2016 has been a crazy year hasn’t it? Unfortunately, as many of you might agree, it hasn’t been “crazy” in the good way. For myself, this year has given me a lot of tough challenges, but despite the ups and downs, I’m extremely grateful that I’m still here and also, for the fact that 2016 coincidentally marks my 10th year of having this blog!!! Technically, my “blog-o-versary” was back in March, but… better late than never right?!
When I started Happy Mundane, waaaay back in the primordial days of the interwebs of 2006, I never had the intention of making this space into anything more than just a place to document and share the things that I love: good design of any kind.
The name “Happy Mundane” actually came about two-fold. My original tagline “there’s beauty in your dishsoap” really started it. I remember one morning as I was doing the dishes, just noticing how beautiful the soap bubbles were. Despite the monotony that happens in our daily lives, there’s always beauty and inspiration around. You just need to take a second to appreciate the little moments of visual magic – from the graphic patterns on a roll of toilet paper, the shadows on a wall, to the way a leaf has fallen on the ground.
The second, came mainly from the fact that I was based in suburban Orange County, California. To some, living in suburbia can be considered quite “mundane”. I don’t live in the “big city” and I don’t necessarily have immediate access to all the coolest latest and greatest. Yet, I don’t think it really matters where you live. I think it’s more about how you live. In keeping with the theme of “beauty is everywhere”, I felt it was important to show that you’re not limited to certain stores or cities to find good designs. You can find great things in the shops around you. Whether it’s your local grocery store, a “big box” store, or a second-hand store, you’ll be surprised at what you can find. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or if something you want isn’t within your budget, you can also try DIY-ing to achieve a look. With the power of the internet, you have access to almost anything at any given time. It doesn’t matter where you are, you can have good design in your life!
Back in 2006, very few people knew what a “blog” really was, or even could be. It’s been so wonderful to see how something so seemingly simple, has grown into such a useful, and powerful thing. It’s given so many inspiring people a voice, incredible opportunities, and even full time careers that weren’t even fathomable 10 years ago. It’s been fascinating to see how things have grown and evolved over the past few years. The rise of social media definitely changed the game. I love how I can now be able to share my #mundaneaesthetic with all of you instantly, even “Live!”, via all the channels available. However, despite all of that, I’m still very thankful that I have this blog platform to act as a “home base” to share and create from without any limitations.
I’m incredibly humbled and appreciative of all the support that you, my beloved Happy Mudnane readers have given to me over this -wow- I’m going to say it outloud- decade! Whether you were one of the OG blog readers, or you recently found me via instagram or pinterest, your likes, comments, and shares give me so much encouragement and I hope you stay with me as we venture into an unknown, but exciting future.
One thing for sure, I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter of this space, and YOU play a vital role in that. If you would be so kind as to take my little short survey below, I’d love to get to know you better!
Thank you again for following me and taking precious time out of your day to read this lil’ ol’ bloggy-thing. I wish you and yours a safe, warm, and happiest of holidays!