HUGE Announcement

Soooo......are you wondering what my huge announcement is??

I mean, I've announced losing my job.

I've announced I'm going back to school full time to become an Interior Designer...which by the way starts August 22nd!  More of that to come.

I've announced I'm becoming certified to be a Foster Parent.

What else could I possible drop on you??

Well.......on Monday, August 1st......I am FINALLY taking the plunge and opening a small booth space (actually, it's only a wall space to start) to sell my upcycled and hand crafted items!!!!  

I'm not sure what to call it....I guess Flea Market would be the best description.  But it has nicer booths, not all junk like most flea markets I go to.  The owners make sure the booths are maintained, not just stuff thrown in.  Lots of home decor, antiques, crafts, clothes, scrapbook supplies, and lots more.  I think its the right home for me...as I wasn't sure an antique store was.

I have been looking for a spot for close to a year that was reasonably priced, gets enough traffic, not terribly far from my home, where my items would seem at home.

The Emporium came highly recommended, so I went out to take a look and immediately knew it was exactly what I had been searching for!!

I talked to a couple vendors that have been there for several years and only had good things to say about it.  The large booths are full for now.  I went on the waiting list and figured a wall space would give me a feel for whether I want to take on a full booth when one opens up.  

The booth is at:

County Line Emporium

1285 N. State Rd 135

Greenwood, IN 46143

I'll post pictures when I get it all set up.  

I am SOOOOO stinkin' excited about this I just can't tell you!  I've mentioned before, I am taking my unemployment as an opportunity to explore all my dreams!!  This, I think, was the last one on the list. Well, an Etsy shop is on the list, but that's just sort of an extension of the retail space...in my mind anyway.  I didn't expect to do them all at once...but that's how I work.  Think, think, think, think, think some more.....flip it over, draw a chart....think some more......then.....JUMP IN with both feet! :)

So, there you have it....my HUGE news!!  

I hope you all have a great weekend!!  I will be finishing up some last minute projects. :)

Blog Awards

I received a couple blog awards that I accepted way too long ago.

It's been SOOOO stinkin' hot here in Indy the last few days that I've been stuck inside, so I decided it was a good time to do some blog catch up.  And one of those things is accepting these gracious awards!!

Tracy at The 2010's Housewife gave me the Sunshine Award!!  Although it's taken me for.ev.er to accept, I absolutely appreciate her kindness in giving me this award!!

Here is what I found about The Sunshine Award.  

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world. I'm happy to pass it on to a few of my favorite bloggers.

Here are the rules:

• Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post.
• Pass the award onto 12 Bloggers
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award

Soooo....without further ado. The 12 Bloggers I am passing this award onto are:

1.  Itsy Bits and Pieces
2.  Junkin' Junky
3.  Homework
4.  Home for 6
5.  Don't Disturb This Groove
6.  Chrissie's Collections
7.  The Polka Dot Cottage
8.  Keep'n The Sunny Side
9.  Modern Country Style
10.  Tattered Hydrangeas
11.  That's My Letter
12.  Beautiful Nest

Thank you so much Tracy for giving me this award!!  

You can visit Tracy's blog here:

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Ok, the next one is just down right embarrassing to admit.....

Beth at My Serendipity gave me the Stylish Blogger Award in FEBRUARY!!

I'm SOOOO sorry Beth!  My daughter would tell you this is common for me.  I always have the best intentions, but I am extremely forgetful and then get too much on my plate, then my brain does a data dump....but thank goodness my email doesn't. ;) 

Anywho....it's really, really, REALLY late...but THANK YOU BETH!! :)

Ok..now for the rules.

I am supposed to list 7 things about myself to help you get to know me better. Then pass this award on to 15 inspiring other blogs..which is the difficult part! Not that there aren't 15 inspiring blogs that I follow but because there are sooooo many blogs I love and follow!

Now for the 7 totally random things about myself:

1.  I am completely addicted to magazines!  Home decor magazines that is.  I have them stashed all over my house....under the bed, in baskets, on shelves, etc.  "Do It Yourself" is my favorite, but I have PLENTY more.  And I actually know when my addiction started........

