Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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A Fresh Start

We’re spending today packing things up, and although we thought it would feel monotonous and tiring, it’s oddly exciting.

Empty House

Even the act of wrapping a bunch of cups in newspaper feels like “IT’S HAAAAAAPPENING! We’re really DOING IT!”

Can you believe Clara looked like this last time we moved?

Moving Stand By Pic

Three birthdays (and a significant amount of hair) later, my baby’s gone. Sniffle. But there’s a pretty cool kid (complete with an arm tat) in her place, so it’s a fair trade.

Clara In Box

Life will change with this big move, and our blog and our process for the new house might feel different to you because we’re approaching it, well, differently. More than any other house that we’ve lived in, our new place feels like it could become a long-term home for us and we want to make sure that the decisions we’re making, the projects we’re doing, and the materials we’re choosing will fit the vision of a place where we could live for decades and raise a family.

New House

That means we may take more time to mull over design decisions, research options, weigh different approaches, and save up for materials and projects. So the pace at which this home transforms may be slower than the pace that you’re used to from us (it’ll most likely resemble the pace of our first house as opposed to our second one). But we hope that it’ll add up to a home that we love like crazy full of lots of thoughtful upgrades and exciting projects over time. Some weeks we might be humming right along (like our mad dash to paint the blue trim and install the hardwoods) and other weeks we might not make much progress at all because we’re stuck or delayed or saving up… but hey, that’s real life.

Office Pic

We’d also love to tackle more projects for the people we love, like this bathroom reno that we did for John’s grandma last fall. Beyond how awesome it feels to do something sweet like that for someone else, we’ve learned that those “off-campus” projects stretch us in new ways. After all, it was getting out of our house to do that makeover that later inspired our own bathroom paint color.

GrannyThree BA Full Room

So it should end up being a nice smorgasbord of home, family, and random stuff – which has always been our favorite mix.

Some of you might like this new-ish approach more, others might like it less, and some folks probably won’t even notice a difference, but this little refresh makes us giddy in the nerdiest of ways. It feels just like it did when we started this back in 2007… the air is so thick with possibility that it’s fogging up our safety goggles.

Back Deck

So thank you thank you thank you for stopping in to see what’s going on in our house/life/brain. There’s so much fun stuff ahead, and we love you guys so much it’s borderline uncool. And you can bet your sweet buns that I’m teaching Clara the words (well, the clean ones). Turns out this kid is a HUGE fan of jumping around…

Furniture Back8

See you guys on the flip side when we’re all moved in!*

*And by the flip side, I mean Monday. And by moved in, I mean our house will look like a pillow and ceramic animal bomb went off.

Comments

  3. Leslie says

    I’m a little teary-eyed knowing that these are the final posts of House #2, but I am SO PSYCHED for your new house! I hope you’re blasting the House of Pain while you’re packing!

    Reply

  4. Laura says

    Good luck with the move! I think, that no matter how fast or slow you decide to do things with the new home, it will still be awesome and a joy to follow. This is the one blog I actually really really look forward to reading every day. I just love the fact that, here in Finland, your posts are always up at 5pm-ish, making it a wonderful way to finish my work day and head home – makes my day :D!

    Reply

  5. Jeanna says

    Very smart decision to take the pace a little slower, especially if this is your forever home! I was reading Centsational Girls blog, and she was listing her new plans for her blog, pretty much because she and her husband had finished their home, it was “done”, and she needed to find a different direction for the blog to keep it going, so I understand for sure. And I really, really miss all the house crashing you guys used to do, and the mood boards for sure. And I loved your posts about Johns grandma, and would love to see more of those makeovers done for people you love, so it all sounds good!!

    Reply

  6. Amy B. says

    You guys are great! This post just made me smile for you. I can’t wait to follow along with what you do with the place – it’s going to be an awesome journey. Good luck with the move – remember, lift with the knees!

