Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blog. Show all posts

Where to go from here?

After my last post, I realized that a lot of my pictures from previous posts were "gone".  I am a lazy blogger, never really gave it my "all", and usually just copied and pasted pictures from Facebook.  I never created a Flickr account and either uploaded directly from my camera, "stole" from Facebook, or saved to my desktop and uploaded.  Well, that bit me in the butt.

I guess something changed with the way that Facebook hosts or formats pictures because they don't show up in Blogger anymore.  See what I mean here or here.  I don't even know what to dooooooooooo.  It is so frustrating and totally my fault.

I just want to call it all quits and give up.  How can I even go back and fix this?  Honestly, I don't even remember which pictures were in these posts?  Ethan's birth story, Italy, and other favorite posts :( 

Mike thinks I should just start a new blog that focuses on our new journey in our new house.  I just hate to lose the last 5 years. 

What do you think?  Any suggestions on how to save some of these posts?  Should I just start a new blog?  Is blogging totally lame now and has it just run its course?  I'd love your thoughts!

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My Blog List




Last week, I was mentioned on Bower Power for a Top Referring blog. My picture and link were mentioned on her blog and I was left scratching my head. I guess it means that people are using my blog to go visit hers. A lot.



It got me thinking that I would like to share my favorite blogs that I have linked on the right side of the page. I purged my Google Reader recently and I'm looking for some new blogs to read. Hopefully my list brings some new blogs to you. If you have a blog, please comment and link to your blog. I'll make sure to add it to my GR!





I'm just going to go down the list:





Bower Power- Katie is a mother, photographer, amazing home-decorater, and pretty funny girl. Her home is amazing and her DIY tutorials are incredible. I'm sure you have seen them all over Pinterest without even know they are hers. Seriously, look at her Christmas card and try to tell me that this girl doesn't have a hilarious sense of humor. (And no, she isn't pregnant!)

Gina's Skinny Recipes- I've followed this blog for a couple of years and have made a few of her recipes. I definitely need to try a bunch more...everything looks so good. My personal favorite is her chicken chili.

Girl Stand Still- I met Mary though a local wedding website and years later, we are both figuring out parenting, for both babies and doggies. Mary is an incredible mother to 2 pitbulls that are incredibly well-behaved. Mia has yet to meet Levi and Neptune but I still hope a playdate is in their future. Mary's recent post about her pitbull and beautiful daughter, Elsa, is so darling. Mary also inspires me as a runner and not going to lie, I'm super jealous of her willpower and determination.

In Her Shoes- Andrea is also a mother and photographer. I love reading and seeing pictures of her 2 little darlings. She is super determined when it comes to dropping the baby weight and she recently started eating Paleo, which is very intriguing. I wouldn't ever be able to do it...but I enjoy hearing about others giving it a go. She just photographed another blogger's gender reveal and did a great job.

Kitschicagoan- I also "met" Stephanie though a wedding forum and didn't actually meet her in real life until she was driving down my street to visit a family member! Stephanie just moved back to St. Louis after living in Chicago. She is also a new mommy and she has incredible style. Her daughter's gender neutral nursery in her Chicago loft was INCREDIBLE!

Marital-bless- I just love reading Leah's blog. She is another mommy/photographer (wow...I follow a lot of those) but she is so much more. I love her outlook and I love how she writes...about her family, her beliefs, her decisions, and life. She has a great ability to express her honesty point of view without coming off as "preachy". Leah is super creative and always comes up with great photography ideas. The one of her sons in old man outfits was just too much for me.

MNC Photography- This is my husband's photography blog. I can't say it enough...I am SO proud of him. He was able to quickly grow in his talent and has created a very successful photography company. He has just finished his second wedding season and I love seeing his work improve. Mike is such a hardworking guy and I am so glad that he can share his talent with others. The ability to tell the story of love is a huge responsibility and he's doing an incredible job. His "year in review" post was a great sampling of what a wonderful year we had.