2.  My mom died of breast cancer when I was 10 years old.  My dad was quite the redneck who knew nothing about raising little girls...and my Granny didn't know much more.  Magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour became my go to for make-up, style, and all-things-girly tips.  I had years worth, lined in date order in my closet for as long as I can remember.  (Now you know why I'm so messed up! LOLOL) ;)

3.  I'd LOVE to be a writer someday!  I'd love to write for, I know you're going to be shocked, a design magazine. :)  I'd also love to write a comedy book about my crazy childhood.

4.  My favorite place in the entire world is the Amalfi Coast in Italy!!  

5.  Given the alternative, I'd rather sit by the pool than sit on the beach.  I hate the feeling of the sand on my skin...which is strange given I was born and raised in Florida!  My ultimate choice would be to sit by a pool while looking at the beach. :)

6.  I actually enjoy getting older.  For one, given my mom and dad's early deaths, I consider getting older a privilege.  I mean, consider the alternative...dying early?  I'll pass.  Two...as I age, I get more and more comfortable with who I am!  There is so much peace in that.   

7.  I love to bake!  I'm a marginal cook, but I'm a pretty awesome baker if I don't say so myself.  ;)  


And now to the most important part of this award....passing it along! :)


1.  Aja Lee's Sweet Life
2.  A. McInnis Artworks
3.  Bunch of Craft
4.  Cedar Hill Ranch
5.  Classic*Casual*Home
6.  Creating Balance
7.  Custom Comforts
8.  Mod Vintage Life
9.  A Pop of Pretty 
10.  Refunk My Junk
11.  Reloved Rubbish
12.  The Cottage Gals
13.  The Shabby Chick
14.  Then She Made...
15.  The Modern Cottage  



Again, thank you to those that honored me with these awards!  I truly do  appreciate it. :)  


I hope you will take some time to visit each of the nominated blogs...these are some of my favorite blogs.  

  

Playin' Catch Up!

Man, things get away from me REALLY fast!!  Back in November (yes, sadly, I said November), Brandi from Don't Disturb This Groove gave me an award!!

The Stylish Blogger Award!!

And then, last week, Selina from Creative Juices Decor gave me this award as well (which I didn't realize was the same one until I went to type up the post for it and saw it was the same!)



Before I accept this award, I want to tell Brandi and Selina...THANK YOU!!  I am humbled that two wonderful ladies would give me such a fantabulous award!!

If you have not been to Brandi's blog, you have to stop by!!  She is extremely talented at, I guess I would have to say, all things crafty!  She makes ugly, beautiful again...sews...decorates...a jack of all trades I'd say. :)

And on top of it all...she is a very genuine person!!  And I think you'll pick that up as well when you read her blog.

Selina's blog is alot like mine...a little bit of everything!  She shares crafts, decorating, recipes, and great kiddie projects, and all kinds of miscellaneous goodness!!  :)

She has an easy writing style, with bits of humor, which make her posts fun to read!

Now...

In order to accept this award here are the rules:

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this.

Share 7 things about yourself

Pay it forward to 15 bloggers whom you feel are deserving

Contact those bloggers and tell them about their award.

7 Things About Myself:

Some of these may be repeats that you already have heard, but I always think they are good to know about me.

1.  I live in Indianapolis now, but was born and raised in Bradenton (and Wauchula), Florida.  I left Florida when I was 20 years old.

2.  I served in the US Navy for 8.5 years.

3.  I am a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers...who eventually gained it ALL back.

4.  While in the Navy, I lived in Italy for 2 years and Hawaii for 6 years (and never actually went on a ship! LOL).

5.  I have a made up song for each of my pets (2 cats, 1 dog, 1 Leopard Gecko) that I pretty much sing to them all daily.

6.  I am extremely sarcastic and have a great sense of humor (and a huge heart.....and butt. LOL).

7.  I LOVE boiled peanuts...which you cannot get in Indiana!  Boohoo. :(

Now the fun part...pay it forward to 15 bloggers whom you feel are deserving.

Anne @ Calamity Anne's Adventures
Kathy @ Dandelions and Dust Bunnies

Mel @ Junkin' Junky
La-DEE Da Creations
Oonafey @ Little Pink House
Robin @ Happy At Home
Greta @ Modern Garden
The Cape on the Corner
Lisa @ Paint in my Hair
Kai @ Love in Idleness
Amy @ Keep'n The Sunny Side
Karen @ Joy, Junk and Juxtaposition
Michelle @ Bunch of Craft
Mary @ Lavender and Linen
Molly @ Molly Susan Strong

I know from past experience, some of you may have chosen not to accept awards, and I completely respect that decision.  So, no foul if you choose not to participate. :)

Please stop by these wonderful blogs!!  Each is unique and fan-flippin'-tastic!  :)

Check Me Out!!

