5 years is a long time to do anything. I mean you are typically only in high school for 4 years. College is roughly 4 (although my school was 5). People sometimes don’t even last a year at a job. But for 5 years I have nurtured my little corner of the internet and have made Andi’s ABCs what it is today, my place to share my love of all things books, clothes and more recently handmade cards.
Happy 5 year Blogiversary to me!
In the 5 years I have been doing this (I have been doing it longer, but I was co-blogging at Galley Smith when I started), Andi’s ABCs has had a lot of ups and downs and has gone through changes. My very first post basically showed I knew nothing about the journey I was in for. I had no pictures, no banner, well no anything really. It was just words. How silly of me.
Over the 5 years the blog went through some changes.
I had three different banner design/looks. The 1st two were of my own creation, but last year when I hit year 4 I decided I was going to have someone make something for me so I hired the amazing Rachel of Hello, Chelly and she wowed me with her design that captured exactly what I wanted. She captured everything I wanted Andi’s ABCs to feel like with an awesome banner and design. I can’t thank her enough. Not to mention she is one of my favorite people I don’t get to see enough *stupid distance*.
I had some features come and go. There has been The ABCs, Book a Date, and Parallel Time Loop (to name a few). I’ve done blog tours, had guest posts, and got to interview some of my favorite authors and people (Perkins, Kenneally, Akins, Young). I’ve gotten to post on Simon Teen’s blog, Riveted Lit not once but twice (All in Pieces, Alex, Approximately) and I would LOVE to do it again. And I have gotten to moderate signings for Sarah J. Maas (2 times, once co-moderating on a freaking stage in an auditorium with Sarah from What Sarah Read), introduce AC Gaughen and Emery Lord, and moderate a signing for Tiffany Schmidt and AC Gaughen. Not to mention run a panel at Boston Teen Author Fest with Sarah. I have also been lucky enough to go to BEAÂ (2014, 2015) BookCon once, and ALA Midwinter when it was held in Boston. I have also been able to host the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge in 2017 and again in 2018 (SIGN-UP!).
Over 5 years I have also read some really fantastic books. You all know that Anna and the French Kiss is my favorite. I’m not very subtle about that [shrugs]. But I have also found some other books that are just fantastic. My new blog feature, New to You, is going to showcase some of these, but here is just a sampling (click on the cover for the review):
Over 5 years I probably have close to 50-100 books that hold a special place in my heart and have become some sort of favorite. But for the sake of time These are just a sample. Who knows, maybe one day I will do a post of my top 100 books. 🙂
I have also been lucky enough to meet some of my favorite authors. Some I have spent time with at signings, others just sitting at a bar having drinks. Some I even consider friends which I never would have expected when I started. I can’t list them all but some of the highlights have been Miranda Kenneally, Sarah Dessen, Sarah Maas, Sarah Ockler, Tiffany Schmidt, Emery Lord, AC Gaughen, Jodi Meadows, Rainbow Rowell, Morgan Matson, and of course the one and only Stephanie Perkins. There have been plenty of others in between like Leigh Bardugo, Kristin Cashore, Marie Lu, Marissa Meyers, Lauren Oliver. Honestly I could go on and on. But just know what a privelege it has been to meet every author I have had the chance to.
Truly though the best part of this 5 year journey has been becoming friends with some of you. Whether you are a fellow blogger, a reader that I have connected with on Twitter, or someone I have became actual friends with, I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Getting to meet some of you and talk to you either on Twitter or over text has made these last 5 years amazing.
    Â
And because all of you are the reason this blog exists it’s time for me to say thank you with a giveaway.
This giveaway is for an Amazon Fire 7, 7″ display Tablet with Alexa and surprises picked out by me. The giveaway will run from 1/11/18 to 1/25/18 at 11:59PM EST. It is US ONLY. I love you my international readers but shipping is just too much. Giveaway accounts will be disqualified so please don’t enter if you are just a bot looking for free stuff.
Make sure you stick with Andi’s ABCs this year. There will be a boat load of giveaway over the year for my new feature New to You with all of these books as a possible prize at different times:
There will also be giveaways for the monthly topic posts for the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge so sign-up for that. Other new features will include My Favorite Things, What I’m…, and a yet to be announced idea I plan to do with Gail from Ticket to Anywhere.I am alos heading to ApollyCon in DC in March where I will see many of you fab people and get to finally meet Suzanne Young. And I hope to go to ALA in New Orleans and hang with some of my Fantasy Football girls. It’s gonna be a good year and I hope you follow around.
