Goodbye “Inspo Messy Desk”…

And hello to a new version of this online space that has become a second home to me. I’m a little all over the place. So is this blog. I like it that way, and hope you do too! (If you’re not sure what I mean, you can read my new “About” page for details). But in order to keep being “all over the place” like I want to be, I had to break up with someone. Today I tell “@inspo_messydesk” goodbye. Here’s her story:

Two years ago my blog “Inspiration from a messy desk” (and @inspo_messydesk) was born out of a desire to inspire teachers and a lot of free time over summer break. She was a vehicle to share classroom ideas and home projects – all the things I was spending my summers off dabbling in. She was built silently over the summer and went live during Hurricane Harvey when I had an urge to share a message to teachers in my area (read that urgent message here). She spent her first couple of months as a place for teacher inspiration, and the name was perfectly descriptive of that as I had some great ideas but my desk was constantly a mess. Over the next 6 months, she naturally became a food and fitness blog as I  began to use her for sharing recipes and workouts (more things I loved). I enjoyed fluffing her up with personality and randomness and began recording my weeknight meals as they unfolded in real time. Y’all loved those the most, so food became her “niche”. Should I change her name to @inspo_messykitchen?? I wondered…

…and then I got pregnant. And she about died. I wasn’t cooking (rather, vomiting). I wasn’t inspired (rather, anxious). I wasn’t motivated (rather, exhausted). She was still existing, but was basically a ghost – a confusing name with a random recipe and unfinished nursery shot here and there. And that’s okay, because Brooks and Matt (my unborn son and husband) were getting all the attention! As it should be.

Then Brooks was born and with him was a new version of @inspo_messydesk. She was 100% a “new mom” blog – a peek into our daily lives with a newborn and the trials I faced in my new role. She slowly began harboring recipes again as my energy and appetite returned, but she would never be the same because I didn’t care about food as much anymore. I also didn’t care about working out as much. I cared about Brooks. so I shared about Brooks. Oh, and about my “desk”? Non-existent. Now a stay at home mom, I didn’t even own one anymore.

Brooks grew, and I slowly came back to myself, enjoying again the things I once did. But I am different. My priorities have shifted, my interests changed. I fought to keep @inspo_messydesk around, trying diligently to fit my new shape into hers, but it was forceful and always a stretch. Yes, I can claim that I have a “symbolic desk” of a brain (which is also a mess). But I don’t feel like @inspo_messydesk. I know her – I made her – and she is as past as is my 16 year old self (gosh, I don’t even know that person anymore…). So today, she has to go.
Truth is, I care about LOTS of things. I share not because I know a lot about any ONE thing, but because I like to share in general. I am the person who always volunteered to host a workshop for my colleagues during professional development days because I was usually “so excited” about something. The person who created space club in high school because I wanted to share all the cool things I knew about space and discuss them with others who also cared. The person who learned how to cut hair so I could teach and style those of my sorority sisters and also because I love chatting with my girlfriends. I have always been a “learner” and a “sharer”, and this blog will serve as my platform with which to do so. Here are things I am currently interested in sharing and that you can expect to find on this space (note – these are subject to change and in no specific order):

Things I Like to Share:

Motherhood
Fashion & Beauty
Food & Recipes
Fitness
Marriage
Home Décor & DIY’s
Gardening
Faith

Boy is this a long list, and anyone who is beside me in this “blogging” journey understands that this is an equation for slow growth. But I’m not doing this to grow, I’m doing it to share. So I needed a new name. Something more general – perhaps a play on the fact that I’m a ginger? A bit crazy and random? A bit weird and socially awkward? Fired up constantly? Sometimes inappropriate? Silly little titles came to mind, such as “The energizer ginger” and “fired up mama”… queue eye roll. Plus, what if I change my hair color? So my new blog will be titled… DRUMROLL PLEASE…

“Kelsie Brown Blog”

@kelsiebrownblog | www.kelsiebrownblog.com

**crickets** It’s basic, I know. But so am I. And while I see the importance of keeping a line drawn between my online presence and my personal life, my online presence IS an extension of my personal life, not a separate entity. It evolves with me and is always subject to change. It isn’t spectacular because I’m not a pro at anything, but I dabble in a LOT of things and I’m always trying to improve. So my goal: to share my experiences – the things I love and the things I learn – and spread a little joy along the way!

Fashion

Food

That little smirk… he knows he’s a handful…

My hope is that this will be a place of inspiration and comfort for you. Whether you’re here to see my motherhood trials, fashion and home style, weeknight recipes on my Instagram story, or simply to feel like you have a girlfriend in the room rambling about something silly while you fold laundry… I’m going to share it all and see where it takes me! And if in a year I find myself pregnant again with black hair and only caring about dinosaurs, my name will still apply (that is a real possibility so I hope you’re prepared for that).

So come on in and pull up a chair! To my kitchen, closet, garden, crib, whatever! I’ve always got coffee brewin’ (or an extra glass of wine) and I’m always here to chat!

With Love,
Kelsie