Update: Aaaand less than 12 hours later we’re back with an update on the bottom of the post for ya. Smooth, right?
Hey there! Long time no see.
The break has been great. Admittedly a little weird, but really reinvigorating. So we’re immensely thankful not only for your support and kind comments, but also for helping put words to some of the things that we had been feeling for some time. And while the last month hasn’t been enough time to fill in all of the blanks about our future (heck, when are life’s blanks ever clearly filled in?) it has made one thing pretty obvious to us: after seven awesome years of sharing our home and our life, it’s time for our next adventure.
This blog has been a staple in our lives for 80+ months, tagging along for all but three months of our marriage and our entire existence as parents. So we thought it would be nearly impossible to click off that urge to over-share this past month (we expected our blogging spark to come back with a vengeance). But maybe it’s us getting older, the kids getting bigger, or a general shift in life priorities – but it actually felt just right. So this break has given us the clarity (and the guts, I guess) to move on… and hopefully move the needle on that life balance we’ve been talking about for so long.
We won’t go as far as to declare this the end of Young House Love or our blogging days. Who knows, maybe somewhere down the line (when the kids are both in school?) we’ll get that burning in our bellies again – perhaps here or in a completely different capacity. We don’t know what the future holds, but we know that the most amazing things have happened to us when we’ve stretched waaay out of our comfort zone – as much as that sounds like advice you’d find on an inspirational kitten poster.
We plan to keep the blog archives available for as long as we can, and will be freezing comments soon, but we won’t be completely dropping off the planet. Some completed product designs with Liberty Hardware and Shades of Light may pop up, and our second book will come out on September 22nd, 2015. Those folks have all been amazingly supportive of our decision, for which we’re incredibly thankful.
Speaking of which – “Thank you” doesn’t come close to expressing how grateful we are for getting to share our weird little world with you guys for so long. We have nothing but love and gratitude for this whole experience – and for you. (*This is probably where we should fade up on that Dirty Dancing song*)
But let’s not say “goodbye” let’s just say “see you on another time.”
Peace, love, and ceramic animals,
John & Sherry
PS: We did randomly snap a few fresh photos for the House Tour page over the break (some of the rooms were pretty outdated). Feel free to give the dining room’s blue trim the side eye for us (yes, it’s still there!).
Update: The same few questions kept popping up in the comments (we just can’t quit you). As for the “what are your new jobs” thing, we’ve mentioned in a few previous posts that we left the door open in our past professions (advertising/copywriting/consulting), which we can do as freelancers from home a lot of the time, while switching off on the stay-at-home parent thing. We know things like the book and products we design are driven by this blog, so we can’t live off those or anything. Didn’t mean to be mysterious! As for the Facebook/Instagram questions, we’d love to pop up there from time to time to say hi. And we hope our blog archives will be up for a good long time (we use them to reference things like paint colors, so we’d never want to lose them!).
We’re also really sorry if this feels abrupt. We’ve made a few public attempts to wind down and gain balance over the years (like when we moved to this house and after Teddy’s birth) but they’ve always been at odds with our “all in” personalities, so it wasn’t until taking this break (yet another attempt to recalibrate) that we realized we felt closer to our goal. We debated lots of alternatives – drastically fewer posts / shorter posts / no comments – but nothing felt like the version of Young House Love we were excited to carry on with. And we tried to keep today’s post light and happy (the last one felt so heavy) since this truly is a moment of extreme gratitude, despite it being a difficult decision to make.
Flawless and graceful exit, eh? Right. So here we go. Ack, we suck at this! We will miss you!!
Raquel says
Ugh, it happens to me all the time. My favorite television shows get cancelled, and now one of my favorite blogs goes out. I’m having a pity party. :-(
Sarah says
A sad (for us) but completely understandable decision, I wish your family all the best for the future!
Would have really loved a more meaty ‘closure’ post as it really does feel like an abrupt end after so many years of daily reading, but I guess sometimes when you’re done, you’re done. That said, if you decide to give us more of a goodbye I’ll probably still be checking regularly (or rereading old posts!) :)
Sam says
I’m not expert – but seems like following the ‘Strobist’ path (among others) and moving to a content portal format would be something to consider as a next step… I expect it would preserve your content online for quite some time and allow you to come back/sporadically update if you like. You have some excellent technical tutorials I’d hate to see get lost.
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2013/11/low-frequency-high-amplitude.html
Mariangeles says
Agree!
Gwenalyn says
We will miss you so much!! I really hope you continue to post pictures of your home and your beautiful kiddos. I really love looking at Teddy and Clara’s photo projects. :) Much love to you all! Enjoy your new adventures!
