Monday, September 28, 2009

One year - What I've learned



In honor of my one year blogiversary, I'm taking a moment to reflect on the past year and think about the year ahead.

When I started this blog, it was solely to participate in Tuesdays with Dorie. I hardly knew what a blog was.

I figured I would post about my baking and cooking, share a few photos, make a few witty observations, and the world (which had been waiting impatiently to hear my views on cupcakes and pie crust), would flock adoringly to hang on my every word.

Not so much.

After my first post, the world indulged in a collective yawn and got on with its day. I was struck with a few weeks of panic. Nobody was reading my blog. How do I change that?

The few visitors who stumbled on me and commented made my day/week. I had no idea how they got here, or why. It took me weeks to realize that my mantra wasn't "If you build it, they will come;" rather, it was "If you visit, they will too." And that, in a nutshell, is the biggest change that happened in the past year. I learned that I miss out on so much if I'm not focused on you, visiting you, seeing what you're up to, getting inspired by what you're making.

If you're reading this, you're probably a blogger, so you could have told me that blogging isn't about me sharing my (rather boring) insights about making truffles, it's about community. And without that community, I'm alone in my kitchen. Thank you for sticking with me.

You gave me the confidence to conquer my fears. You inspired me to take on things I didn't know I could handle. Making bread. Pizza. Meringues. Sticky buns.

As I look ahead, I have three goals: To get a healthier meal on the table more nights than not. Between a prolonged attack of plantar fasciitis and a back injury, I gained 20 pounds this year, and I don't like them. Second, to work on my photography. And third, to explore the many cookbooks I own and rely less on impromptu meals thrown together at the last minute.

A new home for Lethally Delicious is in the works. Never being one to take on small, manageable goals, I decided to move from Blogger to WordPress and migrate to my own domain. This has presented technological challenges that are beyond my capabilities. Sooner or later, we'll get there. It may be better looking and more fun, but I'll probably still make a mess in the kitchen and forget to read the instructions carefully. Some things never change.

10 comments:

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

Congrats on your first year. You must have been reading my thoughts becasue I had the same blog views just a few months ago. Best of luck to you on the move. I purchased mine when I started but never made it any further so I be very interested in how you make it work. Again, Happy Blog Birthday!

Tia said...

Congrats on 1 year! You are an awesome cook/baker and I love your posts. by the way, that apple pie looks like THE picture of all american apple pie. Yummy. Keep on blogging, girl!

Anonymous said...

Happy blog anniversary! I really like how you summed up blogging. I'm enjoying the food blogging community so much! I'll add one thing: admiring everyone else's cute dishes. Your cat mug is great!

There are lots of healthy recipes out there if you can get past the desserts. I've seen and tried some great ones from Cooking Light.

Hindy said...

Happy Anniversary, Leslie! I think you've nailed it - it's about being part of the community.
Every week I enjoy your TWD posts, your successes and your cute photos. I can't wait to see how your blog grows!

MacDuff said...

Happy Anniversary!!! And hey - your blog kicks ass. I'd read it even if you didn't visit mine.

Plantar fasciitis is crap. Rest up, get better. Don't get hooked on your meds (it's hard, I know). Make sure you take all of us along on your ride.

Pamela said...

Congrats on a fantastic year, Leslie! I really enjoy your blog. I look forward to watching the move to bigger and better things. I've been toying with moving, too, so I might be picking your brain about all of it!

I'm suffering with plantar facitis right now...and it's so depressing! I'm an avid walker and it's totally keeping me away from what I love. And like you, I've gained some serious weight this year. Time to start shaking things up over here!!

Anyway...Congrats again!!

Susan said...

Wow. I am glad I stumbled upon your blog. I have been feeling the way you felt in the beginning. I started my blog about a month ago. I just started "visiting" other people. Thanks for the wonderful insights. :) Oh, and your tart looks amazing!

Jennifer said...

I'm a newcomer to your blog and I enjoy it tremendously! Good luck with your transition! Keep bringing us those fabulous recipes!

Chats the Comfy Cook said...

Congrats on your first year, one of many, I hope. I just found you so I can't intelligently speak of much.

I do relate to your feelings about starting out and the feelings of talking to yourself and wondering why someone came by your blog. Yes, it is the bigger sense of community that makes this worthwhile.

Now, when I see new bloggers, I make a point of dropping by their blogs to comment on what I find there. We all need that start and it is through sharing that I think, we get moving.

Unknown said...

Well I'm super late to comment on this post, but congratulations on your one year anniversary Leslie! I really enjoy your blog and though I fell behind in my visiting/commenting for a bit, I hope to make it here far more often in the future :)