Monday, March 25, 2013

I Give You Something (GIVEAWAY), and You Give Me...

Hi Everyone,

Let's catch up.

March 4th I turned 37. Somehow I am now older than most people I meet. When did that happen? I am experiencing a major struggle to lose weight too.  Bleh. My face shape is shifting, my eyes appear smaller..is that even possible?

Right now, I am in Arizona visiting the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Four Corners and some other landmarks for the kids Spring Break. It has been fun vacationing and relaxing for a change. Still orienting to the new job which is quite detailed oriented (something I am not used to) and have a few weeks to go. I think when it is all over and I am on my own working 5pm-130am, I will enjoy the peace and quiet. My family is a complete stimulus overload which is more noticeable on vacation for some reason.


I took this picture on the way to the Grand Canyon, but it does look symbolic now that I write this post.

My struggle with my weight has lead me to Weight Watchers, a place I turned to in the past and was reminded of that from an old friend (thank you Tiffany if you are reading this).  I have lost 5 pounds on the program and am getting in 4 work outs a week thanks to a bet/encouragement from my blog buddy Elena Roussakis (Just Me Prints). Losing weight coupled with a thyroid condition is a total uphill battle, but I am confident that by putting it higher on the priority list, I can reach my goal. Therefore, crafting has taken a bit of the back seat while I try to gain a better footing on managing the rest of my full life with crafting. When I first started to blog, I loved the thrill of the challenges, meeting new people, and being creative. That pursuit led me down a path in which my every free moment was devoted to card making in some way: thinking about card design, looking at cards and products, or actually crafting. A year or so later and I realize that I am not happy with the way I look  and feel and need to stop crafting as much in order to make room for the gym, time with my family, and overall happiness with the rest of my life. In other words, I need to craft pendulum to go back to center. I am sure many of you have already been down this path and can relate.

So about the ol' blog...in the last week, I have also lost a slew of followers. They always seem to leave in groups. It makes me feel like I did something wrong. Has my evolving style turned off viewers? Is it my decreased number of posts? What is it? I can handle one here or there but the mass exodus has me scratching my head. (PS in case some of you tell me that they are just leaving because reader is becoming obsolete, they were email followers) I need answers and since emailing them and asking them directly is a bit extreme (no matter how tempting it is), I thought I would ask the public.

Sooooo....in honor of my birthday....and since my blog has been a bit neglected....and because I need to know some information, I am offering up a prize.

Leave a comment here by Friday March 29th  at 1159 Mountain time on why you chose to unsubscribe from a blog and I will draw a winner when I return.

The prize includes a 6x6 paper pack, if I recall it is from MME, and some other goodies which I can't remember and have no picture of right now since I am away, but I promise it's good!

Thanks for helping and listening,

Wida

55 comments:

  1. Happy travels... I'm trying to think of the last blog I unfollowed.... sometimes my style evolves and I change focus a bit and try to make sure the blogs I'm reading are current with my vision... sometimes challenges shift directions and I decide to stop playing along as frequently... Now you're making me think I should weed out my reader...

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  2. First: I love your evolving style :) I always feel like I see something new or trendy when I come visit you. Second: When I lose several followers I have found it's people who either A. only followed me for a giveaway or B. whose style doesn't match mine anymore. I very rarely unfollow someone but when I do it's usually that style thing. From when I first started to now my style is TOTALLY different. So I don't find the same thing inspiring. Lastly, you're beautiful and talented sweet girl. I wish you the best of luck in your weight loss journey but just like card making, it shouldn't define you. XoXo

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  3. Happy Belated Birthday, Wida!! Enjoy your trip and woooo hooo for 5 lbs!! how many are you hoping to get rid off? I've always admired people with strong will power... cause only they can go on diets. I have none. :)

    As for your question, I did unsubscribe from 2 blogs... But that's only because they decided to stop making cards and turned scrapbookers. Maybe I'll subscribe again if I start to scrapbook later. I know it's easier said than done but try not to let this effect you! If they unsubscribed, they weren't really here for the right reason! You've got plenty of faithful followers (me!) who look forward to seeing your creations and reading your witty, fun blog posts. (((hugs)))

