Gratitude
One year ago today I started Sugar Dish Me.
At least I think it was one year ago today. What had happened was... Sugar Dish actually started out on another host site. I hated it. So I managed to wrap my technologically challenged brain around migrating my material here. But when I got here, sugardish.com was not an available URL. Figures. In my opinion, naming a blog is completely difficult. Like naming a book before you write it. Or naming your car before you drive it. Or naming your puppy before it ever licks your face. But naming your blog is the very freaking first thing you're asked to do. So I was sitting there in front of my dinosaur desktop computer (velociraptor to be exact, complete with a very annoying high-pitched, consistent whining noise and a tendency to sneak attack), the one that my children have long since sent up in a puff of Minecraft smoke, with all of my recipes and poor attempts at writing in total LIMBO, while I tried to rename my blog.
I am sooooo creative that I added "Me" onto the end of "Sugar Dish", and whaddoyaknow, that URL was available! Probably because it sucks.
At the time I really wasn't very worried about it because I honestly didn't think very many people would be inclined to see what I have to say, or read what I have to write besides, you know, my mom and my sisters and the ever-faithful Shasta-Cola. But here I am one year later with 180-some loyal followers and more daily traffic than I ever expected.
I know that by "professional blog standards", 180 readers might not be much. But MY 180 readers are AWESOME.
This post is to express my deepest gratitude to those of you that left thoughtful comments on crappy photos I took with my cell phone camera. Heartfelt thanks to all of you that read my rambling nonsense thrice weekly and decide not to judge me when I freak out at the grocery store. Hugs to those of you that did judge me and then kept it to yourselves. Because sometimes I'm a loose cannon.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you that consistently visit and comment and interact and lend me your eyeballs day after day.
Thank you for giving me recipes.
And thanks for making mine.
I reeeeeally like it when your likes and comments are numbered in my notifications as soon as I log in to Facebook. If you would like to stay updated on goodies that don't make it to my blog, or see photos of my tiny kitty with her head stuffed in my water glass, you can follow me on Instagram. It's super fun. So if you follow me here and there, then thanks for that, too.
Thanks for tolerating my nonsensical blog name... because I'm already this far in. No going back now.
One year ago today I would not have ever guessed that I would make so many friends. Friends that send happy birthday wishes. Friends that sympathize when my kids have a bad day or get on my nerves. Friends that appreciate my neverending sarcasm and sour sort of humor. Friends that encourage and share and say just the most exactly right things. I love you all - I really, really do.
I too am amazed at how many friends I've found from my blog. And I consider you one of them! I love your recipes, your honesty, and your comments. You are one in a million...I can even tell that through the Internet!
Thanks, Ameena! That means a lot! Your blog is always the first one I dive into when I see a new post in my inbox. Love it. Life is no fun without a good dose of sarcasm and a smidge of cynicism sprinkled in. It makes me so happy that you get that.
Keep up the great work! I really enjoy your writing style, and your love for sprinkles :)) You just reminded me that I'm coming up on a year of blogging too. I still have so much to learn!
Ohhhh gosh, Sandra. I haven't even figured out like 2% of this blog thing. Thank goodness for free web-hosting. Happy coming up on a year to you!! Have a sprinkle. Or 100 🙂
Happy bloggy birthday!
Thank you!
P.S. I am now following you on instagram too...there's no escaping me! Mwahahahaha!!
I think that should be my new quote at the page head: Sugar Dish Me - completely appropriate for those times when you just NEED a sugar fix to make a crap day better!
I am so glad you enjoy my rambling, even though lots of my recipes DO require an oven (if it makes you feel better my oven is completely deficient, has a broken seal, and doesn't regulate temperature at all... it's a wonder I can cook anything). I love hearing from you. Oh! And I followed you back on Instagram. Why are those weird 70's filters and editing tools so fun? I really can't explain it.
