Metablogging - to follow or not to follow

In the beginning, I would find a blog and follow them simply because I liked their writing. Maybe I even only liked that one post that I read, but I always thought, if later, I didn't really relate to their writing then I would just unfollow.

Easy, thinking.

Like? Follow

No like? Unfollow

But the fact is, once I really got started following people I had so many people I couldn't possibly go through and read all their posts. And as a fellow blogger, I AM A SUPPORTER. If you blog and I like your blog, I want to support you. I want you to know that I am listening. Which means I comment on your blog. Especially when it reaches out and grabs me.

But if after many times of visiting your blog, I don't relate or the post doesn't make me comment, I feel the need to unfollow.

Is this wrong? To unfollow?

I wouldn't think so.

Then I get comments from people who ASK ME TO FOLLOW THEM and I gotta be honest, I think this is rude. I think it is assumptive. I think this feels like high school where if I am cool I will have a million followers.

Is that the goal? To just have followers?

I feel the goal is not to just have a side bar that has a million followers, but to find blogs that you care about and read them, then comment on them. If you read that blog constantly, follow it. Share it. Etc.

Yes it is oh so cool to read and comment on blogs like Dooce or Pioneer Woman, but by the time we really get to these maybe they are already a paying job. Not to say anything bad about that. There isn't. Heck that would be an awesome job. And I constantly read both those blogs. I even own Pioneer Woman's cookbook - it's signed - but I am looking to support my fellow bloggers who are out there letting their voice be heard too. But does that mean, I should go around the blogosphere and just click follow on every blog?

The point?

Please don't ask me to follow you.

If I am playing along with a follow me day, cool, follow me. But do you really need to ask me to follow?

If you love a blog, follow it.

If you love a post, comment on it.

Wanna contribute to Metablogging week? Go here. Or go check out Scmutzie bc I like her blog. (yes, I follow her)

Post It Note Tuesday - the sickly customer

What can you say with a POST IT?

Martha Monday - the craft room make-over

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I do not have very many "before" pictures of my craft room simply because a) I rarely ever went in there and if I did it was to stow an item or eight million and/or b) it is really really messy. Not photo worthy.

Here is just a glimpse of some of the way I had my stuff "organized."


AFTER:
Went to IKEA
FOUR TIMES
I went to IKEA four times!!
On the last time I actually purchased furniture.
But that wasn't the end of it.
I went back one more time because out of the three pieces of furniture, one was missing a piece and one was broken.


I bought a cube with 12 places for storage.
I bought a corner desk and the elongated matching desk.


Then I went to Walmart and purchased six extra large square canvas baskets.
This combined with the other smaller canvas baskets, mixed with the baskets I already had should be more than enough to organize effectively.


It took 8 hours to put all this furniture together!!!
EIGHT HOURS!!


Now I couldn't just organize the craft room.
It became a full apartment overhaul.
In order to get everything in the craft room I had to move the table out to the patio, the bookshelf into the closet and then organize.


Which is actually great because then I had room for the papasan that I love. I have been holding on to that little treasure for a couple years. It's really the reading chair. So cozy for a long book.
AND
Should Saint decide to move in after his lease is up (ooh, crossing fingers), he will have space for a desk too.


As you can see, Tuesday was psyched to get her much loved window seat back. A prime spot on the desk. Though she and I both know that during serious crafting, that bed will be put on the floor. Not that she cares, she will simply lay on whatever - papers, pens, etc.


I love the colored cubes. Yet, I find myself trying to organize them so they look better. Ugh, the falls of a Type A personality.


I organized this room about five times before I finally felt it was good enough for a break. All my stuff just kept multiplying so there way always more to organize and go through. Crazy.
Tuesday again, checking out her new diggs.


Here are the final pics, after all the major papers, tools and crap where thrown out or organized into better systems.


Here is my desk. Chair has got to go. Any suggestions on a cool, comfy chair? This one is great, but as you can see there is not one but two pillows to help with comfort. It is a bit broken so when I sit in it, it falls back.


Check out the cool new Making Memories desktop carousel! It was on sale at Michael's craft stores. WOOT!


I did keep a couple of the plastic shelving units. The little one is so organized, I couldn't get rid of it. The two filing cabinets under the desk will have to be gone through and combined. I don't plan to keep the little plastic one that has apparently died on one of the moves.

Ahhh, papasan you and I have a date with an awesome book very, very soon.




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What has inspired you this week?

Grace in small things - edition six

My cup runneth over

Today was one of those days where I am so happy to be alive and living my life.

For the first time in almost five days, I am feeling better. YEAH!!

I got to sneak out of work for about 10 minutes. I walked to Starbucks to get some treats for my team. And myself. (perk!!) I was walking, yes, it was still one hundred and hell degrees outside, but it was GORgeous. There was little clouds in the sky, it was bright and cheerful. I was wearing this beautiful skirt that I got from work the other day. My free piece in our latest collection. Oh yes, I get free clothes on occasion. (perk!!) And it hit me -

I was walking to Starbucks.
I was getting paid to go on an errand
AND
I was getting Starbucks too!
ZOIKS!

I felt myself stop mid walk just to take a few deep breaths. It was glorious!