Martinis or Diaper Genies- Hands down, my favorite blog. She is crude, rude, crass, and hilarious. I LOVE HER. I've been reading her blog since she was pregnant and I loved her VERY honest description of the ins and outs of motherhood. She's crazy...seriously crazy...and I can't stop reading. She's a self-proclaimed hippy (she ate her placenta), she's obsessed with Brittany Spears and Suri (this post made me laugh), and she created an awesome nursery for her son. Her recent post about finally losing the baby weight (after 1 year) was so true, I found myself nodding and laughing at the same time. Finally, her creation, WANA, had me shipping off 4 boxes to 4 mothers around the country. I filled the boxes with diapers, wipes, toys, and baby clothes for those in need. It was amazing...I cried reading the post and comments, cried while shopping for those babies that needed Christmas gifts, and cried when I got the pictures back from the families that got my boxes. Ugh...there are so many posts that I wish I could link. I just love her...do you get it?

My Life In Transition- I first learned of Julia from my roommate who worked with her husband in St. Louis. He had recently attended her wedding and recommended her photographer. Her wedding was inspiration for mine and I started following her blog though her transition out of St. Louis as a new wife. She now has a little boy Truman and a little girl on the way (announced yesterday). I love Julia's style of writing and totally agree with so much of her outlook on life and her beliefs (including her neurotic thoughts and moments). Although I have only met her once in real life, I feel like we have been friends forever. It is hard to choose a highlight to post so I'll link her newest excitement, the news of a baby girl.

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Well, hello there!

It has been a while and I'm wondering if anyone is out there. Even if no one is reading, I'm going to try to get back into the habit of blogging. Ethan is growing so fast and I have a feeling that 2012 is going to bring a lot of change and excitement to our lives.

This year, I hope to blog about my half-marathon training, weight loss, motherhood, moving and decorating, and reviews and recommendations of different products, restaurants, etc.

We will see how it goes but blogging is going to be a New Year's resolution for me. Here's to a happy and healthy 2012! And here is a picture of my New Year's baby :)

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Anyone out there?

Hi! My name is Lauren. Long time, no talk.

June flew by with 2 posts. Yikes! I've watched my post decrease and decrease over time and I can't say that I have thought about quitting the whole blogging thing all together. Why do I keep blogging? Is it for myself? Well...I do often look back to find old recipes or even look at puppy pictures of Mia. Is it for my family and friends? I know they read although they don't comment. Maybe just to keep them posted on what's going on in our lives. Or, do I blog for the online community? To say that bloggers don't blog for comments is just a lie. I love getting comments! And to think about how my running posts inspired people to try Couch to 5K or when people asked how we did our DIY wedding projects. I guess I blog for all of those reasons.

I have a lot to blog about. This month, we went to Italy AND Mexico. We have celebrated new engagements and pregnant friends. We have had some really fun times...why am I not blogging.

I am definitely going to blog about Italy. I think I have some great tips to share and I know how much I appreciated reading other blogs before our trip. So, hopefully there are still people out there that are reading. Hum...I just checked Google Analytics and 121 people looked at my blog yesterday. Strange, huh? Actually, between 50-100 people have checked my blog everyday since June 19th.

More to come soon...I promise!

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Resolutions, Shmesolutions...and Happy Blogoversary!

This year, I had struggled a little bit going back and forth between goals and resolutions. I can't make a resolution like "graduate with my masters degree" or "travel to Italy" because I know I am going to do those things. I need to focus more on things that will better myself, that I don't currently do, and I can work toward all year. Here is what I came up with:

1.) Eat fruit- I can honestly say that I eat at least 1 vegetable each day. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about fruit. (And I am sure that the orange in my Blue Moon doesn't count!) I am starting this goal off at eating some type of fruit once a day. I had an apple today :)

2.) Cut back on the Diet Coke- I don't even like soda. But, I don't like coffee or tea and I need some caffeine in my system in the mornings. I got myself in the habit of drinking at least 3 Diet Cokes each week at 8:00 am. Not good. Today, I ordered water at lunch :)

3.) Continue pushing myself with running- I signed up for the Marathon Relay but that is in April. I want to start training for a half marathon after that. I just wish it wasn't so darn cold so I could get out there now!

