How many more recaps like this will I write? I have no idea, but welcome to year 16 in my blogging journey. I’ve written recaps sharing my blog story all the way back to the beginning in 2007, so if you missed those, it might be worth a read. Blogging has been part of my life for so long that I can’t imagine not doing it anymore. This year has some changes coming, however, and I’m excited to share those with you all!
I have to say that this is the year I start pulling back a bit and not posting as much. I’m not planning to quit in the foreseeable future, I will probably leave my blog up until the internet is no more (I doubt that will happen) or I get too old to type on here, whichever comes first. Ha! But, I no longer have the burning desire to keep climbing higher on the internet or social media. That feeling has been with me for a few years and is even more pronounced now. I want to settle into a semi-retirement I guess you could call it, posting when I feel like it and still sharing some old content as I have been doing for several years too.
I’ve written around 4,000 posts on this blog over those 16 years and that’s a lot of talking! It’s been so fun for me and I can’t imagine stopping it, so I will not. But…and there’s always a but, I want to be free to slow it down even more than I have and not worry at all if I don’t post. I’ve watched others stop blogging and just cold turkey quit. I don’t plan to do that either, but slow blogging is a term I’m going to embrace.
Mark and I have been in our house for 5 years now and we are almost at the end of our project journey in this house. No, we aren’t moving either as many I’ve seen do, to buy another house or build a house to then showcase on their blog or social media. We’re not about to do that. We love our house and are staying here for the long haul, but that means we don’t have a lot more projects to do and that might get a little boring since I do write this blog and DIY and home improvement are a big part of what I write about.
My goal for this year is to travel more. I’ve been saying that for awhile and we are finally going to do it. The last couple of years have been weird travel years anyway, with the pandemic things have been not so normal, but hopefully that’s all opening up more now. Thank goodness for that!
{This Daisy dog gives me joy!}
On that note, let me just say that as I said for the last couple of years on my yearly recap that I’m still extremely concerned about our country and the world in general. Our entire country seems to have lost its mind all at one time, on every front and it’s very disconcerting to say the least. I’ve never been very political on this blog, but the last few years have caused me to do more research and reading than I ever have in my life and what I’ve found is not a pretty picture. Many of you know exactly what I mean. I won’t get any deeper into the state of our country on here (you don’t come here for politics), but life has been very hard and is likely to get harder this year for so many. It breaks my heart to see where our country is at this time. If you have been reading my blog for long, you know I’m a conservative girl and that’s where I lean politically. That hasn’t changed a bit but my eyes have surely been opened even more the last few years. God is our only hope, our refuge in time of trouble and I know that His will and truth will prevail. That gives me much comfort in what we are all facing in the future. The outlook looks so dismal, but my faith is strong that God will see us through, no matter what comes our way. We cannot give up hope.
I loved the December 31st devotional from my Streams in the Desert:
Thus far has the Lord helped us. (1 Samuel 7:12)
Yes, He sure has and I know he will continue to help us.
{Charleston}
So back to the blog. We really want to travel more this year…go to new places we haven’t been before, in the US and out of the country. I don’t know yet what all that will be, but I’m going to start planning more trips. I have to find places we can visit that don’t require the vax, you know the one. We did not, nor will we ever get the shots, so that could be a deterrent for where we travel depending on policies in the future. That’s not a political statement, nor do I wish to argue, but that’s our position and we are united on that front. For instance, Viking requires all passengers to be vaxxed, so it looks like we will never go on another Viking cruise unless their policy changes. I’m reading up on those policies to find out which cruise lines don’t have the mandate. So far, from what I’ve read, NCL and Royal Caribbean do not. I’d like to do a European cruise this spring/summer and then we plan to go back to New England in the fall. So I can see us doing way more travel and weekend trips and of course, I’ll share all those here on the blog. You might not see a lot of brand new things going on house wise, but I’ll keep the blog going at a pace I’m happy with. Now is the time for us to travel before we get any older.
I can’t believe that the time has come for me to draw SS payments, but it’s here. My full retirement age is 66 and 4 months and if you’re close to my age, you know what that means. April here I come! I’m looking forward to a little more travel money to play with. There are so many places I’d like to see and visit and that will be a clear focus for us as we move into this year, so be prepared for me to take longer breaks between posts. I’m just not sure yet what all I’ll be posting, but I do think it will be less. My plan is for my blog to be part of my retirement income and I’ll keep it going even if one day I stop posting much of anything new.
I’d love to hear from all of you too.
What do you like the most? Please feel free to chime in here and let me know what you think on what I post here on the blog.