Check out my new digs!!! :)

My new design is up and running and I couldn't be more pleased!!!   I'm SOOOO flippin' excited to have my own personal design I cannot see straight!!  (Or that could be from my lack of sleep and Lucy having an anxiety attack last night...which I think might have been because of all the snow on the ground...but I digress).

Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs did a fantastic job, don't you think?  She was so easy to work with...and didn't even get mad when I mentioned something about changing the 'dead flowers' in my signature. ;)

She definitely gets my seal of approval!  I figure when family and friends that know me personally say "It is so YOU!"... then she captured the essence of me!  :) 

Thanks Jenn!!!

I feel so official now....I'm all giddy!

BTW...is there an intervention for exclamation points!?!?!?!?!?  I feel I might be at that point! ;)

Christmas is gone already!

Christmas is done already!!

I know that's what you are saying about me still sporting my Christmas blog layout.

But there is a reason...I swear!! 

Actually, really, I do...ALOT!  It's not very feminine or Christian of me....I'm working on it!

But, that's not what I meant.  I swear there is a reason I have not changed my page yet!!

And it has to do with this lady...Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs.

And that's all I'm telling you! :P

Happy Christmas Season!

I know....no one says that.  But I'm so excited the Christmas Season is here!! It is defintely my favorite holiday!:)

I hope everyone had a fabulous long weekend!  We did! 

The tree is up, the house is decorated and I've got some really exciting things coming up around here!

If you aren't reading this in a reader, then you may have noticed the new layout!  I love changing for the holiday or season.  :)

Starting Wednesday, don't forget....my 12 Days of Christmas!!!  There will be some crafts...some recipes...some decorating....some traditions....lots of good stuff! :)

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Then....HUGE happenings around here!  Doodle is getting a room redo!!!

LOTS and LOTS of organization planned!! 

Her room does not work for her.  Plus she's growing up!  So a more mature room is in the works!  And did I mention....organization?  :) 

Stay tuned for those happenings! :)

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So, that's it for today.  I'm busy getting ready for the 12 Days of Christmas!!

See you Wednesday!!! :)

Fun news, a heartfelt thanks, and something NEW!

Ok, I know today is usually "No Function Friday" where I show you a craft that has nothing to do with organization or decor or greeness (is that a word?) or small home living or anything like that (did you even know that was the purpose of my blog? LOL  Probably not, since it's been awhile since I've been able to post about those things with all the craftiness and Halloweeny and all going on) but I don't have a craft ready today to show you.  Sorry! :(

BUT....I do have a couple things to share today!

First...WE DID IT!!!!  As of this morning when I logged on....we hit 70 followers!!!!!!

Seriously, I know I'm a goofball and I joke around alot....but I truly mean it when I say....THANK YOU!!!

It is a heartfelt thank you!!  I appreciate each of you who take time to spend with me, comment on my blog, have side email conversations with me, inspire me through your own blogs...these things make my day, my week, my month!! :) 

With all seriousness, being a single mom (or just single for that matter) can sometimes be a lonely world.  Almost everyone I know is married...so they forget or don't know what it's like to be alone all-the-time (even my family doesn't live here).  And most of my adult connections are at work...which is a place that more and more I'm struggling with.  The atmosphere has changed since I started 8 years ago and I no longer enjoy my job.  I dread getting up and going into work.  I'm tired of driving 50 miles a day (round trip) across the city and dealing with the traffic.

So, THIS, my blog and each of you, allow me to connect to people who do and love...what I do and love!!  My blog, and each of you, give me something to look forward to every day.  I check my email with excitement each morning and throughout my days...because no matter how much I want to give the finger and walk out of my job ;), I can always go to my Google Reader or check my gmail account and 'disappear' for a minute to a world I feel comfortable and connected to.  Instead of sitting alone in the evening, flipping through my favorite home decor magazines while watching HGTV, I have a connection now to actual people, who are like living home decor magazines. :) 

So, again, I just wanted to say THANK YOU!

Ok, no more Sappy Sue!!

Moving on to more exciting news!!!

