Afternoon Sessions Vol. 4: Blog Updates

This afternoon, you may have noticed that the blog looks a little different!

I was so tired of how it looked, and I've been in the process of re-desgning my logo and brand all summer. With other projects, house renovations, and work, it's been a slow one! So, I decided to go ahead and make some of the changes now that were a little easier to do, and when I do get my new logo done,  I will update my header here on the blog :)

Also, I made my August recipe of the month last week, as part of my 26 before 26 list! So I should be sharing that later this week. It was a good one!


Reading- About some of the cutest little doggies over at Wit & Whistle, and highlights from the NYNOW Stationary Show over at Oh So Beautiful Paper! Such great inspiration :)

Drinking- Water! So, so much water!

Listening- Nothing really this week. I keep thinking I should put on A Fine Frenzy though! Her music always makes me think of fall :)

Loving- This sweater from Target! I've been (over) wearing it so much lately, but it's definitely my new favorite! I bought it in green, but they have it in several colors and I want to go buy another one. Also, the fact that we started tilling up our backyard this week! We should get to plant in a couple of weeks, which will be super awesome! It's been a weed patch all summer, and having actual grass will be nice.

Goals

I'm in love with my new planner! It's gotten so much use already. Planner: Sugar Paper LA/Target


I've been thinking a lot lately about goals, both personally and for Brightly Done. I don't usually make new year "resolutions," but I do like to use this time of year as a way to step off on the right foot. Most of the goals I have are consistent ones, that I have all the time, but it seemed like a good idea to reevaluate and share them all here!

Personal Goals

I have been a yo-yo dieter for as long as I have been married. I have lost the same 10-20 pounds, and gained them all back, several times over the last six and a half years! I know this is so terrible for my health, but the good news is that I have gained so many good habits over those years that have stuck. I just know one of these times (hopefully the next time!) that the weight will stay off for good! Luckily, on of my little sisters just got engaged! And we all know what great weight loss motivation it is to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. I have 15-20 pounds to lose, and with a five pound a month goal, so far I'm on the right track.

I never have been known for being organized, but since moving to Idaho and downsizing in living space, I've had to adapt a little. I have had a much easier time keeping up on organization, because we don't have a lot of extra room for me to just stash stuff and "get to it later." I want to keep working on that (because there's still a lot of room for improvement) and maintain my home better in a way that will be more relaxing for both me and Dane! I have found that breaking things down into small daily tasks, and writing them in my planner keeps me more on track.

Next September will be our seven year wedding anniversary, and I've decided we need a vacation! Not that we don't take vacations, but we haven't gone away for our anniversary in years. I have made it a priority to work a few extra days this spring to save up for our trip, so we don't have to worry about fitting it into the regular budget. We are planning a trip to Seaside, OR, which is where we went on our first date and spent a week getting to know each other at the beginning of our relationship. I have wanted to make a trip back ever since, but so far it hasn't worked out. This summer it will be eight years since we've been together! Can I get a cray-cray?!

Goals for Brightly Done

First of all, I will be bringing more content to my blog! I'm so haphazard with my posting, and that's not good. I will be taking more of a planning, organized approach to my blogging, and I feel like that will help a lot. I'm working on new ideas for posts, and might start doing some weekly themed posts soon. I also want to share more in the way of freebies and giveaways, as a way to put myself out there and get people interested in what I'm doing. 

For my business, this is going to be a year of exploration. I have so much to learn still about design, and I hope to gain a lot of valuable information in the coming months. I know I have improved so much since I started, but I also know that there are a lot of ways I'm lacking. I really want to focus on honing my craft this year, big time! Since I started this business,  I have found myself drawn towards several different mediums, and that may not be a great thing. Instead of focusing specifically on one thing (hand lettering) I have spread myself out a bit (calligraphy, water colors). This may not be a terrible thing either, I'm just saying I feel like I need to reign myself in a bit. 

With that being said, first I will be trying out some different things very soon. I plan on having a lot of new listings this spring, of various different products. I have loads of ideas, and some of them aren't necessarily very cohesive. I want to expand my shop though, and find out what sells and what doesn't, and where I want my niche to be. I love greeting cards, but I'm also drawn to stationary and invitations. Do I want to print and sell physical products, or do I want to go the more modern printable route? Should I stick to art prints and cards, or are announcements and invites more my thing? Plus there are tons of other ways I could apply my lettering! What I'm trying to say is that you can expect to see a lot of things from me in the near future, but eventually I will start being more specific in the kinds of things I create. 

I haven't made a sale on Etsy yet, but I'm not too disappointed. I know these things take time, and I feel like with a little more inventory, and a little more marketing, things will start moving. I have done plenty of personal projects though, with more in the works, so I keep myself busy. I am still creating, and still enjoying it so much!

The big goal, whether it happens this year, or further down the line, is to be able to run my blog and business full time instead of having to work outside the home. Hopefully I get to see some good progress on that front in the coming months.


Phew, what a novel! Kudos to you if you made it all the way through. Now this is one thing off my daily to-do list, I should get to tackling the rest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Phase One: Blog Design

Ta-da! Welcome to phase one of my new adventure!

As you can see, this is no longer Fabulously Ordinary....

Welcome to Brightly Done, which is where I will showcase some of my new projects and ideas. This will also serve as my hub and main website for my new business venture!

On November first, I will be opening up my new Etsy shop, and begin selling some products that I've been working on for the last few months.

I am so beyond excited, and during the next couple of weeks I'll be showing some sneak peaks of some of the items I'll be selling.

I also have a few things to tweak here and there on my new blog design, so bear with me if things get a little wacky for the next few days. But overall, I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out!

