Happy Monday, friends! Long time no post! It’s been a crazy month with so much happening, I wanted to share a quick home update post with all of you. From the move to a busy time at work, ABM has taken a back seat to the craziness of life lately. Today, I will be sharing a quick life update, what I learned from the month hiatus and the future of ABM.
Life Update: The Move
After a few weeks in our new home, we are finally starting to feel settled. Since we found this house the beginning of August, our lives have felt like a full out sprint. From buying and furnishing the new house to getting the old house ready for the market and ultimately selling it, it’s been a hectic few months. Add a ton of 9-5 work on both Richard and my end, I guess you can say we didn’t pick the best time to move! We moved into the new house the end of September, which happened to be the same week as my job’s annual meeting in D.C. Great timing, right? Needless to say, it’s been a busy few weeks!
We are still looking for a few more pieces to finish the house, but I’m looking forward to showing you pictures once everything is complete. After this move, we are both in agreement that we will be in this house for a very long time. And since we will be here for awhile, I am trying not to rush when it comes to adding finishing accessories to the house. I want to make sure we live here for a bit before committing to artwork and other accent pieces.
What I Have Learned From My Time Away
At the beginning of September, I was feeling burned out. From everything going on with the move, work and the blog, I was overwhelmed. Since starting ABM in November of 2013, I have never taken more than a few days off posting. By the end of the summer, posting began to feel like a job and something that I was dreading. I started the blog as a creative outlet and something fun to do. During these few weeks off, I felt like I was able to enjoy everything going on around me, without being focused on taking pictures or constantly checking social media.
The Future of ABM
With all of that being said, I am happy to be back! I am still planning to post — I am shooting for three times a week for now. Although, it may take a little bit of time before food posts are back. Our kitchen is still a mess and we are eventually going to be painting the cabinets. However, I will be back later this week with a Wednesday Wishes for you!
For those of you who follow along on Instagram, there will be some changes on that end. Over the past few months, I have become increasingly frustrated with Instagram. From the algorithm to monitoring follower counts, the time off has made me realize that Instagram is one social media platform I do not care for or understand. I have always been so concerned about what kind of pictures perform well and what generates likes. It became all consuming. Therefore, going forward, it will be less staged photos and more of what the platform is intended to be: instant pictures, of the moment. And probably posts that are less frequent.
We all have busy lives, and it’s impossible to give 100% to everything. That goes for blogging and social media, too. With all the changes to Instagram, I’ve realized how much more important this space, ABM, is compared to Instagram. I’ll get off my soapbox now, but if you follow along on Instagram and wonder where I have been, now you know!
Thank You!
Just a quick thank you to everyone who reached out to check in over the past few weeks. I am happy to be back and sharing the best of fashion, food and even a little home decor now. Thanks for sticking around and reading this raw and unfiltered post. Have a great start to the week, friends!
Oh sweet friend, glad to have you back and I am so excited to see more pictures. Ella looks right at home. I totally get it, I finally joined Insta only to be saddened by it and time consumed. The Blog is our virtual diary sharing and I love it but sometimes you just need to step away to refresh!! I am glad you guys are well, busy, and loving life! Happy Monday!!
I was seriously thinking of you this morning and I’m so happy that you’re back!! Congratulations on the move girl -hopefully you’ll incorporate some decor into your posts!! xo, Biana BlovedBoston
Welcome back sweet friend! Can’t wait to see the new home, and take your time getting settled and figuring out your future with ABM. When I cut back to posting 1-2 times per week it was SO refreshing! Today was my first post in 2 weeks, and that’s totally ok! Instagram infuruates me lately, and I’ve fallen away from the staged photos as well. Cheers <3
Green Fashionista
I was beginning to get worried about you and yours. Change can be good. We just need to embrace change as a step forward in a positive direction. All the best – glad you are back.
Mary Burns
Wauwatosa, WI
I have to say this: I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK! And also that I am pretty much the worst friend ever because I kept telling Pete I was going to email you just to make sure you guys were OK. I figured the move was overwhelming, but I still should have reached out! (I feel really bad!). Ella looks right at home, and what a beautiful home it looks to be. Just the front door alone is gorgeous! I’m so happy you’re settling in. And I agree – Instagram is too time consuming (and basically awful) and what everyone should be focused on is their blogs! And yours is just my favorite, so I’m so happy you’re back. XOXO
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
Welcome back!! Congrats on the new home. Moving is so tough. Glad to see things are going well for you and you are settling into your new home. I have been taking a break from Insta as well. It was just getting to be too much and giving me fomo. I still like to look at pretty pictures but not everyday. Lol. I don’t check it everyday anymore and its been great. Trying to just live in the moment
Yay!! I am so glad youre back and also glad you enjoyed youre time off getting settled into your new home! That is so exciting! Congrats! I cant wait to see pictures!! Ps I cut back to posting only 3 times a week too because I was feeling overwhelmed and it’s crazy how much extra time and freedom it gives you just with that extra day or two!
<3 ShannonÂ
Upbeat Soles
Yay!! Congrats on the new house — moving is so stressful but so fun at the same time.
I love that you are back! Instagram frustrates everyone, so I completely understand you.
Girl I feel you on the being overwhelmed between life and work and blogging. I’m glad that you’re coming back and I look forward to reading all of your posts. And I’m with you on the whole Instagram front too! I’ve just gotten to the point where I want to post what I want to post too, and to stop caring about what gets likes versus what doesn’t.
this is such a great news. Congratulations. New house is fun but setting it up can be a little stressful.
https://www.melodyjacob.com/
Congratulations! I remember moving into my first home. Live in the moment. Take lots of photos throughout. My husband and I reminisce all the time about how our house looked before with no furniture and no appliances. And all the clutter it has now! Hahaha!
xoxo Ros (ZenHealth.net)