So I started ticking off all the things I am thankful for -

My eyes are feeling better. I gave in and went to the dr on Friday before work. Turns out it is some kind of eye infection, viral, but of course, they don't know exactly what it is. Wednesday, it was in my left eye, by Friday it was in both. They gave me some eye ointment to rub in my eyes over the next week. Said it would feel better after 24-48 hours. Turns out they were right. Huh, odd. I have my energy back too. Not to mention I'm hungry again.

I am in love. And he is in love with me. He is considering moving in with me, which is the next step in a possible long term relationship. He is good to me. He takes care of me. He considers how I feel. It is good to be with him. Am I ever going to get tired of repeating this to myself?

I bought new pjs the other day. Who doesn't love new pjs? AND they were one clearance. They are oh so cute! They're capris. Saint calls them high waters, but what does he know? They are pinstriped with buttons. My first pjs without drawstrings. Without telling too much information, Saint had quite the time figuring out how to take them off. Hilarious!!

I have a beautiful apartment. Two bedroom, one of which is my very own craft room. WOOT! I just redid it. It's all organized and ready to play in. Well, almost. I do have a few things to still organize and decide to keep or throw away, but whatever. (for pics, see Martha Monday post tomorrow)

Clean sheets. Who doesn't love sliding in to nice, hot, freshly made sheets? With my not feeling well, I have been washing the sheets every other night just to make sure.

I am completely addicted to Sun Chips. I love the original flavor, but Saint recently invested in a huge bag of all flavors, so I am trying them one by one. I do enjoy french onion and I don't mind the cheddar, but not a fan of the salsa.

My kitties are happy and healthy. After Izabel's lion cut, she is in a much better mood and very lovable!

My family is taking a nice vacation to New England later in the year together. That will be fun! I have always wanted to visit Boston, Newport, Martha's Vineyard, etc.

Life is good.

Mommywood by Tori Spelling

I am knee deep in Mommywood by Tori Spelling.

I read her first book (sTORI telling) years ago, and loved it. I think the thing I love most about Tori is she is very down to earth. She may have money, she may have fame, but she just wants what all of us want. A life of love, happiness and a place to call home. I enjoyed reading about her travels through life's turmoil. We all have to find our way through the muck of our past, our parents, our growing up. It all plays a very valid role in who we are today.

In her new book, Mommywood, she explores the day to day inner working of being a mom in the world of Los Angeles surrounded by celebrities (being that she is one). I love the chapter about the awe she felt seeing another celebrity's baby at yoga and then relating that to how her kids will feel someday. I love how she tells her jealousy that Dean is a natural father, where she feels lost and how her son calls for him all the time and she can't seem to please.

It is her imperfections that make me like her and the fact that she embraces them, instead of hiding them is fabulous. I also enjoy the fact that she laughs at herself - or tries at least - because, as I know, that is very hard to do.

Sigh, I just wish I got Oxygen on one of my five channels. Or maybe hulu will pick it up. One can only hope.

Have you read this yet?

What are you currently reading?

life can be tiring

I feel tired lately. Tired in the sense that my body just doesn't want to move. Not just my body either, it's my brain too. It feels heavy and overloaded like it just can't take anymore.

No, my life isn't hard or bad. In fact, I lead a very happy life. (see blog header: she finally started living the life she always wanted) Life has been very good to me.

So that's not it.

I am not depressed. For once. I mean, being a woman, I have come to learn means depression seeps in on occasion. Sometimes, every month for about seven to ten days. Sometimes, it skips a month.

I am not overworked, maybe underpaid, but aren't we all.

I am not missing affection or attention. Seriously, I am in a very happy and very committed relationship. Sigh, love rocks.

I just feel my body playing anarchy.

For the last two days, I have suffered headaches and body pain that comes in waves. I have broken out in massive amounts of sweat one moment and bone chills the next. My ovaries feel as if they are dangling from strings. It is quite painful.

I have pulled a muscle or my hamstring in my left leg. HOW did I do this? I have no frickin' idea. Seriously, how does one pull a major muscle/tendon in the leg and not realize the instant it happens?

My allergies are causing my nose to constantly run like a faucet and my toilet paper (read: cheap tissues) to run dry.

My left eye has become swollen as if it will break out in pink eye, yet I know, it is not such. It is quite possibly just a reaction to some allergy. I am guessing, I got a cat hair in it. One of the many punishments for keeping my two precious cats after my allergist told me I am deathly allergic to them. Okay, not deathly, but severely.

My brain will not allow processing of the English language. As of lately, I sound like a ninety-year old woman who has lost her hearing aid. "What? I didn't catch that. Crap, can you repeat that? Okay, seriously I didn't hear you the last four times." It is driving Saint a bit crazy, rightly so, I must add. I hate to repeat myself.

And then to top it all off, our power went out for over six hours. It is currently over one hundred and ten degrees. Blessedly it was at night and I was tired (see above eight paragraphs). I promptly passed out in the heat. Or maybe, the heat made me promptly pass out. Who knows, but for once I slept like I hadn't slept in weeks.

I woke up with a headache.

Damn it.

What is wrong with me? I am 31 years old and feel like a old mofo. (sorry, I hate that expression too)

Does anyone else ever feel this way?

Wordless Wednesday - the lion cut

before:

after:

Wordless Wednesday