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  4. Wida, I recently unsubscribed from a few blogs to clean up my reader. I've been doing a spring cleaning around the house but felt my brain overload needed some de-cluttering too. I chose to unsubscribe from those few blogs only because I had outgrown them and felt I wanted to put more time into my communication with those I do follow instead of spending time scrolling past blogs I didn't read as often. It wasn't a personal reason against the blog author, they didn't do anything "wrong" and neither are you. I find your honest approach a good reason to stop and see what you're saying. And while I don't comment as often as I should when I read or see something I've enjoyed, just know your followers are reading and listening.

    Oh...and one more thing. I switched my feed reader since Google's is shutting down and changed the settings to private. Maybe that's whats happening to your disappearing followers. Maybe we are all still here, just hiding! Lol!

    Hugs!

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  5. OMG Wida, you always leave the loveliest comments and I so think you are doing the right thing. Your health and happiness should always come first. You know yourself how obsessive you can be in this hobby, so don't worry too much about people not following you anymore s***t happens!

    PS Happy Birthday and have a great holiday ...

    Cheers Ange

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  6. Wida, I don't unsubscribe often. It is usually when I have too many blogs to keep up with! I unsubscribe from people when their style diverges too far from what inspires me, and when I don't have a personal connection. I am pretty sure that I will never unsubscribe from you, because we have developed a connection that I value. I have quite a few blog friends that I've made over the last few years, which is one of the things I love about blogging. :-)

    I cannot imagine why people are unsubscribing from your blog. Maybe they are changing from email subscription to another type of subscription that is invisible to you? Don't worry, where one person leaves, there will be 10 others to take their place. ;-)

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  7. Wida sending big bear hugs your way! First Happy Birthday! Second I hope your weight loss journey brings the happiness and better health you seek. As for unsubscribing from a blog I've only contemplated...sometimes I guess I don't feel the connection with the blogger as I once did when I first subscribed, but I wouldn't take it personally. I think you're an amazing artist and am inspired by every blog you post. You have a lot to be proud of from being published to your winnings on the challenges! I think it takes a lot of courage to be honest and share a part of yourself with the rest of the blogging world and I commend you for sharing your goals and pitfalls. I too have realized that the challenges and creative ideas can consume you. I'm trying to find the balance between family and career to hobbies and achieving my goals. I totally appreciate you sharing and wish you the best on your journey!

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  8. i've left or unsubscribed from blogs simply because they stopped updating for a year or they shut down...and i was following too many and blogger had reached its max amount to follow!!!!! lol otherwise i stick to blogs. :)

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  9. First, belated Happy Birthday! Second, good luck with the weight loss program. Third, don't worry! The main thing is that all of us who appreciate your work and enjoy your posts (and all the effort you put into your blog) will continue to follow you, and that's worth ten times more than people who join for candy then leave. I think I've only left one blog but there are others that I still subscribe to but am no longer interested in (their style has changed/my style has changed/I don't feel a connection) and should probably unsubscribe. Question for you - have you ever unsubscribed from a blog and if so why? In the meantime, get that pendulum swinging to centre again. (It always amazed me how you could actually fit in raising a hundred kids, a full time job and still produce your fabulous blog!)

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  10. First of all, you are amazingly talented Wida. I can't even imagine ever unsubscribing from your blog. I'm so blessed that we've become blogging friends!
    I wish you all the best in your weight loss program, but as another commenter said "don't let it define you". You're beautiful, inside and out!
    As far as unsubscribing from blogs; on the few occasions that I've done that, it's been because either my style has changed, or their style has become so different than mine that I'm not longer inspired by their work. And sometimes I've just subscribed to SO many blogs that my inbox is just too full. At that point I have to pare down a little.
    Anyway, wishing you a wonderful vacation with your family!