Thanks for stopping by guys! I'm so excited to be sharing this new adventure with you :)

My Lovely Mama

Today is my mama's birthday!

She's coming over with my sisters for lunch today, and I'm so excited to give her gift to her! She is one of those people who are so easy to buy for. She always puts everyone else's wants and needs before her own, so I love getting to give her something that I know she's been eyeing for a while.

I also like to go all out with my wrapping too!







Obviously my theme was paper doilies, and I may start putting them on everything now!

Happy birthday to my wonderful, beautiful mama, and happy Friday to all of you!

What's in a Name?

This post will be a little bit of a hint as to what I've been working on lately. But just a little!

I don't know if many of you remember the facebook poll I took, asking your thoughts about some new names. Well, I had narrowed it down, and things have been working out great.

Then I started laying out a new blog design, and now I don't love it.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know that I definitely need to go back to the drawing board. I'm a little bit stuck, because what I thought I wanted for my color scheme, isn't turning out like I wanted, but I feel like what I do want, won't work with my name. I am determined not to change it, but I hope I can decide on some color soon! But, I think this is a case of getting too focused on something, and I probably need to take a step back for a bit, and it will give me some better perspective (ha ha, see what I did there?).

The good news is, I have decided on a date for my big reveal!

As of right now, November 1st is the day I have set to show you all exactly what I've been working on. That might seem like a long time still, but for me, it feels just right. Long enough to do everything I need to (with room for issues like the one above) while short enough to be a little challenging and keep me moving forward with good progression.

I've discovered that things like this can take a lot of time!

On a completely unrelated note, check out this *crazy beetle!




I don't think I've ever seen one like this, and he was out on my front porch last night. He's totally creepy, but in an awesome way (but not like spiders, those things are NOT awesome), so I had to catch him. I will probably let him go soon, but I also kind of want to wait for him to kick the bucket and use him to start a bug collection!

Too much? Maybe. Either way, he's very cool.




*I looked him up, and I believe he's a California Prionus beetle

Late-Night Munchies

You know those fast food chains that are always targeting their late night hours toward stoners? Well, turns out that they also appeal to bored insomniacs!

So now that I've polished off some extremely terrible (but delicious) food, how about some eye candy?









Can you tell that I'm ready for fall??

Also, for any fellow insomniacs, did you know that Kathy Lee and Hoda come on crazy late at night?! I may never go to bed at a decent hour again ;)


Oh My-LANTA!

It has just been one of those days!

Well, at least part of the day anyway.

You know that major change to the blog I was talking about the other day? Well, things have been slowly trucking in the right direction, but I've hit a bit of a roadblock!

Now, I'm not spilling the beans just yet. There will be a big reveal (hopefully) in the near future! But, I've hit a wall, and in frustration I just have to vent to someone. With dear husband still at work, I figured a good option would be YOU, my dear readers :)

I'm not super great at techy, computer stuff, and I feel like it takes me forever to learn new programs and such. Unfortunately, this new venture I'm starting requires a lot more in depth knowledge of computers than I realized! Things had been going along pretty well, but today I've come to a halt.

Imagine having a question, about something fairly complicated, and trying to read an article full of technical terms and mumbo jumbo. Imagine trying to decipher all of these new terms and concepts out of this article, and then multiply that article by twenty! Yes, twenty. Meaning that I've read that many (at least!) and still haven't found an answer to my question. In fact, I think my question multiplied into several!

It's enough to make me literally want to scream bloody murder! And maybe pull my hair out too, for good measure.

The funny story is, in an attempt to take a breather and a step back, I thought I'd get out an old knitting project that I haven't worked on since I moved to Idaho. It's been sounding like a lot of fun lately, and with summer drawing nearer to a close, I always get in a cozy, curl-up-and-do-some-knitting, kind of mood.

Well, I got a couple rows in, and realized I had started out wrong, and therefore would have to take out and re-do said rows....

And that, my friends, is how I ended up here. When things get frustrating, I've found a great way to clear my head and calm my nerves is to write about them!

My day hasn't been all bad though. In fact, most of it was great! I woke up to rain and cloudy skies (yay fall-ish weather!) and made a delicious batch of banana bread. Nothing beats the smell of fresh baked, spiced goods, in my opinion. Then my bff came over for a coffee date and we spent all morning and afternoon hanging out. I'm thinking she should have stayed longer, and then I wouldn't have had the chance to spiral into a ball of stress! ;)

What do you know, though? I got to the end of this story, and I'm feeling loads better! The gung-ho side of me wants to jump right back into that stupid technical garbage, but the fact that I'm still referring to it as garbage makes me think it wouldn't be a great idea.

So here I'm off to find something else to settle these nerves with, like maybe a nap!

Happy Hump Day friends!

It's Been 26 Days......

....since the last time I posted anything to facebook!

I joined the challenge 99 Days of Freedom, which is basically just logging off of facebook for 99 days. Now, I will admit that I have logged on twice since then, once as a favor to a friend, and once to message someone for job info. I didn't check my notifications, or scroll through my feed, so I still feel like I'm holding up to the rules pretty well!

And technically, posting this to my blog's page is also cheating, but for me it was less about the posting, and more about what I was seeing on my newsfeed. Don't get me wrong though! Most of the stuff I saw from my friends was great. I didn't have a problem with "drama" or anything like that, but it was other things.

Before I saw this campaign, I was already feeling like I needed a break. I was way too addicted, and I could tell it was making me unhappy. The first thing I did every day was get online, and I was constantly on it throughout the day. The real clincher though, was all of the trending topics and news articles people shared. I have been avoiding watching the news and going to news sites for a long time now, so when this stuff started showing up more and more on facebook, it was really bringing me down.

