This post was 3,000 words long. They all felt overly complicated and heavy and weird. I clicked delete. Then I just typed what we’re really feeling, complete with things we’ve never said out loud and even a few things we’ve never fully admitted to ourselves before.
The truth is that we love you guys. Like for real. Even for the tough love. We know you say it because you care (or hopefully you did at some point), and we want you to know we care right back. We want to do a good job. We want to do this with joy and excitement. We want to inspire you. We know this is an incredible way to have made a living and we are full of gratitude for the experience to have shared the last seven years of our lives with you guys online.
We would NEVER be here without you, and not a day goes by that we don’t know that. It’s why we asked for your feedback last week and read every last comment. We appreciate the honesty and the passion you guys have on the topic of making this blog great. And we agree with a lot of what was being said. We have been feeling off for a while – like we have lost our rhythm and we’re somehow missing the mark for ourselves and for you guys. We too miss the good old days when we did this for the love and were full of such obvious joy and spontaneity. This felt like a place we all hung out and it just doesn’t have that vibe anymore.
Over the years many amazing opportunities popped up for us. Things we never dreamed of doing in a million years, and things we’re incredibly grateful to have had the chance to experience. A book deal, curating paint picks with Benjamin Moore, a line sold at Target, a showhouse, etc. But in hindsight those things also made this feel a lot more like a business than a personal blog to many of you, and to us as well. We have actually ramped those down behind the scenes in an attempt to get back to our roots (we no longer do the BM color collection, the second book is mostly written, our products at Target have completed their run, and we finished the showhouse) but we never really made a big announcement about that – so it’s completely understandable that some of you might think we’ve moved on to those greener pastures and left the blog in the dust, so to speak. The reality is that our site propels the success of any outside project like a product or book, so we could never turn our backs on the blog and expect those items to continue to sell as well.
Not only have we felt this shift from “John and Sherry” to “Young House Love: The Brand”, but the blogosphere as a whole has become increasingly sponsored/corporate lately. We can see from the outside prospective as a reader, or even a fellow blogger, that it’s hard to read a blog post without suspecting some ulterior motive or money-making system behind it. Last week a few of you mentioned that we might need to keep giveaways around because they pay us well, which surprised us since they’re never something we accept payment for (we like to pass free things along to you as a thank you for reading).
Along with the whole business/brand thing that’s going on, and the side gigs that felt like they muddied the water for some of you, there are certainly other things we wish we had handled differently in hindsight. Just to name a few, there’s: being too defensive, over-explaining, letting things get in our heads and change our lighthearted approach, and the internal struggle between being transparent and oversharing personal details like a vacant new house without an alarm system (looking back we wish we’d handled our third house announcement differently). We know many of you felt insulted that we didn’t share more freely about that house, and we truly apologize.
Anyway, back to that whole “we’re sexy stumbling and you know it” thing. It’s endlessly frustrating to do a job that you love poorly, especially when it’s a blog baby that you’ve birthed yourself and nurtured for seven years. And especially when it’s such an amazing job that we once felt so inspired and joyful to wake up and do each day. What’s wrong with us? We know this is a dream job. We acknowledge it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We know most people who have built something like this would be more inspired than ever. It’s not that we lost the gratitude, I think it’s that we feel like we’ve fallen out of our groove. We feel like we’re letting you guys down repeatedly. It got to the point that every time we pressed “publish” we braced ourselves.
So in an attempt to stop stumbling around and feeling like we just can’t get it back, we’re taking a break. We don’t know exactly how long we’ll be stepping away, but our guess would be at least a month. We will certainly be exploring other options for supporting our family (something we mentioned we were considering back in April). We had that fiery blog-spark back when we had day jobs and did this as a hobby, so we think it could be a good change. We’ll also be taking a break on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, but the blog will stay public so you guys can access the archives whenever you’d like.
Our internal struggle and the state of this blog is entirely of our making, and we completely own that. Please don’t get mad at anyone for being honest with their feedback last week or accuse them of sending us packing. We have been struggling with that “something is off” feeling for a while now, and after way too much denial and “we’ll turn it around” pep talks, we finally asked for your feedback because we truly wanted to hear what you were thinking. It was cathartic and helpful for us. It has allowed us to very clearly see that if we have any respect for this blog and our love of it, and for you guys and what you’d like to see, we need to take a break if we ever want any hope of getting back to that fun/real/spontaneous place it used to be when this was something we did for the love instead of the high stakes game of supporting a family.
