Hello and welcome to almost spring.
I’m super excited about today. I’m linking up with some of my favorite bloggers on the planet for a spring tour put together by Jen and Randi to celebrate flowers and spring and green and grass and blue skies and waving to winter in the rear view mirror.
If you are visiting from Courtney’s, I’m so happy that you stopped by.
Truly.
It’s super nice to meet you, but before we get started….
….I have a confession to make.
I need to up my emoji game.
Yesterday one of the twins looked at an e-mail that I sent her and rolled her eyes.
She gestured toward the screen with impatience.
“Mom….you really need to post some other emojis,” she sighed. “You only know three. You need to add more. Maybe think about that hat or the winking emoji or the cup of coffee.”
Seriously?
I didn’t realize I had an emoji problem.
I post this when I’m happy.
I post this when I’m sad. 
And for everything else I post this.
Don’t you think that about covers it?
Are there more complex emotions to be expressed in a text?
Does a person actually need more emojis than happy, sad and a really good heart?
Apparently so.
The twins explained to me in great detail that there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of emojis just waiting to be added to a sentence.
Emojis that can display every subtle nuance of emotion.
Why just be sad when you can use….
….a downtrodden emoji.
Or just happy when you can smirk instead.
Or add a heart when you could use an apathetic emoji.
For all the times you really want to say….
Meh.
Here’s a little glance at the spring decor at the gatehouse with the added benefit and joy of emojis.
This is my office.
This is where I create and dream and write and gaze at the clouds.
Emojis might help explain it all a little more.
Kind of like a three-dimensional emotional tour.
Nuances included.
This kitchen deserves one of these.
A chocolate chip cookie emoji.
I already feel more in touch with my emotions.
And if I add ice cream?
I’m showing even more joy.
Or maybe a fried egg emoji.
I’m getting it.
I’m finally understanding.
I’m feeling clarified and understood and expressive with every layer I peel back in the wonderful world of emojis.
Here, I need a thinking emoji.
Thinking about why there are empty baskets on top of the cabinets.
And what I should do about it.
Here, I need an embarrassed emoji.
Like this.
Embarrassed I didn’t fix the molding under the cabinets before taking a picture of the kitchen.
I’m not sure about the effectiveness of so much emojiing.
All this emotional investment is a little exhausting.
I feel like I’ve been so transparent and open with my cartoon emotions.
But I did learn something from the journey into emoji land. I found a new emoji that made the cut.
One more emotion to add to my standard three.
It’s for when I’m so happy I need to take it to the next level.
For the spring that is around the corner.
For the flowers that are blooming.
When I’m full of joy about green and grass and blue skies and waving to winter in the rear view mirror and I’m so happy and I know it….
….I clap my hands. 🙂
PS I have absolutely no idea how to work this one into emoji conversation….
….but nothing says spring like a turkey leg. 🙂
For more spring touring, be sure and head over to Jen’s blog for springtastic inspiration (and here’s a few other houses to visit along the way).
?? rotfl. Love it. Now do you Bitmoji? You should check it out. The twins might even be impressed. And I'm all into Spring with Winter in my rear view mirror! ? Happy day friend! Cecilia
What? More emoji stuff? I have to check this out. :)
No emoji's on my desktop at work, so I'll just say I heart you!! How's that?!?
Bitmoji is a fun one!! You make yourself and add clothes and hair styles,etc....FUN FUN...and you can never have too many coffee cup emojis in a post or email, in my opinion. :)
Beautiful tour. Love all of your fresh touches. And the fun emojis ---well--today's kids are just too smart! But I'm so happy :-) that the twins helped you expand your digital emotions. LOL. Happy Almost Spring! Susie from The Chelsea Project
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OMG...I'm so jelly like a doughnut of your new emoji knowledge. Plus, your twins shared all this with you and you didn't even have to snoops. BTW, I love your room...it's meatballs. Nancy
I know so many emojis. Who has the time. Anyway, I love your blog and your decor style. I wanted to also say you have a great eye for photography. I always look forward to your posts. Thanks my friend.
BEAUTIFUL PICTURES!! Well, you asked for it! You'll get more emoji's than you know what to do with. You're such a hoot, Kari Anne!! Keep on sharing your charm and 'creative-ness' with us your readers.. You never disappoint. Now I have to go look for some little yellow faces.... where oh where might they be????