I know the obvious thing would be just not to read the kind of stuff that bothers me, but unfortunately I don't seem to have that control. I would get sucked into these articles of politics and controversy, and things that I don't agree with, and I would just keep reading. One article would lead to another and then another, and I would end up mad or irritated or down, just because I couldn't resist. And it got to the point where facebook was just another media hub that I wanted to avoid.

But I have missed sharing things with people! That has been the thing I have wanted to do the most. So, this is how I'm going to continue to do that, without having to see all of the stuff I don't want to. Eventually I will start logging back on again to see what all of my friends and family are up to though, and hopefully I will have the self control not to let my facebook take over my life again!

Because I have to say, I feel like I am happier without it :)

In regards to social media as a whole though, I didn't give up on everything! I'm still on pinterest, and I have an instagram account as well! I couldn't just go cold turkey on it all at once now could I? ;)

Now, what have I just been dying to share lately? Well, just summer as usual!

I have been going to concerts and camping trips, and enjoying the sun and my family! Like I mentioned in my last post, things have changed a lot around these parts. We moved from Southern Oregon to the Boise area of Idaho last spring, which is where I grew up and most of my family lives. I've been having such a great time seeing my parents and sisters whenever I want, plus my best friend and her adorable little boy.

It's most likely just a temporary move, only for a few years, while my husband works over here, but I plan on making the most of it while we're here!

I also bought a small vintage camping trailer to renovate, and while I haven't gotten as far as I had hoped I would by this time, I'm still super excited about it. I want to try to post regular updates as I make some more progress on her, and I will be sure to share lots of pictures as she comes along! (Btw, she is named Gloria)

I'm also in the process of working on a major change to this little old blog of mine......

.....but I'm going to be keeping that secret for a little while longer still ;)

So stick around (and I'll try too as well), and I will be sharing more about that in the future!

Happy Hump Day everyone, and I'll see you next time!


 

Such a Slacker...

Oh man guys....

I can't believe how long it's been since I've written anything on this little ol' blog of mine!

Sometimes, I feel like I've just written it off, and that I probably should just delete it, because who wants to read a blog when it's May and the last post was written in December?

But then, the persistence (and pack rat) in me, refuses to give it up quite yet. So, here I am, checking in after a loooong absence!

I can't promise that I'll be back again soon, but I also can't say that I won't be back in a few days. I do really miss writing, and having this little outlet. But. Honestly, I don't miss the whole "blogging" thing. Those of you who blog will know what I'm talking about.

The advertising, the putting oneself out there on every media platform. Trying to connect with people as a way to gain readership. Most bloggers do this, and I tried my hand at it for a while. The truth is, I just didn't enjoy it! I got so burnt out. I love reading other blogs, but there are so many out there, and trying to keep up, reading and commenting, and posting, and sponsoring.....it just got to be too much.

I was spending too much of my time online, and not enough in my real life, and eventually it caught up to me.

So, from now on, I will write when the urge strikes, or not at all. And I welcome comments and dialogue from my readers! But, it won't be the main reason for my writing. My pictures won't be perfect (if there are any), and I won't spend all of my time trying to cultivate relationships with people online, just to get a huge "fan base."

If you want to talk, and be friends, great! If you like my content, and want to read along, I really appreciate it. But I don't think I'm cut out to be a blogger, the way bloggers are supposed to be these days. I just don't have it in me ;)

Wow, this was not even the way I intended for this post to go when I started writing! I guess I really needed to get that off my chest!

I suppose as a consolation, I will have to be back soon to write about what I meant to in the first place, and that is ALL OF THE CHANGES that have taken place in my life since the last time I was around here. You know, things like a big move, and a new job, and yada yada yada...

Now I'm going to go bake some brownies. I guess I must be more of a blogger than I thought, because everyone knows that any blogger worth her salt is going to be at home baking on a Friday night! ;)

So, thank you to those of you who stuck it out through this ramble-y piece, and I hope you'll be back next time! Goodnight!

On Finding My Niche


Recently, I've been brushing up on a lot of blogging articles. How to grow my blog, design aspects, content advice, and other such things! One thing really jumped out at me from one article, and it was something that had already crossed my mind a time or two. What is my blog really about? What is my niche? What do I love to write about and share with you all, and what it the essence of my blog? 

I feel like I still haven't really taken the time to define what exactly I want this blog to be. I love crafty things, and tutorials, but I'm not very consistent in coming up with projects to share. I love to write, but I find myself blocked on what to write about all too often. I enjoy baking and cooking, but probably not enough to devote a whole blog to it!

I suppose that's why these are called "lifestyle" blogs. It reflects my lifestyle, with a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. And maybe that's ok. Either way, I don't think I have quite enough to draw on from this little blog of mine, to decide exactly what I want it to be yet. I just think that it's time I started heading that direction, and shifting my focus onto the things that really inspire me! I feel like that's the way I will start creating the best content I can, both for me to enjoy, and you, my readers!

During this little reflection period, I came across a link to this awesome website, called Wordle. Basically, you use this sight to create word clouds! I was able to import the link to my blog, and it took every word that I have published here, and made a word cloud based on that. The more a word appears in my blog, the bigger the word is. I hoped that this might help me see if I had a main theme running through all of my writing.

What I saw was that I use the word "just" way, way, way too often!


And "little," "think," and "though." Ha! So, while it didn't give me that essence I was hoping for, I suppose it will help me try to change my word usage up a bit!

After seeing the reality of what my blog contains, I decided to do a little brainstorming. I'm working on a new About Me page, and I wanted to see what word cloud that might come up with (even though it's only a rough draft). I went ahead and added a few words of the things that I really love and that I would like to incorporate more of in my blog. This word cloud is more of an inspiration piece, and I think it will help me on my way to creating my own little niche in this whole blogland!


