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Today is my “official” last day on the Playbook, which is a sad reality for me. I know this decision is the best for my family, but man oh man, I’m also extremely sad to leave a place I still love so much. But harping on the gloom and doom isn’t who I am as a person and definitely isn’t how I want to spend my last day here.
The 11 Things I’ll Miss Most About The DIY Playbook
This blog has been such an amazing chapter in my life so I figured today NEEDS to be positive. It’s the least I can do to honor such a wonderful journey. And what better way to highlight the overwhelming amount of positive this slice of the internet has provided me than to recap all of the wonderful things I will miss most here on the DIY Playbook?!
With no further ado, here are my best blogging memories from the last 6 years and the things I will miss the most here on The DIY Playbook…
1. Working With My Best Friend
It’s been a dream to work alongside my best friend for the past 6 years! The business of blogging is hard to understand and even harder to explain to others, so having someone who “gets it” has been invaluable. When that person is also your best friend, it’s even better!
Not to mention, we’ve been able to share the excitement of every milestone together. From awesome partnership opportunities to the most amazing trips and everything in between, sharing this experience with Casey is easily one of my favorite parts of the blog and definitely one of the parts I will miss most. Of course, we still have our friendship, but the blog required us to text or talk on the phone ALL DAY, every day and I will miss the excuse to be in constant communication.
2. Having A Creative Outlet
I’ve loved all things creative since I was a little kid. I was the kid who was constantly arranging and rearranging her room and the kid who loved any art & craft project. That love for “creating” morphed into a love for DIY & design as I grew older and we bought our first house. That’s when we started the blog as an excuse for a fun, creative outlet. As the blog grew, it challenged me to strengthen my creative muscles and I’m forever grateful for this.
Most specifically, I taught myself how to take photos using a DSLR camera because of the blog and fell in love with photography! I was never exposed to any sort of photography before the blog and I’m so grateful this is a part of my life now. I know I’ll still have plenty of excuses to be creative outside of the blog (and take lots of photos!) but having an excuse to DO creative things I love every single day has been so rewarding and something I will dearly miss!
3. This Community of Readers
I’ve said it over and over again so you’re probably sick of hearing it, but I’m going to miss you guys so much! Casey and I are so lucky to be surrounded by a community who is so supportive AND interested in the same things we are — DIY and design! Through the years we have learned many of your stories and we are constantly in awe at how many strong, inspirational, and amazing women are tuning in each day. You have truly inspired me.
Not to mention, you guys have given me (and my family) more love and support than I ever dreamed of. I remember when I had Ben last year and readers went out of their way to send us cards, gifts, and all the well wishes. I couldn’t believe it (and still can’t) that people I connected with on the internet would care that much to celebrate such an exciting time with us. Your support is the reason we’ve made it this far and not being able to connect with you on a daily basis will be hard.
4. The Endless Support From Family & Friends
Like I mentioned before, blogging is a very “unique” job. It’s extremely hard to understand, which sometimes makes it hard for people in our everyday lives to get what the heck we do in this corner of the internet. BUT, amidst that confusion, I’ve had amazing family and friends who have provided unwavering support these past 6 years that has not gone unnoticed (and has taught me so much about supporting people who are chasing their passions).
Most notably, I have to give a shout-out to my parents and my husband. They truly are one-in-a-million and although I didn’t talk too much about them here on the blog, SO much of what I have accomplished is because of them. I’ve only been able to “juggle it all” because of them. They are the ones constantly helping me behind the scenes to help make it all happen. I can’t even begin to count the nights and weekends my parents spent at our house helping DIY, helping to clean up the mess, watching Ben, or just generally helping me tackle my never-ending to-do list. I truly won the lottery with all three of them.
Plus, I don’t think there’s been a daily phone call over the past six years where my dad hasn’t asked, “how’s everything with the blog today?”. Every. single. day. I don’t know what I did to deserve them. And although I know I will have their support far beyond today, I hope I can reciprocate this love and support to them. They truly are my role models.
