December 30, 2011

Reflecting on a year's worth of daily blog posts

Day 364 of Vintage 365



Just as the classic verses of that beloved New Year's favourite Auld Lang Syne ponder if old acquaintances should be forgotten (generally speaking, no - friends new and old are endlessly important threads in the tapestry of our lives), so too do I feel that old blog posts deserve to be remembered from time-to-time.

And what more fitting an occasion to look back a handful of the entries that graced Chronically Vintage's pages over the course of 2011 than on the second to last day of the year.

As most readers know, this past year I embarked on a daily blogging project called Vintage 365 (which would feature a different vintage related topic and image for each day of year).

The notion to do so came to me pretty much a year ago to the day, and at first seemed both so far-fetched (knowing how tricky it can be for me to blog frequently at the best of times) and seriously awesome. I gave the idea one, maybe two days of thought, but could not shake it from my mind and fell in love with it more with each passing hour.

Thus, when January 1st rolled around, I announced and began this ambitious project, which - I'm ticked pink to say - was able to weather various storms in my life over the past year and hold on tight for a full 365 days (ok, technically tomorrow will be the 365th post, but as I've already written that entry, so I can safely say that it will go live tomorrow).

Over this past year we've delved into topics as diverse as the history of mail order catalogs, dog nail polish, popular vintage baby names, the lives of vintage items before they reach you, WW2 Canadian ration coupons, Paris in the 1920s, and a new name for our grandparents' generation – to list but a few of the many, many subjects that called the Vintage 365 series home.

It's hard to believe that in less than 48 hours this project, which had been a part of my life for an entire year solid, will start to become a memory.

Though, I won't lie to you, there were days when it was tricky (for whatever reason) to post or to rustle up the mojo to keep going, more often than not I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and often found myself faced with quite the opposite problem - more topics to post about than I had days in a given week!



{Much like the upbeat looking vintage gal pictured above, I usually sat down to write posts for this year's daily blogging project with eagerness and a smile on my face. I had a blast covering such a broad range of topics, challenging myself to keep going on those tougher days, and coming up with new, varied ideas for each day's entry. Image via allposter.co.uk.}

Many of you have been with me from the beginning of this project, others became avid readers along the road, and a for a few this post itself may be the first they've ever read Chronically Vintage. Wherever you joined up in this yearlong blogging adventure, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, encouragement, comments, and inspiration.

It was you, my sweet readers, who fuelled me on and helped keep my spirits soaring high all through the year. It has been a joy and an honour to share in this daily vintage blogging project with you, and I truly look forward to all the wonderful new adventures 2012  holds in store for both this blog (which will be reverting to its pre-vintage 365 state of regular, but not continually daily posts) and all of our lives.


7 comments:

  1. I only found your blog a few weeks ago so I missed most of your Vintage 365 series. When I have some time I'll start browsing your archives, and I'll look forward to that.

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  2. I very seldom comment, but I read your posts daily....well done!

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  3. What a lovely post! I've really enjoyed reading along and sharing your 365 days :)

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  4. Jessica,
    I was directed to your blog mid year and have been an avid reader since, I LOVE IT!!!! Yes I am squealing.....I sincerely hope you will be able to continue to update your blog, it is full of such treasures.....most of all you! Thank you for so much inspiration and may 2012 be a great year for you.

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  5. Oh, my dear Jessica, I am SO glad you began this project. I have loved reading your delightful posts (even if I am several months behind), and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the hard work and dedication you put into each and every charming entry. You bring a beautiful piece of yesteryear to my days!

    I hope you will, as circumstances permit, keep on doing your fabulous daily posts.

    Happy new year, my friend.

    Love,
    Patti

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  6. I loved it all! I am awed over your dedication to this project and being able to find something amazing and new to post every day.

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  7. Dear Jessica,

    I have looked forward to reading each and every post since I found you. Thanks so much for the trips down memory lane and your joy in all things vintage. I will be sorry not to have your message in my inbox every morning, but am so much in awe and admiration of you managing, through thick and thin, to keep it going for 365 days. How satisfying is must be to know that you met the challenge that you set for yourself. I am now following your card blog just so that I can keep up with what you're doing. Looking forward to your last blog post for 2011 and wishing you and your loved ones all the very best in health and happiness for the year ahead.

    ArtseyAnne (one of the earlier comments) is my very dear friend and it was I who told her about your lovely blog.

    Hugs,

    Rob

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