In summary: we love you, we thank you, and we hope you understand.
Sarah says
Love you guys!
Kirbee N. says
Thanks again for your honesty and candor. It’s an incredibly complicated balance to strike, balancing your personal life, a blog life, and work life all rolled together. You both have definitely worked hard at that over the years, and I respect your integrity and now your need to reevaluate.
Fancy words, but really, I just echo what everyone else is saying. We’ll miss you. We hope you can find a good way to continue sharing your talents with us readers.
Also, a side note, I’ve seen in the past three months, almost a dozen of my favorite bloggers on a host of different topics make a similar decision. It’s strange, to see it happening en mass. As you noted, the business/corporate push may be playing a large part in this. I noticed several have turned to other methods for expressing their creativity (book writing. small business offshoots, brick-and-morter businesses), and some have just burned out altogether.
And, to be more honest, I’ll be praying for your family as you move ahead. That you can find peace in your decision and clarity in how you want to continue working together (or separately). And that you both can do all of this as a team.
Sarah says
This blog is your livelihood, and just like everyone else sometimes you have a period of figuring out if your job is everything you want it to be! (I’ve gone through all these thoughts myself this summer with my own job). Just because your job is your blog doesn’t mean you won’t have those times of re-calibration. Good luck to you all and thanks for opening up a whole world of design blogs to me!
Alyssa says
We’ll miss you. Get some rest.
Denise says
Bummer, but I get it, you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling.
I have enjoyed your blog consistently since I found it when Googling how to make an upholstered headboard 6 years ago. Even when I don’t have a personal interest in every post, I still always enjoy the blog. And I will be here anxiously awaiting your return, whenever that may be.
Kimberly says
You guys didn’t really take a good break after Teddy was born. I think this makes a lot of sense. You’re on the right track, keep following your guts.
I appreciate your efforts to keep it real. It’s disheartening seeing so many blogs go “corporate”.
SherryB says
I will have to re-read old posts so I don’t have withdrawals. I hope you guys find your true north.
Big hugs!
Kate S. says
Loving you. My kids are the same age as yours and the month-to-month changes of how we live our lives and what we prioritize is amazing. Stay true to yourselves and your family. Love and cherish every minute of being ‘away’ and soak up every hug with your little ones!
Kristin says
All the feelings! Give yourselves permission not to feel guilty. Over the years, I’ve always thought that while full-time blogging sounds fun in many ways, it also sounds EXHAUSTING when you describe a ‘day in the life’ where you’re either writing posts, editing posts, responding to comments, or doing the next DIY thing for the next post every waking hour of your days. It sounded particularly tiring once you had Clara. Now I understand more than ever, as a first-time Mom of a nearly 6-month old. I work from home with him a couple days each week and it’s a MARATHON. I’m either trying to entertain him or trying to work. Every moment he’s asleep I’m frantically trying to catch up with work, and when he’s awake a tiny alarm in the back of my mind is going off because I know I’m not getting enough work done. Then when he goes to sleep for the night, rather than plopping down exhausted on the couch, I feel like I have to fire the laptop back up and keep working to make up for the “missed” time during the day…just a few months of that routine completely fried me and you’ve been doing it for several YEARS. Give yourselves a pat on the back and a break. Of course YHL will be missed, but I for one don’t blame you a bit!
Cori says
“It got to the point that every time we pressed “publish” we braced ourselves.” That sentence right there. It breaks my heart. I’m sorry it ever got to that point, whatever the reason may be, when this blog used to be such a source of joy for you.
I am sad to see you go, even for a little bit. However, I really do understand. Beyond all of the HARD work you put into this blog and your projects, it takes guts to put yourself out there and invite us all into your lives. And sometimes you need a break from it all.
I will miss you, and I will be thinking of your sweet family throughout this break, waiting anxiously for your return! Here’s a great big hug and kiss for each one of you! xoxo
Molly G says
I’m going to miss you!!! I fell in love with your blog about a year ago – right when my husband and I bought our first house. I pretty much went through and read all your archives in that time. I love your perspective, your personality and your family. I hope the time off is helpful but please come back!!
Katie B. says
I hope, hope, hope you’ll be back!!! I do not think you have ever done a “poor” job of updating the blog – but, as in all businesses, things change. Your goals change, your needs change, your perspectives change – as do the goals, needs, and perspectives of your readers.
