Finding Your Style & Yourself At The Same Time
Hi friends!
I hope your week has been a good one.
Thank you for all of your kind, generous & sweet comments about my new site,
I am thrilled you like it!
I have gotten lots of emails & comments about my decorating style,
so lets chat “STYLE” shall we…..
Do you find that when you open a magazine, go into a store or browse pintrest
that you get overwhelmed or that you find you like EVERYTHING?
Ok, if this is you then I have a confession…..
That was me,
yup, it is the truth.
When we found our 2nd home a little over 2 years ago
I was overwhelmed.
I liked so many different styles,
fabrics, paints, etc…
I would browse blogs, magazines & internet and I couldn’t stay focused in one direction.
Can you relate?
I think I was so excited & the creative juices began to flow,
in excess:).
I was driving myself mad and maybe my husband a little too,
so I took a step back.
And discovered my style & myself at the same time.
Finding your style….
it sounds so easy doesn’t it?
These are the things I found to be true in my own little journey.
1. It is ok to take a step back.
If you find you are getting overwhelmed or in a million directions,
then take some time off.
It is not a race to the decorating finish line:).
I still remind myself of this.
2. Get to know yourself. Take the pressure off & have a little fun.
This sounds so simple and it really is.
We can get easily caught up what everyone else is doing & feel bad about our own homes.
I know for me once I took the pressure off & gave myself a free pass to
“BE MYSELF”
that was when it all changed.
3. Don’t be afraid to be original.
There is no other family like you so yours, so your home should reflect that.
I always remind myself that a beautiful home is layered with moments & memories
and wasn’t bought in a day.
4. Start a pintrest board,
“My Style.”
Pin the images that hit you instantly and leave out the ones that you have to look at twice.
After a few weeks you will see a pattern.
5. Don’t be afraid to mix styles.
I found that I like rustic, modern & traditional.
When you have a strong sense of what you like LOVE, then you can make it flow seamlessly.
6. Find your color palette.
Again, create a pintrest board.
I found that I love color but was drawn to neutrals & textures.
7. Shop everywhere.
Finding unique pieces will give your space character.
8. Listen to yourself & trust your gut.
It is great to get advice but….
remember it is your home, not your friends, your sister’s or mother’s:).
Do you like my horse head?
Perfect case in point, when I found it at Pottery Barn Outlet,
I fell in love, instantly.
Did it make sense? No
Was it way too big? Yes
But something made me happy inside when I saw it.
With a coupon, it was only $25.00, originally $199.00.
That brings me to #9.
9. Take small risks. I think that is why I love a good bargain & thrifting,
it allows me to take risks and if I make a mistake here & there,
then it is ok.
10. Enjoy it!
Your home doesn’t have to be “perfect” to be pretty, loved and comfortable.
This has been my humble experience …..hopefully this helps.
If you were following before by email, then please re-enter it again on this blog,
so you don’t miss a post!
Also, if I am on your sidebar, make sure you update my link
so you don’t miss a post either:).
I hope you ALL have a great day!
Sharing at
Love these tips and the style of your blog!
Thank you Shauna!
What great advice and tips on finding our style. Your home is so lovely. I enjoy your blog so much.
It makes perfect sense ! I often see someone else’s decor and feel like changing mine to look like that but then it doesn’t feel right so I keep going back to what feels like me..thank you for this amazing post…I LOVE your style…xo
Great tips and advice! I love your style, home and your new site! Have a great weekend.
Leslie
I so easily fall in that overwhelmed catagory. I have so many projects I need to tackle, and too many started and not finished. Some have to be finished before others can be started. I’ve decided that I am going to try to focus on one room at a time, and finish it before moving on. You have a beautiful, and original home.
Hugs,
Deborah
All good advices, dear friend; now I have a home that really fits my way of being, still I’m always looking around for more, as I really think our homes must change when we change…. If I think back to my first house I can’t help thinking how I changed in my life… So the perfect home, by me, it’s never done, never finished! Don’t you agree?
Un abbraccio,
Manu
I agree Manu, our homes should change with us and are never completely done:). Have a great weekend!
Fabulous post, Jen! Great advice and you are so right… thanks for the reminders!
Hi there! Found u thru Miss Mustards linky party… thanks for the tips and love your blog! I am a new follower!
Hana @ the MomTog Diaries
I love the comment about your horse head! Browsing around HomeGoods last fall I saw a large white ceramic pig with wings…sounds a little tacky, right? And maybe he is but I just *loved* him at first sight. As I so often do in HomeGoods, I picked him up & carried him around the store while my teenage daughter kept insisting I should just put him in the cart…& when I made a full circle, I set him back down, not being able to justify the purchase to myself. The following week it was my birthday &, of course, you can guess what my daughter bought me (she’d gone with her dad & they bought out half the store!). Hamlet (that’s my pig’s name!) may not be to everyone’s taste but he makes me happy & that’s what counts!
That is a great story Angela! I can relate, maybe I should name my horse:). I love that your daughter knew you wanted it. Have a great weekend!
