My New Year's Blog Resolution

I've been doing a lot of thinking.

I love my blog. I love that it's a way to share my love of food, wine, and crafts. I love that I meet fellow bloggers, and that I've become a part of this wonderful blogging community.

But with the new year, I've been thinking about how I want to go forward with my blog.

This blog, like many blogs, started off back at the end of 2009 with a handful of posts per month, often with scattered topics and an inconsistent voice. Let’s face it, I didn’t know what I was doing.

Since then, I bought a DSLR and learned a little more about photography, and learned to center the voice of my blog mainly on crafting and food tutorials. It's been a nice safe little bubble that I've lived in, but I think it's time to grow a little.

I kicked off the new year with the blog redesign, and that got me thinking of other ways to change this year.

Here are my thoughts on how to grow my little blog:


{ Start sharing a little more of myself }

Looking back at my posts and the voice I was hoping to achieve, I see how little I shared about myself. Other than small anecdotes about my cat Simon or mentioning food likes and dislikes, I hardly have ventured out of my safe little food and craft tutorial bubble.

Still maintaining a storytelling voice (and never just posting on how my day went), I want to start sharing a little more. I should tell you the story of the time I got to pay a dishwasher repairman $60 to tell me that I'm a moron. Believe me, it's a good one.

The thing I began to recognize when I looked at the blogs I love to read is that I feel like I know the blogger. Through her stories and her writing style, I feel like I'm her friend. I'd like to share a little more of myself so you feel like you know me better. I'd like you to be excited when you see a new post from me, because it's like getting a letter in the mail from a friend.


{ A lil' bit of sponsor love }

I'm sure you've noticed that I just added a couple ad buttons on the sidebar of my blog. They could be yours!

Ok, I'm not going to do a hard sell or anything.

I just would really love to give some spotlight to those women out there that are fellow crafters who have taken the leap to start an Etsy shop. And the prices are more than reasonable.

I like how one of my favorite blogs has sponsors and they either do a rockin' discount or a giveaway when they become a sponsor. That drives business to them, and generates interest/excitement in my blog. Win-win.


{ Guest Posting }

This goes both ways. I want to be a guest blogger at sites I adore, and I would love the bloggers at sites I adore to hop over to my blog and host for a day!

How am I going to make this happen?

I just need to ask!

I need to reach out and ask someone to guest post. And I need to reach out and ask if I can do some guest postin'. I just need to put myself out there!

p.s. if you want to do a guest post, shoot me an email with some of your favorite projects/recipes!


{ Feature My Favorite Projects }

I know we all crawl through the blogosphere searching for inspiration. And when we find it, do we just file it away for ourselves?

I've started sharing these links that I love through my twitter feed throughout the day, but I would love to start rounding them up every other week or so and sharing them with all of you.

Also, I know when I was a wee little blogger (not that I'm so big now), I LOVED being featured! It meant so much when someone thought my little crafts were worth sharing. I want to pass on that same excitement to others!


For now, I've decided to stay away from adding a link party. I love participating in them, but there are probably enough out there already. And that list above is big enough to tackle for now!

Wish me luck!


Believe it or not, that was the Reader's Digest version. In case you're really interested in my rambling thoughts about growing this lil' ol' blog, you can read the full version here.