But your loyal peeps love you and hope you’ll come back stronger than ever!!!
Stefani says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for leaving the blog up! I reference it weekly. I’ll miss your posts. Go live and I hope to see you again!
Lala says
I’m SOOOOO sad!!! I get it I do totally….but still SOOOOO sad! Enjoy your babies (the furry one too) but know we love, miss, and support you!!
Lidia says
Sniff…I support whatever you need to do but please come back soon! xo
Rachel says
I hope you guys find what you are looking for, you will surely be missed! Really, truly wishing you all of the best! Come back soon, even if it is just a quick check-in!
Sarah says
I’ve been a reader for a few years now and as greedy as I am wanting new, exciting posts everyday, I’ve always appreciated how y’all are real people with a real family and were always transparent about that. Even through the past year or so, you have to make the best choice for your family and I completely respect that. Thank you for the past couple of years! I hope this break provides you with the direction you’re seeking!
Lauralou says
Bummer for me….but, yay for you. Enjoy your break. I will continue to look back through your past posts for ideas and inspiration. :)
Nicole says
Happy and sad all at once. Please know that many of your long-time readers consider you as friends …my ‘real-life’ friends and I actually refer to you guys in conversation from time to time as simply ‘the Petersiks’ as if we’ve known you forever! (like, group texts happened when you announced your pregnancy with Teddy #weresolame)
I’m so happy that you’re taking some time to discover what will truly make you most happy, driven and energized as a family. But, just like I miss my friends when I haven’t seen them in a while, I will miss you. Your happy family, witty writing, and inspiring projects are bright spots in so many people’s days.
While you take this break (and I hope it’s just a break!) please reflect on the fact that while home DIY and decor is at your core, what you both do here is so much more than that. Motivational speaker, comedian, confidant, therapist, advice columnist, zen master, life coach and friend all come to mind when I think about you guys. The internet would be a much duller (is that a word?) place without the Petersiks so hopefully your hearts lead you back here :)
Cassie says
I think it’s only natural that your blog and your direction evolves over time. People shouldn’t be looking for the “same old, same old.” I really enjoy reading your posts & following your work, not only for the DIY projects, styling & renovations, but also for the love and passion you have for your family. Best wishes to you as you figure out what is best for you and your beautiful family!!
Catherine says
I personally am so grateful for all that you have shared on your blogging journey. I am so sorry to hear this announcement, but completely understand your need to do what’s best for you two and your family! Your home improvement posts have inspired me to know I can do so much more than I ever would have thought I am capable of, and even though I am a lowly renter of a studio apartment now, I know I will use your blog as a resource for many years to come. Your family is adorable and authentic and a treasure that will be greatly missed, and I hope you will return to share your stories whenever the timing feels right for you again!
Nicole says
First time commenter, loooooooong time reader (sad that it takes this post to get me to comment!). Just wanted to say thanks for everything you guys have put out there for us readers over all these years. You can’t go through life without stopping to take a breather every once in a while so good luck with yours. Wishing you all the best and I’ll be waiting patiently for your return :)
Michelle says
Enjoy your time and truly take a good break to see what is best for all of you. Wishing you the best of luck and cross my fingers that you will be back, but if not, thanks for the years. I have absolutely enjoyed this blog so much and it has been such a great inspiration to me.
Lots of love!
Kristin H. says
I can’t live.
If living is without youu.
I can’t liiiiiiiive. I can’t live any mooooooorrrreeeee.
[insert super dramatic Mariah Carey face here]
Kari T says
I can honestly say I’ve never read a bad post on this site. I think you guys are amazing! Thank you for all the great technical how-to’s, design inspiration, awesome sillyness and the open window into your personal life. I hope you find what you’re looking for (not what anybody else thinks you need). I also hope you come back. You will be missed!!!
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
It’s hard for anyone to be creative all the time for 7 years. Blogging is such a different type of creativity because there is no break if you are doing it well. Other types of authors and song-writers and visual artists all take frequent breaks to feed their creative soul. Blogging… not so much. Reader expectations are absolutely ravenous and ridiculous. No one can meet those. Not sure how you held on for this long, except that I love what you do. I blogged regularly for 3 years and then have taken a 3 year hiatus – hah! Maybe one regular job and some infrequent posts about house projects when you get to them is the way to go, but we will miss you if you disappear forever!
