HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY -- FIVE YEARS OF SHARING

Five years ago today, September 5, 2012, the little seed I'd planted emerged full-blown as Paper Seedlings, the blog you are reading right now!

My first blog post, On Track, explained where I thought this blog might be headed into the future. I know I was all excited about recently having acquired My Digital Studio through Stampin' Up!. I saw a GREAT future of digital creativity with that program. In fact, the header of my blog was created in My Digital Studio. (Unfortunately, this program is no longer available from Stampin' Up! But, I have lots of fond memories of MDS!)

In that post, I featured a little MDS-created decorative quote, a quote that I've always loved and is so true:

Even if you're on the right track, 

you'll get run over if you just sit there.

Will Rogers gave us that nugget of wisdom, one that each and every person setting out on a journey that requires some effort to succeed is duly reminded to take heed of constantly.

The post for my first blogiversary, A Year of Inspiring Others, acknowledges the fact that, even though I felt I'd made progress in my first year of blogging, I still have a long way to go. I also mentioned that I continue to struggle with the looks and workings of my blog, and hoped to make improvements.

I guess that I did not realize that I was celebrating my second blogiversary in September 2014. I never acknowledged it in the posts surrounding that date. Huh. Disappointing. It seemed it was just business as usual that September.

Having just completed three years as a blogger, I published this September 2015 post, Celebrating Three Years of Blogging. As I perused the contents of this celebratory post, I smiled a few times. You see, I was talking about re-working my blog and creating a new header, expressing the hopes that, if I could figure out the technical stuff, I hoped to get this done in the next few months. Funny. We'll talk about that in a few years, I mean paragraphs.

Unfortunately, I guess I didn't realize that I was celebrating another year of blogging in 2016. I always acknowledge this important date within my own mind, but I guess that's where all the celebrating remained, since I didn't mention it in any September 2016 posts. Oh well. It was four years since I'd started to plant those little creative paper seedlings, and I am proud to report that, even four years later, I hadn't wavered from my initial intent one bit. One more unfortunate bit of info about this next year's milestone: My blog was still in the deplorable condition it was a year ago. Ah. The best laid plans . . .  

This year, however, I am very cognizant of the fact that it is FIVE YEARS AGO THAT I FIRST HIT PUBLISH! Happy Blogiversary to ME!

I am still sticking to my original plan for the blog -- I am still all about planting those little creative paper ideas, Paper Seedlings. And I am proud to have clung to that initial intent for five years, without wavering at all. I still love to share with all of you, hoping you become inspired enough through what I share to jump on the Creative Journey with me!

OK. NOW is the time to address the very old problem of an outdated, not-working-well blog. Even though my original header has had just a slight makeover, it remains true to my roots in its overall look. I am thrilled to announce that about two weeks ago, my blog finished undergoing a complete makeover! Not by me. Oh no. I have not progressed technically as I'd hoped. I actually hired a wonderful lady to do all the improvements for me. And I think she did a beautiful job! 

I now have a larger header, my blog posts fill up the screen, my right column looks sleek and slick, and everything fits nicely. AND she added little buttons underneath my header with which you can access all the various areas of my blog! 

One of the things she added to these buttons and also on the right side, is a button that reads "Shop Now". This enables you to shop directly with Stampin' Up! through me! And, if you click on either the Events or Specials button, that click will bring you to my DBWS -- my demonstrator website. There are so many cool ideas on there, not only from me, but from Stampin' Up! too!

Please take a close look at the new and improved Paper Seedlings blog. I thought that by doing this blog makeover, it would be a perfect way to commemorate my five years of blogging. And I am right! I am so thrilled with the results!

Now, to celebrate my five years of planting Paper Seedlings, I would like to host a little giveaway. 

In order to enter to win the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post any time before 5:00 p.m. CST Tuesday, September 12. 

That evening, when I write my blog post, I will announce the winner, which will be picked randomly (the old-fashioned way, with slips of paper) from the comments I receive up until 5:00 that day. 

The winner of the giveaway will have two choices of prize. 

I show two photos below. The first photo is a set of four cards featuring images that were stamped and fussy cut from Designer Series Paper. The second photo shows the set of four quilted Christmas cards that I featured in this blog post. 

If you are the winner, you will choose whether you want the set of four floral cards or the set of four quilted cards. The quilted cards don't necessarily need to be Christmas themed. If you would prefer non-Christmas quilted cards, I will create that set for you. 

When I contact the winner, you will give me your snail mail address as well as your choice of prize.

Now, get down there and leave me a COMMENT! I can't wait to hear from you!

Blogiversary

Smiles.