time flies when you’re having fun.

Published on by Quandie

When it rains, it pours.  There seems to be a lot going on in my world these days.  This week I’ll have celebrated my birthday, Thanksgiving, my niece’s birthday, and next Tuesday I’ll be celebrating my retirement!

And with all of that celebrating going on, I almost completely forgot about my blogiversary!

Wowza, can you believe that 8 years ago today I posted my first blog post?  Time really flies when you’re having fun.

Over the years, I’ve gone from this header …

to this header …

to this one …

And then last February I gave myself a fresh, neutral look with this header …

In 8 years, I’ve written 1,271 blog posts.  My posts have been viewed 875,743 times.  And you guys have left 31,782 comments!  Thank you for that!

My furniture painting style has certainly evolved over the years too.  My color choices have definitely changed.  Early on I used a lot more color overall, especially that pale aqua/sea glass sort of color.

And who remembers all the pieces I did with vintage wallpaper?

That was a fun phase.

Lately I’m doing a lot more neutral pieces.

I’m not entirely sure if that’s because neutral is more marketable, or just because my own preference is leaning more towards the neutral.

Maybe it’s a little bit of both.

Up until the last couple of years I shared far more vintage garage sale/thrift store find makeovers.

They are still one of my favorite things to post about.

But COVID did a number on garage saling, with barely any sales in 2020 and things just starting to come back in 2021.  Hopefully going forward I’ll have a lot more vintage find makeovers to share, especially now that I’ll be able to garage sale on weekdays!

For that matter, COVID messed with my travel posts as well.

I’m happy to report that after meeting with our financial planner, it appears that we’ll still be able to afford to travel in retirement.  I’ll admit that I was willing to give it up if that meant I could leave the day job, but thankfully we won’t have to.  So hopefully I’ll have more travel posts to share in the future too.

I’ve shared a few home tour posts over the years, including Nancy’s house …

And Amy’s house at Christmas …

I really need to get back to doing more of those.  After all, Amy has since moved and has another fabulous home that I’d love to share (hint, hint Amy)!

I’ve done quite a few room makeover posts from my own house over the years as well.

Since beginning the blog I have made over the living room, the piano room, the dining room, the pantry, the principle bedroom, the guest bedroom and the q branch (ie. the study where I write this blog).

Now that retirement is going to free up a bunch of my time, I hope to tackle a few more redecorating projects going forward too.

And let’s not forget the garden tour posts!

Sue’s peaceful garden is one of my favorites.

And Jackie’s scented garden is amazing as well.

And of course I like to share my own garden on occasion too.

I think that being retired from the day job is going to result in a renewed enthusiasm for blogging, and I’m really looking forward to it!

So I want to express a huge THANK YOU to all of you who have supported my blog over the past 8 years whether it was with a purchase of one of my pieces, becoming a follower, leaving a comment, or simply just clicking on a post and reading it.  I appreciate every single one of you!

It wouldn’t be a blogiversary without a giveaway, would it?  Since this one sort of snuck up on me, I didn’t have a lot of time to compile a super fabulous giveaway.  But recently someone commented on how they scrutinize the books I use to stage some of my furniture photos looking for clues on what decorating books I like.  She also suggested I write a blog post about my favorites, and I still might get around to that.  But in the meantime, I thought it would be fun to give away a couple of fabulous decorating books by two of my favorite bloggers.

First up is Liz Marie Galvan’s new book, Cozy White Cottage Seasons.

Who doesn’t need 100 ways to be cozy all year long?  And has anyone else noticed that even her dog matches her preferred color scheme of whites and pale wood tones?

I’m also including Marian Parson’s (a.k.a. Miss Mustard Seed) new book, Feels Like Home …

which is filled with the beautiful photos that we have come to expect from Marian.

I have to be honest though, I still miss the old days when she painted furniture on the regular.  I don’t think we’ll ever see that from her again though, more’s the pity because her painted furniture pieces were to die for.

Her work, especially her photo staging, has totally influenced my own style.

And her new book is fabulous and definitely worth a read.

I’m also going to throw in this gorgeous Staalmeester brush, just in case the winner wants to do a little painting.

The rules:  Simply leave a comment on this blog post to be eligible to win.

Your comment must be left on this blog post, not on Facebook or Instagram.  You are not required to follow my blog, although it would be awesome if you did!

