Adding Something of Value

There are plenty of home improvement blogs. Austin and I are not doing anything new here. In fact, we are doing something that many other people have been doing much better for much longer. Open Pinterest. There are no shortages of living room decor pins and bathroom renovation reveals.

I've been blogging (or online journaling as it used to be called) since 2004 and have deleted and started over with those blogs before this one ever came to be. I've thought about why I've been so quick to shut down my sites in the past and I think there are a few things going on. One is that in 2007, I was a teenager and then an early-twenty-something. No one needs the thoughts I had before my brain was fully formed out on the web. And two, the posts didn't make a difference. They were so self-focused and personal that readers weren't missing out on anything after I removed them. Of course, I wish for my own sake that I still had them to look back on and laugh at. Or cringe at. But I'm not sad I don't get to say that The Day Shift has been around for 14 years. Because it's new to you and also, new to me.

This blog doesn't look like other blogs I've started and scrapped. It's not even like the gorgeous homes I get to write about for Design*Sponge. This website, though nothing fancy at this point, is meant to add value--to give tips and insight, and be about real life as broke first-time homeowners while also being long-time design lovers with cheap hacks for our expensive tastes. I'm happy to share some personal things here but really, I want to share things that will make readers feel empowered to make their homes feel beautiful to them, no matter the budget, style or time constraints.

As Austin and I work on our home and share how-tos and downloads along the way, the hope is that you'll find something of value here. That the headboard you can't stand gets a 30-minute makeover with the upholstery fabric you have in the closet. That the ugly room you decided awhile ago to ignore gets a thoughtful plan of action to make it feel inspired. This is the reason for the site, the blog and all of the resources we create for it. We'd love for you stick around and see what we're creating and share it with a friend that needs a friendly nudge to live more beautifully.

--lauren

P.S. to start off on the right foot, I'm working on a binder download that I am already finding so incredibly helpful as we organize all of the projects and information about our home. To be the first to know when this 15+ page resource is ready, sign up for our newsletter here.