If you’ve newly found my blog, from meeting me at CatalystCon or Googling things like “slut” or meeting me in real life, I want you to have some kind of introduction to this blog.
First of all, I didn’t take a giant break from November 2012 to March 2013 – I switched servers and lost all of my content. I’m still kicking myself for not backing up my files. Always back up your shit. That was some of the best stuff I’ve put out on this blog, and I grew my traffic so much during those months. I’m definitely afraid of hitting a standstill. In the next couple of weeks, I’m hoping to find a way to recover some of my old content. Unfortunately, I couldn’t access any of the caches that I was linked to, but I’m not ready to give up on my content yet.
In the mean time, I’m working on new content. You’ve already seen my two newest reviews: for the Vixen Mustang and the Vibratex Mystic Wand. (I feel like RuPaul, plugging my own stuff. …That came out wrong.) I still have 7 more to write. I think only 7. So far. Bring it on.
The good news is that I started blogging last February, so if you want to read a bunch of old posts, you now have fewer to wade through. That’s good news, right? Kind of?
Always Make Back-ups // A re-introduction to Marvelous-Darling.com
It’s My Blogiversary Already!
One year ago today, I posted on my long-dead blog that I had a big idea for re-opening the blog. It was actually a very vague and boring post. I’m not sure why I did it other than to give myself accountability for whether I would indeed come back.
Much like Jesus, I came back three days later and the rest is history.
(Just kidding – I’m totally not that blasphemous!)
If I had my shit together, I would have tried to organize a giveaway. As it is, I’m sorry, I have no prizes for you, but I am so grateful that I have friends in this community and people who have really helped me to grow. This is going to turn into an Oscar speech. Pretty much every day I’m surprised that people continue to read what I write, and more so that it’s not just a) my mom, or b) one-time visitors. Because before this blog, I was just someone who had an interest in sex toys and had absolutely no public filter or sense of shame. Now, I have ajob in the industry, I’m attending my first big conference, and it doesn’t matter if I have a public filter because my lack of a private filter gets me free silicone playthings. Because I have this outlet and this amazing opportunity to make friends, I feel like I’ve really been able to grow a lot, and I really appreciate everyone who comes back here post after post.
This time last year, I had just gone through a surprisingly rough break-up. I think the need to start the blog really came about as a way to focus on something for which I had big, long-term aspirations. I had begun reviewing for EdenFantasys in December, when I decided to quit Pure Romance. My time exclusively on Eden helped me a lot in a couple of ways, but mostly, I needed experience writing and I needed to learn about toys. I’ve always been naturally inclined for deep research, in which I learned about phthalates and other undesirables. (I credit Epiphora for learning how to write a review that doesn’t suck.) Something really shifted in January, though, when I ordered my first premium toy: a JeJoue MiMi (1st generation). So, with the budding interest in toys and my years-long love for blogs, I decided to come back and really blur the line between lifestyle and sex, feminism and frivolity.
I’m so glad that even with a few short breaks, this blog has been up and running for a year now. This is a for-profit blog, and I depend a lot on company partnerships for reviewing. Without companies willing to work with me, especially as a new reviewer, this blog would either be nowhere or drastically different from what it is today. I can’t believe the generosity in this community, other reviewers and bloggers included. I really can’t wait to see what comes next.
Sponsor Marvelous-Darling.com in November!
Hi all,
You’ve seen a lot of reviews, opinions, and Lazy Sunday posts in the last several months since I really started getting serious about blogging. I love writing, and I love that enough of you think it’s cool to keep reading. Thank you! It’s largely because of this blog that I’m more seriously considering a career as a sex educator or a sex & relationship coach. I want to be able to get out, on the market within a few years.
Because of this goal, and because I want to keep growing Marvelous-Darling.com, I’ve decided to implement a sponsorship program. My traffic averages about 1,000 hits per month, and the ads I display for friends regularly see some action (per my traffic tracker). My rates are cheap because I want to develop relationships and I want you to feel like your money was well spent.
My readers love lifestyle blogs, beauty blogs, and sex-positive blogs. I’m looking to work with independent bloggers and small businesses with interesting perspectives and quality content. If you’re a little offbeat, we’ll get along just fine!
If you’d like to contact me about special pricing for ad swaps, shoot me an email (marvelousdarling.blog @ gmail.com). Otherwise you’re welcome to work directly with Passionfruit!
I’m Actually Having a Lazy Sunday
It’s probably because the world is ending with Frankenstorm. I’m actually having a Lazy Sunday. I was given a random Sunday off, and I desperately needed it. This week kicked my ass, and ended with Steve and me (dressed as Prince and a Playboy Bunny) singing karaoke at a local bar (“Darling Nikki” and “Oops… I Did It Again”, if you were wondering).
& Braiding! For SHORT HAIR! I can have some fun too, bitch!
& If you’ve been thinking about blogging, if you’re new to blogging, or if you feel like there’s still something you can learn (hint: there is, this is you), you should check out Ali Lehman’s Blog Tips post category.
& Shannyn wrote about How To Score Free Stuff With Your Blog. I can get behind that.
& Haha. They’re worried this could come to Boston. Would you be comfortable with a Trojan crew giving away vibrators on street corners in your city?
& Sarah Von says, “Be Happy In This Moment.”
How is your weekend turning out? Did you go out for Halloween at all?
Lazy Sunday (x2)
Ladies and gents,
I realized that I totally forgot to get my Lazy on last Sunday, so I’m trying to really beef up the content for you today. It’s going to be a bit of a mish-mash, but I’m planning some specific content areas for link posts in the very near future!
& If you like Katrina Tan of Pugly Pixel, and if you think she’s a bit of a visual genius like I do, you’ll love her guest post on A Beautiful Mess: Tips for Laying out Blog Posts.
& I recently found Erin of Gingero.us and have to admit that her post on how to create an affordable home gym is just what I needed right now.
& Code It Pretty is a fantastic resource for all bloggers that are relatively new to design. There are some Blogger-specific tutorials, but many involve universal concepts, like button creation and how to make more visually pleasing images. (More kudos to Pugly Pixel – I found Code It Pretty through Katrina’s blog!)
& Shannyn of Frugal Beautiful is moving back to sunny California after spending two years in Chicago, and she wants to share what she learned during her time in the Windy City. (Also, she has a rescued pug, so you should go look at him.)
& Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee is well known as a lifestyle and frugal fashion blogger, a photographer, a web designer, and a small-business owner, but did you know she also makes a mean cocktail?
& Not in the mood for anything alcoholic? You should try making Kyla Roma’s Chilly Chai from Scratch! It’s not a hard recipe at all, and you’ll have pitchers for what you would have paid for a large from Starbucks.
Enjoy!
