Blog Description

A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

First Blog Anniversary Give-Away

Sunday, August 18, 2013

In Texas, the new school year begins in August. 
After 37 years in education, 
each August feels like the start of a new year,  
new beginnings.

Is this phrase redundant? Hmmm...
Beginnings ARE new.

A new beginning (I'm going with the phrase)
is what happened last August 26. 
I wrote my first blog post,
French Tarte aux Fraise
(French Strawberry Tart).

Blogiversary...
is it a word yet?
Blog + anniversary
Recognized in the official dictionary yet? 
Not on my computer's dictionary, YET. 

Wait!
Is blog a word yet?  Recognized in the official dictionary? 
Yes.  At least it is in my computer's dictionary.
BLOG ~ shortening of weblog 
(ha ha ha...web log becomes we blog)
origin 1990s
blog |bläg|nounpersonal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis.
I do record opinions, but I love recording photos more.
Some of my favorite photos are 
Hydrangeas
Doors in Sarlat, France
Pink Fragrant Roses
Botanic Bleu's first French Country Christmas sale photo
Your favorite posts with photos are listed below with the
number of page views for these most popular posts.
Stats below are from Google Dashboard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I write a small blog, but the number of readers is increasing.
The graph below charts the number of pageviews per month. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading me. 

Yes, I look at the stats for my blog, and I regularly visit other blogs.

BUT...

What I keep reminding myself is that I write my blog for myself.
I love having readers, but the pictures and stories are really ways
of expressing myself now that I no longer work outside the home.
Writing a blog is a way to fill that desire to be creative and
to chronicle little snippets of my life.

Another BUT...

To be honest, it does make me feel good when someone leaves a nice
comment, a post is featured, new people follow, and/or
my pageviews increase,
and
when I make a new friend.

Thank you to my readers, 
thank you to everyone who leaves a comment, 
(they make my day brighter every time)
thank you to linky party hosts,  
and a big, Texas-size, 
thank you 
to my followers and new friends. 

A blogiversary deserves a gift...
not for me, but for YOU!

 

Would you like to win a white ceramic message board with a fleur-de-lis on it?
Great for writing menus, but also for greetings.
Happy Birthday, Happy Mother's Day, Merry Christmas, 
Joyeux Noël, Good Luck at Bridge

YES, you say? Then ... 

Do one, two, or all, of the following. 
Remember to leave a new comment for each entry. :)
  1. Leave a COMMENT on this post telling me you are a Botanic Bleu blog follower by Google Friend Connect or bloglovin' and say you would like to win the ceramic menu board.
  2. Share the Give Away photo AND a link back to this post on your blog, Facebook, or Pinterest board.  Leave a new comment on this post to let me know and for you to have another chance at winning.
  3. Become a FOLLOWER of the Botanic Bleu blog by Google Friend Connect and leave a comment letting me know you are a new GFC follower.
  4. Become a FOLLOWER of the Botanic Bleu blog by bloglovin' and leave a comment letting me know you are a new bloglovin' follower.
  5. Become a Botanic Bleu FACEBOOK follower and leave a comment on this blog post letting me know you are a Facebook follower.
  6. Become a Botanic Bleu PINTEREST follower and leave a comment on this blog post letting me know you are a Pinterest follower.
  7. Be sure to leave a new comment each time you enter to win. If you list everything you did to enter all on the same comment, you will only have ONE entry.  Each comment is an ENTRY.
  8. Entries close at midnight, Central Daylight Time, September 2, 2013, Labor Day.
  9. The winner will be selected at random and notified on the Botanic Bleu post published on  September 5, 2013, and by email, if possible. 
Whew!  That is a lot of information.
Good luck to you, 
my blogging friends.

The winner is 
Lisa @
Life Away From the Office Chair
~~~~~~~~~~
No one gave me compensation of any kind for this Give Away. 
I love my ceramic fleur-de-lis board and 
think you may love one, too.
~~~~~~~~~~

Please join me at these inspiring sites...
MONDAY

TUESDAY
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