Starting Over

Three years??? How in the world has it been that long since I was here? So much life has happened... moments that have been perfect, moments that have been much less than perfect, and of course the moments that are just... moments. I guess that little lapse in posting will give me plenty of topics to write about, eh? I enjoy blogging, it's just a difficult thing to keep up with sometimes. I love being able to use it as a way to document life though, so I will attempt it once again. Stay tuned for more!

Redecorating

When I was writing my post earlier today, I noticed that my blog was looking a little tired. What else could I do but spend a couple of hours redecorating?!?! I like it...some. There are a few things that are frustrating me that I can't get just right, but that's the way of things. I'm done for now...maybe I can tweak it a bit tomorrow!

You There, Hey You! Yes YOU!!!

have been nominated (just like me, thanks to Carolyn from Perspective) for...

The Liebster Award is given to bloggers who are fairly new to the blogging world with less than 200 followers. The award is then passed along to other bloggers of the same criterion.

The Liebster Award rules: 

• Bloggers nominate other up and coming bloggers (with less than 200 followers) for the award.
• If you receive the Liebster, you must:
• Tell 11 random things about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions the nominator has asked you.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers and make sure you notify them.

Eleven random factoids:

1. I once committed a minor breaking and entering (I was 4), and was busted by my mom. Funny story, should probably blog about it.
2. In my wildest dreams (okay, probably not my wildest), I wish I was a Coyote...
3. You might as well call me a 'fraidy cat. 
4. My first trip to Disney World (1994) resulted in my watching the famous Mickey Mouse Club rehearse (yes, Britney, Christina, Justin, and JC...less known as members that were there were Keri Russell and hottie Ryan Gosling) 
5. Hubs is the love of my life, my third marriage! 3rd time's a charm
6. The public library was my second home from age 10 til 16. I'm nerdly and I know it.
7. I am a complete germaphobe.
8. There is gravel permanently embedded in my calf from a slide into home plate on a field not completely smoothed before game time 25 years ago.
9. When I was 6, I packed an emergency preparedness kit in case of fire. It had my Bible, a Barbie and a Ken, a complete change of clothes and pajamas for me, a complete change of clothes and pajamas for my favorite Cabbage Patch doll, a flashlight, and my baby blanket in it. I was ready. My family never knew of it.
10. Spaghetti noodles were once laughed out of my nose. They were accompanied by sweet tea. It hurt.
11. Chiquita banana called me to model for them when I was in Jr. High. Legit.

1. What is your favorite book?       Gone with the Wind
2. Are you a cat or dog person?     Cat, especially my Lilo, who wiped my tears with her paw when I went through divorce #1
3. Where do you see your self in ten years?    Rocking grandbabies please.
4. What is your favorite form of social networking?      Hmm. Undecided I daresay.
5. What are you most excited about in 2013?     My birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, and anniversary gift. Yep, one for all five. I will reveal when the time comes. ;-)
6. What is your favorite Holiday?    Christmas...I adore giving gifts!!! Oh and decorating too. 
7. Do you prefer coffee, tea, or neither?     BOTH!!! with my sugar ;-)
8. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?     Uhhhh....what?
9. Do you have any weird habits?     Only I am allowed to unload pantry items after grocery shopping. Lefty is coming along in doing it right though. She understands the need for alignment and order. That's not weird, right?
10. What's your favorite smell?     Clean linen. Or just fresh laundry.
11. How many siblings do you have?     Two brothers. I am the middle child, can you tell?

And finally...drumroll please...Eleven lovely bloggers for you to celebrate! Go see them. Yesterday.

1. According to Mags
2. Cheer Mama Drama
3. Chronicles of a Mom
4. Everyday Notions
5. Go Ashley!
6. Hip-Baby Mama
7. Joyfully Jensen
8. Life with my Loves
9. Meltdowns, Breakdowns, and Time-outs
10. oopsie maizie
11. Reporting for Duty: Mommyhood

Aaaaahhhhh!!!!!

