Monday, March 30, 2009

A WHOLE YEAR!


Today the Queen of Fifty Cents is one year old. The blog, that is. The human part of the enterprise is considerably older than that. Though here is what I looked like when I was about a year old:


Elegant little thing, wasn’t I?

Before I started this blog, I thought about it for a long time. I kept putting it off. I was afraid. I was afraid no one would read it, and I was afraid the wrong kind of people would read it. (I'm good at holding multiple mutually incompatible fears at the same time.) I was afraid it would prove to be too much work, and that I would get bored and drop it. And then one day (just a little over a year ago) the sensible voice in my head said, so what if no one reads your blog. Or what if they do read it and you get weird or nasty comments. They can't do anything to you. And if you get bored, you can stop.

So once I gave myself permission to stop, I was able to start.

Contradictory little thing, aren’t I?

Perhaps predictably, the fears were unfounded. At first, no one did read my blog. But it grew. In the last year, my blog has been visited 28,029 times by 20,254 people. Over 8100 have stopped by more than once. I have so enjoyed your comments and camaraderie. Sometimes it feels like getting fan mail, and people have shared that I actually made a difference in their lives. Some have felt more free to talk to people when they’re out garaging, and have gotten good stories in return. Some have thought of me when they found a great bargain. I even have friends that I first met at yard sales. You just never know what you’ll find on Saturday morning!

So on my first blog birthday, I want to say thank you for stopping by to share my Saturday fun, and especially for your comments. I have saved them all and if ever I need a lift I go read a few. Wow!

As if to celebrate, a package arrived in today’s mail. It came from the Thrifty Chicks, who sent an email a few days ago saying that the person who had won one of their giveaways had never claimed her prize, so they drew again, and my name came up. You can bet I responded right away! So today my blog got a birthday present—these adorable vintage egg cups:

As I told them, this is not the first time I've benefitted from being second. When I graduated from library school and got my first job as a children’s librarian, one of my new colleagues just had to make sure I knew that I had not been first choice for the job, that someone else had turned it down. Well, I was number two, but I said yes, so there! And about eight years ago, we were looking for a kitten after our sweet Buster cat had died. We went to the humane society and saw the sweetest baby kitty and fell in love. Her litter mates were all asleep, but this one was wide awake and walking around on the others, sticking her little paw out of the cage and saying, “Pick me! Pick me!” But a note on the cage said there was a hold on her, so we couldn’t have her. I went back a few days later to see if any new kittens had arrived, and she was still there—the other people never came back for her. So Mrs. Wilberforce went home with us.
Mrs. W then:
Mrs. W now:
She actually is an elegant thing!

So the Queen of Fifty Cents begins her second year. Hope you’ll come along!


23 comments:

  1. Ihave missed 11 months!?! Working my way back thru your blog & I love it! Thanks for sharing your finds & stories. Hope to keep visiting for years to come

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  2. Love you blog...congrats on a year:)
    Rondell

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  3. Happy One Year!

    I SO enjoy coming here.

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  4. Happy Blog Birthday!!!! I send you e mail hugs and a birthday wish for many more years of bloggy happy birthdays!!

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  5. I enjoy reading your blog. Very inspiring. I wish I could go to garage sales every Saturday but I always have my own excuses why I just shouldn't start. But I hope to soon. In the meantime, I so enjoy seeing what you get! AND it has inspired me to go to our local thrift store once or twice a week and I've found a few things myself. And yes, it makes me think of you. I feel like you do the treasure hunting, and then I get to see what you found. Very exciting stuff.

    I've even told a few friends about your wicker set you got for $10-- that was such a great find!

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  6. There is a whole lot of wisdom in yer post. I think yer saying of "Once I gave myself permission to stop, I could start" ought to be printed up on a bookmark and given out to people!!!

    Sure glad you started blogging and kept at it!

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  7. I'm along for the ride and loving every minute of it!

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  8. Happy Birthday Blog!!
    I often come, read and lurk always such great stories and great finds.
    Long may it continue :-)

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  9. Happy blog year. I adore those cute little hens.

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  10. Happy Birthday and many more. Wishing you another year of yardsale fun and stories.

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  11. I look forward to your blog every weekend and I'm not even a garage-saler! I enjoy hearing about your adventures and your finds! Keep blogging and thrifting.

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  12. Congratulations on your blog birthday!! Thank you for all of your inspiring stories, wonderful finds and encouragement to get out there and shop! Looking forward to another great year.

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  13. Happy blog anniversary! :) Those egg cups are adorable!!

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  14. Congratulations on your first Blog anniversery! Looking forward to what comes next!

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  15. I'm looking forward to another year of yard sale adventure stories from you! I love the pictures of your sweet kitty.

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  16. Congrats on your bloggerversary! Keep up the great work.

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  17. Happy first year blogaversary!
    I really enjoy reading your blog.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Lois

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  18. Congrats!! I so enjoy your blog and hearing about all your adventures and thrifty finds!

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  19. Congratulations on one year and on prize!

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  20. My Queen,

    You didn't mention the chicks round anniversary time. Then it was truly meant to be. Funny how the Cosmos works. Congratulations on a wonderful year, you are an inspiration.

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  21. Happy belated blogaversary!

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I really love your comments. Thanks for coming along on my thrifty adventures!

 
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