Jessica says
For some odd reason, it reminds me of the final scenes of The Truman Show, where he walks off and you think, “But then what happens!??? Oh… wait…. I guess that’s the point.”
Thanks for sharing your insight and creativity for these many years. You’ve brought a great deal of happiness to many families (and a great deal of improvement to many homes!). I’d love to see the archives stick around, as I use them all the time. Best of luck in your new adventures!
Amber Turk says
Is it weird that I feel teary eyed about this?! Not in a creepy stalker way, just in a so sad we’re going to miss out on all the things you guys shared with us sort of way.You guys seem like everyone’s best friend, you are so real and genuine & that is really hard to find at times so I’m sad to lose my “friends”, but I’m also so happy & excited for you guys. You are the only blog I faithfully followed so I hope you will occasionally give us updates on you & the kiddos. Best of luck!!!!!
Amy says
But.. Wait.. I will try harder.. Can I have another chance? I feel like one of THOSE friends who just takes and takes and never gives. So, as a long time reader and never commenter I want to take this (last?) opportunity to say how much I appreciate all you’ve done. In a world where so much is wrong, you were a place that was right. As my Italian in-laws would say, “Those Petersiks, they’re good people”. I feel bad to think that any of the naysayers or meanies caused you any heartache or doubt about what you do and how much you have positively influenced so many. In keeping with the Dirty Dancing theme from many commenters, “Nobody puts the Petersiks in a corner. Nobody”. (Do the lift John, do the lift!!). In all seriousness, I wish you and your family much peace and happiness. A decision that puts family first is never a wrong one . Gulp. But I will still selfishly hope for some occasional updates on the house (the kitchen! the dining room!) and family. A most sincere Thank You for all that you are and all that you do. You are truly appreciated.
Sheryl says
I add my voice to the nearly-thousands already here: thanks so much for sharing not only your fantastic DIY tips but your lives with us. I don’t know of any other blog that I have enjoyed as much as yours (and I read a lot!), and a good part of that was down to your every-man-ness, like, you felt like my friend down the street who wanted to fix up her house but didn’t really know how to tile so she taught herself and then taught me, rather than being experts who deigned to teach us peons the right way to paint, if that makes sense? You guys are pretty much experts now but you didn’t start that way, and you’ve been real about admitting mistakes and sharing different methods, from which I have learned a lot. And in an entertaining fashion: you guys are just so fun! I really think we could be friends. ;-) And so does probably everyone else who visits here, and that again is a kudos to you, your approach, and your approachability. Thank you!!! Now skedaddle and enjoy those scrumptious little monkeys of yours.
Rachel Snodgrass says
I so badly wish I could stamp my foot, throw a tantrum and say “No! You can’t leave me!” But I do understand, and as much as this feel like a death in the family, I’m glad you guy know how to do what is best for your family and not bend to pressure. It just proves how genuine you’ve always been with us. I love you so much, and I’ll miss you, and if I ever see you I am still going to chase you down for an autograph! Best wishes always! <3
Christina says
This is one of those April Fool’s Day jokes, right?? You will be missed.
Dana says
Best of luck in your future endeavors! I’m sure if you take them on with the same passion and professionalisms, you do great in whatever it is you decide to do! You certainly seem qualified for so many different fields…design, copywriting, advertising, running a business, and the list goes on :)
Ag says
I am surprised by how heartbroken I am about this. Thank you for years of entertainment and pick-me-ups when my own old house and young family sometimes felt overwhelming. You guys are very talented and I’m sure you will have great things ahead. Logically, I understand, but I’m very bummed! You have every right to disappear but I hope you consider occasional updates… Like yearly where-are-we-now updates about the house and fam. Am I grasping at straws?! Anyway…again…thank you.
Christina BK says
I have to say I feel like you just broke up with us. I want to be a little bit like veronica mars and listen to al green on repeat. you all will be missed. Hopefully you will pop in from time to time very soon. <3
Hana says
I feel very sad. But, I agree with your decision. It pushes me to make my decision…to the next phase as well. Good luck!
Susan says
ONWARD PETERSIKS! But no farewell photo of Burger? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Good luck and good-bye!
Colleen says
Best of luck to you. You will be missed. It takes courage to move on to the next adventure in life, so my hat’s off to you for taking the leap. I’m sure great things are ahead.
Jaci says
Cannot believe this:( really bummed. Your blog has been an outlet for me the past four years and I bought the book! I can relate to wanting more privacy though and having a new child brings much more activity and time for parenting. So sad though, but wishing you all the best in future endeavors. Thanks for so much inspiration and laughs, I truly loved the voice of yhl.
Amy says
Not gonna lie…when I saw there was an update to this post, for a fleeting second I thought “of course, here’s the Gotcha!Psych!Of Course We Would Never Leave You! Update”. But, alas, it was not to be. Sniffle. Going back under the covers now..