4.) Clean my house more often- I am a self-proclaimed slob. It is true. I have a colored coded closet, I need every document in the right folder at work, and I leave my crap ALL OVER our house. I am a little bit of a hoarder and I really need to work on this. I might even start changing my sheets more often (Kristal).

5.) Hang out with my friends and family more/as often- Life can get us busy at times, but I want to continue putting my friends and family ahead of other less important things.

Those 5 are just the tip of the iceberg for me. I am going to try to create a 101 in 1001. I'll be working on that and posting as soon as it is finished.

I also missed my 2nd Blogoversary! Thanks to all of my friends and readers! I'm really going to try to blog more often!

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2009- My Year in Review

I love to look back at my blog posts from the previous year. It's like having a diary with pictures. I was definitely not as diligent at blogging in 2009 as I was in 2008. Maybe that will be a new goal for 2010.

My Year in Review from 2008 just had titles and pictures. This year, I decided to look at my calendar and mention some other important things that happened in each month. Wow...2009 was a busy and wonderful year. Enjoy :)

January-We rang in 2009 with great friends and will be doing the same this New Year's Eve.In January, we were still working on our kitchen remodel. Mike got a new car. St. Louis experienced a lot of snow! I started 1 more masters class.

February- We finally finished our kitchen remodel!In February, we partied in Soulard for Mardi Gras (for the 5th or 6th time). I attended my last basketball game after coaching cheerleading for 4 years. I chopped my hair off. I started talking about wanting a boxer pup. Celebrated my dad's birthday. After waiting 6 months, we got to see our wedding pictures online.

March-We celebrated Mike's birthday (below) and got a little wild. We visited shelters in search for our perfect pup. We officially started up our calligraphy "business". We bought our first "real" camera (how quickly that developed, huh?). My great aunt Marian passed away. My friend, Katie, had a baby. We decided that an Italy trip would be in our future. Our Mia-pup was born but we didn't even know of her existence.

April-Calligraphy business was in full swing.Mom had surgery. My sister celebrated birthday #23. Mom celebrated her birthday too. Honestly, April was a pretty low-key month.

May- Baby Mia came into our lives. Word cannot explain how much I love this dog.
In May, our friends Nick and Mimi welcomed their little man, Collin, into the world. We started dinner club. I celebrated my 26th birthday. I celebrated my first Mother's Day. I started summer vacation and raising Miss Mia.

June- I threw my first baby shower for Allison with my girlfriends.
June was busy! Mia developed a very mischievous personality and I chased her around the house all day. I started 2 new masters classes. Attended Race for the Cure for the 10th or 11th time with my mom and sister. Went to Zoofari with Mike, Kyle, and Ali. Attended 2 wedding showers for Tess. Loved Pub Crawl for Cancer for the 2nd time!

July- Went to Florida to celebrate Tess's bachelorette party!!!Our dear friends, Allison and Shaun, welcomed baby Lincoln into the world. We also had another baby niece born in July, baby Alexis. Mike organized his 5th annual float trip which was a blast, as usual. We hung out with high school friends and started planning a couples' trip. Started puppy school with Mia.

August- Tess and Kevin's Wedding (I was honored to be a bridesmaid in this amazing wedding!)Back to school! Started 2 more masters classes. My brother, Andrew, celebrated his 22nd birthday and we celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary.

September- We went to Balloon Glow in Forest Park for the first time.We also went to Hop in the City for the 3rd year and had a great time with our friends and family. We tiled our sunroom. I went to a wedding shower for my girl, Stevie. We also started training for the 5K using the C25K program.

October- Matt and Stevie's wedding!We had a lovely visit from our Canadian friends we met on our honeymoon. We traveled with my parents to Peoria to watch my brother run. Bought a lot of running gear and continued our running program. My friend, Kate, opened Sue's News. Mike started a photography blog.

