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.
Meghan says
Lots of love to you Petersik family! Your blog is truly an inspiration. I don’t make any design decisions around my home without “consulting John & Sherry!” May you have a restful and refreshing break!
Lindsay L says
Oh my word. What else is there to say? We love you both and hope you find the rest and recharge you need! John I really hope you don’t feel under appreciated in the midst of all these responses. We see how hard you worked on all those construction heavy and meticulous posts and basically, you rock. I don’t know if this is possible but I hope y’all sneak away on a vacation. There’s something so therapeutic about being away in a beautiful place and think about what you really want in life. My husband left our family last year and I’ve just walked through the hardest year possible but it’s the times that I’m outside and away that I get the most clarity. And the most excited about what’s next! I hope you keep blogging when you’re ready. and I’m still hopeful you’ll start a children’s furniture or play line one day so there’s always that if you’re exploring all options :) xoxo!
Lauren says
I’ll miss you guys, but totally get it (how you were doing all this w/ two kids, one being a newborn is mind-boggling as this parent of one barely manages to get the laundry done on a weekly basis). Good luck figuring everything out. And enjoy this break!!
Lindsey says
I am so sad to see you all go! As someone who has recently moved away from Richmond, your blog was a constant reminder of home. Of course, family comes first and I completely respect your decision. But your presence in this stranger’s life will be greatly missed. Best of luck in all you do, and if you do choose to come back, we will all be right here waiting for you!
Meredith says
Whomp, Whomp, Whomp…..
But at the same time, good for you! I hope you both find what you’re looking for :)
rachel laree says
I just started reading exactly a year ago, and you all have inspired me, with so much love for the diy, but I totally see what your saying, and I don’t know how you all have done it for so long. You should be happy with yourselves to have made it thus far, and not feel like your letting us down. I have remodeled our large victorian and decided to start a blog, well it lasted for a month, and I’m a very persistent person, but it took all the joy away from my personal space and everything was just like blog-blog-blog, and it so got on my nerves, that I stopped, So to have made it 7 yrs of blogging so far, I understand why you all are tired of it.
I’m a very private person, I’m not on the social sites, fb, instagram, etc either and I can tell you it’s very freeing and uplifting to step away from social media. DO IT, you won’t regret it. YHL and bowerpower are the only blogs I read, so I guess I won’t have a read for my morning coffee, but this week I’m quitting coffee, so it’s all good. So your’e helping me, just not in a diy way. lol :)) love you guys, take care!
Sally says
I will miss you all so very much, but totally understand. I wish you well and hope you will be back soon. xo
KatieP says
Although I’m disappointed I completely understand. Going from zero, to one and now two kids completely changes the game. Having struggled with this myself, albeit on a much smaller scale, you have to do what you have to do. The family unit is the most important and all this other stuff is fluff. We love your projects and you guys and your family too. So please do what feels right and for heavens sakes get some sleep! ; )
Thank you for being honest with us even though you truly don’t owe us anything. Thank you for inspiring so many to do great things. Thank you for being you the best way you know how.
Kathleen says
Classic break up email! ” It’s not you…it’s us. We need a to take a break “. Awesomely funny. You are a blog. It’s ok, we’re not in a relationship. Don’t feel guilty. You know, that goofy cute writing style has been really grating, lately. I guess because it’s been so forced.
No hard feelings..we’ll be fine!
Linda says
You have been, and are, an inspiration to so many people. My best wishes to you during this sabbatical, and I wish you only the best in whatever you choose to do going forward.
I’ll definitely have your new book on preorder as soon as that’s available, and thank you for keeping the blog open so we can review your tutorials and enjoy your work.
Heather says
As much as this saddens me ( this blog is the first thing I look at when I open my computer in the morning) It makes me just as happy that your making your family a priority and taking a break to get your groove back! I really hope and pray that your time away is refreshing and energizing!
Nicole says
Well, I will miss you but I can understand that you need to take a break, even if that means you won’t come back. I love you guys (as much as you can love someone you don’t actually know) and I only wish you all the best in the world! Take all the time you need to figure out where your paths may lead you. I’ll be here to continue reading if/when you decide to come back, even if you only post once a year! Good luck! :-)
Meredith says
I am literally fighting tears at my desk. I will MISS you guys so, so, so much. Really hoping you find your groove and come back better than ever. I’ll definitely be here waiting.