You've heard me talk before about my good friend, Martha, from A Real (Upstate) New York Housewife, well when I opened my email this morning, sitting there in my inbox from Martha was the most beautiful and thoughtful gift ever!!! 

<a href="http://wherebeautymeetsfunction.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><imgalt="WhereBeautyMeetsFunction"src="http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab143/martharuth79/Decorated%20images/Buttons%20for%20other%20people/untitled2-1.jpg"/></a>

Yep, that's right peoples!!  Martha made me my own blog button!  I'm all official now!!  I feel like I've got my own badge of honor!!! 

THANK YOU MARTHA!!!  Isn't she just the sweetest!  I've encouraged you before to check her out. She is spreading her wings in the blogging community!! :)

Well, that's it folks!  Don't forget to go here and enter for my giveaway for hitting 70 followers!!  And if you feel like (but not required) I'd appreciate any and all feedback on my first craft show item! :)

Have a great weekend!!!

Until next time...

My, oh my....Stinker Pie! (For real this time)

I accidently published my post the other day and did NOT mean to at all. I deleted it, but it still went to your reader or email anyway.  So, here it is, actually ready to be posted. ;)

LOL...there is absolutely no connection to my stupid title and today's blog in case you were wondering! ;) I'm one of those people who make up dumb rhymes and even worse songs all the time.

Each pet, and my Doodle, all have songs of their own.

Fritzy, for instance, (also known as Boo Stank, Lizard Head 2, Moose Boy, and Manny Cat - and many more) I sing "He's a Manny Cat, Manny Cat on the run"...completely out of tune to the 1980's song by Hall and Oats "She's a Maniac".

You are welcome....I know you'll be signing it all day now. :P

 

Anywho...

You know how it is when you start out blogging...you get so excited over your first follower and then your second...and you start dreaming about the day you'll have 10 followers, etc. It's like "WOW! Someone is interested in what I have to say!"

Well, I had a 'goal' in my head a couple months ago that I'd like to get to 30 followers by January...I think I was hovering around 10 followers when I made that goal. Keep in mind, I haven't been blogging all that long, since July is all.

So, as my number started growing a few weeks ago...and FAST...I figured I'd do a big giveaway for hitting 50 followers.

Well as of this past weekend...that number has come and gone my friends!!!

http://clip-art-free-clipart.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! :)

Unfortunately, I did not get a giveaway planned in time. :( So, now I have to come up with a new number!! And figure out WHAT in the world to do as a giveaway?? ;)

When we (we, as in, me and you, because I just feel like the facilitator in a joint effort here) hit 70 followers I will host another giveaway! :)

And between now and then.......I'll figure out what that will be. LOL

Can I tell you a secret, hopefully without sounding all 'whenchy'...my first give away didn't go so well. My feelings were hurt so tremendously, I've been totally gun shy about doing another give away.

I was so excited about it, I made it in conjunction with voting for my logo, (which hasn't been debuted yet because I haven't figured out how to make it NOT so GINORMOUS everytime I post it! I'm about 'this' close to giving up and hiring someone).

I didn't want to make people 'follow' me to win or vote. I want people to read because they connect to me and my blog, not because I forced them to. I gave away these frames, and while they weren't expensive to make, shipping wasn't cheap and I took care to wrap them in bubble wrap, and then nicely in tissue sealed with a little sticker with my new logo on it, and I handmade a little card to go inside the box. You know...I wanted it to be special. I was SO flippin' excited about it.

And nothing.

No, "Thanks, I got the frames, they were much uglier in person." No, "They made it in one piece." No, "Wow, the package arrived today and brought a smile to my face." No, "I appreciate the effort you went through to send these."

Nothing. :(

I didn't expect neon lights and awards and honors. I just thought I'd at least get a quick email saying they arrived. So, my feelings have been hurt and I've been licking that wound for awhile now.

Photo Courtesy of http://vegtalk.blogspot.com/

What can I say...I'm BIG on common courtesy and thank you's!  And I won't apologize for that.

BUT...I've decided I can't let one bad experience sour me from sharing and enjoying with my 'friends'!!! :)  BUT, you will have to be a follower to qualify this time. :(  I'm sorry! 

So....70 followers...and I do a giveaway!! :) 

How 'bout them apples!?

Until next time....

"Life is Good" Award Continues!

Ok, so, if you are reader of my blog, then you know from Monday's post that I won an award last week from Martha at A Real (Upstate) NY Housewife.  It was the "Life is Good' award!

