disclosure: this post is sponsored by Lamps Plus.

Can I get an exclamation point opinion?

What do you think of it as a punctuation option?

Do you think it’s trite?

Overused?

Platitudinous?

Moth-eaten?

A worn out and tired piece of punctuation to put at the end of a sentence?

Me?

I’m all in.

Team Exclamation Point.

I think that nothing that says it better than a little “!”

Maybe I need to put together a support group? We could call it “Exclamation Points R Us.”  A group where punctuation is celebrated and where exclamation points can run rampant and wild and free.

Seriously.

Can you imagine the world without any excitable punctuation?  What would you do if you wanted to show off your new kitchen stools and you were excited?  Really excited.  Almost like when you gave birth or got married or got straight ‘A’s” or fall finally showed up?

Every little excitement needs an exclamation point.

Like this.

“I have new kitchen stools.”

Lame.

A simple statement.  Lukewarm at best.  From someone who has ordinary, run-of-the-mill kitchen furniture.

But what if the stools had amazing seats like this?

What if they were the perfect piece for the end of your kitchen counter?

What if they were amazing and farmhousy and woveny and you had a secret crush on them?

How would you express yourself?

It’s what the world needs now.

A way to add a little excitement with a few more exclamation points.

Add them to your day!

Add them to your conversations!

If you want to find joy in the ordinary—the exclamation point is just the punctuation for you.

Don’t you think that farmhouse stools like this deserve an exclamation point?

Or two!!

Or three!!!

Or four!!!!

Four may be too many, though.  I’m not sure that’s approved.

I have to run it by the board of “Exclamation Points R Us.” 🙂

And speaking of joy in the ordinary?

This is the sweet face that greets me every time I come home.

He’s a four exclamation point dog.

For sure!!!!

disclosure: this post was written in collaboration with Lamps Plus.

All my opinions are my own.

Please see my disclosure page for more information.

Want to know how to decorate your home for free?
Click here to get my FIVE BEST secrets.

Comments

  1. Image for Chloe Chloe

    Oh, KariAnne! I am absolutely on team exclamation point! I think that is how I talk, so that is how I should talk!!! YAY for exclamation points!!!

  2. Image for Amy V. Amy V.

    Love your glass kitchen cabinet knobs and handles! (See that exclamation point?) Would you please share a source? Thank you. 😊

  3. Image for Denise V Cox Denise V Cox

    Many times I think I just use 'this guy'....(sexist 😋?) way too often, but it's who I am!!! How I express myself!!!! ....... Get the picture?!!!!!! 🤭😝...!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS PUNCTUATION MARK!

  4. Image for JC JC

    I have two stools at the end of my island!!! My stools look so similar just a different color!!! I LOVE them too!!!!

  5. Image for Karen Mary Karen Mary

    Haha!! I'm on the team! Yesterday I was helping my grandson write a story, and I kept suggesting he use exclamation points. :) (I've heard my adult kids explain that I can get excited about anything!) At work I try to temper my use of exclamations, but personally, I'm all in!

  6. Image for Linda Linda

    Your house looks lovely ! And I Love Buddy !!!!! How old is he now ? He looks great !!! My Goldens are 9 and the other one will be 3 in Dec. where does the time go ? I love when you put his sweet face on here. There has to be a lot of us dog lovers that watch for him !

    1. Image for Lou E Gipson Lou E Gipson

      and Cat lovers too who also love sweet faced greeters like Buddy!! yes!!! Team member i am!!! you guys all talk and write the way i talk and write!!!! (big red lipstick smile) !!!!! oh yes! the new stools are awesome!!!

  7. Image for Carol Carol

    True story. I'm a writer, and a teacher I had for a writing group had a passion against exclamation points. Her mantra --- "The day you are born, you get 10 --- yes, 10 --- exclamation to use during your lifetime. Save them for the really, really big stuff." In other words, she thought they were used too often for many things that didn't rally deserve them. I know that goes against many people's beliefs and usage. Just another approach.

    1. Image for Sarah Sarah

      So sad your teacher restricted herself to only using them for the big stuff when life is made joyous by so many little things. My son got his first tooth! My son lost his first tooth! That sunset was amazing,! Look at that woodpecker! You got an A! Used up half mine already.

