You know how great you feel when you give a room in your house a facelift? It’s amazing what a little paint, some rearranging and a few new pieces can do.

Well, that’s kind of how I’m feeling today, after doing the same thing for my blog. It was time to peel back the layers and get clear – with you and me – about what we’re doing here. Yep, five years in and there’s still always room for change and greater clarity.

In my ecourses, I tell students that a web site – especially a blog – is like your second home, just online. You want people to feel welcome, cared for, and like they can kick back and really get to know you. And you want them to leave feeling like it was a great visit and that they’d love to come back sometime {maybe even tomorrow!}.

So, I did a little dusting, some rearranging, and gave the place a new coat of paint. I made room for the work I’m doing to help entrepreneurs and youth shine brighter {some of that’s still under construction}. I even gave the Facebook page a little makeover. And I re-wrote my tagline…my goal for this space: to illuminate the awesomeness around us and within us.

This is the biggest, albeit subtle, shift for me. This blog started out as “One Year of Beauty.” After the first year was up, it changed to “Choosing Beauty” – and that remains the name of my company. But I’ve often found the word “beauty” to be misleading for some and require explanation {just look in my mailbox and you’ll see the countless trade magazines I get from companies thinking I’m a beauty salon!}.

But everybody understands awesomeness. It encompasses all sorts of goodness I want you to feel like you can find here:

appreciating + creating beauty

living and working with purpose + passion

the power of intention

following your bliss

I hope you feel right at home here. Kick back. Settle in. Share your thoughts. Pin a picture. Invite a friend over. And come back whenever you can. You are all sorts of awesome and always welcome here.