I know my posts about my parents are always popular and you love them, so of course I’ll continue to share our family. That’s a given. We don’t know how long we will have mom and dad with us, so I will do recaps all along about them and their health.
I’ll continue to do the weekly series Home Style Saturdays and Style Showcase with my friends. You’ve probably figured out by now that those posts are recycled posts that we share with each other, so chances are you might not have seen them all and it gives us a great opportunity to share content with each other’s audience and yes, helps us keep traffic flowing on our blogs. Thanks for supporting those weekly features! We all have some really great content and sometimes it gets buried so it’s nice to show it off again.
I’m not sure if I’ll continue the Friday Favorites series on a regular basis. I might do once a month or so, we will see how it goes.
Life feels so short at times, the days fly by and we want to make the most of it, so thank you for joining my journey and reading along. I will probably continue some fashion posts during the year, but that’s not going to be a huge focus for me either. I may do a couple shares a month. If anything, trying to share fashion when I started that a few years ago has gotten even more challenging since I don’t plan to buy new clothes all the time just so I can share them and make commissions. That’s the thing about being a fashion blogger, you have to constantly share new clothes to make a living. I’m so glad I didn’t choose that solely as my topic. Once those clothes can’t be affiliate linked, they are useless to share. So that’s not what I want to depend on to make a living, nor do I want to spend my time on that. There are a ton of fashion bloggers to follow if that’s your thing. I love clothes, but I can’t do it all the time.
I’d like to get more involved in my community, so that’s going to be a focus too. I am a member of our local Acworth Business Association and I’ve enjoyed getting to know other women in my community. I’m trying to join the tourism board as a volunteer and I’m hoping a spot opens up for me this year on that. So those are a few things I’d like to get more involved in. I’d like to help make my own community a better place.
How can you support me and my blog?
God has blessed my blog more than I could have ever dreamed 16 years ago when I started it. I make a very nice living off my blog. My ad network revenue is the main way I make this blog work. So let me mention this to you all.
The best way you can support me and my blog is to continue to come here, LIVE on my blog when I post and open my emails when I send them out and read the posts here. That’s the VERY BEST way to support me.
That’s the main way I make an income and blog pageviews is how I get paid from my ad network. I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to make a business of this blog and it’s supported me well for over 10 years of making money. God has truly restored everything I lost when I moved from Birmingham to Atlanta all those years ago (2011). He is faithful and has never let me down and I’m eternally grateful!
I know that ads are annoying and I still get comments about that sometimes. I think reading on a phone is probably the most annoying way to read a blog and that’s where most of the ad intrusion comes in. I read on my laptop for most everything I read these days and I don’t see the popups like some of you have said. But, again thank you for looking past the ads and for your support all these years. I couldn’t do it without your continued support.
Amazon Shop and Home Decor links
The other ways you can support me is to buy through my affiliate links on Amazon and Like to Know It. I don’t share links constantly, but if you can please help me out there too. I make commissions when you use my links and that adds to my income.
You can find all my links under Shop my Home on the home page of my blog on the menu bar.
I have an Amazon shop with lots of good products that I use and some that I love and recommend as well. The shop has categories you can look at with lots of products. Anytime you buy from Amazon and use my link, I earn a small commission without it costing you anything extra. Thank you for buying through my links!
I also have many items linked in my Home Decor page here on the blog that I update along the way. Some of the links are things in my house and they might not be available anymore, but I link all I can that are active.
Another Fact of Blogging for So Long
My email list has declined over the years instead of growing. People unsubscribe and remove themselves and so that’s also disheartening, but a real part of blogging that I have to deal with. My pageviews here continue to decline year after year, so I don’t know what things will look like in 5 more years. Five years ago, my pageviews were double what they are now. That’s the truth of running a website and I face all the challenges with a BIG dose of reality. There’s so much competition for pageviews and even though there is room for all, people only have so much time to go around and reading blogs might not be at the top of the list all the time. I totally get that. That’s why I want to step back and just do this at my own slower pace. I can still make a nice income, but I don’t feel the pressure to try to grow anymore. I still see the hustle going on out there and I don’t want to be a part of that. I’ve done very well over these years and have had much success at blogging way past any of my expectations and I’m so grateful for the blessings that blogging has meant to me.
As I draw this to a close, thank you all again for ALL your support and love over the years. I’m not going anywhere, but again, I do plan to slow it down and that means less posts and more breaks over the year. Posts may be more sporadic and slower to come. If we go on vacation, I’ll no longer feel the need to do a lot of posts to share when I’m gone. I just don’t have it all figured out yet, but I feel the need to take any pressure off and just be me, living life at the pace I feel like going. That includes social media. I still have a presence on all the social media sites, but I don’t feel the pressure to perform there at all anymore. I will share when I want to and I do not care if I grow on those at all either.
