How Has Blogging Changed My Life??

Guess what today is – – my BLOGVERSARY.  True story!  I don’t normally pay too much attention – in fact last year I even missed the day til weeks later, but this year I’m on top of it.  I started craft blogging 4 Years Ago today – times flies.

So let’s look back – – funny how Trevor got a shout-out on my first post – – little did he know he’d be starting his own blog to voice his opinion…. anyways, it’s an intro post and says:
I’ve been on a crafty kick lately, ever since I tried to do a “homemade Christmas”. I was telling my husband how I might make the kids some winter hats – he politely informed me that homemade isn’t cool. And so I’m more gung-ho than ever in my crafting crusade. Homemade and Handcrafted ARE cool! And I want to share that view with the world. Welcome to the extention of my blog: All the Buzz – Craft Edition. I hope to post a craft or two a week – easy, doable, useful, fun crafts that I’ve conquered. Enjoy! (Jan 28th, 2009)
(Obviously the name has evolved – it was All the Buzz: Craft Edition (a play off of my family blog), then Sugar Bee: Craft Edition, then Sugar Bee Crafts)

And my first project to show off was Half Apron (hey, that makes me look pregnant……wait, it’s the belly, not the apron!) –

I love that I started with the vision to make Homemade cool again – because it is!  That’s still a huge focus of mine – to show that creating things is empowering and amazing.

I know some people have huge celebrations for blog anniversaries, but I have a different idea.  I was recently asked in a phone interview “How Has Blogging Changed Your Life?” – – it was like a giant question-mark dropped out of the sky.  And so I wanted to pose that question to some awesome bloggers and see what people think — so I’m kicking off a mini-series…

So, starting Thursday we’ll be hearing the answer to this question from some of your favorite bloggers.  Stay tuned.

For now, I thought I’d kick the series off – –

So my immediate answer was – what?? blogging hasn’t changed my life at all.  I am who I am.  I would be the same as a blogger as I would be if I weren’t one.

But then I thought more and realized that I needed to admit to myself – blogging HAS changed my life.  More recently, I’ve come to embrace that blogging is a job – with long hours and low pay.  (So obviously I love it to stick with it in those type of conditions.)  I love being able to stay home with my kids, but as they grow (I only have one at home during the days now – it’s so weird!) I have found time for projects and blogging and have made a small career out of it.  That has changed my life because I never imagined I would be “working” as I stayed home.  I have to adjust my schedules and find hours to blog and craft – it’s all about finding a balance.

Blogging affects everyone – – my kids ask if I want to post pictures of the things they make, and can strike a pose at a moment’s notice.  Trevor jumped on the blogging bandwagon.  When at playgroups everyone knows that I’ll be documenting any crafts we tackle.  It has made me come to appreciate more the time and effort that others put into crafting and showcasing their creations.

But the way that blogging has affected me the most is how it has brought me and my projects to so many of you.  I feel like I’m making a little contribution to the world when I can encourage and inspire others to create.  I love hearing comments about what you’ve made and how you have expanded your skillset and ideas on creativity.  And that’s how blogging has changed my life – – it’s given me a way to showcase projects and impact the lives of others.  I didn’t have that before – Trevor can try his best to fake enthusiasm about various projects, but it only goes so far (and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t impacting his life with my craftiness).  With the opportunity to share projects in front of the world, I thrive on the positive reinforcement and upbeat blogging community.  Blogging is a powerful tool that I love.  LOVE.