I hope you had time to visit each of the wonderful ladies I nominated!!

BUT, one of the nominees would like to remain a "No Awards" blog...which I completely respect!!  So, with her permission, I am passing her award on to someone else. 

Carmen at Life with Sprinkles on Top! 

Don't you just love that blog name!  I do!  So, please take a break to visit with Carmen and see all her frugal crafts and her adorable children and granddaughter! :)

And Carmen, just go here to get the criteria and the questions! :)

Until next time...

Oops!!

If you received my "My, oh My...Stinker Pie!" post...I accidently hit 'post' but it wasn't techincally ready to go out.  I even deleted it from blogger...but it posted anyway.

So...OOPS!!! ;)

All the info is accurate, but I hadn't inserted pictures and tweaked it yet. 

Dontcha hate when that happens.  Such is life in the real world. LOL

Have a great day!!

I received an award!!

Sorry, I'm a bit late posting today!  I took a much needed blog break this weekend...but I did do some fun stuff that I'll talk about more this week! :)

Ok, so remember on Friday I told you I would be posting about my really, really, big, whopper sized, super duper exciting news today!!

Well, with all last weeks hoopla over Halloween I didn't want this post to get lost, so I held off.  But....I won an award!!!  My first blog award!!!  I mean, yeah, pretty flippin' excited doesn't even begin to describe it! :)

Martha at A Real (Upstate) NY Housewife bestowed on me the "Life is Good" award! 

Martha is an extremely kind woman with a very heartfelt blog!!  I adore our exchanges!  So, please take time to go check her out!!!

Thank you so much Martha...I truly feel honored!!!

But here's the even better part...I get to pass it onto six other people!!!!!

And I have to tell you it was really hard to choose only six blogs!  There are so many wonderful and deserving blogs that I read everyday!  But there have been a few people, like Martha, who have eithered inspired me, I have 'clicked' with, helped me with my blog or touched me in some way.

Ok, so here's the criteria:

To accept the award you must link back and thank the person who gave you the Life is Good award. Answer the 10 questions below and then pass it along to 6 other blogs of your choice.

Here Are The 10 Questions:

1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?

I blog as who I am. I truly am as transparent online as I am in person. I use my daughter’s nickname on my blog, but mostly because I think it’s cute, and it's what I call her at home. :) I always want to ‘keep it real’ in person, as well as online!

I am one of those people, who I am, is pretty much always who you will get – well, except online I control my f-bombs. (WHAT!?! I was in the Navy for over 8 years – ever hear “cusses like a sailor”? It came from somewhere! LOL).

2.Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side.

Hmmm, stubborn? Not me! Ok, fine. Just one? Really? Ok, read this story of how we got Simba, our Leopard Gecko. ;)

3.What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

When I look in the mirror I see a fairly attractive, 20-something woman who could stand to lose 20 or so pounds, cute hair, accessorizes with style, with a great sense of humor and heart that would love to save the world…with a slight tinge of road rage.

Now...when I look at a picture, I see the real me.  A could-be fairly attractive, mid-30’s woman who could stand to lose about 90 pounds, who seriously needs a haircut in every picture, accessorizes with style, with a great sense of humor and heart that would love to save the world…with extreme road rage and apologizes to God, oh, about every 30 seconds, while listening to the Christian radio station on her way to and from work, for using the f-bomb!
 
Why are we so shocked when we look at pictures and we look NOTHING like we THINK we look in the mirror??? It’s like “Wow…who IS that extremely overweight marshmallow fluff?? And why is she in all my family pictures?? And what did they do ME??” LOL Ok, maybe that's just me? ;)

4. What is your favorite summer cold drink?

My favorite summer time drink would be Sweet Tea!!

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

SHOP!!! There’s not a doubt in the world about that one! Now, where depends on my mood. Some days its perusing antique shops or thrift stores, other days it’s the craft stores and places like Home Goods.

But I hardly ever step foot in the mall anymore. ‘Cause, let’s be honest, you go to the mall for either Yankee candles or clothes. I’m too cheap to buy Yankee candles anymore (is that something that gets worse with age?) and I’m too fat to enjoy clothes shopping at the moment. ;)

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?

Oh goodness gracious, do you have all day?? When we stop dreaming we stop living! Accomplishments are just dreams achieved aren’t they?

