Showing posts with label hate me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hate me. Show all posts

How Do You Read Blogs?

Since Nesting Place will be moving soon, I want to make sure you will be able to find the new nest. So I thought I'd ask you how you read your favorite blogs. Then I thought I'd explain a little about the different ways one can read blogs. Then I realized that I'm horrible at explaining how to do anything computery, I don't know the proper terms and I will make a fool of myself and probably Al Gore will want to sue me for spreading false rumors about his invention. But, I do read blogs a few different ways online and I can muck up this blog with my big, fat, wrong opinions as much as I want, right?


See that symbol that looks like the Target sign cut in a quarter? It means RSS which is an acronym for something Really Simple that I can't remember that has to do with Syndication {please forgive me real computer people, I don't know if that symbol really means RSS, let's just pretend}. To me, RSS means that you can read something online by subscribing to a feed. {again, I'm sure I'm wrong so read this all about RSS or click here to see what it really means}


Why subscribe to blogs? So you don't have to bookmark each blog that you read or worse, try to remember the blog address by heart and type it in every time. One way you can subscribe to an RSS feed is by clicking on this feedburner box that you see on some blogs. Mine is on the sidebar somewhere over there.

You can also click on this symbol where ever you see it on your favorite blog.



Or this symbol up in your address bar if you see it up there. Anyplace you see that quarter of a Target sign, you can click it to subscribe. But you need s place to stash all of your subscriptions, right? That's called a reader.


This is my google reader. I subscribe to hundreds of blogs and they are all grouped however I see fit and if they have a new post it's easy for me to see and catch up. I admit, I'm a sucker for seeing how someone's blog looks--many, many times I'll click over to the blog from my reader page. If you want to leave a comment or enter a poll, you need to click the title of the blog on your reader and you'll magically be taken to the actual blog with their pretty designs and stuff. But this will make your blog reading life SO much easier and you'll never forget what that great blog you found last week was!

Some of you follow blogs through that google friend connect thing on a blog's sidebar. Oh how I love to see all of your beautiful photos! However, if you only read blogs this way, from what I understand, you are limited to only subscribing to blogs that are on the blogger platform {like this blog is right now but won't be soon} or some of the VERY few blogs that have added this feature to their non-blogger blogs--like Kimba, Darcy and Sandy.

However, if you only read blogs that are accessible through google friend connect and your blogger dashboard, you are missing out on a huge, HUGE majority of fantastic blogs!

Blogs like Chatting at the Sky, The Inspired Room, Simple Mom, BooMama, Pioneer Woman, Bye Bye Pie, and many, many others. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on these blogs.

The thing is, for any of you 3400 people that are following Nesting Place only on your blogger dashboard, you won't get an update when I move. Google won't let me take you with me. It makes me start all over with the friend connect and that seems like a lot of trouble for both you, me and Google. Although I have a feeling that Google doesn't really care.

UPDATE:
According to Shelli in the comments, you can read other non-blogger blogs on your blogger dashboard here's what she says:

HOWEVER, you can subscribe to a non-Blogger blog using the RSS feed and put it in your Blogger Dashboard. All you have to do is copy the url of the RSS feed from the blog of your choice, and paste it into the URL box of blog add feature on your Dashboard. Voila!

Thanks Shelli, you are smart~now if you still want to see Nesting Place {you do, don't you?} you can just add thenester.com to your dashboard once I move!


Here's what it looks like when you read blogs in your blogger dashboard. Do any of you read blogs only through this way? If so, when Nesting Place moves, you will not get any more updates!! I want you to keep hanging out at the nest! Will you consider subscribing to the RSS feed so you can stay? HOPEFULLY, all of you who have subscribed to Nesting Place will still see all the posts in your feed reader for the new nest. Of course, moving has it bumps, there is a chance that you won't see Nesting Place in your reader anymore, if that's the case, I'll write a last post on the old feed asking you to resubscribe in the new feed with a link. We'll just not worry about that for now.

Here's a quote from the comments too. I thought it was an interesting point however, most likely if you have a blog, it has an RSS feed whether you want it or not, people are probably subscribed to you. From what I understand blogger does it automatically--if you subscribe to your own blog you can see how many people subscribe to the feed through that reader. Feedburner is a service that adds up all your subscribers together into one number so you know your total subcribers. Like it or not, if you have a blog, you most likely have an RSS feed and subscribers! Help--am I right about this?

There is a poll over here at the Nest--if you are reading in a reader, click on over and participate! {scroll down, I like to show off my dumpter skilz so it's waaay at the bottom of this post and not centered}

Here's a great little video about RSS junk






Winners of the Garnish $25 gift certificates:

Danielle @ Daily Lakey

Bonita @ Encouraging Words for Writers
{I know her in real life but she was picked highly scientifically!}

Denise @ First A Dream

{contact me ladies and I'll get you your shopping code!}


To me, using regular old gift bags are the equivalent of George Costanza wearing sweat pants--they send out a message saying "I've given up on life". Make your life easier and don't give up by getting some Garnish for the same price as those boring gift bags--and, they are delivered to your door step--George would totally buy these.

