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Celebrating Four

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Four years ago, I started this blog.

FOUR YEARS!  Holy moly – just typing that makes me wanna take a nap.

And I figure that almost 1500 days of blogging deserves a mission statement for good ole Bower Power so here she blows:

  • THIS BLOG IS FOR ME

I blog for me.  Not for readers.  Not for income.  Not for fans or friends or family.  I blog because God has put that desire in my heart.  The rest of the reasons are just major perks (HUGE! GIGANTIC!)…but not the reason to come back every day for hours on end.  It is probably the most selfish hobby I have ever had…and the most gratifying because of the people in my life.  In the end, if it ever stops being “because I want to” and starts being “because I have to”….well….this too shall pass.  And  I will celebrate the ending with a clinking of glasses and a carb-laden hoedown.  Yeehaw.

  • THIS BLOG DWELLS ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF LOVE

I like to tease.  I like to joke about celebrities – Trump’s terrible hair, Brit-brit’s famous umbrella, and Ceelo’s pimp cat.  I like to make 14-year-old boy jokes about private body parts and any sort of pork product.  But at the very core of this blog, I want to love.  I want to pour out kindness and smiles and rainbows on everyone who reads these words.  I want you to be encouraged and uplifted.  I want the words that pour from my fingertips to never be out of anger or malice or hate…but to be wrapped in a pink bow of love…and inspiration…not just to improve your home or to pour yourself into a chandelier makeover…but to have love flowing freely into life, your preciousness, yourself.

  • THIS BLOG IS REAL & OPEN

For the past four years, I have made mistakes.  I made bad jokes, I said things that hurt folks or were taken out of context or misunderstood.  I have been imperfect.  human.  flawed.  And I let it all hang out.  literally and figuratively.  I don’t put on airs to pretend I am more gracious than I am….or act like I’m funny (I totally admit I’m really not funny at all in person)…I don’t think of myself as a designer or a professional or above-average-at-anything.  I struggle with real life.  I get sad and hurt.  I have good days.  I have terrible ones.  I am who I am.  And that is okay.

I put myself out there, mistakes and all, because I am a believer in that if my one statement or opinion can encourage or uplift ONE person…then it is worth dealing with any reprecussions…positive or negative.  And that is why I don’t remove things from this blog….I don’t delete mean comments….I take the good with the bad.  There have been times when I (or someone else) wrote something out of a knee-jerk reaction….something I wish I could erase…something I wish I could remove forever from my blog and the minds of those who read it.  But real life is full of mistakes.  real life is admitting that nobody is perfect.  And I want this blog to be real….not watered down or carefully post processed….I want this thing to be unfiltered and imperfect….because that means it is a true reflection.

  • THIS BLOG IS LESS THAN THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT

All blogs are less than the people behind them.  So this reminder is for me.  I have to remember to be slow to judge….slow to spend other’s money….slow to form opinions….quick to forgive….quick to appreciate….quick to love.  I am so lucky to live in an age where people open their lives, their minds, their hearts to share with complete strangers.  I want to remember that this blog celebrates my life and what I choose to share….and that is just a slim and scarce glimpse into me and mine….God created more in me than this blog.  Thank goodness.

  • THIS BLOG IS NOT FOREVER

One day, blogging will come to an end.  And when it comes down to it, this blog is part of what I choose to do but not who I am.  I have been given the precious gift of life and this blog doesn’t hold a candle to the most serious things in my life.  I don’t know when it will end….or why or how…but I know that investing ourselves in the eternal things matters most.  And for the time being, blogging is one way I get to share all those things…small and big.

All that is what we are all about here.  Pretty serious stuff huh?!

Now let’s get back to the not-so-serious….like how funny was it on the Bachelorette when one of the best friends asked the dude with the egg named ‘Shelly’ if he fertilized it himself?!   I wanna be friends with that girl.

p.s.  random old photos were taken between 2005 – 2007 when Jer and I dated 🙂  And yes, I self-take-pictures of my hematomas…so glad that’s normal 🙂

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Comments

  1. I really love the content of this post! And I feel the same way about blogging. Thanks for sharing so honestly and openly. That’s what makes people like me keep reading. It’s the ‘real’ stuff that we {or at least I} like to read about. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful family more abundantly!! xo, Jackie

  2. Wow… four years! That deserves a high five and a big Thank You So Much! I’ve read every single post and have shared your family with my own. (When we visited the Playmobil FunPark in Germany last month, my daughter observed that the “rocks” were plastic because “some kids are throwers, like Will.”)