I will randomly draw the name of a winner for today’s prize from all of the comments left on this post by Tuesday, November 30, 2021 at the stroke of midnight (U.S. Central time).

The fine print: no purchase necessary, you must be 18 years of age or older to win, void where prohibited by law, the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning, approximate retail value of prize is $60, if the prize is not claimed by Friday, December 3, 2021 another name will be drawn at random to win, blah, blah, blah.

Thanks to Mr. Q for ordering the books for today’s giveaway from amazon.com 😉  Good luck!

 

92 thoughts on “time flies when you’re having fun.”

  5. Your posts and your work are SO inspiring! Out of the billions of junk mail and blog emails I get on the regular yours is literally the only one I open every time! Love seeing your posts and excited for what is to come with retirement!! And happy birthday too!!
    ❤ kim

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  6. Congrats on your retirement and Happy Blogiversary!! Enjoy your posts and look forward to More! The garage sale makeovers are some of my favorites!! Those two books were already on my wish list!!

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  7. Happy Blogiversary! My very fave thing about your blog is how it’s an eclectic mix of topics- all wonderful! Excited for you and to see all the new things to come! These 2 books are full of inspiration for us all I’m certain.

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  8. Congrats on your retirement! Sounds like your years of blogging have been very beneficial, and I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Your work is inspiring to me and very creative. The Lord bless you today and in the days ahead. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Congratulations on finding the courage to close an old door behind you and to pursue the unknown path before you. “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” – Rumi. When I left my last job eleven years ago, much sooner than I would have liked, and with not a clue as to the next step, the way did appear. What I have accomplished since that time has been more significant and personally meaningful than anything prior. Thank you for the inspiration and entertainment that your blogging brings into my life and the lives of others.

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    1. So coincidental that you quoted Rumi. I watched Victoria and Abdul yesterday, and I thought the quote from him that they used in that movie as Victoria was dying was so lovely, “Listen, little drop, give yourself up without a regret and in return you will gain the ocean.” I’d never heard of Rumi, and now I’m hearing his name twice in one day. I love the quote you have chosen as well 🙂

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  11. Hi Linda! That is alot of blog posts. I am so happy for you that you get to travel during your retirement. You post the most beautiful pictures of your travels. Thank you for the chance to win such wonderful prizes. God Bless.

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  14. Congrats Linda on your anniversary and happy birthday. Looking forward to 2022 and all the blessings it will bring you.
    Also looking forward to all the amazing posts to come in the new year.

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  15. Big congrats on your retirement! I retired a bit early three years ago—best decision ever! Once you get over the shock of not having to be somewhere at a certain time, you will love having the freedom to create your own schedule and work on your beautiful projects. I love everything you do! Neutral or otherwise! Happy Holidays!

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  16. I am so happy for you that you are going to retire and still be able to do all the things you love! As I’ve said before, my day is always a little brighter when I see a post from you in my inbox and I look forward to many more of them. Happy Birthday, Anniversary and Retirement!

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  18. I love that your blog has been ever changing. It keeps it fresh and interesting. I too miss Marion’s furniture painting and posts on that….her staging and photography were stunning like yours .
    Since closing our store I do little furniture painting as well and just do pieces for me or decor/garden items .
    Enjoy your retirement and all it brings.

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  19. Well this was a fun walk down memory lane! Happy Blogiversary and congratulations, Linda! As for the giveaway, I really do think it’s a ‘super fabulous giveaway’. Who wouldn’t love to dive into those books? Celebrating with you in spirit as you close this chapter and begin a new one next week!

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  21. Happy birthday, happy retirement, and happy blogiversary! Looking forward to another year of wonderful posts about beautiful things, fabulous spaces, interesting places, and showcasing your ability to give new life to vintage(y) things.

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  22. I’ve followed you for a long time and have always enjoyed reading your blog posts, your style is similar to mine. I’m looking forward to reading more about your projects and adventures. And thank you for inspiring me to try painting my own furniture pieces to decorate my home.

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  23. I do so love all your posts. I am so glad you are going to be free to do more of that. You make me believe I can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

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  24. Congratulations on your retirement! You are going to love having the freedom to do whatever your heart deserves! Your blog has been so inspiring, we will be looking forward to your future content.
    Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday!

