a blogging birthday, social media & my thoughts on why and how

by Sharon Santoni

This little blog is celebrating its 9th birthday this month.    Nine years!   It sounds like a long time but actually it has gone by in a blink.   From creating the blog when I hesitated for a week before hitting the publish button, to the first comment left by a reader and then to the surprising doors that have opened because of the blog, it has been quite a ride.  And a large part of this has been via social media.

I started the blog as an experiment, and as a lot of you know, a way to reinvent myself as the prospect of an empty nest loomed large.   Using Blogger for the first few years as I learnt how to use a computer (!) and how to create a blog, how to leave comments and so on.    I followed the ‘good blogger guides’ and of course I was lucky to find some very generous fellow bloggers who started to put me on their blog reading list and gave me a shoutout.

Everyone told me I had to be on Facebook, and then Pinterest and then Instagram.  Today those platforms are so much a part of our daily lives it is hard to realise that most of us have only been active on social media for a few years.

It has become a vital piece of my blog and business, as a way to connect with readers and clients. Though I must say, that Social media and its importance in our real living can easily get out of proportion. Who hasn’t rolled their eyes at the sight of a family sitting down to a meal, with each person staring at a screen instead of talking to each other?!   We all know it’s more important to talk to real people than a screen!  So, I try to keep a balance, turning the notifications off on my phone, and only checking in a few times a day. But the fact is that Instagram has become the quickest way to find out more about a brand, a person or even your neighbour! But what are the right lines to tread?

I don’t consider myself to be an expert on social media, but I am often asked about running an Instagram page, or building up a following on Instagram or Facebook.   For many it’s a way of sharing with friends and nothing more.   For brands it is a vital showroom window and for a blogger and business owner like me it’s important and it’s also fun.

So here, in honour of my blogging birthday, and because I hope you’ll let me know how you like to use your social media, are a few rules that I try to follow:

  1.      The blog.   The blog has been my doorway to my books, my tours, the box and now the magazine.   I love the blog, and love that I have such long term and generous readers who often share with me.   The blog remains my main identity despite the other stuff that happens here.
  2.      On Instagram I try to post good photos, normally a direct reflection of what I am doing that day.   I often stop my car to take a shot, and I always have a camera or my phone with me, just in case.     Instagram is such a fantastic platform for sharing visuals, it is so quick and easy to look at and like pictures.   Of course there is a lot of talk about algorithms, and rules to follow, but personally I don’t have the patience to keep up with the ever moving goalposts.  I simply post one picture a day, and I try to make it a good one!
  3.      For Pinterest  – there are different ways of using Pinterest.   As a scrapbook and incredible resource for ideas when we have a room to decorate, or a garden design to work on; Pinterest is the best for inspiration!     For drawing new visitors to a website it is also a great tool.  If your photos on your website are good then they’ll be pinned; other people will see them and click to find out where they came from, and hopefully if they like what they find when they land on your page then they’ll stick around.
  4.    Facebook is a different animal, and we can use it in many ways.   There is the purely social and family aspect of keeping people informed about what is going on in your life.    The practical aspect of rallying support and interest to a particular event, and the business aspect of giving your brand added credibility.     I’ve been very fortunate on Facebook, in finding a large audience who like my pictures.   I only post my own material, and more often I just add a picture without any text.   We also share our blogposts on Facebook, and it’s a great way to give a second showing to older blogposts that readers have never seen, or are happy to see again.

There you have it!   I think my overall rules are :  use my own photos; be consistent and always be positive.  I never use my social media for anything personal, but that’s just because I like to keep my private life separate.  We each do what we are comfortable with.

So now I’ve told you how I juggle in this brave new world, how about you?  Is social media an important part of your life today?   And if so, is that a surprise to you?  Do tell me please, I’d love to know.

 

 

 

76 comments

Anna January 22, 2019 - 5:54 pm

Happy 9th Birthday

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:55 pm

thank you ! 🙂

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charles Spada January 22, 2019 - 5:56 pm

Happy 9th, Sharon!

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:55 pm

Thank you Charles !

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Jeanne Henriques January 22, 2019 - 6:01 pm

Where has the time gone?? Happy Beautiful 9th Birhtday Sharon…it’s been an absolute pleasure. XX

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:56 pm

Thank you Jeanne, and you were such a kind friend to me when I started out, and since! 🙂

love

Sharon

x

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Deborah January 22, 2019 - 6:01 pm

I love your presence on social media Sharon! Thank you for sharing your lovely photos. They are inspiring beyond words, as they should be! And, I agree keeping one’s private life out of the mix is wise.