If so, then here’s just a brief list:

I want to own my own home décor boutique!

I’d love to decorate a bakery! (Is that weird? I always thought it would be neat to have a boutique/bakery combo…make it a super special place to visit!...have fabulous cookies in a environment that was warm and inviting…and you could shop and take a piece of it home with you.)

I want to travel back to Italy, where I lived for 2 years!

I want to get back to my goal weight with Weight Watchers and my Lifetime status!

I want to be able to be with the man I love, without worry or grief for either of us (long story!)

I want to have my home paid off before I’m 50!

I want to have free time to volunteer at the women’s homeless shelter!

I want to be a foster parent someday when my daughter is old enough to not be traumatized by the constant change and hardships these poor children are enduring!

I could go on and on I suppose…but those are the ones I think about all the time!

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching?

I went to a small country school in central Florida…where people DO NOT vacation. LOL So, it was a ‘we all knew each other our whole lives’ kind of place…except me. We’ve moved there when my mom got really bad with her cancer, in 5th grade. So, friendships had mostly been made and then my mom died right after we moved, so kids really didn't know how to treat me...it felt like I remained somewhat of an outcast. 

With that said, I don’t think I was any of the above. I was a solid A/B student, I didn’t develop my sense of humor until later in life when I became secure with who I was, never a ditcher, and I guess at times I could have been classified as shy. It wasn’t as much that I was shy, as I was extremely insecure.

But don’t worry…I made up for all things I missed out on when I joined the Navy…and then some. ;)

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?

Ok, so when I read this question I had to keep coming back to it. Poignant means ‘life changing, right? I have so many poignant moments that I’m not sure that one is more changing than the other.  Each moment weaves together to make 'our life'.

The day my daughter was born was absolutely the most POSITIVE moment of my life!! Those first few moments are still so clear!

Being woke up in my aunt and uncles trailer where we’d been staying, at 10-years old, to hear my mom had finally died…I mean, how completely life changing!

Or the day we arrived in Rota, Spain to spend a week inspecting a squadron…when my Chief knocked on my door to tell me he had just received a Red Cross message that I was needed at home in the states – my dad had been hospitalized and they were pretty sure it was cancer…or those last precious days I got to spend with him while he was in the hospital…or the night I got the call in Naples, Italy that he died from said cancer.

Of course, joining the Navy!! I remember that first night that I arrived by train to start boot camp! That’s an experience you can never forget!

Or going on my first deployment, having no one there to wish me off, and feeling so completely and utterly lonely, that no one was there that was going to miss ME. And yet, crying as I watched families hugging each other and little kids hugging their Daddy or Mommy goodbye having no clue how long six to seven months was…or the baby’s and knowing their dad would probably miss their first word and first step!

Or the day I decided I had to divorce my husband after almost 10 years together, the father of my daughter…life has certainly never been the same since then (and not all in a bad way!)

The first kiss from the man I would tell you was, and is, my true love!! I can see that scene and feel the butterflies so vividly…and that was 13 years ago.

And I will tell you that I am so extremely blessed to experience each and every one of these ‘poignant moments’ in my life!! How could I know how lucky I am without them?

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?

 

Um….in case you haven’t figured this out yet…I’m a talker! I’m equally comfortable talking about you, me, the weather…just about anything, anyone, any topic…you name it. :)

 

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?

 

Read!!! This may seem strange coming from a talker, but I HATE talking on the phone! Because I can’t really do anything else because I have to hold the phone and listen to the other person when I COULD be doing other things. It frustrates me! I don’t have a lot of free time in my life as it is…don’t take what little time I do have talking about yourself and your drama you brought on your self…or your job! I hate mine and don’t want to talk about it…why would I want to hear about yours for an entire hour?!?

 

I think I just figured out my problem!! LOL Obviously I hate the phone because the people that call me to talk the most, talk non-stop about themselves and I only say about 2 words in a whole conversation. No wonder I think “I could be doing other things right now!” I can easily talk to my step-mom for an hour…because we talk about things I care about! Family!  And it's a TWO WAY conversation! ;)

Hmmmm…..that was cleansing. LOL

Ok, so now comes the part where I pass this award on to 6 others!

