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.
Nika says
Thanks for all your hard work! I have read for 5 years and enjoyed so much. Good luck to you.
Ash says
Professors take a sabbatical. Actors take a hiatus. New parents take maternity/paternity leave. Everyone needs a vacation! You guys have even managed to post whilst ON vacation, and you’ve never really taken maternity leave – so I think this break is well overdue for you guys. I know I stress out before going on vacation trying to do more-than-usual to get things done, so I can only imagine the stress it takes on you guys do all of your “in advance” work/projects/editing/posting before taking your breaks and book tours and new babies, all just to satisfy us, your voracious little Oliver Twists, always wanting “more, please!”
I left my last major job just before the 7 year mark – I think it’s the professional equivalent of the 7-year-itch, you know? Just time to say, “hey, I’ve spent the better part of a decade doing this – where is it going?” And that is never a bad thing to do. In fact, I’d say it’s one of the most important question you’ll ever ask yourselves. I mean, your family has doubled in size since you started writing, your readership has probably tripled, and you are only TWO PEOPLE to handle all of that – it’s so understandable!
You’ve made all of our lives better by writing Young House Love. If you never come back to blogging, please know that you’ve done that, and it’s amazing to have known you, even virtually. If you come back refreshed and with renewed vigor, the internets will celebrate! In the meantime, I hope you wake up every day and instead of anxiously wondering “who are we going to cheese off on the internet today with our post/lack of post/content of post,” you will simply ask “what adventures will I have with my family today?”
You made the world a more beautiful place, John & Sherry. Thank you.
Amy says
I do hope you guys come back to your corner of the internet at some point and in some fashion. I’ve followed the evolution of this blog, and I’ve been so happy for your success. I know you all can make money from the blog through ad magic or whatever, but for me, as a consumer, and with the exception of your book, you all have provided me with countless hours of free content and entertainment. I enjoy some posts more than others, sure. I also have a favorite Harry Potter book and Marvel movie. Just chiming in with all the other voices to say thank you, you will be missed. I think this is only my second time ever commenting, even though I’m here at least four days a week looking up something. I wish I’d chimed in more just thank you all for the content, which I loved in its various forms. You both are so talented, and I wish you the best of luck in future endeavors.
Viviane says
I never commented but have read EVERYDAY since pre-Clara days in your first house. I never felt you owe me (or anyone) anything and never missed anything. Thank you for all the home inspiration and good reads over the last years. I will miss checking in and wish all five of you just the best.
Katie V. says
I hadn’t read the comment thread from last week but went back and read some of it. You all are such sweet people pleasers but you can’t make everyone happy. You can’t write for everyone. Taking a break sounds like a great idea to re-focus. I do hope you come back soon feeling refreshed and with new purpose!
Natalie from Oklahoma says
I have been following your blog for 3 years now. I love it and I love you guys. It’s weird to say that because I have never meant y’all. I am from Oklahoma, married with 2 beautiful boys. Our children are the same ages, so that is cool! My second son was born on 4/4/14. I could go on and on but I wanted y’all to know that I support you guys in your decision but I hope you guys are back soon! I love reading your blog every day! I have gotten so many great DYI ideas from y’all and I love the personal touch.
See you soon…I hope.
Natalie from Oklahoma
Chase says
Love you guys. Do what you need to do. I hope this break is just what you need!
Sara says
As so many have already said, we’ll miss you!
But, that said, thanks so much for the clearly heartfelt, deeply thought out response. You explained your thoughts, and your position very clearly and very well.
But that said again, really, I don’t think you owe us anything and it put my teeth on edge to read some of the (truly nasty) comments left by readers last week. The fact that you feel any obligation to your readers is charming and touching, and says a lot about both of you as caring, responsible people, and I (like many others, I’m sure) really appreciate it. YHL is, and always has been, your blog to use as you see fit. We all have enjoyed your blog, but have done so for free. We are not your paying customers, and any readers that no longer like what they see can stop reading. It’s that simple. Comments about ‘they’re taking the money and running,’ are ridiculous; if your sponsors don’t like how things are going, I’m sure they are free to go elsewhere, too. Again, it’s that simple.