Cassidy says
As sad as this post makes me, I’m glad to see your “human side” as well. I’m a mother of 2 littles under the age of 3 and have often felt incompetent? lacking? when I have read all you are able to accomplish with kids in tow.
Amazed at your ability to recognize something that isn’t working in your lives and the strength to say it openly – no easy task given that this is also your livelihood.
Whatever you decide I know you’ll succeed with as some people simply have what it takes to always rise to the top.
Best wishes to you four!
Angela kr says
I’m guessing the amount of relief you felt once hitting publish was instantaneous, giddy, frightened and exuberant all at once. About 10 months ago, I left a great job, but full of stress and wrecking my relationship with my husband and child. At first I was completely lost.. But then, step by step, I found my smile again :) My husband found his best friend and the love of his life back in his arms and my daughter found a mother who has unimaginable time for her. It was the single most beautiful thing I could of done for all three of us. Kudos to you for making such a life changing event. I’ll miss you, but totally get why.
Daisy says
Hope your break brings you what you need. Always enjoyed reading, but wish you well on any endeavors.
Chelsea says
I’ll miss the posts, but I completely understand that this is something you need to do. Good luck to you, and I hope you get back to your happy place soon! :)
Shelley says
Awwww…there’s never goodbye. We’ll see you when we see you. Do your best being you…everyone else is already taken.
Tamara says
We all get burned out after years of work. Being creative and real is fun, but can get overwhelming after awhile. Take your break. You deserve it. Find what makes you feel great again.
Nancy S says
This probably won’t be posted, looks like you aren’t doing comments for this post, and that’s totally cool. This message is just for you guys. I just want to let you know that I love you and your blog and your sweet little family. I’ve been following for years and wish you nothing but the best. I recognize the change in your postings that others have mentioned. I’ll admit I’m not as into the big construction type projects than the small art or organizing projects, mostly because I can’t attempt them myself, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love reading about them and watching as you make over your beautiful home. Don’t let the internet beasts get to you too much. Know that you have a very loyal following who maybe aren’t as vocal but love your taste and your ideas totally and completely. I’m totally in support of your taking a break, rethinking what you want to do with your public brand as well as your personal lives, and will be right back with you should you choose to restart this blog or maybe venture off in a new direction. For now, take this time to relax and enjoy your family. Figure out what’s right for you and trust that it will all work out for the best! <3
Bria says
Good for you! Take a break, enjoy your family, and do what works for you!! It’s your life to live, you’ve already given a lot, and I don’t think you owe us anything! Enjoy your house instead of it feeling like a job – take it all in! It’s a beautiful house as it is right now, and you deserve to rest in it!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and life. Will be here waiting when you return. Hope you enjoy your time away and find peace and passion for whatever your future holds.
Brooke says
We understand, and we love and follow you for a reason – because you keep it real :). Thank you for being transparent and honest. Take a break, and we hope you come back refreshed and renewed! And always remember – everyone has an opinion and someone will be disgruntled no matter what you do. Keep it real, stay true to who you are, and don’t get discouraged :).
Audrey says
Aw, I’m sad to read this John & Sherry but you need to do what’s best for you and your family. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for the past couple of years over here in Ireland and I’ll miss checking in at 3pm every day to see what you have in store. Enjoy your break, get lots of family time and rest and I hope you’ll be back soon x
Leslee says
I’m so proud of you guys. Such a brave thing to do and so counter to our culture that values success over life well lived. I don’t think you’ll ever regret it. Selfishly I hope you come back…but only if it is because you are loving it again!
Lisa E says
Well said!
Jamie says
What will I read @ work? :) Will miss YHL but enjoy your time to hit the reset button.
Rieke says
Love you guys, too. I read your blog every day. You and your attitude towards life inspire me so, so much. You also taught me so much about DIY and design, about how you somethings just need to try things, admit mistakes, begin all over again…
I never felt as if your blog was “sponsored to much” or even “bought” (not a native speaker, hope you get what I mean). I even wanted to “sponsor” you myseld, but you don’t use Flattr, so I can’t pay.
Have a great break and enjoy the time with your family. Take as much time as you need. I just hope for you to be back someday.
