Thursday, June 4, 2015

Do Blogs Have a Shelf Life?


I am wondering ~ is there an expiration date on a blog?
Is there a time when it needs to be pulled off the shelf
because it is no longer trendy, current, up~to~date or fun?



Will the blogger feature the same rooms over and over again?
Or does she or he have to paint the same piece of furniture yet
again to catch the reader's attention?



Or must the blogger redecorate to comply to the current decorating
trend?  For example your home is currently French country or 
cottage or whatever must it now become boho to keep readers?



These are questions I have been pondering lately.   It leaves me 
wondering ….

Is there an expiration date for my blog?

I still like this little space.  I have come to the realization that I 
want to keep things simple and not stress over what to post to
keep your attention.   To me this blog is like a comfy, cozy
and well worn quilt.  Perhaps no longer in style but still beloved.

In the meantime, I am working on something that allows me
to explore other topics like current events, science, or where
ever the wind takes me.  Something real, and maybe a bit more
gritty.  Not sure exactly what the format will be, but I know
that I need to add a bit of spice to my life.  A little something
extra to keep the sparkle in my eyes.   Until then I have
crossed out the expiration date on Ash Tree Cottage
and I am keeping it on the shelf a bit longer.

Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley


48 comments:

  1. I understand completely what you're talking about. Just have to focus on what makes you happy to write about.

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    Replies
    1. You are absolutely right and I am taking your advice! Thanks my friend!!

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  2. I surely hope you do! No, I don't think a blog has an expiration date. I think the blogger sometimes runs out of steam. I don't see why anyone would have to keep repainting and redoing. Just be yourself and write like you would to a friend. I'm sure not repainting things over and over, that's for sure! I make too much of a mess!
    Brenda

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    Replies
    1. Me too! I am a messy painter and besides that, David always teases me about the furniture I have painted. I am thinking ~ I don't want my headstone to read ~ "Here lies Susan ~ the messy painter"

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  3. can u tell me the books you have there?

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    Replies
    1. You mean the miniature books in the last picture of this post? The pages inside are all blank. Some of the books I handmade and some I purchased. Of the ones I purchased, five are imprinted with Anne of Green Gables titles and one is a book "Princess Etiquette". They are just for fun.

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  4. Please don't shelf your blog! Although I don't comment, I look forward to reading your blog every day! I love to see what you and Bentley have been up to, your recipes, just everything!

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    Replies
    1. Oh thank you so much for coming to visit us every day! I am really enjoying creating recipes. I think I love the cooking and miniature dollhouse segments more than anything else.

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  5. Susan, you are always real and I think that is more engaging and entertaining than any repainted house or re-renovated space. That's what keeps me reading here and looking forward when I see you pop up in my feed.

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  6. Thank you Kim! It's readers like you that keep me wanting to keep on. I think you will be seeing less and less decorating because I am boring myself with it. I would like to show more crafts and plan to work on what makes my heart sing. I so appreciate your readership!

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  7. I am a terrible painter. I just don't seem to have the knack or the patience. I think interesting people never really run out of things to talk about, but we all do have our lulls. A one dimensional blog will, I think, run out of steam at some point. xo Laura

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    Replies
    1. I agree, one dimensional blogs are repetitive and after a while and I lose interest in reading them. I have felt a change coming on for some time now and think it's about time that I ditched the weekly parties and branched out on my own. I would feel much happier with a quality blog, something I am proud of than one that is spinning it's wheels. Thanks for your insight and your friendship Laura. Both mean a lot to me.

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  8. Two different things, I think. Blogging to keep up with the Jones and it's exhausting. Blogging from the heart, sharing stories, thoughts, life. Not so tiring. Though any blogger can run out of steam and we all do at one time or another, sometimes all that is needed is a little break. Heaven knows, I keep coming up with stuff everyday and I can't remember the last time I painted a piece of furniture - it's got to be a few years now.

    xo
    Claudia

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    Replies
    1. I have always admired you Claudia! You have been true to your voice and have never wavered. You can take a small topic and weave it into something grand. That's a gift!!

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  9. I'm in agreement with all of these great ladies who have begged you to continue on with your Blog. It would be like losing a dear friend. It's something I look forward to every day. I like that you have added a recipe to your blog and would love to see craft projects and maybe miniature furniture and homes . I love to cook, decorate, craft and garden and think that your branching out is a great plan. It would be nice if we were able to share our projects with you too. You could also add a book list of books you liked that we might also enjoy reading. They don't have to be about decorating either. Lots of ways to put the excitement back. Bentley might want to model some designer outfits as well.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jill! I am enjoying the cooking segments. I don't want this to be merely a cooking blog, but cooking is certainly a passion of mine. Of course my hubby is thrilled because he gets to eat the results lol. I am so honored that you think of me as a friend and blessed to have you as one.

