Monday, March 17, 2014

What You Will and Won't Get from Sunny Simple Life

I have been blogging for four years now and boy has it changed. I still love this hobby and have no plans to stop but I thought I might take a minute to share what my blog is and is not.


I see so many beautiful blogs out there full of great info and gorgeous photos. I enjoy looking daily for new blogs and at my favorite old ones.

But alas, I am a simple gal and this blog is about simple living. You will not see professional looking photos or gourmet food. I take my photos mostly with my phone and sometimes with my Canon.
You won't see printables or graphics created by me cause I am computer challenged.
I probably won't be giving away a $100 gift card anywhere cause if I had a $100 gift card I would probably go shopping.

What you will get from Sunny Simple Life is a glimpse into my home.
Simple posts on cooking, keeping house, gardening and of course my chickens.
I love you no less for my simplistic posts and maybe I will eventually end up in the old fashioned blog category gone the way of the dinosaurs, but as long as I have something to share, I will prepare simple posts about simple living.

BECAUSE... I have found that the simpler I keep things in my life, the happier, calmer and more content I am and that has to go for blogging too. So what do you think? Is there still a place for simple basic blogs?

48 comments:

  1. I have learned so much from your blog. I enjoy your tips and glimpses into how you live. You're wisdom shines in your blog, and I *heart* it.

    Sorry I've been such a bad bloggy friend lately, but we have been living at the barn practically. But now that Regionals are over I'm hoping to not schedule anything outside of church. We're even sending our regrets to some school related activities because we need some downtime!

    xo,
    RJ

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gosh I hope there is a spot for simple blogs .. you miss the personalness of what the person is trying to share when the pictures and the over-all site looks too professional. That's why I try to keep mine a bit more real. Yea .. that's why and not the fact that I am still learning how to take a decent picture LOL =D

    ReplyDelete
  3. I pray there will always a spot for simple blogs because I am a simple kind of girl. That is why I named my blog It'a Just Dottie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Each of us is a blogger in our own little spot, and those spots connect in a village..and that's a good thing.

    Personally I will never be one of the "big girls" bloggers, and I'm OK with that. I love what I do, and I love that there is room for all of us.

    To be a blogger means being part of a village, there are lots of people in there, some love the big girl bloggers, the professionally styled, and photographed rooms, the meticulously prepared food, and other villagers love us...there's room for everyone. Because the population of the village keeps growing, and changing as time moves forward.

    Your blog is lovely Elaine, I too learn something new from it, and I like to hear how you are doing. Especially in the dead of winter,to see flowers growing in your yard amazes me.

    Thanks for being part of my village, and it's great to be part of yours.

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, absolutely there is room for simple. When I began blogging the "simple" blogs were the ones that drew me in. Now it seems things have changed and in some ways it feels more like a big competition. (Just my opinion here). I will always gravitate to the simple when it comes to blogging. It feels more like sitting at the kitchen table sharing with a good, down to earth friend.
    Having said that, the wonderful thing about blogging is that there is room for all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Down to earth" is a good way to describe you and your blog. Somebody I'd like to sit and have coffee and cookies with. Friendly and open and cheerful.

    Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  7. blogging is a tough sport. you have ones who have a definitely plan(s) of where they want to go & others who are just kickin' it their own way. i don't fit in & i don't stick out ... i just do what i want to do what i want to do. i feel a lot of folks don't get me ... like i put out a post & they think i mean something - & it is not what i wanted them to get at all??! when i figured it out i will be back to tell you ... but i hope folks will stop by my blog & will enjoy it. & stop by again soon. i look for a friendship or a place to share myself. my likes. my travels & a love for architecture & beauty within this world of ours. but there are days where i just to wrap it up & say i quit because i don't fit in. i have never fit into the box ... always have been hanging out there on the left limb. but that is cool. i guess??!

    i have always loved what you share. it's fun!! keep sharing. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  8. I say yes! I sure hope so because I'm a pretty basic blog myself! Keep doing what you do and I'll be here to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the "old style" blogs the best! These others are too business-y and too busy for me. I like to read a blog like I like to visit with an old friend, or read a beloved magazine (few of which seem to exist any more -- like "Home Companion"). I have gotten away from blogging myself on my Chickadee Garden blog due to time commitments with aging parents and needy grandchildren (while still homeschooling a child at home and having one in college) - and have found my Chickadee Garden FB page a bit simpler to keep up with. Anyway, yours is one of the few blogs I still visit regularly and I love it just the way it is.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've only just found your blog a few days ago, I love it! It's a very nice blog and I think I like it so much because it sort of reminds me of my own little blog - just simple.
    I'm with you, I like simple!

    I've signed up to follow you and I'll keep coming back!

    Marissa

    ReplyDelete
  11. Standing up and cheering!
    Simple Blogs unite!

