Yes, it is true. A year ago today I wrote my very first post. Little did I know back then how attached I would become to this little blog, how many wonderful and loyal (and really, really, ridiculously good looking) readers it would attract, what incredible little treasures I would uncover, how many amazing people I would meet, what mind-blowing opportunities would come my way because of it. Little did I know…It is impossible to put into words how I feel as I write this post. I feel humbled, honoured and privileged that so many of you visit these pages every single day. I do not take this responsibility lightly, as you guys put an amazing amount of trust in me by doing so. We live in a world of information overload – there is so much to see, read and hear every single day. It is because of this that I do not take your attention for granted.I’ve been thinking back to all that time, all the months I spent contemplating starting this blog, and all the excuses I came up with for not doing it – too busy, no time to blog regularly, not knowing if I could actually write, if anybody would care to read it, being just another blog amongst billions out there… I can still remember this anxiety and tension between absolutely dying to share all the stuff I had been collecting over the years, all this information that was simply busting to come out, and at the same time feeling the sense of dread, the fear of I-have-no-idea-what… fear of the unknown I suppose. It all seems so trivial and so silly right now, as I truly cannot imagine my life without Yellowtrace. It’s strange – this blog has become such an important part of my day and a true extension of who I am, that I simply cannot recall the time when I wasn’t blogging. And so far it’s turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done. Hands down. So why do I tell you all this? I guess I just want to be honest with you guys. I know that so many people out there seem to think that I was “born to blog”, that I’m some sort of a “natural” at it (btw, just to clarify, this is not what I think, this is what others have told me, not having known the truth about the doubts I’d had before starting this blog). So if you have a project of your own which has been sitting on hold for quite some time, no matter what it is, I encourage you to simply do it. Just like that. No more thinking about it, no more silly doubts. Just lean into it as you ask yourself this question – What is the worst possible thing that can happen? I suspect that the answer is not going to be nearly as bad as you might imagine it to be. Then weigh up the up-side and do the maths – if the up-side outweighs the hypothetical down-side – it’s a no-brainer really. Yes or yes?Anyway, that’s enough from me. I hope that our next year together can be even bigger and better for us all. And as I said in my first post – thank you for flying with me… still.Yours truly,Little Miss Yellowtrace x [images via here and here]Share the love:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPinterest 25 Responses Sara December 1, 2010 Congrats! Such a great celebration of achievement and believing in yourself. Thanks for the post, thanks for your blog and thanks for being an inspiration. Reply Husband December 1, 2010 What an amazing ride this first year has been. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.Happy 1st birthday yellowtrace!x Reply Jenna December 1, 2010 Wow that year went quickly – Congratulations and happy birthday Yellowtrace! Thank-you for being one of the most entertaining and inspiring design blogs to read – I look forward to my daily little email from the URL with the yellow dot x Reply Linda from OEKE December 1, 2010 Yellowtrace has hit a milestone A big ONE YEAR anniversary today I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to say congrats and yipeeyahWell done Dana – you’re the best (-: Reply Mark Leib December 1, 2010 So very well done D….A massive achievment,and so much more to come…. mark ;) Reply Kate December 1, 2010 Congratulations! What a lot to achieve in only one little year!Always look forward to your posts – thanks so much for brightening my days :) Reply captain kk December 1, 2010 congratulations little miss yellowtrace. your blog is awesome! Reply Ludmila {creamylife.com} December 1, 2010 Congratulations, Dana! here’s to many more blog anniversaries! xoxox Reply Tweets that mention yellowtrace blog » A Year Ago Today…: -- Topsy.com December 1, 2010 […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steven Flory and Peter Nankivell, Dana Hughes. Dana Hughes said: A year ago today I wrote my very first post… Happy birthday yellowtrace! http://bit.ly/gA6ER8 […] Reply Vanessa December 1, 2010 Well done Dana. Just so you know, I only subscribe to one blog and yellowtrace is it! Thank you for the inspiration and laughs. Looking forward to the coming year. Reply yellowtrace December 1, 2010 Oh man! How extremely lucky am I? You guys are such a wonderful bunch – honestly. Thank you for your well wishes and all your support. This blog wouldn’t be half of what it is without you guys. If I didn’t have your readership and your support, I would have stopped blogging ages ago… Extreme love, x dana Reply Jim December 1, 2010 Happy blogtastic birthday!!! Reply Justine December 1, 2010 That’s so awesome Dana! It’s amazing how much you have achieved with yellowtrace in just 12 months! You’re a superstar. Congratulations!! xx Reply Gabrielle December 1, 2010 Warmest Congratulations Dana!Your post today really hit home as I have (finally) started my blog about a month ago – after all the same doubts, fears and uhming and ahhing that you went through… And I am so glad I did!You are truly an inspiration and it’s great to see all that you have accomplished in a year’s time! Well done!Looking forward to the year ahead :)X Reply Suzie December 1, 2010 And inspire you do!! Congratulations and a big thank you for brightening up my lunch breaks:-).Suzie x Reply Lauren December 1, 2010 Congratulations! Yellowtrace is such a fabulous blog, you always find the coolest and most interesting stuff to blog – I love it (often I think, why didn’t I find that, gosh she’s good! he he) Blogging is so fun (sometimes I get obsessed), I find it a bit of a creative outlet when work is a little dry.Really look forward to what’s instore next year – love your work!Lauren Reply Galit December 1, 2010 Congrats Dana and happy 1st BlogBirthday Yellowtrace! May you grow and keep blooming!Keep up the great {writing}work!Galit xx Reply dabito December 1, 2010 Big congratulations! Your blog is so moving and inspiring. Dana, you’re super duper! Color me Yellowtrace! Reply Cathie December 1, 2010 Happy Birthday yellowtrace!It’s been a wonderful year Dana… I’ve loved reading your blog and it definitely is a “go to” page when I’m trying to procrastinate (not that I do that very often…)I wonder if husband bought iPad so he could play… yes?Cath xx Reply Minga December 3, 2010 AWESOME JOB! Thank you for inspiring me to greater levels of understanding and for the courage you give me through our chats and reading this blog, for a year of giggling at your comment and tangents and for raising the bar of design (and on the odd occasion raise mine… mop and bucket to reception, ploise!)I look forward to many more years of it all, HAPPY BLOGGING BIRTHDAY YELLOWTRACE XXXLOVE Minga Reply Sarah-Jane December 3, 2010 Ah love, what can I say? Simply brilliant! We too cannot imagine a life with yellowtrace. WELL DONE! It really is a perfect piece of you, and part of my daily routine. xx Reply Sarah-Jane December 3, 2010 ahhh read WITHOUT yellowtrace please! s-j x Reply dai December 4, 2010 dear yellowtrace, wow i didn’t notice that this blog only exits for 1 year! i though it is here long long time…:) thank you so much for your inspiration and beautiful eyes. really in such information-overload days, yellowtrace is one bright star in my Google Reader!:)Love, a reader from Taiwan Reply food sponge December 5, 2010 Congratulations! To achieve so much in just 1 short year is incredible. Keep up the great work & thanks for all the inspirational design.All the best for yellowtrace’s future!food sponge Reply Yellowtrace 5th Birthday: Reader Survey + MEGA GIVEAWAY! November 27, 2014 […] When Yellowtrace turned one, two, three & […] ReplyLeave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ
Sara December 1, 2010 Congrats! Such a great celebration of achievement and believing in yourself. Thanks for the post, thanks for your blog and thanks for being an inspiration. Reply
Husband December 1, 2010 What an amazing ride this first year has been. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.Happy 1st birthday yellowtrace!x Reply
Jenna December 1, 2010 Wow that year went quickly – Congratulations and happy birthday Yellowtrace! Thank-you for being one of the most entertaining and inspiring design blogs to read – I look forward to my daily little email from the URL with the yellow dot x Reply
