365 days later
Every novel begins with a white sheet of paper, every movie starts with an empty screen, and every blog begins with an emptiness that is as much intimidating as inviting.
I’ve called this place The Velvet Café because that’s what it looks like in my imagination: a small and cosy café in red velvet style, barely lit up by the dampened lamps, a handful of armchairs and sofas, looking as comfortable and inviting as a cinema from the good old days.”
Today it’s been one year since I wrote those lines on the opening day of The Velvet Café and I thought I ought to mention it while I toss out a few more numbers because that’s what you do on anniversaries.
273
This is how many posts I’ve written at the moment I’m writing this one. Far more than I had imagined.
5 081
The number of comments that have been made if you don’t count the 4305 spam comments that were caught in the filter. This figure includes all my replies, so the actual number is half as big. I’m so humbled and grateful for every one of them. You people have provided so much insight, perspective, joy and inspiration to this place that I can’t thank you enough.
57 203
This is the amount of page views since the start and the least interesting number of all. Basically it says nothing. How many of those visitors did actually read anything and how many turned at the door as they noticed that Google’s promise that this was the place to go if you wanted to see horny 15 year olds was a lie? Considering the popularity of my post about the Norwegian movie Turn me on dammit, I’m pretty certain that a lot of visitors weren’t really here to hear me chit chatting about movies. And I’d rather speak to one single reader who wants to run a conversation than to ten thousand who rather would like to be somewhere else.
Anyway: It’s been a wonderful year and my love for the blog and the community of film lovers has only increased over time.
All I want to say now is: Thank you. Thank you for helping me to keep this place running. You are my blogging fuel and my constant source of inspiration.
Thank you my fellow LAMBs, thank you all regulars from the Filmspotting forum, thank you my wonderful friends in the Swedish network Filmspanarna, who I even have the pleasure to see regularly. Getting new friends at my age is a rare thing, but blogging obviously brings people together.
Thank you to everyone else, you regular and non-regular visitors, online friends since years back as well as new acquaintances!
This one is for you!
Cheers!
The Velvet Café 
Congratulations Jessica!
Keep up the great work.
Sam Fragoso
July 17, 2012 at 1:06 am
I’ll try to. Thanks Sam!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:52 am
Congrats! I’m somewhat new to the Velvet Café but I’m already a big, big fan.
John
July 17, 2012 at 1:15 am
Thank you John! Praise from you means a lot to me. I’m a big admirer of yours (and in good company with Ebert and others if I got certain tweets right…)
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:53 am
Keep up the good work. I’ve loved the blog so far.
Dave Enkosky
July 17, 2012 at 2:18 am
Thank you Dave! You’re one of my best commenters! Very much appreciated!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:53 am
Congrats! Here’s to another 365 days (and hopefully many more)!
Eric
July 17, 2012 at 5:23 am
Thanks Eric! Well, around this time next year we’ll know how it turned out. It’s a day-to-day project.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:54 am
Congratulations Jessica. You do great work here and I’m looking forward to many more years to come!
nevertooearlymp
July 17, 2012 at 6:32 am
Thank you very much! I hope I’ll keep it up. This first year has been fun enough.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:54 am
Happy Anniversary Jessica!! 🙂
Scott Lawlor (@FrontRoomCinema)
July 17, 2012 at 9:53 am
Thank you Scott! Your continous support means more to me than I can say.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:55 am
Congrats Jessica! You’ve made a great spot on the internet in such a small time – I’m impressed!
Stevee
July 17, 2012 at 10:41 am
Thanks Stevee! I may be older than you IRL but as a movie blogger I’m just a baby compared to you. 🙂
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:56 am
It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate your one-year blogging anniversary. I celebrated mine back in February. Time just flies when you blog I guess. Plus it’s great fun. Here’s to another great year in my favourite cafe.
Tyler
July 17, 2012 at 10:57 am
I try to restrict my self-celebrating posts a bit, not going for every milestone there is. But the one-year mark is just a too big one for a blogger to overlook. Thank you for your support Tyler! You’re one of my big favourites out there and a continous source of inspiration to dare explore smaller and stranger movies.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:57 am
Happy Anniversary to you!!! May The Velvet Cafe always be on the blogosphere! I need to read something about films that is intelligent and witty. And that you do, Jessica!
Congrats!
Karl Kaefer
July 17, 2012 at 2:13 pm
I really don’t regard myself as either intelligent or witty. But I’m really happy that you think I am. I’ve managed to deceive you! 🙂 Thank you so much Karl for your kind words!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 9:59 am
Congratulations to you and congratulations to the baby with a sundae the size of her head.
Klepsacovic
July 17, 2012 at 2:40 pm
She is sweet, isn’t she? It’s a screenshot from the Swedish lovely little short film Las Palmas (which I probably should have mentioned in the post, giving proper credits, but I’ve written about it and promoted it before.) Thank you Klep!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:00 am
Happy Blog Birthday Jessica! Here’s to many more!