Ever get so busy going through the awesome blogs to be stalked around here and forget to write posts on your own? I do! I have been working tirelessly on getting through this amazing list of bloggers over at Bloggy Moms.  You should go there. Like yesterday. These blogs are seriously great. I've added so many new ones to my blogroll or twitter already, and I'm still not even to 200 yet. Once I get through them all, I may do a fave five (or fifty) post. :-) In the meantime I will keep on browsing!!! You should too!

Reconstruction Zone

Totally frustrated right now.

Every time I re-decorate around here, I have trouble attaching a signature to my posts.

This time is no different.

I have been at it for hours.

I am tired.

I quit.

For today.

Blog Hopping

Finding new things to read is always a little thrill exciting for me. Books, magazines, websites, blogs, you name it...I will read it! Unfortunately, the time that I have available for reading comes in spurts, which means that occasionally by the time a moment presents itself that I am able to actually go through my blogroll...some of the blogs have become stagnant, obsolete, or irrelevant to my interests. Due to these changes in the blogosphere, I find that I sometimes need to search for new reads. A great way to do this, while getting my blog seen as well, is to visit a blog hop or two. Sadly enough, I don't get the opportunity to do this nearly as often as I would like. Also sad, I am one of those bloggers who tend to fall off of the face of the earth periodically. Perhaps one day I will get a better grasp on this thing we call blogging.

In the meantime, this evening I was visiting the blogging communities that I used to frequent, and I stumbled upon this not so little blog hop at Bloggy Moms that I decided to participate in. It's the first one that I have seen that is an entire month-long blog party! With over 600 blogs participating, that's some hefty blog reading! Why don't ya'll hop on over there as well, and get your blog read on???

It's Been Awhile...A LONG While!!!

Life is so crazy around here these days. With both girls cheering at different schools and the bonus kids in a different town that is close enough to go watch some of their activities (but too far to be convenient), we seem to be using our house as a pit stop. Really. I have missed being here. I have missed journaling my life. It would be great if I could be sure that I could be here with more regularity. I don't see that happening, but I am hoping to blog more often than I have, which shouldn't be hard (at least more than five times a year).

I am thinking that this weekend I would like to 're-vamp' the blog. It has to be on the weekend, because it tends to take me forever to get it just right. I have been in a mode of change...we changed the color scheme in the living room, will be re-doing the kitchen completely this summer, changing my self (yes, a new diet...which is working this time), so why not change the blog too? Okay, I just talked me into it.

Today, Chris had to come get me from work because of winter weather. Now, you Northerners don't laugh...I don't have 4-wheel drive on my SUV, and I have anxiety about driving when the weather is good...so when we had two inches on the ground, covering the roads...I began to panic. Hard. Core. My school is 25 minutes away from my home. It would only get worse. He closed up the business and headed to rescue me. It took us an hour to get home. The interstate was shut down because of so many accidents; apparently it was a solid sheet of ice. The highway wasn't too bad, just patchy. Tomorrow morning will be a nightmare. I am hoping for no school...maybe I will be able to get the blog all dolled up before the weekend! *Think positive, think  positive*

Spring Cleaning, Technology Style!

This week, I have been spending a considerable amount of time online. WAYYY more than normal. Why? Well, you see, I discovered a website with fantastic resources for teaching and I have been devouring it! The downside of all of this resource finding is the inordinate amount of printing that goes along with it. All of the ink it is using...and the time that it takes to wait for the documents to print.  To make use of the time spent waiting, I have had time to cruise blogs and catch up on reading posts by bloggers that I love (and some new ones too).

In the midst of my cruising, I was disappointed to find that several of these blogs were no longer active. Some weren't even found on the server any longer. Others had been changed from public to private. And still other blogs had changed dramatically. They no longer had legit posts. It was amazing how many terrific blogs had gone from great reads to constant give-aways or to primarily review blogs. I have no interest in reading these...I want content!!! It was time to clean up the list. I decided to do this systematically, so here's how it went:

• Access blogroll through my Google Reader.
• Clean out the reader itself! (it was a MESS; I neglect it as much as I do my blogroll)
• Start at the top of the list of blogs that I have followed over the past year and a half. There were 101.
• Open all of the ones that begin with 'a,' and skim over them one at a time. If the posts still interested me, or warranted more than just a quick glance...in other words, they had some meat to them...then they stayed on the list. If they didn't, well, adios! 
• Go through the entire list in the same fashion. When I was finished (after two days of skimming and reading), my list of favorite blogs was reduced from 101 to 59! Now there is much more room for me to add more lovelies to my reading list!