Jill says
I’m a long time reader and am sad to see this, but completely support your decision. For what it’s worth, I have never felt disappointed in your blog. I love the way it has evolved over the years and you guys are definitely an inspiration for decor & DIY. I hope you guys come back, but thank you for sharing your life and knowledge with us over time!
Claire says
Dear Sherry and John, I was SO not expecting this. I adored yesterday’s post! And I was already waiting to see what was the result of the curtains in the office. I am sad I won’t read you for a while but it would be selfish to beg you to keep up blogging if you’re not in the mood for the moment. I hope you’ll come back with tons of new ideas and that you will inspire us again as you’ve inspired me the last 4 years that I’ve been reading you. I am sending you lots of love, admiration and support. This must have not been an easy decision! Take care of you and of your two beautiful kids! Des bisous, from Belgium, Europe :)
jenna says
Love the blog and hope you will be back soon! Enjoy your break. Not knowing much about blogging or your business, but if you do decide to come back maybe there is a way to “hire out” some of the tasks you don’t like/make you lose excitement…I’ve heard about virtual assistants. Just an idea if that would help you – would be sad if there was no YHL in the future! Best wishes!
liz says
y’all do what is best for YOUR family’s happiness. you have entertained us for years, thank you, but you don’t owe your readers anything you don’t feel like giving. that is the beauty of what you have created and how hard you’ve worked. take great care.
Emily Morrison says
This is so sad! 100% understandable and I commend y’all for doing this…but do know that your presence will be missed! I pray for peace and clarity over your break! Enjoy your time “off” and please come back! :-)
Andrea says
Whoa. I’m relieved by this post, but sad to see you guys struggle. I’ve read this blog since your first house (and my first house), and your enthusiasm and progress was my motivation for making my own space better. The reset button might be just what you need to come back fearless and happy again. Hopefully some living without your readership will make the blog a fun place for you again. I have a lot more respect for you guys after this decision. Good luck.
Kelsey says
It’s a sabbatical. Lots of professions take sabbaticals – time off every seven years to realign with your calling, to travel, research, reconnect with your passions – and I think every profession should! Intentional rest is so important. My dad is a pastor and he is required to take a three month sabbatical every seven years. It’s necessary and life-giving. May your time away be reenergizing and give you clear direction for the future.
Andrea says
This makes me soooooo sad! I absolutely love every single thing you post and I refer back to your blog constantly for recommendations and inspiration. I also loved meeting you on your book tour (at the Toronto stop) I hope your break re-energizes (is that a word?!) you in a million different positive and loving ways! Enjoy the break. Much Love to your entire family. xx
Amanda S says
I think the books were definitely a mistake. They’re just way more trouble than they’re worth. The projects go out of style too fast and the books then take up space on a shelf collecting dust. Sooo, you learn a lesson from your mistakes then erase them from your memory and move forward. Just do what you know how to do best and be proud of that and content with that. This blog doesn’t have to be any more complicated than it was in your first days of posting. Don’t wimp out because of your emotions. Emotions are temporary. I’m lucky that I can’t stop showing up for my job because I don’t feel the joy of it anymore! Usually after a day or two of feeling down, the roller coaster shifts and I’m back up again and thankful I stuck with it!
Lisa E says
Wow, easy there. I have to respectively disagree. While a particular style might not stick around, the technique to achieve it will not and you can adjust accordingly to the current style. I am happy to own their book and I’m old enough to be their Mom. :)
Lisa E says
Oops, typo there. The technique to achieve it WILL stick around.
Hilary says
Amanda, I am assuming that you are probably also lucky at your job and get to take 2 to 3 weeks of vacation every year. And a vacation where you don’t have to think about your job at all. I can’t remember the last time John and Sherry took a real, blog-free vacation.
Have a great break John and Sherry, you guys really deserve it! And I hope to hear from you in a month!
Jane says
Your blog is the first one I check every day. I look forward to seeing what new project you are tackling. When I read your post today I felt like I was hit in the stomach. I understood when you shortened the amount of posts you would make each week, but now I feel that you are leaving us for good. I have to admit it hurts because we’ve gotten to know you and think of you as family. I guess all good things must come to an end. I wish you all the best and much happiness. I think I feel a cry coming on.