    I admire you because you are real even when it’s not pretty, because you are flawed even though you are beautiful, because you are hilarious whether you see yourself that way or not. (I am never quite sure what you are going to say or do, but I’m pretty sure I am going to enjoy it.) I appreciate your willingness to be thrifty, to be honest, and to represent for those of us with a fivehead. You have a gift, and I am glad that you have decided to share it with us for however long you do. (A long time, please!)

  3. Congrats Katie!!! I love your blog and appreciate how genuine you always are. Thanks for “keeping it real” 🙂

  6. Happy Anniversary Katie! I truly enjoy every aspect of your blog. You are the type of blogger that others should strive to be…and you do it with such grace and humility. I keep up with several blogs (when I have the spare time) and you are definitely my favorite! God Bless!

  7. I’m already worried – if the day ever comes that this blog ends, can we still be internet/email friends? I come and visit your blog every day, and since I live in NJ (not “let’s meet up for coffee” distance from Georgia), it’s not likely we’re going to BBQ at each other’s house, or run into each other at the grocery store… You mentioned once (at least once!) how you felt that your readers were your friends… Well, we feel the same way – LOVE your blog, love reading about your family and your home and your boyfriend and your baby (soon to be babies)… Hope that last blogging day doesn’t come very soon…

  10. Congratulations on four years! I have been reading for a little over a year and love your blog. Thanks for being yourself in a politically correct world, its so refreshing to read.

  11. You’re the best, Katie. Just saying.

    Thank you for being open and honest, and for the reminder that it is the eternal things that are the most important. You are an inspiration to me, and I want you to know that 🙂

    P.S. – Only you and Jeremy could make googly-eye glasses and birthday hats look that cute!! Love it 🙂

  13. Speaking of the Bachelorette – every time Doug is on, I swear he looks like your boyfriend!

  14. Katie, I have always admired your openness and authenticity. My husband and I always joke that if I had a blog, it would be the most boring blog ever, because I am so private that I would only share such vague mundane details that it would be a snoozefest. I think your blog has such a draw for people because it is authentic. Don’t change that!!

    The comments recently from people about how they don’t like certain posts or won’t read anymore really bother me. Why do people feel like they own you or can dictate what you write? It would be like going up to an artist at a gallery and saying, “You know, there are a few paintings here that don’t interest me. Therefore, I’m never coming to your gallery again.” Seriously?? Your blog is your own creation, for your own enjoyment and purposes. Who cares what people think about it? Why do people feel that they are “paying you” to write for them? You are a lot more gracious in response to these commenters than I would be!

    Love your blog and look forward to more great posts from you!

  15. Love this!!! My goals in blogging are similar. I want to do it for me and not be pressured by what I think people want. I’m glad you wrote this 🙂 Congrats on 4 years! Such an accomplishment!

    P.S. The thought of your blog not existing some day felt like a punch in the stomach. I might cry myself to sleep tonight.

  16. Congratulations to you both

    Beeing an Icelandic follower that looks forward to reading your entry’s every time, I am just greatful for the internet that brougt me Bower Power with all that it has instore. Creativity, wonderful objects to look at, shared everyday activities and yes sometimes funny jokes:) Above all I enjoy reading Bower Power because it is more real than glossed. Will enjoy it as long as it lasts…

    Heiða

  17. Congrats on four years! Your blog is one of two that I visit every single day. Keep on doing what you’re doing because I love it! BTW…how the heck did you get that goose egg on your head???!!!!

  18. Congratulations on 4 years! Yours is one of my favorites, for all the reasons you shared 🙂

  20. Congratulations! I’ve only been reading your blog for about a year, but it always puts a smile on my face & keeps me inspired.

    In more important news- in that last picture (where I am assuming you were bike riding?) how the eff are you able to look like a freaking Pantene commercial??

  21. Thanks for keeping it real. It’s your humor and “realness” that keeps me coming back. Just keep on doing what you love and what your heart tells you because you know….the haters gonna hate no matter what you do. We just say “bless their hearts” and move on. :0)

  22. Congrats on four years! I have been reading for a while now, and honestly yours is one of my favorite blogs. Thank you for all the honesty and inspiration.

  23. Happy four year blogiversary! Thank you, Katie, for sharing your life with us , wart (er…hematomas) and all! You truly have the gift of gab and I love reading your blog !

  24. Katie, I remember reading your blog one day and thinking ‘What in the world?! How can she be so openly immature about things?!”. Then as I thought about it, I realized you were just being yourself. You weren’t putting up any pretenses for others, nor trying to fit into some kind of society mold. Then, I realized that’s what I had been doing. I was stifling my inner crazy-side, the real me, to have ther personality I thought I was “supposed” to have. In sum, thanks for helping me remember it’s not just ok to be yourself–it’s AWESOME!

