Year Six.
What! Six years of doing this thing, writing terribly embarrassing rambles on the internet. Am I an adult yet?
It’s true. Today marks six whole years that I’ve been blogging, some 2100 days ago when I made the best decision ever to spill my guts to a bunch of (what would become) invisible internet friends.
Um, please tell me. How are we still friends when I posted things like this and expected you to read it? Let’s just take a moment to say WHAT.
Seriously.
So. Even though I’ve had the crumbs section on my blog for all six years and have shared lots of personal life things, this is the first year that I am including a few photos other than food in my blog birthday roundup.
Because it was kind of a big year.
The blog was my first baby and then I went and had, well… a REAL baby. I didn’t know how I’d feel about the site and of course, there were a few days where I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it, but truly? Other than those days here and there when I hibernated with Max this past winter, I have never not been crazy in love with this space and what I do.
Beyonce style.
(so that’s obviously huge.)
You guys gave me a place to go over the last year, a place that we built together and it provided me with NORMALCY when everything in my life had been wonderfully turned upside down and there was so much new new new. I’m still working through the new and am oh so glad you are here. You are the chocolate chips to my peanut butter spoon.
I hope you know how ridiculously grateful I am for your face everyday. Not a millisecond goes by that I’m not aware of how lucky I am to write in this space daily and call it a JOB (still explaining that one to my mom), to receive the opportunities I have thanks to you and most of all, to have a career that allowed me to spend the last nine months cuddled up to this chubbanugget.
I also hope you know that if you’re sitting on the other side of the screen, feeling all sorts of blah and not happy with the direction of your career, that I sat there once too, miserable and unfulfilled and bored – and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you’re willing to work for it and passionate about something. I’m asked a lot if I was “nervous that it wouldn’t work out” and, well – we all know that I don’t think with my brain and only with my heart, so my answer is no – because if I was putting 150% passion into something 150% of the time, how could it fail?
P.S. I still find myself afraid that the internet will explode tomorrow and this will all disappear. So there is that.
THANK YOU so much for sticking with me and reading, especially in the last year when I don’t even remember where I put my [insert car keys, phone, chapstick, wallet, workout shoes, water bottle, hair tie here]. (daily.) I have always been an avid blog reader and I know that enjoying a blog can ebb and flow – the writer can only offer you their person and well, after reading that day after day, it can get old, boring, stale and redundant. I hope that I can offer you enough that so even in those moments when you’re totally over my rambles or sick of my millennial ways (because let’s be real), you can still find something delicious to eat!
Cheers to so many exclamation points. Apologies for ginormous blocks of text.
[previously: year five, year four, year three, year two, year one]
74 Comments on “Year Six.”
Congrats on reaching the 6 year milestone. That’s awesome. I love your recipes. Keep them coming. Don’t think the Internet is going to blow up anytime soon, but I guess you never know. Okay, it’s back to the gym for me.
Nope. It’s 6 years of continuing to be an amazing source of recipe inspiration, humor, amazing photography, and a great blog friend who I finally had the chance to meet in person. You rock, Jess! Keep doing what you do – love How Sweet It Is.
OMG! Congratulations on 6 awesome years of blogging! Haha, I have to tell you that as a fellow food blogger who has spent way too much time writing my own embarrassing things for people to read, it is encouraging to see old posts like that and how far you’ve come since! Keep it up, Girl! We love your blog!
Congratulations!!! LOVE the blog!!
This is absolutely dope! Congrats on 6 amazing years.
you are truly an inspiration! and of course, a wonderful source of recipes with a healthy dose of humor!
Thank you for writing, Jess! Your blog is one of my favorites to read each morning & I equally adore your cookbook. Your work brings a lot of joy to others (and not just because we have more ways to eat bacon – although that doesn’t hurt).
Congrats on the big 6! And thank you for your encouragement to those on the other side of the screen. That’s so me. Thanks for reminding me to keep pushing through!
Congrats! Your blog is my favorite food blog and I’m always excited to read what you’ve come up with, no matter how silly or long!
xo Alyssa
Congratulations! Lovelovelove your blog and cookbook! You’re awesome!
You’re never old, boring stale or redundant! I love your wordy posts! I actually barely come here for the recipes, even though I do cook from your recipe index and cookbook a lot. I love the beauty posts and the favorites and life updates etc. I was so worried you would quit blogging when you had Max, and I so admire you for sticking with it. The internet would be a sad place without your color and flavor!