Inspiration!

I think that Wordle is such a great and fun tool, and you could use it for so many things!

I highly suggest you check it out, whether you were using it for research, or just as inspiration! There are so many layouts, colors, fonts, and orientations to choose from, so you can make it completely unique and yours. And once you create it, it's yours to save and do whatever you want with!

(FYI, this post wasn't sponsored in any way, shape, or form by Wordle. It's just a fun tool that I wanted to share with you all!)

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find motivation and inspiration for whatever project you might be working on today :) Happy Monday!






Monopolizing the Breakfast Table


So, instead of finishing up my breakfast this fine, fine morning, I decided to get another cup of coffee, and monopolize this little table of mine for a little bit longer!

breakfast view


Yes, I'm still in the hotel, but today will be our last day. Tomorrow we head home, but we will be stopping and doing some touristy stuff in San Francisco on the way.

Today, I just feel like writing.

It's been a long time since I've felt any real inspiration to write. I'm not sure what happened, but there for a little while I just felt completely zapped!

I couldn't seem to come up with any of my own ideas, and I hated that I was always using other bloggers' prompts and link-ups for the bulk of my content. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love doing them, but I wanted you, my readers, to see more original material from me! That was why I started this blog in the first place, to write, and to share my thoughts. Well, I guess I was still sharing them, but I was sharing my thoughts on other peoples' ideas.

When I tried to stop relying so much on link-ups, and life started to get busy for me, I lost all motivation to keep up with this blog. It made me sad, but I had such a terrible case of writers block, it wasn't even funny!

I realized though, that I really missed it, this whole writing thing, and I've decided not to be so hard on myself. I want to try to write more, even if I feel like what I'm writing about isn't that exciting, or might not be "good enough." If I wrote it, and I like it, then that's good enough for me! I may not lead the most exciting life, but that's why my blog title contains the word ordinary. I guess you know what you're getting right there, ha!

That's my summer plan, to just start writing more. As I've been brainstorming, I've decided that maybe I will host a link-up! Possibly. I've had a couple ideas, but we'll see if anyone wants to join in with little ol' me. Either way, there will start being new posts around here, and some of them may turn into regulars!

For now though, I am going to finish my breakfast and get on with my day. Since Dane is still working, and I've got all day to myself again, I think the beach is calling my name. I think I'm going to head back on down to Santa Cruz for the day, and get my tan on!

Cheers, and happy Wednesday!


Sunday Currently: Volume 17

I'm baaaack....

But for reals, I'm sorry everybody! Things have just been crazy around here, and it has been weeks (!) since I've been around!

A few weeks ago, I started working a lot of hours, and it just zapped me completely. I was so wore out in the evening, that all I felt like doing was sitting in front of my netflix! Then I got sick. So that bogged me down even more. Then I had to get ready for a camping trip, and my family came to town! So, obviously, the last month or so has been absolutely crazy!

And not only have I been a terrible blogger in terms of writing...but I also didn't take hardly any pictures of all of the fun things I've been doing!

I went on a camping trip.

It was Dane's twenty-eighth birthday!

I went to the coast with my family.

I've had a few of my sisters staying with me for a couple of weeks!

And I have no pictures......

Well, mostly no pictures. The other day, we did go swimming in the most beautiful river, and I was smart enough to bring my camera for that!

Still, though. Bad blogger! Bad!

Anyways, I've missed this little space of mine, and I'm happy to be back! I hope I won't be missing quite as much around here lately, since I'm pretty much on summer break. And here are a few of those pictures that I took from our river jaunt last Friday.




Sandy toes


My sissies


The clearest river




|Currently|


Reading  Nothing much lately. I kind of forgot about Gatsby, then we went and saw the movie anyway! I may still finish it though, we'll see. 
Writing  Well, obviously nothing! Hopefully I'll be better about that from now on.
Listening  To the quiet. My sisters are out at the moment, and Dane just went to bed. I'm writing this way too late, and bed is where I'm headed next.
Thinking  About how tired I am, and all of the stuff I'm going to do this week. I've got another pretty busy week ahead!
Smelling  Summer air. I've got the windows opened up, and the ceiling fans on.
Wishing  That I had thought to write this out earlier in the day! It's getting late, and The Office is calling my name, ha!
Hoping  To stick to my healthy eating this week. I'll fill you in on why pretty soon! Plus, I've got an update on my eating/work out plan as well!
Loving  Summer time! Technically it isn't even summer yet, but it feels like it around here. I've already gotten in camping, swimming, the beach, and lots of volley ball!
Wanting  To get all caught up on blogging stuff this week. Ads, emails, comments, and new posts! Pretty much everything I've been neglecting lately.
Needing  To wrap this up and go hit the hay!
Feeling  Pretty good! Sun burnt, but good.
Clicking  Not a lot, but I did just read this interesting article about growing up as trust fund baby. Then, of course, I've been keeping up with The Daily Tay

Happy to be linking up with the fabulous Lauren again!

Also, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to all of my new followers from the bloglovin' hop! I'm so excited to have you all here, and I will be getting back to you're comments soon! Thanks so, so much for following along!


The Bloglovin' Collective



Welcome to the weekly Bloglovin' Collective party! 
There are many out there like it, but this is the Bloglovin' blog hop you do not want to miss.




Host:

and my co-hosts for the week:
Interested in co-hosting? Send an email to peacoatsnplaid(at)gmail(dot)com to get on the waiting list.

Just a Moment


Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)





This is one of my favorite moments of my day. When I'm having my coffee, planning my day, and blogging! It doesn't always look like this (and I never have fresh flowers) but when I have the day off from work, I have more time to sit and relax first thing in the morning. So far, this is about what my mornings have looked like this week, and I've been loving it!