Now if you stuck around to read this whole post and not just jump to the giveaway, I will leave you with this:
Congrats on 5 years!! That’s amazing, Andi!! 😀
Happy Blogiversary!! I think I’ve been following you for 2 to 3 years (or more)! ?
I am new and haven’t been following very long at all.
Congrats on five great years! Been around since the beginning.
Happy Blogoversary!! I think I’ve been following you for maybe 3 years? Time starts to blend when I think of my blogging pals!
Happy 5th Blogiversary! I’ve been around since the beginning and it’s been great to watch you flourish and grow! Here’s to many more! 🙂
Congrats on 5 years! I believe I’ve been following you for at least 2.
Happy 5 amazing years and here’s to many more!
A few months now.
Congratulations on 5 years Andi!!!! I’ve been following you for at least 3 years (when I first realized that an online book community existed!)<3 I still love that photo of you, Alexa, Rachel and I and I'm so glad we were there to witness you meeting Stephanie!!!
YAY Happy Blogoversary!!! Mine would have been on the 15th – still shocks me! And honestly, I don’t know how I’ve followed you. 😛
Congrats on five years! I remember all of those blog designs 🙂 Isn’t it fun to look at how much has changed over the years? Glad to have met you through bookish goodness!
Happy 5 years! I’m going to Apollycon as well so I hope we get to meet!
I’ve been following your for about 2 years! Congrats on 5!
Happy blogiversary my love! You hold a special place in my heart as a blogger friend <3 I've been following since 2014 when I started my blog!
Happy Day! I’ve been here since Day One 🙂
Congratulations Andi! I love reading your blog and finding fun, new reads. Here’s to many more years!
Happy anniversary!!! And thank you for that last picture. Mmmmmm…
Congrats on 5 years! That’s so amazing! I think I’ve been following you on twitter for 2+ years and the blog a little shorter than that. So glad I got to meet you this past year though 🙂
Happy Blogoversary and I think I have been following you around 1-2 years!! Thanks for the great giveaway!! 😀
Congrats!!! I honestly have no idea how long I’ve been following you but I know it’s been a long while!!!
I’ve been following 5 years! Congrats!
Congrats Andi! What an adventure you’ve been on!
Holy cats that’s some gif! ??? Thanks for a fantastic giveaway! And congrats on five years!
Happy Blogiversary! New follower
I’ve been following for a few years now; CONGRATS ON 5 YEARS!!! 🙂
Congratulations on 5years! The gif was a nice bonus. ?
I’ve been following for about a year. 🙂
This is my first visit, I was searching for books and found this blog and the giveaway.
Happy Blogiversary, here is to many, many more! I have been following for about a year and a half. Love your reviews by the way!
i am pretty new to your blog but i enjoy what i have been reading! happy blogiversary.
Congrats A ROOKIE 2Months I Like What I see !!! I Love ABC !!!!
I’m not sure on how long exactly but congrats!
new to your page but congrats on the 5 years, gave up on my blog long time ago and have not found it inside me to sit down and revamp and get it up to date.
Congratulations on 5 years. I am new to your blog but sure like what I am see on here.
Whoa. I am a newer fan of yours. I had followed you on some sites before but now I follow on all from goodreads to twitter. I love your ‘what I am ‘ section and have made some comments 😉 They are all good!! I love that you are into the office. It does get disappointing at times but Idk another series out there that loses one of their biggest stars and still goes on to rack in the viewers like they did!
Happy Blogoversary.. I’ve been following off and on for a few months. I tend to read your blog during my downtime at work. Keeps me entertained
Congrats on 5 great years! I have been following you for about a year.
Happy blogaversarry. What an amazing thing for you.
Congrats! I am a new follower.
I’m a new follower, and enjoyed reading about your blogging journey over the past 5 years! 😀 Happy Blogiversary!
new follower
Happy Blogiversary! New follower but so glad to be here now!
happy Anniversary! been reading your blog for over a year
I only recently found your blog through a giveaway. Congrats on 5 years…that’s like 50 in blog years right?
I just started following!
I only just discovered you!
I’m a new follower. Congrats on the anniversary!
Congrats!!!!!! I am a new follower!!
Im very much a new fan looking forward to reading more