    Reply

  7. Dani says

    I won’t be going anywhere, I can’t wait for each and every post in the new house, slowed down or not! (I totally wake up in the morning and grab my phone to see if you’ve posted before I get up each day…)

    Hint: the best thing to help with packing/unpacking is a little thing called “top 100 hits of the 80s” ;)

    Reply

  8. betty says

    i have been reading long, but im glad you’re doing stuff for you and not for the blog. hopefully all your followers will understand and support you 100%.

    you can come crash my masterbath in powhatan if you’d like!! its very small and would be a great challenege for you, i think :)

    Reply

  9. Steph Nelson says

    Your so sweet Sherry. Just the tone of this post and all. I bet you are a doll to be around. (And that is the first time I have ever said doll in that context) :)

    Good luck and have fun with the move. I fins moving can be fun because it is a time of change and a bit of an unsure future.

    Reply

  11. Ashley A. says

    As a long time reader, I love the new approach you guys are aiming to take with your new house and your willingness to be up front with readers about how decisions you make in your home are not always for the sake of the blog–its for you guys! Thanks for sharing!

    A friendly suggestion/request: with the slower pace of the new house renovations and projects, any chance we could get some more window shopping posts in the absence of major-house-project posts? Those have always been some of my favorites!

    Reply

  12. Theresa says

    Can’t wait to follow you all on your new journey making this house your home. I for one will be glad to see you both slow down. I think most DIYers will be able to identify more with a slower pace. I was beginning to think you and John had super powers you weren’t telling us about. Good Luck with the move this weekend! Just love your little family!

    Reply

  13. Krista says

    Good luck with your move to your new house! It’s always sad to move from a house where you have so many happy memories. Fortunately you have many pictures to remember those days and so many new memories to make in your new home. Congratulations and I can’t wait to see more pictures of you new house!

    Reply

  16. Eileen says

    Good luck with the move this weekend!!

    I’m so excited about the next chapter for this blog. I bet my husband is going to love that your process might slow down, he’ll hear a lot less of “but John and Sherry did that in a weekend” or “John and Sherry have only lived in their house for a year and it’s practically finished” from me. :)

    I also can’t wait for posts about your new house because we just moved in to our house 5 months ago and it’s practically the exact style of your new place. Your upstairs is a bit different, but our downstairs are nearly identical! Can’t wait to steal some design ideas from you guys. Please tackle the family room fireplace wall first, I can’t decide what to do with mine (haha, no pressure)

    Reply

  17. allyson says

    I can’t wait to see what you do with this new house! Good luck with all the moving this weekend. I’m currently living out of boxes so I know the feeling :) Random side note, but in that last picture of Clara’s bed, the stripes on the blanket look like they really are the same color as the sheets. For the longest time, I thought the stripes looked grey and the sheets looked tan. And to think I doubted you!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! Sometimes I think the hardest part of blogging is the frustration when things in photos don’t look like they do in real life. But then I think, nope, it’s when you write a whole post and then your computer freezes and it’s all gone. Ha!

      xo
      s

  18. Ani says

    I’ll miss this house but I am also excited to follow y’all on the new house. Just seeing the before/after on the 2nd floor hall with wood floor and non blue trim made it look like an entirely new house!!
    Happy moving!

    Reply

  19. Lauren (in PA) says

    I know it’s strange, but I love moving. I love that first night when you can barely find sheets and pillows, and that is one of the best nights sleep ever. And then when you wake up, you wake up like a rocket thinking of all the possibilities. I LOVE that!

    Seeing Clara jump-jumping…will she be in her big girl bed or her nursery when you move?! I have no idea why that crossed my mind.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re planning to put her big girl bed and crib in her room so she can make the transition whenever she’d like. I think the first few nights in a new place might be comforting for her if she’s in her crib since it’s more familiar, but it’ll be neat to see her in her big girl bed when she’s ready for that. She loves fake slipping in it!

      xo
      s

  20. Heather P. says

    Good luck with the move, and make sure John has enough clearance to get the truck out of the driveway this time! (Which should be a lot easier this time around, given there’s no snow…crap…forget I said that and almost jinxed everything)

    Reply

  23. Jacole says

    Goodbye old house (tear)

    It took me awhile to get use to the fact that you found “someone new” but now I’m excited to see all that you guys will do to make this house Petersik approved!