Congrats on making a year (although, it made me think and I must be around the year mark too - I'll have to check!) Yours is always the first blog I visit and I love it, so glad to have 'met' you and always love hearing what you're up, seeing what you're baking, appreciating your sarcasm (and of course receiving all your encouragement and virtual brownies whenever I need them too!) And you are totally right about blog naming - too much like hard work, I like sugar Dish Me though - it sounds completely appropriate for those times when you just NEED a sugar fix to make a crap day better!
Happy Anniversary!!!! That's so exciting!!! I of course love your blogs, I think you're hilarious and your writing is poetic!! Not to mention your recipes are always delicious looking!!! Whatever those heart shaped cakes are up there....um yes please haha Pumpkin? I'm obsessed with pumpkin lately. Guess it's that time of year lol Anyhow...keep on going, blog away!!! I was so anti blogs a year ago...and now I have to say it's one of the best things I ever decided to do!!! Rock on with your bad self!!!
Yessssss. Pumpkin. Those are teensy versions of my very famous pumpkin cake. I had a pumpkin spice latte @ Starbucks yesterday morning... I wait all year for that stuff!!! Liquid heaven, I swear it. I love hearing from you, and am so glad you enjoy my tangled mess of words and food. And I'm so super glad we've gotten to be such good friends! I had no idea what a "blog" entailed going in... truth be told I had spent so much time working before I started this (in a job that was technologically deficient) that I couldn't have told you what a "food blog" was. It's been theraputic and encouraging, to say the very least. Thank you so much, Michelle!
Oh Starbucks how I miss thee...let me count the ways lol I love all their holiday drinks!! The pumpkins, the peppermint mochas...to die for. Literally if I was going to die that's on my list of things to drink before I kick the bucket haha Yeah, I'm totally with you, I thought, who cares about blogs! Plus even if I wanted to start a blog I never thought I would have anything to say...and low and behold now I never shut up haha Blogging is really theraputic, it's like my secret world of total truth!!! It's weird how liberating blogging makes me feel. It's like confession at church or something...even though I'm not religious haha Well anyways, I'm so glad you decided to start blogging and I look forward to your many more blogs, recipes and stories to come!!!
Congrats to you:) I think I started about a ear ago too....I loe your recipes and your words and how you tell the story:) Keep it up gf.....big hugs:)
Love,
HRCG
Thank you so much! You are one of the kindest souls I've "met" to date and I really appreciate you!
Thank you:) I truly enjoy your blog and the wisdom on life that you share along with mouth watering recipes:)
I love reading your blogs and I am totally freaking amazed at the creations you come up with. I had heard from your Mom and siblings that you were an amazing cook!!!! 🙂
Awwww thanks, Pam! It means an awful lot for you to say that! I really appreciate that you take time out to read this. I reeeeally do.
You are my favorite blogger to read - how's that for a confession? It's your genuiness (is that a word?) combined with good grammar and our shared love of all things sweet and citrus, I think. Plus you are practically a neighbor! Keep on writing!
Susan, that is so nice! I'm completely flattered. Geniuness can be a word. I'm making it official. We are definitely close enough to be called neighbors, and I definitely have a terrible sweet tooth and am horribly finnickey about grammar. Sometimes when adults use the wrong form of "your" or "you're" I want to gouge my eyes out... so glad I'm not the only one. You are so knowledgeable and such a smartass (a quality that I hold very dear) and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.
Hard to believe it has been one year. Every word you write, story you share, food creation you make, pictures you post makes me so unbelievably proud! You have talent....keep at it. Happy day!
It IS hard to believe its been a year. Time flies... thanks, mom, for all your cheerleading and encouragement. It means so much!
Thanks for connecting all of us and sharing your stories and your recipes!! And yes, we are awesome--all 180 of us. And so are you 🙂 happy blog birthday!
You really are awesome, Deanna. Thank you!
My friend i love your blog name, though admittedly the story of how you got to it made me smile 🙂
You have an amazing blog and I love visiting every time - happy blogaversary 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks so much! Glad you like the name... I s'pose its grown on me.