I Kind of Stink at Blogging

Thank you for all your encouraging comments.  Many were so helpful, and it's nice to know there are many other moms that stink at the blogging side of things and are OK with that too.  I've really enjoyed emailing and kind of discussing the issue with many of you and I think I've concluded there are "hobby bloggers" and "career bloggers" and I am very much in the "hobby blogger" category...and that's where I'll stay, although Molly, the roommate/ best friend and owner of the werewolf costume offered to make me a new header, so that should be awesome.  Although many of you don't ever see it to notice I found out!  You're like me and just read your blogs through google reader or burn feeder and never actually have to go to the actual blog.  So maybe having a smooth organized blog is overrated.

Anyway, thanks for all your comments, I really appreciate your wisdom, advice, and encouragement. 

Jess

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This has been building for a while as I've realized, or really accepted how much I stink as a "blogger."

Basically, my passion is creating all the junk, and if it were a perfect world, a clone or robot would photograph and post all the crap I make.  Blogging can take a lot of time.  Depending on the project, the photographing, editing, writing, etc can take longer than actually making the project.  But I love the opportunity to blog and share my ideas and things I've made, and in return gather ideas from other creative people, and gain relationships with similar minded people out there.

But everyone's busy.  My stage of life right now is family busy.  I have these two little people that need my help constantly.

So when you evaluate how much "hobby" time you can take out of your busy life to dedicate to something that is completely just for you, (granted a lot of the things I made are for my family, but the blogging side is completely for me) there's definitely a balance.

So I've found with my limited "me" time, I chose to make things rather than be a good blogger.  It seems lately I've just happened upon a lot of big famous bloggers sharing their tips on having a blog be successful and I read their lists and I think "I don't do that, or that, on and on" and so I know I'm not a great blogger.  I don't have time to participate in all the hundreds of linky parties out there, or twitter (or is it tweet?) all day, or pay someone to design a cute blog template, or pay to fly to a blogger conference to meet other bloggers, or recruit sponsors to have scheduled giveaways, or organize a huge themed guest post month to run.  How do those girls do all that AND have time to make projects?  They must be super women! Or able to live on no sleep, which I found I cannot do as I stayed up until 2am for the last week and a half finishing the wolf/ fox/ bear costume and almost crashed and burned.
So I just make the things I like or feel my family needs, try to take some adequate pictures to show you, and move on the the next project.  I like getting to know other bloggers and interacting, but when I look at the clock and know I have one hour to do something in my hobby, linky parties are the last thing on my mind.  I always have a whole page of my projects planned, and I am one of those nerds that LOVES being able to cross something off a list that I've accomplished.  So I prefer to work on projects rather than network or grow a blog.

There are of course, things I wish I was better and more motivated to make this blog better.

For example, I've been hating my header for....probably a year now and just don't want to waste precious time to design a header when I could be spray painting something!  Or my tutorial pages are a mess and I haven't taken the time to link and organize everything for probably months, so hopefully you know what to search for so you can find a tutorial.  Or use the category tabs and scroll through.

So I guess I've just kind of felt bad for those who do read/ check out my blog that I stink as a blogger.  So thanks for sticking around and I appreciate it.  I guess this post said better what I get out of blogging, and why I have this blog.  It's really just to share my ideas and projects.  As much as the google follower or burn-feed numbers can feed a blogger's ego, I realize in many cases someone may click "follow" and never come back.  So for those that do come back to see this blog, thanks a ton and you're occasional comment really does motivate me to create things because I know a few other people beside my mom do enjoy checking it out and I'm always going to be making all of this, so it's fun to get to share while I'm at it.

{was looking for an embarrassing photo of myself for you as a reward since you've read all this, but chose this photo of my first semester of college.  I was 18 and a freshman and had to run to Smiths at 11:30pm for some sweetened condensed milk to finish making pumpkin roll.  On my way out the door told my roommate to bring her werewolf costume.  I wore it the entire shopping trip...because it's not as embarrassing with the mask on, taking it off and revealing your identity would be much worse.}

So in conclusion: I apologize I stink at blogging.  I don't blog to earn money with ads or try to get more and more followers, or become the sewing version of Pioneer Woman.  I know compared to a lot of the big crafty bloggers in general I am quite small, and that's alright with me.  (Although I do have to say I wish I was big enough to get free stuff like a Bernina sewing machine, Silhouette cutter,  AccuGo quilt cutter, etc.)  When I see big bloggers that are given free things like that I wish I was huge for the bling...don't you?}
But at the end of the day I just like to make stuff and think some of you may like to see and hopefully make some stuff yourself.
Thanks!