    Best part of moving in June-NO SNOW! :D

    Reply

  25. Rachel C says

    I am so excited about your new home and all the exciting projects! I’m also interested to see the “style” of this house and how the possibility of a forever home influences your decisions.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha! We love real-time too much to do it all but have to save it for a few years until a book comes out, so who knows what book 2 will be… a Guide For Ceramic Animal Naming perhaps?

      xo
      s

  27. Tina says

    Good luck with the move!! I wish you all the best in this new chapter of your blog and your lives! I love the sound of your plans for the blog and the house, I’m sure it’s going to look amazing! Happy moving!

    Reply

  29. Georgia says

    I’d love lots of mini projects. The big ones are nice but for people like me who have to save for years to afford a new kitchen/bathroom I’d love to see lots of mini projects like in your book :)

    Good luck with the move x

    Reply

  30. Sandy says

    Wanted to congratulate you and your family on another milestone in your journey. I have been a fan from day one it’s us who thank you for sharing your journey and part of your life with us and that’s just it. This is your journey , to walk and your life to live and we thank you for sharing it…at your pace…at your will. I can’t wait to see what’s next ..so happy for you , it’s strange but I feel like I know you…you are my daily lunch break read!! literally there is not a day I check in with anticipation to see what’s next!!. .

    The Padillas

    Reply

  31. Nathan S. says

    So exciting! Can’t wait to see all of the new projects. Hope all goes well with the move and that there are no flat tires or thunderstorms to deal with.

    Reply

  32. Whitney Dupuis says

    What an exciting time!!! I, for one, am glad that the fast-pace-with-an-amazing-project-in-every-post is going to slow down. Maybe I will not feel so inadequate. Hahaha! Seriously though, I can’t wait to see how the house progresses – at whatever pace you guys go.

    Reply

  33. Kim says

    I love the idea of you going slower on this house and therefore working more with others on making their houses just as beautiful.

    Maybe you can do a yearly contest to help makeover a small room in a readers’ home over a weekend. I’m sure one of your sponsors would pick up the tab! I think it’d be an amazing way to connect with your fans, give them something they’ll never forget but still help you guys write such great content! Just a thought. :)

    I’ve been reading since you guys brought Clara home from the hospital so I’ve loved watching your lives (and style!) transition over the years. Excited to see what the future holds for you guys and your amazing new house! :)

    Reply

  34. amy @ drivethirtythree says

    Wishing you lots of luck!! (and hopefully more bearable weather than up here..90+ all weekend!) So excited for you and to see all the amazing things you’ll do with this new home. Yay for more inspiration from you guys!!!

    ps. that song is stuck in my head now…thanks :)

    Reply

  35. Gillian says

    Wishing you all the very best with your move. Cant wait to see what you do with your new home. Loving that you are going to be doing more renovations in other homes. Exciting times.

    Reply

  36. Aria says

    Congrats on the new home!

    I first started reading your blog 2 moves (and 2 children) ago and we just moved into our 3rd home as well! We are also project addicts, and are also slowing down on this one because it looks like we have room to grow here. Sending you love from a room with all furniture moved to the center because we just painted the entire house (including yellow trim)!

    So exciting!

    Reply

  37. mel says

    HA it’s so funny, i just recently stumbled upon your blog, and i’ve been working it from the back for the last couple of days and i made it to page 576 in three days :) and back then you are still in your first house an explaining that all you do in there is for the long run, cause you really can imagine staying there forever, even with a huge amount of babies :)
    how life changes, huh?!
    i wish you the best of luck and im looking forward to read the last 576 pages on my list and even more beyond that.
    love, from germany

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, oh yes, I was so convinced I’d die there! Meanwhile John was like “um, there’s one full bathroom” – that taught me never to say never!

      xo
      s

  38. Jessica says

    I think this is your best post ever. It’s full of excitement, happiness, and joy for the future. I’m actually happy to hear that your blog might move at a slower pace so that you have the time to really mull over decisions and make choices that you really love. The blog is your business, but the house is your home and, especially if it’s a forever home, it’s important to choose things that will make your family happy forever (or at least several years). I think it will be a good lesson for readers, too, to resist the impulses in favor of well-thought-out design choices. Personally, I loved the variety of your blog in the first house. I know you don’t have time for commissioned mood boards, but those were my favorites. And I also loved the posts where you did the bathroom for John’s grandma and helped with his nieces room.

