{ getting passionate about my blog }

I recently snatched up a copy of "52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion" by the super-talented Tara over at Scoutie Girl (after reading Brandi Girl's blog post about her experience with the e-book, which reminded me that I meant to buy the book, but hadn't gotten around to it yet.) The book is great, and while I'm not sure it's the right approach for my blog, I still think the first task is worth mentioning. That is, to make sure you have a mission statement.

I already had that from when I re-focused, but I'll give it to you again right here:

"The Blooming Wildflowers Project is a socially conscious blog that entertains and inspires with design and lifestyle posts. My goal is to spread the word about emerging and independently owned brands, business, designers and artists, and to inspire my readers to support them."

But, after reading that, I thought it needed a little more, so here's the revised mission statement.

"The Blooming Wildflowers Project is a blog about promoting, supporting and spreading the word about indie design, handmade artists and independently owned brick and mortar shops. It inspires readers to support these independent creative businesses and encourages artists and owners to keep producing and growing. With it, I hope to educate shoppers about the power of buying indie and shopping local, and to help artists and owners by both featuring their items and by offering my own business and marketing tips."

So there. That's it. That's The Blooming Wildflowers Project in a mission statement nutshell. With that said, I still plan to do my regular columns like freshly picked and good stuff. I also plan to bring back a few others from before I re-focused (but spin them with an indie focus), like what to wear. And lastly, I plan (and have been planning) to add some new columns, some featuring local brick and mortars, some with a business and marketing focus for small businesses (after all, that's actually what I do all day long at my day job- why not spread some of that knowledge around?) as well as artist features/interviews, tutorials and giveaways.

So, as you can see, I've got lots of good stuff planned and I really hope you'll stick around, join the conversation and help me in growing our community and spreading the word about your business!

Image source: Me!

Happy 2010!

Eek! I'm way late posting this, but a happy 2010 to you all, nonetheless! I hope you've had a smashing start to the new year. As for me, well...I've been busy (thus, the aforementioned lateness). We moved (finally!) into downtown Lancaster and in addition to unpacking and trying to get out lives organized - when did we accumulate all this stuff??? - we've also been enjoying all the fabulousness that comes with living in a city (walking distance to everything- YAY!).

And while I'm not really one to make resolutions, I do at least set goals. And I definitely have some goals for The Blooming Wildflowers Project. Some things I'm hoping to accomplish this year- a blog redesign, getting established as an indie shopping blog, and spreading the word about indie artists, emerging designers, independently owned brick and mortars, and the handmade world.

On the personal/professional/non-blog-related front, I'm hoping 2010 is my year to break out and walk away from some things and start blazing trails in new directions (hey, I already managed to get a good start with my apartment/location upgrade on January 2, so why not keep the momentum going?). Nothing says it better than a newly discovered (new to me, anyway) wildflower, Marie Digby and her song, "Beauty in Walking Away." Go listen to it now. And buy it on iTunes. It is officially my 2010 theme song.

Marie Digby - Beauty In Walking Away

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And here are just the lyrics for those of you who would rather just read it (but I highly recommend just listening to it- it's a beautiful song):

A light shines off in the distance
A pale flickering glow
How many times do I have to dream that I could be there
The time is here and she won't be waiting for me to find the easy way out
I've lost count of the days that were wasted

There's an answer in the sound of a train
There is wisdom past the bridge on the bay
There's a lifetime through the fog, in the rain
There's a beauty in walking away

I float on the streets that are empty
Take the path that the wind only knows
Tonight is the last time that I'll ever be here

There's an answer in the sound of a train
There is wisdom past the bridge on the bay
There's a lifetime through the fog, in the rain
There's a beauty in walking away

It's never quite simple, it's never that safe
It never seems perfect until it's too late
It's never the right time to find a new way

There's an answer in the sound of a train
There is wisdom past the bridge on the bay
There's a lifetime through the fog, in the rain
There's a beauty in walking away

Just a little tweak

As always, my brain has been running a million miles a minute and I came up with a few ideas. What? You didn't think I'd actually take a break just because it's the holidays, did you? PSSHT. Never.

In case you may or may not have noticed, there are two changes you should be aware of on my blog. And because I'm nice blog poster person, I'm going to tell you what they are in case you fall into the "may not have noticed" side of the spectrum. And even if you did notice, you might still be wondering wazzup. So...

First- my banner and title. It's no longer just "Blooming Wildflowers." It's now called "The Blooming Wildflowers Project." So, what's that? Well, I'll tell you.

Just in case you didn't click that link, here's the basic idea-
As someone who passionately supports small businesses, handmade artisans and emerging designers, I feel compelled to spread the word and attempt to make a difference.

I love nothing more than walking down a vibrant, bustling street that's lined with independent shops and boutiques. Whether that street is in New York City or in small town America, these shops and boutiques are vital. They help our economy survive and we need to support them and I'm going to start shouting it from the rooftops! Okay, not really. I'm just going to start posting about it on this blog. I'll still remain fashion, art and design focused, but I'll be scouting the web and my town (and towns I visit) for the best indie businesses out there. I do have future plans to promote this project to help spread the word and to allow you, readers, to announce and promote your support of independent businesses and designers (but more on that later...as in next year).

And, second- I just got approved as a publisher for Project Wonderful. YAY! Happy dance, happy dance! Oh. Erm...

Anywho.

I'm a publisher for Project Wonderful, so, all you independent shop owners, Etsy/ArtFire/1000Markets artists, and emerging designers, go, go, go and start advertising here in those pretty little ad spaces to your left.