Bonjour Tristesse
July 17, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Grats, Jessica. A big fan from your PPI days, love your new blog. You’ve helped my wife and I find some great movies.
Bristal
July 17, 2012 at 7:40 pm
Bristal! Good to see you! I’m so glad you’re still with me and that you take some of my advice seriously! 🙂
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:02 am
Congratulations on your one year anniversary!
That’s a lot of writing in one year!
carrandas
July 17, 2012 at 8:13 pm
Thanks Carrandas! So glad that you’re still around here. It’s a crazy amount of films and posts, isn’t it? Now that I don’t grind furlogs anymore I suppose I have time… 🙂
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:03 am
Congrats!
AndyWatchesMovies
July 17, 2012 at 10:12 pm
Thank you Andy!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:03 am
Congratulations Jessica. Your Cafe is one of my favourites stop-off’s and it helps that I often see things similarly. 57,000+ is still a grand number no matter what but I know what you mean here. I got a LOT of traffic for Zack & Miri make a Porno and it didn’t deserve it in the slightest.
As for your choice of picture, it often reminds me of the dream sequences in Twin Peaks. The only thing that’s missing is the B&W zig-zag flooring 😉 this might not seem comfortable at all but it is to me.
Love your blog Jessica, and look forward to another year ahead. Well done.
Mark Walker
July 17, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Awww Twin Peaks! Such great memories of that! I’m a big fan, even of the second season that noone else seems to like.
Thank you for your kind words Mark and for being such a great supporter of this place!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:27 am
Cheers Jess! 🙂 Congrats on reaching this important milestone. I’m very proud and happy for you. You deserve all the success; your blog is truly something special. Now let’s have a celebratory green tea latte!
fernandorafael
July 18, 2012 at 12:56 am
Thank you Fernando! It’s always so great to see you around here, almost every day you bring a smile to my face with your love and support. And your green tea latte is on its way. Cheers!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:29 am
It’s my pleasure 🙂
fernandorafael
July 21, 2012 at 5:21 pm
The views and comments are about equal to my own, except the fact that I’ve been on it for three years. Stort grattis! You’re making a hästjobb with this blog!
Pladd
July 18, 2012 at 1:20 am
Thanks Pladd! I guess aiming for the world, not staying within the borders of Sweden, helps a bit with the views and comments. I’m glad to be a part of the Swedish blogging community as well though.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:30 am
Congrats Jessica! One year is no easy feat for a blog, especially with that many posts! You’re doing a great job.
Dan
July 18, 2012 at 4:46 am
Thank you Dan!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:30 am
Keep up the great work! Haven’t heard from you in a few years, but I hope all is well!
Kid In The Front Row
July 18, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Okay, it feels like a few years. Maybe a few months.
Kid In The Front Row
July 18, 2012 at 5:37 pm
Haven’t heard from me in months? Hm. I read every post you write and think I comment fairly regularly. But considering how productive you are it’s hard to keep up sometimes at your pace. Anyway: I’m fine and I hyope you’re the same. You are one of my favourite bloggers as you probably know. Cheers!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:36 am
Congratulations, Jessica! Keep up the great work. Your blog is one of my very favorites out there. 🙂
Emil
July 19, 2012 at 9:51 am
Thank you Emil! I feel a special bond to you as one of the very vew Swedes who dares to blog in English with all that comes with it. Cheers!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:37 am
Very many congratulations on the anniversary, and many thanks for all the wonderful posts you continue to write. Seeing that there is a new post in your cafe always makes me smile.
stnylan
July 20, 2012 at 7:44 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad that you’ve picked up blogging as well. I love to follow your progress in gaming as well as in your fatherhood. Cheers!
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:39 am
So happy to have your blog to read and to be in conversation with you, Jessica!
Steve Kimes
July 21, 2012 at 5:27 am
And I’m so happy to have you visiting Steve as well as seeing you in the forum. It’s one of the huge benefits you get from writing about movies: it helps you getting to know cool and interesting people you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Like you.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:40 am
Once again, I’m a bit behind. But a heartfelt congrats anyways! Biggest swedish-english movie blog?
Sofia
July 21, 2012 at 10:53 am
Thank you Sofia! As of size… I have no idea tbh. There are probably a bunch of Swedish-English blogs out there that we haven’t caught in our web yet, of which some might be very well established. The amount of movie blogs never ceases to astonish me.
Jessica
July 21, 2012 at 10:55 am
Congrats! I love The Velvet Cafe.
George Watches Things
July 21, 2012 at 5:03 pm
Thank you George!
Jessica
July 22, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Congrats! I thought it was just me who got searches for “horny Norwegian teens”. I wish I could turn them off dammit!
The Movie Waffler (@moviewaffle)
July 23, 2012 at 1:05 am
Thank you! I take it that you’ve reviewed that film as well then. It should come with a warning: “might get your site into google rankings where you don’t want it to be.”
Jessica
July 23, 2012 at 7:01 am