Personally, yes, I’ve seen some changes, but after your son was born you certainly gave your readers fair warning, and I think you’ve stuck to your end of the “bargain” very well. I trust that you will do as is best for your family, and I wholeheartedly salute you for it! That said, your blog has been one of my favorites, and I hope I can look forward to your return in the near future, in any capacity that you see fit. Best of luck, and please do try to ignore some of the nastier trolls among us; you deserve better.
Amanda says
Exactly what Sara said!!!
Staci @ My Friend Staci says
Yes. This.
Gorv says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great run! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your joy, and your happiness with us. I hope you guys can find your groove back,I hope you return with renewed energy to this blog; this little home you’ve built for us on the internet.This home that might have too many tenants, this home that some might forget is yours. You take your time, open those doors and windows, let clean fresh air in…follow your heart, I know you will find a way to make this home again.
Julie says
Well as a mom of 11 I totally understand how life goes in phases and you have to do what is best for your family. As a silent follower of your blog for years I would just like to say thank you for all of the inspiration you have given me. You have shown me that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a beautiful house and to not be scared of trying something new. You will be very missed!
Rachel says
Completely understandable. Good luck to you all. I have enjoyed following your blog over the years and wish you the very best, whether you return to the blog or close the book on that chapter of your life.
Jackie says
I meannnnn…I get it and I commend you guys for putting your family first and doing what you feel is necessary to take a step back and reprioritize. That said…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has been sheer joy watching your family grow over the years, thank you for putting yourselves out there and sharing so openly and honestly and letting us become your weirdo friends you’ve never met. I mentioned this in the last comment but you’ve totally inspired my husband and I to blog our own adventures (that failed, but still) and DIY our own house. I made roman shades last weekend and I totally wouldn’t have done that if you guys didn’t show me that you don’t have to be insanely crafty or handy to make your home your own. From apartments and now our own house, you’ve helped us define our style and have helped shape the feels of our own home. Thank you for that!
We will miss your updates on your beautiful home and adorable kiddos. I will for SURE miss sending my husband links to the technical posts for proof that we CAN do it on our own! Whenever, if ever you do come back, the Landrys will be waiting!
Lisa B says
No!!!!!! :(
You guys deserve a break and to figure it all out. But I will be so sad with out a few updates a week and pics on FB.
Hurry back!
Ally says
I have never not loved your blog. I’ve learned so much from you guys and have been inspired repeatedly. Seeing you guys during your book tour in Cincinnati was seriously like simultaneously meeting my best friends and favorite celebrities! If your blog has been “off” I haven’t sensed it, but maybe that just speaks to your professionalism and talent. I will be a loyal reader if/when you decide to return. Thank you Petersiks!
Joy T says
My husband and I have loved your blog for years. (We’re still pinching ourselves about a giveaway I won from you over two years ago!) As with any venture, there have been and will be changes. Please take all the time you need to refresh and do whatever it is YOU and your family need. I, along with many, many others, will be here when you return, happy to have you back and looking forward to what you have to share.
Jessi E says
How very unfortunate for all of us that follow you. Your blog is a joy to me and I will miss you while you are on a break. Enjoy your time away and when (if) you come back, I’ll pick up right where we left off and follow along. Best wishes!
Robin says
Having put my own design blog on the backburner this past January, and then eventually not having the go-power to even consider going back to it, I can really empathize with what you’re experiencing. Although my blog never reached the critical mass/acclaim that yours did, and it was never my full-time gig, what started out as fun, rewarding and gratifying turned into something I loathed and approached with extreme dread after six years of maintaining consistent new content. Sincere good wishes to all of you, whatever you decide to do. You’ve certainly earned a break, and if your experience is like mine, you will really appreciate all of the daily life “things” you gain when you step back from this kind of grind.
Elizabeth Dale says
Oh, sadness. As a mom, I totally understand the need to step back and reevaluate. As a reader though, I will miss you guys. I sincerely hope that you won’t leave this completely – you are by far the only blog I follow religiously and have always loved your content.
Rest, relax, and re energize.