    Happy 4 years and here’s to many more!

  25. Congrats on 4 years! I definitely love reading how real and funny you are. 🙂 The rest is just perks of how people live – trying to decorate a home, having a crazy toddler (I’m a momma to a 3 year old who loves to throw rocks too, plus put stickers up and down her legs and do other random silly stuff!), and everything else in life.

  27. I have been a lurker for a while now but felt the need to comment. I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and not just for the home makeovers that most blogs are fixated on but the real life family time. I have witnessed how your priorities have shifted and that is expected when your family dynamics change. With another little one on the way, blogging will be the last thing on your mind and I’m sure there is tons of pressure to please everyone. Although I will miss your witty and honest comments, I fully support if you decide to stop blogging. You have done your time and now your family needs you as you do them. I wish you the very best Katie and may God continue to bless you and your beautiful family. Love you guys!

  28. Your blog & I have the same birthday! And I’m glad to share it 🙂 Love the blog and like someone else said…thanks for keepin’ it real even when it isn’t pretty!

  29. Mission accomplished, Katie Bower. These were just the kind of words I needed to hear right now.mi was just telling my husband the other day that at 29 I feel more insecure than I ever have before. What is up with th?! It’s an awful feeling. This post helps me remind myself that like you, I am kind hearted and have good intentions. I’m going to focus less on worrying abut how my intentions are perceived and focus more on sharing my love with those around me. Thanks for all you do!

  30. Katie, I love your blog because of how you write, your “voice” so to speak. You could blog about bananas and dishwashers and I would read it because you have such a great writing style. I love your commitment to be authentic, and hearing that helps me stay true to myself, as well.

    I think you’re hilarious, and I love that you talk about being a Christian from a place of openness and love. I’m not personally Christian, and yet totally appreciate how faith guides you and IS you. Keep doing what you’re doing, and ignore the haters. That’s all their own stuff getting in the way.

  32. Congratulations on 4 years! Count me in as one of the people encouraged and uplifted by your blogging prowess 🙂

  33. Good for you. Your blog is a lovely open window to your life. I hope you enjoy it for a long time. x

  34. love this. happy 4 years of blogging lady! loved this post. i love that your blog is real, and pours out love. every time i read it i feel like we could be real life friends because of that!

  36. Great comments – you blog for you! It will be great to look back in 20 years and remember yourself right now. We think we’re going to remember everything, but let me tell you, we don’t! Love the hematoma picture – I have pictures of my kids boo-boos. They used to smile through the tears so I could get a good shot. I have the best picture of my three-year-old daughter after she fell against a dining room chair and good a great old bloody lip. She is pulling down her lip and saying “look at this” even as she is crying. Now it’s volleyball bruises (all over) and black eyes from wake boarding!

  37. Wow- I don’t know how long I’ve been reading your blog- probably about 2 years. It always brings a smile to my face and I love your humor and honesty. Thanks for sharing your life.

  39. A huge congratulations and high fives to you! You always bring smiles, giggles, and just overall lovliness to the day – thanks for keeping it real! xx

  40. My biggest fear in life is you announcing that you aren’t going to blog anymore! ha. Hopefully it’s a long, long, LONG time before you don’t want to blog anymore!

  41. Happy 4th Anniversary! I love this blog for all of its imperfections and real life. It is exactly what I would want my blog to me – if I would only actually keep it up. Keep it coming!!!

  42. I actually learned about your blog through YHL. And I now read your blog every day. It’s refreshing and hilarious! One of the first things I read or I guess watched was when you announced you were pregnant. And I started to cry in delight 🙂

  45. Thanks for this post! And can I just say, I wish I had your outlook on life. I am a really negative person, and I have to actively try to be happy, and it sucks. Its nice to know that there are people out there like you 🙂

  46. SUCH an amazing post Katie! Every single part of it was beautiful! Love to hear about the reasons why you blog. They seem so honest, authentic and genuine. Congratulations on four years and for staying so very true to yourself. And, so long as you have the desire in your heart to keep blogging, I know I will be very glad to continue reading.

    Also, just so you know, I do indeed feel the love and uplifting quality of your blog each and every time I read one of your posts. So, well done 🙂

  49. Oh Mandy – I think we all struggle with that “it sucks” outlook at times…but I figure that people like me need people like you to keep us grounded…and to remind us to not invest in ponzi schemes 🙂
    xo – kb

  51. Happy Blogiversary!! I love coming back to check in on your corner of the world and hearing about your life – every aspect that you choose to share with us! Keep it up!