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:57 pm

thank you Deborah, we each do whatever we are most comfortable with 🙂

Sharon

x

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barbie January 22, 2019 - 6:03 pm

A very Happy 9th Birthday, looking forward to many to come.

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Freda Carroll January 22, 2019 - 6:04 pm

Happy Birthday to your wonderful blog!

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Natalia Radula January 22, 2019 - 6:08 pm

Dear Sharon,
Your blog,and! French Box! are wonderful,creative,and always give us something of beauty to both look forward to and be inspired by.
I do need your help regarding your new magazine.
I subscribed(paid,and identified myself),was very excited for the first digital issue(!) but find I am unable to view the entire magazine.
Keeps telling me I am not registered.
Contacted Joomag( spelling?) who were not of help.Told me they had no tecord and to buy another subscription.
I’d be so appreciative if you please help straighten this out!

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:36 pm

Hi Natalia, thank you for your kind words and custom! Of course we’ll help you with the magazine, it should be quite easy. I’ll take a look straight away and send you an email

best

Sharon

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Ida Duplechin January 22, 2019 - 6:08 pm

Thank you for your description of your technique. This is such a pleasant blog. You have such a welcoming website; it’s a great example of a pleasant invitation into your life. It brings a bit of pleasure to my day when I sit down w/my cup of tea to relax.

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Diane January 22, 2019 - 6:10 pm

Happy 9th Blogging Birthday! I have been following you of FaceBook and am thrilled to be part of your tour in May.

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Teresa C January 22, 2019 - 6:11 pm

Thank you! Keep on keeping on. I open your message daily and am made happy to have done so.
God bless you
T

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Kathleen Botsford January 22, 2019 - 6:13 pm

LOve your blog, your books and your box! I hope to experience your tours in the near future. Happy Birthday!

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Nina M Johns January 22, 2019 - 6:17 pm

Happy 9th birthday. I am fairly new to your blog and now that I am retired I can spend more time reading it rather that looking at the pictures. Please know that as you celebrate your birthday your blog has been an inspiration to those of us who read it. It makes we want to do and see more. -N

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Holly Sneeringer January 22, 2019 - 6:18 pm

Great advice and beautiful blog! I’d love to do a short email interview with you for my very new blog elegantcountrystyle.com as you have been a trail blazer and inspiration! Let me know if you’d be interested. Thanks!

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Appell January 22, 2019 - 6:26 pm

Happy Happy Birthday on a wonder blog. You truly enjoy what you do and you do it so well. Brava, dear girl.

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Taste of France January 22, 2019 - 6:41 pm

Happy anniversary!
I prefer original material. I also prefer meaningful material, not just shopping lists/suggestions. You excel in both–your own photos and writing, and you always present a beautiful slice of French life.
A friend just now emailed me about my opinion regarding LInkedIn. I used it professionally a little, but I don’t spend time on it. Or on any social media. I blog in the original sense–as a Web log or diary–crossed a bit with research. Original photos and writing, no shopping or sponsors. Topics that interest me and, I hope, others, and not based on SEO. I liked Pinterest at first as a scrapbook, especially when working on a big renovation. But now I use it mostly as an online cookbook. I rarely upload things myself because it’s too time-consuming. I also get behind on Instagram–it’s like flipping through a pretty magazine, quite relaxing, so I don’t like to feel as if it’s a duty. And Facebook is a no-go, regardless of how connected it is.
You have done a fantastic job and really built it from the ground up. Bravo.

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Kathie Dadjou January 22, 2019 - 6:45 pm

Congratulations on your 9th year! I have never been on Facebook, nor Pinterest. The only social media I participate in is Instagram as way to keep up with family. Your Instagram account and your blog, however, are regular stops for me. Your daily reminders to the world of how to live graciously is music to my soul. While I am do not have the means to participate in your tours or your lovely boxes I relish the opportunities for information about them. Your books (which you signed in Sonoma) have a prominent place in my sitting room and the pages have been well worn. Thank you Sharon for being brave enough to reinvent yourself. We have all benefited!

