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!!
Sherri Eakin says
I have to say, this is the biggest, loudest, clearest sign that I should be doing the same thing in my own life. I have felt it for a very long time…that feeling that I have been sitting still too long, and that I need to make a change. A BIG CHANGE. I completely understand that aching in the belly that is so difficult to put into words. I guess what I’m trying to say is, thank you. Thank you for listening to your instincts, and doing something about it. As with every difficult project you tackled in your home(s), I feel like “If they can do it, so can I.” And wasn’t that the whole point of this blog in the first place? Sharing your experience and telling the world, “If we can do it, so can you!”
So this is me, mustering up some courage, and making a promise to myself that I will listen to that little voice in my head who keeps saying, “DUDE, get on that already!!”
Best wishes, hugs, and all the ceramic animals in the world to John, Sherry, Clara, Teddy, and Burger.
Lisa S says
Fantastic comment, Sherri! “And wasn’t that the whole point of this blog in the first place?” Yes!! Yes yes yes.
Best wishes to you in your own big change!
Breanne says
I will miss you all and your amazing blog but I wish you all the best of luck!!!!!
Rachelle says
Thank you for updating Teddy’s weekly photos before you go. You inspired me to take weekly photos of my 17 week old son, and Teddy’s photos are honestly what I missed the most this past month. Best of luck!
Pascaline Stevens says
Good luck with everything. All the best and thank you so much.
Isabelle says
I just went back and looked at the house tour and realized how MUCH you have done to the place ;-) Looks great. My favorite rooms are definitely Clara’s and Teddy’s! Clara’s room is perfect for a 4 year old girl. So cute and whimsical! Teddy’s room really has the feel of a nursery, with the sophistication for an adult (after all, I’m sure you spend A LOT of time in there nursing him so it should feel comfortable for an adult too!). That’s a hard combination to reach and I think you did a job well done! Best wishes to your family in your next chapter!
LJ says
Will really miss seeing you guys do up your house, it’s my favourite kind of voyeurism! Good luck in all you do x
A Kaufman says
Can’t imagine the internet without Young House Love. Thanks for your inspiring work ethic, creativity and willingness to share. I’ve so enjoyed checking in with you over the last 7 years and wish you and your family nothing but the best for the future.
Erin says
I agree with so many of the other comments. I understand, but am also sad to read this post. I guess I was imagining you’d come back to a more scaled-down blog, less projects, and so forth, but I didn’t think you’d actually end this. I’ve followed you through three houses and two kids and it makes me sad that I won’t see phase 2 of your kitchen or Teddy’s first word. Even so, this is YOUR life and we’ve just been blessed to get to be a part of it. I wish your family all the best. I really hope the archives can stay up forever because there is SO much good material here. In fact, I’m about to search for your post about taking out the wall in your 2nd house because a friend is trying to do the same thing. HUGS and best wishes and hopes to see you all somewhere in the future!
Karen Little says
Dear Sherry and John, I have enjoyed your blog for many years and applaud whatever decision is best, although I will miss you. Thank you for all the years of sharing so much with us. Your witty writing style and joy in life is inspiring! May God richly bless you all for many, many years to come. Favorite life verse: Philippians 4:13. See ya….(From one of your 1%’s, in my mid-sixties.:)
Nicola Han says
Lots of love to you all. You will be sadly missed I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw you had a new post. Thank you for inspiring me to DIY but most importantly to savour moments and memories with my family in do many wonderful and unique ways. Hugs from NI X
Katie says
Now I wish I had jumped on that design dilemma offering you guys were doing! I need your special eyes!
Laura@JourneyChic says
I heartily agree with the others’ sentiment that this is like losing a friend. You have been so incredibly inspiring over the years. As we close on our new fixer-upper house, I plan to go back and read your archives (again!) for all the wonderful tutorials and ideas. Best wishes for your next adventure. I look forward to reading your new book and hope we’ll all see you again.