Don't forget the poll--down there!




Yard Sale Update


It's happening! Tomorrow we really will have the sale unless we wake up and it's tornadoeing or something. My parents will be here to help make sure there are no shoplifters. Just kidding. As if. Once you see some of this stuff you might just curse my name for tricking you into thinking I was gonna have cute stuff to sell.

Actually, I do have some darling items but I keep worrying that once I get it all set up it's gonna look like three things. Maybe that's because I keep pulling stuff inside the house because I might really need it and this time I'm really gonna use it so I cannot sell it. Somebody stop me.

I hope it looks like more than 3 things when we set it up.

We'll open at 8. PLEASE don't show up at 7:15 and start trying to look through stuff while I try to make it look like I have more than 3 things. I want to have everything all organized so we can swing open the masking tape right at 8.

And don't take a shower and look all cute because I most likely won't be looking all cute.

Now I am done spouting off all my rules. If you never got my address, I'll be checking facebook later tonight for any messages. I hope you don't hate me when you meet me if we have never met before.

Yard Sale :: Postponed

Here's the forecast. Let's try again next weekend? Hopefully I'll still have stuff to sell. I'm pulling so much out of the pile that it's disgusting. But I'm also putting more stuff in.


My husband and I need to plan ahead so at this point, even if we wake up at 6am and it's dry and sunny and 70 degrees with a rainbow and raining dollar bills, donuts and coffee, we still WILL NOT have the sale tomorrow. Don't show up at the house unless you want to help with yard work and get shot with an air soft gun.


A few photos. Don't be asking me to hold anything or how much something is. Aren't I the pleasant one? I've got "I'm-all-ready-for-a-yard-sale-and-can't-have-it because-it-might-thunderstorm-itus." It makes me grumpy.


Boxes of fabric.

And a garage full of crap. I mean really great stuff. I'm not selling furniture but for a broken legged parson's chair and a piano that I've yet to return emails about. I've got size 6-7 boys clothes and just some weird odds and ends. I hope someone actually buys something.

Housekeeping



Nesting Place is in a finalist with some other fantastic crafty peeps for the bump mommy blog awards. Thank you so much to the people that nominated this blog! If you think Nesting Place should win for Best Crafty Mommy Blog, would you click here and vote? You don't have to sign in or anything and I think you can vote as often as you want?

Also, did you know that you can get to Nesting Place just by typing in "thenester.com"? So if you are at lunch with a friend you don't have to write down "nestingplacenc.i'mhidingfromtheworld.blogspot.com".


In other news, I got my big ole mess of a table cleaned off yesterday {did you see the slide show?}. It felt like a HUGE accomplishment. Laundry is caught up and my procrastinator's taxes are almost finished. Another 31 Day post to come later today.

You are Not Alone


Having one of those days?


One of those weeks?


Or maybe one of those years? Could you use some (in)couragement?

She...


If you haven't figured it out already, I'm on vacation. Actually, I just came back from vacation early so I could repack and go to She Speaks. Oh, and my sister and I have/get to speak there. But it's worth the stress because Emily and I get to share a hotel room and fall asleep laughing just like old times. I am beyond excited and nervous.

Our topic is "Defining and Refining the Purpose of Your Blog." It's been really good for me to hash out this talk with Emily. She hashed, I laughed, got distracted, and tried to make funny jokes. Knowing the purpose of your blog really is the key to being able to make decisions about blogging and not blogging. The highlight of course, will be getting to meet lots of new people {ok and sharing a hotel room with my sister, did I mention that she is the funnest person in the universe?}. Meeting new people is also the most daunting part for me and my introverted self. I usually act stupid or embarrass myself when I meet new people. Speaking of embarrassing myself, if you are coming to She Speaks, be sure to sign up at Jen's for the bloggy meet and greet so we all can meet!

Lastly, I've got a full email inbox--if I haven't responded to you, thank you in advance for not taking it personally. Sometimes the blog tries to take over my life. Thank you so much for understanding when I do the right thing and put family first. If you too struggle with balancing blogging, make sure you read Blogging and Balancing Time @ Keeper of the Home.

Next week, I'll take some time to recap our She Speaks talk. I think it will be good for us all to have a little heart to heart about blogging. Thanks so much for reading. You are what makes this blog worthwhile!

State of the Nest Address :: 2009 is Half Gone Version

My word. This year is half over. I thought it would be fun for me to write a big long post all about Nesting Place, the blog -- kind of like a State of the Nest Address.

