MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ..........

Wishing all of my blogging friends the merriest of Christmases.

Whatever you are doing, have a great day, 

Eat, Drink and be Merry ,

Thank you all for your blogging friendship, your posts which have made me laugh, cry , enlightened me, touched me and have given me food for thought. 

I still think blogging is the best social media platform even though it is now thought a bit like it's had it's day ! 

Keep blogging ..... I'd miss you all so much if you weren't there, 

See you all in 2023

Lots of love

XXXX

 

A VERY BAD START ..........

I've said so many times that I am going to be a better blogger, will post more and make sure that I comment more but, so far, I haven't done very well !!!

I had a few weeks holiday away from the world of blogging { unfortunately, not on a Canadian lake in an £11.4 million rented home } but I have managed to post this { with only one photograph sneakily taken by the paparazzi !!! }

I might just take legal action !

XXXX

BY INVITATION ..........

I have been honoured to have been part of the 'By Invitation' family from the very beginning. To start with, there were just a few of us but, over the five years, it grew to quite a large membership.

Unfortunately, it has now run it's course and like all good things is coming to it's natural end this month.

We are packing our bags and today, ' By Invitation ' is saying goodbye.

For our final post we are thinking about .....

Blogging !!

I started my blog on a whim ...... I was looking for something and was directed to someones blog ..... at the top of the page it said ' Start your own blog ' so, I did. 

I like my home so I thought that I would write about houses and interiors but, over the years it has changed somewhat and that's OK..... things evolve. 

Over the years, the blogging world has changed and many of my first followers have left blogging and post more on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and the like and blogging has been made to feel a little old fashioned.

I made many friends in those early days and after about a year I would sometimes get over 100 comments on my posts but, many left their blogs and things changed. I don't know if it's an age thing but it seems to me that many are lured to anything new and are very quick to move onto the newest social media tool. 

I have so enjoyed my blogging experience so far, have connected with some lovely people from around the world and have even met some of them. On the whole, blogging has been a very positive experience for me with many highs and very few low's. The only negative thing that I can say about blogging is that some things sometimes get lost in translation and we lose the odd follower now and again which I find a little sad but, I know that this is inevitable and, of course, we can't expect to connect with everyone can we ? .. after all, we don't connect with everyone in real life so why should blogging be any different? 

I really don't know what the future holds for blogging and bloggers but, for me, I shall continue for as long as I enjoy it and hope that all of you out there will stay along for the ride.

What are your thoughts on blogging and it's future ?

I am more than a little sad that our ' By Invitation ' journey has come to an end ..... I have enjoyed every minute and, it was so lovely that someone would tell me what to write about once a month !!!!!!!!! 

Many thanks to the lovely Marsha whose idea and inspiration ' By Invitation ' was ..... she worked so hard to think of ideas every month and to enrol new members .... it's never easy to deal with everything and to lead a project {that's why I don't do it !!!! }

If anyone would like to start another similar group, I'm game to be part of it !!

I'll leave it to Pete and Dud to say Goodbye-ee !!

image 2: via la bonne vie, image 3: via clutter and chaos, image 4: via google images, images 5 & 6: via kero i am, image 7: via margadirube, image 8: via vogue.it

video: via YouTube

BLOGGING ……….

What do you think of this blogging lark ? 

It's a bit of an odd thing, isn't it ?

 Famous people often say that it's strange to be recognised ….. they meet people who think that they ' know ' them because of all the information they have read about them …… blogging is a bit like that. We think that we ' know ' bloggers but we don't sometimes, do we ?  Sometimes we connect with people and sometimes we don't. There have been bloggers that I thought I got on with and I have given my all with them but, in the end, I have given up as it's like flogging a dead horse !! That is just part of blogging I guess ….. just like real life really. I suppose the bottom line is that we can't always get on with everyone.

….. and then there are those that stop following you …… I've never stopped following anyone. Perhaps I'm not playing the blogging game properly ?!!!

….. and, do we really know some bloggers ? Do all bloggers show their real persona ?  It's not quite the same as meeting them in real life, is it ? Sometimes there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding ….. maybe you didn't even know it ?

It's funny how we decide whether we like a blogger or not, isn't it ?  Mostly there is some connection or you just like the way they write or they make you laugh. Maybe you like them but they don't feel that you are their type.

I think that it's important to make some sort of connection or blogging relationship with other bloggers, don't you ? …… and for it to be genuine too. 

Blogging is about sharing. It should be a give and take relationship and not one sided.

Mostly it's a case of birds of a feather flock together but not always. It's good to be friends with all ages too. 

I've been blogging for 6 years now and it has changed over the years. Many of the friends that I made have disappeared from the blogging world and have either given up altogether of prefer to connect through Facebook.

I have met a few bloggers and it was lovely to get together and, we got on well. We were all different ages too …. me being the oldest unfortunately !

We do invest in these friendships and I do believe that they are real, although a little different to our real life friendships. 

….. are we friends ? ….. would you invite me round for dinner ? 

ANYWAY …..

I shall continue to blog and write about silly things as I really do enjoy the friendships made. It is a little disappointing to lose some of the friends made along the way but that's just the way it is. 

Do I know you ? ….. do you know me ? Whatever the case, we can continue getting to know each other.

XXXX

images via todaymade, shareaholic, kludgymom, boldomatic, the best friends club, google and me