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Wendy Dewar Hughes January 22, 2019 - 6:48 pm

Happy 9th Anniversary to you and your lovely blog. I lived in France many years ago, for a short while, so I enjoy seeing the French style through your blog. (BTW, the days of two spaces after a period have passed. One space is all you need.) 🙂

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 6:59 pm

Hi Wendy, thank you for the grammar check 🙂 I know the rules have changed but I still like the visual comfort of the double space after a full stop. As my daughters would put it, #mygamemyrules

best

Sharon

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Adelia January 25, 2019 - 1:26 am

So delighted to read this, Sharon! Am a great fan of the double space myself. 🙂
And CONGRATULATIONS on 9 delightful years. I continue to enjoy it tremendously. Thanks for continuing to add a note of grace to my life/ our lives.
Adelia

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AFN January 22, 2019 - 6:50 pm

Very much appreciate you lovely, inspiring blog. Happy 9th year. Too private to be a social media
person, other than a couple blogs. Yours, exceptional. Thanks Sharon.

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Myrna January 22, 2019 - 6:58 pm

You are amazing Sharon! I was just at Chateau Sonoma and speaking about our meeting at your book signing. My French Country Home brings continued hours of joy. Congratulations on your #9!

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 7:00 pm

Hi Myrna, Thank you! that was such a fun event at Chateau Sonoma. And I’m looking forward to welcoming Sarah and her guests on the tour in October

best

Sharon

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Robert January 22, 2019 - 6:59 pm

Happy Ninth!! The photos are some of your best! Love your house in the evening snow!! Also the wonderful arrangement of roses!
Thank you for enhancing our lives with beauty, elegance, and chique design!

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Cynthia O'Brien January 22, 2019 - 6:59 pm

Happy Birthday to your lovely blog, I love all the beauty you share and it was wonderful to meet you in Sonoma on your book tour!

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susana K January 22, 2019 - 7:00 pm

Sharon dearest lady,
Your photos are absolutely wonderful,original and conveys your taste and elegance to whoever receives your blog.Congratulation on your success! For quite a while I follow up your work and is the best of work I have ever seen on the internet..Why ?Because the too good taste I love and understand most, the English and the French emerges together in a dazzling beauty in all aspect of your prezentation.

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Anne January 22, 2019 - 7:19 pm

Happy Birthday and many more. I love your photos and wish I could be more consistent with mine on my blog page on my my Pilates site but I keep trying and I am sure with you to inspire I shall.
Enjoy this special birthday.
Bizzz, bizzz,
Anne

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Denise January 22, 2019 - 7:22 pm

Happy Birthday to your wonderful blog. I found you years ago. I was born in a Paris moved to America years ago. So when I found you you became a sister to me. I love the journey you have taken me too. Love the blog, books, the magazine. Hopefully this year it will be in my budget to get the box, maybe my birthday.
Merci mon amie.

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Katzcradul January 22, 2019 - 7:25 pm

I truly wish I could overcome my fear of blogging, Instagram and Pinterest. They terrify me. I’ve never used them and I suppose I’m just afraid of the unknown. The technology seems every changing and that’s a bit daunting to me. I’ve been very successful with my YouTube channel so I suppose I should give the other venues a try. I guess what I really need to do is to look for a mentor. Congratulations to you. Your photos are lovely.

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Sharon Santoni January 22, 2019 - 8:39 pm

Hello, thank you for your comment.

Let me just say that if you have mastered a youtube channel, then you certainly have nothing to fear from a blog, instagram or pinterest account! The best way to learn is to jump in at the deep end 🙂

best

Sharon

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Josephine January 22, 2019 - 7:33 pm

Much success, read your blog regularly, I don’t have any social media accounts. I rely on email, so enjoy yours verymuch. Any chance of a paper magazine?

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Valorie January 22, 2019 - 7:56 pm

Love your blog and appreciate all that you’ve invested in it to share with your readers. I’m not huge on social media and I’m limiting it more all the time, but I will always make time for my favorites! Yours is at the top of my favorite list!

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Sharon martin January 22, 2019 - 8:02 pm

Looking forward to the next 9 years…happy 9th!

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Bronwyn Lee-Coward January 22, 2019 - 8:29 pm

Congratulations Sharon and a well deserved thank you from the many people whose lives you enrich with those wonderful photos and news of your part of the world that we all admire. You give us all inspiration with our homes, gardens and ourselves with your style and instinctive knowledge of in particular France and Paris, and bring a little bit of envy into our daily life. In saying that you have actually made it possible for us to aspire to living that dream by offering us your yearly tours, the French boxes and your books. Thank you.

