Please join me in welcoming today's guest blogger (Cate of Life Behind the Purple Door) as she looks back on last year's 100 Days of Christmas project.
Thank you Melissa for letting me share a post here! Just in case you didn't know, today it is only 201 days until Christmas! Melissa asked me before Christmas to share some thoughts about my project last year, and I thought today was the perfect time to share with you, because tomorrow I start getting serious about this year's project!
Where did the idea for 100 days to Christmas come from? I have always counted down to Christmas from September/ October time of year (there was even a time when I used to put my Christmas tree up at the start of November), so in 2011 I decided to expand on the idea by sharing 100 blog posts dedicated to Christmas.
How well were you prepared for the project? I'd like to say that I had a good plan, but in hindsight, I didn't. I shared my ideas in a blog post, and sat back and waited for people to come to me.
How many posts did you end up sharing in 2011? When I check, my blog tells me 67 posts, including the introduction posts I shared explaining my plans.
What worked or didn't work in 2011? I think I relied too much on using Pinterest to inspire me, and not enough time to actually take those bits of inspiration and turn them into something meaningful (like finished gifts or ornaments).
Are you creating an album from 2011? I decided to make a blurb book from last year's posts. It's taking a bit longer to get the layout looking right, but I'm hoping to send it off to the printer before the end of this month.
Are you doing it again in 2012? Yes! I'm already working on blog posts, getting organised and noting ideas to be better organised this year.
Any tips for someone planning a big blog project like this? An editorial calendar is a must! Write down the dates you want posts for, then plan your ideas from there. ask for guest posts, and rather than say "email me whenever", give a clear date or day when you'd like the post.
Thanks Cate for sharing your thoughts about the 100 Days of Christmas project. I enjoyed all the holiday inspiration on your blog last year and am definitely looking forward to this year's countdown.
Be sure to check out Life Behind the Purple Door tomorrow as Cate introduces this year's countdown plans.
this looks like a great idea, will definitely be following x
ReplyDeleteOhh - I'm not sure I'm ready for Christmas yet. We have hardly had any warm weather yet. Great, informative post though. TFS x
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Cate's '100 days....' last year-and am looking forward to joining her again!
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
It certainly was fun last year!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, Melissa! Now that I see this, I realise that all my plans are worth it!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to year 2 :)
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