I chose to start my blog on July 4, 2010. A date I could remember in addition to my strong patriotism.
Today I mark ten years. Amazing. However, I have slacked off and sometimes stopped posting for long spells since publishing more on Instagram and Facebook. I keep telling myself I need to get back to doing more tablescapes. This blog shares my personal life as well as my professional life in showing the furniture pieces I design for Swede Collection. Some real surprises coming in the next few months on what I am making next. I have had a beautiful run these past few years of showing my furniture line in Milieu magazine. So the blog topics jump all over the place like life itself.
Back in 1969 I was the editor of my high school newspaper. My yearbook photo caption says what the graduate wants to become in life. Mine said I wanted to be the editor of a shelter magazine like House Beautiful. Well, that never happened but at that time nobody could have ever imagined that we each could have our own magazine on the Internet. Technology is amazing. So this is my little House Beautiful platform! I sort of got it in the end run.
My original goal when I started in 2010 is the same now ten years later. I want to share everything beautiful I find in life. There is so much ugliness in the world that I need the comfort of focusing on enjoying the beautiful things that are everywhere if you just look.
But my real message today is to thank the followers that have stayed with me, many of whom for all ten years. I celebrate you today. I am so grateful for your loyalty and kind words about my photographs. My tribe is small in comparison to others but are the most caring and genuine people. I don't need a large audience. I need the best hearts and minds and I have that. THANK YOU! Let's stay together another 10 years.
Since this is the Fourth of July, I want to share some photos I took of the Statue of Liberty. I tried to capture unusual angles. I hope during my lifetime I never see her destroyed.
Regarding this last photo of Ellis Island, I remember some years ago when I was working on my family tree a conversation with a young woman about Ellis Island. She thought all immigrants were processed through Ellis Island. But not mine. Ancestors on one side of my tree arrived in 1640 and the other side came in 1660. Those were brave people. Ellis Island wasn't around until 1892. I found records that by 1705 one family had already had 15 kids born in Pennsylvania. By 1776 recognized as the birth date of America, my people had been here 130+ years. So grateful for those risk takers to give me this country to live in.
Today is a day of thankfulness to you reading this and Happy Birthday America.
Colleen Martin
Founder, Swede Collection
