500 Posts and Counting

This post right here is number 500! Can you believe it? I can’t!


In honor of 500 posts I decided to throw a little party! I hope you have fun! There will be lots of guest posts plus a giveaway.

And I also thought it would be fun to look back on the past 500 posts, pick out some of my favorites and talk about the last few years blogging and my life.

I’ll start at the beginning.

I’ve been blogging for longer than I can remember. I’ve been with my fiance for 7+ years and I started blogging a couple of years before I even met him! At first, of course they were more like little diaries, just places for me to vent about the horrors and drama of middle school and dealing with having depression, not knowing what it was and then admitting it to myself.

At some point, I transitioned to more of an art blog, less diary. And along the way, I decided to start over (more than once). The first re-do of my original wordpress blog was in 2009.

2009 Buttermilk Falls, 2009. ©Kendra J Kantor All Rights Reserved (starting in May) I posted 79 times and had little direction to where I wanted to take my blog. Things were pretty different around here back then I think. I’ve always been open, honest and shared my thoughts as well as my art but it’s always funny looking back to the beginning (or re-boot) of a blog to see where you’ve been and notice how far your style, content and work has come since then. In 2009, photography was still my passion, I was eager to move to Boston and my blog was still run on a wordpress hosted blog(I had yet to buy my own domain).

I deleted a bunch of posts and started over, I shared how to screen print (since, this has become one of my most visited posts via searches!). I encouraged you to be inspired with these 10 art sites, I talked about emotions and inspiration. I debated Photography vs Writing with myself (it turns out, neither has won yet.) I created some oil paintings for my new apartment, I went on my first road trip to Watkins Glen State Park and Buttermilk Falls State Park on my way to Boston.

I eventually started loosing my passion for photography, I explored land art a bit and I talked about my creative process. I had fun with masks and photographing a narrative, eventually I caved and joined twitter. I made my first hand stitched book (and absolutely fell in love with the process.) I ended the year getting my flight back home cancelled (I did make it back) and spending a month during Christmas at home. While I was home that year, I talked to my parents about my struggles with art school and got amazing support and love from them. I didn’t make a decision then, although I knew I was leaning towards leaving.
(who knew I had so many posts and times to talk about from 2009 when there was only 79 total posts!)

2010I posted 310 times! I was impressed when I figured out the number, so many times. Looking back from 2009 posts to 2010 posts…things started to change so drastically, not only my blog style but personally. Like I said for 2009, my passion was still photography and then I lost that and 2010 was a bad year for me really. I was drowning where I was and had to find a way out.

I’m going to cheat a little here, at the end of 2010, I wrote 2010 in Posts and linked to some of my favorite posts from the year.

Early in the year, I did some collages on canvas, made books with my mom, I lusted over cameras I couldn’t have, I celebrated my 100th post with a giveaway, I worked with pinhole cameras and loved it. I made my 20 by 20 list, which I didn’t really stick to, I had an epiphany about not having to settle when I’m not happy with life, I fell in love with polaroids again.

I gave my writing it’s chance for a while, I shared my favorite things about Summer, I shared my secrets , I learned about working artists, I found nature in the middle of the city. I watched as my caterpillars grow up. I had my finals and visited the Harvard Natural History Museum. I embroidered, and finished a mixed media piece on canvas, I thought about jealousy and tried my hand at digital art journaling .

I shared my 4 Simple Goals, I offered advice about keeping your creative itch when you have no supplies, I thought about beginnings and endings, I took a breath, I was inspired by music, I took a vacation , I had my 200th post, my grandfather passed away, I got my own .com, I took a closer look.

I started Photo Friday and shared Polaroids, I began my 52 week journal project, I vlogged, I moved. I started offering free digital goodies, My journal workshop went live (still available for purchase).I heart fall, I shared random facts about myself, I showed pictures for my cluster wall wish list, I taught an easy peasy diy, I threw a party for my 300th post, I said yes, I flew home for a weekend of haunted houses. I got an all black kitten.

I shared my favorite wedding blogs, I got pen pals, I saw Harry Potter at midnight, I showed you all the ways to follow the blog, I posted my holiday wish list, it snowed. I made goals for improving, I visited a berry farm, I talked about holiday traditions. The color of 2011 was announced, I made a short stop motion, and I announced my new blog design.

Wow! So many things to share! I thought about cutting some things out and making my posts from 2010 shorter but 50-something out of 300 is a decent selection, right? I like seeing my favorites all in one place though.

2011 

I’ve posted 110 times so far this year! I had my fiance do the math and if I want to hit the same number as last year (310) I have to post 200 more times in the next 162 days left of the year. Which means I have to post more than once a day (or have another blog party or two), and I don’t think I’ll hit it. But that’s okay! Hopefully by this time next year things will be a lot better in so many aspects that I will be blogging at least once a day again.

I talked about my thoughts on the new year , I celebrated my 20th birthday and shared my 43 by 22 list. The blog got a brand new look as well as a few weekly series: Weekly Tips, I’m Obsessed! guest post series and Photo Friday. I was inspired by some *fantastic *artists.

I made some old wine bottles pretty with Tissue Paper, I reminded myself to Keep Breathing and I shared my camera collection with you. I got inspired by dance, video and drawing from the video Thought of You. I FINALLY finished my 101 Things About Me List . And I told you 19 Reasons Why I’m Nerdy. My fiance and I took a trip to Linn Run. I encouraged all of us to focus. I made my own DIY Planner (this has been my most viewed post EVER!) .

I started a new feature of What’s On My Bookshelf (my version of “what’s in my bag”) and did a second post on it about kid books. I was brave and shared an outfit post, I answered some Q&A’s about my art journaling. Opened up more about my depression and how it’s okay to accept help. I got even more brave and did a voice blogging diary. I took a break from blogging and then was honest about why. After taking a vacation and as I’ve slowly gotten back into blogging I shared a dessert of peanut butter and chocolate chip brownies cupcakes with strawberry frosting!

Wow okay!

I know this post was super long but I really enjoyed going back and seeing what I’ve done throughout the years.
I hope you stick around today for the party and enjoy!

♥At the end of the day I’ll be posting more about my blog and where I hope to go with my little corner of the internet.