The Top Ten Posts of 2013
Before we jump into the top posts of 2013 I just wanted to say thank you for all the sweet comments and e-mails I got after posting my Christmas house tour. I haven’t had time/energy to respond because the flu hit our house on Christmas Eve. I am just starting to feel somewhat normal, the kids are still deep in the flu trenches, and by the grace of God Adam had off all week and didn’t get sick. Anyway, after having such a great response to my messy house tour pics I’ve decided to stop working so hard completing DIY projects and just post pics of my trashed house, burned dinners, pantsless kids, and the penguin print pajama pants I’ve been wearing for the better part of a week. That way y’all get posts you enjoy, and I get to lounge around and never take off the penguin pants. It’s a win-win.
So, the top posts. I debated for quite a while on how to go about this….should I go with the top posts that I wrote in 2013, or the top most viewed posts in 2013? Because really, those lists couldn’t be more different. In the end I decided to do a countdown of the most viewed posts and throw in a few 2013 successes/failures at the end.
10. 25 DIY Shower Curtain Tutorials
I’ve only ever written two round-up posts, this one and one that was a round-up of my furniture projects….both posts made the top ten. What does this mean? Do y’all love roundup posts? Should I do more of them? Cause I could write round-up posts till the cows come home. In fact, I could post messy house pictures and roundup posts only, then everyone would be happy and I would never have to leave my “work spot” on the couch. I feel like we’re really making progress tonight, guys.
9. How we paid off our house in 3.5 years
I wrote this post the beginning of last year, and it’s still going pretty strong (it was number five last year). It was really scary to publish but it has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done (that and actually paying off the house, of course).
8. 15 Ways to Give Furniture New Life
My furniture posts are usually the most popular, so it makes sense that this one did well.
7. DIY Farmhouse Table & Bench
I wrote this post back in 2012 and for some reason it stays popular. I don’t really understand why…. it’s not a tutorial (more of just a show and tell) and there’s nothing groundbreaking or super creative in it. Plus we built another farmhouse table this year (out of pecan) and that post was a big ‘ol flop.
6. Kitchen Reveal
My kitchen! I love my kitchen….turns out y’all love my kitchen too. It even made it into a magazine this year (Kitchen Bath Makeovers by Better Homes and Gardens.) There are so many projects in here (and we still have a few to do), if you want to read about something click-through to the post and scroll to the bottom, there is a link to each and every one.
5. Organized Pantry Reveal
Another post from 2012. Man, 2012 was a good year for blog posts…2013 can’t seem to keep up. This countertop is one of my favorite projects…I should really take an updated picture, the countertop looks the same but everything in the background looks pretty different (and better).
3. DIY Bay Window Curtain Rods & Back Tab Curtains
This one is weird. This post was the third post I ever wrote (summer 2011), and it never had many views…then one day this year it randomly went crazy. When I saw how many views it was getting I got embarrassed because of how terrible the pictures were, so I went back and took new ones where I could, re-edited the rest, added a pinnable image, and it went even crazier. Cannot believe this old post is number three this year.
2. Paisley Stenciled Table
This was my number one post by a long haul last year, and it’s still going strong. Thank you Pinterest.
1. Paper Bag Floors
This post had more than four times as many views of my number two post. I always figured it would do well, but I NEVER though it would do this well. See, this isn’t an original idea at all. It started in the 70′s with people doing it as a wall treatment, and I had seen it on a ton of blogs as a floor treatment before I did mine. I’ve had lots of readers comment and say that they have successfully had this flooring for five or ten years. I even had a reader say that she did this in her bathroom 17 years ago and it still looks great! Pretty crazy.
2013 Project Honorable Mentions
Here are some actual 2013 posts that did well this year…not top ten well, but not bad.
How to raise your cabinets and add a shelf
2013 Project Flops
“Projects flops” is actually not the best description of these, because they are in no way project flops…they’re actually great projects. Pageview wise though? Flops. Posts become popular and get views because readers share them, so if no one shares, them no one views. And if no one views them then they end up on my year-in-review project flop list. So here they are….
Pecan Farmhouse Dining Table
Adam was never in love with the first farmhouse table he built (he’s not a fan of pine) so he build this one to replace it. It’s seriously gorgeous. I wouldn’t be at all surprised that this post wasn’t viewed much (it’s not a tutorial, and it’s not an easy project) except that the old farmhouse posts is so dang popular. I’m not sure what gives, but I’m pretty surprised that my terrible post on carving pumpkins with a drill did LOADS better than all my flop posts. That’s messed up y’all.
Bright & Rustic Button Sign
This post did not crash and burn by any means…but it also hasn’t been very popular. I had high hopes for it.
Front porch reveal and a history of clutter
This post was by far the biggest flop of the year, no doubt about it. I’m not quite sure what that means about my porch, but I love it…and the post isn’t bad either. If you like messy house pictures the you’ll appreciate it for sure.
So there it is…. the good, the bad, and the ugly in 2013. My personal hope is that 2014 brings about lots of finished room reveals and furniture makeovers (and a back deck … coughADAMcough).