  8. Image for Janette Deans Janette Deans

    I love exclamation points!!!!!big fan, I mean how else can you get your point across???? I also happen to love the stools and sweet Buddy, can you add my name to the exclam club please.!!hugs from a very mixed up UK resident !!!pray for us..!!!!xxx.

  9. Image for TERESA GONZALES TERESA GONZALES

    LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You already know that I'm in for team" Exclamation Points R Us"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I only use exclamation points in personal writing, since I am a scientist I NEVER use them otherwise. Guess I need to get them out when I can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  10. Image for Tammy Tammy

    I love that sweet dog and those stools are perfect! We are moving soon and there is a small bar that need a few stools that aren’t too big. These might just be perfect.

  11. Image for Deb Deb

    Life is too wearing at times and when the good stuff rolls your way you just have to use exclamation points! I don’t care if it’s because you just saw a newly hatched caterpillar or found the perfect pair of jeans (and as a chunky petite person THAT deserves twenty exclamation points) or your husband finally put his shoes away (ahem), it’s all good stuff so use those exclamation points!!

  12. Image for Lisa Lisa

    I believe the people who don’t use or feel the urge to use exclamation points probably live a boring and dull life. We know things are never boring at your house!! When will you be selling the exclamation point t-shirts? Can I have a turquoise in L?

  13. Image for Anne-Marie Anne-Marie

    I totally agree ! I have two cats who would love To do their claws on those stools, so that's out of the question.

  14. Image for Pam Pam

    What a sweet dog and posting!! You make me laugh and we all need more of that nowadays, so I'm giving you 4 exclamations (I don't care what the board says) !!!!

  15. Image for Lilly Thomas Lilly Thomas

    Sign me up for that team! We need to have excitement in our lives and that's the best way to express it in writing!!! It's a great ending!!!! Sweet doggy! Long live the !

  16. Image for Barbara Moore Barbara Moore

    Well! I use them all the time!!! So sign me up to the Exclamation Point R Us club. Do I get my very own membership card?!?!

  17. Image for Linda Johnston Linda Johnston

    Exclaimation point. Explains with excitement, Expresses surprise or stunning dismay. Happiness and Yippee. How else are we supposed to get our point across. And I am not even going ask my daughter, a college junior because we have totally different approaches to punctuations. She told me NOT to use a period at the end of my sentences in texts.. Evidently it means I am angry. So when Im talking with my peeps, I mean peers, I know they get it!!!!!

  18. Image for Regina Merrick Regina Merrick

    Writing fiction has almost trained the exclamation point out of me, but in real life? I'm all about the !!!!! I'm so used to texting now that I even miss it if I don't have emojis at the ready!

  19. Image for Linda Linda

    In the world of txt, emailing and such, we have to hang onto the “!!!!!!” to show our delight, dismay and sharing of info. Love the stools! And your dog! My question is what type of undercounter lighting do you have? Love the glow in the last picture!!!

  20. Image for Julie Julie

    I'm all about the exclamation points!!!! I Love your dog, your new stools, your house and décor and Everything you write <3... You always make my day brighter. Thanks Karianne!!

  21. Image for Kris Kris

    I thought you were gonna have a video of you singing "What the world needs now is love, sweet love ....". Ah well, another day. I do love exclamation points, but I save them for blog comments and texts/emails ..... if I'm writing in a professional context, I limit using them.

  22. Image for Stephanie Stephanie

    I use them all the time!!!! I think they are great!!! I love the stools and your sweet 4 explanation point doggy too!!!! I love it when he shows up in your pictures!!!! I definitely want to be a member of the Explanation Points R Us group!!!!! xo

  23. Image for Calypso in the Country Calypso in the Country

    Cute stools...and doggie! What a face! My kids laugh whenever I send a text because I use exclamation points ALL the time. I just can't help it! Your kitchen looks gorgeous as always. Enjoy the rest of the week! Shelley

  24. Image for CYNTHIA KINSEY CYNTHIA KINSEY

    Just thought I would mention that I've never met a dog or dog breed that I didn't love. Ahhh, but Golden Retrievers are on a totally different level of wonderfulness. Every child, every family should have a Golden in their lives at some time. (Mine were shelter/rescue dogs) They make great family members! ! ! 😊

  25. Image for Renee Renee

    OMG!!! I LOVE that sweet face!! That is an awesome face of your sweet dog baby! I have 2 dog babies that just steal my heart! Thanks for sharing his sweet face! Your new stools are awesome and fit so nice in their little space! (would you look at that...all my sentences end with the glorious "!"...I use it a lot!) Haha

  26. Image for Peg Peg

    In a world where we may never get to meet, I'm so glad I have exclamation points to emphasize how much I love YOU, and all you do!!! p.s. I really like your new stools, too!!

