My 1-Year Blogiversary!!!
Hey guys! It's so hard to believe that it's already been 1 year since I started this blog. The time between December 4th, 2016, and December 4th, 2017, feels like it has gone super quickly, but as you all know there have been a TON of changes along the way. I have grown as a person in that time, but also as a blogger; I remember vividly (with some rereading old posts) my first post ever, An Adventure With Little Dorrit; I am now getting on my knees and fervently imploring you not to go back and read that post. Please. It was merely 5 super small paragraphs with one picture of a terrible quality. *Slowly dies of embarrassment* And by the way, I didn't finish Little Dorrit in time - I put her down until the summer, and now I'm almost done with her, a year later. Oh my, what a failure of a reader. Oh well, the next one wasn't so bad, was it? Haha, nope. 64 words and a bunch of "photography" that was taken on a tiny blue nikon camera. I am currently more than double that amount of words.
I've learned a ton about blogging since December 4th, 2016; my posts are longer and have more depth to them; my website now has a much more refined look (at least I hope so... XD); and I have 20 subscribers, including myself. Wow, I really need to get the word out more about my blog. Oh my, I still have so much to learn! I'll divert myself from getting stressed about that by providing y'all with some changes I have made or great lessons I have learned. Yay.
1) My blog theme. I've changed it a LOT over the past year, and I'm now quite content with it. It's white with a touch of dark magenta, and some lighter pink in some areas. Do y'all remember that time I had the background of a chalkboard? *FD*
2) I got a real header that actually looks cool! Thanks SO MUCH to Sarah from For All Who Wander for giving me some graphic design-y stuff way before I was able to figure out how to do it. Yee. She designed this for me early spring of last year and I have NEVER regretted the colour scheme or the theme.
3) I started writing longer blog posts more frequently, instead of tiny posts every few weeks.
4) My trip series, while not over, has been going pretty well (we're all the way out to California) and I am going to try to finish that before Christmas or the new year. I have posted so much alongside the trip series that it has taken me a few months...
5) I learned that growing a successful blog doesn't just happen in a month. Some blogs have instant success with followers, comments, likes, etc.; I'm not one of those blogs, but I'm getting there.
6) I've learned to not take unannounced, 3-week (or more) hiatuses from my blog - I try to post at least once a week, if not more.
7) I've finally learned how to use the email blog notifications for which all 18-ish of you have signed up...
8) I've learned that the number 8 with this ) looks like a person with glasses.
9) I've learned that I'm super random
10) aaaaaaand I've learned that I'm super bad at finishing lists.
What a year, what a year. My first subscriber was (drum roll) the amazing, spectacular Aria!! I had been following her blog for almost a year when I decided to make my own. I have gone to her with so many questions this year, and she's always helped me with everything. She was the first to find me and subscribed with 3 of her emails! Thank you Aria! Her blog isn't a regular blog anymore, though. She's turned it completely into a photography website, and it looks amazing. Check her out at aria.photo or at Purrfectly Inspired, her photography blog. She's a gorgeous gal with a gorgeous blog :D
I got a cluster of subscribers in December, but then they started spacing out between January, April, June, and August; however, 10 more of you have joined since October! Thank you all SO much for supporting me over the past year. I really appreciate all of the comments and kind emails, and I hope that you'll stick around for the next year.
And what better way to celebrate one year of blogging than by decorating our Christmas Tree? Every year it's so much fun to put as many ornaments on one tree as we can, and all of my childish excitement comes flooding back.
(I just LOVE the small trees)
(So artsy :D)
(Our tree!)
(...whoa...)
(Dad went outside to get some cool angles)
(I don't even know what that face is...)
(The personal ornaments typically go at the back of the tree)
(A good picture. Other than Jonathan's frown.)
(My dad made this nativity scene!!)
And that, my friends, is a pretty darn good Christmas Tree. Everything seems to be celebrating with me on this one year anniversary - Lizzie made cookies, we got our Christmas tree, #PsychTheMovie is coming out in 3/2 1/2 days (#I'veHeardItBothWays), and Christmas is looming nearer and nearer. So much to be thankful for!
Thank you so much for celebrating one year of craziness with me! I really appreciate all of the support I've had over the past year. And now I raise a virtual toast: to one more year of blogging, to Wix, and to you! Cheers!