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Margo January 22, 2019 - 9:26 pm

Congratulations, Sharon. I love receiving your emails and looking at your blog. But I have deleted Facebook from my phone and iPad. I find it too competitive and, at times, just plain hurtful. Through your blog I’ve found Yvonne at StoneGable who has been a blessing for me these past months. Recently I’ve rented space in a second hand shop to try and sell some of the overflow from downsizing 2 years ago. I spend one afternoon a week there and hope to learn to paint some smaller pieces as well. I have loved the Country French decor for close to 30 years and am struggling to adapt my more formal/fancy style to our home on the lake. Your site continues to be an inspiration for me as I continue to update my home as well as find out more about blogging, and of course, to make my hope to travel to France this year a reality.

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Julie January 22, 2019 - 9:56 pm

Thank you Sharon for your beautiful and informative blog. I look forward to it.
Happy Anniversary

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Suzanne D. Grablr January 22, 2019 - 10:15 pm

Sharon,

Happy Burthday to you in your blog. I enjoy your blog. I live in Kentucky and ism an interior designer. Have the best day.

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Bonnie Gutierrez January 22, 2019 - 10:16 pm

Happy 9th!

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Brigitte January 22, 2019 - 10:16 pm

Happy 9th! I found your blog last year. It became important to me in order to maintain some real memories. My husband and I travelled to France in September, mainly in Normandy with time in Paris. Looking at your pictures and reading your stories have continued to maintain those memories with a tad, perhaps too much, of yearning to return asap. Love your longer stories too.

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Blanca M. January 22, 2019 - 10:38 pm

Hi Sharon,
Happy 9th Anniversary!
I can’t remember for how long I have been following you, I follow you since you where selling houses wares and other French finds.
I love your blog, your pictures and your flower arrangements. You are a very nice and fine lady.
Thank you for the information on how you do social media. May God continue blessing you, your family and your business

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Ksenija January 22, 2019 - 11:02 pm

Happy 9th Anniversary Sharon!! I read your blog posts faithfully and love your short stories too. Your wonderful articles, gorgeous photos are a true inspiration for us readers who love “art, beauty, brocant treasures, floral arrangements, gardening tips, discovering new shops and cafes, tasty recipes and all things “French”. Reading your blog is a pleasure, and it recalls my past trips to France (for both work and pleasure). Over the past few years I’ve subscribed to your ‘My Stylish Box and look forward in anticipation to the next box! Recently I also subscribed to your online magazine which I have been enjoying very much. The visuals are stunning, the content is extensive, and articles are easy to navigate. Congratulations Sharon!
Sincerely, A Faithful Reader xo

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Carole J January 22, 2019 - 11:21 pm

Hi Sharon,
Congratulations on the 9th year of your blog! So many enjoyable, interesting, humorous, beautifully photographed reads. Oh and I must mention great recipes too! I think your reader, Kathie Dadjou summed it up perfectly, ” we all have benefited.” Merci Sharon!

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Christine January 23, 2019 - 12:21 am

Your blog is one of my favorites . You are professional and warm at the same time . I never tire of the gorgeous photos you have given us . I never tire of your endless ideas for design , decor , food , tablescapes , entertaining ,fashion , gardening , stories , etc., etc.
I admit , some blogs I have unsubscribed from as they had become somewhat boring . Not yours !
To answer your question regarding social media…
I am not a fan or supporter of FB . I value my privacy and I care not to hear and see everyone’s political agendas . I don’t feel as if I need daily life details from hundreds of “friends” .
I use Pinterest to search for recipes , books , decorating ideas , tablescapes .
I enjoy IG for professional Interior Designers and pictures of beautifully decorated rooms .
Congratulations on the anniversary of your blog !
Cheers to today and to the future !
Thank you for sharing such beauty !

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Colleen Taylor January 23, 2019 - 12:36 am

Congratulations Sharon on this marvelous 9th anniversary! I can’t remember how long I’ve been following you but goodness, it’s been quite awhile. I loved getting to know you as best as I can through this blog and our various emails. I still hope to one day meet you in person. It’s grown to be a most beautiful centerpiece but leaps and bounds & I couldn’t be happier for you.