Tara says
Been reading and enjoying your blog from the perspective of a parent of adults- my sons are 30&33- and for the past year I’ve been worried about the amount of work you’ve taken on, with a new house, new baby, second book, and brilliantly parenting Clara….too, too much, and I KNOW doing the show house coinciding with a pregnancy would have killed lesser people! This blogging arena is still a relatively brave new world, and you have been pioneers. Be proud of that; now it is time to take care of yourselves. Figure out how to support your family while still having time to enjoy your children’s all too brief childhood. Most of all, cherish each other. That is all- oh, and thank you for your copious archives!
Donita says
I understand and agree but, my heart is so sad. Life is short, do what you love
. Enjoy your babies while you can.
I’m not gonna lie, I live for your posts. You have given me so many great ideas. We are making our sons shop in to a house…..(.long story, hubby has had a long year of cancer, chemo, hospital.) I’m constantly saying, John and Sherry said…..My husband says, do I know them. Lol My daughter says I act like you are my best friends.
I will secretly be praying that after a month rest, you can’t wait to get back to us. :-) Really though, do what is best for you and your family.
You are loved!!!
Donita says
P.S. I haven’t commented or read other comments, for months. To be honest, the nay sayers are hard to take. I’m sorry that others have been unkind to you.
Renata says
Like most of the people on here, I have been a looooong time reader. I love this blog because of your frank honesty, positive perspective, and your awesome taste. You have really awesome taste in pretty much everything whether it’s handling negative comments, picking a great fixture or making a decision about where to take your blog. You are two of the most wonderful people I have never met and I so enjoy you letting us in on your lives.
Though my first reaction upon reading this post was indeed NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
I totally respect that you are doing what you need to do to figure out how to live your best life and if you can continue to be the best yhl you can be. I will truly miss you, but I feel like I’ve been missing you already for awhile now. I hope you can come back, but I totally get it either way. I wish you guys nothing but the best and again I thank you for giving is so much of yourselves for so long. You guys are so super duper awesome and you deserve the best :)
Amanda says
I am so happy for you and your decision to take time off and to reevaluate your goals, life and priorities. Take all the time you need and know we are all here to love and support you with whatever you decide is your next adventure.
Enjoy your time away and hope to see you again very soon!
XoXo,
Amanda
Ashley says
I’ll miss you guys! Regardless of how upset people will be, I think this is a good decision. You’ll have time to recharge and focus yourselves and if you decide to pursue another main source of income, you all certainly have the talent to make it work!
That said, please don’t leave the blog completely. And don’t change *too* much in the house while you’re gone- I’d like to be able to recognize it when you come back! ;)
Catherine says
I don’t know why any of your readers think you owe them anything. For the past seven years you have shared your lives, your love, advice, tutorials, inspiration, ideas… FOR FREE. Everyone who reads your blog should be grateful for every post, every giveaway, etc. If you have a problem with the content, go read a different blog. I don’t know why people feel so entitled as to demand specific content.
I’m glad you’re giving yourselves a well-deserved break. Focus on letting your brains rest, finish up that book, and spend some quality time with the cute little ones. They will be all grown up before you know it, and you will regret having wasted a moment of your time or energy focusing on unnecessary criticism from Internet strangers.
In the meantime, I have a bunch of archives to catch up on :D
Elaine in Ark says
“…In the meantime, I have a bunch of archives to catch up on.”
Me, too! I’m planning to re-read the whole thing. Yeah, it’s *that* good.
Donita says
Me too!! I have lots to read…..over and over!!
marie says
Oh no!
I hope you come back soon but would understand if you didn’t.
Maybe you could just post an update when you think you have taken a decision, whatever it may be?
In the meantime, I wish you all the best.
Krysta says
I definitely hope you will be back. And although I loved the days of more posts, I’m about to give birth to our fourth kid and can totally understand that life changes. It is silly of anyone to demand/expect more from you guys. I mean – we all do access this blog for free and no one is being forced to read.
We are extremely grateful for all you have done. We are embarking on our first {major} DIY (a bathroom) and it has been so fun to watch my husband read through your old posts and even saw him reading your book the other day!