Best of the Nest {so far this year}

If you are new here, you might want to check out some of the most well read posts from the last six months:

10 Minutes to a Room You'll Love :: A series where we talked about super quick easy fixes for the family room, master bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen.


Staging Your Home for Sale :: Another series that Remodeling Guy and I did together all about home staging, a must read if you are putting your house on the market.


How to Tablescape With What You Already Have was one one of those posts that I need to go back and reread and follow. It's amazing how smart those real designers are!

And who could forget Lampapalooza?

One of my personal favorites :: 10 Ways to Avoid Having a Home You'll Love

And, if you didn't get your free ebook, click here.

Top 20 Referrers
for the first 6 months of 2009:

Over 50% of Nesting Place visitors come from other blogs. Thank you all so much for taking the time to link to the Nest!

  1. Kimba
  2. Melissa
  3. Layla
  4. Emily
  5. Angie
  6. Kelly
  7. Shannon
  8. Sophie
  9. Rhoda
  10. Edie
  11. Melissa
  12. Meredith
  13. Tsh
  14. Chris
  15. Melanie {I'm currently listening to her music}
  16. ANNICOLE
  17. Tim
  18. Pretty Organizer
  19. Wendy
  20. Kristen

Still to Come


Want to know what you can look forward to for the rest of the year? I hardly am one to plan out blogging like some organized people but, I've got a vague idea.



I figure, why come up with my own ideas when I can just copy Problogger? We'll walk/fly? through 31 days of nest dressing ideas in August. Or some other month that has 31 days.



Price My Space
coming July 13th start thinking of what stuff you want to tell us about.

Some other highlights:
  • more mistreatments
  • how to have a swap meet
  • fresh new, amazing tassels
  • vlogging
  • giveaways

Like it here? You are in good company! Nesting Place is closing in on 2 million page views so far for 2009! Want your blog reading to be made easier? You can subscribe to Nesting Place and all your favorite blogs in a reader. Just click on the subscribe button up there in the top right sidebar or right under this paragraph.



Your Turn

Tell me, what do you want to read more about? What do you want to read less about? Is there a topic you wish we would cover? Feel free to repeat the same thing that someone else says that way I'll know that lots of people feel the same way.

And thank you, so much for reading. I just love hanging out here at the Nest with you. If you weren't here it would just be me, by myself talking way too much.

A Non Informative, Time Wasting Post


I'm sposed to be being productive. I get the keys to the new place in 1 hour, 43 minutes and I can do nothing until then. My mind is full of wonderings of where sofas will go, if two twin beds will fit in any of the bedrooms and if the refrigerator had one of those rich people ice doohickeys in the door.

I could be doing stuff like taking beds apart, but I think I packed my drill so I'll let my husband help me when he gets home. Or cleaning the oven, but, then I'd have to clean the oven. Instead, I'm here, writing to you dear reader. Our adventure continues.


Movers will be here tomorrow to get the big stuff. And we'll have to hillbilly {no offense to hillbillies} the rest of the stuff ourselves.

By the way, if you are trying to avoid something you should be doing too, you can go vote for June, who never fails to make me laugh. Bye, Bye Pie was nominated for Funniest Blog-- Vote Now! Remember, I wrote an ode to her and her old blog? And then I forced her to go to lunch with me. Then I stalked her house when I should have been packing last year when I thought we were moving for the last time for a long time. Yeah, June and I go way back. And she totally deserves to win.

Tuesdays Unwrapped


Tuesdays Unwrapped. Over at Chatting at the Sky my sister is busy not being busy. She's encouraging us to notice the small, unexpected real life that is right now.


This is my Tuesday {as it was my Monday too} a sick baby. I can call a 7 soon to be 8 year old a baby right? Plans for a funny, informative world changing, hot glued tutorial quickly change in the presence of a little boy who needs to snuggle.

What does your Tuesday look like?



***************
Don't forget--tomorrow's a Mr. Linky Party to share where we hung our feather and egg prints. I know this will be a smaller group but it will still be fun and inspiring! See you then--I'll have it up at 9am.

To Flash or Not to Flash

Darcy made a new button for your nesting pleasure. Click here for the code. I really like it and I've heard tell that some people aren't crazy about blinking/flashing/rotating buttons like this one.





I'm taking kind of an informal survey in the comment section--tell me your thoughts. How do you feel about flashing buttons on a blog?

Food: More Entertaining Than Fabric?



My husband and I went to a Christmas party last week. The friends who hosted are one of those great couple friends who include you in everything. We are major moochers and take them up on all of their fine offers. I sure hope they don't think we just like them for their chefs and pool access and golf tickets and dinners and hummus.

Guess who was catering? GUESS!



If you know me in real life you know that I would much rather watch a food show than HGTV. And, if you watched Hell's Kitchen this past summer and paused it while you tucked your boys in bed and then had to have a second dinner every night after you watched it because you were craving beef tenderloin and shrimp at 10:30 pm like we did, you will know who this talented man with the expressive eyebrows is.



