FRIDAY FAVORITES 9 YEARS SINCE I HIT PUBLISH

9 years ago, today I hit publish. In fact, I hit publish with a post every single day that week because I was so excited! Even started out with not just one recipe but two in one post. Can you believe that was my first post? A recipe post. Going to share some of my early favorites and thoughts on this journey.

 

Why and How I Started Blogging

 Have you ever felt like something was missing? Yet, it was hard to pinpoint. I mean, my husband, kids and parents were happy and healthy, my marriage rocked, I had a beautiful home, I seemed to appreciate the little things in life and was a positive person. Sure, rough spots popped up now and then but no matter what they were, my family and I would seem to overcome them due to our faith and unyielding love.

 

Yet, no matter how happy my life was, there was still an ache in my heart. An ache that I had no purpose. An ache that I didn't feel I was making a difference. An ache that friends weren't as loyal as they used to be. An ache that two of my children would be going off to college in 18 months and I really didn't know what I was going to do with myself as a big majority of my life is dedicated to my family. And ache that the positivity I tried to exude often wasn't reciprocated in this world. Couple those aches with an anxious personality, a job I hated, increasing social phobias and curve-balls and there were days I felt like it wouldn't even matter if I got out of bed.

So....I looked up "HOW TO START A BLOG" AND

I walked into our living room one day and said "Honey, I'm starting a blog!" A week later, I hit the publish button, then again, the next day, and the next. And guess what, Blogging inspired me! Heck I even lost 3 pounds the first week because I was so busy blogging in my spare time that I was forgetting to eat. I became even more organized and prioritized even better than before. When people started commenting, I felt like hey, even if I just make one person smile then this is worth it, and it still is. It changed my life for the better in many ways.

  

That First Post

A Recipe or Two

Yum! I still make both things, and they are both delicious! It’s so funny, my pictures were not sized correctly. The Pictures were horrible, not pretty staged or anything. My font was terrible. And guess what, I still don’t know how to do printable recipe post. I just tell everyone copy and paste it in a note and print it. I mean that’s what I always do. And my recipes get viewed A LOT thanks to Pinterest. In fact. I think my top 8 most viewed are recipes. 

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Oatmeal

See That post HERE

Oatmeal Peanut Butter No Bake Bars

Then and Now Fashion and Re-Creations

Literally, My First Fashion Post, was just a simple sweatshirt that I think I got at Walmart and I said to Mr. Nine “hey honey, take my picture.” LOL. The post was so short and the picture so bad. And just completely casual. Which is exactly what I’m wearing today, a casual look. So, I did a then and now. 

Anine Bing Sweatshirt HERE

It was always so fun re-creating Pinterest pins. I need to get back to it. I still love to share fashion, but I am about so much more than that and hence, why I started a lifestyle blog. I definitely feel like my outfits have gotten so much better, ha ha. Some of My Favs were:

Classic Outfit

White and Gold Pretty Pleated HERE

Green Pleat Gorgeous

And here is a then and now re-creation of my first dressier post. I loved this dress so that’s why I still have it today. Ah and The Cayman’s was the first trip we took after I started blogging and I really was sold on getting location shots, lol. But the now is yesterday in my back yard, LOL.

It's A Lifestyle Blog

I could've niched down BUT I love it all! I also love sharing motivation. Or just real life, comedy, and how I’m feeling or fun things in life . I’m slowly getting back to more of that, but one of my favorite early posts showcasing those kinds of things was 9 Things Every Happy Woman Should Have.

and you all adored the Why We LOVE raising Teen Boys.

And I’ve pretty much been doing a form of Friday favorites since the beginning, they are my most popular posts as of late. Especially this particular one  in 2018 all because the September quote was pinned 20K times, lol. I just love the variety and that is why I chose to be a Lifestyle Blogger.

 

Final Thoughts

I could’ve written so much more. I have been blessed to meet some of my very best friends through blogging. There are a couple I talk to almost daily on the Marco Polo app. And one crew who I try to meet with at least quarterly. I’ve met many in person, and it brings my heart such joy and sometimes sorrow too but that’s with anything in life. I have said it before and I’ll say it again blogging brings me way more joy than social media, lol. Oddly enough, I’ve been blessed, especially with the second half of my blogging career to see six figure page views monthly. But I will tell you if you’re looking to blog for the income, unfortunately unless it’s affiliate links to products, blogging is not where the money is, it is on socials. I’ve been blessed over there even though I don’t love it and I don’t do it as much anymore but the reward from this online diary called blogging is so much greater than any $ than I ever could’ve imagined when I started blogging. So many personal changes have occurred since I first hit that publish button. The most notable being retiring from my professional world job in January 2018, boys becoming college graduate adults, finding their gals, engagements, building a house, and the birth of our beautiful, twin granddaughters. And so much more. Life is different yet enriched and my heart leans towards more life interactions than technical.

If I Continue blogging and I make it to next year with Living on Cloud Nine, you can bet we will celebrate the BIG TEN with a huge giveaway and online party, lol.

Jumpsuit HERE

Whether you’re a reader, blogger yourself or even just stopping by for the first time, I love all of you who read, who encourage, and who get what “blogging” is!

 

AND Miss Cici and Miss Coco are 5 months old!!!

Happy Weekend all you Sweethearts!!

Linking up with  Friday Favorites  // Metamorphosis Monday // Sundays on Silverado

xoxo