Love your tips. Started my Pinterest boards 🙂 I have been feeling “all over the place” in my approach to revamping our place.
Good luck TJ, I know how you feel. Have a great weekend!
Such good tips! You have such great style 😉
Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com
Thanks Jaime, so do you!!!!
Great post! I did this just the other day… I took all my accessories and placed them on the dinging room table, then put them back out in a new and less cluttered way. That way, I could make it all flow with the same flavor of creative juice I had going that day LOL…. It made it much more cohesive!
It is fun to move things around, it feels like you got something, even when you didn’t:)! Have a great week Lindsey!
Inspirational post!! I invite you to join my link party with this post! My readers would love it!
What great advice! Love this and love your blog! It’s beautiful and inspirational!
Such great advice! You articulated something that’s hard to get a grasp on. With so much inspiration out there its easy to have “decorating ADD”….something i know I struggle with. And, its easy to start second-guessing things you love if it isn’t instantly validated. Anyway, your style is evident in your beautiful home!
Amy
Thank you Amy! I adore your blog, you all have amazing style:). I think we all(bloggers)struggle with this sort of thing, me included! Off to browse your blog, adding you to my blog list:). Have a beautiful day, Jen
Great advice about finding your own voice. It’s not something that happens overnight, but you method definitely simplifies things! I remember when everybody had Colonial style – lots of maple furniture; Danish modern; avocado green, tangerine and gold; then it was Mediterranean style- decorating styles come and go like hem lengths.
It’s all about finding how to interpret what everyone else says is fashion versus fad and finding things that speak to you over time. It’s okay to move on and get rid of things that no longer suit who you are NOW. Timeless pieces in updated colors or with new accessories are the easiest ways to keep things fresh.
Love your style and your blog, I just followed you on Pinterest!
Well said Gayle! Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment. In our house growing up, gold & avocado where a huge hit:). Enjoy your weekend, Jen
I love this!
Wonderful tips!!! You have such a beautiful house and style. Hugs!
♥Linsey
OH Jen, I love the design of your “new” blog! I had to laugh when I saw your horse head. You see disembodied animal heads have become a bit of a discussion in our home. I love some…i.e. horse/cow heads but they totally freak my husband out. In fact if I had my druthers I would have a cow’s head hung above the stove as well as a butcher’s diagram of a side of beef drawn on the chalk board… you know like in the old butcher shops.
Have a wonderful week! (yes I’m a little behind the times… it am actually reading all the blog posts that I follow from as far back as mid April… busy, busy season with 2 boys in track and then flooding in our area but all is good now!)
Hi Peggy, so sorry to hear about your flooding. I hope you are getting back to normal. I am glad you can relate, my husband feels the same. I am not sure after 3 weeks he has even seen this, so yay for me. Have a great week! Jen
RIGHT ON sista!!! I love this post!! SImply pinning it, because there are way to many good reminders not to forget!! I LOVE your style, and your house, and I think you highlighted a good point to really find your self, than you will be much happier with your decorating 🙂 Great post… keep up the good work, and the pretty photos! XO ~Bre
Bre, thank you for writing such a thoughtful comment, it means someone out there gets me, lol! Have a great week, Jen
This post is AWESOME! I love these tips!!
I love it! Its true discovering your style helps you to discover yourself. I can tell a lot about someone when I see their sense of style. I can also tell you and I could be fast friends.
solange
http://www.shaggysheephome.com
Your home is lovely, Jen. Love that striped wall and the cabinet. The horse is one of those unique and interesting pieces that add character. Great advice and a timely reminder for me. Thanks for that.
Such great advice! I couldn’t agree more.
Just found your blog. LOVE it! We have similar styles 🙂 Can’t wait to dive in further.
Hi Jen, I just wanted to say I loved this post. My little one and I are going through some personal changes and we will be looking for our own little cottage soon. I am finally going to free myself to my likes and style. A place where I feel comfortable and not whether it appeals to anyone else. I am drawn to your style–I like neutrals, textures, with lots and lots of flowers and I collect illustrations and art- mixed media and children’s illustrations. I plan to frame them and showcase them even if they aren’t your ‘typical’ art. I plan to take your class too. Just wanted to say thank you!
Hi Kristen, I loved reading your comment, thank you for taking the time to write it. I think as we get older we get wiser to these things & more comfortable to say, I like this or that:). I think you should absolutely frame those, I love that idea! I do hope to see you there, I am sharing lots of projects and ideas that will transfer over into so many other projects! You go girl! have a great day! Jen
I love the fact that you might see something you “love” but it makes no sense…I do this all the time and often talk myself out of something…I’m keeping this in mind for future — it doesn’t have to make any sense…I love it, that’s all that matters! thanks!
Hi Sherry,
So glad you got it:). I sometimes still do it, but have gotten much better since I began this journey.
Have a wonderful weekend, Jen
I love this advice! I am going to do just that. You made it simple for anyone. Thanks!
Excellent post. Thank you.