Happy 11th Anniversary To My Blogging!

 A Very Special Blog Anniversary!

Hello friends!  Today, I am celebrating 11 years of blogging! It's hard for me to believe that I have been blogging for that long. I never imagined when I sat down at my computer eleven long years ago and began designing a blogspot blog (Debbie This and That) that I would still be at it all these many years later. Now, today, I am still styling life here at Debbie Styles Life and sharing my stylings and musings with all of you!

You know, many folks were blogging when I first started on July 25, 2015. There were lots of blog parties to participate in (and there are still some) but so many bloggers dropped out and either stopped completely or went the way of Instagram, YouTube, or Substack. I met a lot of bloggy friends along the way and I miss many of them who simply aren't around anymore. I wrote about this awhile ago when I asked, "Where Have All The Bloggers Gone?"

Call me old fashioned, but I still enjoy the platform of blogging. And I have stuck through the years with using Blogger to showcase my blog. My domain name, debbiestyleslife.com, is now maintained through Squarespace (Google sold their domain names to Squarespace) but Blogger is still here and, fingers crossed, that won't change. 

I enjoy lifestyle blogging because it gives me the opportunity to share many different things with my readers, and myself, that I enjoy. Things such as home decor, fashion, books, family life, pets, faith and devotions, memories, food and more. My blog has always been a "little bit of this and that" and the "styling life" part is just another way of saying that there are many facets to my life, and to everyone's life,  and it's fun to live life with flair and style. 

Sharing my faith in God with others is always a part of who I am and I bring that into the blog, as well. Over the years I have written many devotionals. I still do that although, now, I tend to incorporate my faith into other stories on my blogs rather than individual devotionals. My writing, overall, has become simpler these days. A little bit more "diary like" and that's okay. After eleven years of blogging, I'm relaxing more into less posts and more of writing when I have something I want to share rather than forcing two or three posts a week. That's a lot to keep up with and, to be honest, that just doesn't work for me anymore. I suspect that's why many bloggers have stopped. Because the grind of creating several posts per week or each month is hard and time consuming. Plus, those who monetized their blogs (which I never did) had many rules to keep up with as well as finding that the pay didn't fit their needs. 

Over the years I have shared many style posts with you. And, looking back, some of these posts were good and some were not so good! It seemed to be a "thing" back then, however, to share style posts. I don't share many style posts at this point although I will occasionally pop on with one. In general, with blogging, it is hard to continually come up with new ideas for posts. I think that is why many people have gone to Instagram where one or a few photos with a couple lines of writing is sufficient. Plus, readers seem to want shorter blurbs to read nowadays.  I've even noticed that some bloggers now list at the top of their post how many minutes it will take for people to read the blog post. Are people really so busy nowadays that they only have three minutes to spare to read a post?! If so, that is sad for our world. I'm in favor of slowing down and taking life a little bit easier. But, I also realize that, as a retiree, I am in a better position to slow down more now.

As I look back over photos from the eleven years I have been blogging I can see that there have been changes. How I have aged. We can't really avoid that in life can we?! There have been some big events in these eleven years that have contributed to some aging as well. Some personal and some that affected many or all of us. Things like deaths in the family, Covid, Hurricane Helene, a tornado, family health issues, loss of beloved pets. There have been many joys as well. Things like musical events, new instruments to play, a new dog (although the new dog event was mixed with negative before it became positive 😂), new hobbies, new babies in the family, new experiences. Life is very full and can give both pleasure and sadness, but overall I have so very much for which to be thankful. 

My blog is still a very important part of what I enjoy doing. Writing is still a pleasure along with other hobbies that I enjoy. One hobby that I love and share with all of you is my new interest in sewing doll clothes. Since acquiring several Barbie dolls, I have immersed myself in fabrics and learning how to sew better. My friend, Sharon, has been a big support for me in this endeavor. She is an expert sewer and quilter and gives me helpful pointers that have added to my sewing knowledge. 

This skirt is a recent sewing project. I made it from leftover fabric that Sharon used to create placemats for me for my last birthday. The fabric is called, "Deborah's Garden," and is just beautiful fabric! I really enjoyed making this skirt. 

And so, my blog is eleven years old....the foyer table is still changing decor regularly and seasonally...

My book basket is still being filled with books I love and want to share with you.....

I'm still creating little crafts and sharing them with you as I can....

Even when my crafts don't turn out the way they're supposed to....(At least I have a sense of humor about it!)

And I'm still here with a cup of tea in my hand thinking of things I can share with you as Debbie Styles Life continues on!

Until Next Time,

Debbie, This and That