If at first you don't succeed.... My Project Food Blog Journey

Well, my journey with Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog is over- I am not advancing to round 3 of the competition. Besides the thrill of competing against other foodbloggers, what did I gain from competing?  After all, there was the pressure of developing and writing posts on a tight timescale, the time spent planning, preparing, photographing, writing and editing.  And for what?

I became familiar with so many new bloggers whom I hope to continue to follow.  I have read so many posts with different styles, and voices and perspectives.  I learned about new dishes and cuisines and ingredients. I had a great time being primped and posed like America's Next Top Model by my daughters who helped with the concept and the taking of my PFB profile picture.  I enjoyed support from family and friends and readers.

Am I disappointed? Yes of course.  Competing successfully and having your blog assessed by judges whom you respect as worthy is very validating, and as a Type A personality, I keep second guessing, "What could I or should I have done differently?" What can I do to make my blog better?  How can I connect with more readers, increase my appeal?  I will have to experiment, and stretch, and polish.

So now that my time as a competitor is over what will I do?  First I will support my friends who are still competing in PFB !  I will turn my immediate focus on getting ready for my son's wedding on October 16 and the rehearsal dinner that I am hosting at our home. I will make new dishes and work to share the stories that go with them.  I will share with my readers  new restaurants, new ingredients, new experiences and I hope that these shared experiences will make my food and my life richer and full of flavor!