The Evolution of a Blog

The evolution of a blog:

• I am so addicted to reading these things called "blogs".  I feel like a stalker.
• I would love to blog, but I have no idea what to name it.
• Well, I could just name it something to get started and change it later if I find a better one.  What else am I going to do during all of this time my husband watches football?
• I will just blog to keep family and friends posted on things Rusty and I are doing around the house.
• Awe, that's cute.  Some of my friends are following.
• Maybe I should upload my posts to Facebook.
• Man, someone in Australia read my blog today.
• I'll just take some pictures of the steps to this project.
• Hhhmm... need an "About Us" page, a "Dogs" page, a "Our Home" page and a "Projects" page.
• I just got my first comment from a stranger.  How did they find me?
• I want more strangers.
• Linky Party.
• What project can I do today that would make a good blog post.
• Oh no, I totally forgot to take a picture of that step.
• I feel so bad; it has been 3 days since I posted.
• Everyone's blog looks better than mine!  I want to be better!

This may just be the evolution of my blog, but I am at the stage of wanting to improve.  Improve what?  Posts.  Layout.  Design.  Convenience.  Pictures.  Writing.  Everything.

When I came across the Blog Hop Party over at Beauty in the Attempt, I knew I had to participate.  It is called "The Bold and the Beautiful - Your Blog Reviewed".  The object is to link your blog to other blogs and "throw-down" like it's 1999 with lots of feedback for each other.  Here is how you participate (directly copied and pasted):

While visiting my blog, and other blogs over at Beauty in the Attempt, check out the layout, pages, buttons, sidebar and gadgets. I would love for you to gently critique my blog. I’m hoping you will leave me some positive feedback about my blog. It would be great if you could give me constructive criticism but be sure to tell me what you like about my blog too! Do you like my pictures? Does my blog load quickly for you? How about the font? All tips and tidbits welcome! 

You are welcome to join the party, it starts Thursday night and is open for a week. 

Thanks,

Heather

Don't Judge!

Perfect timing!  I was feeling guilty for getting home from vacation almost 3 days ago and still living out of my suitcase AND for being off for almost 27 days out of the last 31 (Christmas Break and Snow Day Week) and still having parts of my house in an embarrassing mess...UNTIL...I found lots of  long, lost sisters in the same boat over at Decor Chick's Linky Party.


{Mom, turn your head}


Dirty Little Secret #1:  The Office

What had happened was...Even though I have these great built-ins for storage, Rusty and I spent a day filling them and organizing them with the contents of the closet and making all of those piles to file, box up, go through, etc.  They are still sitting there.
Dirty Little Secret #2:  The Laundry Room

No wonder I have used my garden tub as a dirty clothes basket and found 9 dryer sheets in the pile of clothes below.

Such a Slacker!

Who wants to do laundry in such an unorganized laundry room!?  Thankfully, I am 1/2 through with a little laundry room makeover that I can't wait to finish and share.


{Warning: Only the strong of heart should proceed.  Even then, say a quick prayer}


Here's the deal.  My final space is not IN my house.  It is an extension of my home.  I spend more time with it than I do my home, so I'm counting it.  If you know me, you know this is my nemesis, a formidable and usually victorious opponent...


Dirty Little Secret (Read as: Obvious Problem) #3:  The Cavalier (this time...it has also been The Buick, The Escort and The Monte Carlo)

No matter what, I only keep it clean for about 2 weeks.  I literally get in and throw stuff into the back seat.  Things go there to die.  On a positive note, I can probably outfit myself for about a week without coming home.  Let's just say, I don't have a Mary Poppins' bag; I have a Mary Poppins' car.


Am I stressed?  Nope.  I still fill my time up with things more important.  For instance, last night I left the dishes in the sink, threw the cushions off of the couch and cuddled up under my favorite E.I. quilt with the hubs for a 2 1/2 hour movie!  Tonight?  Well, it's Biggest Loser and a bowl of ice cream.


In all seriousness, Decor Chick's Linky Party is a big eye opener.  For all of us. We must remind ourselves that on the blogs we stalk, those beautiful pictures are very well thought out and possibly even Photoshoped.  Tip the camera down or around a few degrees, we are likely to see the actual photos we are all posting.  Some are extreme cases that give us a few laughs, but most are just the daily lived in look that proves how rich our lives are with activities, friends and loved ones who distract us from being too consumed with perfection.


What's your dirty little (clean) secret?!

Home Goals 2011

I am so glad that one of the amazing bloggers I follow, Nester, started a Linky Party yesterday!  I have been wanting to do some kind of 2011 post, but couldn't figure out a focus.  Well, she set one: Home Goals 2011.  


(I rushed home after school to try to get some good shots in natural light, but with the snow clouds we have up here, that wasn't too successful!!!)


1. "Tchotchke" up my shelves

Months ago, when I started Blogstalking YHL (if you follow the link, you have to promise me you will still return to read my blogs...they are good and will hook you....), I fell in love with their floating shelves.

Rusty took me to Ikea, and we had them up that night.  After about 6 months of staring of them and fighting the commitment issues of putting stuff on them, I have decided that they compete with my mantle.  Take a look at this picture, and you can see that I have this weird half wall dividing my open living room and dining room.  

The shelves look great in just the dining room, but my beautiful, dramatic mantlescape needs the full attention of everyone.  It told me.

So, here is the full picture of what I am dealing with:

Specific mini goals:

• remove the top shelf and use elsewhere
• paint the shelves high gloss white to match my trim (they are a little off white)
• decorate them with items that are less dramatic than what is going on on the mantle and help out with the "dining room" feel.

2. Swankify our master bedroom
I love our bedroom.  It is perfect.  It's got a great vibe.  It's got a lot of potential.  The color is perfect.  The furniture is lovely.  I have tray ceilings.  I have a dramatic mantle.  The sun shines just right in there.  Got it?  I'm in love. However, it needs something to take it to the next level.  After seeing this picture at Bower Power, I knew what I wanted to do.

A wall of fabric right behind our bed.  I really think it would give it that swanky, luxurious, hotel feel.  So, here are my options:

• buy more Ikea white curtains and do the wall
• take the two sets of white Ikea curtains out of the living room and dining room to use in the bedroom and replace the living room and dining room curtains with print
• buy print fabric or curtains and do the wall

3. Cover all "builder beige" walls
So far, I have eliminated all builder beige except for the kitchen, guest bathroom and guest bedroom.  I am on schedule for painting the kitchen in February.  My goal is to paint the guest bed and bath in 2011.  Nuff said.


4. Crown Molding
My good friend, Lisa, gave me about 160' of free crown molding!  We painted the office back in June knowing we were going to put up crown.  Well, it still looks like this:

In 2011, it must go up!  I will also put the rest of the crown in the guest bedroom after we paint it.  I am hoping it will really make the ceilings look higher since the room is only 10' x 10'.  I am even thinking of trying this technique that I saw at Bower Power:

5.  Light Fixtures
At least once a day, Rusty laughs at me because he catches me looking at our current light fixtures in disgust!  He just rolls his eyes.  Of course I am going to try to find some deals, but this is what we have and what I am dreaming of...today, at least.
Entryway:

www.timberlakelighting.com

Breakfast Nook:

www.shadesoflight.com

Dining Room:

I'm not too sure what to put here.  Possibly a drum shade!


Well, there they are.  My 2011 Home Goals.  I'm comfortable with the word goal.  It says, "I have a end at which my efforts are directed."


Resolution.  I hear, "In 15 days, when you fail, you will never live it down."


What are some of your 2011 goals?  Or maybe you call them resolutions!