Friday, May 18, 2018

Remember The Old Days (of Blogging)


Remember the old days when Pinterest was a collection of bloggers instead of magazines, retailers and websites? 
Ahhh - the good old days. 
I was perusing Pinterest for summer mantel ideas. I came across a pin by Debbiedoos. 
She hasn't blogged since March. She blogged only sporadically before that.


I'll admit, that I've been super busy and I haven't gotten around to all my favorite blogs. 
I was a little surprised to find that once prolific bloggers are not blogging anymore.
 I get it. 
It is a struggle to come up with new stuff to say.
There really isn't any explanation either as to why the person no longer blogs.
These are some of my favorites that are on hiatus.  

Debbie Doos
Faded Charm 
Northern Nesting
Simply Vintageous
Must Love Junk
The Essence Of Home
Nancy's Daily Dish
My Kentucky Living
Thoughts From Alice
Chateau Chic
Creating a Life
I'm sure there are more I could add to this list.

I'll be honest and say that I've thought about quitting. 
The truth is, however, that I'm always puttering around my house and garden so there will always be stuff to blog about. 
It just may not be as prolific as it once was.


As I was thinking back over the old days, I was reminiscent of some of the projects that made blogging fun.

Painted Furniture


Drop Cloth Everything!


Grain Sacks


Seasonal Decorating


Mason Jar Mania


Real DIYs


Inexpensive Kitchen Updates



Thrift Store Finds



Remember when we didn't need to almost be a professional photographer?
Remember when big bloggers actually visited you back and left a comment?
The good old days.
I miss them.
I think I'll start blogging like it's 2012!
Have a great day.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Katie
P.S. If I've been bumped from your blog roll, can you please put me back on?
Thanks. 

23 comments :

  1. I can say I have thought about these very things often. Some of my "bet blogging friends" have quit. I have slowed so so down - I have a trillion things to blog about - major things, but I find it just all takes so long. And pics aren't great because sunny days can be a challenge here and I am too lazy and tired and busy to get out my lights and tri-pod.

    I love your blog - hope you don't stop - I am sorry I have been so MIA.

    I am trying to post more as time allows, just did two this week - been a long time for me to do that when there was a time many years ago I blogged almost every day. My house and friends and family suffered too, haha.

    But yes, let's just do it the old way and hope for the best. I know the working paid professional bloggers seldom - if ever- left a courtesy comment - I think it'd be impossible because they get thousands of hits.

    I am so surprised when I will get 600 hits and have 12 comments. Always wonder what that is all about. It happens often, most of the time. I don't let it get to me - I blog for me and enjoy those who visit immensely. Busy lives, no comments, it's ok by me either way. I just hope to make someone's day a little brighter by visiting. If that's all it's about then we're doing it right.

    Big hugs. Blessings to you. Kate!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I agree with you about missing those blogs, and I guess they just get a busier life ,maybe more interesting things to do. However we would love to see what they are up to.
    I never got really involved with pinterest however I like Instrgam
    I enjoyed seeing your past post. Also Keep On Blogging