    Best of luck with the move, Petersiks, and with your new life in your new home. Don’t forget to save a key for your shadow box frame collection. And most importantly, lift with your knees, not your back.

    Reply

  40. Nicole S. says

    This is one of your best posts – not just because the writing is excellent, but I think because your clarity of thought is so complete for it. It shows that you’re really in a great place and so ready for this journey. I can’t wait to see what this house brings.

    Reply

  42. Ceci Bean says

    I think the changes sound great! I loved when you did that bathroom project for your granny. The thoughtfulness of it was as sweet as the final product!

    Reply

  44. Mohanraj says

    Hi John & Sherry, good luck on your move, and hopefully you end up loving the new house more. :D
    I can’t wait to see the new hose being designed and decor-ed. I was hoping that you guys could come up with more inspirational ideas ( not just good looking, but practical as well, for the working parents ). I’d especially like to see how you manage to clean up the place. It’s HUGE! LOL. And little Clara seems to be too young to help around a lot. But no doubt you have her doing little chores. I wonder if you will put up a special ‘family message center’ ? You know, something on the wall with the latest update other family members should take note of, and perhaps leave messages. I saw a great deal of cool ones on Pinterest. Good luck again. :D

    Reply

    • heather says

      I love this idea. It would be a great way to write accomplishments family members have had, so everyone knows what’s going on (or other things that need to be said i.e. events, etc.) but I love the idea of using it to boost others up too!

  45. jeannette says

    i love the idea of your doing little projects for others. please consider seniors in subsidized housing, or co-housing. one of the first intentional communities for senior co-housing in the u.s., elderspirit, is nearish you in abingdon, VA. as the economy continues to tank, housing for the elderly grows scarcer and there is a huge crisis looming for those 50 per cent of baby boomers who have no pension and no children.

    here’s the link for elderspirit. their materials are excellent, and frugality/sustainability of the kind you two are so good at is one of the watchwords of co-housing. creative financing, etc.

    http://www.elderspirit.net/

    here is the bad news on the plight of the boomers from a reliable source:

    http://oregonon.org/blog/2013/the-silver-tsunami-hard-facts-facing-ageing-baby-boomers/

    Reply

  46. Kati says

    The movers are loading our house up at the moment too. Here’s to hoping you don’t lose any members of your ceramic zoo! Looking forward to your mix of posts to come. Cheers to the next big thing :)

    Reply

  47. Emily | Sparkle Meets Pop says

    So excited for you guys! Like I’ve said before, I’m living vicariously through you guys this time around as we wait for bidding wars to go out of style… :) I’ll be glad to see how your home and plans evolve over time. Each house has had its own personality and this one will be the best yet!

    Reply

  48. Katy says

    I introduced my sister to your blog about a year ago. She is not very into decorating (heathen!), but she reads your blog every day for Clara.
    You are living out every parents fantasy by having two parents staying at home. It shows, she really shines!

    Reply

  49. Vanessa B. says

    I am so excited for you guys! I can’t wait to see what you do and, more importantly, HOW you do it. One thing I like best about your blog is seeing your process (you have no idea how that “the middle makes no sense” thing has helped me!) and the one thing I love most about your blog is how true you stay to yourselves and what you need to do for your family. I can find foofy (that’s a word, right?) design blogs by the thousands. But you guys are the real deal so I’ll be staying tuned! :)

    Good luck with the move!

    Reply

  50. Austin Sullivan says

    Hey… I’m recently a new dad, and I’m a little ahead of schedule, but I can’t find anywhere the post about the measuring stick you made for Clara!

    And I read your blog daily, I’m mildly addicted.

    Very excited for you guys with the move, can’t wait to see all the new!

    Reply

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