November- Ran our first 5K on Thanksgiving Day!We visited Mike's brother in Arkansas with his family. We ate A LOT and enjoyed Thanksgiving weekend with our families. We had family pictures taken too!

December- Mia's first holiday season (she got so many goodies...it was ridiculous!)Lots of holiday parties this month including an ornament exchange, cookie exchange, and a panty exchange (yes, you read that right). Lots of time spent with family and friends. Enjoying lazy days like today on my winter break. Preparing for another wonderful year. I know 2010 will be the best year yet!

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Blog evolution

As my 2 year blogoversary approaches in January, I am enjoying a look back at all of the fun I have had in the past 2 years. The blog started as a fun way to talk about my wedding plans and DIY projects. Everything was pretty random after the wedding until little Mia came into our lives. I felt like she was all I wrote about. Recently, I started running (in case you didn't know) and my blog evolved into a running blog. Mike started photography and I am sure that my blog readers are getting sick of hearing about that too! Well...I don't care!

A couple of weeks ago, we/he shot 3 sessions in 2 days. Here are some of my favorites from the weekend. First, our friends Nick and Mimi and their baby, Collin.Next, we met Maggie, Dave, and their pup, Charlie...
The next morning, Mike met our friends Josh and Stacy (and their baby on the way) at Josh's fire station. I'm pretty impressed (but obviously biased). Thanks everyone who is following his blog and commenting on his posts. I know all of you bloggers love comments and they mean a lot to him too. Thanks for supporting him! I know he really appreciates the feedback, advice, and compliments.

I am looking forward to posting my own pictures soon. Mike will be photographing Stephanie's wedding in August and guess who the second shooter is?!?! ME! I have been tagging along with him and I really can't wait to learn more about photography.

I will continue talking about my running journey. I just committed to my first 10K run. I will be running the GO! St. Louis marathon relay with some of my girlfriends. I am a little nervous to train through the winter but I look forward to being about to run for 6 miles!

Just wanted to give a shout out to all of my readers for hanging in there with me and my ever evolving blog. To those of you that thought this post was going to announce something exciting, I'm sorry. You are going to have to wait a little bit longer for my blog to take that turn!

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Calligraphy Blog

So I need some help. I need to start a blog with our calligraphy information and I want the set-up that Julia, Angie, and Kristal have. I want tabs at the top like that have that will say "Information, Samples, Prices, Blog, blablabla). I want to be able to upload large pictures and I am having a hard time figuring out how to do this.

Anyone want to do this for me? Or talk me through it? Angie tried but it just seems so complicated? Hummm....

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1 Year!

Today, January 2nd, is my blog's birthday! I just looked back at my first post last January it is really amazing how far we have come in 1 year. 2008 was a whirlwind year and I wonder what 2009 will bring. A few weddings, a few babies, and a new kitchen are all in the lineup.

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I am back! With so much to say!

Hey everyone! I feel like it has been forever since I have blogged. So much has been going on lately and I just haven't had the time (or energy) to do it! BUT...after a minor hiatus, I am back in full force.
I want to start off by saying that I was given a blog award by Brea last week! She is such a sweetie and wrote such nice things about my blog on her site! Go check her out!

Apparently, I am supposed to say 6 things that I am thankful for and then pass the award on to some of my other favorite blogs.