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bravo to you! I don't know why bloggers feel like they are pressured to come up with something fantastic every single post. I think they quit blogging because it becomes a chore instead of a pleasure. If you are in it for money I guess that makes you feel like you have to do that to keep your readers. But really, I come to your blog because I enjoy it. I like to see ordinary things, the way you spend your day, real get togethers (not staged parties), how you garden. I decided long ago I would just blog for me, like a journal of my days, and if no one read it I just didn't care. Please don't stop.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have only been blogging since 2011 and I see a huge change too! I remember having to follow every blog you visited and telling them so. Now it is hard to get most bloggers to come back to read my blog after I have left a comment on theirs. I started deleting those that just did not ever reply or visit back. I am in it to chat with other bloggers and see their ideas, like a friendship. It's so easy....I visit you and comment, you visit me and comment. Luckily there are still those bloggers out there that do that and those are the ones I follow faithfully.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I hear you, Katie. The good old days.....now many are moving to Instagram and other platforms or going 'corporate'. Personally, I really dislike opening a blog and being bombarded with ads. I blog for the creative inspiration and the friendship. Also, for my family....I have extended family that reads my blog like a letter, to keep up with what's going on across the miles. I have also thought of quitting, because it does take dedication, but I would miss my blog friends too much. I hope you keep your beautiful blog going. It's always an inspiration! x Karen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi I am new here, but I agree with you. I've always had more of a country, everyday blog, but there were so many, and we were all friends. I use to do graphics and all. I think it got like you said, people were getting sponsored, and the pics turns into professional, and things became somehow colder. I for one am going back to the good old days as well. I will be back, I love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry I think I forgot to add my info! Http://myhomeandheart.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I so agree! It's not nearly as much fun as it once was. I liked it better before, when we visited each other and left comments. Comments are almost a thing of the past as well. People just don't do it anymore. I have a few who always comment, but those I always commented on, just don't visit me, so I stopped visiting them. There are so many now, is one of the things I think that make it harder. And trying to have something to blog about gets harder. Now if people wanted to hear about our troubles, we could blog every day, well I could, but I don't like sharing too much personal information. But I could do a post on DIVORCE, SCAMMERS, all kinds of "goodness"! Instead, most of my blogs are about bargains found at Good Will or consignment shops. You can tell when some bloggers are just grasping for "anything" to blog about. I've thought of stopping too, and still might do that. Life is hard for me right now and has been since last June, and most days, I just don't feel it!! You know? But I do enjoy seeing what you are up to. Hope your weekend is wonderful. Try watching YouTube. That is something I've gotten into recently, not doing, just watching my favorites.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OK, this made me giggle a little. The only thing you didn't mention was all the crazy pop ups and ads on some of the large, popular blogs. Honestly, I have had to quit a few of them though they were wonderful to read. I could hardly stay on their page as I was getting bumped off by their ads! Is there some nice way to tell them their blog is almost impossible to read? There has to be a way to get a message out.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I too am blogging less frequently.

    And the other day I read a post from Rikki's blog post about making our blogs GDPR compliant and I'm not sure if I fully understand what I need to do. I wonder if it's worth it.

    https://www.ricki-treleaven.com/2018/05/why-im-off-facebook-and-how-i-plan-to.html

    ReplyDelete
  11. I get you totally, Katie. I've been blogging for about 10 years. I do remember a lot of the bloggers you mentioned. I've seen many stop, but I assume life got in the way. I've slowed down, pretty much for the same reason, but I really do blog because of my love for writing. It helped me polish that and I'm happy to say I am a newspaper columnist, and I'm good because of my blogging/writing experience. My writing is exhausting. I'm hoping that if I blog more often and keep it short, it will work out.

    IG is really on my mind, and the popularity of 'stories'. It's like live blogs! Even I enjoy seeing bloggers going live. I have a gut feeling it might take over bogging. They have so many sponsors. There is one young mother who videos herself opening packages from various companies...Pampers, Mrs. Meyer, candle companies...you name it, everyday! Wow, a win win. Bloggers who collaborated in the past are getting very little business. As much as I didn't enjoy the pop up ads, I understood they were income for many.

    Enough said. I love hearing your voice!

    Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Kate this post hit close to home. I started out blogging as Junkaholics Unanimous on blogspot and I kept that blog going pretty steadily for a few years, and it was so enjoyable.The blog is still up and I am getting ready to revive it a bit to reconnect with people I met there. I miss so many of the old blogs, Miss Gracie's House and Petit Michelle Louise, Faded Charm, those are all favorites that inspired. I am loving blogging life as a blogger at Follow The Yellow Brick Home, but there was just a "feeling" in blogland that has changed. I also loved the early days of Pinterest. In 2014 I became extremely ill and did not blog for two years other than a sporadic post to say hello to readers, but I didn't pay much attention to all the changes that were happening on blogs and Pinterest. What a shock when I decide to start blogging again in late 2016 and launched Follow The Yellow Brick Home in the spring of 2017! I am forever grateful for those "early years" and all the people I met. Debra at Common Ground and I became acquainted through her link parties several years ago, then lost touch and have since reconnected, and now she is one of closest blogging friends. Well this was long winded, I guess I have been having similar nostalgic thoughts. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Katie I've been having some of the same thoughts lately. When I started I couldn't wait to be inspired by other bloggers, Pinterest and even Etsy. Lately I've found myself blogging less frequently as I never want to just throw something together to create a post. What keeps me going is some of the friendships that I have made over the years. Without blogging I would never have met these fun and talented ladies! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Add me to the list of thoughts above! I loved reading all the comments. Your post pictures are great too. My two cents worth is that I think that there are so many blogs now. I read a lot and feel funny about commenting if I have been away for a long while. There used to be a momentum that is just lost now. I am so much less active about blogging these days, but like you, I miss everybody that goes away.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Katie I'm not a blogger, just a reader; and have actually quit reading some of the blogs that I once read due to the pop-up ads and the blogger always wanting to "sell"something to the reader. I enjoy the blogs that give a tutorial, what you did with a flea-market piece or something along those lines. As you stated, the way blogs used to be before the sales pitches. I do watch some of the stories on IG, but those that are opening a multitude of packages from a sponsor everyday ... unfollow button gets hit very quickly.
    Also, I will skim the 'preview title" and if its a list of holiday sales I delete and do not bother opening. I get enough sale stuff via US mail.
    I appreciate the bloggers that respond to a question or comment that I leave as well. Sometimes I look through the comments and people, sometimes several people; will ask a question and it's never answered. Same on IG stories. Sad.
    Please continue to blog and share what you've been up to. I loved reading about the dining room chair situation and your camper makeover. My sister is making over a little "canned ham" as she calls her camper and I've suggested she follow you too.
    Have a wonderful Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  16. PS...I also have an obsession with drop cloths!!! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Katie, I have only been blogging since 2011 but there are a lot of blogs that I haven't heard from in a long time. Times change and life gets hectic and a lot of other reasons too, I guess. Like an old race horse, I will keep plugging as long as I can. I really love it all..Happy Sunday..Judy

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love your blog so I am glad you have no intentions of quitting. I don't post on instagram because I don't want to fall in. And I use Pinterest more as a bookmark for things I like versus seeing what everyone is up to. It's hard enough to get everything done as it is (which is why I won't run out of things to write about either!).

    I am still connected to MOST of the blogs I started out with. A few died. (Literally) Some quit. Some shifted to other platforms. I avoid blogs with pop ups or too many sponsored ads. Not all, but yeah, some. Blogging is still my preference -- it forms relationships, I think, more effectively than the other platforms, even if we never meet in person. It feels more real, not like a bulletin board or a look-at-me (even though yeah, it's really a look-at-me, but somehow, more real.) And that was a sentence that would send an English major up the wall! I believe there is a blogger's etiquette I try to live by (not published, just mine!) I hope it continues a long while.

    ReplyDelete
  19. It was a fun time, wasn't it? I've had to really cut back, too, with all the moving and projects we have going on. I don't want to put more stress on myself, so am only going to be on when I have something I want to share. But I've tried to keep up with my FB blog page and Instagram...I can do it so much easier right now. I hope to get back on my blog again soon, too!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Katy,
    I still long for the old days of blogging!! I think a lot of bloggers who were making big money on their blogs have moved on to Instagram. I ws just talking with one blogger whose home was featured in a magazine and she sad that she heard that former bloggers are now on Instagram and are having their homes featured in several magazines. I can't keep up with it all. Blogging is enough for me to handle and I have changed that I am doing it when I want to and when i have the time too. You are on my blog roll which I do still have!! LOL!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  21. I came by to Thank you for stopping by!! I really do appreciate it!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yes, things have changed, and not necessarily for the better. (Not worse, either, just different) Like a child growing from infancy, there are stages the internet is going through, and you don't know what it will look like when it's older. I love your post. So I'm leaving a message... <3

    ReplyDelete