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  10. I'm new to your blog so it certainly isn't "old hat" to me! But no, you don't have to change a thing about your house, your likes, your life - just write about what you enjoy. As you've been doing, quite well!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Joy! It's great to welcome you into my home. I am not planning on changing my decorating style. I will say though that I will be changing my kitchen a bit because I have my Viking stove from Idaho in the garage. I need to take out the old cooktop and make room for the Viking. I have a big porcelain farmhouse sink in the garage too. My husband gave it to me as a birthday gift a few years ago before we knew we were moving to Texas. So things will be changing a bit in my kitchen. My next door neighbor and I will be going through this at the same time ( she is remodeling her kitchen) so we'll probably be cooking outside on our grills while this is happening. Hope we don't smoke out the neighborhood :-)

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  11. Replies
    1. I am staying! I am just going to keep it simple and write from the heart. No worries ~ Bentley always comes up with ideas. I just need to listen to him more often :-)

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  12. Susan, don't change a thing! Your blog is amazing, your words awesome, your place comfy and I love dropping in to see you and Bentley! I'll find what you find interesting! You and Bentley are a team! When I had to slow down my blogging time due to some crazy heart stuff, I loved it when I got back and Ash Tree Cottage is still here! Yay!
    Nancy

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Nancy! Your words have warmed my heart and you and others have convinced me that a blog doesn't have to be trendy or fancy to have meaning and staying power. I hope your "crazy heart stuff" is a thing of the past. Take good care of yourself. I have heart disease on both sides of my family tree and am looking after mine too.

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  13. So glad you are staying, Susan! I love your blog filled with gorgeous pictures and interesting words......no need to change!!
    Happy weekend!
    Helen xox

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  14. Susan - Your blog is a bright spot in my day! Look forward to every day going to see what Susan and Bentley have been up to. Regardless of what you blog about, it will be great!!

    Judy

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  15. Hi Susan! No, no no! I'm so glad you're not going to shelf your blog! I love your blog and your home and just reading your thoughts you share with us not to mention your beautiful photography! Just blog about what you want to. I've slowed down a whole lot myself because I'm so busy doing other things. I've even stop joining all of the daily parties, just don't want to bother with that any more. I've been around a long long time and don't like the competition that seems to be going on with so many blogs. I'll just be me and I'm glad you're going to stay with us!
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Shelia! I thought about it all day and decided that it's the parties that I want to drop. While I think they are wonderful and provide so much inspiration, the weekly routine of parties is exhausting and I think has bled my creative spirit dry. Blogging is competitive and that's okay, but I want to enjoy life too. I love keeping up with your new life up north and I think you are a cutie pie. Just keep on having fun and sharing with us when you want. I will always keep reading your blog!
      Love those grands of yours!!

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  16. Susan, I've had the same thoughts this past year. My creative spirit has waned over the past year, but slowly I'm trying to weave my way back to blogging. Like you, I'm not satisfied with sharing the same thing again and again. I think it's best to let serendipity lead the way. I honestly don't know what my next topic will be. I jumped on the Alphabet theme to jump start the process again. At least it gives me some type of direction though not the exact topic. Makes me think creatively to come up with a topic for the letter of the week. '-)
    Glad you don't plan to shelve your blog. I'd miss it!

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    Replies
    1. Sarah ~ you are my dear Texas blogging buddy! You started following me back in Idaho and have stuck by me through thick and thin. Love you my friend and don't you dare think about stopping your blog!!!

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  17. I'm with you. I've always been amazed at the number of times some bloggers completely redecorate their homes, porches, yards, etc. And paint, paint, paint. I'm lucky if I can convince my husband to repaint a room every 10 years (which is why I have to start painting lol). I do makeovers, knock-offs, etc. but I do not change anything if it costs a lot. We can't afford it! Keep writing what is in your heart. Readers will always come:)
    xoKathleen

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  18. I feel that a blog is a personal thing. I hope you do decide to keep it I visit and may not always comment. My blog is simple as that is the way I want to keep life as simple as possible.

    Cathy

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  19. I enjoy you and Bentley just as you are!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  20. No expiration date on your blog, Susan. What I like is I get a REAL you when I come here to visit. Things are not always perfect and you are not afraid to say that. I get a little tired of the blogs that jump from thing to thing to thing to be "current" or "interesting"...give me the tried and true blogger that is real. That is why I come here. Not you aren't gonna go get all radical on us are you? lol Nah...xo Diana

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    1. No Diana ~ I will never get radical on this blog. I may want to start another blog to discuss world affairs and more serious matters that I care about, but never here. Thanks for visiting me so often and for your kind words too!