Petrozza!
Yes--in the flesh! When I found out he was catering the party I literally flushed. Petrozza was a favorite of the viewers this year because of his attitude and personality. I'm pretty sure I'm his biggest fan. At the party he was not only chef but entertainer as well--that's just what happens when he's around! And the food was unbelievable. I mean really, do I even have to tell you that the food was good? The guy ended the show as runner up! Congrats Trozzie {that's what us fan types like to call him} for your success on the show!


Am I the only one who would rather watch food being cooked than someone painting a wall and custom making a window seat?

Everyday Unwrapped



Welcome to my everyday.

Emily, also who I call my little sister, at Chatting at the Sky is hosting a well timed notice the wonderful in the everyday, also everyday unwrapped party at her site. I love her post here where she talks about the why she wants to notice the everyday. I could relate and I bet you can too.

Here are a few of the things I noticed over the past week. The ones I was able to capture on camera don't look near like what they did in person but I guess that's part of the enchantment of the moment.


Now that the seasons are changing we get a beautiful view of the sunrise out of our back yard every morning.


My oldest son and I love to star gaze. This past week Venus, Jupiter and the moon put on a show.



We had beautiful fog that lingered longer than normal.



All three boys found a project that they worked on together for hours after school.



And furniture in a home full of boys used the way God intended.

In the midst of what can be the busiest season take some time and enjoy the little things that are happening around you right now.

This just in: Kim at Small Words has decided to give away 3 yes THREE of her letter paintings because of the great turnout of comments for the giveaway last week--we had almost 1000 people wanting her beautiful works of art! Winners will be announced tomorrow!

Fresh hot handmade tassels for sale now!

Pssssstt! Gather 'Round. I've got a secret!:updated

Shhhhhh!

Hi everyone. It's Darcy. I've hijacked the Nester's blog. She forgot to boot me out after the pretty remodel. And if she doesn't regret it already, she soon will!

I took over Nester-girl's blog so I can share with you all that -

It's The Nester's Birthday!



So... shhhhhh! Don't tell her I was here. But don't forget to wish our girl a happy birthday.

Love ya' Nester girl. Don't hate me. But ummm... I won't be surprised if you boot me to the curb after this. ;)

OH MY CRAZIENESS!!!!!

Nester here...

What a fun surprise this was! Darcy, your check will be in the mail. How fun is it to get so much attention from you all! Me, Me, ME! A post and comments all about me and my big birthday self! It's Sunday morning and I just now saw this.


Yesterday was probably the best birthday of my life... I got to spend it with my mom and my sister which always sure to mean lots of laffs. Add to that about 100 of the most wonderful and some of the most creative women around not to mention I was surrounded by tassels, delish food and Christmas music! Perfection!


Seeing all of you who came was SOOOOO FUN! I even got a few gifts--a monogrammed apron from Kristi {what a great gift!}, the most delish cookies from the Dough Nut: Moms UNITE!{ginger and chocolate chip--she ships them!} a hand made wall plaque from The Real Tina {I'll have to get her to show us how to make these}. I also came home with the the biggest wreath I've ever had in my life. I'll tell you about the wreath on Wednesday.

It was such an honor to spend the day with such amazing women! I feel such a connection with so many of you readers who comment and even email and who's blogs I read. What is really neat is to sit and chat with you for a few minutes. I feel like we are long time friends.

Emily took a zillion photos so I'd bet she'll be posting something soon. I started to list everyone I met and try to link but I just realized it would take me at least an hour. Time better spent eating truffles and cookies and watching my boys wrestle.


I also have to tell you that when I got home last night my husband was baking No, not banking--BAKING! He's is such the Man! And I am so blessed to be married to a man who not only lets me be myself but encourages it. He is so glad that I have met you all, been able to share my life's work: the Gospel of hot gluing and make real friends here. I love you all and and enjoyed reading all of your comments! I'm pulling out the Christmas Decor this week! YIPPIE!

It just keeps getting better and better!

My Baby


When I found out I was expecting my third child less than three months after giving birth to my second boy, I cried. For real. Not because I didn't want any more children, I did. But, although my pregnancies are healthy I'm miserably nauseous and the memory of the previous one was entirely too fresh.


Now, this sweet child brings me such joy. He's got my personality so we get along swell. And you know how we mom's are about out baby. Especially when that baby is a boy. Poor thing.


And, I think he bears a certain resemblance to someone famous in my world.


2006 HGTV Design Star David Bromstad

Are you on to me yet? I left my camera downloading cord thing at my sister's house last week. Hate me. Hi, Ima Dork. I've been making due without it but I cannot wait to show you the next installment of the tour, the most fantastic goodwill find EVER and I even have a small number of tassels and garlands to list. It's in the mail, thanks to Emily.