I’m about to get very sentimental, but before I do, I want you to head over to my Instagram and enter the awesome giveaway I have going on! You can enter on both my @craftmoore and @30MinuteCrafts handles for extra entries!
Okay … now that we have that out of the way…
It seems an odd time to be celebrating. In the middle of a pandemic (is this the middle? I’m not even sure…), I’ve reach this milestone that would have seemed unattainable 10 years ago. But, here we are. Exactly 10 years after I hit publish on my very first post on this site, and I’m still here.
Looking back, the opportunities that blogging has given me are truly incredible. I’ve authored a book and co-authored another. I invented a sewing notion. I’ve become a pattern designer and a YouTuber (this last one is an achievement my children are particularly tickled with). I’ve partnered with some of the most amazing brands. I’ve traveled all over the country including Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Beaver Dam, and Cleveland.
Though all of this has been incredible, I think that what I have loved the most about this whole experience is the people. Because I wouldn’t still be doing this if it weren’t for all the amazing people that have been part of this journey.
You, dear reader, are one of the most incredible parts. Readers who just pop over from Pinterest for a few seconds to see how I put together a project, readers who check in every now and then, and readers who subscribe to my newsletter and connect with me on Instagram. Knowing that there is someone there who might have some interest in what it is I have to say is humbling. Thank you.
Also incredible are my blogging friends. Over the years I’ve met hundreds of fabulous women (and also a few men and nonbinary persons) who understand what it is that I do… because they do it too. We can chat about SEO, ad networks, and what the latest WordPress update looks like. And I’ve become very close with some of these fabulous ladies over the years. They inspire me daily. You know who you are – thank you.
When I thought about writing this post, I thought about including some of my “greatest hits” – those things that I’ve shared over the last 10 years that stand out. Like when I was brutally honest, or when I became an award winning quilter, the time I wore a dress I made out of Duck Tape, or when I sold my first pattern. And while those are all fun stories and lovely parts of this journey, I thought I’d share with you a story that I don’t think I’ve shared here before, and was so incredibly meaningful.
Several years ago, there was a one-day blogging conference about an hour north of where I live. In our local blogging facebook group, I offered to carpool with anyone interested. A blogger I’d never met before took me up on the offer to carpool.
The morning of the conference I drove to her house to pick her up, and then off we drove up to the conference. On the way, we chatted about our kids and our families and about blogging, too. About 40 minutes into the drive I was chatting about some of the videos I had done and I felt a shift in the energy in the car. Something had changed, and I had no idea what. She said, “That’s where I know you from.”
She had watched some of my videos. My voice had sounded familiar because I had been in her house, teaching her how to make a quilt block on YouTube a few months before. This was the first time I’d had the opportunity to hang out with her – but it wasn’t the first time she’d hung out with me. We’d been friends before I ever parked in her driveway that morning.
And that’s what has kept me going. That technology allows friends I haven’t met yet to invite me into their homes, and chat with them here on the blog or on social media or share a tutorial on YouTube. I’ve had ten years of sharing ideas that inspire someone’s wedding décor or mother’s day gift or teaching them how to make their first quilt. Ten years ago I pushed publish on a post that maybe 10 people have looked at, ever. But it was the start of being able to connect with so many people out in the world. I’m so glad that I made that leap.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for connecting with me, and allowing me to connect with you.
Always,
Comments & Reviews
Happy 10th blogaversary to you! You have really accomplished a lot in those 10 years and have become known to so many crafters (like me!) as you’ve shared your knowledge and creations. Enjoy your celebrations and keep doing what you do best!
Happy anniversary!!!!!