Sarah W. says
I have been a YHL fan for years. Life is too short and the blogosphere has become very nasty/snarky. You both are focusing on what is important and positive (and I love that, btw ????). If you return I would love to continue reading. However, if you decide not to…thankyou both for inspiring us, informing us, and making us laugh!!!
Susie says
I’ve enjoyed your blog so much and look forward to it daily. This is my first time posting. I will miss your blog so much but I understand. Hope you’ll be back soon. You have such a sweet family and I have loved all you’ve done. You have inspired me that I could do it as well.
Thank you so much. Enjoy your time off.
Abby says
I’m sorry to hear that you are struggling! It seems all jobs, even self-employed ones, have those ups and downs I suppose. Just know that many of us will be anxiously awaiting your return – in whatever form and at whatever frequency you are able to give of yourself. Yes, I’ve noticed the tone has changed a bit over time, especially since Teddy, but I have to say I still enjoy nearly every post. And that has been true since I started reading 4 years ago. I’d been sad that the frequency had diminished but only out of selfishness. You guys are routinely my 11 AM mental break at work and I don’t know what to do with myself when you don’t have an update! Thank you for your honesty over the years, for your humor and for all of your how-tos. I swear, you hit everything on my to-do list just before I was set to get to it and that saved me a lot of trial and error! Joking aside, just know that YHL will live on my blog reader and if you come back once a week, once a month, or once a year I will look forward to reading whatever you have to say!
Tracey says
But wait, there are still items on Listy McListerson that must be addressed!! {deep breath} Enjoy those babies and each other and good luck getting back to a happy place. I will be anxiously awaiting our reunion.
Shell says
You guys have always been, hands down, my all time favourite bloggers.
You are funny, real, smart, talented, and honest. I will miss reading your posts everyday. But, I completely understand the need to step back and reevaluate where you are at and where you want to go in your life. I wish you all the best and hope to see you again. Best wishes! Lots of love and hugs to everyone,
Shell
Tiffani A. says
Wow, I’ll miss reading your updates! Best of luck and hope to see you both at it again soon!!
Elizabeth says
I feel like I could write a book just about the feelings that arose while reading this post! Just know that your amazing blog has touched so many people in a positive way. And for every one mean spirited person who has ever wrote nasty comments there are literally thousand of people who love a appreciate both of you. I started reading YHL 3years ago when I was deep in depression trying to raise a 3 yr old and a newborn, wrk full time,and make my new house that wasn’t me into a home (among other things). I felt like a was failing at everything and it seems silly but reading your blog and becoming inspired by the many creative simple things you do helped me through that rough time. I hope you can find a way to make it through your rough time and find what inspires you and makes you happy again. Selfishly I hope that includes the blog in some way but life is too short to waste time on things that drag you down. Find the happy place again! Thanks for being a beacon of light in my mornings for so long. All the best!
Rebecca says
I have been reading your blog for just the last year. When i started out I loved it so much that I went and read most of the archives. There were days when I read YHL like a novel (all day long). Maybe because of my overlap in reading current and older posts I didn’t spot the shift in “it”. Needless to say I wish you didn’t have to go, but I totally support you guys! You have an amazing family and I wish you all the best in whatever you choose to do in the long run. Just keep up the archives! Well done all these years of writing and finding the balance. You are an inspiration.
Nina says
So sad about this break!! I have read this blog for years now. You are a part of my daily routine and will be dearly missed. But with that being said, please enjoy your break, get back to your roots and know that I’ll be here when you’re ready to return. Love you guys right back!
Lynn says
So sad to hear this news, I love your blog and read it everyday religiously! I understand you guys need a break, the second baby is a game-changer and family always comes first! Don’t beat yourselves up, you guys write a great blog that is funny, informative and creative! Hope to see you guys back soon!
Jennifer S says
Because of your sweet, down to earth personalities, I feel like I have been able to relate a lot to you. We purchased our second home around the time you bought your current home and I have enjoyed having projects similar to yours. Or getting ideas from all of your projects. We have been in a house funk the past couple of months and it’s been fun to follow yours. So while I completely understand your feelings, I hope you keep your blog. Your dedication to your family and making your house a home is a great example to many. You deserve the best!
