welcome back

My sweet baby girl right before Easter, enjoying the shade of the cherry trees.

Have you ever gone in your closet, pulled out a beloved dress and put it on, only to realize it doesn't really suit you like it once did?

That pretty much sums up the past year of my life in regards to blogging. Many things have happened, causing me reevaluate my perspective and approach to interaction online. During the months of silence I've still deeply yearned to blog and have this outlet. I need it--it's sweet break from daily cares and the craziness. But Elegant Musings no longer felt like it encompassed who I was and how I wanted to present myself now; I could never seem to get restarted posting there without the nagging feeling that something just wasn't a good fit. I started that blog nearly 8 years ago and life, as it often does, has changed a lot in the ensuing years. I felt a bit restrained at my old blog; that I had outgrown it. It was sad (and painful) to realize I had changed in some ways and that chapter in my life was done. Elegant Musings as a concept and title no longer fit me. This had been brewing for many months previous to my hiatus, but having a baby was the catalyst that precipitated a change in order to move forward. This decision hasn't been easy or one taken lightly. I know it won't be popular with everyone, and I'm sure some people will decide they no longer are interested in the changes being made. I deeply appreciate and am thankful for all the support readers have given me over the years, and that thought has given me pause more than once during this transition. The community we made together at Elegant Musings was a huge blessing in my life--and still is since I keep up with many of you through social media. But I needed to embrace the changes I yearned for, and realize that it's okay to admit that a door has closed and move on to different venues.

This is the strategy for my new blog home: simply embracing how life has moved on to different things, and some of my passions have deepened while others have tempered. I have so many ideas of new content I want to share and things that harken back to the EM days. I can't wait to share it (the first "real" post will be live a bit later today)! Thank you if you followed me over from my old blog home, and welcome if you're completely new! I can't wait to see where this new journey takes us...

For those looking for tutorials and inspiration posted previously on Elegant Musings, I'm slowly transferring them here and will soon have a page devoted solely to listing past and present tutorials. The original blog will be up for a few more months while I make the transition and will eventually redirect here. Please also excuse any hiccups over the next few weeks--I have some technical details I'm still ironing out behind the scenes!