As our sixth blogiversary comes to a close (and we put the t-shirt launchers and airhorns away until next year), we want to say a genuine thank you for all the great moments. It’s been a year of laughter, projects, and community — and yes, the hashtag thanks for the memories applies. Last year we wrapped up with a geeky infographic that highlighted interesting statistics from our annual reader poll, and this year nearly 30,000 of you responded to the survey we posted at the end of Wednesday’s entry. That’s a huge jump from our very first blogiversary poll, when I hand-copied all 199 comment responses into a spreadsheet. Seeing how our readership has evolved — and which things haven’t changed at all — was fascinating. Even more rewarding was hearing what you enjoy, what you want more of, and what makes you come back week after week.
Putting the long story short for people who prefer quick takeaways: our typical reader is largely a married woman in her twenties or thirties who loves reading blogs and books, and who could probably use more dancing in her life. That said, “typical” only tells part of the story. If you don’t fall into that majority, you’re not fringe data — you’re part of the rich mix that makes this community interesting. We celebrate the variety here, and we love hearing from readers with different backgrounds, ages, and interests. In many ways the diversity of our audience is what keeps our content fresh and our conversations lively.
Over the years we’ve learned a ton from these annual polls. The results shape how we plan projects, which topics we explore in more depth, and what kinds of tutorials or home tours you most want to see. Your feedback influences everything from DIY how-tos to personal stories and the small, everyday details we share about living in our home. When so many of you ask for more of something — whether it’s budget-friendly makeovers, paint-color breakdowns, or practical renovation tips — we listen. And when you ask for different things, we try to experiment and bring new ideas to the blog because growth is a two-way street between creators and readers.
We also get a lot of questions about blogging professionally: how we built the site, how we grew our readership, how blogging became full time, and how we monetize content without losing authenticity. Those are some of the most asked-for topics every year, so we summarized our approach and shared actionable steps for readers who want to launch or grow their own blogs. The post about how we started a blog, expanded our traffic, and turned it into a full-time job includes practical advice drawn from our experience — what worked, what we’d do differently now, and which common pitfalls to avoid.
Beyond the big-picture stuff, reading your comments and poll responses reminded us why we started blogging in the first place: to connect with people who enjoy design, DIY, and honest storytelling. The blogiversary is a chance to reflect on the small wins that add up — the painted rooms, the weekend projects that went right (or wrong), the new recipes tried and shared, and the everyday moments that resonate. Thank you for being part of that journey. Your support, feedback, and enthusiasm keep us motivated to try new things and to share more of our process and personality along the way.
We’ll keep experimenting, learning, and sharing what we learn with you — including more behind-the-scenes posts about blogging and business basics for anyone curious about going pro. And of course we’ll keep celebrating milestones together, because those moments are always more fun with you in them.
PS: Guess Who graphic from here.
Update – Some of the most common requests we get are for information about professional blogging: how we set up the site, how we grew our audience, how we generate income while staying true to our voice. Because those questions come up so often, we put together a detailed guide about how we started a blog, grew our traffic, and turned it into a full-time job to help anyone interested in following a similar path.