WE LOVE YOU! Happy 6 years <3
Congrats! You’re such a source of inspiration – I find myself regularly thinking “what would Jessica do” is WWJD inappropriate? I don’t care. you’ve inspired me to go for what I want, COUNTLESS times. I read your blog and feel like I know you – and that makes me strive to let people know ME on my blog. meeting you in person this year in seattle was amazing and I’m so grateful that I had the chance. you’re always incredibly sweet and you talked to me like we KNEW each other. you remembered meeting my boyfriend in new york and you didn’t forget my incessant tweets at you and I thought to myself – she’s amazing. the way she truly CARES about me (about us, your invisible internet friends) is amazing. my life is constantly up in the air and when I decided to address the fact that I wasn’t happy where i was and move to new york city I felt like it was okay, because no matter what happened I’d be doing what I wanted to do. I learned that from you. so thank you. THANK YOU for giving me something to look forward to every morning over the last four years (I was a little late to learning about blogs) and for putting yourself out there for the last six. xoxox
Well, I’ll be honest… I wasn’t reading in 2009. Lol! But since I discovered this place in 2011(ish), I have not stopped reading. This is the only bog I come to every day of the week to see what you’ve posted. I’ve made countless numbers of your recipes, Instagrammed them, Pinned them, and loved them (as has my other half), and had serious makeup envy each month with your beauty favorites. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a baby as cute as Max (btw I love that name) – Seriously, Gerber baby material.
You are the number one inspo for me to start my own blog… which I’m working on. It’s a dream of mine to work for myself full-time as writer, but since I already work a full-time job and attend school full-time, I’m still trying to figure out WHEN I’m going to do it,. But just know that you were my first window into the world of food blogging (and through which I’ve discovered countless other amazing blogs!) and made me realize that it can be an actual JOB. So congrats on six years. I’ll be here, reading and cooking, reading and cooking!
P.S., I proofread this twice and left in the word “bog”…??
Gah!!! Congrats, woman!!!! I love you so dang much and cannot picture my life without you!!! I will never forget that time you + Abby drove to Cleveland and I helped you learn how to use your camera. And then all the other times we got to hang. Okay, totally sapping out right now. You rule and so does this blog. Fabulous post. <3 <3 <3 6!!! <3 <3 <3
I’m pretty sure I also remember reading all three of your blogs after you got together and you taught her how to use her camera!! :) You three ladies are fabulous! Congratulations Jessica! xo
“I also hope you know that if you’re sitting on the other side of the screen, feeling all sorts of blah and not happy with the direction of your career, that I sat there once too, miserable and unfulfilled and bored – and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you’re willing to work for it and passionate about something. ”
this is me. miserable, unfulfilled, and bored. i haven’t found my passion yet though? i’m still just miserable.
thank you for all of you posts and recipes that keep me energized about cooking and life. I love that you share Max and a little Eddie with us. I not been bored of you yet, and i’ve been reading daily since 2011.
Congrats Jessica!!! I love your blog and look forward to reading every day. You are such an inspiration. Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes and laughs! Happy 6 years :)
Thank you for being an inspiration to me throughout my blogging career! I am chasing the light at the end of that tunnel and seeing your success makes me believe that bigger things are possible for any of us — we just never know what lies around the corner. Blessings to you on another six years and thanks again for bringing smiles and delicious recipes to all of us! :D
Happy blogiversary!
I’ve been reading for years and make a lot of your recipes (especially cookies!). I have never once been bored by you, your food, your family, your writing, what you do… none of it. I love it all. Thank you for sharing your life and your talents with us! :)
I’ve got so much love for this blog and you girl!!! Cheers to 6 years of being a sprinkle-filled joy to all of our lives!! xo
First off I’d like to say I love this blog. I started following it three years ago and fell in love. I use it for recipes all the time and love to read about your family! Thank you for taking the time to create and keep active with such a inspirational blog. Look forward to reading it everyday! Keep up the great work girl!
Thank you!
<3 <3 <3
You are honestly SUCH a joy to read and follow. Thank you so much for all your hard work in putting all your passion into your recipes, they always come out beautifully and delicious, but your humor and honesty is something that you can’t find anywhere else. Keep up the amazing work, happy 6th!
Congratulations on 6 wonderful years of blogging! I’ve loved your blog for 4 years now and it only keeps getting better :)
Thank you for the daily dose of fun and yum you give to your invisible internet friends!
ps: I’m going to have a cookie in your honour today <3
Congratulations on six years! I love coming to your space and reading your hilarious posts, finding delicious recipes and reading your funny stories about TV and other thoughts. Thanks for sharing it all with us!
