Just Be You | An Open Heart Message
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Story of Our Pot Rack
Recently I came full circle on something, and it was so profound for me that I felt like I had to share it with you.
This past winter I was talking to my husband a little bit about one of my favorite design decisions in our home.
It wasn’t something that I saw and simply replicated.
It was more of an epiphany.
I love the idea of hanging pots and pans over the oven.
The look is beautiful and it seems so practical.
But for us, that isn’t an option.
We currently have a microwave there.
So, until we have a kitchen that facilitates pots and pans over a stove, I decided to hang them on the wall near the kitchen.
Functionally it was the best decision for us.
Before this little rack, our pot and pan cabinet was a MESS!
You can read more about that here if you’re interested in why we no longer store them in the cabinet.
Anyway…
One day I was given an opportunity to have that specific project featured.
With that feature, my project would be put in front of more eyes than I would ever let myself imagine.
Well, with that “up” came some “downs”.
I began to receive some negative feedback about the pot rack that I loved so much.
My husband was stunned when I started telling him some of the criticisms I received about it.
I’ll be honest, I tried to push past some of those comments, but those voices were still floating around in my head, and would come out every now and then.
Was the idea stupid?
And if the idea was stupid, what does that say about me?
The first discovery
Then one day, nearly a year later, I discovered something.
I saw my pot rack design in a published design book!!!
The design that some people criticized was actually in a book!
Two racks one over the other, with pots and pans hanging on a regular wall.
Not a backsplash over the oven!
I was so overcome that I started crying.
Is that crazy?
Somehow seeing it in a book, published by a credible source gave me the power to turn the voices off.
The idea wasn’t stupid and most importantly I wasn’t stupid.
The next discovery
Then another wild thing happened…
It was the end of the year and time for me to take inventory of what you guys loved most.
You know that yearly “Best of” post I love so much.
Guess what?!
That pot rack showed up among the most liked.
YOU GUYS!
I had no idea!
I was actually thinking up ideas for a way to make the pot rack better, or how can we get rid of the microwave so we can hang the pots and pans over there.
The lesson I learned
I’m not saying that someday I won’t have another epiphany and change the pot rack.
But at the end of the day, I learned something so valuable from this experience.
I found the pot rack design in a book called “Feels Like Home” by Lauren Liess.
In the book, she talks about how important it is that your house be specifically geared to you’re families lifestyle needs and likes.
Don’t make design decisions because they are trendy, but at the same time don’t steer away from a trend if it’s truly something you love.
For us, this pot rack fulfilled one of our lifestyle needs and our desire to have a home that feels more rustic and a little unrefined.
That European farmhouse vibe that we like so much.
(If these pots and pans intrigue you, I definitely recommend checking out this post all about European cottage style.)
Is it what we would have done if we did a complete renovation on our kitchen?
Maybe not.
But it’s the exact thing we need right now in this season of our lives, even though some may find it quirky and impractical.
Today, I hope that my pot rack story encourages and empowers you.
People aren’t always going to think your ideas are amazing, and that’s okay!
It’s your house.
Make it feel like home to you.
If you’re interested in seeing how we did this super easy and quick DIY pot rack I shared an entire post on it.
Please Pin!
Don’t forget to head over to Facebook or Instagram to see our day-to-day fun!
Also, make sure you follow along on Pinterest to check out all the other inspiration I’ve been pinning!
Have a great week! XoXo
Open Your Doors,
Aliya
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Aliya
Hi! my name is Aliya and I'm so glad you stopped by today! Truly you have no idea how much it means to me. I live in Ohio with my husband and 3 little girls. I believe that once we start opening our doors, that hearts will start to open around us as well. You can head over to the About Aliya page to get my whole story.
18 Comments
Tracy
Absolutely stunning! Your home and attitude are very special. I see such a bright future for you! Love your littles and believe in yourself! Hugs!
Aliya
Thank you so much Tracy!! I feel like I need to do that even more because of them. When they grow up I want them to feel confident and strong when they face opposition. Your support means more than you’ll ever know!! Hugs back!!
Carolyn
I LOVE your pot rack !!!!!!!!! It inspired me to hang my cast iron pans on a little peice of kitchen wall. We live in an 1940 home with a ton of wimdows and no real storage your pot rack fits perfectly into our lifestyle. Thanks for the inspiration.
Aliya
Ahhh!! I’m so glad to hear that! Truly! You have no idea!! Thank you for being a light in my life!! You have no idea how afraid I was to write this post.
Jennifer Howard
First off, give me the names of those people that said mean things…and don’t ask any questions…
I adore your pot rack and all the pics with it in the background and swoon at all those beautiful copper pieces.
We can have 100 nice comments but it’s the nasty ones that always stick…I tell myself they are just unhappy souls and want to spread around their negativity…we have to put up our postitivity force fields and block those crabapples out!!
Aliya
I love you!! You’re seriously one of the best friends a girl could ask for!! Thanks for always having my back and supporting me through all the ups and downs!! XoXo
Darlene
I love your pot rack, it suits your home to a tee. Just don’t even give those negative people the time of day. We live now in a world where people always try to put others down. That is so sad! Just know that there are many more people who love what you do! Thanks for sharing and just believe in what you are doing and keep up your good posts.
Aliya
Darlene! Thank you a million times! Your kind words are worth more than you’ll ever know. I seriously was crying when I read these words. They are the perfect piece of motivation for pushing past doubt! Thank you again!!
Renae
Such a great post. Every time that I see your pot rack, my heart pitter pats. I love it. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Congratulations on the feature.
Aliya
Thanks so much Renae!! This new realization is such a big one for me. Your support to keep going means more than you know!!
Cindy D
Hi Aliya. I remember always telling my kids when they were under peer pressure. Do you like it? If they said yes, then I say, go for it….and if those kids make fun of you again, just say, well I like it and I don’t care if you don’t. Not easy in this day and age of the internet. People hide behind their computers and just say mean things. Just keep scrolling and be happy because it makes you happy. And I happen to love your pot rack. It’s pretty genius if you ask me 😉
Aliya
Cindy! You’re so right! That’s the exact thing I’d tell my girls and I would hope they would do. Thank you so much for your wisdom and kind words. They mean so much to me!
Kelly Radcliff
Aliya I love how open and transparent you were in this post. We have all had criticism that led to doubt and seeing how you overcame that is beautiful! I love your style and I love how you have stayed true to yourself. Your pot rack is stunning and so is your heart!
Aliya
Thanks Kelly! I’m so glad that I have a friend like you to lean on when self-doubt starts to rear its ugly head. You’re an amazing encourager and have blessed my life beyond words!! Love you!!!
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Gloria Rivenbark
I ran across your blog today. I’ve been reading and catching up. First let me say , I have been where you’ve been , a career woman , a new mother , and thinking I didnt know what I was doing in my home or as a new mother. I survived and now I’m a grandmother with a comfortable decorated home that I learned to try and if you dont suceed the first time , try again. I get alot of compliments on my farmhouse cottage deco so I guess I’m doing something right.
Your home is beautiful ! I have enjoyed reading your blog today and I will truly say continue to believe in yourself and let your home be a reflection of what makes you happy. That’s what life is all about.
I look forward to reading more Open Doors Open Hearts !
Aliya
Gloria! Reading this comment was one of the highlights of my day! Thank you so much! It means more than you’ll ever know to hear you say the things you’ve said!! I hope you continue to enjoy Open Doors Open Hearts, and that you continue to share with me! I absolutely loved hearing from you!!
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