Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy New Year, readers, and Happy Birthday to Pretty Distressed! I started this blog one year ago today as a creative outlet for a burnt out stay at home mommy. I didn't know if anyone would ever see it or if I had the discipline to keep at it. A year into it, I can say I feel truly blessed for where God has allowed this blog to go.

When I started out, I don't think I believed anyone would read it. I now average around 20,000 page views a month. I know this is small potatoes versus some really successful DIY and home decor bloggers out there, but it really is enough for me. I also never imagined it would turn into a small business where I could make some supplemental income for my family, but I have worked with clients to refinish furniture for them and even sold some pieces, too. This was an answer to a vision God put on my heart a couple of years ago. It really is true, that His ways are higher than ours. I never could of dreamed up that this would be the answer to my prayer.

Big Announcement

And now you know why my August hasn't been very productive. Pretty Distressed is adding another bundle of joy to the craziness that is my life. Our family is very blessed and excited!

Good news is I was able to complete one project in August and have an amazing reveal for you on Monday. I have finally completed my project with my friends over at Annie Sloan Unfolded. You are not going to believe what I was able to do with this antique settee. Check back Monday for the big reveal!

A New Look for Pretty Distressed

Pretty Distressed has come a long way since its inception in January of this year. It started as a little outlet for this burnt out stay-at-home mom and has blossomed into so much more. Since it is now a legitimate blog and business, I decided to get rid of my DIY logo and turned to Bre at Triple B Creative to give Pretty Distressed the look of professionalism it deserves.

Introducing the new Pretty Distressed...

Triple B also did some awesome business cards for me. I can't wait to hand them out! No more post it notes with my blog and email.

A Look Back at My First Piece

It is hard to believe at this time last year I was living in a completely different house in another state. This past year has brought a lot of change including, a new home, a new school for my son, a new church, new friends, renewed relationships, and everything else that goes along with uprooting your family. Even though it has been tough at times, I thank God for this opportunity and the ways He has blessed our family that I couldn't have even dreamed up including this little blog, Pretty Distressed.

Last November, I decided to buy my first can of Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, and my life has never been the same. I started creating all over my home and sharing it with others as I found my passion for writing again. Then, I ventured out to selling pieces and even taking on clients. I can't thank you all enough for bringing this dream to life. I am so encouraged and inspired by your comments and messages I receive daily. 

Last week, I was contacted by Annie Sloan Unfolded, the sole distributor for Chalk Paint® in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They like my work so much, they are offering me an opportunity to do a product review post right here on Pretty Distressed. It was honestly one of the most exciting emails I have ever gotten. I have been brainstorming like crazy and hope to be giving you more details as my project and post take shape.

Today, I wanted to share with you the first piece I ever refinished. It isn't anything special, but I dressed her all up to show you that dreams can start small. 

So You Want to Start a Blog? - Top Five Tips for Newbies

I am in between some projects right now and wanted to take some time to share my newbie blogging experience with anyone out there that is thinking or dreaming of starting a blog. If anyone would have told me a year ago that I would be running my own blog and that people would actually be reading it, I would have thought they were crazy. 

I started this blog as a way to share my love of crafting and my DIY adventures with family and friends, but it has grown into so much more than that. It has become a creative outlet for me that is really breathing new life into my everyday. For anyone that has toyed with the idea of starting a blog, I want to be the first to say, "Go for it!" 

By no means am I an expert, but I want to share just a few things I have learned in the past six months with Pretty Distressed.

Top Five Tips for Starting A Blog

1. Don't wait. You are never going to feel like you have enough time to blog. It is so easy to set up a template with numerous free platforms like Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr, Medium, etc. If you feel inspired, just jump in and start writing. You can slowly hone in on what you want your site to look like and what you want to share with each post.