Lovely Ladies


Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member


This one is pretty hard for me, because I'm still fairly new to blogging! I actually first started my blog in the fall of  2011, but I didn't get serious about writing and connecting with other bloggers until just a few months ago. So, I don't have a lot of actual blogger "friends," they're more like acquaintances.  

There are a few lovely ladies though, that I would like to recognize! First off, is my one actual blogger friend, who was also my friend in real life. She's been mentioned a few times around these parts (and even had a guest post) and she's pretty awesome! I'm talking about my friend Molly, from Mae Live Free. She's a vegan mommy of an adorable little girl, and she blogs about her life, living green, and raising a little one with the man she loves so much! I definitely think you all should check her out, if you haven't already. She likes to share (delicious) recipes, hair ideas, great photos, and lots of coffee talk! (smart lady!)

Then there are a couple others who, while maybe wouldn't fall under the "friend" category just yet, are pretty close! Lauren, of siddathornton, is so great! Her Sunday Currently is one of the first link-ups I've ever done, and she is just so sweet! She posts some pretty neat pictures, and we have a lot in common! Something tells me that we could have such a good time if we ever got to hang out in person. And Tina from Like Ordinary Life is just as awesome! I love reading about her running, and house projects (we both would like to sell our houses). So, yeah, I guess we have a lot in common too!

There are plenty of others who are always super sweet and nice when we chat, so I hope that my circle of blogging friends just continues to grow and grow!

And with that, it's off to bed for me!



Creative Juices are Flowing


When I first started this blog, it was because I wanted to get back into writing. I loved to write in school, and I always had this dream of becoming a writer. After graduating though, I let it all go by the wayside, and I didn't write anything for a long, long time. I don't think I realized how much I missed it until I started again, and I've been having so much fun with it!

Since I've gotten more into this whole blogging thing though, I've noticed my interest is being pulled in another direction. Something that I think I would really love to get into.

I'm talking about graphic/blog design! I love things that look pretty, and when I see some people's blogs, I am just so curious about how it was created! Not that I want to copy what anyone else has, but there are just so many cool things you can do to make your space unique.

After poking around a bit, I realized the source of most of this awesomeness is Photoshop (duh). But, you see, I can't really afford Photoshop. If I thought I was going to be able to make money off of using it, then I would invest, but that's not something I see happening anytime soon, if ever.

Luckily, I found something for poor little girls like me, and that would be pixlr. I'm sure a lot of you probably know what I'm talking about, because it is the coolest thing ever. You get the professionalism of Photoshop, with an even better price tag! In case you were wondering, that price tag is free.

Screenshot of some of my graphics editing.


I'm sure that overall, Photoshop probably runs circles around pixlr, especially in it's newer editions, but I'm really loving it anyway! There are a lot of things you can do, and I'm having a blast messing around and editing graphics. I would love to re-design the whole look of my blog to make it more custom, but there's still a lot I don't know yet. I'm definitely working on it though, and I hope to have a new look sooner rather than later.

So, if you're looking for a good place to edit photos, I would definitely recommend you check it out!


*        *       *


On a totally unrelated note, don't try to make boiled eggs in your microwave, or this will happen.




I wish I had read the comments section first....


Featuring...


So, I have a special treat for you guys! Today I'm featuring a guest post from my friend Molly, from over at MaeLiveFree. She has such a great blog, and if you haven't already, I totally recommend heading on over and checking it out!

As some of you may know, we are both blogging friends and real life friends. We've known each other for a long time, and competing with one another has always been our thing. Hence, her guest posting for me! She explains it all pretty well though, so I suppose  I'll  just let her take it from here!



|Mashed Potato Moments|



I'm Molly Mae, the voice over at MaeLiveFree, and I'm pretty excited to offer up some grade-A embarrassing story over here today! Lucky for me, and you, it's a love story too. This guest appearance came about in competition (which is actually pretty typical of me and Amy, as are embarrassing stories really). When I recommended choice literature for her to read, and then noticed that she was as unmotivated to read it as I was I said, "Hey, let's say whoever finishes first does a post for the other?" She agreed.

Amy and I go a long way back! We met on my second day of school in Marsing, that little town in Idaho she loves, when we were ten year olds. She was my first best friend in that new school. Then my nemesis, and back and forth it went all the way to graduation. We were pretty similar, both oldest siblings, both loved reading and singing cheesy pop music, both highly opinionated, both royal pains I'm sure as well... We could have been a great pair of friends if we didn't insist on butting heads, and when we were, we were. For some reason though, we couldn't resist a little competition. During the times we got along we had a lot of fun, like at our 8th grade basketball season end party (it's still weird that I ever played basketball) when we were in this weird and apparently hilarious competition of offensive and non-sensical words with Cera and Danielle at a Chinese restaurant. We've also witnessed some embarrassing moments of each other's.  Like me tripping up the stairs at the basketball game we went to at the same party, and tearing my shin up. Or when Amy forgot the words to her solo at one of our Christmas concerts... In the spirit of our history, and her penchants for sharing embarrassing stories here that's what I want to share with you (her awesome readers) today.