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  11. Happy birthday. Don't forget that God loves us just the way we are. After all, He's the one who made us. Enjoy the GC and surrounding areas with your family. Concentrate on happy and healthy will follow. As for followers, it's so much more important that you like what you do, as opposed to others liking what you do. If you think about it, people come and go all through our lives, and we touch them in so many positive ways. A couple of your followers have gone, but others will come. In fact, I had you on my blog list, but added me to your followers. It all works out in the end. Bev

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  12. Wida, wida, wida. We love you! Have a great vacation, exercise, enjoy the family, make a card. The blog is the blog and is not a measure of success of popularity. As far as dropping blogs, I have from time to time culled because I follow SO many. Sometimes it's because I find that my style has really changed and I'm not as interested, and also often people kind of fall out of blog land. If you haven't blogged for 6 months, I might drop you to make space in my reader.

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  13. I don't think I "subscribe" to any blog - unless they tell me I must in order to enter a drawing...but even then I usually just don't. I use a reader (used to Google, now it is Feedly). So I don't know if you can see those numbers (if you can, I'd love to know how!!). Anyway, when I do delete a feed from my reader, it usually has to do with my style evolving in a different direction. When I first started using a reader, I put tons of other people's favorites in there. I found after awhile that my style is more clean and simple and so have started to remove blogs where their typical card is not CAS. I keep some because you can get inspiration anywhere and sometimes just a small part of their card will inspire me. I have over 300 subscriptions - it is getting to the point it takes me forever to get through each day. Another thing about email - if you subscribe to a lot, you get a lot of emails. I used to do feeds that way but I couldn't stand the email, so I found a reader instead and now don't need the email. Maybe with the demise of Reader, more folks have been talking about those types of programs and that has made other folks get away from the emails. I vascillate between the need to know who and how many folks read my blog and just trying to enjoy the craft without worrying about the numbers. Even though I don't want this to be a career, I still worry about it - I think it is just human nature. Sometimes I just take a break from it. Hang in there - enjoy what you do (because it is wonderful) - and share when you can! {Sorry this got long!!}

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  14. Hey girlie! Happy belated birthday. I found your blog recently and enjoy it. I have stopped following various blogs for a few reasons... 1. My style has changed and unless the cards are really with the style I'm creating, I tend to move on. 2. I find that following fewer blogs, I can pay more attention to the ones I do and become closer to the people on a personal level. It really spreads myself thin to follow so many. You rock girl and don't sweat the small stuff! Hugs!!!

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  15. great way to celebrate and how fun you are going to the grand canyon.. it is so cool to see and I am sure your kids will think it is awesome. Enjoy your time away and be safe.. I usually unfollow someone if I feel that they are negative. I have only run into a few of them so other then that.. I try and stay faithful... Love stopping by your blog.. you are always full of laughs.. don't worry about all that other stuff. if someone unfollow's don't sweat it.. some new follower is right around the corner waiting to see your awesome creations..

    enjoy your trip

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  16. congrats on making goals and making time for yourself... the only time i delete someones blogs is when they havent been around in 6 months or longer... but i have been dropped and i know how feels so chin up its not you its them hehehe

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  17. I am not in the habit of unsubscribing and would only do it if the blog was neglected for a long period of time with no new content or if I decided if the projects just weren't my style.

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  18. I love following your blog,Sorry to hear about your fight with weight lose,I never had that problem up to seven years ago,I had a stoke and quit smoking cold turkey,gain 50#,still fighting to get it off,losing little at atime,so don't give up,you are young and can do it,I'll keep you in my prayers...

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  19. Happy Belated Birthday! I haven't unsubscribed from a blog but if I would, it would be because of the style, negativity or change. Have a great spring break!

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  20. Happy Birthday! I have read lots of the comments, and it's interesting to see the reasons people unsubscribe. I agree that you should not take it personally. For me, I will often follow people in my reader, but not officially on google. I will stop following someone if their style or my style changes to the point that it is not a good use of my time. I never stop following anyone with whom I have a personal connection, regardless of how inspiring or not their cards are. I will stop leaving comments, however, if I feel like I am never getting return comments. It makes me feel like too much of a stalker if I am always 'talking' to someone who never talks back. And, I am older than you, and I 'know' you, so maybe I am the exception to your rule?

