things, they are a changing - let's chat

You may have noticed a few changes to the look of things around here besides just the tweaking of the name.  It's hard to believe that I have been blogging as Lemon Lane for almost six years and then at my first blog for a couple more before that.  So much has happened in my life during those eight years and I love having these online journals as a record of all of it.

I came to a crossroads toward the end of 2015 where I began to weigh the time and commitment to
publishing here and other creative pursuits in my life.  I knew something had to give.  I needed to set some margins in my life and find a little breathing room.

If I chose to continue sharing here then I knew some other area in my life would have to go.   And if something else had to go then this space would need to become more than just a hobby I love, it would somehow need to replace the part time income that I would be giving up.  And so I have been slowly cleaning up, reading up and learning as much as I can about blogging as a business and not just for pleasure.

Here's the thing...my biggest fear in all of this has been that I would lose my love for it and that the friends that have stood by me would leave but the opposite has happened.  I am enamored with this world even more.  I love the challenge of building this space to include all of you and bring in new readers.

Trying to write posts that not only convey a sense of who I am while encouraging others and inspiring them to action is such a blast.  It has made me up my game, focus on growth, and challenged me to find new content which is something that has been missing from my life since I retired a few years ago.  I have tried to make the changes seamless and gradual.  I've updated my categories under my header adding an about page and contact info and have introduced a few sidebar ads.  I don't ever plan to bombard you with pop ups and slow moving graphics but at the same time I can see things changing.  I am hoping to find some great products to share with you and will at some point need to offer the opportunity for email membership a bit more aggressively but with that will come some fun giveaways and a monthly newsletter plus a few other fun things I have planned.

I didn't want to continue making changes without addressing them with you and letting you know the why behind them.  I don't plan on changing my writing style or content.  Including my thoughts and real life is important to me and I hope it reminds us that while our struggles may be different, at the core of it, we are all the same.  Thank you for the support and encouragement you have always shown me and thank you in advance for putting up with the growing (I hope) pains to come.

xo, Patty