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  25. Congratulations on your retirement from the day job and your blogiversary. Your posts are always inspiring and everything is beautifully presented. Looking forward to reading many more.

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  27. I’ve been a reader of your blog since your early days, have purchased cool stuff at your yard sales and had the opportunity to attend one of your workshops. What fun it has been! Can’t wait to see where retirement takes you. Congrats!

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  30. Congrats on the blogaversary! I stumbled across you a few years ago and have been delighted ever since. I used to be a HUGE MMS fan, but when she veered away from painting furniture to doing her own watercolors and so many traveing posts, I finally left but again, stumbled across you and your wonderful makeovers. I’ve gotten a few ideas from you for my own furniture painting/booth selling! So happy for you on your retirement! I’m behind you about a year or two. So far, I like my job so I’m sticking in for a bit!

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  31. Why a fun blog post, Linda! Your blog is the only one I follow. They’re just more personal and every-day-life feeling. Like Marian Parsons, you have been an inspiration to me! I’ve refinished and sold several green mid century modern dressers even! 😉 I truly love your style, no matter how it’s changed over the years. And I’ll definitely treat myself to one of your favorite books no matter what this season. Thank you for sharing!

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  32. ‘Been following your blog for 8 years and I continue to be amazed with each new post. Congrats on retirement from your day job! Now each new day will “belong to you” and you’ll find the possibilities everywhere! Enjoy!

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  33. I think I’ve been following your blog just about from the beginning. I look forward to each post to be inspired and get the creative juices flowing. Keep blogging! Happy retirement! 🎉

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  34. Ooooh, the book and brush, and the drawing on my birthday, would be a great gift! I 💕 reading the stats about your blog. Thank you for all you have done to entertain us!

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  35. Happy blog anniversary! I think I’ve followed you for 7-8 years and you are my influencer!

    More than once I’ve said you are my favorite blog and that still holds true. I’m looking forward fo see what you write during retirement.

    I’ll admit I’m a little envious. I still have 3 years to go. Enjoy!

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  36. Every morning I look to see if your post is in my email. What has “the q” been working on now? ( that’s the nickname I gave ya). lol. Your pieces inspire me, It amazes me, how something as simple as paint can transform the whole piece! You never seem to run out of ideas. I like that you show mistakes, because we all do, then how you correct them.
    Keep on post “Q”. Cuz I need to be inspired daily! 🙂

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  37. I’m so glad you posted this rewind….as I’m a new subscriber…and I just love everything. Congrats on eight years, I know things have changed in blog world in my last 5 years. But, then change is sometimes good, but I love the cherished old…so loving your stuff! Hugs, Sandi

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  38. Congrats on your retirement! Life is too short to not enjoy it! Work situations like that suck all the joy from life, so I’m glad you were able to leave and create a new purpose!

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  39. What a lot to celebrate! I have enjoyed and anticipated each and every post. Thank you for influencing and inspiring my painting work and I look forward to what the future brings to you. Congrats.

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  43. Just scrolling through and seeing all the phases you’ve gone through and the creativity that has come from your talent makes me want to get busy! I could make a study of your blog. I hope you don’t ever remove any of the older pieces. I’m also glad to hear someone else besides me in my head to myself opine about how Miss Mustard Seed doesn’t paint furniture anymore. I really miss that too.
    Congratulations on your retirement!

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  44. You will soon be able to trade that day job for more blogging, more making, more traveling and more time for whatever you want to do. Enjoy retirement! And, WOW! to your 8 years of blogging! I’ve been blogging off and on for more years than that, I think. I never really had enough followers to do a giveaway, and I appreciate those of you who do! Happy Blogiversary!

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  48. These are stunning numbers, Miss Quandie! 1,271 posts! I’d have to think long and hard to think of 1,271 constructive things that I’ve done in the past eight years! Times I’ve fed my dogs perhaps? Hahahahaha! And 875,743 views? That’s more people than ever saw Jesus in the flesh! My lord! Pretty sobering and impressive 😀 Watch out garage-sale people…….here comes Miss Quandie!

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  49. Congratulations on your retirement. It is especially rewarding when you are leaving a job that is not enjoyable. Talk about time flying, when I retired I thought, wow, I’ll have so much time to do the things I love. It’s amazing how fast the “free” days go by.
    Enjoy your newly gained freedom to do all the things you love and do so well.

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