Lilian Garcia says
oh, no…! Life will be so sad without you! Hope you come back soon… Good luck and thank you for all the nice things you brought into my home!
Joanna says
A dear friend (we met in 5th grade and still friends after 35 years) lives in Richmond, but I always refer to it as “where John and Sherry live” :) Have a wonderful break!
Erica M says
I understand but am very sad! Hope you come back after your hiatus with new energy and passion! Honestly, I think the online world changing so much in the last couple of years may have something to do with whats going on. As a long time reader I know you don’t get paid for giveaways but I’m sure new readers would assume you do. SO many other bloggers do sneaky ads/sponsored posts/push products without stating they get compensated. Stay true to who you guys are. Do what you love. Focus on your family. Those are the most important things. Much love!
Tina says
No!! I’m a new follower (in the past 6 months), and I feel like you’re taking away my new best friend!? :( I LOVE your blog and compared to the other DIY blogs I semi-follow, you are a breath of fresh are and and as far from commercial as it gets. Don’t let the Debbie Downers get you down. I guarantee the vast majority of your readers still love and hang on every word you type. Take a break if you must, but PLEASE come back. You guys have such a gift, and what a shame it would be if it was pulled from the webs. :(
Holly says
Totally didn’t expect this, but kudos to you guys for keeping up with this blog as well as you have for SEVEN YEARS with barely a break – I remember y’all taking a little breather when you went to Hawaii, but you were still in touch and that was only for a week. How do you do it without getting burned out? I love you guys and really hope to see you back and refreshed, but if you choose other ventures I’ll be happy for you too (but selfishly I don’t want that to happen, haha). Hope y’all have a nice break!!
Danielle A. says
Is it crazy that I’m verklempt after reading this? Not just because I’ll miss your posts but because I am overwhelmed with respect for you in doing what your heart is telling you to do and making your family unit the NUMERO UNO thing for you. I thank you for the past few years of laughter, inspiration, ideas, and general feeling that crazy is cool. Whatever the next adventure is, you will excel and the world will be better for it!
Haley says
Will miss your posts! Sometimes it takes the most courage to just slow down and REST and find balance! Wishing you clarity about what’s best for your family during the break!
Jessica F says
I’m disappointed and sad to hear that you’ll be gone for awhile, but that is purely from a selfish place because I have checked your blog almost every day for the last three, possibly more, years. It’s hard to remember! I’ll feel like there’s a little something missing, but with a second child on the way myself, I can’t even begin to fathom how you keep so many balls in the air at once with Clara and your new honey Teddy, along with the demands of the blog and all your side projects. You deserve to take time to re-energize and focus on the people in your life that really matter, your family and friends. I appreciate that YOU appreciate your readers/fans but in the end, most of us are strangers to you (though through your honest approach to sharing your life with us, it certainly doesn’t feel that way!) I’m crossing my fingers that you’ll be back and feeling better not too long from now. I hope the Petersiks know they have all our support and love!
Amy says
Say it isn’t so! I will miss you guys. You are my morning coffee break :) I totally understand. With a new baby myself I am also re-evaluating everything which also involves a new job for me! You guys have a wonderful heart. Wishing you all the best!!!
Kristin says
I love your blog and have not felt that it has lost anything! It is by far my most favorite decorating blog and I get so many ideas and inspirations from you! I hope you will continue although I often wonder how you accomplish so many things in such a short time :)
Holly says
Oh, and pretty please don’t get rid of the lighting line… I’m building a new house and already have my fixtures picked out!
Audra says
I’m so sad! I’ll miss you guys. I’ve enjoyed your blog so much over the last couple years. I really hope you get your mojo back :) You should feel great knowing you’ve touched so many lives with this blog, and just remember: haters gonna hate. Enjoy your time with your family, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting your return. You guys are the best!
Aliesha says
I’ve been reading your blog for over 5 years and I just wanted to say thank you for sharing so much of your life with us. I’ve often wondered how you are able to keep up such a fast pace and accomplish as much as you do! I hope that during this break you’ll be able to figure out a balance that works for your family and rediscover the joy you once had while blogging. (As a blogger as well, I can relate to feeling like it becomes a “chore”!) For what it’s worth, some of my favorite posts you’ve written have been the birth stories, saving money posts, posts about green/frugal living, and posts about local Richmond stuff. You will be missed during your break, but I totally understand! Hugs to your sweet family!