Pickles & Honey 2.0
As of Saturday, I’ve been writing Pickles & Honey for two years. It’s kind of crazy how quickly the time passes, yet on the other hand, I can’t remember my life without it.
Two years ago, I was an avid blog reader and had finally worked up the courage to start my own and contribute in a more substantial and meaningful way to the community that had so positively impacted my life. I say worked up the courage because it can be scary to put your true self out there and share your highs and lows. I remember when I started Pickles & Honey, my dad was saying something about writing about politics and I quickly responded, “No politics or religion on my blog, thankyouverymuch.” To which he wisely replied, “Food is political.” I have come to learn that even recipes are a reflection of self and values – what you like to eat and choose to omit and why. And as I learn more about food, where it comes from, and how it makes me feel, my taste preferences and recipes change along the way.
It’s interesting to look back at my posts from 2011 and even the beginning of 2012 and see how they differ from present, not only in terms of ingredients, but also in terms of writing and photography. Each post is like a little time capsule that takes me right back to where I was not just food-wise, but mentally and emotionally.
For those of you who have been reading and commenting and commiserating, whether it’s been for the last two years or for the last two days, thank you. You are the most rewarding aspect of Pickles & Honey.
I’ve been wanting to freshen things up a bit here for a while now, so as a sort of blogging birthday present, we did just that. I told Aaron what I had in mind, and he refined my ideas and made them a reality. If you’re using a feed reader, you’ll need to click over to my site, and if you’re still seeing the tan background, you’ll need to empty your cache.
I love it. It’s clean and less cluttered (and pink!), the content is front-and-center, and the photography will be a little larger moving forward. I still have some edits to make, with the recipe page being the biggest project to tackle. If any of you have recommendations for plugins or a format you like, keeping with the clean and simple layout, definitely fill me in. I’m mostly happy with the functionality of Recipage, but it’s tedious to keep up-to-date and a little clunky.
Redesign aside, I have to give another mention to my exceptionally talented designer, photographer, best friend, high school sweetheart, and husband of two years as of today. Happy anniversary, Aaron! I am so incredibly thankful for your support of me and all of my endeavors, from big to small to those that have yet to happen.
Also, Pickles & Honey would be a lot less attractive without you.
Cheers to a third year!
xo
Amanda
