Six Months In – Changes

It is hard to believe that we have lived in Blake Hill House for six months. When we first moved in, I committed to starting this blog because Blake Hill House is such a treasure, and I wanted to share this little piece of history with all of you. I love to write, make friends, and get feedback from readers who are interested in similar projects. Having just moved across the country, we had not made a lot of connections yet, and reading and writing a blog was a good way to fill a social need while our family was adjusting to our new lives here.

Because there are so many things to fix at BHH, it seemed like a design/DIY blog was the natural direction to take our writing. I took great care in setting up our blog how I thought it should be. However, the reality is that declaring ourselves a DIY home blog immediately backed us into a corner. Suddenly, the only information that seemed to have relevance for blog fodder was actual room renovation or restoration projects, and that was only a small percentage of how we spent our time.

From a business standpoint, a niche market made sense to me. When A. was a baby, I owned a niche company. (Cloth diaper families may remember Stacinator diaper covers?) After the initial start-up, it became easy to streamline processes and spend my time with focus and efficiency. That was so important when the kids were tiny, and my main job was keeping them fed, changed and safe. Eventually, I sold the business, and it felt wonderful to take the time that I had been spending on a single focus and diversify.

When I started this blog, I set it up based on my past business model figuring that the pieces would fall into place. After several months of blogging, I have come to the conclusion that BHH cannot be a restoration or design/DIY-only blog. We are not rampant consumers or restoration purists. We re-purpose when possible. We try to be careful with our buying choices. I do not intentionally follow design trends or change all of our decor when the seasons change. Our family actually buys as little new as possible, and that is by choice.

Declaring ourselves preservationists does not seem quite right either. It feels like a straitjacket for our creativity and budget. It is nice to be at a stage in life where we know what works for us, and we are able to make course corrections with greater confidence and speed.

So, the blog stays, but it will change a little. I understand that blog readers do not like to come to a blog expecting to read about one topic, and discover that the blog has changed direction without warning. This is your warning. BHH topics will be a bit more broad. In order to convey what that means, I feel as if I need to tell you a little more about myself, so you will understand where I am coming from.

Living in a house like BHH is a dream-come-true, but I have a homesteader’s heart. I like to make everything from skincare products to paper crafts. I do not believe in gender roles when it comes to work. If there is work to be done, I do it. I am just as comfortable with auto repairs as I am with housework. Work is work, and I am not afraid of learning something new or getting my hands dirty. I dabble in as much as possible, and I stick with some of it. I knit a little, and I sew well. I enjoy nature photography. I am not that great in the kitchen, but I try. I bought a copy of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day three years ago, and I have never made artisan bread. I am an avid runner, and I put in about 30-50+ miles per week depending on whether or not I am training for an event.

I believe that life is a great adventure, and we should see as many wild places and have as many new experiences as possible. Travel is one of the best forms of education. I believe that boredom is good for everyone, even kids. Boredom leads to innovation. I reject the modern philosophy of over-scheduling. My parenting role is neither chauffeur nor cruise director.

I am all about productivity vs. being busy. I enjoy decluttering, creating organizational systems, and yes, I truly enjoy DIY.

If all of this seems interesting, then this blog is still for you. Please stick around and read often. Blake Hill House cannot run itself. We have work to do, and we would love to share it with you.