    I say yours is cute, creative,informational and simple.
    I like it that way.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Standing up and cheering!
    Simple Blogs unite!

    I say yours is cute, creative,informational and simple.
    I like it that way.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love your blog, just the way it is. :) x

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love your blog as is. I, too, am simple in my blog. I'm like Jen and want to be part of this village.

    Keep up the good work.

    Judy

    ReplyDelete
  15. I will keep it simple.....absolutely!

    ReplyDelete
  16. In simplicity lies the true heart. I'm with ya all the way! ;0)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love your blog and your simple life-outlook...I can live without another printable graphic or giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  18. ...Elaine ...I love your blog ..it's beautiful. Simple is wonderful!!!
    I love the way you write your blog.
    Hugs and Blessings ...
    Barb xx

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am a simple gal myself. :) I think your blog is perfect the way it is. It is encouraging, real and I am drawn to your desire for simple living.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love your blog because of its simplicity! It feels like stopping by for a visit with a friend. Some of the "bigger" blogs feel too slick. I can't imagine the time it takes to constantly change tabletops or lavish decor, there's nothing wrong with that, if that's what's important to them. Personally, I enjoy seeing someone spend that time with their loved ones. Thanks for keeping your blog sweet and simple!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I so agree with your thoughts and the comments. My blog is probably boring to many. It may be a bit personal. My home is simple and not fancy at all. I enjoy the blogs that are simple, down to earth and frugal. I will never live in one of the fancy houses and I don't care to. So yes, we should unite.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love simple living, Elaine. To me all the buying and painting everything and doing a project three times a week just isn't what I can do and still live simply. Your blog has always been a port in the storm for me.
    Brenda

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love your blog just the way it is. I have chickens and I love to hear from others who have chickens. don't change a thing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I enjoy your blog just the way it is, reading recipes that you share with us, hearing about the chickens, and of course great garden tips. You are definitely one of my go to blogs daily, so please, keep it the way it is.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hope there will always be a Sunny Simple Life to come home to-- whether I am blogging or taking a blog-cation (yes, I just made that up for this comment!) I love coming here and seeing what you have for me to glean. :)
    Keep doing what you do.
    I always love seeing your chickens.
    Pat

    ReplyDelete
  26. Yes please, can't be doing with blogs with lots of promos and ads flashing at me.

    Keep it simple and you'll keep me!

    Best wishes

    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your blog is one that I love and it inspired me to blog myself. I will skip over a blog if it has adverts popping up or one playing at the bottom of the screen. I love your photos and your style...You are appeciated. Sheryl

    ReplyDelete
  28. I love the simple life and was what I was looking for when I started my blog "simple pleasures"

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have always loved your blog. I love peeking into your home life with your sweet family. At least yours is informative, mine seems to have no purpose at all and goes all willy nilly hopping from recipes to gardening, to all out chaos.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Absolutely, you are one of my handful of faves, you're my friend, and I'll always be here reading what you're doing. Love your family, too!

    Hugs ~ Mary

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love your Simple Blog! Lots of great ideas, and it just makes me feel at home and comfortable like your the girl next door. If you were I know we'd be great friends. If I had a blog (which I don't even feel talented enough to figure out how to do it!) I would want it to be a simple, friendly one too!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I love this post Elaine! It always makes me so happy when I start my day with you. why does everyone think that more is better? I love my simple life. Ever since Abby went to college everyone keeps asking me what I'm doing with myself these days. Umm, the same things I have always done? Cooking, cleaning, gardening. Oh I do have a new hobby now, I starch and iron Maurie's shirts instead of paying for the cleaners to do it :) I'm happy with my simple little blog too, and probably always will be. Count me in on the Simple Movement, being a homemaker and wife and mother is plenty of an accomplishment for me!
    xoxo, Andrea
    p.s. sorry for the rant :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I sure hope there will always be room for the "simple blog" -- because mine is one too! Thanks for keeping it real!

    ReplyDelete
  34. I sure hope there will always be room for the "simple blog" -- because mine is one too! Thanks for keeping it real!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have been blogging for 7 years (!) and I have seen it change. It used to be women sharing their simple DIY's, their thrifty finds and projects, giveaways were an apron and a favorite teacup. Not many of us had whoop-de-doo cameras and if we did we had no bloody idea what to do with all those dials and settings, but we still managed to get a photo (most of the time) that was clear enough to see. I won't lie, I have had some doubts about whether I should continue. It has become extremely competitive and increasingly commercial. But Elaine, I didn't start my blog to impress anyone, heck, I started it as an easy way for the family to stay in touch and I just could hardly believe it when some "stranger" left the first comment. How on earth did they even find me?! My blog has grown and it has grown me in ways I couldn't imagine. And it wasn't the commercial aspects of it, or the projects, although I love those! It was connecting with women, like you, who showed me that I wasn't the odd one out in my creative, thrifty, make do life. My blog friends encouraged me in my first faltering steps into etsy, they gave me confidence and support and cheered me on through flops and successes. They literally changed my life and the way I see myself. Maybe this is admitting too much, but I have always found I could bare my heart with my friends and not be embarrassed. Someone always has the same feelings. All this to say, I LOVE YOUR BLOG, it has shown me great tips, I enjoy seeing the chickens and your beautiful girls and your adorable husband who is better with vignettes than I will ever be. Lol. I am sick of going to blogs and having pop up ads, sponsored posts. I don't mind ads, I really don't, but there comes a point where the shilling takes over the posts and shapes them from authentic sharing to just another commercial that I can't get away from. Those are not my favorite blogs and I don't even read the posts that pop up like that. In short, yes, there is room for simple blogs, because simple blogs are a reflection of real people, and real people are what I like:>)

