Happy New Year: Ten Pictures I Should Have Posted Last Year But Never Did

I am currently reading Erin Gates' book Elements of Style, and was blown away by her blogging tenacity. For 7 years, Erin has posted every day Monday-Friday for a total of 2700 posts. She had never missed a weekday, ever. Wow.

Erin has every right to toot her own horn about this accomplishment. Blogging is hard work and her efforts are beyond impressive. She goes on to advise that the most important point to successful blogging is to blog with consistency. Even if you can't maintain her schedule, a serious blogger should post on the same days of the week with regularity.

Honestly, I don't know how I manage to have any readers at all, because the only consistency I have with respect to my blog is that I consistently don't have a set schedule.

Oh dear reader, I so wish I did. Every single year since I began blogging in late 2009, I resolve to achieve a consistent schedule and every year I fail. I try to set up an editorial calendar, I promise to blog Monday, Wednesday and Friday--realizing that 5 posts a week is too ambitious a goal for me, but it never happens. I don't even come close.

Why? Real life--as in life away from the computer-- always gets in the way.

Most of the time it is family demands, be it some need of my sons, or perhaps something for Larry and my elderly parents. Other times the blog suffers due to my own health needs. You might recall that I have degenerative disk disease, and if I get a bad flare, it is so long to the computer until it clears up. Plus, I am a gal who needs her sleep--there is no midnight blogging for me. In fact, I sign off all interactive devices by 9:30. I buy into that theory that the "blue light" messes with your sleep. I know what I need to stay healthy and I do it.

But here I am at the beginning of the new year, and once again, I vow that this year I am going to do it. I will run this puppy like clockwork. But I already know I have one strike against me. Most everyone got "back to work" on Jan. 5. I did too, but not here at Decor Arts Now. I spent the last few days helping my son Patrick photograph, edit and then frame his large portfolio for his MFA applications. I worked hard, but you wouldn't know it. See what I mean....

Strike two will come this weekend. I find that if I don't get a leg up with a post written over the weekend, the week heads downhill from there. And this upcoming weekend should be a total blast but will leave me with no time to blog. I am hosting my sister and sister-in-laws to celebrate sis' 70th birthday. There won't be one second where I sit at the computer.

I am not one of those bloggers who suffers from burn-out. (How could I with my random schedule and frequent breaks?)

I love my blog. But I gotta tell you my failure at this simple goal of consistency makes me wonder whether I should keep at it. You tell me. And, if you are a consistent blogger, please do share any tips on how you do it!

So here are some nice pictures that I took in 2014 that I had every intention of blogging about, but never managed to write the post. Enjoy them and Happy New Year. May you have better success with your goals and resolutions than I have historically had with mine.

I had oodles of post ideas from last year's Armory Show, including a feature on this artist:

No post on Diffa, Dining by Design. Why oh why, since I got some great shots....

Mary McDonald's new furniture line for Chaddock, introduced at the Spring 2014 High Point Market, was stellar and I even got to meet her. Here is a glimpse you should have had last April.

A vignette from Mary MacDonald's new furniture line for Chaddock introduced at the Spring 2014 High Point Market

I spent a full year planning the decor with Jennifer Mehditash for the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum's Centennial Celebration, the Moonlight Ball, and no post. Huh? What was that all about?

Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum's Moonlight Ball

There was a successful photo shoot at my house in Montauk--wouldn't you have appreciated learning what happened behind the scenes?

Some of the flowers for a photo shoot at my Montauk house.

Design firm Tilton Fenwick created a very charming Country Living House of the Year that I enjoyed seeing first hand. But you never saw my shots.

These stunning klismos chairs spotted at an antiques show in East Hampton are a Design Dictionary still waiting to happen....

A beautiful room at the 2014 Holiday House Hamptons that I should have given more attention (so sorry, now I can't even remember the designer!-I will update if you know).

And this stunning place setting at the Hampton Designer Show House--and I am only up to July!!

A beautiful tabletop at the Hamptons Designer Show House 2014

Here is to more timely blogging in 2015. I hope you will come along for the ride.

All photos by Lynn Byrne.