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  21. You nor your blog are never boring. I have always found your blog entertaining, informative, funny, serious, and real. I enjoy visiting with you and Bentley. My favorite is when you are crafting in your studio...we never have enough time to enjoy our craft rooms like we would like. So when I stumble upon a blog where the blogger has spent the day in her studio , it makes me smile. Just keep being yourself. That is why we love to visit your blog.

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  22. You should always be true to yourself. I am a new reader here at Ash Tree Cottage... please don't abandon it. I really am enjoying your writing - your style, recipes, photos. It seems like it is a rarity to find bloggers who are transparent and true to themselves, an I admire that about you! Love it all - keep it up! :)

    -Heather

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  23. I am glad that you are not stopping what you do so well!! I don't believe that cottage, country or french cottage ever really go out of style but they do morph a bit. They change colors and style just like our clothes do. I am not a blogger and my home is reflection of me! My husband and I are crafters and junkers and I don't expect my home to look like any others, and I wouldn't want it too. Stay true to yourself and there will be readers out here!!

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  24. Lately, I have had two dear friends move away. If you were to leave me, it would be another friend gone! I really feel like you (and Bentley) are friends and I look forward to hearing and seeing what is going on in your life. My eclectic home is from 58+ years of our furniture and things I inherited from my mother. My only decorating is moving things around. That's a good thing! I like my stuff. I garden, read, play bridge, do church projects, love being retired and having time to spend with my husband, 4 daughters and 10 adult grandchildren. Now you know a lot more than you ever wanted to! Keep up the good work!

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  25. NO shelf life!!!!! Your blog is like visiting a neighbor. You talk about what is going on in your life and sometimes it's fun and light, and sometimes it is more serious and solemn. Then Bentley runs in and shares a few smiles! It's all good. If you want to discuss the more timely and consequential....bring it on. We will all be glad to hear what's on your mind, and maybe we will all learn something new and different about the world.
    Blessings to you and a hug for Bentley,
    J

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  26. Hi Susan,
    I wrote you a long comment this morning and somehow deleted it as I was trying to post it. Hate it when that happens! I'm back to try again. You seem to have hit a nerve with this post.
    I did what you are contemplating so maybe I can speak to the pluses and minuses a bit. I had anther blog, My Sisters Cottage, that I started while my sister, Nancy, was going through chemo for ovarian cancer, and kept up after she passed away in 2010. It was a form of therapy for me...to write about her home and the things we enjoyed doing together. That blog had lots of followers.
    Two years ago, when I retired and we downsized from our big home to a condo, writing about My Sister's Cottage seemed to be living in the past a little bit too much. I missed her every day but needed to move on. So I left her blog open (there's a link on my sidebar) but started my current blog, 22 Applegate Lane, to reflect a "fresh start". I also broadened the topics from just "trash to treasure/ home dec." to add travel, how to downsize, the challenges of retirement, organizing, camping, sewing, felting, quilting, books, etc....basically whatever I feel like writing about that day. I love to write but, like you, was beginning to feel as if I was doing mindless projects just to be able to blog about them. This is much more fun.
    That said, there is a downside. I have lost so many former followers and blog friends since I made the change - probably they think I just "disappeared into the Ethernet". It's hard to build up an audience again.
    One suggestion, which I wish I had thought of at the time, might be to keep your blog (we all LOVE it!) and just update your Blog Description under the title to reflect some of your new interests. No re-painting required. I would miss my frequent visits to check in on you and Bentley if you went away!
    Interesting discussion and comments,
    Cheryl at 22 Applegate Lane (formerly "My Sister's Cottage")

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  27. Blog shelf life... hmmmm..... I think some do have a shelf life. The ones the decorate their homes over and over and over probably do. I think the secret to not having a shelf life is to be yourself, which is exactly what you do and you do it well.

    Then there's the blogs that have to end, because of certain life events, like my last blog. My life did a 180 and it just wasn't relevant anymore, but I think that's pretty unusual.

    I really love coming here to see what you're up to, so I'm glad you're not going anywhere :)

    xo

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  28. Don't you even think about leaving us, young lady!!

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  29. I'm still laughing at your reply to Brenda! I agree that it's futile to "keep up with the blogger Joneses". I enjoy getting to know bloggers on a personal level rather than seeing something trendy. I've used some trendy influences during this past year, and now I wonder if it's really what I'll want long-term. Guess when I change is again, I'll have something else to blog about. Ha! I enjoy reading about your day-to-day life and seeing your pretty pictures. You could photograph the same room over and over, and I wouldn't get tired of it. Keep up the good, honest, heart-felt blogging! Blessings~
    Kim @ Curtain Queen Creates

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Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.

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