    ReplyDelete
  36. GREAT post and keep it simple -- there are several of us out here :)

    Blessings!
    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  37. I enjoy your blog. It is just what I love in my life as well. I find it fun to know I am not the only one out in this big world that just wants to enjoy Family, Life and Be Simple. :-)
    Thank you for all you do.
    Carla

    ReplyDelete
  38. Because your blog is about simple living, good home cooking and your daily life is exactly why I look in. I recently started a blog and mine is about the same things, except chickens, as yours. I'm very tired of the constant treadmill so many are on to constantly have a big DIY project. I only paint when I really have to and don't have the cash to do big home improvements. I love reading about other peoples pets and especially your chickens. It's not a reality for me to have them, but I love seeing your birds and I would love having those fresh eggs! I look forward to reading your blog for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I certainly hope so! I like reality in a blog. Oh I don't mean that I want to see your dust bunnies or the streaks on your windows, but when I go to a blog and the room is so staged that it is obvious, I sort of cringe and leave right away, lol.

    I don't mean cleaning a room to take a picture, or straightening, or fresh flowers in a vase ...we all might do that. It's the over the top fakeness that I so often see that turns me off.

    I also don't follow someone and their ten friends on 20 social media sites for giveaways, or bother with alot of other things that I see in Blogland. I've been coming to your blog almost since I started blogging ( Over at Homespun and now Frugal Little Bungalow ) and usually check in once or twice a week simply because you are what I consider to be normal, ha ha. I think we could be neighbors and not have to worry if the house was dusted that day or if the cookies I served you had a crisp edge on a few : )

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am not a blogger, but I follow several different blogs. Simple is best. It is jaw-dropping to see some of the bloggers who paint their rooms monthly, decorate for Christmas with all new decorations because they threw away everything they used last year, and then they can't wait to get it all put away the afternoon of Dec. 25th so they can get on to the next project. It really kind of exhausts me! You are genuine and I can relate to what you post. Thank you for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I like simple. Sometimes it seems as if people are living in model homes and I definitely do not live in a model home. My home is lived in. We don't eat gourmet meals either. I have no DIY ideas. I'm a little boring. :)

    I think often blogging is competitive and a lot of "I'll follow you if you follow me." I chose to follow all blogs anonymously and I follow quite a few. I might be the only person doing it that way, but I don't feel obligated to visit anyone and no one else has to feel obligated to visit me. I've noticed when I participate in a weekly party that often the people that visit haven't even really read what I said. I can tell by the comments. They just want to quickly visit as many blogs as they can so hopefully others will visit them. It's all about numbers. I'd rather take my time and read what I want to read. I don't feel like I have to write something every few days. In fact, I've gone for long periods of time and not written anything when real life has gotten in the way. Some people quit blogging because they become so overwhelmed keeping up. I want it to be fun and not seem like a job.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Like the rest I hope you keep your blog just as it is. I have been blogging for several years and also have chosen to keep my blog simple and post when I have something to show or say! I enjoy visiting and it feels like a visiting an old friends home, comfortable. Your post are informative and I don't have someone trying to sell or have me take a survey every time I visit. Have a blessed week.
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  43. I love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love it just the way it is! I know no other way myself. I find I am much more drawn to the simple way of life blogs. I type in all the time in google "old fashioned way of life blogs". Each to his own but I personally love your way...:)

    ReplyDelete
  45. I love your approach...and when I started my blog...yours was my inspiration....life is complex enough....simplicity is refreshing...thank you..

    ReplyDelete
  46. Don't change a thing! Unless you want to, that is :-) As others have said, there is room for all kinds of bloggers in the big old world wide web, and thank goodness for that. I enjoy the blog hop and the chickens and the recipes and the glimpses into your home (gee, I'm a nosy Nellie, lol) ...

    I have gotten away from some of the 'big' bloggers because they have turned *too* much to advertising - not just the sidebars, but almost every other post is advertising related. I understand the lure, as it is very time consuming to create and keep up a blog but I gravitate more and more to the 'simple' blogs ...

    Patty

    ReplyDelete