In 2016 I started blog called The Candid Woman. I was a professional photographer, so the Candid part made sense, but more than that, I loved that Candid meant “real, raw, in the moment.” At the time, I was desperate to be real — my marriage was falling apart, my self esteem was at an all time low, and I was trying hard to uphold the image that life was beautiful, when it truthfully was far from it.
The one joy I clung to during that rainy season was my home – a hundred year old bungalow I purchased for a song. The house was in shambles; it had no central air system, no working plumbing, no electricity. I poured all my efforts into reviving her from the ground up. Day by day, she transformed from a run-down house no one loved into a beautiful cozy home rich with character.
Somewhere along the line, I realized that my home reminded me of myself; a little weathered, a little unloved, a little worse for the wear. Perhaps if I learned to love myself and pour effort back into my own life, I too could shine again. I knew I needed to find a way to make the candid parts of my life actually true, good, and beautiful.
The ending of that marriage was the start. I hope to talk more about those five years of my life sometime, but the short story is, it wasn’t good. Those blog posts have been archived, for now. But after it was over, I began to feel like myself again. I found the space to sing and paint and write and photograph everything I experienced. I rediscovered my faith, I met my husband David (who loves on me better than anyone), and now we have our beautiful daughter Clementine together. And — the best part — I still get to love on houses and make them beautiful again!
Here you’ll probably find a little bit of everything: home design, self-love encouragement, words on motherhood and marriage, photography, and… well, whatever else is on my heart for the day.
Thank you for entering my online “home:” I am so happy you are here.
xoxo Emily
