Flashback Friday- First Year of Blogging!

Friday, August 5, 2016


Ah, that first year of blogging.

...Ew.

That was a bad year. Let's be real, I feel like most people don't have a good first year of blogging. (Unless you're one of those rare goddesses, in which case I envy you.)

I think that one of my biggest problems (aside from the fact that I was fourteen and had no idea what I was doing) was that I had a lot of trouble finding bloggers to follow and connect with in the beginning. Obviously, I followed blogs like A Beautiful Mess and The Freckled Fox , but they were super experienced adults. Once I managed to find a circle of bloggers, things got easier, but it was a bit difficult starting out.

This also didn't result in the best content. At all. Agh, my old blog posts make me cringe so badly. In a few years, these blog posts will probably make me cringe, to be honest. But having ZERO clue what I was doing, quite frankly it was a mess. Just picture bad photo editing apps, photos taken on an iPad mini, and an awkward fourteen year old with no idea what to blog about. It wasn't a good combination.

All that being said, it was kind of fun to go back and read my old posts. It's funny, with 95% of the posts, I still remember exactly where I was when I wrote them, the process of photographing and putting the post together, and how I felt at the time. It's a major walk down memory lane.

Even though most of my first posts were horrible, there are some that actually weren't horrible. And some of them were just plain funny. There was the time that I thought the Princess Diaries 3 was happening, and three minutes later had my soul crushed. I would have been so thrilled to know that I'd find out a year later that it was legit! In my mourning, I put together a Princess Diaries Appreciation post that was full of fangirling and screeching.

Speaking of fangirling and screeching, the day that I found out that Tangled was being made into a TV show was a pretty amazing day. I'm still counting down the days until it becomes a thing!!

If you really want to laugh at me, there was my almost-epic-fail. This is proof of why I shouldn't bake. Ever. I love putting my failures on the Internet. Learn from me, kids.

Remember the Great Dress Debate? Yep, I blogged about that, too. Team White and Gold forever. 

There were also a few times that I attempted to put together tutorials, and they DIDN'T end miserably! I put together on a post on how to reuse old EOS containers, (I still use the one I made for this post!), and a tutorial on how to make the most amazing white-chocolate pretzels. I somewhat lost my taste for them after having to make hundreds for a school fundraiser, but I'm kind of craving them right now.

I put together two posts in my first year that I was particularly proud of. In the first, I talked about fairies, magic, and not losing your sense of wonder.  The second was one that I wrote towards the end of freshman year, when life was especially busy. Time was under a crunch, and I had no chance to read or write. My craving for words was deep, and this was the result. 

When I originally planned this post out, I wanted to also include posts from other bloggers during this time period. But I realized, I really don't remember much about the blogs that I was reading that first year. I know I read plenty of blogs, but I can't remember specifics. So, I think that I'm going to have to save that for next week's Flashback Friday- Year 2. Because I know LOTS of blog posts that I'll be linking for that one. I'll probably have trouble trimming down enough to fit in the post!!

Honestly though, even though my first year was SO cringe-worthy, I wouldn't change much about it. It was a learning experience, and I really did grow so much. Lots of good memories, even throughout the awkward!!

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So tell me- what was YOUR first year of blogging like? 

28 comments:

  1. Oh. my. gosh. My first year of blogging was SOO cringe-worthy!! Awkward little beginner-bloggers lol (though to be honest, I still am a beginner-blogger xD)

    PS--TEAM WHITE AND GOLD FOREVER
    <333

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    1. YOU'RE NOT A BEGINNER BLOGGER YOU'RE AN AMAZING BLOGGER!!

      *high fives* YES

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  2. My first year of blogging, I had NO IDEA what i was doing. everything was so, so, so random. you're lucky that you found a good solid circle of bloggers--I didn't until this past year, and I'm on my third year :) congrats!!

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    1. I'm soooooooo glad to have found a fabulous circle- and to have you in it;)

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  3. OH my first year of blogging...it's SO embarrassing! Thankfully, a lot of the super embarrassing posts are on my old blog, but I still have quite a few on mine right now that I am not particularly proud of..hehe
    I guess it's a growth process, right? ;)

    Great post! ♥

    ~Megan<333
    (megans-journals.blogspot.com)

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    1. It's definitely a growth process!! XD I keep forcing myself not to revert the majority of my first year to draft haha.

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  4. Yeah for me my first year was absolutelly horrible. Congrats! Awesome post!

    ~Nabila // Hot Town Cool Girl

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    1. I feel like everyone had an awful first year XD Thanks, Nabila!!

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  5. My first year of blogging was an absolute disgrace. But I loved reading your posts! xD

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    1. xD I love how you described it. That pretty much sums mine up as well. Haha! I'm glad that you enjoyed them XD

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  6. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa I was eleven when I first started blogging. Talk about serious cringe-worthy posts. THEY WERE AWFUL!

    This was so much fun :)

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    1. I'm pretty sure I had the mentality of an eleven year old or something when I started. Who knows. It was painful.

      XD I'm really glad you liked it!!

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  7. I LOVE this blog appreciation series, Grace Anne! So much nostalgia... and it also reminds me of how grateful I am for blogging and for all the wonderful friends I've made through blogging. (Also reminded of that whenever my phone hums with hundreds of messages from the group instagram chat XD <3)

    Man, I relate, haha. That first year of blogging is really unforgettable, one way or another. And hey, your baking fail? I totally wouldn't call that a fail, girl. I don't think I could make cupcakes that look that pinterest-y! The kitchen and I, we don't get along very well. And I also love the EOS container idea... I may just try that. I have one that is running on empty...

