Thank You.

Today marks four years of blogging for me. Crazy how fast the times goes.

I say this every year, but when I started this blog back in 2010, I never expected to still be doing it four years later. I'm so happy that I still do though. If for nothing else, it gives me a way to look back on memories I otherwise may have forgotten.

So today I just wanted to say a quick thank you.

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This is just a silly little blog that I write, but I am thankful that you stop by every once in a while. I know that this blog is nothing big or spectacular and that only a few friends and family read it, but that is perfectly fine with me.

I started this as a way to basically keep an online journal of my life, so I really just write it for me. The fact that I know a few people read it means so much to me.

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for reading.

I hope and pray that 2014 brings each and every one of you immense joy, happiness, and laughter.

Three Years.

Three years ago today I sat down at my computer and created a blog. It was very simple: I used a pre-made template from blogger's site, I added a name (which I believe was allisonmarie3), I wrote a post, and my blog was complete.

Oh, and I also had it blocked. No one could access it (except for me!), and it wouldn't show up in Google's search engine. It was basically an online diary for myself. Something I had never intended for anyone but myself to read.

Basically, when I sat down three years ago to blog, I never would have guessed that I would be doing the same exact thing three years later.

In those first few months, I blogged every day. And literally no one could read it. I think a few of my friends may have known that I had started something like this, but they didn't seem that interested.

I blogged 60 days and gave up. My intention had been to do it every day for a year. 365 posts. And I only made it to 60. My last post was early April, and I didn't get back to it until the end of July 2010. I then started blogging not every day, but whenever I had something good to write about. Because let's be honest, no one wants to read a post about how I went school, came home, and worked on homework just like I don't want to write about about school and homework.

It was then: the end of July that I finally started getting back into blogging, and it was then that I fell in love with it.

I then removed some of the protections (that prohibited anyone from accessing the site), but I still didn't really talk about it. Later on, some of my friends found it on their own. I told some people about it, and posted the link to it on my Twitter page. I changed the name to Allison's Avenue (something I literally came up with in 30 seconds because I like alliteration - ha!), and I re-designed the blog myself (which I've been wanting to re-do one of these days, but I never seem to get to it!).

Now, anyone can come and read this silly blog of mine. And that's what makes it interesting: I don't know who's reading this on the other side of the screen. I sometimes think it's funny when people tell me they read my blog because I don't publicize it. I rarely talk about it in my social/personal life. I really only discuss it when someone else brings it up, because honestly, I don't write this blog to get tons of people to read it. Although I'm glad people do read, I'm not in it to get "blog famous".

Now I thought it would be interesting to take a trip down memory lane.......

These are the 5 most popular posts based on page views over the last 3 years (and they honestly surprise me!):

5. Random Picture Post

Written: January 27, 2011

Page views: 191

4. Cute Quotes

Written: November 18, 2011

Page views: 217

3. My Favorite Fall Accessories: Scarves

Written: October 11, 2011

Page views: 532

2. Inspirational Quotes: Part 2

Written: December 1, 2011

Page views: 626

And the most popular blog post I have apparently written (I am SHOCKED at this one!):

1. Harry Potter Facts

Written: July 22, 2011

Page views: 1295

I tried to go through and pick out my top 5 favorite posts, but it was just too hard!

BUT, in the past three years of blogging I have......

....published 512 blog posts....

....celebrated 3 birthdays....

....grown in my faith....

....met many new friends....

....traveled out of the country....

....visited a few new states and cities....

....read 68 books....

....watched many new movies....

....laughed more times than I can count....

....and made hundreds (maybe even a thousand?) of cake pops!

I really just want to say thank you for checking in and reading my blog every once in awhile. Although I may not know who you are, it means a lot to me that people find what I write somewhat interesting.

Thanks again, and here's to many more years of blogging :)

Blogging Thoughts

The other day I got to thinking about blogging and why I love to do it. I figured I'd just dedicate a whole post on why I even write blog posts to begin with.....

I started writing this blog almost 3 years ago in January 2010. I seriously can't believe it's been that long! I started it as a 365 blog with the goal of writing a post everyday. I quickly learned that was just too much, and all of my early posts are so boring because I had no idea what I was doing. I actually stopped blogging in April of 2010, but then I picked it back up towards the end of July because I really liked the idea of blogging. And I still really like it because I haven't stopped.