Take care and goodbye,
Jane
Kelly Ann says
You guys are some of my favorite humans. Ones I WISH TO GOD I lived across the street from instead of just stalked online. Take this time for you! I hate the internet sometimes. You’ve got to do what makes you happy and full and whole. If this isn’t cutting it anymore, you need a break! xoxo
Anna Kristina says
I hope and pray this break is just what you need, and I’ll be here patiently waiting for whenever you feel ready to jump back in (fingers crossed that you get there eventually!). YHL is hands down my favorite blog, even if you feel like you’ve been missing your groove lately. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with the interwebs!
Myrna says
I will miss you. I was your neighbor down the street in House #2 and enjoyed the times we met. What I will miss most is the children’s pictures…we have watched Clara grow and progress and we will miss seeing Teddy do the same. You have shared your life with which may not always been easy.
Take a break, but please come back.
Susan says
This is SO the right thing to do.
Growth is sometimes hard, but usually worth it.
Wishing you peace in your hearts as you sort this all out.
SJ
Janci P. says
I’ve always been amazed and in awe of the PACE that you guys keep!! Good for you for taking a much deserved REAL break!! Having two kids is no joke and it’s quite an adjustment. You guys hve been pounding away at huge and amazing jobs for a long time now. REST! You don’t owe any of us any more than you’re already giving (and have given) us! I love your blog in all it’s forms because it follows a real family and needing rest is a real thing! So go do it! Enjoy! Enjoy your family and renew your love for each other and this journey you’re on together. You guys are amazing, don’t ever doubt that. A break will be such a good thing!! Looking forward to your return of course but take as long as you need!
Lindsey says
I’m going to miss you guys! I hope that this pause for a breath helps you get back on track to what makes YOU happiest. Much, much LOVE!
Caroline says
I’m so going to miss checking for your posts every morning. I never once felt like the blog had gotten blah or off… You have a newborn … Life happens! I sure hope a break renews your desire to blog. Y’all have always been a favorite, such a breath of fresh air in the blog world!
NWNZ says
As a person who 4 months ago quit their job, packed up their house, booked a one way ticket to Paris, and still travelling, I understand entirely.
For what it is worth your blog was the first thing I checked every morning FOR YEARS! Your blog had evolved, that is true. But none of us are the same person we were 5 years ago. You both have amazing skills as bloggers, DIYers and the ability to connect with some many people. Like many, many people here I consider you my “friends”. And that is a skill.
Take a break if you need it – but if at the end of it you choose that sharing the adventures of your family and your DIY brilliance is right for you – we will all jump up and down with glee (and may do some inappropriate dancing :))
Take care
(is it considered stalking to keep obsessively checking the website just in case you change your mind?)
Leslie C says
**HUGS**
We all need a break sometimes. I always wondered how you guys did this non-stop for 7 years. This has to be for you first. If and when you decide to come back, we will be here, anxiously waiting, because we love you for you. :)
Love you guys! And enjoy your time to yourselves.
Amanda says
I think this is the first comment I’ve ever left even though I’ve been reading for the better part of these seven years (I suck!). But I want to say that I totally understand and I’m glad you aren’t saying goodbye forever. I, for one, will be here ready to read, when you are ready to write.
Selma Harris says
I am sad that you are taking a break but totally understand. Since I began following your blog, I’ve gained knowledge to know where to go when I need to know how to do something. I’ve enjoyed reading your content daily and I MEAN DAILY but I did feel something was off but continued to follow because I enjoy it!!! The one thing I LOVED about your blog and projects is that the purchases were mostly done by you and the outcomes were amazing to me. I really appreciated it. They helped me to think out of the box!
Not to be to mushy, take care during this time.
God Bless
Robin says
I am going to miss the daily check ins, but am looking forward to seeing the “old” YHL again. Enjoy the sebatical.
Brittani says
As a mother of 2 (youngest born in April) and a mother that works full time, i have to say i have honestly been thinking “how do they do it all??” every time i read your blog. You guys are AWESOME. Your blog has inspired so much in my life, from my wedding to DIY projects in my house, i will definitely miss you while you are on your hiatus, but i 100% understand the struggle you are going through. As an avid reader, i could feel it coming for awhile. Hopefully you find some peace and a healthy balance between your family and this blog – b/c I need YHL in my life in some form! :) Sending lots of love and positive thoughts your way!