On June 7, 2009, I met this random stranger of a guy on facebook (Myspace was losing steam). He sent me a friend request and I accepted just so I could look at his private profile and write him off as a creep...and instead my curiosity was piqued. I thought there was a really good chance that I could love him. Crazy, I know. Especially considering I had just broken off my engagement with my high school sweetheart. Even more so because I had decided that I was really thrilled at the prospect of self-exploration. I told my mom maybe the DAY BEFORE that I would never date someone I met on the internet...then he showed up. It was the worst timing for romance too! My dad had just moved out, and my great grandma was in bad shape with dementia in a nursing home. But for some reason I felt so compelled to know this guy, so I called him out, and messaged him saying that we could be friends as long as he actually wanted to socialize. He thought my initiative was charming and eloquent, so we started talking, via message and text, and I knew I was in trouble! We texted almost non-stop for two days, he stayed up late to talk to me while I stayed up for 64 hours straight in the nursing home leading up to my grandma's passing. Then we decided to meet. He drove 26 miles to pick me up for our first date (I didn't have a car or license at 19!) and when I let him in the door my heart hit the roof. I KNEW that he was my life from that moment on, it was like I'd been hit by a speeding train, and that he had a specific gravitational pull that affected only me. It was the craziest. When we got in his truck he said I smelled delicious and I giggled because my perfume was DKNY Be Delicious.


Fast forward through half a day spent at his apartment just talking like old friends and watching a movie...I meet his roomate, and then his best friend and his girlfriend. The two latter, this fella, and myself decide to go out to his favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. I'm equal parts excited and mortified. I had always wanted to try sushi, but I wasn't the biggest fan of seafood. So off we went in his truck, onto the freeway, when he realized he forgot his wallet. His best friend laughed and remarked on how common that was, and we exited to go back and get it. We arrive at the sushi restaurant and the gentlemen proceed to do the ordering, they know what's good, I trust them. The sushi arrives and we share 4 rolls. Thing to note: I've never REALLY used chopsticks before, so they give me a lesson. I managed to grab a piece of the Spicy Hawaiian roll and bring it to my mouth. Everyone is talking and carrying on, and I'm trying to figure out how to eat it without looking gross or stupid because it's huge! I decide to bite off half of it and the whole thing starts crumbling like a old house being demolished. My mouth is full, and I'm helpless, and suddenly all eyes are on me... I quickly bring my free hand up to cover my mouth and attempt to chew and push the rest into my mouth while they are looking at me: one smugly, one laughing, and one acting like nothing is happening. The latter being my date thank God, he doesn't seem like I've embarrassed him. The good news is that it was delicious, and also that it wasn't the last date like I feared.

We were pretty much inseparable after that first date, I practically lived at his apartment at least half of the week until I did move in, in October. Somewhere in that still-dating-and-not-yet-one-hundred-percent-comfortable stage we were out at KFC eating lunch, those bowls with mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, cheese, and gravy AKA failure piles in a sadness bowl (forgive the strong language, but watch it, do it). We were sitting in a booth, facing each other, and talking about something that I was apparently excited about and I had set my plastic spork down in the bowl to talk with my hands. Are you starting to see the danger here? No, read on...at some point my hand started to come down, hovering somewhere above the spork for a split second (imagine this scene in slow motion, it's best) before coming down and scattering flinging the heck out of mashed potatoes all over me, my face, the table, and probably across the restaurant, but none on my laughing boyfriend. Some guys might have up and run out on a girl then, or grabbed me and got me out of there fast, but he didn't. If I hadn't already known he was the one, I would have learned it then.



As if those two ugly faced, slobby food scenarios weren't bad enough, things like this happen with me all the time...dipping my hair in farina, slopping coffee all over my face and chest, dropping a glob of ketchup on my swaddled nursing newborn, etc. Even today! After spending 10 minutes hand grinding coffee beans for my aeropress coffee, I set out to remove the bottom canister of the hand grinder and dropped the grounds all over the floor. This time my now husband was covered in my shame as well, standing a little too close when it happened.

I'm lucky to have such a soul to witness my awkward encounters though, and reminded of this everyday. He wrote in his wedding vows that it wasn't despite things like me flinging mashed potatoes in my face that he loved me, but because of them. If that's not a victory for the grace challenged like myself, then I don't know what is.


Thanks for having me here! Maybe I'll see you around my corner of the internet sometime. ;)

Sunday Currently: Volume 7


Oregon coast, from last year. I wish I had been there this weekend!


Reading  Wildwood by Colin Meloy. I've still been having a hard time getting much reading done, but it's due in just a few days, so it's time to buckle down! I could renew it, but I hate to do that. I was always the type of person who just knocked books out, usually within a couple of days! So, if I'm not finished after a month, then I usually try to move on to something different, and maybe revisit it later to see if I'm more interested.
Writing  I've got several things in the works right now! I have so many drafts in my queue that I'm afraid I'm going to lose track of them! It's pretty exciting though, because last week I wasn't happy with my posts. Or lack of posts, to be more specific.
Listening  I had been hearing this song on a Sprint commercial for a while now, and really wanting to know who sang it. I finally did some searching, and discovered Alexi Murdoch! He's Scottish, which is awesome, and his songs are just so amazing! The one from the commercial is "All My Days." You should definitely look it up, and give him a listen!
Thinking  Too much about the future. I wish I could stay more focused on the now, and be in the present. I'm the type of person who is always looking too far ahead, and I get my expectations way too high. It's something I'm trying to work on.
Smelling  Mmmm, my coffee. It's always the highlight to my morning! The delicious, steaming warm cup of joe. I'm more addicted to the taste and the ritual of it, than the actual caffeine, but I'm still addicted nonetheless.
Wishing  That Dane could come with me to visit my family! He hasn't been over there in over a year now, and we don't have any trips planned together anytime soon. It's difficult for him to take time off work, and when I go, I like to stay for a week or more! He doesn't have the luxury to do that like I do, so I tend to just go without him.
Hoping  That I can keep up with my training schedule while I'm in Idaho. It shouldn't be too hard, since my parents have a gym membership, and they go several times a week! I get to use their guest passes when I'm there, and my dad can be a really big motivator. But, those of you who know me, know that I have a hard time sticking to my workouts when my schedule gets interrupted for any reason!
Loving  That I get to see my family and friends soon! Skype is great, but it doesn't really compare to seeing them all in person.
Wanting  To start using my camera more. I went through a stage where I was taking a lot of pictures, but then I started getting out of the habit. Yesterday I wanted to go around and just take a whole bunch of snapshots! But the weather was less than stellar, and I never got out of the house. It's something that I would love to get better at, and that will only come with practice, so hopefully I can go in the next couple of days.
Needing  To get my dog fixed! He's needed it for a while now. He barks at other dogs like crazy, and when I take him on walks or runs he is constantly stopping to mark his territory! It's a little annoying, so I hope that getting him fixed will help with that.
Feeling  So happy that Spring weather is here. It's been here for a little while now, but it seems to be sticking around! Plus, having that extra hour of sunlight in the evenings has been so great! It feels so nice to be able to enjoy doing things outside more regularly. I'm hoping that once Dane is over his cold, we can go disc golfing in the evenings after he gets off work!
Clicking  On Bloglovin', of course! Everybody is these days. I know I mentioned it once already, but if you would like to follow me there, just click on the icon in my sidebar. I just finished switching all of my subscriptions over, and I'm so glad! It took a while, because I didn't use the actual Google Reader, so I was just manually going through each blog and switching. There was probably a better way, but I was able to do some housekeeping and stop following some of those blogs that I never really read. It feels very good to be done though!