I remember fondly when you featured me & my artwork a few years back. That’s was indeed a thrill for me. All the wonderful comments just floored me.
Since you asked the question about the using of social media, for me it’s necessary in order to sell my art. It does certainly make a person step out of their comfort zone but I don’t share much at all about my personal life either. There definitely are aspects about it that I dislike but one must put up with some of them. Without it though, I certainly wouldn’t have grown to know some very good online friends as you. X

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Vicky (from Athens) January 23, 2019 - 12:54 am

Happy, happy birthday! And may there be many more. You and I are about to celebrate our 6th anniversary. . .it’s been nearly 6 years since I discovered your blog. Six very happy years. Thank you for introducing me to so many wonderful people and places, recipes and treasures. A toast to many more enjoyable years and much success!
Thank you!

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Mary Anne January 23, 2019 - 1:30 am

Congratulations Sharon and wish you even more excitement in year 10. Each morning I look forward to searching My email and Instagram for your photos and posts. Well done and you are inspiring,

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Lisa D. January 23, 2019 - 1:43 am

Happy 9th birthday, Sharon. I’m not a big user of social media, so I cannot speak from experience, but I adore your beautiful blog.

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Kristina Hoyer January 23, 2019 - 3:55 am

Opening my inbox and seeing your email makes my day so happy. I love your photos, your comments, your tips. Happy 9th Birthday!

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Dianne Harris January 23, 2019 - 3:59 am

Thank you for your online presence and etiquette which I do you think it’s so important in this day and age of manners well done

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Nancy Brantley January 23, 2019 - 4:53 am

Happy 9th! Love seeing photos of places in France. I only look at blogs and Pinterest. Never Facebook! My best friend ( Trisha Roupe ) gave me your signed book for Christmas gift and i love the book.

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Judi January 23, 2019 - 4:59 am

Congratulations! Your blog is just so beautiful and I live vicariously through your photos and excursions. It’s lovely and so enjoyable! Keep it up and I’ll be there!

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Anneli January 23, 2019 - 10:24 am

You have created a beautiful blog and instagram , Sharon .
I love reading the blog, and your photographs are exquisite.
Congratulations on your ‘ birthday ‘, and thank you for inspiring me to look for the beauty in every day , and treasure the small moments , as well as the big ones

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Hazel Lavelle January 23, 2019 - 1:40 pm

Hi Sharon , thanks for sharing all the lovely things about life in France ,
Your blog is always inspiring ‘ look forward to the next 9 years” . I bought my I pad around the time you started .. Never touched a computer till then ! And I love it
Thanks Hazel (Manchester UK

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Carol January 23, 2019 - 5:53 pm

Happy Birthday to your Blog! I am so glad that I found you a few years ago! I have enjoyed reading your posts, have purchased your books, and also purchased the subscription boxes. I look forward to another year with My French Country Home. As for me, personally, my general rule has been to be positive!

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Debra Spence January 23, 2019 - 9:52 pm

Sharon, You and your blog are a delight! I’ve enjoyed you for years. I’ve been blogging for 7 1/2 years. You have been such an inspiration for me and an example to follow. I absolutely love your photography. It is amazing and what keeps me coming back again and again. I am trying to use social media also to help promote my blog. I am not the photographer that you are so my daughter is helping me out. I focus on all things unhurried. I’d love to live in France and have that life to share with others but alas, I live in America’s Midwest. It is my home and what I know so that is what I feature. Currently I’m snowbirding in Florida so I’ve left the Midwest for a season. As a writer, social media is an absolute necessity. Publishers require large followings. So I work on it everyday. The good news is that I have signed my first contract with a publishing company for a children’s picture book so social media is even more important. Happy Anniversary! I’m thrilled to see all that has happened in your professional life. Best Wish for much, much more!!!

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Sharon Santoni January 24, 2019 - 2:38 pm

HI Debra, congratulations on your publishing contract! That is very exciting! That publishers require good media numbers is one of the downsides of this game I think

best

Sharon

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Donna De Luca January 23, 2019 - 10:54 pm

Happy Birthday! I have loved your blog from the day I “fell upon it”, and never miss reading it and adore the beautiful photos. For one who lives on the opposite side of the world and longs to be living in France….it brings me my daily dose of my beloved France. Thank you!
Donna

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Jeni Maus January 23, 2019 - 11:43 pm

Happy 9th Blog/Birthday sweet friend…. what a journey. I am so very grateful you started it, for the friendship we have and our travels together. I am forever grateful for the social networks that brought us together, and that will keep us connected even so far away. I think I’m due for a visit very soon though!! Miss you. Hugs to everyone!