So, I am passing on this "Life is Good" award to the following people:

Melissa at Kaufman's Cottage

Tammy at Life is Not Just Paper and Glue  

Adrienne at La Vie Quotidienne
Sunny at Life in Rehab
Tara at Junk Restore

Carol at The Polka Dot Closet

Melissa has become a great friend and confidant!  Tammy has been a huge help with my blog and brought light to my spiritual life!  Adrienne takes and posts the most stunning garden pictures and they always bring serenity and a smile to my heart!  Sunny cracks me up on a regular basis and can easily make me laugh!  Tara, I feel like we are both on a journey of a similar path!  Carol has inspired me and pushed me to finally take steps to make my dream of opening a booth at the antique mall a reality!

Thank you to all you ladies!!  You each have talent that should be shared with the world!! 

Now, go check out each of these ladies blogs!! 

Until next time....

Halloweeny Surprise!

Have I got a surprise in store for you!!  Which of course I'm super excited about!!  Because....well....I get super excited about everything blog related! :)

Starting tomorrow, I'm beginning a SEVEN  DAY Halloween series!! 

Yes, for seven straight days I will be posting a different Halloween Project! 

I will wrap it up next Friday with a tour of my living room all decked out it's Halloweeny glory! :)

I LOVE Halloween!!!  :)

Until tomorrow...

No Reply?

I cherish each and every comment that is left on my blog!!! Each of you mean the world to me and because of that I try to respond to everyone who is kind enough to take their precious time, read and leave a comment on my blog.

But some of you might be reading this and be thinking, "she’s never responded to me!" It is not for my lack of trying…I can assure you.

I didn’t know why, but sometimes when a message comes into my email the sender’s email address is noreply-comment@blogger.com. So I can’t send anything back. I try to go back to the post and put a response to that individual in with the other comments, but to be honest, I’m not sure if those are seen or not.

Then I read this post earlier this month at Life in Rehab (which by the way if you do not follow Sunny, she is hilarious!). And she finally addressed this problem!

So, if you are wondering why you don’t get responses back, you may not have realized that you are one of these people! So, with Sunny’s permission, here is her post on how to fix this problem or you can just click here and go directly to her post.

Wednesday, September 1, 20101

No Reply?

Have you ever asked a fellow blogger a question in their comments and wondered why you hadn't heard back?

Yeah, me too. I had asked Yanet at 3 Sunkissed Boys where the awesome antique mall she'd been to was located. She and I live in neighboring towns. We finally connected through email, but she was SURE she had answered me right away.

Then she discovered the problem. My email was coming up in the comments as noreply-comment@blogger.com.

I've tried to answer a few comments today, and I've run across the same thing. And if you enter a giveaway, and your email looks like that...

Not to panic! Lindsey at Sweet Simplicity had the answer, and with her permission, here's her tutorial on how to fix that pesky little problem using no power tools or Mod Podge whatsoever.

Because I need help with the technical stuff.

I LOVE receiving comments! It makes my day to open my gmail account and see an e-mail notification of a new comment. I also love to reply to your comments from my e-mail account. But sometimes when I hit reply instead of seeing your e-mail address I see noreply-comment{at}blogger{dot}com and I can't reply. When I reply to other people I can see their e-mail address and the response automatically goes to their e-mail. This is extremely helpful when people ask me questions in a comment. It is so much easier to reply this way than to have to go to their blog and leave a comment or search for their e-mail address.

If you would like people to be able to email you back after you leave a comment, here's how you change those settings.

1. Click on the Customize link in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

2. Click on the Dashboard link in the upper right hand corner of your screen.

3. Click on Edit Profile, which is on the left hand side of the screen next to your picture.

4. This will take you to the Edit User Profile screen.

5. Look in the Privacy section.

6. Check the box that says, "Show my email address".

7. In the Identity section, enter in an email address.

8. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on Save Profile.

When you add your e-mail address in the above spot, it does not change the e-mail address that you use to log-in. I'm assuming that most of you have a personal e-mail address and generic blog e-mail address. I entered my generic blog e-mail address in that spot. My personal e-mail address is still where I receive notifications of new comments and it is what I use to log in to blogger.

Pretty easy!

So, there you have it! I just wanted to pass this along because I figured there were some, like Sunny, out there that had no idea they were even set up this way. I apparently was set up this way, but wondered why I couldn’t respond to certain people. It always makes me feel bad.

You certainly aren’t obligated to change yours…but if you would like replies to your comments it’s a must! :)

Until next time…