. It's mind boggling. You are one of the best.
It's funny how our sense of what's "blog worthy" has changed over the years.
I actually prefer to posts about small projects and decisions during a larger project. When people post *poof* it's done posts, I feel like I missed out on the fun part of the project.
After five years with my design blog and eight years with my work blog, I've decided that we all need to let our blogs evolve in the way that we feel is best. If a blog becomes 100% strategy and positioning, I think people pick up on the lack of authenticity.
Jenny – I just want to thank you for the many years that you have been giving me inspiration, project ideas, and the confidence to make some of those a reality. I have SO enjoyed checking in with you every day and seeing what is going on in your life, seeing the fun things you are doing , the really cool things you are shopping for, and the great bargains you are finding!!!
It is a pleasure to have "known" you for this long and I look forward to the evolution of LGN and many more years of enjoying this amazing blog. THANK YOU for it ALL :)
Jenny, so glad to read your post today. This is coming from a girl without a blog and is only able to decorate the house affordably by DIYing everything. I found LGN several years ago when googling metallic furniture or how to DIY silver furniture or something like that and found your silver-leafed bedside tables. I have been addicted to your blog ever since! You have amazing style and real creativity that gives hope to all of us "regular" women in the world. I'll soon be a mother of three and that part of your life is inspiring as well. I really, really don't know how you do all that you do, but it is inspiring, and encouraging actually to see a working wife and mother pursuing something important to them. So be encouraged to continue your blog as works best for you and your family. As long as you're posting, I'll be reading. Thanks, Jenny!!
Love this post! It is so true about blogging. I love all your posts and hearing about what you're thinking!
I've never commented before: but will now to say yours is one of only 2 design/house blogs I read and it's largely because your great ideas, thriftiness, and mad skills are balanced by your warm, humble, real-lady tone. Just like someone else said, I keep reading even though I'm not a real fancy decoratey gal. Cheers to you! Jennifer
A big fan – and this post rocked.
Thank you for having the courage to share your creativity and your self with us – you're fantastic and do a wonderful job. Let us know how we can help!
Some people are just mean hearted. Or maybe they just have different taste. Either way – you're right – part of the reason I read blogs is the personality that shines through, and personalities and lives that appear 'perfect' are boring and I know are unrealistic. So thanks for keeping it real!
And read this from marketing guru Seth Godin: For the one person who didn't get the joke
Jenny,
This post helped put into words a lot of what's kept me from blogging more regularly. I set up my site nearly three years ago, but often stop myself from posting because I think, "who'll care about this cool set of tumblers I love?" or "does anyone really want to hear about how I rearranged my living room furniture?" Your post reminded me that the reason I got into blogging was for myself – because I love reading, writing, and thinking about great design. You inspire me regularly with your eye for pattern and amazing DIY talent, but now you've inspired me to get off my behind and get blogging again! And THANK GOODNESS you're not shutting LGN down!
With admiration,
Paige
I think that is what I love best about your blog-I never know what you are going to write about, but I know it's going to be awesome. Please keep sharing your finds, tips, thoughts, ideas and projects-They're all much appreciated! Yay for another 6 years!!!