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Marianne January 24, 2019 - 6:37 am

Dear Sharon, I have just purchased the January/February issue of your new magazine and know I will love it. The only problem is that I so want to make it full page on my ipad and cannot seem ro do it. Can you help tell me how to do this, if possible. Thank you
in advance, and I so love your blog. Sincerely, Marianne C. Whitman MCWhitman@aol.com

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Sharon Santoni January 24, 2019 - 2:39 pm

Hi Marianne, thank you for your message and thank you for purchasing the magazine. We’ll send you an email to help you with the ipad issue 🙂

best

Sharon

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Tracey Warwick January 24, 2019 - 10:12 am

Happy 9th birthday, I’m relatively new to your blog and this was through another blog I’ve enjoyed for years.
I love your photographs and ideas and now the magazine -fantastic work x

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Anita Birgitta January 24, 2019 - 1:37 pm

Happy birthday 9 year blog. Blogging from Sweden.

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Roxane Lacroix January 24, 2019 - 6:01 pm

Happy 9th Birthday!!! Your blog was one of the very first I started reading back in 2011 I believe, and I must say it opened up a new world for me way back way. I can remember how excited I was to discover that you rented the cottage on your property in Normandy and I started planning my first trip to France in 2012. I still can’t believe I did that! Since then, I have traveled to a new place every year, usually with my sister and friends. IG is my favorite social media to discover new places to go….the list gets longer and gives me the willpower to stay healthy and fit so I can continue traveling. This year’s trip will be to London and the countryside. Your blog is still the first one on my Favorites list. I have enjoyed watching you spread your wings and inviting us along for the beautiful journey over the past 8 years! Thank you so much for sharing with us!

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donna macdonald January 24, 2019 - 7:40 pm

I like Instagram but had to send it to the back for a while. I was too involved and recognized that and the impact it had on my life. I blogged about it here and it hit a nerve with my readers. https://alovelyinconsequence.blogspot.com/2018/11/staged-lives.html

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betsy January 25, 2019 - 2:54 am

I cancelled facebook. More information from followers than I needed. Too much information.
I do follow you on Instagram and like you said it’s a quick way to share visuals ..
I prefer to read your blog and hearing about what you have to say about a photo or event. I enjoy reading all of the blogs I follow and especially yours.

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Debbie January 25, 2019 - 5:14 pm

Sharon, I purchased the magazine subscription for the year and am no unable to access it. The site wants me to pay again. My access from an email does not work and the code they gave me to enter does not work either. Are they working on this? I read some of it last week send it wad fine, but now it is gone….I have sent emails to the magazine but they are undeliverable. Please help.
Thank you, Debbie Williams. (DJ Williams)

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Sharon Santoni January 25, 2019 - 5:25 pm

Hi Debbie, so sorry you had a problem with the magazine, we are emailing you directly and I’m sure we’ll have you sorted straight away!

best

Sharon

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Meg January 25, 2019 - 10:49 pm

Well my lovely friend haven’t these past 9 years been just fabulous! From those early days of finding your voice, your style, your audience, your boundaries to now. You’re a beautiful, wise woman who knows where she’s going & how she’s going to get there. Watching you evolve & grow I truly believe that your success is due to always remaiming true to yourself & the loyal Followers of MFCH. Embracing social media from the get go has just added other wonderful layers to the blog & just made it an all-round package. One size does not fit all & you’ve made sure you reach your Readers not matter what medium they embrace. No matter what the future brings, I’ll always remember your very first blog & the beautiful house that appeared on that page. To me the house is the centre of the wheel that all the spokes go out from. So looking forward to sharing a glass or two of champagne with you to celebrate this milestone in June. Much love xx

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Rosanne January 26, 2019 - 11:45 pm

Happy Birthday! Your photos, especially the floral bouquets, make me swoon with delight. The combination of God’s artistry with yours creates pictures which are a visual feast, food for the soul. Thank you for sharing your rare gift. I look forward to seeing more of your truly inspirational vignettes. You make the world a better place.

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Beth March 4, 2019 - 9:59 pm

I so enjoy your blog, your books, your pictures. So, now that you’ve shown us your French girlfriends and your country French home, why not a book on your country French flowers? I know you always have flower pictures in everything you post, but your photos of flowers are so beautiful, they have such a prominent spot around and in your home, I think a book on flowers would be perfect for my collection.

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Christina Blanchard March 10, 2020 - 12:58 pm

Thanks for the incredible insight and inspiration! New to your blog but I feel like I will be sticking around for years to come. Cheers

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