Linking up this morning with Lauren!

Happies and Crappies Friday #4

The Vintage Modern Wife: Happies and Crappies Link Up
Linking up with Stephanie and Sarah!
Happies

  1. It hasn't been rainy all week like the forecast said, so I've been loving that! All I did last weekend was complain that it was going to rain, and we've actually had some sun almost every day.
  2. I got my ceiling fan project done, and I'm just being a little slow about posting it. I promise it's coming though, and I really love how it turned out!
  3. I checked out a couple of books from the library, and I read one last night! Granted, it wasn't very long, but it was really good. It's been a while since I've read anything other than a magazine article, or another blog. 
  4. I decided this week that I am going to do my annual 5k run. It's every April, and last year I actually ran the 10 mile. I was so burnt out on the whole thing though, that I said I wouldn't be doing it this year. Well, I can't seem to find the motivation to work out anywhere else, so training starts next week!


Crappies

  1. I decided this week to do my annual 5k run! Ha! Just kidding, sorta. I just hope that I don't totally burn out this year, because that's the reason I haven't really worked out in the last six months. Also, what kind of crazy person pays money to get up early in the morning, and go run in the cold? I guess I do.
  2. I am so tired today. I still can't seem to get my sleep schedule under control. I've gotten into the habit of staying up later and later, and then sleeping in. Or getting up early and being super draggy because I didn't get enough sleep!
  3. I feel like I've eaten only junk this week. It's not good. I'm hoping that my training will not only help to tone me up, but that it will be extra incentive to want to start eating healthier again. I'm ready to get back on the wagon, and look good for summer!

Yay for more happies than crappies, and I hope you all have a great weekend!

Liebster Blog Award: Tag, You're It!













I was recently tagged in a post by my friend Molly over at Mae Live Free, to be a part of the Liebster Blog Award! Now, there really isn't any award, but it is a fun game to play with your fellow bloggers, and show some link-love!

The rules are simple. If you have been tagged at the bottom of my post you must do the following:

  1. Write eleven facts about yourself.
  2. Answer the eleven questions given you by your tagger.
  3. Create eleven new questions for those you tag.
  4. Tag eleven bloggers, with less than 200 followers, and let them know they've been invited!
  5. Oh, and no tag backs! (feels like the playground, huh?)
See we're having fun already!


Eleven Facts

  1. I'm just starting to get a little more into photography, hence the picture at the top that doesn't seem to really belong. I just thought it was pretty! I don't really know if this is a hobby that will go anywhere, but I'm enjoying just playing around with it.
  2. I am such a total nerd. Like, nobody really has any idea how totally uncool and awkward I can be. Except for my husband Dane, my best friend Kayla, and my family. They've seen it all! Every weird noise, accent, funny face, you name it. I'm surprised I don't embarrass them all in public more often!
  3. I love orange! My favorite color has bounced around a lot over the years, I used to be super into green. Now, I don't really love it. But I would love to put loud, punchy shots of orange all over the place. 
  4. I feel like I am a really confident person by nature, but I am also really insecure. I feel like my insecurities aren't who I really am though, if that makes any sense? Like, deep down, I like myself a lot, but life gets in the way, and there's always something to make you feel not good enough. I would love to move past those insecurities someday, and become that confident person I know I am!
  5. I have a completely unhealthy relationship with food. Mostly sugar. But it is just so good. In fact, speaking of sugar, I want some cake. Or cookies. Ooh, or some brownies! Anyways... where was I?
  6. I love my job! Currently I only hold a substitute position, but I get to work at an elementary school as an aide, and it's fantastic! I get to work with a lot of wonderful ladies, and some really great kids.
  7. I have never flown in an airplane. Yeah, twenty-two years old, and I've never even been in one. I would like to be able to go somewhere that would require flying, and preferably sooner rather than later, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I won't like it. I'll be the weird lady having a panic attack, a la Bridesmaids movie! (you know what scene I'm referring to!)
  8.  I completely over use exclamation points! Way too much! I don't know why I can't seem to stop using them! They are probably really annoying to everyone else! Actually, maybe no one else ever noticed, but you will now!
  9. I have five little sisters, how crazy is that? Those goofy little girls are so great, I miss them all like crazy! It seems like I'm always seeing kids that remind me of them. I guess that's when I know I'm getting really home sick.
  10. I love music so, so much. I have always loved it! As a kid I entertained notions of being a professional singer or musician, but I definitely don't have that much talent. I love to sing still, and if I don't have music playing all the time then I feel off. I love songs that move me, and right now my favorite genre is folk rock, or folk pop. Think the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons.
  11. I am a terribly lazy person. I spend way too much of my free time (and then some) sitting on my computer, not doing much at all. Reading blogs, which is great, facebooking, checking email, reading random articles. You name it, I'm probaly wasting time doing it. It's one of those things I feel like I really need to work on.