Natalie says
Wishing you lots of happiness and health! Your blog’s been great fun! :-)
Sarah C says
Oh…. this is bittersweet. I feel like your family is part of my life. All those late nights breastfeeding, your blog was the only thing that kept me sane. I am going to miss you guys so much! But, I’m very happy for you guys and I know this will be good for your family. Give those beautiful babies a hug from me (in a totally non-creepy way, ha ha) and enjoy the new adventure!
Arlene says
I actually cried at my desk. Legit tears. I’m heartbroken to not see how the rest of the house turns out or to see Teddy’s weekly pictures. After investing every day, multiple times a day to checking your blog and seeing your updates, I feel incomplete.
Sally says
Thank you for teaching me how to lay tile, hang a door (well, I am going to show my husband that), how to hold a paint brush, lay a wooden floor without fear, sew without really sewing (iron on tape anyone?), decorate, install lights, build a deck with stairs, and on and on. Its been an education, an experience, and an enlightening.
Jack Kerouac “on the Road” said it best “What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? – it’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”
Laura@SneakersandSpatulas says
I’m so bummed! Your blog inspired so many DIY projects in my husband and I’s first house, it gave us the confidence to try projects we thought we would need a pro for! Can you share what you’ll be doing next? Do you plan to continue doing free lance type stuff, like the book, or do you think you’ll end up going back to an office or day job?
ryan says
While selfishly, I’ll miss your daily posts, I’m really happy for you guys. Proud, even. Good for you for making the unpopular decision to do what’s best for you. Best of luck!
Kate S. says
Love you, love you, love you. Thanks for sharing with us these years. Look forward to seeing your new adventures. Enjoy those babies!
OneorTwo says
Best of luck! Thanks for all the inspiration, ideas, knowledge base! Onwards and upwards!!!
Leiann says
Wow, not to sound like a broken record, but this is so sad! I will definitely miss you guys as people the most. Watching Clara grow was so awesome and not getting to see Teddy’s weekly photos will be a big bummer! Home improvement blogs are a dime a dozen but you guys added that extra family dynamic which made it so much fun to follow.
Good luck to you and your family on your new adventures.
Mina says
This kinda broke my heart, but I wish you the best.
Rachel P says
I hate to leave a comment when I’m not 100% sure what it is I want to say, but I can’t imagine not taking the chance to say “one last” (ish, I hope!) thing to you before you freeze comments.
+1 to every comment hoping you’ll stop by with Halloween costume pics, Christmas cards and homemade gifts, Teddy photo project pics, and more, and +10 to every comment expressing that awful post-breakup feeling of wondering what you all are doing with your lives, but +100 to those hoping you’ll turn your archives into a (massive) book. I haven’t even bought my first house yet! :( When I do in the next few years, I’ll be looking for all your posts on adding crown molding, laying hardwoods, and all those things you can’t really do in an apartment. (Maybe you could offer subscriptions to your archives to offset/cover the price of hosting?)
Thanks for everything you have given us, and count me among those who will still support every future project you let us know about. This can’t be the end…
Brittany Marrione says
I’m very selfishly sad. Its like losing long distant family/friends. But I completely understand. Good luck in all your endeavors! I hope life brings you all that you’ve ever wanted and needed.
However my curiosity is getting the better of me…..what exactly will you being doing to financially support your family? Did either or both of you get 9-5 jobs again? Just curious.
Either way good luck, love you, and see you soon.
<3 Brittany
Laura says
John and Sherry, I read this post twice, just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I have been counting down the days since you left, and was SO happy to see a new post when I checked in today. I have to say that I’m extremely sad to see you go. I hope that the negative comments didn’t rattle your core – you have done what you loved and what you thought was right for yourselves, your houses and your family, and have done an amazing job at it. No one can fault you for that. I have been following since you were young bloggers and have enjoyed every post for all three of your homes. I do wonder what you are going to do next with your lives & I wish you the best of luck in every second of it. Perhaps there will be a second book tour? If you are in a city near me, I will HAVE to stop in and say hello. I am an architect, who has been just surviving in my career. You have inspired me to reach out and really get into my design side again, to realize what I love about my profession. Someday I hope to be able to take my own “big leap” into something scary and unknown. I am sure that each person here could report one way in which you have inspired them as well. We will miss you so much, we all hope for an amazing life and future for you and your family, and wish you luck in all that you do.
