July 2007
As someone brand new to blogging, I decided to spend an afternoon exploring other people’s blogs to get a feel for the landscape. By chance I found an old friend Alicia’s blog and from there I was pulled into a world of beautiful, creative posts by incredibly talented people. Their work was so polished and inspiring that I suddenly felt overwhelmed and a little intimidated—tempted to close up shop and give up blogging altogether.
I wandered the house for the rest of the afternoon, thinking: how could I ever create something as colorful, polished, and skillful as these bloggers? I don’t sew aprons or design baby clothes. I don’t make my own pasta, and I definitely don’t make tartlets. I don’t stage perfect backyard parties with step-by-step photos of smoked pork shoulder—I’ve never even smoked a pork shoulder. Our typical dinner is Costco top sirloin burgers with ketchup.
Back in the chaos of my house—two seven-year-old boys sprinting through a sea of overturned couch cushions, blankets piled in the kitchen, and peanut-butter-crusted plates still on the counter—it struck me. What are the words underneath my blog and business name? Refining Your Home for Authentic Living™. Authentic living. I’d proclaimed authenticity as my goal, yet there I was, comparing myself to others and feeling a brief pang of blog-and-life envy.
I had to remind myself of the truth: we all live different lives with different talents, priorities, and constraints. That diversity is what makes each of us unique. If we embrace our individuality and shape our homes, lives, and blogs to reflect who we really are and what we want to achieve, we’ll find greater satisfaction.
It’s fine to be inspired by others—to borrow ideas, expand our sense of beauty, and try new things—but we don’t need to be someone else to live beautifully. We don’t have to be Martha, Alicia, or any particular person to create a meaningful home or contribute something valuable. Authentic beauty and meaningful insight can grow out of our own reality.
My reality includes children ages 7 to 19 and their friends running through the house, parents staying with us during a remodel, a husband who helps but prefers movies over crafting, running a decorating consulting business, and living in a 4,700-square-foot 1930s fixer-upper on a tight budget. I love a beautiful home, but I also need to make choices that fit this life. So I blend inspiration from talented people with my everyday circumstances and create something that works for my family—something real, useful, and beautiful.
That, to me, is the essence of authentic living and decorating: honoring who you are, accepting your limitations, and shaping a home that reflects your life. It’s not about perfection; it’s about creating a space that supports your family, brings joy, and feels true to you.