  52. Good hair day I guess…it was funny because that was taken after wearing a helmet (what the??!)
    Maybe I should wear a helmet every day 🙂
    xo – kb

  53. That was a funny story…I was snooping in Jeremy’s apartment and he came in the room and we had this weird eye contact thing where he glanced at the closet. Apparently there was a present in there for me. SOoooo….I went running….he went running….I got my head in the way of him closing the closet door….big bump. He ended up giving me the present that night because he felt so bad 🙂 WINNER – ME!!!
    xo – kb

  54. haha…we call him “MMA” because we think that he might beat the crap outta someone at any second 🙂
    xo – kb

  57. I just adore you. Is that creepy? 🙂 You’re real. Honest. And awesome. I have a wee little blog, and it, too, is because I want it. I want an outlet, and my bloggie is that for me. Thanks for writing. 🙂

  58. Happy Anniversary, Katie! I hope you don’t let the negative comments get to you. I think the huge majority of your readers admire your candor and sense of humor. I know I do! May the next 4 (or 40) years of blogging be rewarding and fun.

  59. Hi Katie! This is my first ever blog comment, but I felt it was time to stop merely lurking and let you know I am thankful to have your blog in my life 🙂 Thanks for all the tips and smiles.. here’s to many more! Happy blogiversary!

  60. I’ve not been commenting long, but I’ve been reading foreverrrrr. One of the things I most appreciate about your blog is that you are authentic. It’s not all sugar and spice every day of the year and I definitely believe in keepin’ it real! xoxo

  62. Happy Blogiversary! Here’s to 4 more! I know you said you do this for you, but thanks for all you do!

  65. Thanks for your blog! I came across it while searching for a yellow floor rug back in April. Anyway, I started reading and thought to myself, wow, this person is really funny, sweet, and smart. It is great to see how much work and love you put into your home.

    Bella in Japan

  68. Happy anniversary, Katie. You being you is what makes it work so very well. Thanks for the laughs and cries and inspiration- keep it up! 😀

  69. Congrats of FOUR crazy years Katie! I’ve been around for almost three of them, and will be here til the end. xo

  70. Well said, Katie. WELL SAID! I feel the same way about blogging, you just are much better at explaining it. Cheers to 4 years!

  71. Congrats, Katie! Thank you for inviting us into your life, your family & your home over the past 4 years. You always brighten my day with your posts, inspiration & adorable pictures of Will. Can’t wait to see what happens this year 😉 Happy 4th Anniversary!

  72. Happy 4th Anniversary of your blog!! I found you this year when you when in the finals of
    best blog. I was looking up the top ones and got stuck on yours. I have so enjoyed looking back and reading many of your past postings. You are hilarious and i sit here at my laptop and laugh out loud at so many of your daily posts!! Love your new office, by the way. It turned out so cool!
    I also have a daughter named Katie B., who has such a quirky sense of humor and keeps me laughing every day. God bless you and your little family and hope you have a wonderful day!!

  73. I know I am the black cloud that follows this blog. SORRY!!!! I love the new lighting!! Looks awesome and what a great deal you got. The pic of Will sitting on the counter did scare me a bit!!! Just don’t want to see him fall and crack that sweet noggin’!!!!

  74. Congratulations on four years of your blog! Hope you never stop blogging; if you did, if would be like losing touch with a good friend.

  76. Happy Blogiversary! Katie, thank you so much for taking the time to share your life and ideas with us. I love reading your blog and enjoy reading it so much. I hope the end is not near, and that there will be many more years of this journal.

  77. When you quit blogging do you think you will still “update” people on your lives somehow? Id be so sad if you just disappeared!

  78. I don’t know! That’s not in my immediate future…just was noting how nothing is forever 🙂
    xo – kb
    –

  79. Why did this have such a defensive and somewhat bummer feel to it?? Have you been getting mean comments? That is not the Katie we know and love! I get that you were being honest but it just felt so…blech. Like, I want to give you a hug and tell you not to get down about the negative comments or something? I don’t know. Andplusalso, I sent you an e-mail about how to make a bacon bouquet and you haven’t responded and I am kind of sad because I thought I would get an award or something from you since you are such a bacon lover!

  80. It’s definitely easier to be jokey when it comes to something not so serious (like me or my kid) but I do take the racism thing seriously. and bacon. Don’t you dare make a bacon joke that you can’t deliver on 🙂
    xo – kb

  81. Yeah Katie! Please write a post about that huge knot on your head in the pictures you’ve posted! (It can or can not include bacon and pirates- your choice!)

  82. Usually I get your humor so I think I am missing something? Racism? Huh?? And I totally did send you a how to make a bacon bouquet e-mail! Should I re-send?

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