Welcome! Today I am taking part in the home tour series Blogger Stylin Home Tours Work & Play. Didn’t you love Julia’s tour over at Cuckoo 4 Design?!! Be sure to check it out!
These tours are hosted by my good friend, Lindsay of The White Buffalo Styling Company, and today you will see inside the homes of 6 bloggers who are showing you how they’ve made a work space and play space that fits their lifestyle and career. This series runs all week long with a total of 30 bloggers participating and is one of my favorite series in all of Blogland.
In case you are new here, let’s get acquainted!
My name is Kristin and I write this little blog called Bliss at Home. I also love designing interiors…like really love.
The truth is– as hokey as it sounds–I really do find my bliss at home in my role as a wife, mom, and the household manager. I love creating a home, but a few years ago I felt something was missing. A piece of who I was needed to be explored. My background is in art and design and after a few years of marriage and raising kids, I yearned for that part of me to shine again. So, I took the plunge and started B@H. I’ve been sharing my design work and home remodel on this blog for almost 4 years now.
It’s been a pretty amazing 4 years with opportunities and accomplishments that I never could have imagined! Through reconnecting with my love of interior design I have really honed my personal design style. I have had the good fortune to keep a foot in the design world through my work here on this blog.
I’ve learnt a lot in these blogging years, made some missteps along the way, have had successes and failures, but the rewards have always far outweighed any negatives. I can have blogging as my job and manage my time around my family’s schedule and needs. It really is the best of both worlds for me. It’s allowed me to be available for my kids and that is priceless in this season of life that I am in. It also inspires and encourages me that this is the path I should be on and keep going down.
Would you like to see how we work and play during the day? Here is my office space and where my little guy is in the morning with me. My oldest is in school all day, but my youngest is home with me until lunch time during the week. Our weekdays are busy, so I don’t like anything to get in the way of my time with him every morning.
WORK
That cute little furball is our Zoey dog. Our living room opens up to the entry way and I decided this space was exactly where I wanted to be during work hours and playtime with my little guy. It’s my favorite part of our home.
The great thing about blogging is it doesn’t take up much space. I just need a place for my computer, some organization, and a little storage. That will change one day when I decide to take on clients again and have to have more space, but for now the little space I’ve carved out in our home works beautifully.
I’ve made a few space-saving adjustments, like turning our coat closet into office storage and using the back of the closet door for my inspiration board. I love that I can hide it all away on days I’m not working or when we have company over. My office area is open to our living room and kitchen. I feel connected to the rest of the house and not hidden away somewhere.
…AND PLAY!
I love how this space flows and how we spend our mornings here during the week. I think it’s a good example of how to utilize a smaller space for several purposes. We can read, play, watch TV, play a game. I can keep eyes on him when he is eating his breakfast and lunch in the kitchen. If I need to be on my computer or a call it’s easy to be near him still.
Growing my business or taking it in a new direction beyond this blog is something I think about. Then reality slaps me in the face saying, “You silly girl! Snap out of it!” I’ve been offered everything from TV to clients flying me out to design spaces for them, but the reality is I simply don’t have time for clients or to add anything else to what is already a busy day. I would rather take trips with my family than take trips that steal me away from them.
The more social media seems to dominate people’s time and the hustle mantra grows in our society, the more I crave simplicity and want to make sure to keep a healthy balance. I learnt that lesson the hard way last year and my health suffered because of it. The little guy will be in school all day this coming fall and who knows, I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I’m very guarded about it all though. There’s a time and place for everything. I’d rather be the one to drive them to and from school and make their meals than working all day and paying someone else to do it. That’s a decision D and I made when our first son was born and one that is really important to us.
I know I will never get these years back while they’re young, so I am enjoying how it has all worked out with blogging being my day job and income. I feel very blessed for the time with my kids that it allows and I know it’s where I am supposed to be right now.
Be sure to visit Michelle at Iron & Twine next on the blog tour!
Monday’s Work & Play Tours:
The White Buffalo Styling Co.
Emily A. Clark
Cuckoo 4 Design
Bliss at Home
Iron & Twine
Nesting with Grace
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Article Source: Blogger Stylin Home Tours | Work & Play
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