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  21. i very seldom unsubscribe from a blog. the several times I have done so I think because the blog turned out to be more advertising than i assumed it would be when i originally signed up. Good luck to you and belated birthday greetings!
    linda patti tpatti@windstream.net

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  22. Oh, hon, I wish you could see life through these wise 63-year-old eyes. I wish I had back every minute I worried about my size and not so much, who liked me, but as you wonder, "Have I done something wrong?". What Oprah said from the beginning really is true: just be your authentic self and don't worry about things outside your control. BTW, I think Oprah got her wisdom from the Serenity Prayer. That's pretty much it, in a nutshell.

    From what I can tell, you are a darling girl, honest, and loving, and caring. You also don't look like you are overweight but I'm not going there. If your authentic self is thinner, or if you're unhealthy, then you go for it!! If your thyroid is limiting what you can do in terms of size, accept that. (Personal experience with this.)

    Personally, I never unfollow or unsubscribe, but then I don't use Reader coz I don't like the Crackpad (yet). I can see where that would make a difference. I know how much I love when someone follows me, especially when I was new, so I follow a lot of newbies. Anyway, I suspect that it has nothing to do with you, personally, and everything to do with all the changes happening with Google.

    Having said that, I think you have to accept that if you are stepping back from blogging, you are going to lose people. It's just the nature of it. Heckadoodle, I notice people lose interest if you're gone for a week! You cannot take it personally. When you are old - even ancient like me - and you come back, people will come. You have that kind of magnetic personality! Don't even waste a minute on that aspect of your decision!

    Okay, surprise, this is getting long. But as someone old enough to be your mother, I gotta say this. You are in the middle of some of the most incredibly beautiful vistas in the entire world, surrounded by your personal best creations (your children). Life goes by in a FLASH! Put away the phone, the crackpad, turn off the ipods and all the rest of it and soak up all the creations of the universe and the quiet calm of a river-formed canyon with the people who love, and will love you, most and forever.

    You are amazing. Don't ever forget it. Mwah! Darnell

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  23. Hi Wida! I am kinda new to the whole blogging world and to be honest, I don't know the difference between blog follower and email subscriber...
    I think some of the reasons people unsubscribe are if the blog change direction too much or if the follower change her style.
    I don't think it's personal, it's just that people's taste change and we can't make everybody happy all the time.
    I like to think that if we do what we love to do, like minded people will follow...
    I have only 3 followers on my little blog and I am truly grateful for them, 'cause I know they are there bc they connected with my work : )
    Enjoy your break!
    Xx

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  24. Happy Birthday Wida! Good luck with your weight-loss - not easy to achieve, but as you said if you spend more time exercising you'll drop those pounds I am sure. Personal health is much more important than card making and for sure you don't burn many calories with that!
    Who knows why people unfollow bogs - I am sure it has many reasons. style is I am sure one of them. Or perhaps life is becoming too complex and cluttered and sometimes you have to let go of something. Don't worry, the main reason to blog should be to share and not to accrue as many followers as possible.
    I am just reading the entry above mine and its just making the point I wanted to address next - about commenting. I totally agree with that one - I will also stop commenting if I never get a return - I am also much older than you - so perhaps its older women who unfollow....

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  25. Isn't it frustrating when you lose a em subscriber -- in mass I would be upset. Don't take it personal? Hmmmm - I do. Good luck on your weight -- you are in my state visiting -- the weather is perfect and the Grand Canyon is BREATHTAKING!!! I was speechless the first time I went~ Good luck on the weight and happy late birthday!

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  26. I agree with a lot of the above comments. I tend to subscribe quickly to blogs that I find interesting. And then over time I realize that I'm swamped by blog posts and I need to clean house.

    There's this great poem that I recently found. It's called "So You Want to Be a Writer" by Charles Bukowski. If you like poetry, take a look at it but substitute "blogger" or "crafter" or "artist" or "painter" or "mother" or any other passion. Basically, it's about doing what you love because you have no choice but to follow your passion. If you read the bio about Charles Bukowski, it makes the poem mean even more.

    Good luck - follow your passion - regardless of who follows you.

