Yes, it has been another year. Today Undina’s Looking Glass turns 11. Since my blog’s anniversary falls that close to New Year, by this time, as usually, I’ve already published my yearly perfume stats. So, today I’ll peek into my blog’s statistics.
I don’t do that too often since I’ve never intended this blog to be anything but a private place to talk to friends (and make new ones). That’s why I only smile every time I get the next email offering to “undina.com team” to boost this blog’s SEO or to place a “guest post” of some marketing type.
But this time I checked it out just to confirm my feeling that this year was the most active in the history of the blog. And I was right: “with a little help from my friend” Portia, Undina’s Looking Glass published 118 posts. It comes to 2 posts per week with an extra post occasionally. For me, it feels like an ideal flow that allows my friends and readers to participate whenever they like the topic or feel like doing so but isn’t too fast-paced where one feels “left behind” if they were to comment a day or two (or a week) later.
Of course, non-commercial blogs are mostly about their authors and for their self-expression. But as with those trees falling unattended in proverbial forests, without you, my readers, this would have been a very lonely journey. So, I’m extremely grateful to all of you who comes back to engage in the conversation, validates my thoughts, ensures a steady flow of treats coming Rusty’s way (I try to reward him for every compliment he gets on my blog for his participation) and shares their experiences. Though, to tell the truth, I would love my readers to communicate more with each other and not just with me.
Speaking of communication with each other. I’m not sure if this idea will interest any of you, and my blog isn’t extremely popular or actively visited (that SEO won’t improve on its own!), but if any of my regular readers who do not have their own blogs but have a perfume story to tell would like to publish a guest post on ULG (without any further commitment of obligations), please contact me via email from the About Me page. If you’re not much of a writer but have a bunch of perfume (or your pet) pictures that didn’t get enough attention when you published them on Instagram (or you do not have an Instagram account) and you’d like to do a post here with a mosaic of your photos and a link to your IG account, I invite you as well. Any other ideas along these lines are also welcome. Let’s together make Undina’s Looking Glass 12th year even more active.
But even if everything else stays “as is,” I still plan to keep going. I enjoy having this blog, trying new perfumes and talking to all of you – be that every week or just once in a while.
Undina's Looking Glass 
Just want to say that I love your blog. The pics of Rusty are amazing. He looks like he’s enjoying your perfumes.
I’m sad to read that Thierry Mugler has died.
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Thank you, matty!
I’m not sure if Rusty likes perfumes per se, but my photo sessions clearly introduce some amusement in his life.
I have very strong attachment to Angel, so I was also sad to read that news.
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Happy blogaversary! 11 years of writing about scents is an achievement.
Treat for Rusty incoming, he has the most expressive face for a cat! No being a cool cat for beautiful Rusty
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Thank you, alityke. I know that we sometimes project our thoughts and emotions on our pets, but oftentimes I can swear Rusty feels/thinks exactly what it seems to me he does :)
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Happy 11th anniversary, Undina! Love this blog and love all those gorgeous pictures of Rusty! Looking forward to many more years of ULG! 🎂
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Thank you, p67! I’m always glad to see you.
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Happy Anniversary. Love you, love your blog, love Rusty and look forward to hearing about all for years to come. xoxoxoxo
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Steve, you know that the feelings are mutual! :)
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Happy Anniversary!! I love your blog, and I love all the beautiful pictures of Rusty. My Isabelle could be his sibling!! I really need to make an effort to comment more on your posts and show you a little more appreciation!
Sending love and hugs to you and Rusty!
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Thank you, Cathy! I will be glad to read you more often.
Is there somewhere online where I can see your Isabelle?
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Happy Anniversary! It makes me happy to get an email announcing a new post. I don’t need a daily fix – even once a week is enough, but twice is a fun bonus! And of course Rusty is a highlight – such a beautiful boy. (My husband is allergic to cats, else I would definitely have one of my own!) I may reach out one day to write a guest post – I’m not a big writer but I have lots of thoughts 😄. In the meantime I’m enjoying yours, Portia’s and the other occasional guests!