  27. Image for Lynn Mosher Lynn Mosher

    LOL Oh! Yes! I! Love! Those skinny high-five guys! And I love your furbaby! He's so cute! And as always, I love your precious! amazing! heart!!! :D ❤

  28. Image for Cheryl Cheryl

    I love your post!!! I am trying to think about how many exclamation points I have used in my various writing just today. Probably too many to count! Thank you for writing about the stools I asked about just the other day and for drawing attention to the wonderful exclamation point!

  29. Image for Monica Monica

    So funny😂. I find myself using exclamation points soooooo very often!!!! It just lets everyone know how excited I am about what I’m saying!!! I have found myself going back and deleting the exclamation point and instead adding a period. It just doesn’t look right. Periods are just plain old PLAIN!!!

  30. Image for MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!)

    KariAnne, you are such a special gal! You have such a wonderful family! Your home so beautiful! Buddy is such a sweet dog! And, I want to join your "Exclamation Points R Us" support group!! I am a great believer in using exclamation points!!

  31. Image for sandyc sandyc

    Periods exist to complete our thoughts and to separate one from another. I think today's texters are no longer capable of expressing complete thoughts. But that's another subject. Exclamation points are wonderful and VITAL!!! and I'm in the club. I'll take my T-shirt in turquoise and L as well. Love the stools!!! Love your whole kitchen!!! Absolutely love your fur baby!!!!! He gets 5 ! - the four he stands on and one for that tail whenever it flips up!!!!!

  32. Image for Michele M. Michele M.

    Love your pup!!!!! Love your new kitchen stool!!!!! Yes, please, I should very much want to join the over-reactive-make-words-work-for-us club!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (At least I didn't type it all in caps as well. Things could be worse, my friend.) Have a happy day. I would be quite happy if I were to be sitting on one of your new chairs next to you discussing the newly-formed Exclaimation Society club over a nice cuppa hot goodness.

  33. Image for Cynthia Cynthia

    You are hilarious and you’ve made me laugh after a tough day! Thx friend! I LOVE Exclamation points. I point them on ever6 blog post title. I want to be in the club! Love you lady!!!! P.s. how in the world did you come up with those words, platitudinous, moth-eaten....what is that! lololol

  34. Image for Beth Minger Beth Minger

    I LOVE A GOOD EXPLANATION POINT!!! Yes I know I'm yelling but I can't help it!! I love your new bar stools - reminded me of stools we once had a good friend was at our house for a party and actually had labor pains on one of them. She didn't want to interrupt the party so said nothing until years later. She loved embarrassing her son with that story = all old and married himself. We used to warn pregnant family friends about this some were hoping "the chair" would work for them! Have a splendiforous day!!!!!!!!

  35. Image for Debbie Debbie

    Oh I adore exclamation points! Couldn’t live without them, I’d be bereft! Count me in the support group, lol.❤️

  36. Image for Naomi S Naomi S

    Exclamation points are like candy...we shouldn't binge on them lest they become ordinary and lose their ability to emphasize. However, neither should we be miserly with them so that they aren't allowed to express the enthusiasm that is the spice of life. Make sense? Of course. But then we can't be sensible all the time so once in a while we must go all out and say "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!!!!!" to Life!!! Now that was a silly! little! paragraph! wasn't it?!

  37. Image for Becky Becky

    I take issue with only one point in this post! It needs to be "Exclamation Points R Us!!!" - You really need to add those EPs (we're going to have to shorten the term for the sake of our excitement) to the end of our name! EPs overused?!? How?!?! 😁 I confess to going back through emails and cutting the EPs. It's sad, but I'm afraid of overwhelming the EP Police... And here I sit wondering... could I weave a stool top? What crafting supplies DO I have sitting around...???

Comments are closed.