Holy cats — have we really been blogging for six years?
It feels like our fifth blogiversary was just yesterday, and like 2007 was only a few months ago when we were posting tiny photos and a few lines about whatever was happening under our roof. Every year has been an adventure, but the last twelve months have brought some things we never imagined when we started: a book that hit the bestseller list, a lighting collection we designed here in Richmond with a local manufacturer, a short film that aired on Oprah, and perhaps the most thrilling of all — a new house in a neighborhood we’d long hoped to live in.
For our sixth blogiversary we considered hiring an orchestra to serenade you as you scrolled through this post, but the logistics were a little tricky. Instead, we planned a whole week of blogiversary celebrations, behind-the-scenes stories, and fan-focused extras—just like we’ve done for past years. The festivities kick off today. Here’s what we have lined up this week:
- a “day in the life” post with photos and details about a typical day for our family (keep reading for that one)
- an exciting giveaway that includes plane tickets
- a data-heavy feature with pie charts and blog stats showing how we spend our time, where our income comes from (and where it goes), plus some surprising figures
- a Q&A video answering many personal questions submitted by readers
- a behind-the-scenes account of our recent Oprah appearance, including a funny story about how that day began, and a clip for you to watch
- a candid post about a side project that didn’t work out—because sometimes lessons are as valuable as wins
- a reader survey so you can tell us about yourselves, which John will turn into an infographic recap
We especially love our “Day In The Life” blogiversary posts because they capture how our routines and surroundings change over the years. It’s fun to compare snapshots from previous blogiversaries and see how our family and home have evolved.
This year, to keep the day from getting bogged down in camera setups (yes, tripod for laundry folding is a thing), we stuck to iPhone photos only. That made the day feel more natural, so excuse the imperfect picture quality — that’s real life.
6:15 AM: John is up for a neighborhood run. Some mornings he hits the gym, and some mornings he stays in bed; it varies. After his run there’s usually time to reply to a few emails before the house wakes up.
7:45 AM: Clara wakes up and spends a slow, playful start to the day with John in her room—today they built a Lego dragon. I’m dressed and ready, and Burger gets up briefly for a potty break before heading back to bed.
8:30 AM: Breakfast happens in various places: Clara eats yogurt in front of a Jake and the Neverland Pirates episode after some magnet-doll play with me. I use the quiet moments to read and respond to comments that came in overnight while John squeezes in a shower and a shave.
9:00 AM: We’re a little behind for preschool, so I dress Clara quickly while John packs her snack. They head out for the 15–20 minute drive and I stay home to proof the morning post before it goes live at 10—checking links, images, and making last-minute tweaks.
9:45 AM: Clara is dropped off at preschool and John runs errands, including a grocery stop. I take a few minutes to reply to emails and hit publish on the post at 10.
10:30 AM: John is back with groceries and I’m moderating comments on the morning post. Once the food is put away he uses the quiet to back up photos, answer emails, and select images for a later post. I take advantage of the suddenly sunny day to shoot some last-minute photos for an upcoming feature, send a few showhouse emails, and begin a draft for the next post.
Noon: Time to pick Clara up. We have a meeting right after, so we both go. After pickup at 12:30 we grab a quick lunch at Jason’s Deli before our 1:30 appointment.
1:00 PM: We drive 30 minutes to photograph the Massey Street of Dreams houses for a multi-home roundup. Some days feel like we live in the car.
2:15 PM: John photographs while I collect details from our guide, Justin. I publish the afternoon post from my phone during a pause. Justin’s daughter tagged along, so Clara made a new friend and the two of them eventually rested since naptime was near and Justin’s daughter wasn’t feeling well.
3:00 PM: We leave and make the 40-minute drive home. I use the ride to catch up on comments, Clara reads in the backseat, and John checks on her so she doesn’t drift off—preserving naps at home is important.
3:45 PM: Back home; Clara naps. Usually this is prime project time, but I have a phone interview about our Super Soul Sunday clip and a showhouse call with the builder’s team. John changes into work clothes to caulk sunroom trim and fill nail holes while I juggle two calls, a few emails, and finish a post.
5:30 PM: Clara wakes and I bring her downstairs to play for a bit.
6:00 PM: Family walk time. We don’t always manage an evening stroll, but the weather is too nice to pass up. We talk about Clara’s day, the posts we’re each writing, and the projects we want to tackle tomorrow.
6:45 PM: Dinner—one of our family favorites: chicken squares (family recipe). Clara helps with mixing while I check on comments and wrap up the post I’d been chipping away at all day. With multiple posts going up over a short period, we’re always completing drafts, editing, and responding to reader questions.
7:30 PM: We eat together. Clara enjoys her veggies and even eats half a chicken square. I clean up while John answers a few emails. Then Clara and I snuggle on the couch and finish her Jake episode.
8:15 PM: Bedtime routine. Tonight I brush teeth and dress PJs while John reads the bedtime story.
8:30 PM: With Clara tucked in, we squeeze in a few more hours of work. John finishes the post he prepped earlier and I respond to social media questions and send some materials to our publisher as we work on Book Two. Eventually we turn on the TV and half-watch while finishing last-minute emails, comments, and edits. Since we didn’t do much DIY today beyond caulking, tomorrow night will likely be project-heavy.
10:00 PM: To resist the urge to keep working, we clean up, shut off the downstairs lights, put laptops away, and head upstairs to watch TV in bed. We’re catching up on Scandal on Netflix—John is well into it and I’m a little more obsessed than he is.
11:30 PM: John nods off during Olivia Pope’s latest escapade, so the TV goes off when the episode ends. Teeth brushed, contacts out, we wind down—John reads a few pages while I scroll Pinterest and send a few late-night texts. Burger finally slips under the covers to snuggle between us, and the lights are out by midnight.