 So after doing this cleaning, the multiple deletions got me to thinking. Why would a blogger change styles so dramatically in such a short span of time? Hey, I know that life gets in the way of quality blog posts on occasion...well...maybe more on several or many occasions, but isn't quality always better than quantity? I realize too, that some bloggers are number hungry; waiting on the edge of their seats for the next follower to appear on their followers list. Okay, if that's your thing, more power to ya'! To me though, if a reader is on my list just so that I will follow back...not cool. I want readers to read and enjoy or gain insight from my posts. I know I am not a post writing genius by any means, but still...is the number really more important than the relationship that can develop from sincere readership? Maybe I am way off base here, you tell me...

Is Your Blog Making You FAT?!?!

Mine is certainly contributing to the ever-increasing size of my waistline. I know that I don't blog nearly as much as some of you do, but I do spend too much time sitting in my chair with my laptop in place, eyeballs actively searching and fingers tip-tapping away at the keys. If typing and reading could only burn calories and fat, I'd be set! I was actually worried about being on Christmas break this year. What?!?! Yep. Worried that I would sit in my chair and waste the precious time off getting nothing but blogging and searching accomplished. It is with a vast amount of pride that I can say...not so! Hubs and I actually joined a gym last week, so I have gone there every day this week. I have also done a considerable amount of crafting with my lastest love...deco mesh.

I tried to find some articles to see what research has been done regarding internet usage and adult 'obesity,' but was mostly only able to find articles about childhood obesity. Oh, bother. I don't have fat kids, I have a fat ass. No matter if there has been research or not, I have to quit getting on here after dinner and sitting for hours on end. It can't be good for me. So, that being said, I will have to find a better time to blog, or get faster at writing posts! I do love to schedule posts, but that takes me hours. How much time do you 'leisure bloggers' spend online? Where do you find a balance?

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

Holy cow, a year in one place...who-da-thunk-it? Not me! Truly, I do love this thing called blogging. There is something about documenting my life in text and photos, all the while getting to know other bloggers, that is very fulfilling. In a year's time, I have still not quite found a certain groove or genre or niche for my blog...I just put whatever is on my mind or whatever current events are going on in my life at the time into words.

It works for me. 

What blogging style works for you?

For a quick high-light reel of my first full year as a blogger, click the links below!


Weekend Aftermath
Holiday Decor
Happy New Year!
School Band
School Blog!!!
A Snowy Winter for the South (we ended up with 7 snow days)
Daughters and Dating!
Crock Pot Cookin'!
Spring Break
Broken Hearts
Dancing Feet
Wild Weather
First Family Vacation!
30 Day Challenge! (check out all 30 posts! Some are decent, some are crap...read 'em anyway!)

Blog Lovin'

So I'm now on Blog Lovin'. Thinking hard about whether I want to blog that much...how much, you might ask? Well, enough to put my blog out there on external sites such as Blog Lovin' or Twitter or Facebook, etc. I have put posts on Facebook before, but I don't do it often. Just one of those things I guess. Anywho, come see me sometime!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3120042/the-knight-life?claim=tk32b7srqq2">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Two-A-Days? I believe I will...

if for no other reason than to PROFUSELY THANK my bloggy friend Glo from Glo Sews for honoring me with the Versatile Blogger Award! It is a struggle to me to come up with new and fun things to write about every day, so to be thought versatile is very cool indeed!

In accepting this award, I agree to do the following...
     ~thank the friend that awarded me with a link back to his/her blog
     ~share seven things about myself
     ~pass the award on to fifteen newly discovered bloggers (I am changing this to 3, as I have not been exploring new blogs much lately)

Seven Random Things About Me, Myself, and I:
     *I used to work as various Disney characters, making appearances at events and birthdays! I was Jasmine, Cinderella, Aerial, Snow White, Belle, and Aurora!
     *I hate to iron.
     *I love to create things.
     *I should have been a forensic specialist with the FBI, or a criminal profiler.
     *Schedules, lists, and organizers are my best friends.
     *Sweet tea soothes my soul.
     *My favorite month is October...that's now!