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  27. I occasionally go through and purge my blog subscriptions. Usually it's blogs that don't inspire me anymore (the style just isn't for me, the photography isn't very good, same stuff over again, etc). Sometimes it's because I haven't read them in so long I don't even know who they are anymore. In that case I go through several posts to see if it's worth keeping - if nothing inspires me I will unsubscribe. In other cases I get tired of reading too many posts from blogs - the daily ones get annoying to me in an email subscription. Other times it's because I feel like the blogger has "sold out" and is doing too many reviews/giveaways/commercials. I find that annoying. I also find that I tend to stick with bloggers that will go out of their way to comment back once in awhile or even follow back. Makes me feel like they appreciate me instead of just adding me to their collection of followers. Hope this helps!

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  28. Happy birthday month! And kudos on the weight loss!
    *High fives*

    I have unsubscribed from blogs when my questions go unanswered, content becomes frivolous or just a whole bunch of family photos [not pretty ones], the blogger whined or cursed a lot and stops posting for a year...[yes, I am quite patient...lol]. That said, I don't unsubscribed from friends' blogs because there is a little more engagement and some loyalty involved.

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  29. I only started reading you 10 days ago or so, and love your work.

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  30. Oh, Wida...I love that you are following your heart, and changing up your priorities to put you and your family first! You go girl! As for your birthday, Happy Belated Birthday! So sorry I missed it on the 4th :( Not sure what to offer about your followers. I love your blog, and am so happy that I found you through your awesome Casadia project. The followers that have left you will miss your creativity, and fun family photos! Personally, I usually only stop following when that person never returns a comment on my blog. I do an occasional blog candy, and always gain and lose followers for that, and funny thing - I usually lose one or two if I post a Christian card, OR start a new DT. How odd is that? Anyway, keep on keepin' on - those that matter will still be here! I'll be curious to see how the 'reader' thing affects all of us! Hugs...

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  31. Hi Wida, I hope you had a wonderful Birthday - you are 37 years young (not old)! I've been reading through all the comments and I hope you can feel all the love coming your way!!! I don't think I've ever unsubscribed, especially since I read your post about the 1st time you were dropped! You seemed so hurt, I thought I would never do that to anyone, even if my reasons weren't personal! I recently met Shirley (Bee) in Melb and we talked about our fave blogs and your name was up the top. We marvelled at how you managed to create so much, be innovative (ie Casadia/Diagnosis Design), have such a challenging job and run a big family at the same time! I am really inspired by you! I know what you mean about balance - I need to exercise more as I too have a weight problem for the 1st time in my life. It's easy to say don't worry about what others think, but if it's important to you then you will feel better doing something about it. Being healthy is the important thing and feeling good about yourself. . At least you've taken the 1st step - I wish I could have such self discipline to limit my crafting and browsing time! Good luck and thanks for your fun blog!

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  32. Hi Wida
    Happy Birthday ... I am a bit to late!
    I am so sorry to hear off your worrying about people unscribing from your blog.....
    If you want to I think you should ask them why..I have unscribed from blogs ..and really would not mind if they would ask me why..I think being honest is important....and I am so sorry if I have hurt somebody with doing so..that was never my intention...never want to hurt anybody.
    The reason I unscribed is that there is only so much time in a day..and reading all the blogs can take so much time ..that there is no time left to make cards..it overwelms(having a lack of energy doesn't help)....also not being able to leave a comment(I can only do so by name)can sometimes make me decide to unscribe.....I love PTI and from seeing work from people on the Make it Mondays or Blog Hops makes me want to follow their blog..but then I really don't know their work well...when after a time it is not so much what I like I will unscribe....after reading your blogpost I think I will think first now before subscribing because it will hurt the person when I will unscribe...so a very good thing you made me think about that...!
    I am blond and Dutch so the thing Denise said I think concludes it all:
    I tend to subscribe quickly to blogs that I find interesting. And then over time I realize that I'm swamped by blog posts and I need to clean house.
    Hugs from the Netherlands,
    Holly.