Jessica G. says
I have been reading your blog for 5 years now, and this is the first time I’ve commented- nothing like waiting till the last minute! I will miss your blog so very much, and I am so sad that it is ending! Through the years, I’ve grown to consider you friends, and you’ve been the inspiration for so many DIY projects around my home. Good luck with your future endevours and I hope you will come back when Book 2 has a pub date so I know to go buy it! Good luck!
Emily says
Yes, i’m shocked. Saddened for me, happy for you. Mainly just shocked. Impressed. I can’t believe how ballsy you are, but I understand the desire to not do it half-assed. I wish you the best and I love that you prioritized your family/each other first. Good luck with your new adventure. xx
Rebecca says
Thank you for the years of inspiration! I miss you already! All the best in your future endeavours :)
Crystal says
I wish you could say you’d made so much money you never had to work again (I think you would deserve all that and more!). And I wish you felt you went out on top (I thought you were great and hearing the sad here is tough!). Best of luck.
Shaun McDougle says
Before you freeze comments, I just wanted to say thank you. It has been fun. I have learned a tremendous amount. Be Blessed!
Erin T says
I’m horrible with goodbyes too and I feel like I’m having to say goodbye to a very dear friend. Thank you for sharing your lives with all of us for so long and allowing us to grow with you. You will certainly leave a void in my newsfeed and my heart. Best of luck to you guys and kudos for doing what is best for you and your beautiful family. I’m going to go silently cry for a bit. Excited for what the future holds for you guys! Hugs!
Tracey Valentine says
Simply, thank you. You have inspired me, educated me and enlightened me and I’ve enjoyed every moment of your blog. I am sad to see you go, but excited for the two of you and your future adventures. Now my only question is will you be coming anywhere near the Philly area during your book tour so I can get a little YHL fix? I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t think you two need it. #trulyblessed
Julie in CO says
You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away……and so on! Congrats on knowing when to walk away (hopefully you are not running). Thank you for taking us on this wonderful ride with you. I wish you the absolute best in all of your new adventures! I’ll just keep hoping that some day I’ll find myself seated next to you on a plane or something. ;)
Amie says
Nearly two years ago my best friend, my sister from another momma moved all the way across the country. It was the absolute best decision for her and the way that she’s flourished in that environment with all the new opportunities and challenges and experiences has been such a deep down soul shifting and beautiful thing to watch – but it was so hard to let her go. SO hard. Like ugly guteral, you’d think someone was dying, kind of crying hard. This feels like that.
You’ve been part of my daily life for most of your 80+ blogging months and I have been so thankful to have been invited into your homes and your lives. The things I came to this blog for aren’t the things I stayed around for.
I’m going to miss hearing the hilarious and sweet things Clara says… and soon the things Teddy will be saying.
I’m going to miss hearing what you come up with for thoughtful Christmas presents.
I’m going to miss seeing Berger.
I’m going to miss your Christmas tree this year. Where will it go? What will the theme be? How will you celebrate Teddy?
I’m going to miss John’s running updates.
I’m going to miss hearing about the guilty pleasure shows you’re watching to make sure there aren’t any trashy shows I’m missing
I’m going to miss hearing about the fabulous things happening in RVA.
I’m going to miss Sherry’s pony tail and her dangly earrings
I’m going to miss the number 7.
I’m going to miss really ginormous infographics
I’m going to miss seeing Will and Clara fall in love
I’m going to miss so much.
But you guys are going to be having such a fabulous time living life the way it’s meant to be lived that all I can say is how happy I am for you and how grateful I am to have had you so close for so long.
Younghouselove has always been so much more than a blog. Thank you for every bit of it.
Sally says
Oh such an abrupt ending, I am sad, oh well, life goes on, wishing you lots of luck, thank you for sharing over the years.
A. says
Sad and yet thrilled that you’re not afraid to follow your hearts and walk toward what’s best for your family. Our second child is about to turn two, and his birth was such a game changer for us. We had to scale way back on who and what we were able to invest in, way more than we had to with baby #1. You’ve shared your lives and your home, and I’m so grateful for your integrity, your openness, and your friendship (in a weird, fairly one-sided kind of way. still, you feel like friends to me. sniff sniff). I can’t tell you how much I’ll miss knowing you both. I wish you the best and will be hoping you pop back up somewhere on the interweb soon :)
Lisa says
I have really missed checking in with YHL for a daily break. You guys are fun and inspiring. Whatever you do, I wish you the best. Enjoy this time with your family.