6. Getting Shit Done!
One major perk of having the blog is the amount of work/projects I was able to get done in both my first and second house. If a project was added to our editorial calendar, it got done — no questions asked.
There was never time for procrastinating around here and therefore, I was able to move very quickly in checking off our home’s to-do lists. Without the blog as motivation, I’m sure I would have still gotten a lot done (I’m a busy-body!) BUT I can’t be sure I would have gotten this much done. From big projects to tiny projects, the blog was always the perfect excuse to get shit done around the house. I still have plans to keep creating/DIY-ing, but I have a feeling I won’t be working at the same pace!
7. Talking “Shop”
For someone who loves all things DIY, design, decor, etc., the blog has provided the perfect excuse to talk “shop” all the time. Whether it be here on the blog, with friends who are remodeling their homes, or at work when people have a question about their own decor, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE talking about all things DIY and decor.
Having the blog opened these doors and encouraged people to come to us, both online and in real life, and I truly love that part of the blog. I hope I can still “talk shop” with family and friends who are renovating/decorating because it will forever be a passion of mine! If not, I know I’ll always have Casey to stalk with my questions, ideas, or general commentary. #poorgirl
8. The Adventure
The DIY Playbook provided a ton of crazy adventures for Casey and me over the years. We traveled to places I may have never seen otherwise and had opportunities I definitely wouldn’t have without the blog. Plus, I got to take in all of these adventures with my BFF by my side. Is there anything better?!!
We always joke that we NEVER knew what crazy adventure was going to land in our inbox on any given day, which made the hectic work schedule extra exciting! Checking our email never seemed like a chore (the opposite actually) because truly, any day could provide a crazy opportunity we never dreamed of. From New York to California to Atlanta to Mexico, and even Iceland. From LIVE News Segments to Pilot TV Shows… I’ll forever be grateful for these memories and crazy, crazy adventures the blog provided us.
9. Challenging Myself… Constantly
Boy, did the blog challenge me in every way possible. When we started the blog, we knew NOTHING. Coding, photography, ad networks, tools, DIY skills — nothing! But, little by little, we taught ourselves everything and anything we could.
Learning new things, on top of being busy, was a challenge and although it was not always what we wanted to do (ugh.. time to learn a NEW photo editing software again?!), in the end, it proved to be well worth it. I feel proud of how far we have come and am going to miss the excuse to push myself to continue to learn and grow as a businesswoman. I’ll definitely have to find other avenues in life to grow and learn, but again, without the blog, it probably won’t come with the same intensity.
10. Having An “Electronic Scrapbook” to Look Back On
I never realized it in the moment, but now looking back, I’m beyond grateful to have this blog as an electronic scrapbook chronicling the last 6 years of my life.
So much has changed since 2013 and to think I can go back (and someday my kids can go back!) and reference these memories at any time makes me so happy. But it’s also something I’m going to miss dearly about the DIY Playbook.
All I know is that whenever I look back on the memories, I will smile… a really, really big smile. The DIY Playbook has meant the world to me over the years, and I am so proud of everything Casey and I have built here. It’s sad to officially close this chapter, but I have to keep reminding myself that I’m just closing a chapter… and not the whole book!
11. The Connections
And last, but certainly not least, I am truly going to miss the connections I have made because of the DIY Playbook. Readers, other bloggers, creatives in the field… the people the blog has brought into my life have been so inspiring to me. And although I’m leaving the blog, I hope the connections I have made will carry on through the rest of my story.
I am forever grateful for all that The DIY Playbook has brought into my life. Thank you for being a part of my story and making an imprint on my life. I know this feels like “goodbye”, but as I mentioned earlier in the week, I’m still going to be tuning in here as a DIY Playbook reader & self-appointed biggest fan!
I’ll be here right alongside all of you, watching and cheering Casey on as she kicks some serious ass. Sending all of my love and all of my gratitude for being such a supportive part of my story the past 6 years.
Thank YOU for everything,
Bridget
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