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Thank you, MMKinPA!
The offer is open, please contact me whenever you feel like that. You were one of the people I thought might be interested. I even had some ideas what you might want to write about :)
It’s such a pity your husband is allergic to cats! Does he suffer if you encounter a cat for a short period of time somewhere at a friends’ place? Or if you were to spend some time with a cat somewhere and then come home?
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Happy Anniversary! I am glad to have found this blog and have enjoyed the interaction here. And of course your cat pictures, being a cat person myself :) I am a member of a number of fb groups in order to get my daily morning frag fix, but generally those groups are large and clogged with ‘influencers’ posting in everywhere. This forum is so much more interesting and I love your guest post idea!
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Thank you, VerbenaLuvvr!
These days I don’t have time for larger forums (though, I try to visit NST at least periodically), but when I used to visit FB groups and other larger places, for me it was too many people talking mostly at each other instead of with. That’s why I prefer smaller groups.
Please do not hesitate to take me upon the offer if you ever feel like doing that.
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I have a question. Maybe I am misremembering, but I recall your blog back in the day when I used to read Now Smell This, Perfume Posse, Bois de Jasmin, and a couple more that don’t exist anymore, and I can’t remember their names off hand. The point is, there weren’t many of you around yet. This would change, drastically. But what was your inspiration to start your blog, back when not everyone was doing it? Thanks!
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Cynthia,
I think that by the time I started, there were dozens of blogs (I will probably write about it eventually – I thought of doing it for this anniversary but didn’t have enough time). I had a particular reason I decided to start my blog: I wanted to have a “visit card” – so that people whose blogs I read and sometimes commented on could click on the name and get at least some understanding of who they are talking with. And I always liked telling stories. And perfumes. So, it just came together.
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Happy 11th anniversary! While others have fallen by the wayside or are losing the will to post (like myself) it’s good to see you going stronger than ever.
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Tara! It’s so wonderful to see you here – even if you don’t post (often)!
I still hope you’ll come up with some of your non-perfume posts that I enjoy not less than perfume-centric ones. But even if no, just don’t disappear completely from here (I realize that I can reach you in email, but it makes me smile every time I see you here, at Vanessa’s or in comments to Portia’s posts on your blog.
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Congratulations on 11 years! Thanks for creating this happy and fragrant place. More treats for Rusty!
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Thank you, Nose prose, for keeping me company.
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Congratulations! May there be many more for you. Adore sweet Rusty and most furry critters. We have a grey/white big guy and a beautiful mini panther to pamper here in the desert.
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Pic-tures! Pic-tures! :)
Thank you, morgana.
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Happy Blogoversary, dear Undina! 11 years I can hardly believe it. Can I second Tara, it’s simply wonderful that you still have stories to tell and wonderful perfumes to share. How many treats can I send Rusty per message? Cheers to 11 more years
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Not more than a coupe: I still need to save some treats capacity for other commenters, as well as for bribing him to pose for the next picture when he’s too lazy to get curious :)
It’s great to see you around for the most of these years!
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Congratulations and thank you! Please give sweet Rusty a kiss for me.
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Thank you!
Will do :) (though, I’m sure he would prefer treats or at least scratches)
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Happy anniversary! Wow, 11 years is quite a feat. Thanks for continuing to create this space for perfumistas to learn and gather! I also love keeping up with Rusty’s doings. Looking forward to our next Scent Semantics collaboration, too!
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Thank you, OH!
I love joint projects! For me this hobby is all about communication with people who share it, as well as learning new things about life in different parts of the world. Especially now when we’re that limited in our movements.
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Happy Anniversary, Undina! Please give sweet Rusty a few treats from me. I’m a newer subscriber and don’t post often but I love your content.
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Thank you, Gail!