What a wonderfully heartwarming and inspiring post. Happy blog anniversary!
I skim an increasingly excessive number of blogs on a daily basis, but yours is one that I read every word, every time. Regardless of whether I’m interested in the recipe, I read your words because they sound like ones that come out of my head. So happy 6th blog birthday, and congrats. Keep writing these words so my head doesn’t sound like it’s alone. :)
Congrats on 6 big, fun, full, wonderful years! I adore your blog and really look forward to reading whatever you might write. Food of course, but baby, makeup, books, TV, general thoughts, I enjoy it all. You are authentic and fun and that makes your blog so enjoyable. Yay you!!
SIX YEARS?! o m g. so grateful for your ramblings + recipes! thanks for all you do and all the adorable photos of Max!! xoxo
Congrats! I’ve loved reading your posts. I’m just reaching five years on my blog, and yes, sometimes I cannot believe the things (and photos!) I posted. it is part of the journey, isn’t it?
You are hands down my favorite food blogger (this coming from a person who has 250+ food blogs saved on feedly). I always look forward to your posts! Even on days when I’m not totally into the recipe, I still read the post just because I enjoy your writing so much; it always makes me laugh and it is SO relatable and down to earth. Please don’t ever give up on this gem and all your internet friends!
Congratulations on turning 6 (which is a lot in blog years!) Wishing you the best!
YAS! CONGRATS GIRLFRIEND!
Happy 6 years of blogging! I love reading your posts each day & am always fascinated by the food combos you come up with. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and loved every single one!
I love that line if i put 150% effort in 150% of the time how could I fail. Stealing it for future inspiration about it is more than just being passionate about something it is putting effort, time, and work into something to make it succeed. Congrats on 6 years!!
Thank YOU for sharing so much of your (honest) self with all of us. This is the ONLY blog I read religiously every single day — and, I’ve gotten quite a few compliments on your recipes. Congrats on six years!
Congratulations! Love your blog and it is the only one I consistently come back to and read each day! Thank you!
Happy 6 years! I don’t know how you have come up with so many creative recipes but I’m so glad your mind is a treasure trove of them! Here is to many many more awesome years to come.
Congrats! I’m a fairly new reader her, but love it – your recipes are great and your little man is a cutie!
Congrats on 6 years!! I have been following you since I discovered your blog this past year and have loved it ever since! I not only look forward to your new recipes, but your stories too! Can’t wait to see what the future holds!
Congrats, Jess! I look forward to every one of your posts. I hope that one day, I can make blogging a career myself and build an awesome, loyal “tribe” like you have. Honestly, How Sweet is GOALS!
Congrats on 6 years, Jessica!! Your blog was the first food blog I ever started reading, and you’re one of the reasons I decided to give blogging a go for myself. I’m in the beginning phase and most of my posts look like that post of yours from 2009 (poor college kid, can’t swing a decent camera yet), but your blog is so lovely and I can only hope to one day have my stuff look half as nice as yours! Your passion and love of fun comes through in every single on of your posts, and I always look forward to checking out your newest stuff! Congrats!!
I’ve been reading you for the majority of these 6 years and I’m so glad you’re blogging. Congrats on sticking around this long and rocking it!
SO happy janetha mentioned you for a cookie recipe almost 4 years back! crazy to think its been that long. i still swear you had max yesterday…. and i met you like last week.
As repetitive as this may sound — congratulations! I discovered your blog around year three and have obsessively been checking it every day since, recreating so many of your recipes, and can honestly say your blog + stories have been a huge, huge, huge inspiration for me to take the leap of faith and start my own blog. (I celebrated my first anniversary a few weeks ago!) Your creativity, writing and work ethic are amazing – never stop creating!
Congrats on year 6! I am so happy this crazy world of blogging brought us together. I love you to pieces! And we need to get our little guys together ASAP! Miss you! xo
Thank you for your blog. I look forward to reading it everyday and use your recipes religiously. You make me laugh out loud so please keep blogging on! Congrats on 6 successful years.
Congratulations!! I discovered your blog a few months ago and since then have been checking it daily. I am obsessed with your recipes and actually started planning my weekly meals using them. So much easier, specially on busy weeknights!. So thank you for sharing your talent with us!! and looking forward to reading your posts for many years to come.
All the feels for this post!!
Ahhhhh, congratulations :)!!!