Three other bloggers worthy of an award:
     Never In One Place
     My Fabulous Pursuit of Happiness
     Maggie's Kinder Corner

The Best of Intentions...

We've all heard the lines about where our intentions get us...such as, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions," "there's good deeds and there's good intentions; they are as far apart as Heaven and Hell," "I had great intentions, but look where they got me." I saw one today that made me stop and consider its place in my life. "Intentions are only as good as the actions behind them and the effort put forth to make them a reality." Hmm. I am great with intentions...terrible at action and effort, which could be much of the reason behind why I always feel like I am performing at less than my potential calls for.

Take my 'diets,' if you will. There is always an intention to be on a 'diet' or 'workout plan,' but rarely any action or effort consistently put forth to exact results from those...intentions. The same goes for my blogs. I love blogging. Really I do. I am constantly taking pictures or jotting down ideas for posts...and then y'all never see them. The intention to post often, even daily, is there...as is the desire...but the action and effort; well, that's another story! I used to have an excuse for why I didn't diet/exercise/blog/whatever...now I just have to 'fess up to the fact that I.AM.LAZY!

Can you imagine how much more productive we would all be (and I am speaking to myself as well when I say this) if every one of our intentions was backed by an effort equal to the passion we feel when we develop that initial thought of 'I want to, or I wish I...'??? With school lurking on the horizon again, I am feeling the urge to schedule and organize and have a routine again. Those things I am very good at. My goal for this year is to put forth an effort and action with each of my intentions...and see where I end up in May. Where will your intentions take you?

A Better Day

Finally, I think I have a moment to sit and blog...and lo and behold, I find that my new friend Ixy from Illusion has blessed me with a blog award! It is The Versatile Blogger Award, and it looks like this...

Yay for friends and woohoo for awards to show that friends are interested in what you have to say and how you are feeling! Thanks Ixy for making my day!

To accept the award, I must post it (check), show some love to the giver (check), tell seven things about myself, and award it to fifteen other bloggers. Here goes...

1. My favorite color is purple.
2. I am a closet 'old-lady crafter.' (crochet, cross-stitch, and the like)
3. My husband is my angel, a true Knight in shining armour.
4. I wish I could have his baby...but I can't.
5. Frogs. Terrify. Me.
6. I love my job. Most days.
7. Coach bags are my guilty pleasure.

And the fifteen blogs you should definitely check out, ASAP, are....

~ A Moment of Simplicity
~ KT's Refinishing School 
~ Contemplating Happiness
~ Sounds of Laughter, Shades of Life
~ finely young
~ Many Waters
~ One Busy Chick
~ The "Sometimes Single" Mom
~ No Filter Mom
~ fearfully.wonderfully.
~ Laugh Until Your Cheeks Hurt
~ Find Your Happiness
~ Journey For A Better Life
~ Mommy Confessions
~ Never In One Place

Thank You Janice!

This morning brought me another lovely surprise...my second blog award! It was funny (in a weird way, not a haha way) that I received this award from my friend Janice at Roller Coaster Ride, because I woke up this morning thinking about friends she has who live in the elementally ravaged areas of Japan and the Philippines. I hope that she has heard from each of them and that all are safe.

What do to when receiving this award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Fifteen Lovely Bloggers:
When passing along an award, I hope to choose blogs that may not have been acknowledged in such a way yet, or ones that I just can't get enough of reading. Fifteen blogs is a lot to gift, but it is no easy task when there are so many great blogs out there! Five of these ladies are authors of blogs that I just discovered today, and I can't wait to read more of them! The lovelies that I chose for the "One Lovely Blog" award are (drumroll please):

1. Extra Ordinary Bree
2. Elephants & Rainboots
3. A Modern Day Fairy Tale
4. Mrs. DIY and the Tennis Guy
5. our journey
6. Mrs. Yellow Ribbon
7. So Are You To Me
8. The Laughing Lion
9. The Next Chapter
10. Tickled Pink
11. Twenty-Six to Life
12. Domestic, But Not Martha
13. Mixed
14. Mommy Confessions
15. Stepping on Cheerios