So, why do I get on here and post every few days? Even though it's almost been 3 years, I'm not tired of it at all. I simply write it for myself. I love having posts on what I've been up to so I can look back on it later and read about so many memories I would have otherwise forgotten. I also like writing about baking, makeup, fashion, or other things like that because I just have so much fun writing about that kind of stuff since I have a big interest in that in real life.

Which also brings me to another point..... I write this blog 100% for myself. If I knew that no one read my blog, I would still write it. In fact, no one did know that I had a blog for a long time, and I actually had my blog completely private so that no one could find it when I first started off. So when I write a post, I don't think about whether so-and-so is going to like reading this post or whatever. I write what I want to write which is why I think I like to do it so much.

But going along with that, it's weird because I have NO idea who does read this blog. A few people have told me that they read it, and I guess it seems kind of weird to me to think that people find this little blog about me so interesting. It's kind of neat though too! I always get the biggest kick out of seeing someone else's computer screen and seeing that they have my blog up.

About a week ago in my English class, my teacher asked us if anyone read any blogs. A few people raised their hands, and he asked some them what kind of blogs they read. One of my friends mentioned that she reads mine. It was funny because it started a whole conversation about me blogging. It was just weird hearing people say that they like to read this blog, but it was encouraging too! I'm not writing this stuff to get a ton of readers, but if someone checks my blog and it makes them laugh or gives them a little encouragement, then I feel like I am at least doing something right. Someone (I don't remember who it was!) said that they think I'm funny on here. I was surprised by that comment because I'm not trying to be comical, but I guess if you think I'm funny that's great :)

So basically, I just absolutely love blogging. I like coming up with fun new posts, and even just writing about what's going on in my life. It's definitely something I don't see myself stopping anytime soon! To me the only downfall is not knowing who all reads this, but really that's just because I'm super curious - ha!

If you've been reading for awhile, or even if you just found my blog, I'd love for you stick around and comment on posts that you relate to or really like! People tell me that they read my blog, but I feel like it's so one-sided. I write a post, you read it, and that's it. I'd love for this to be more interactive, but like I said, at the end of the day I'm still just writing for myself!

I'm coming up on 500 posts soon, which is crazy! I think I might just have to do something fun to celebrate :) I also have a bunch of new posts coming up that are kind of fun. I thought ahead and wrote a bunch of new posts over the summer so that when I'm too busy to blog because of homework, I still have a new post to publish. There are a few of them that I really like!

I know I've said this before, but if you don't have a blog, I'd really recommend it! I think it's so fun to write, and it's a great journal to be able to look back on. If you have a blog, comment and let me know so I can read yours!

I like how every blog that I read is different - both in looks and content. No two blogs are exactly the same because no two people are exactly the same. (Side note: I'm thinking about getting a new design for my blog. I did all of the decorating myself awhile ago, but I feel like it could use an update. If you have any suggestions on a cute design, let me know!)

So this post might just be a super rambling one, but I figured it might be good to explain why I like to write this blog so much.

And thank you SO much for reading my blog. I'm so grateful that you enjoy the stuff I write, and I hope I can make you smile or think every once in awhile!

Have a great weekend!

2nd Blogiversary

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Wow! I've been at this blogging thing for 2 years now! I can't believe how crazy these past 2 years have been, and I love that I can look back on these past 2 years in detail!

Blogging is definitely one of the best things I've ever done. I absolutely love to blog, and there are so memories I would have forgotten by now if it hadn't been for this blog!

If you don't blog, I really recommend that you start. It's SO easy to set it up, and I personally think there are so many benefits from it.

I'm pretty surprised that I still keep up with this little blog to be honest. At the beginning I started a 365 blog, where I aimed at blogging every day for a year. That didn't last too long. At first, my blog was completely private, and I didn't tell anyone about it. My posts were pretty lame too - ha!

I still don't have a huge following or anything, but now I like the fact that I do know some people read this little blog about my life regularly.

If you're reading this, thanks for stopping by! And if you've never commented before, leave a comment and let me know you read my blog! If you have a blog, I'd love to read it too :)

Here's to many more years of blogging!

