On a personal note....Special 1 Year Blog Anniversary!!!

So today is when I started my blog and made my first post. I was so excited and had no clue what I was getting myself into. The idea came to me when I was still on my couch folding laundry on my day off. I felt like something was missing in my life. I was subscribed to these beauty boxes, went to my first makeup show a few months ago and had no outlet to talk about the things I love so much. I was also on my natural hair journey around that time. I decided to stop straightening my hair and was trying to figure how to care for my hair. I wanted something for myself outside the world of motherhood and relationships and working. So I decided to start blogging. I thought this was going to be so easy. Boy was I wrong. It is a lot of work and dedication. I wasn't thinking when I first chose my name and URL address. I thought I was going to cater to working moms like myself but it didn't go that way. I did start another blog before this one but gave up after a month because no one was reading it. I'm so thankful I stuck to it this time. I had no clue what I was doing or how I was going to be successful at this. I was going to keep on if I had no followers or millions. I'm grateful for my cousin who wanted to help me make this blog a success. We were talking one day and he made me realize that I wasn't putting myself into this blog. I was hiding behind all the post of beauty boxes and reviews. I also wasn't about the name I picked. It really made me think about things and how I started. He helped with choosing a better name that fit myself and my blog and to put more of myself into it. That's were On a personal note series started. Prior to that I was on Twitter one day and saw a post about Beauty Crown Awards. I thought this was my way to meet other bloggers and get knowledge about blogging. Thank you +Liz Outh for adding me to join in that series. I got to meet some wonderful bloggers, learn so much about different products I have never heard of and just knowledge of being a blogger. I've learned so much and enjoy reading everyones blogs that I started following. I was happy to get traffic over to my page and people commenting. It was hard not to wonder what they were doing to get the attention of companies to send products to review. I read somewhere that you have to let them find you and not go asking. I was happy with what I was doing with my blog. I was still wondering what it took to gain followers. How did my blog stand out or could it stand out? I had a little frustration but I'm doing this for my own enjoyment and pleasure. I've had people tell me "Oh I read your blog, Oh I like this post" but no support behind it. And its okay. I have some supporters in my corner and I'm grateful to those who have helped me, given me products to start a new series and review(Thanks Mira), made business cards for me, helped me design my site, retweeted my tweets and so on. You have helped me so much!! Thank you!

So now with a year of blogging under my belt, I have learned so much and grown. It's time to really look at what I am doing and really push myself to make this more of success. How can I make things better? How can I be more successful? What am I not doing? What can I do differently?  I'm looking forward to what the next year has to bring and the years after that.

(Image was taken from the web)