I'm not quite sure how it happened. How can I work online on my computer 8+ hours a day and spend additional hours online chatting with friends, playing games, reading email, playing with my Myspace page, browsing online stores and ebay... and NOT know about this whole blogging community out there?!
It's really strangely funny really. I actually work for a company that attempted to create it's own blog/community site (like Myspace really.) They even asked us to create our own blogs so we could help get it going with profiles to browse etc. It ended up not going over well, and it was cancelled. I think perhaps the reason I never got into blogging at work very much was the subject matter. I work for a game company as customer service, but I'm not really what you'd call a "gamer". I do play like board games and card games and even roleplaying games from time to time, but I am not addicted to them like so many gamers, and I am not into video games at all. I'd like to get a Wii for the WiiFit thing, but that's it.
Then one day, I was searching for a sugar cookie recipe and found a link to an amazing recipe with great photos and humor - in a blog! In fact is was Chickens in the Road by Suzanne McMinn. After reading a few other posts on her blog, I was hooked. I started reading it every day, since she never misses a day of updating. The stories she tells of her journey to start up her farm and the animals and funny things that happen are so amazing.
After a few months of reading only Suzanne's blog and participating in comments and her forums, I noticed she was nominated for a Blogging Award. So, I voted for her, then looked over the nominees in other categories. Chickens in the Road was up for Best Kept Secret. One thing I noticed in the other categories was one name kept popping up - Pioneer Woman. I decided I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I clicked the link and went to see. WOW... Ree's site is beyond words. She has several blogs all kind of rolled into one page - Her main Confessions page, a cooking blog, a photography blog, her home and garden blog, and even a homeschooling blog! (I have no idea where she finds time for it all to be honest.) I think what really drew me in and got me hooked was the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels story of how she met "Marlboro Man" and they subsequent courtship and marriage. Yeah I was hooked.
Since I was already checking all of PW's blogs and Chickens daily, I decided to see what other blogs were out there. I'm not even sure what I searched for, either decorating or antiques or tea parties, something like that and I specified blogs in my search. Oh my goodness.... The places I found have been wonderful! Not only have I found blogs about decorating and antiques, but also Southern life, china, thrift stores, tea parties, tablescapes,... things I really am interested in... BUT! I have also discovered a whole community of bloggers. These people (all women so far) actually all refer back to one another's blogs. For example Between Naps on the Porch was one of the first I had visited, and noticed she hosts a blogging community meme called "Tablescape Thursdays" and has a list of other blogs who are participating. I found such a wonderful group of blogs just by clicking on each link there. One of them is also having another event. Grits and Glamour will be hosting a Porch and Patio Party in May. The sites that wish to participate will deck out their porch or patio for a party and post a blog with photos about it on that date, and their site will be linked on the Grits site. There are loads of other memes out there, and it's going to be exciting to read them and see the great photos and hear the great stories these ladies have to tell. Someday, maybe soon, I will take the plunge and participate in one myself. So sense in doing it now, there's nothing here to browse!
It's great having read Suzanne's great storytelling and photo blog and PW's wonderful sense of humor and great photos as well. And not to find this great community. I find myself carrying my camera with me everywhere and taking candid great looking shots of my family.
I also decided to go to my local Goodwill store when I realized my 6 yr old had no tennis shoes without holes in them. I figured whynot see if we can find a bargain and help a good cause. Well, we found a pair of Heelies in her size for $6 and I found myself migrating to the dishes and knickknacks. I got a white small squat vase that looks like milk glass that I thought would go great with the milkglass stemware we discovered had been packed away in the shed at our old house. I would have loved to have gotten the taller matching vase, and I probably will go back and get it. I love the idea of creating tablescapes. Even though I have a large active family, I think once a week, doing something fancy and special with a sitdown meal altogether is a great idea. It will be something memorable! And I can show them on Tablescape Thursdays! Haha.
There was a bar height table at Goodwill as well. It is actually exactly what I want for my island EXCEPT the height. The bartop is really too tall. I'm thinking of getting it anyway and cutting off a few inches off the legs. Maybe even drilling holes in the bottom of the legs and adding casters so it will roll. I'm really not sure yet. I want to look at the used furniture store and the Habitat for Humanity store first. Then maybe I'll have something for Metamorphosis Monday!