Rachel says
NOOOoooooooooo:(
I have been a creepy creeper on your blog for the past 5 years but this is my first comment. I feel like you guys are part of my inner circle or better yet my support team. You have been with me through 3 houses (ours and yours) and we are about to move again into our first new construction and am at a loss as to how I will do it without more help from the Petersiks! No joke, on more than one occasion I have found myself staring down the aisle at Homegoods or Ikea saying out loud “What would Sherry do?” I once made the mistake of stating that “John would have probably taken a better approach to installing those shelves in the garage…” which may not have gone over so well with my hubby but I later caught him sneaking a peak at a few patio tutorials on here.
On the flip side, I will never forget when I read your post a while back detailing your typical day working from home, I was exhausted and blown away by how much you guys both do! I hope you know how much you have inspired us all and helped turn our old houses into homes we love while still raising families and not draining our bank accounts. I can’t wait to see what comes next for your family and in the meantime will be scouring the archives for things for our new home. As much as I am going to miss you all (tear) I wish you the best of luck and many more ceramic animal heads in your future!
Misa says
Oh, man. I thought that this might happen, but I still held out hope.
It’s hard to express how much you’ve impacted my life. I talk about your blog all the time to my husband, so much so that “John and Sherry” have become as present in our lives as any of my real-life friends. I will miss you so much.
Sending you warmest wishes for happiness in your next adventures.
Kelli says
Sooo sad. But I’m glad you guys are doing what’s best for you. We will miss you!! Best wishes.
Melissa Hurst says
Thank you for the journey. Hopefully you’ll have a change of heart and come back to us. Best of luck!
carrie eastman says
I feel like crying now….
Kate M. says
Wow. I’m really going to miss you guys! You’ve been such an inspiration to me and I’ve truly loved reading your blog over the years. Please do keep the archives as long as you can. I’m hoping to go back through and read them all… again :) Not to mention the awesome how-tos. I painted my kitchen cabinets last spring based solely on your how-to posts and they look great! Thanks for sharing your lives with us these past 7 year, and best of luck in your new adventure!
Jana says
I am so very, very disappointed! I wish your family the best in your new adventures!
Paula Patton says
Wow, Now I am gonna have to redo a House , just so I do not miss y’all soo much…Blessings on the New Adventure… You will be missed!!
Heather trevis says
Im going to miss you guys so much! You’ve been so incredibly inspirational. I wish you guys the best of luck!
Much love from the west coast (of canada!)
Carrie S G says
Wow. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, in the past month, I was thinking this would happen. As everyone else is saying, I will miss you guys. I also wish you and your family blessings and good will. I won’t lie — I have a tear in my eye. Thanks for being a part of my daily life the past few years.
leah says
So so sad! I hope whatever it is you end up doing somehow gets shared with us? We will all wonder and want to know about your adventures! Best of luck, I am sure whatever it is it will be great!
Emily says
I just moved into a new house this weekend with cherry wood trim throughout — and while it’s not the awesome blue trim that your house sported, it made me think about you two. And then it got into my subconscious and I had a dream about you the other night. I knew the month was coming up soon, so I was eager to see you all back on the world wide web. So, while this is not the outcome I was hoping for, I understand that there are seasons of life you are in the midst of a change. Best of luck in all your future endeavors and adventures! You will be missed! And thank you for the archives — I will be visiting for tips on how to tackle my cherry trim debacle!
Katelin says
Ahh we will miss you, but are happy for you to choose happiness for your future. Maybe you’d consider doing a once a month update to tell us what you’ve been up too. After reading your blog for over 3 years, I feel like I’m losing someone I look up to. Plus I’d love to see your cute kids grow up! All the best to you!!