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    1. I'm SO glad that you like it, Kate!!!! I'm so crazy grateful for blogging. Haha, ohhhh that chat XD Love it so much <3

      Isn't it? Sooo many memories, of varying sorts. XD Aw, thank you! The kitchen and I are basically sworn enemies at this point. I'm pretty sure my family keeps a running list of my various kitchen experiences. Ooh, you definitely should! I actually think I have a couple that I need to empty out, now that I think about it.

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  8. HAHAAHAHAHAA MAKE ME CRY WILL YOU

    my first year of blogging I was also 14..but uh. basically, I used pinterest and filled each post with the gazillions of things I loved.

    yeeah. NOT HOW BLOGGING SHOULD BE DONE. *laughs*

    can't believe it'll be 3 years for me this fall..ahhhhh

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    1. I'm pretty sure that I did that multiple times, too XD Nailing it.

      Ahh, that's so crazy!!

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  9. MY FIRST YEAR WAS SO CRINGE-WORTHY AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING.

    (though I still don't know what I"m doing, buuuut. xD)

    I'm glad we can all relate in the cringe-worthiness and see how we've progress. We've made it this far! :D

    (also, team white and gold. Just sayin'.)

    // katie grace
    a writer's faith

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    1. PSH YOUR BLOG HAS ALWAYS BEEN FLAWLESS WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!

      Yes!! We've survived! XD

      (white and gold forever <3)

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  10. I totally agree with this!! My first year went pretty terribly as well but I'm glad that I pushed through :) Your blog developed a lot and I really enjoy reading it!!

    xx arushee

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    1. I'm glad that you pushed through, too, Arushee!! I love your blog so much. <3 Thank you so much for all of your sweet words!!!

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  11. GRACE I ENJOYED THIS POST WAYYYYY MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE. Because I loved seeing early Totally Graced, before I met you. Despite what you say, your early posts that I read ROCKED!!!! You wrote with such authenticity and personality. I agree with you, though, that following bloggers in your niche make or brake blogging. Without y'all, I wouldn't be the blogger I am today, and I think you can say the same.

    Now, it's time to fangirl.

    PRINCESS DIARIESSSS!!!!!!!!! (soo soo much love)

    TANGLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (borderline too much love). And HOW did I not know about this TV show. I am seriously disturbed that I only just found this out. Second guessing my existence. (jk, jk)

    Your other posts, the ones about fairies and cravings, line up with my feelings/thoughts EXACTLY !!! (which should cease to surprise me by now). I read/loved those fairy books as well, but I enjoyed her little fairy tale books even more.

    Grave, your blog, even in the time I've been reading it, has grown and developed into something so lovely! I love how you make each post personal and each person reading it involved. Plus, you post SO MUCH!!! I can't encourage you enough!!!!

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    1. OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU LIKED IT, HANNAH!!!! You are the absolute sweetest. I definitely wouldn't be the same blogger that I am today without all of you amazing people! I'm so glad that you liked the early ones, too- such a trip down memory lane! XD

      YESSSS! I've been dying to go and rewatch them for the 829184028th time lately.

      You can never have too much love for Tangled! Pretty sure it's impossible. I'M SO EXCITED FOR THE TV SHOW!! It blew my mind.

      I loved those books so much, oh my goodness. <3 I love how we always end up twinning!

      Thank you so, so much, Hannah!!! You are such a huge encouragement and I am so thankful for you! <3 *hugs*

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  12. You're so right, that first year of blogging can be so awkward...I used to have a blog before this one that is now deleted, but was so random and strange. I don't think anyone really ever gets perfect at blogging, but it's great to find "your people" and grow over time. :) I'm going to check out the posts you linked! Should be a fun journey back in time :D

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    1. I keep going back and forth about deleting a bunch of my old posts. Random and strange is a good way to describe them. XD It really is impossible to get perfect at blogging- everyone has such different styles! It's fun to see everyone's personalities come out. I hope you like the posts!! A definite trip through time, haha!

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  13. HAHA I try not to look back at my first year it was a lot of "Hi guys!!! I am doing this because of this and oh look at that" Just words about what I was doing at age 16? Something like that! And you are right it does take a while to find bloggers your age. It wasn't until year two I found everyone!

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    1. I did that, too! XD Those were painful days, agh. Isn't it so hard to find your circle? It takes FOREVER, but once you finally do, it's amazing!!! <3

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  14. THISSSSSSS <3 seriously I can relate so much to what you were saying about blogging in the first year. THE FIRST PAINFUL HORRIBLE YEAR. *nod nod* Only girl you improved much quicker than I did because I've been blogging for 6 years now?? AND WHAT EVEN I DIDN'T GET MY ACT TOGETHER UNTIL LIKE 9 MONTHS AGO LOLOLOL. (am i overly critical of myself?? NAHHH.)

    For realz tho I just went back and read that entire Tangled post becaUSE HOW COME I DIDN'T KNOW THAT TANGLED WAS BEING MADE INTO A TV SHOW OMG I'M FLAILING SO HARD RIGHT NOW I'M SO EXCITED THANK YOU FOR MAKING MY DAY <3333 HURRY UP 2017

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    1. THE FIRST YEAR IS THE MOST CRINGEWORTHY OF THEM ALLLLLLL. And PSH YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A GODDESS DEAR. You're very overly critical of yourself.

      I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT TOOOOOOO THIS SHALL BE THE MOST EXCITING THING OF MY LIFE. <3333

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