Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Ten!

Today, my little place on the Internet turned ten years old!

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe I've been blogging here for a whole decade. Okay, not quite a whole decade; days and weeks have passed in between posts, especially over the last few years, but I've blogged at least once a month since I started my blog, and I think that's an accomplishment to be proud of. There aren't many hobbies I've committed myself to for so long- probably because it's had a different purpose to most of the others.

When I created Polka Spots and Freckle Dots a decade ago, I didn't dream of making money from blogging, accumulating 'freebies', or becoming famous. I simply needed a distraction from living housebound with chronic pain, and wanted something to throw myself in to every day so that I had a reason to get up in the morning. I'd been housebound with chronic spinal pain for six months at that point, and, as you can imagine, I was frustrated, and going stir crazy. There's only so much reading and watching day time TV you can do day after day before you start losing the will to live.

I began reading body positivity and plus size fashion blogs soon after I got sick as a way to pass the time, and it was those blogs that inspired me to start sharing my own outfits online, hopeful that maybe it could also help me work towards finding some body confidence and self-acceptance. So, one late March evening in 2012, I finally swallowed my nerves, signed up to Blogger, wrote a quick introductory post, and hit publish before I could change my mind. And the rest, as they say, is history.

I never thought for a moment that I would still be blogging here an entire decade later, but I didn't think my life would turn out the way it has, either. Life is full of surprises.

Since the start, my blog has been so much more than just a hobby to me. At the risk of sounding cheesy, it's been a life line for me during ten of the most difficult years of my life. It's helped me cope with having chronic pain and illness, and the God awful symptoms that come along with it. It gave me an outlet while I came to terms with having my whole life turned upside down, and learned to get used to a new reality. It was there while I fought for diagnosis, went through scans and treatments, got diagnosed, and had frustrating or upsetting appointments with doctors and the DWP. It's kept me occupied during countless lonely hours spent on bed rest, and given me something to throw myself in to every day; helping to keep the boredom at bay, and my brain working. It's provided me with a place to express myself and use my creativity, learn new skills, and challenge myself. It led me to some wonderful friends and readers I would never have known if it weren't for blogging, and helped me cope with the isolation and loneliness of living housebound. And for a while, it even helped me gain some body confidence, before I gained weight, and went back to square one. It's been so many things to me over the years, and I'll always be grateful for what it's done for me. I don't know how I would have got through the last ten years without it.

My blog has changed a lot during the last decade, morphing from a mostly plus-size fashion and beauty blog to an everything blog, as my health and finances declined and posing for outfit photos became too painful. I still miss blogging my outfits, but I rarely have the pennies for new clothes these days, so there's little hope of that pastime being revived any time soon.

Over the last ten years, I've written and published 1,642 blog posts- 1,643, if we count this one. That's a whole lotta posts on fashion, beauty, life, adventures, books, crafts, chronic illness, pets, and so much more. I could've churned out a lot more of them, but I've always strived for quality over quantity, and I'm proud of what I've created here. I've not always written the most interesting content, but I've always put 110% in to every blog post, and I like to think the quality of my writing and photos has improved a lot over the years. Of course, there's always been room for improvement, and as long as I'm blogging, I'll never stop working on it.

I may not have become a rich and famous influencer with a huge following, earning millions from my blog and gaining countless sponsorships, but that was never my goal. As nice as they are, likes and money aren't important to me. I've always blogged because I enjoy it, and needed a creative outlet, and would've kept blogging if I was writing for myself. I'm so grateful for the fantastic brands I've worked with and small following I do have, though, and I'm still amazed that anybody wants to read my posts and hear what I have to say. You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your support and encouragement over the years, and all the kind comments and messages you've left for me. It means a lot.

I know I've not been the best blogger over the last few years, and have posted so sporadically- usually because I've not felt up to it or my brain fog has stolen my ability to string a sentence together- but I'm here trying almost every day. I've come to realise that I just can't create content at the same rate that I used to, no matter how hard I try. I want to keep blogging, and bring Polka Spots back to life with interesting content, and add more lifestyle posts, and reviews of the products I've used and enjoyed, but a few posts a month might be my limit now. Either way, I'm not planning on going anywhere just yet, and while I have to put my health first, I'll do my best to keep creating whenever I feel up to it.

I've no intention of retiring Polka Spots just yet.

I don't know what the next ten years have in store for me or my blog, but here's hoping I'll still be here blogging, and finding comfort from it for many years to come.

Thanks again for supporting Polka Spots and Freckle Dots over the last decade.

Here's to the next ten years!

Want to go down memory lane with me? Here is a selection of posts from the last ten years:

The Muppets Christmas Carol Christmas Cards by Jenny Grene Illustration

Ten Years With Chronic Pain and Illness

An Accessible Birthday Trip to Whipsnade Zoo

Erstwilder Woodlands Collection

A Socially Distanced Trip to The Cotswold Wildlife Park

Erstwilder Care Bears Collection

What's in my Christmas Eve Box? 2019

Vendula London La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag Review*

The World in Stitches Modern Spectrum Mandala Cross Stitch