Carly says
I commend your decision! I can see what you mean about just not really feeling it lately. You have to be burnt out at this point! It’s a great gig, for sure, but its like going on vacation and making sure you take pictures of everything rather than just experiencing the joy of it, in the moment, for yourselves. Everything you do has added pressure to be appropriately captured and slavishly explained…it honestly sounds so exhausting. As much as we all love being included in your lives, it seems you might be happier just living in the moment. t least for a while.
Best of luck!!
Bethley says
Aww, I hope it’s just a break. I’ve been following you guys since the blog had another name.
I think having a career is like having an additional child. You have time to balance it with one kid, but once you have another one you’re playing zone defense instead of man-to-man. Things might feel different when your oldest is in school. You might find you enjoy blogging like you used to.
In the mean time, I look forward to the new book!
Jacqueline says
Somehow this feels like a bad breakup, and we can’t stop talking about it. I honestly don’t blame you after the comments of last week. I will miss you!
Deb D. says
I did not see that coming….. but I applaud you on your decision because I can not even fathom how hard that must have been. I quit working 3 years ago to stay home with my kids and that was tough enough, but we still had one member of the family gainfully employed. Follow your hearts — but know you have legions of people who admire your work ethic, your honesty, your humor, your dedication to your readers/followers and most of all your commitment to your family. I know we’ll see you somehow, somewhere again — you two are so talented. Enjoy the break.
Alison Zarrella says
Wishing you both, and your whole family, the best of luck with whatever you decide. You are a joy to read, but if you are not feeling the joy when writing, it is time to make a change.
Helene says
Love you guys and have loved the blog in all its forms. I totally understand, but do hope to read lots more of you in the future!
xin says
You actually made me cry! I love you guys so much. I had a blog before, stopped it after I had my second baby. Your blog has been my lifeline, inspiration and one place I can come and relax and envy somethings I always want to do but cannot do it. You guys inspired me on so many levels!
Like others have been saying, I will be here when you are ready to come back! Enjoy your family! The kids only this young once. Don’t miss out because you have to write something for us to read. We will take whatever you come up with, and whenever you like.
Will be missing you dearly. But at least the blog is still up, so I can still enjoy it.
Thanks for the lovely 7 years!
Susie says
Just because you’re taking a break doesn’t mean you are any less brilliant! Even Seinfeld ended after 9 seasons. The fact that you recognize that you don’t want to let a good thing fizzle makes me even have more respect for you. As much as i love your blog I had no idea how you were keeping up with everything (having two little ones myself). You certainly deserve a little break, enjoy the unplugged time! So grateful for all of your inspiration over the years.
Ingrid says
I will miss you and your little Internet refuge. Hope for your return with new energy. Enjoy the best things in life, kids, burgers (the four legged especially) and each other. Well deserved break and I hope, hope, hope you’ll be back!
Hugs
Kacey says
Good for you guys for walking the walk when it comes to priorities…you know the ins and outs of your family and what will work best for you right now. For everything there is a season (but I am secretly hoping that YHL’s season isn’t quite over :-) Hoping you get the clarity you need and come back refreshed and renewed!
Liz A. says
J & S, do what you have to do. Life is too short (and too long) to spend it feeling burned out, inadequate and without the spark that brought you into the field you are in. A suggestion: make sure that you are using your time away for the YHL blog doing things…I sometimes think that the burnout I feel with my job as a social worker and educator will somehow be fixed with binge watching “How I met your mother” episodes, but thats not how it works. Pounding nails into a Habitat for Humanity home restored my own humanity, and passion, for my chosen profession. In your case, maybe not so much with the nails, but please stay creative, active and artistic until those things cease to fill your soul. When that happens, go find something else to fill it. You are the first and only blog that I have ever read with any regularity, and I hope to see you soon.
CT Granny says
Oh, man, am I going to miss you guys. I already miss you on Fridays. And I definitely miss the time when you posted twice a day and sometimes on Saturday. You are the ‘gold’ standard for blogs by which all others are compared.
However, I can only imagine how tired you are at this point. Caring for two young children is very demanding and time consuming.
This summer, in particular, I noticed a number of bloggers taking a break so don’t feel that you are the only ones with changed feelings. I imagine there is a life cycle in blogging although I haven’t figured out what that is.