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  33. I am still following your blog by email, but I have subscribed from others, simply for the fact that I am tired of always having so many emails in my InBox (even though I feel guilty when I unsubscribe)! It's easier to just check the daily feed on the Bloglovin app on my phone. Maybe that is what other people are doing, too? I remember reading somewhere that if someone unsubscribes, that is a good thing, because then you know that your current subscribers are actually reading emails and not just deleting them, blah, blah, blah. Whatever - it stings when I get one of those Unsubscribe Emails, no matter the reason!

    And I love your evolving style! :)

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  34. I hope you all enjoy your vacation! And Happy Birthday to you! Don't worry about it girl. Your style is fresh and fun. I am a fan for sure. I love when people read my blog because they want to and enjoy the projects. There will be new followers for sure. You will see! Just always stay true to your creative self first! Hugs!!!!

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  35. hope you're having fun with the fam! this post, I could have written myself. Especially the paragraph on WW and balancing crafting with everything else. I think I'm at the same exact point. Crafting has consumed my free time and other things have slipped (like my sanity at the moment!)

    You know how I feel about keeping such a close eye on followers but I know it's important to you to know why people leave. When I un-follow a blog it's probably for one of the following reasons: 1) the blog isn't relevant for me anymore. Either in style or information. I've either learned what I need or my crafting style completely changed. 2) I like to feel connected with the author of the blog. If there's zero interaction, I tend to fade out. 3) Sometimes bloggers only blog about their DT projects and it starts to feel like a commercial. 4) Maybe I just get frustrated with how long my Reader list is and I feel the need to clean house. So blogs I don't visit or can't even remember what made me follow in the first place, I'll purge those first.

    Don't focus on the people that leave. Focus on the people that stay and interact. That's my own little philosophy!

    Hugs!

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  36. Happy Birthday! Congrats on staying focused with your weight loss. I know how you feel when the weight doesn't come off as fast as you were hoping it to.

    I unfollow blogs because their style has changed mostly. Some I unfollow because they are no longer crafters.

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  37. Well, you ARE a busy girl! Good luck with your workouts! I wish we were neighbors, so I (and my lazy butt) could join you.

    So, I have found myself unfollowing people (which is so rare, honestly) because I feel like my style or theirs has changed. There have been one or two times I have unfollowed because of the "sermons" that come with every (EVERY) blog post. I respect that people have very strong feelings about such things, but it's just not for me during my fun time.
    I also have to agree with Melissa, there above me, that sometimes it is just a commercial for a company. That gets tedious.
    But mostly, the reason I do and do not continue to follow someone has to do with whether their writing style and creativity jibes with my own.

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  38. Well, after re-reading, I thought I'd add to my message. I know that every time people ask me to do a new blog hop, or in the instance of being "Moxie Fabber of the Week", I got a slew of new followers. Well, flash forward--I go thru periods of posting 2-3x a week, then periods of posting once every 2-3 weeks. I am on no design teams, so there's no push for me. I can do it when I feel the urge. It is weird to see the numbers go up and down on occasion, but I feel like the people who stay are the ones who WANT to be there, and the ones that I can inspire, or at least, entertain from time to time. I learned a long time ago, after too many years of doing hair, that you just cannot be all things to all people. Pure and simple. And the ol' "there's no accounting for taste." Because there's not. My taste changes, why shouldn't other peoples'? I always have to look at those who DO like me, and can't waste time on those who don't, because it takes time and energy from the former, you know?
    Anyway, enough rambling from me. You are so talented, smart, and charming; you have a razor-sharp wit and a keen eye, and are supportive and kind. The people who don't get that... Well, their loss. And they'll never know.

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  39. Wow Wida - look at the response you got - people are reading and what you have to say is relevant. I have only "unfollowed" a handful of people since the beginning. One in particular I adored in the beginning but after a while felt that everything they made was the "same". Its good to evolve - I haven't known you as long as I would have liked but you still amaze me every time I pop over for a look - and the variety of colors and projects are never dull or "expected" I think Richard is spot on in his comments. Oh and I hear you about the weight loss - I gave up a while back when I started cooking - I decided I will be fat and happy! It's so hard to cook for a family and not eat with them because you are on a special diet. Maybe later when it's just the hubby and me and I don't feel so ambitious and creative in the kitchen!

