Almost exactly three years ago this month, I left my corporate career to focus on Teal + Lime full time.
But I honestly had no idea what it would become. All I knew is that I wanted to help women figure out decorating.
When I started Teal + Lime in 2011 it was an outlet for me while my husband was away three nights a week working on an accelerated MBA. It was a year after we had moved into our current home and decorating was finally starting to click for me. I was eager to share our home progress.
When I was trying to come up with a blog name I wanted something unique, but also something that stood for what I believe about creating a home—that you have to embrace and showcase what makes you most unique to create a home that reflects you and feels like home.
When we decorated our son’s nursery and our dining room in teal and lime colors that’s when we really started to own who we were and to showcase it in our home. That one bold, authentic choice set the tone for our home. So Teal + Lime became the name of my blog and eventually my business.
Teal + Lime is a reminder to do what you love in your home, even if it isn’t everyone else’s cup of tea. My bold cool-toned color scheme was quite the opposite of what we traditionally see in Midwest homes. And you bet, we got a few raised eyebrows when we told people we were painting walls teal or dark gray.
But we had also just moved from a townhome where we felt stifled and trapped for years in a blah color scheme because the house was “on the market.” We vowed to never live like that again.
Why I Changed the Teal + Lime Website
Teal + Lime, the blog, started as my place to share how we created a home we love that truly reflects us. But now Teal + Lime is much more than a blog…
After years of development and growth, Teal + Lime is a resource for women that want to create a beautiful, comfortable home without hiring a designer. A place for women that want to feel confident decorating their own homes and love the end result.
Teal + Lime houses over 700+ decorating and DIY posts, two (soon to be three) decorating books, and an entire online school. My little blog has come a long way…
(It still completely blows my mind that one million people have visited Teal + Lime this year alone.)
To celebrate Teal + Lime got a long overdue makeover. There are a few really cool new features that I want to make sure you know about.
1. Your first decorating book is on me when you join the Teal + Lime newsletter.
Sign up on the home page or the sidebar of the blog to get a complimentary copy of my first book Free Decorating. (Pssst. While the free PDF is for your eyes only, you can send your friends this way to request their own copy.)
2. The blog archives are now neatly organized and a visual treat to browse.
There are five main categories to explore; How To Decorate, Simple DIY Projects, Life Tips, Success Stories, and Our Home Tour.
Then there are sub-categories to help you find anything you’re looking for. My favorite part of the new set up is the visual catalog of posts.
3. All the decorating help you need can be found from the home page.
A few weeks ago when I did a signed book giveaway I was surprised by a few commenters that congratulated me on launching the book. It had actually come out in May. Oops. Clearly my old website wasn’t helping readers find all the resources I have to offer. While 700+ blog posts is plenty to get you started, if you’re looking for more end-to-end decorating advice, then please check out these resources:
- How to find a decorating style that fits you
- Finish decorating your entire home this year – If decorating your home is a goal for 2016, check out my decorating classes
- Take control of your to-do list and end project overwhelm – My second book Project Home is a must-have resource to plan and reach your home goals in 2016. It’s available in Paperback and Kindle format.
What you can expect from Teal + Lime in 2016 and beyond…
Weekly Blog Posts
The weekly blog post cadence I started in 2014 is still working really well. It allows me to bring you high quality articles like these favorites from the past year:
- Why I Stopped Using Pinterest for a Year
- How I Work and Clean My Home at the Same Time
- The Easy Way to Make Your Bed Every Day
More Books
One of my highlights of 2015 (and my life) was publishing my first two books. I plan to continue adding to the Decorator’s Field Guide series in 2016. I already have a topic for the third book in the series, but I am still open to suggestion for the fourth book. If there’s a decorating topic you’d like me to cover in depth in a book, please share in the comments below.
Thank You for Reading
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey. I wouldn’t be here today without the support, encouragement, and feedback I get from you, my lovely readers. I promise I will continue to work hard to bring you resources that will make creating a home easier and more enjoyable.
