Naked Niche

I've been in a quandry about my blog...do I?  don't I? should I? shouldn't?

Talking to Jen from Muddy Boot Dreams and reading her post about Naked Niches brought me a lot of clarity.  You really need to stop now and go read this post, otherwise you won't really get what I'm talking about.  Jen was so eloquent that I'm not even going to attempt my own explanation.

Naked Niches,  I like that.  I'm a Naked Niche blogger and I want to continue to be; only more so.  (See I told you to read Jen's post.  Now you're worried I'm going to start posting indecent pictures of myself.  Trust me, no on wants that.  Get back up there and click that link!)

Taken with my laptop - I hate having my picture taken!

When trying to decide if I was going to blow this whole blogging gig, I was asking myself all the wrong questions.  Am I wasting my time?  Is anybody out there reading this?  Are my posts at all interesting?

Instead, I needed to go back to basics; strip it down so to speak...and ask Why do I blog? and What's in it for me?

I sorta fell into blogging backwards.  A few years ago, I heard about blogging on TV.  I read a couple of newspaper articles.  I, somehow, found my way to Miss Mustardseed and Cozy Little House and Chris Kauffman.

At the same time, I was teleworking and set up a monthly dinner party with some girls from work.  I thought it would be good for me to stay in touch so I wouldn't begin to feel isolated (and I could catch upon all the gossip!).

I had also made up a little binder for my nieces and nephews with my favourite recipes as they were starting to fly the nest.  All this led to me setting up a blog, Dinner at Julie's in order to share my recipes with family and friends.  I never considered anyone else finding it or bothering to read it.  This blog followed to share home decorating projects and just kind of morphed into a my every day life blog.

I'm definitely not a Firstie, I don't have a big following, no advertising and don't feel compelled to post every day.  I really don't want any of that to change but I do need some changes.

I want to combine my 2 blogs under Julie's Little House. One blog is more manageable.  I want to be more naked.  I am definitely a TMI kind of person and have felt myself constrained by this medium but I'm saying to heck with it.  I am going to share more me, warts and all.  Because really, I blog for me.  Kind of like having a diary but everyone knows where the key is hidden.

When I stop and ask myself what makes me follow my favourite blogs, it is their authenticity.  It is the sharing of their lives, the feeling of becoming friends when you have never met them.  So I'm going to start sharing some of my favourite blogs with you too.  It's how I met them in the first place....getting introduced through other blogs; reading a comment and going to their site because I liked what they had to say.

I like the thought of forming a network of Naked Niche bloggers, supporting each other, introducing one to another...it takes a village.  I've always wanted to live in a small country village where you know everyone and neighbours take care of each other.  Let's be that village...





Julie