Christine says
Well dang. I was hopeful that you would continue blogging, albeit with less frequency, since I’ve been a reader since back in the “This Young House” days, near the beginning. *sigh*
Thank you for all the inspiration, entertainment, and so many smiles over the years! I wish your lovely family so much joy, and best of luck of course, in your next adventure!
Sara says
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marie says
I totally understand, but am totally (selfishly) bummed. Best of luck!
Jo says
This was so not what i was hoping to see when you came back :( Im selfishly heartbroken! We just bought our first home, move in next month and i was looking forward to using your blog as a guide of how to renovate some areas of the new house. Now the race is on before you take it all down :( Selfishness aside, i hope you find greener pastures and that you enjoy your new adventure!
Brittany M says
I don’t know if my comment will be seen or noticed in the hundreds (thousands?) of comments you are sure to receive…regardless, I feel like I’ve just had a really good book ripped out of my hands before I could read the last chapter… Like the cable cut out the last 10 minutes of a show… Like the the DVD started skipping before the movie could end…. What I’m trying to say is that although I respect your decision, I really hate not being able to see the end results of this house. I hope that moving forward you DO come back when you cross a section/room off Listy McListerson. I want to know how this forever home turns out for you guys. I want to see the end results, even if I don’t get to be privy to the journey of completing a room.
I don’t always love your design decisions, but it’s so much fun to see what you do (other people/bloggers) do in your homes. Even if I hate something you do, it often inspires me to look around and ask what I could do differently in my own home. Thank you for the inspiration so far. Don’t be a stranger.
Arlene says
Yes!! One million times yes to the first paragraph!! Even if its like a once a month check in of just pictures of things you have completed, I cant imagine not seeing the end result after devoting so much time to the progress so far. I started reading the day before you moved into house #2, you could have knocked me over with a feather reading I couldn’t see the end result of your forever home. I hope you will keep us updated with something!
Christen says
I agree with your first paragraph. While I respect your decision to stop, it would have been nice to have had a “goodbye” week of posts, almost like a grand finale. Some of us (like me!) have been reading since TYH and I feel like it was random how you suddenly post that you are taking a break, and come back thirty days later to say “see ya”.
Katherine H says
I am sad to see you go and I have really enjoyed reading your blog for the past few years and I have taken so much inspiration from your blog. However, as someone who recently quit a stressful job to be home with my family, I understand your decision and I wish you all lots of luck for the future! Thank you!
BudgetAndTheBees (@BudgetandBees) says
Best of luck Petersiks. You are an amazing family and such great role models of hard work and passion. Congratulations on this decision and best of luck in the future.
[email protected] says
NNOOOOO!! My mornings will never be the same. Poor ME! :( I will miss your family so much, good luck with anything and everything you do. I wish you nothing but happiness and a bazillion amazing moments wih your children to cherish forever. Hugs.
Browne says
I cried. In the middle of my college class. :/ I really really really will miss you guys, and I hope the best for you! I super duper hope you will still instagram or tweet or something of that nature. Just so I can be reminded how amazingly awesome you are from time to time.
Dayna says
I’m so sad! But encouraged to see people make gutsy decisions for their family’s best interest. You are choosing what’s best. Just hoping your old posts stay active until I’m done with our house projects– cause I’ve referenced them so many times! Have absolutely LOVED following you over the years… Best wishes :)
Jason Ellis says
Just wanted to say…..
So sorry to see you two step away but totally understand and respect you for it. I’ve been a follower of yours for years, but with the recent birth of a 2nd child, I have lost touch with YHL over the last several months, so much that i was unaware you your absence the last month. With that said, both of you know whats best for you and your family and at the end of the day that is all that matters. You’ve gave us amazing content for years, not to mention a glimpse of your beautiful family, and for that I am thankful. Best of luck in whatever it is that you choose to do.
Amber says
I’ve been checking this blog nearly everyday since 2007. I use your tutorials and advice ALL THE TIME while we work on our own home (just this month while refinishing our deck for example). THANK YOU so much for sharing so much of yourselves and your experiences. (“Thank you” doesn’t even do you guys justice.) BEST OF LUCK in all your future endeavors!