So take time to rest and recuperate. Know that lots of people can hardly wait until you are back.
Barbara
Kelli says
Enjoy your time away from the blog and God Bless your family!
K. Moore says
Thanks for all the fun posts!! I have enjoyed being a part of your lovely family! God bless you guys! <3
Jessica says
There comes a time in everyone’s career were we get a little burnt out. We need to take a step back or the things that we love so much just aren’t us anymore. I selfishly hope you guys come back because I adore your family and your blog but in the same breathe i completely understand! I wish you guys the best of luck in whatever you decide to do! ENjoy those kiddos because they do grow up so fast! we will all still be here :)
Whitney says
Good for you guys! You deserve a maternity leave anyway, and I hope you come back refreshed and re-energized.
While I love your huge improvement projects, my favorite posts are when you do things like build a dollhouse for Clara, decorate your house for the fall, or spray paint an ugly chair to make it awesome. They are simpler for you guys and more attainable for a working mom like me.
Enjoy your time off. We’ll look forward to your triumphant return :)
Angela says
I wish you well and hope you find a passion and a spark again.
Christine says
Thank you, sincerely, for this whole epic blog endeavor. Totally love you guys. Take care of yourselves.
Annette says
You and your family are amazing in so many ways and part of that comes from your honesty about all you feel about life’s experiences, those private and professional. Good luck with finding all those answers- I will certainly miss vicariously living along side you! Just one question, will you still be updating your Handsome Teddy’s weekly photos on your blog? If not, that okay… I’ll just look forward to seeing his growth when you get back!
Good luck!
Danna says
I am truly saddened by this news, but having been a lifelong follower of YHL, I feel like you guys are part of my family. Although I will miss your amazingly informative and witty content so much, I am truly happy for you guys to take a break. Not because I want to stop reading (I have literally read every single one of your posts since day one, right after I read one of your first printed articles in 2007 and this is the only blog I consistently check on a daily basis amidst many others I follow), but because I am a writer and a DIYer myself and I know how incredibly hard you two work to keep this blog going. In all honesty I would have burned out years ago, so you two deserve a break. Time to just spend with your family, consider other career options and think about doing what makes you the most happy. You have an example to set for your children and although you have already shown them the amazing things that come from hard work and determination, it is time to show them that staying true to yourself and doing what makes you truly happy is the best way to live your life. I genuinely hope you come back in some capacity, even if just to check in every couple weeks or so with an overall house update, but if you choose not to then I wish you guys all the best in life and thank you from the bottom of my heart for inspiring me beyond words to follow my dreams. You have been one of the biggest sources of inspiration in my life and I sincerely thank you for that. Best of luck John and Sherry and to the entire Petersik family.
Kirsten says
I’ve been following your blog since you were pregnant with Clara and I love this place. You guys are amazing.
A long, long while back I sent you a facebook message containing a link to the story of how my dad and grandpa gutted and renovated my childhood home in MA. That you even responded made me feel great, but your positiveness and enthusiasm was so sweet. I showed it to my dad and he follows your blog now, too, and thinks what you both do in your home and for yourselves is fantastic (I kinda think he wishes I was a bit more handy, like you guys). I understand the need to take the break and wish you all well, but I do hope you will be back and full of blog lovin’ gusto as soon as you can!
Camille says
My favorite blog.
Meg C says
It’s bizarre that I will truly miss you guys and your daily presence, even though I only “know” you through your blog. Just another testament to what an amazing job you have done all these years. Your readers got to see a little piece of your wonderful family, and that’s what made it so unique, and what kept me coming back every day. So good for you for knowing when you need to take a step back and evaluate. I will truly miss you all, but I will be here when you get back. In whatever form that may be. Sending big big internet hugs.
Sabrina says
While I will truly miss checking in her daily, you gotta do you. If this space isn’t your happy place anymore, you have to find what that is. I agree with what Britt said above, this is genuinely one of my favorite places on the internets no matter the length or subject of the post and I’ll miss it for sure. I hope you find that spark again and come back to this wonderful blog. But if not, I thank you for the last seven years. Best of luck Petersiks!