Celebrating Ten Years of 50 Is Not Old – A Trip Down Memory Lane

Why Did I Decide to Start a Blog?

My sister encouraged me to start a blog, but I wasn’t even sure what that was. I used to watch House Hunters a lot on television. If you have never watched the show, they take a couple looking to buy a house, and they find them three or four to choose from. I remember several of them who talked about their jobs. They said they worked online, so they could work from anywhere in the world. I thought how cool that was; you could just go and come and never have to worry about finding a new job. I was also thinking about retirement. Maybe I could find a way to earn some extra money after I retire, which is still a long way off.

I spent one weekend on YouTube trying to learn how to set up a WordPress blog. Thankfully, my sister had a friend who could design and set up websites. She agreed to do my hosting, which was wonderful. She didn’t charge much at all for a year’s hosting, and the best part was that she took care of setting up EVERYTHING.

My first post had three likes on Facebook and no comments. My first post to get a comment was on a post about Labor Day. My first commenter was JoLynne Shane!!! I must have left a comment on her page, because there is no way she would have found me otherwise. My first unprompted commenter was Brandye.

I am just saying that it is possible to start a blog when you are in your 50s. I know that the Lord made this happen. There is no way that an over-50, computer-challenged woman in the middle of nowhere, with no writing skills and no real shopping venues, could create a fashion blog and have it be successful. Maybe my Sunday blog posts are the reason; otherwise, I have no idea why. I am just thankful!

The Start of the Fashion Blog

For The Everyday Woman Blog Post – October 2015

“If you like fashion at all, you are probably aware that the New York Fashion Week was this month. These shows occur twice a year, Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. There are four major locations for these events: New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Designers flock to these events to showcase their upcoming fashion lines. Celebrities flock to these events to be seen and show off their fashion style. And fashion bloggers flock to these events to blog about the designers, the stars, the styles, and to promote their blogs.

If you watched any of the videos or read any of those blogs, you would think EVERYONE dressed like this. Really??? Maybe it is just me, but I can’t see a time when I would wear probably 80-90 percent of those styles. Not everybody attends red carpet events or gets an invitation to an A-list party. So, what are the rest of us to wear?

I’m over 50, living in a small town, and somewhat computer-challenged. So why would I start a fashion blog? I decided to start a blog featuring outfits that I wear on a daily basis. I know there is nothing new about that concept. There are hundreds of fashion blogs out there, and my shopping opportunities are limited because of where I live. Cato’s, Rue 21, and Peebles are the only clothing stores in my small town. It is a 2-hour drive to get to any other stores, and even then, you are limited. You learn really fast to work with what you’ve got. Does that mean you can’t look nice? Absolutely not!

I love looking at J’s Everyday Fashions; she was probably the first fashion blog that I started following. She always looks really nice, but she is also quite young, and her dresses are a little too short for my taste. If you have the legs for short dresses, then wear what makes you happy, but I prefer a little longer style. Jo-Lynne Shane was one of my inspirations to take the plunge into the world of fashion blogging. She dresses for everyday life, and that is what most of us do. We go to work, watch the kids, cook supper, in other words, we are just everyday women.

I don’t foresee New York, London, Milan, or Paris in the future, but that’s okay by me.

My mom is not a fan of the tattered jeans, and she threatened to start a GoFundMe account. She is funny like that.”

The Cat Is Out Of The Bag

It didn’t take long for the cat to be let out of the bag. The thing is….I didn’t tell anybody that I had started a blog, except my sister, who had to help me with WordPress. Not my husband, children, mother, or friends. I was afraid they would make fun of me. I had decided that if I was still blogging come January 1st, that would be my New Year’s Resolution.

I should have known my sister could not contain herself. She told my mother and daughter-in-law during a recent visit, and they told two friends, and so on. My husband had been noticing pictures of me, and he knows I hate having my picture taken, so he was really confused. He finally asked point-blank, “What are you doing”? I fessed up, and he was actually relieved. I’m not sure what he thought I was doing. LOL!

Here is the funny thing: my children know. I’m not sure when they found out, but they know. I decided to tell my daughter and see how she would react. I was talking to her last night, she lives in Alaska, and told her to go to this blog called 50. That’s all I got to say, she finished my sentence. “Is not old.com”, she said. I was stunned. How did she already know?

Seems like one day she was on Instagram, and my picture popped up as someone she might like to follow. I think it was her time to be stunned. She said she couldn’t figure out why someone would be using my picture. She went to the blog and figured out what I was doing, and also the fact that I had kept it a secret. She, of course, remedied that by calling her two brothers, her best friends from here, and her friends in Alaska.

My three angels then came up with an elaborate plan to “call me out” at Christmas, when we would all be together. Now that my little darlings know about the blog, I am free to include them in it. Haha, looks like I am going to get the last laugh. And by the way, secrets always have a way of coming out.”

Joe’s First Appearance On The Blog

He decided to do a few fashion poses. Lol! I think he looks adorable. I’m not too sure about his poses, though. Most of them were not blog-appropriate! 

Before Lucy, There Was Beckley

My little scene stealer has to come and get his loving. Isn’t he a cutie!!! Unfortunately, he thinks kisses on the mouth are okay. Me, not so much.

My First Sponsored Post

When I was first contacted by JTV.com about an opportunity to do a sponsored post, I was super excited. I thought they must have emailed the wrong blogger, but I quickly responded that I was “all in” before they had time to catch their mistake. Lol!

My Mini-Me

My mini-me granddaughter, Emersyn, loved showing up in my blog posts. At that time, she lived next door and would walk over every time she saw me outside taking photos. Now that she has gotten older, photos are few and far between. Be sure to take advantage of the time spent with them while you can.

Living My Best Life

Let me start this by saying that I am “normally” a very easy-going person. It takes a lot to rile my feathers, and I take kidding and ribbing well. In fact, my entire family is on the side of smarty comments, instead of saying something normal. That is our way of playing, and we never get mad at each other. I have to laugh because my mother is afraid to leave comments on my blog, she thinks that you gurls won’t understand our crazy humor. Lol!

My Hair – All the Details

Over the years, I’ve changed my hairstyle multiple times. My hair has been super short, shoulder length, and many lengths in between. The Calico Cat color has gone away and been replaced by various shades of blonde. Some were almost white and washed me out horribly. Here is a blog post that shows the products I use now, the cut and color formula.

Here’s to TEN YEARS, and Hopefully, Many More

I have introduced you to my family and invited you into my life. I hope you have enjoyed being a part of 50 Is Not Old as much as I have enjoyed bringing it to you. I look forward to celebrating many more years with you if you will have me.

Each time you share my posts on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND FACEBOOK, it not only helps other ladies who might be style-challenged find my blog, but it also strengthens our community. Furthermore, I appreciate every one of you and consider you a friend.

Are You One Of The GURLS?

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To GOD Goes The Glory!

Verse Of The Day

Matthew 28:19 (NIV)
¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,