Eleven Answers

    1.  If you could have coffee with ANYONE, who would it be and why?

This one is tough. I think it would be my mom. After four and a half years of living in another state, and knowing that I probably always will, I would love to be able to have coffee with her whenever I wanted! I'm sure that's not what this question was about, but that's my answer.

    2.  Tell me about one defining moment in your life?

I feel like I have a lot of these moments, and it's hard to pick just one! I guess I will go with one of the happier ones. I was talking to my best friend on the phone from where I was on vacation. I had just started dating my husband, and I was telling her how head over heels I was! I told her that I was pretty sure I was in love, and that was when I actually realized it. I was completely in love! Of course, she gave me the usual response, and told me it wasn't love, it was just hormones. That feeling never changed though, and I think that was when I really started to realize that he was going to be my forever.

    3.  Why do you blog?

I love to write. I have thought and thought about writing, anything really, but I never could seem to do it. After discovering and following so many amazing blogs, I began to think that this was the perfect outlet for me to use. I'm not sure where, if anywhere, I want this all to go, but I love the practice that it's giving me, and I hope to get better! I also like crafty stuff, I'm just not very motivated, so I thought this would give me the kick I needed to get some of my projects done!

    4.  If you could only listen to one artist/band for the rest of your life, who would it be?

This would be really hard, even though I'm the kind of person who can listen to something over and over again before I ever get tired of it! I guess I would have to say Mumford & Sons, they are at least tied for, if not hold, the spot of my number one favorite!

    5.  What is your favorite food?

I love Mexican food! I could eat it constantly. And I don't mean real authentic Mexican, although I'm sure I would like that too, but good ol' greasy American Mexican food! I think guacamole is the best invention ever, and a big, deep fried chimichanga covered in it really hits the spot!

    6.  If you had to come up with a unique tradition for you/your family, what would it be?

I have actually had to do this since I moved away from my family. There are a few holiday get-togethers that I have to miss out on now, that my husband's family doesn't always celebrate. So far nothing we do has really stuck, except for going to the coast on the fourth of July, and even that we haven't done every year. I would love to have a new New Year's Day tradition though. Probably brunch, since I love brunch, and just having some of our friends and family over. Not really unique, but it's not something we've never done either!

    7.  Tell me something that makes you unique?

I am, what my husband likes to call, a person of extremes. This goes for most things in my life. I can be the biggest, grossest slob you've ever seen, but when I want something clean, I'm going to clean it totally. Like OCD clean and organized. I'm the same way with my diet. When I'm on one, I'm on it. Nothing bad for me! But as soon as I fall off the wagon, I pretty much dive right into a pile of donuts! Then I will eat junk food like it's going out of style! It pretty much drives everyone around me crazy.

    8.  What poem or quote would you say applies most to your life?

I love the saying "This too shall pass." My mother-in-law said it to me when I was going through something difficult in my life, and I like to think about how true it is. No matter what you are struggling with, it's so comforting to know that it will pass. It might take a long time, or it might be quick. But someday you will wake up and realize that this thing you've been fighting is finally over. 

    9.  If you were a coffee shop drink, would you be a?

Ooh, I'm not sure about this one. Maybe a white chocolate caramel mocha. Because I'm as white as they come, and a little caramel for that little something special! Maybe with an extra shot, since I'm so feisty. Ha! What's funny is that I would never order this. I'm a sugar free, split shot or decaf, skinny caramel latte kinda gal. Yes I know, I'm high maintenance   

  10.  What is your most treasured possession or memory?

One I've been thinking of lately is from a little over a year ago. It was the weekend before my brother's birthday and he was here in town. We decided to take him out to a pizza place that we love as a treat, and a couple of our friends came along too. With everything that happened soon after, and with all the regrets I've had, it took a while before I remembered even having that night with him. I'm so, so happy that I did, and I love to think about it and the fun we had. I know I'm going to cherish that memory for the rest of my life.

  11.  You find a $100 bill on the sidewalk, what do you do?

Do a little squeal and dance in my head! It must be my lucky day! Seriously, I would love to find an extra $100, but I would probably blow it on a fun date night, and maybe a new outfit. If Dane had anything to say about it though, it would probably go into savings. So honestly, I guess we would probably split it 50/50. Half in savings, half to have fun with!


Eleven Questions For You

  1. What is your biggest inspiration when it comes to blogging?
  2. If your life were a movie, who would play you?
  3. What is your favorite scent?.
  4. If you were a super hero, what would your power be?
  5. What is your favorite hobby, besides blogging?
  6. What is your go-to, favorite outfit?
  7. If you could learn another language in a day, what would it be and why?
  8. Who is the biggest hero in your life?
  9. What is your favorite way to relax?
  10. Coffee or tea? Plus your favorite brand
  11. What is your biggest goal, in regards to your blog?

So there you have it! I'm tagging all of these lovely ladies below. If any of you decide to join in, don't feel obligated to ramble on as much as I have! You can write as little, or as much as you like!



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