I remember back before all the variations of laughing acronyms and any emojis when sometimes what you wrote in an email could be taken wrong. Then came keyboard emojis, like the parentheses in combo with the colon or semi-colon to let the reader know there was a smile on your face or a wink and a smile. I love all the variations now -- especially the animated ones! But do I use them? Sometimes, but not very often. Only when I want to make very, very sure the reader will understand the context. Maybe I should take the twins advice and start ;-)
Kariann, I love the one one where you're happy and you know it, but where did you get it?
June, LOL! I got it at Hobby Lobby a little while ago. Hope this helps! karianne
I am so glad you told me that emoticon was clapping its hands. I have always thought he was coming to tickle me or something. I use two hands clapping for clapping because I am fearful of the emojis that leave room for misinterpretation!
If you are happy and you know IT clap your hands. Your sign seems to be missing the IT.??? ( or maybe I am missing something.)
Aren't ya glad ya got them??? I need some inhouse advisors!!!
Half the time I don't know that the emoji's stand for!!!
It's all so gorgeous, KariAnne. I personally love the deadpan emoji and use it a lot lol Hugs, Jamie
So, you're office has a kitchen attached? Is this a separate area from the house? I guess I need to see a complete tour of your home to get it... maybe? Do you have a post of that? I'm so confused! (Insert confused emoji here).>.<
If nothing else, teenagers keep us humble. We think we know so much and have this life pretty much figured out until they tell us differently. Who knew that emojis were so important? P.S. I didn't notice the moulding until you pointed it out and had to scroll back and look at the picture again. I was noticing how cute the shelves were with the little pops of greenery.
Karianne you always bring a smile to my face! Your photos are stunning and I just love your sense of humor! Happy early spring my friend! xo
Ha ha I love that fried egg emoji, too cute!! My girls compliment me when I use emojis properly, how sad is that? Obviously they think I'm an old lady....which I kind of am, sigh.
Awesome house with gorgeous rug, LOVE IT! Thanks for share, excellent job!
Thanks for a good laugh today. Teenagers know so much more than their parents :) I'm so glad they shared it with you. I have 4 adult children and they know a lot more than I do too or at least they are under that impression sometimes. HA!
This is about the cutest thing I've read in ages! And your house looks so bright and lovely all decked out for Spring!
Yes, kitchen emojis to express all of our moods. That would be fantastic!
Oh! I am so backward but I think that is a hug -- not a clap your hands. And to tell you the truth the emoji with the wide eyes reminds me of someone who just got pinched in the rear, and not by their dear husband. And how the heck do you get emojis on your Mac laptop as you're typing along. All I know is how to do the colon dash and parenthesis. :-( Now that I've read your story -- I have to go back and look at your photos. Your stories always captivate me. ? I found them !! The emojis. That's me sending a hug. ?
Not only is your kitchen AND office unbelievably gorgeous but you had me lol with this post KariAnne! I need to up my emoji game too and just use the same ones over and over. You've given me lots of great ideas here! :) I've also found it very hard to write blog posts without the use of the eyeroll emoticon which is one of my go-t0. When is wordpress going to let us use emoticons in blog writing!
You're a hoot, girlfriend. And the gatehouse is just perfect - broken trim, turkey leg and all. I really like the turkey leg...
I really don't understand some of those emojis. At 66 instead of laughing so hard tears coming out of my eyes I need one laughing so hard I wet my pants!
KariAnne, those precious twins are going to keep you forever young! Blessings, dear friend!
Love, love, love, you cutie!!! You are the best of the blogs I've seen and you make such a creative story. Bravo Emoji here!
Your girls are just so darn funny. I love hearing stories about how they like to keep you hip and young!
I'm giving you a big hug ??!!!
So many beautiful rooms in this post. Pinned! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Have a great week! Kim
There is a crazy world of emojis out there, it is hard to figure them all out haha. I absolutely love the kitchen in your home, I love the half open shelves that you have. Makes it so that your dishes don't fall and break but you still get to display your things forcing you to stay organized. I also love that you added greenery on the shelves opposite the counter, maybe some greenery in the empty baskets above your shelves?
I need to up my emoji game too - my Goddaughter says the same thing to me! What a beautiful home you have - so many inspiring decorating ideas!And the links to the other homes are inspiring too! Scheduled this post to share on our Hearth and Soul Facebook page later today. Thank you for being a part of Hearth and Soul. Hope to 'see' you again this week - the party is on now!
I enjoyed your whimsical writing style in this post with the use of emojis (insert emoji smiley face). Thank you for sharing with Thursday Favorite Things! Love your home tour too!
You are hilarious! As the mom of a 10 year old with a phone, emojis are a whole new language that I am learning. And I love how you used them to compliment your gorgeous spring tour. Have a wonderful day!