About Simply Vicki

I’m so glad you want to learn more about the history and mission of Simply Vicki. Here you will find a brief history of the evolution of content and design, as well as the top 10 posts.

About Simply Vicki

A Blog is Born

Simply Vicki began in December 2009. Actually, Simply Vicki began about a year or so before that, but then I shut that blog down and started a new one called the Vicki Arnold blog. In 2014, I went back to the Simply Vicki name.

My blog began like most blogs as a creative outlet for my writing and as such it was quite sporadic with posting. I blogged when I had time and with three young children, that wasn’t very often.

My first post was quite reflective – Stirring

Over the years, Simply Vicki changed as I figured out what I wanted to blog about. In 2010, my tagline was “faith. family. food. fotography.” because I was fancying myself a photographer in those days. I quickly learned that while I love taking photos, I’m not a photographer of people.

Some posts from 2010 & 2011:

In fall of 2012, I changed my tagline to “Where P31 and Titus 2 meet Colossians 3:23” and it was supposed to be a nod to following in the footsteps of the Proverbs 31 and Titus 2 women of the bible with a focus on the joyful heart of Colossians 3:23. Unfortunately, my clever wordplay didn’t seem to be very effective in communicating what I was blogging about.

Some posts from 2012 & 2013:

These days, Simply Vicki is about homeschooling and homemaking with a happy heart. I write to encourage and equip the homeschooling mama, the homemaking wife, and the Christian woman, and to share my journey in these roles as well.

Some posts from 2014 & 2015:

The Look of Simply Vicki

I wish I had a screenshot from when I first started, but I do not. Simply Vicki started with a generic template that was preloaded. I had a great time searching through all the available themes and picking just the right one. It looked just like every other blog, but it was mine.

Over the years, I’ve learned more about graphic design and branched into things like making backgrounds and headers. I’m still not a graphic design artist by any stretch of the imagination, but my work HAS improved. Here’s a nostalgic look back at my designs courtesy of the Wayback Machine at archive.org.

My first custom background came courtesy of a digital paper (January 2011):

Simply Vicki circa 2011

Then I decided that purple NEEDED to be a feature because it is my all-time, absolute favorite color (January 2012):

Simply Vicki - January 2012

My first custom header with pictures (June 2012):

Simply Vicki - June 2012

A different photo header (August 2012):

Simply Vicki - August 2012

Then I learned that I should put my photo in a prominent place on my blog (December 2012):

Simply Vicki - December 2012

Then in March 2013, I discovered the Genesis framework and purchased it and my very first child theme:

Simply Vicki - March 2013

I stuck with that theme until September 2014 when I found another child theme that fit my design ideas better. Notice the return of purple..

Simply Vicki - September 2014

Later that month I created the new header and you have my current design (October 2014):

Simply Vicki - October 2014

Popular Posts and Pages

Finally, here are the top 10 most popular posts at Simply Vicki:

10. 38 Free Sewing Tutorials for the Home

38 Free Sewing Tutorials for the Home | vicki-arnold.com

9. Scriptures to Memorize for When I Don’t Like Myself

Scriptures to Memorize for When I Don't Like Myself

8. Planning Your First Garden

Planning Your First Garden

7. Free How to Draw Tutorials

40+ Free How to Draw Tutorials - People, animals, flowers, and more - Vicki-Arnold.com

6. Websites Frugal Homeschoolers Need

Websites Frugal Homeschoolers Need

5. Homeschool Curriculum Planning Pages (free printable)

Homeschool Curriculum Planning Worksheets (free printable)

4. 69 Free Sewing Tutorials for Skirts

69 Free Tutorials for Skirts

3. 23 Free Sewing Tutorials for Women’s Dresses

23 Free Dress Tutorials for Women's Dresses

2. 54 Free Sewing Tutorials for Maternity

Free sewing tutorials and patterns for maternity - over 50 tutorials!

1. Free Sewing Tutorials – Dresses for Little Girls

Free Dress Tutorials for Little Girls