It’s always nice to meet new people. I hope, you’ll be a more frequent visitor. You’ll see: this is a steady bunch of people, and in a while they all recognize each other – and you already have a group of people who knows you and glad to read your comments, learn about your news, etc.
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Happy anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been 11 years. I started following you early on but I can’t remember exactly when. Personally, I love the laid back pace where you never quite know when the next post will come out and I never feel like I’m falling way behind. That said, your offer to contribute something is very tempting…. Goodness knows I have enough perfume and related things to write about but, I’m not ready to go out on my own. Here’s to many more wonderfully scented years to come.
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Thank you, dubaiscents!
You were another one of those who I had in mind when suggesting the participation: since the other blog where you post usually focuses on the newer releases, and your collection is significant to have gems from previous years, I thought that you might have a story or two to share – not necessarily about something up-an-coming but a loved and deserving attention. Or just a story that doesn’t get another audience but is ready to be told.
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Wowoweee! 11 years already and time does fly! Congratulations on milestone + 1 and may you have many many more pluses!
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Thank you, hajusuuri!
I have to admit that I still hope to see you back as a guest writer, though I understand that your IG is almost a full-time job these days :)
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Congratulations! I’m very happy to see your blog still alive and active. :)
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Ines, I’m happy just to see you online! So whether you post on your own blog or drop in here from time to time, it feels like the old cohort is still around :)
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Congratulations on 11 years of blogging! – and (even allowing for some help from your friend down under) such a fantastic output of posts this past year. All the more impressive given how busy you are with your work. I sense that ULG has attracted former readers of OT and APJ to make it even more of a “water cooler” blog than you were before. And considering so many people have gravitated towards vlogs rather than blogs nowadays that is no mean achievement. May I also say how much I love that ceramic plate and the biggest photo of Rusty. Oh, and also the one where he is sticking his tongue out. ;)
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Yep, I used to hang out at APJ.
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I’m impressed that you noticed the tongue!
I mean, thank you! I feel really happy to have you and other old (not age-wise!) and new friends to come over for a chat. Especially these days when work-related activity is all work and no water cooler!
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Happy anniversary!! I think we’ve “known” each other for about ten years so I feel as though I have been with you since the beginning. I will email you soon about an idea. And I DO try to “talk” to other commenters. I also enjoy that interaction.
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You’re always up for a ‘talk’ B😉
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Yup!! We need to figure out how to get Marcella back.
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Brigitte, I really appreciate your attitude towards these communications! This is exactly how I ideally imagine this happening. I think, I miss old times when people were actively commenting in forums on each-other’s thoughts, and when the discussion was centered around the topic and not the post author (not that I do not enjoy talking to all the commenters, but I think it’s wonderful when other people also read the comments and participate in the conversation.
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11 years of blogging is really a cause to congratulate. I always stop by to read and of course look at Rusty. My boyfriend sadly is allergic to cats and gets asthma and sneezes, otherwise i would steal him from you.
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It is sad when people want to share their lives with pets but cannot. But as much as I love my cat, I have to agree that a good boyfriend is more important and worth the sacrifice. Maybe one day they will find a good medicine to cure his allergy, and you’ll be able to invite a wonderful ginger cat in your life!
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Congratulations and thank you for keeping this going when so many have fallen by the wayside. And here’s proof of the slower pace that lets us jump in days later. We get Rusty as a bonus, he’s too cute as well as clever.
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I agree that Rusty is a great bonus (if not the main attraction ;) ) on this blog :)
Thank you, and I’m glad to see you around: I’m glad that at least some of the APJ’s crowd hadn’t just disappeared into the Perfumeland.
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WOW! 11 years is AMAZING!
Congratulations Undina and Thank You for letting me be a part of the magic here.
HUGS!
Portia xx
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Thank you, dear Portia, for your support and friendship. It would have been less fun without you! <3
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That is definitely a mutual feeling Undina
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Phew! 11 years is something, dear Undina. Well done!
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Thank you, R! Glad to see you around.
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