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  40. I can relate on the weight-loss topic. I gave up sugar and deep-fried foods for 2012 (the year I turned 40) and have stuck with it... and have lost 20lbs, but it's slow-going.
    As for following, I rarely sign up to "follow" blogs. I prefer to save the blogs I like to the sidebar of my blog and surf through those when I get a chance. I discovered your blog maybe a month ago? Anyway, I immediately saved it to my blog sidebar because I love your style. I have dropped people from my sidebar.... mostly for not posting often enough or if I just wasn't finding inspiration there. Or for jealousy issues. Yeah, I said it. ;)

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  41. Wida, I'm about to turn 37 for the 9th time. Let me tell you what I've learned in ALL my years of being 37...Water off a duck's butt! In other words, it really doesn't matter what the reasons are for them to unfollow you. Shake it off, like water off a duck's butt :) You can waste precious moments or days worrying about things that really do not matter. Worry about what matters and just shake off the rest :)

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  42. Hi sweet Lady! I am making up for one person who stopped following by following you myself! I usually try and keep up with you on Facebook. I try not to un-follow anyone because I really dislike hurting anyones feelings. I did stop following a few only because they really weren't posting anymore. But thanks for the reminder that we all have feelings and want to be appreciated!

    Hugs to you!

    Jenny

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  43. Wida, how wonderful going to the Grand Canyon. That trip is on my bucket list. I don't often unsubscribe to blogs that I follow. It is not something you should take personally, if I do it is because my style is or has become so different from theirs that I do not find inspiration there. If there is any kind of personal connection I would never leave. Personal connections are like friends, you don't stop being someone's friend because you don't dig the same things anymore. You just don't hang out with them as often. Sometimes I have stopped leaving comments on blogs where there is never any reciprocation. I totally respect your need to refocus, we all need to do that sometimes. Your real friends in blogland will always be here when you come back. ~hugs!!

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  44. Hi Wida. First of all, I am jealous of you for enjoying spring break in a nice sunny place. Good luck with your weight loss journey. I started trying to lose weight in January. I used an awesome website (which also has an iPhone app) called MyFitnessPal. It helps you track your calorie intake and exercise. It has a database of tons of foods. You just type in what you ate and it will find it. Great way to track your progress. And it's free!

    Now, about the followers ...First, I never unsubscribe to blogs. In fact, I like to subscribe to blogs with only a few followers to help build their following. That being said, I have a hard time keeping up and commenting. I do it when I see it and if I have the time. After reading all these comments, I want to say that you may not have the quantity of readers you had, but you sure do have quality. You have a lot of people who support you and enjoy your art. Forget the unsubscribers. Stick to who you are and what makes you happy. The people who follow you will like you for who you really are.

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  45. Wow! What a fantastic family trip! And kudos to you on your weight loss journey and taking care of you. I don't think I've ever unsubscribed to a blog. I've been a bad follower and try to use weekends to play catch up. I think you shouldn't worry about the numbers. The people who follow you faithfully are the ones that matter the most and are probably the ones you follow in return. Enjoy the family bonding!

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  46. Lovely travel photo! And wida, Wida, Wida.... I can identify with almost all of the comments above mine. So...that leaves me with one thing to say. I blog for my own happiness/enjoyment and if others join me? All the better. And if not, it's totally fine because following a blog just like choosing TV shows--->we all have our own preferences! Live it up, girl friend!

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  47. I'm too late to play along but I stop following blogs if they post too much, not too little. I find I read the blogs in fits and starts - such as this morning I am catching up with 107 posts and have just marked a load as read without actually reading but other days I am constantly checking back to see if anything new has been posted. I shouldn't take it to heart, it seems you have enough to concern yourself about with your family and job, I dont have a third of the demands on my time that you do and I never get around to posting to my blog either! Probably y i only have 10 followers - and am related to quite a few of em!