Thing I am thankful for: (in no particular order)
1.) Mike, my husband. He really is such an amazing guy and I am so lucky to have found him. We were under each others' noses for years in middle school and high school without even knowing it. He is the most thoughtful person I know and I am so thankful for him every day of my life.
2.) My incredible family. How did I get so lucky? My mom has been my best friend for my entire life. We have so much fun together and we are so much alike (it sometimes scares me). My dad cracks me up and is truly a kind soul and so much fun to be around. He loves me and my husband (maybe more than me) and we love him too! My sister and I are finally best friends too (after years up sisterly fights and feuds). I am so proud of her and I love that she is back living in St. Louis after years of being away from each other though the college years. My brother and I haven't lived together in the same city for a long time but we still have a great relationship. He is an incredible athlete and such a smart kid and I am so so proud of him. I am thankful to have such great relationships with everyone in my family. I love them so much.
3.) My friends. My mom has always said "You have such wonderful friends." She always mentioned my great choice of friends all throughout high school. As I moved on to college, the trend continued. I really have wonderful friends in my life. We always have fun when we are together and are there to lean on each other through the good times and bad. I love you ladies!
4.) Our jobs. It is really nice to know that in this crazy economy, we have wonderful and stable jobs. Although teaching is an extremely hard and exhausting job, it is so rewarding and I love it. Mike is so lucky to have such talent and I am proud of his accomplishments as a graphic designer.
5.) Our house. That might sound silly but I am so thankful for the home that we have made together. It is a constant work in progress but it is perfect for us and we love it.
6.) Our good heath. I am so thankful that Mike and I are healthy and safe, as well as our family and friends. Those that know me, KNOW that I am extremely neurotic and a hypochondriac. I am thankful for our health and safety every day.

OK...now to the fun part! Here are the blogs that I am awarding the "Kreativ Award" to:
1. Stevie Unscripted- Although her blog is new, I know that it will be great! Stevie has been a friend since 5th grade and I love reading about the ins and outs of a new phase in her life. She is recently engaged and will be getting married next October!
2. In Her Shoes- I love reading Andrea's blog. Her latest posts about seeing the New Kids in concert have been hilarious. I love seeing pictures she takes as a budding photographer. She seems adorable and we have a lot in common (including an obsession with Twilight)!
3. The Adventures and Mishaps of Mrs Amy B- I "met" Amy through Stlwed and being a Browers bride. I love reading about her life as a newly wed and the ups and downs in her life. I totally relate to a lot of things she write about and I love seeing pictures of her cute pets!
4. The Wishes and the Glitches- I LOVE reading Nikki's blog. She is so honest and don't hold back on her thoughts and feelings. I also met Nikki through Stlwed and she is truly a sweetie. I love seeing her wedding pictures and she also has an adorable pet (a bunny!!!).
5. Lucky Me- Another Stlwed friend. I actually haven't met Karen in real life but we have "talked" a lot through emails, PM, and blog comments. I feel like I know her. Weird, I know! Her husband is a graphic designer too and she is another Browers bride. When will we finally meet, Karen?
6. The Life of Juan and Katie- I love reading Katie's blog that is filled with her belly pictures. She is pregnant and her blog discusses how she is feeling, how big she is getting, and you have to go check out the paint job she did for the baby's nursery. AMAZING!

There you have it! Coming up...a friend's wedding and a pregnant bridesmaid! YAY!!!!

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No cussing here!

I recently saw Amy's new post about the "Cuss-o-Meter." It calculates how many times you have cussed on your blog. I can happily report that my result was 0%! I have made a very deliberate attempt to make sure not to curse on my blog. I still think that I have some students/parents/cheerleaders who could be out there reading!

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Come on out...

...of Google Reader, that is. My hunny made me a new header...and I like it :) Thanks darling!

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Slacker...

I have been such a slacker lately on updating my blog! I am such a bad blog-mommy! So neglectful!

Since I am home today, I will put up a few "makeup" posts (including the tag) I got from Jen
(Yeah, I just did that link thing for the first time :)

Mike and I are going to look at a house this morning (that we are putting an offer down on today) just to get one last look before we put the paperwork in. I will be back and updating my blog after that. I am going to attempt to set up GoogleReader as suggested by Julia.

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Why?!

Honestly, I have no clue why I am creating a blog. I think it is a little mix of curiosity, boredom, narcissism, and intrigue. The wedding planning process has opened my eyes to the world of blogging and I must say...I LOVE IT! The more and more I read other peoples' blogs, I want one of my own. I don't have a real plan of what I will post here...just my thoughts on the world around me, wedding plans, celebrity gossip...we will see!!!

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