Linda from OEKE December 1, 2010 Yellowtrace has hit a milestone A big ONE YEAR anniversary today I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to say congrats and yipeeyahWell done Dana – you’re the best (-: Reply
Mark Leib December 1, 2010 So very well done D….A massive achievment,and so much more to come…. mark ;) Reply
Kate December 1, 2010 Congratulations! What a lot to achieve in only one little year!Always look forward to your posts – thanks so much for brightening my days :) Reply
Ludmila {creamylife.com} December 1, 2010 Congratulations, Dana! here’s to many more blog anniversaries! xoxox Reply
Tweets that mention yellowtrace blog » A Year Ago Today…: -- Topsy.com December 1, 2010 […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Steven Flory and Peter Nankivell, Dana Hughes. Dana Hughes said: A year ago today I wrote my very first post… Happy birthday yellowtrace! http://bit.ly/gA6ER8 […] Reply
Vanessa December 1, 2010 Well done Dana. Just so you know, I only subscribe to one blog and yellowtrace is it! Thank you for the inspiration and laughs. Looking forward to the coming year. Reply
yellowtrace December 1, 2010 Oh man! How extremely lucky am I? You guys are such a wonderful bunch – honestly. Thank you for your well wishes and all your support. This blog wouldn’t be half of what it is without you guys. If I didn’t have your readership and your support, I would have stopped blogging ages ago… Extreme love, x dana Reply
Justine December 1, 2010 That’s so awesome Dana! It’s amazing how much you have achieved with yellowtrace in just 12 months! You’re a superstar. Congratulations!! xx Reply
Gabrielle December 1, 2010 Warmest Congratulations Dana!Your post today really hit home as I have (finally) started my blog about a month ago – after all the same doubts, fears and uhming and ahhing that you went through… And I am so glad I did!You are truly an inspiration and it’s great to see all that you have accomplished in a year’s time! Well done!Looking forward to the year ahead :)X Reply
Suzie December 1, 2010 And inspire you do!! Congratulations and a big thank you for brightening up my lunch breaks:-).Suzie x Reply
Lauren December 1, 2010 Congratulations! Yellowtrace is such a fabulous blog, you always find the coolest and most interesting stuff to blog – I love it (often I think, why didn’t I find that, gosh she’s good! he he) Blogging is so fun (sometimes I get obsessed), I find it a bit of a creative outlet when work is a little dry.Really look forward to what’s instore next year – love your work!Lauren Reply
Galit December 1, 2010 Congrats Dana and happy 1st BlogBirthday Yellowtrace! May you grow and keep blooming!Keep up the great {writing}work!Galit xx Reply
dabito December 1, 2010 Big congratulations! Your blog is so moving and inspiring. Dana, you’re super duper! Color me Yellowtrace! Reply
Cathie December 1, 2010 Happy Birthday yellowtrace!It’s been a wonderful year Dana… I’ve loved reading your blog and it definitely is a “go to” page when I’m trying to procrastinate (not that I do that very often…)I wonder if husband bought iPad so he could play… yes?Cath xx Reply
Minga December 3, 2010 AWESOME JOB! Thank you for inspiring me to greater levels of understanding and for the courage you give me through our chats and reading this blog, for a year of giggling at your comment and tangents and for raising the bar of design (and on the odd occasion raise mine… mop and bucket to reception, ploise!)I look forward to many more years of it all, HAPPY BLOGGING BIRTHDAY YELLOWTRACE XXXLOVE Minga Reply
Sarah-Jane December 3, 2010 Ah love, what can I say? Simply brilliant! We too cannot imagine a life with yellowtrace. WELL DONE! It really is a perfect piece of you, and part of my daily routine. xx Reply
dai December 4, 2010 dear yellowtrace, wow i didn’t notice that this blog only exits for 1 year! i though it is here long long time…:) thank you so much for your inspiration and beautiful eyes. really in such information-overload days, yellowtrace is one bright star in my Google Reader!:)Love, a reader from Taiwan Reply
food sponge December 5, 2010 Congratulations! To achieve so much in just 1 short year is incredible. Keep up the great work & thanks for all the inspirational design.All the best for yellowtrace’s future!food sponge Reply
Yellowtrace 5th Birthday: Reader Survey + MEGA GIVEAWAY! November 27, 2014 […] When Yellowtrace turned one, two, three & […] Reply