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  48. I'm not commenting for the drawing, but just to say hangin there, girlfriend! I have the same issues with weight and a thyroid condition, so good for you for adding it to the top of your priority list! I don't know why people unsubscribe, maybe just trying to ease up the levels they can manage in their inbox? Maybe if they signed up for cards only and the blog content has shifted they are not interested? Maybe in the paper crafting world people are always moving on to the next big thing? It used to bums me out big time too when people unfollowed so I stopped receiving the notifications. But over the years I knew I had to scale back because my full-time job teaching was the most important thing to me. I had to remember why I started paper rafting in the first place, and it wasn't for the blog. So if I start to feel bummed out, I stop and remember a child who is reading on grade level now because of me. Just stop and remember your important things too! Those of us who have really grown to love you and your cards wil still be here! :)

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  49. Wida, 37 is no big deal. You're beautiful inside and out. Your blog is fun to read and your cards are inspirational. I follow a lot of blogs and I don't have time to even read most of them but I always read your blog when I have time. It's easy to say, but I honestly don't care about how many blog followers I have. I'm always flattered when someone pins one of my cards though. It means they like my card enough to want to use it as inspiration. Have fun on vacation and try to embrace the awesomeness that is Wida!

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  50. First off Happy Birthday - I vaguely remember 37! Looks like you are having an amazing time in the Grand Canyon ( some really beautiful photos).

    Who knows why people unsubscribe to any blog! Your style has become more "you" and that's the bit I love. You make me laugh, make my think "why didn't I think of that?" and mostly you are a normal mum with commitments and a talent for paper crafts. An admission here, I rarely "follow" a blog, but have my reading list on my blog which I guess is as good as following. Some blogs do drop on and off but I have my main crowd, of which you are most definitely one.

    Bottom line you have had another birthday and being of a scientific mind, you are over-analysing. Takes one to know one! You are doing a great job!

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  51. I commented earlier and discussed this with a friend. The suggestion was made to me is that cardmaking, crafting, etc is for some an escape from children, home cleaning, etc and the fact that your children are so much a part of the videos that I have watched, may have been off-putting to some who watch and craft to "get away" and see what other adults are doing. Most of us have children and grandchildren around - thank God - but choose crafting time to be a solitary activity. This is not a criticism of your children, but a suggestion that perhaps escaping from children for a small bit of time and then viewing a video where yours are always present, may be a bit of a reason to drop the blog. Just a suggestion.

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  52. Hi Wida! I wanted to drop in and tell you that you're beautiful, no matter what age you are. I turned 40 last summer (and was preggo), and I definitely see the difference in how I look now and how I looked 10 years ago (take a look under my profile pics on fb, lol!)! Regardless of how others see you, I know that how you feel can be completely different.

    I love your blog (though I don't always have time to comment) and being that I love photography, I love seeing the pictures of your beautiful children and family. You have a great eye and I love seeing your perspective! I agree that people who unsubscribe come in groups, that happens to me too...but I also have people who seem to subscribe in groups too. In the end, do what you love, know that you have a huge fan club (woot woot!) and have peace. Hugs, sweet woman! xoxo

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  53. Well, your making me glad I've never used a reader to "follow" blogs. I wouldn't want anyone to be offended when I don't read because I'm short on time! I save the ones that interest me as favourites, and check in when I have time. There are some blogs I actually read, and some I just scroll through to look at the lovely cards. I only discovered you recently when you featured Laura Bassen, who I read frequently. I really do enjoy your style, and find inspiration here, so I try to check in once a week, or so. Just keep doing what you are doing, and take as much time as you need for your own personal journey. You are entitled to do what works for you! Those that appreciate you will stick around.

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  54. Hi Wida, I wanted to reply to this post when you first posted it but life got in the way. First, happy belated birthday! I hope you are more settled into your new job. I started a new position March 4th after being at my previous job for almost 11 years; it's been an interesting switch but a good one and I hope that is the case for you. And kudos to you for making your health a priority!

    As for losing followers, I think people sometimes start following b/c of giveaways or for blog hops. They weren't following for the right reason to begin with and would not have been loyal anyway. I enjoy your candid writing style and killer card designs. Continue to be true to yourself and the blog will stay fun for you!

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