On this day ten years ago, I started this blog with a review of a book I came across while volunteering at the UNC Health patients library. Check it out:
The post (and book) that started it all
At that time, the name of the blog was How Was That Even Published, and it began as strictly a book review blog, where I posted “short and sweet” reviews of books that really made me go WTF and wonder…well, how was that even published. I even had a cute little running gag where at the end of the review, I would offer my guess as to the answer to that question (“author’s reputation” in the case of Rush Revere and the American Revolution).
A couple years later, I got into Netflix and started watching a lot of tv series, and expanded the blog to include reviews of those, too. Since the focus was no longer just books, it was at this point that I rebranded as Short and Sweet WTF, even snagging the domain shortandsweet.wtf. Here is the logo from that time:
As you can see, there is a prominent red, white, and blue color scheme, a nod to the emphasis on freedom of the press in the blog’s early days and its founding date (July 4 being US Independence Day).
After graduating from library school in December 2019, I decided a new logo was in order and created what I call the space macaron logo, shown below.
As I’m sure everyone remembers, 2020 was an…interesting year, what with the pandemic, quarantine, and lockdowns. I was very excited to have a chance to use a scan of this vintage quarantine poster I had acquired from…somewhere.
…but ultimately ended up not using it. Oh well. I digress.
It was during this period that the blog began to evolve even further beyond a book/tv blog, showing hints of the lifestyle blog it has become today. I started posting art, diy paper crafts, and fanfiction-related content, as well as (mostly random) short posts about what I was reading or playing (video games tentatively being added to the roster of media covered on the blog). I got interested in astrology, and started posting about that, too. And yet, for a long time, I fought the shift towards a lifestyle blog. I kept trying to remain true to what I originally intended the blog to be, which was, fundamentally, a companion to my training and career as a librarian.
Alas, although I successfully completed and graduated from library school, that career was not meant to be. In 2021, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, which combined with my longstanding chronic pain, caused me to be unable to work. I went through a grueling, arduous fight to get disability benefits, finally succeeding in 2023. Through it all, this blog has indeed proven to be a faithful companion, even if my life turned out not to be the life of a librarian. I am happy to say that I have reached a place where I can embrace the direction this blog has taken—there is still a strong emphasis on popular media (and probably always will be), but these days, the WTF of the blog name applies more to the random bits and bobs that I share.
And so, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a great big THANK YOU! To everyone who has read my blog over the years. Whether you are a long-time reader or just dropped by to check out my most famous post, I truly appreciate the time you have taken to read my content, and hope that you will join me as this humble blog and I continue to move forward. ♥️
Short and Sweet WTF 
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