WordPress kindly reminded me that I’ve been blogging with them for 5 years! I thought as a little birthday present I would give the place a little tidy up – new format, new header, and a bit more of a refined, ‘grown-up’ looking style.* I’ve also created a separate email for the blog – musicalbutterflyblog@gmail.com- so if you have any bloggy questions, get in touch!
I’ve taken a bit of a break from blogging for a while – I had to wait for the internet to be connected in our new house (!!!), but I also wanted to take a step back and see if this little blog was something I wanted to carry on with. This new design is my way of saying YES! Back when I began this whole journey on Blogger, blogging was a way to document my adventure into knitting. I wrote it primarily for myself, as I knew nothing about sharing on social media, but I grew to have many blog friends. I moved to WordPress to match the big move that was going on in my life – moving away to study. With that meant less time spent crafting, and therefore less time blogging.
Recently I’ve found myself reading more and more fashion blogs as I try to develop my own personal style. What I saw were beautiful women who had it all, and I wanted that too! Then the comparisons – my blog wasn’t as big and bright and colourful as theirs, I didn’t have as many followers, I lacked what I saw as necessary resources (such as a brilliant camera to take amazing photos!), I didn’t have as much time as (it appears) they do to dedicate to getting my blog up to that standard – and with all these negatives I began to lose my passion. But I’m learning that its not all about comparing yourself to others – rather, finding your niche and your own voice!
So – I’m going to start from the beginning. I’m going to spend time planning out where I want this blog to go, and all the steps to get there, and then take it one at a time. I’ve gotten as far as realising that my niche is DIY, with a bit of fashion, reading and LIFE thrown in. I’ve been thinking about a key word for the blog too, to help give it that focus, and the one that keeps coming to me is INSPIRE. In particular, to inspire and be inspired. Every time I read blogs I find a new way of doing something, and I want to pass that on to others. I still have a long way to go, but I already feel my passion for all this coming back.
Happy birthday dear blog, and welcome to the new chapter in our journey.
* I’ve used Canva for most of the design – if you haven’t discovered it yet, check it out! It’s super easy to use for graphics!
The text is printed on a vellum sheet (a few printing issues added to the time delay and stress levels!!), which was attached to the photo and a little flap at the top with silver brads (split pins). This is an idea that I’ve had for years, and although it took a bit of figuring out, I think it worked well in the end! Wait – there’s more, once you lift up the photo…
Musical Butterfly 