This recap might be a bit different from the others, but it’s where my heart is headed for now. Thank you all again, I could have never made this blog successful without a core audience to share with and you all make that possible! With that being said, bring on 2023! I’m ready for it! And I’m ready to travel and see more of the beautiful world that God created for us!
I am a new follower to your blog, and I must say when I saw the intent of this post, I was disappointed. Opening my email each morning and reading your post is part of my day! It’s like a friend moving away and I will miss you not being there every day. On the other hand, I am retired and can understand your feelings. I so appreciated you sharing your beliefs on the “jab” and the state of our country. In the current atmosphere, so many on the other side don’t have a live and let live attitude, but if we don’t agree, they hate us ….”cancel culture”. I did not get the “jab”, but I do not hate those who did. It’s a choice we all have the right to make for our own bodies. I wish you the best going forward….enjoy life. It will be a welcome sight to see your post when it comes!
Thank you, Judy! I am glad so many of you are like minded too. I don’t harbor any ill will towards anyone’s decision, just stating what mine is and that should be OK. I’m definitely not leaving, but posting less. You may not even realize I’m posting less, but it will be nice to back off a bit from posting 5 times a week to something more manageable.
Good for you. I love all your blog posts and following you on IG. I applaud your boldness to speak your convictions and personally I’m on the same page. You have always just been yourself, without apology, and what a better place the world would be if more people were like that! Best wishes to your future as you follow this decision!
It is wonderful to see you in this season of happiness! Thank you for sharing your home, your heart and your family over the years.
Hi Rhoda,
I’ve been reading your blog for many years now, probably 12. Time flies! My favorites are family stories, your travels, and home decor tips. I love that you aren’t afraid to speak your convictions! One of my favorite lines from a ‘Little House on the Prairie’ episode is, “I quit worrying what folks thought on the day that I was born!” LOL Yes, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. I will continue to check in whenever you have time to post. Praying that you and Mark enjoy your retirement. Life is indeed short and the most important thing we can do is plan where we’re going to spend eternity! So glad that you are a sister in Christ, as I am a Christian too. God bless you and your family as we head into 2023, Lisa
IMO that sure was a lot of political stuff for “no politics” so I think I’ll spend my time reading elsewhere.
Have enjoyed your blog for years and years and I am glad you are taking time for doing what you desire. I’ll be here if your here! Enjoy!!
It’s not an airport. You do not have to announce your departure.
Rhoda, I certainly can relate to your ideas in this post. I am nearing retirement age and would already have retired if I could have gotten reasonably priced health insurance. While I disagree with your stance on vaxing, I don’t think you are stupid and will not be calling others names nor discontinuing accepting your emails or reading your blog. I think that is one of the most unfortunate and troubling things that has come from our most recent political and disturbing cultural climate – people thinking it is acceptable to put others down and call names and bully others. I hope you enjoy a slower pace at blogging, your travel wishes, and your beautiful home more just as I look forward to doing the same in a couple or three years!
I have followed your blog since you were in Alabama and will continue to follow. I enjoy all your posts whether it’s fashion, travel and your family. I live in the same area as you (Dallas) and enjoy your posts about things to do in Acworth. You and Mark should enjoy this time of your life.
I certainly understand the need to want to slow down. I retired one year ago and still working prn. I have followed your blog since Birmingham days also, but with social media changes don’t read blogs as much as I use to. I like Instagram more, but if need be, will read blog posts. I certainly get it about the vaccine. I would never hold it against someone for opting out. Our society has become so hyper sensitive about every word said!! Best of luck, and I will continue to be around.
I am so happy that you are in a position to semi-retire! You are one of the first blogs I found and still enjoy the most. I agree so much with your views of our country, and am also concerned. Also, I am really interested in your travel plans, Europe and New England are at the top of my list too, so please keep us posted. Enjoy your retirement, but please don’t forget about us!
I’m not familiar with your blog but came across something on FB which led me here. Was disappointed to find a political (and religious) post and your feelings about the vax. All three subjects should be personal and private, not broadcast over a popular blog. Definitely not a way to increase your following. 😒
HI, Mimi, since you don’t know me and just stopped by for this post, I’ve always blogged about personal things. This post is my personal journey in sharing 16 years of blogging. In fact, My “religion” or as I like to say, my personal faith is a huge part of who I am so if you don’t like that, then my blog is probably not for you. I definitely have opinions about the vax too and I have not been quiet about it. Free speech is still free and I will continue to use it on my blog as I see fit.