It's really strangely funny really. I actually work for a company that attempted to create it's own blog/community site (like Myspace really.) They even asked us to create our own blogs so we could help get it going with profiles to browse etc. It ended up not going over well, and it was cancelled. I think perhaps the reason I never got into blogging at work very much was the subject matter. I work for a game company as customer service, but I'm not really what you'd call a "gamer". I do play like board games and card games and even roleplaying games from time to time, but I am not addicted to them like so many gamers, and I am not into video games at all. I'd like to get a Wii for the WiiFit thing, but that's it.
Then one day, I was searching for a sugar cookie recipe and found a link to an amazing recipe with great photos and humor - in a blog! In fact is was Chickens in the Road by Suzanne McMinn. After reading a few other posts on her blog, I was hooked. I started reading it every day, since she never misses a day of updating. The stories she tells of her journey to start up her farm and the animals and funny things that happen are so amazing.
After a few months of reading only Suzanne's blog and participating in comments and her forums, I noticed she was nominated for a Blogging Award. So, I voted for her, then looked over the nominees in other categories. Chickens in the Road was up for Best Kept Secret. One thing I noticed in the other categories was one name kept popping up - Pioneer Woman. I decided I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I clicked the link and went to see. WOW... Ree's site is beyond words. She has several blogs all kind of rolled into one page - Her main Confessions page, a cooking blog, a photography blog, her home and garden blog, and even a homeschooling blog! (I have no idea where she finds time for it all to be honest.) I think what really drew me in and got me hooked was the Black Heels to Tractor Wheels story of how she met "Marlboro Man" and they subsequent courtship and marriage. Yeah I was hooked.
Since I was already checking all of PW's blogs and Chickens daily, I decided to see what other blogs were out there. I'm not even sure what I searched for, either decorating or antiques or tea parties, something like that and I specified blogs in my search. Oh my goodness.... The places I found have been wonderful! Not only have I found blogs about decorating and antiques, but also Southern life, china, thrift stores, tea parties, tablescapes,... things I really am interested in... BUT! I have also discovered a whole community of bloggers. These people (all women so far) actually all refer back to one another's blogs. For example Between Naps on the Porch was one of the first I had visited, and noticed she hosts a blogging community meme called "Tablescape Thursdays" and has a list of other blogs who are participating. I found such a wonderful group of blogs just by clicking on each link there. One of them is also having another event. Grits and Glamour will be hosting a Porch and Patio Party in May. The sites that wish to participate will deck out their porch or patio for a party and post a blog with photos about it on that date, and their site will be linked on the Grits site. There are loads of other memes out there, and it's going to be exciting to read them and see the great photos and hear the great stories these ladies have to tell. Someday, maybe soon, I will take the plunge and participate in one myself. So sense in doing it now, there's nothing here to browse!
It's great having read Suzanne's great storytelling and photo blog and PW's wonderful sense of humor and great photos as well. And not to find this great community. I find myself carrying my camera with me everywhere and taking candid great looking shots of my family.
I also decided to go to my local Goodwill store when I realized my 6 yr old had no tennis shoes without holes in them. I figured whynot see if we can find a bargain and help a good cause. Well, we found a pair of Heelies in her size for $6 and I found myself migrating to the dishes and knickknacks. I got a white small squat vase that looks like milk glass that I thought would go great with the milkglass stemware we discovered had been packed away in the shed at our old house. I would have loved to have gotten the taller matching vase, and I probably will go back and get it. I love the idea of creating tablescapes. Even though I have a large active family, I think once a week, doing something fancy and special with a sitdown meal altogether is a great idea. It will be something memorable! And I can show them on Tablescape Thursdays! Haha.
There was a bar height table at Goodwill as well. It is actually exactly what I want for my island EXCEPT the height. The bartop is really too tall. I'm thinking of getting it anyway and cutting off a few inches off the legs. Maybe even drilling holes in the bottom of the legs and adding casters so it will roll. I'm really not sure yet. I want to look at the used furniture store and the Habitat for Humanity store first. Then maybe I'll have something for Metamorphosis Monday!
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I love getting comments, and I read every one. Thanks for coming by my site and reading my ramblings. I hope you have a wonderful day! -Patty