Ashley S says
Good luck and congratulations. I am happy for you guys. Just wanted to tell you how much you’ve inspired me over the last 5 years (yea I got a late start but I caught up) and thank you for taking the time to share your life with us. I hope you find balance in your new venture. I can’t wait for your next book to come out. :-)
kd says
SO SO SO SO SAD. Your posts were always something I looked forward to for YEARS!! Please give us updates…on instagram perhaps?
nazaakat says
what about those seasonal pinterest challenges……maybe sherry u can still do tat once every season =))
will be missing you guys so so so much!! keep the blog forever (remember its your baby too=)) iam sure when your babies clara and teddy grow up they will love going over it…or like someone suggested ….someone should publish your blogbook!! that would be so awesome the whole 80mnths in pages :D
hoping all your adventures are super!!
lots of misses and love
Carrie says
I am so incredibly sad you won’t be posting at all. But I do understand why and I would not survive 1 day of the madness that was your previous schedule. I really hope you’ll reconsider blogging, although not necessarily DIY projects. Your off topic posts were very very helpful and probably didn’t require near the effort of home improvement tutorials. Just about anything you write I love to read. Heck, even some self published kindle books on various topics would satisfy our YHL cravings :-). I wish you the best no matter what route you take, but your readers will really really really miss you.
Sharon S says
I’m so sad. Your blog was the best out there. I enjoyed ALL the posts – family, DIY, technical, shopping – whatever. Wishing you all the best. Enjoy!
Chicken says
Good for you being brave to make a change! Do what is best for you and your family! Have a wonderful next chapter of life!
Allie says
You should have posted a video of the scene from Dumb and Dumber where Lloyd hugs Mary and yells, “I hate goodbyes!” Drat, now who’s ideas am I going to copy? Haha, thanksssss!!!!!!
Allie says
That should have been “whose ideas” not “who’s.” Awful case of pregnancy brain right now.
Candi says
John and Sherry! Thank.you! For all of the fun, knowledge and letting us see your lives unfold, pack, unpack, paint and repaint! Will always think of you guys on. 7.7.07!! Enjoy life everyday with each other and your amazing little fam!
Kelly says
Thanks for all of your inspiration!! I changed my career path as well recently with the addition of our second son. I also wrestled with the decision, but I know in my heart that you can always have a career, but those babies are only babies once. SO glad I made that change. God bless you in your new endeavors! Matthew 11:28.
Helen Jones says
I came across YHL about 6 1/2 years ago and was instantly addicted! A new post from you was as exciting as a new episode of Downton. I’ve taken a journey with you and feel quite sad that it’s ended. There will be a Petersik shaped hole in my life for quite some time! I fully understand your reasons for deciding to ‘call it a day’, and wish you all the best with your future endeavours. Thank you John & Sherry.
Love from England, UK x
Catherine says
Nooooooooo!!!! Well, I am very, very sad to see you go (and feeling a bit stabby towards all the nasty people who took the fun out of things) but totally understand the need to ‘move on’. I really wanted to see the house finished! I hope you post to Instagram! Oh, darn. Well, obviously you will be very missed.
Bethany says
I will truly miss my YoungHouseLove friends! It’s been a delight to follow along and be inspired and encouraged by your adventures. I hope your next adventure totally excites and delights you!
Amanda says
I don’t suppose you would every consider having a yearly (or whatever) update with pictures of the house and decor choices down the road? I would totally understand if you didn’t want to, but I would certainly love to see how things progress over time and how your vision turns out (updated house tour photos perhaps?). Regardless, glad you gave us inspiration for so long and I wish your family the best :)
Ciara says
Thank you from an almost never commenter! I’ve been reading for the past six years. I looked to your blog for tips when we got married, again when we moved house and finally loved reading about your children as we had three of our own. Will really miss you and this great blog but can only admire you for making the best choice for your family. God bless the four of you- Ciara from Ireland, reading in Siberia :)
Hannah says
Incredibly sad (and a bit weirded out by how sad I am!) that you guys are leaving the blogosphere, but wishing you all the best. I’m so glad I got to “know” you guys, and grateful for the insight, inspiration, and passion you’ve shared!
emily says
Good for you guys! You have done an amazing job. Good luck with whatever you do next:)
Kate says
What a difficult decision for you to make. I have a lot of respect for you both to be able to assess the needs of your life and leave something so rewarding for your next adventure, which I am sure will surpass the current one! Best of luck, you’ll be missed.
Heather says
We’ll miss you too but admire your courage in doing what is right for you and your family! You are still inspiring us – even to the last post! Thank you, farewell and God bless.
Erin Rymer Skrobarczyk says
Nooooooooooooo! I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this – it’s my favorite blog ever :(
MC says
Thank you for a wonderful blog — and the very best of luck and good wishes moving forward.