Yes Rhoda, you do need to step back and enjoy your life. We are never promised tomorrow. You just had that beautiful pool put in and you need to get to enjoy it more in the coming summer. Travel and live it up girl! I will still read your posts when you do post because I enjoy them so much. I like your variety and I would just stick with that.
Good for you Rhoda. Life is so short, yet we think it’s forever here on earth. It is not. Take those trips and enjoy them. It is wild how much the world and blogging has changed the past several years. There seems to be a shift with so many OG’s–everything is just different now.
You’ve brought so much value to the internet these past 16 years, and we love you for it! May the Lord continue to bless your ventures and continue to have residual income to further enjoy retirement.
And to the evil people that run our country and try to kill us, they can SHOVE IT!!! 🙂
Thank you, Emily, I appreciate your thoughts. You know how much this blogging stuff has changed. I’m so grateful for it, but it’s time to slow down so I’m definitely looking forward to that. And I appreciate everything you said!
You’re one of my favorite people to follow and I’m happy for you that you can step back a little bit and do more of the things you love! I love hearing about your precious parents (and I think so many of us can relate because we are in similar situations), but your home and fashion content is great, too! You’re so relatable and real and I love that. I also share your deep concerns about our country and the state of things right now. (And the jab, too. It’s not for me!) These are harrowing and discouraging days, for sure…I’m grateful for our hope in Jesus! Thank you for sharing your life and your heart!!
Rhoda, I am so grateful that I met you so many years ago! You know I have always admired the way you run this blog, and I still do. I appreciate the fact that you are not going to just keep buying clothes so that you can make commission from them. It concerns me that so many fashion bloggers Have started featuring very cheap clothes just so that they can keep posting new things. It seems like a horrible waste. I love the way you have always featured things that last—not necessarily expensive things, but things that aren’t disposable. In fact, you have featured lots of inexpensive, thrifted, or DIY items over the years! But you don’t change your home decor or your fashion choices just to be able to link to something new and different, and I think that’s a wonderful example. I also appreciate that you’re so transparent about how readers can best support you. I could go on and on, but I will stop. Bless you as you transition to a more retired lifestyle. You’ve earned it AND God has blessed you. Both of those things are true, and I so appreciate the way you always give thanks and credit to God. Love you!
Thank you, Richella, you always say the sweetest things!
Rhoda,
I enjoy reading your posts, especially your family, DIY and travels. You are such a real person that I can relate to. You and Mark deserve this time to slow down and enjoy what you have worked so hard to achieve. Enjoy! I am glad you are a sister in Christ and share your thoughts about your faith so openly. Faith is our hope for goodness in this world. God bless you!
I’ve read your blog for a few years now. As a local, I live in Woodstock, I enjoy seeing and hearing about places you visit in the southeast. I absolutely feel the same about the direction of our country and pray that our freedoms stay intact. Enjoy semi retirement but please continue to share posts of your sweet parents!
Hi from Florida. So appreciated EVERYTHING you wrote today. Good people haven’t spoken up enough and that’s why we’re in the shape we’re in now. You asked what we’re interested in seeing and reading so I’ll chime in and say I really enjoy your showcase house tours. Such a treat. Wishing you and yours good health to do all your heart desires this year!
I first found you on Facebook several years ago. I have learned so many things on improving a home that doesn’t cost a slight fortune. I totally understand the reason for slowing down. My theme for this year is Rest In Him. With the state of things our Hope is found in God. I love seeing the posts about your parents and family and Mark. I especially love hearing your daddy pray. Brings me joy every time I hear him pray. I will be here for your posts for as long as you are…Lord willing. Keep on Keeping on!
Rhoda—although I’m sad for us readers, I’m very happy for you! And knowing you’ll still be sharing helps.
I hope you have the best time relaxing more and traveling! That’ll be fun to blog about!
I, too, am worried about our country. I feel America was blessed because of our country’s faith. I keep hoping we will return to our roots but admit things look worrisome.
Enjoy everything your new adventures!
Thank you for all the blogposts you have shared thus far!!
I wish you all the best for you and your family. You are right to travel now while you are young enough and healthy enough to enjoy it. I’m seventy six and my legs aren’t up to travel any more. I traveled plenty while I could. My sister is eighty four and is in the beginning stages of dementia. It is so sad but she had a wonderful life and her family will take care of her. Just saying live life while you can.