Day 2: Tell Us About Your Blog

I am so behind today! I overslept this morning, and I didn't get a chance to write this post this morning, so I'm getting around to it now!

What is the meaning behind your blog name?

I seriously came up with the name of my blog in about 30 seconds. There really isn't any meaning behind it!

How long have you been blogging for? What made you start blogging?

I started blogging in January of 2010. I started my blog as a 365 blog, in an attempt to blog everyday, but that didn't work out, and now I just blog when I've got something good to write about!

What are your favorite things to blog about?

I love blogging about my life because I love being able to go back and read old posts about memories that I otherwise would have forgotten about.

What is one tip you would give a new blogger?

Just be yourself and blog about whatever you want!

101 Update + New Feature

I'm finally getting around to a post I've been wanting to write for a long time!

Here's an update on my 101 in 1001 because I got a lot crossed off recently.

On my vacation, I got to cross off 12 of my goals :)

11. Travel out of the United States.

13. Go on a cruise.

15. Go to the beach.

21. Go ice skating.

25. Go zip lining.

27. See a play.

29. Watch the sun rise set.

31. Go on a picnic.

32. Watch a fireworks display.

36. Hold a baby turtle.

50. Go an entire weekend week without using my phone.

54. Don't use the computer for an entire weekend week.

I now have 39 goals completed, and I have 14 more that are in-progress. I'd say that's pretty good!

Now I'm going to switch gears completely and mention a new feature I'm adding onto my blog. I went through all of my posts and labeled them according to what the post was about. Now I have a list of the topics on my sidebar (below the archive), so if you want to read a post about something specific, this makes it a little easier!

Hope you are having a great Thursday!

New Design

I was sitting around this afternoon, and I just decided to give my blog a little makeover.

I love the summer background. I might end up changing the header, but I like it for now.

Looking at it puts me in a beachy mood. What do you think of it?

New Ideas

If you read my blog on a semi-regular basis, you know that I mainly blog about what is going on in my life. I especially like to blog about the weekends and what I've been up to. I love blogging about what's going on, but during the week, I have a hard time coming up with something to write, so most of the time I just don't blog.

Well, I've been wanting to change that, so I've come up with some new ideas.

The first one is my Memory Monday, which changed to Remember When Wednesday.

(speaking of which, my first Remember When Wednesday will be up tomorrow morning!)

Well, I've got another idea to get me blogging more throughout the week. I'm calling it: Music's in My Soul.

I'm going to be sharing my favorite artists, albums, and songs! Plus a lot of YouTube videos to go along with each post! Hopefully you find some new songs or artists you didn't know about before.

Anyway, I have 6 topics that I've divided up over the next few months. About once a week I'll post my favorite songs that fit that topic. And if you have any songs you would like to share, go for it and post about it in the comments section.

Here are the topics and the dates when I'll be posting them:

1. Country - April 5

2. Old Favorites - April 12

3. New Favorites - April 21

4. Inspirational - April 29

5. Upbeat - May 5

6. Boy Bands (my personal favorite) - May 10

I'm excited to post about music because I absolutely love music! Hopefully I remember to post these though....... :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 9

It's Day 9 of the 12 Days of Christmas challenge! Today's topic is:

Favorite Holiday Recipe

YES! I'm loving this topic & I knew exactly what recipe I want to share with all of you: Egg Casserole! My mom makes it every year and we eat it after we open our gifts. It's one of those special occasion dishes that we don't eat too often, so it's such a treat when we do have it. Here's the recipe:

Egg Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. pork sausage
9 eggs (beaten until fluffy)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 slices white bread in 1/4" cubes
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Preparation:
Cook sausage and drain. Blend milk, cheese, eggs, bread, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Fold in sausage. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures of it, but you'll have to trust me - it's good!This recipe is SO easy to make, and it tastes SO good. I always look forward to it on Christmas morning :)

Blog Makeover

First off, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!

I decided to skip today's 12 Days of Christmas because I really didn't have a whole lot of good tips, but you can check out tips/tricks to budget friendly Christmas here. I will be back tomorrow with the Favorite Holiday Movies!

And last but not least, did you notice that my blog got a little Christmas makeover? I used Aqua Poppy Designs for the background. They have some really cute FREE holiday backgrounds.

And I actually made my header myself. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Happy Friday!