In Search of Myself

Have you seen this website?

True Mom Confessions

Just as much fun (and updated more often!) as Post Secret!

good stuff.

iParenting sucks

Some of you might remember the days when we all had iParenting "diaries" (that's where we all met!) and I started building a webpage for Jake through their site.  Then Kelly convinced us all to move to blog world, and one by one, we did.  A lot of my blog stickers and pictures for the sidebars were hosted on iP's site, because I didn't know back then how to do it through Typepad (my, how far I've come.)  I've noticed recently that not all my sidebar images have been showing up -- it's spotty; sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not.

Well, today I clicked on my "Jake's webage" button and IT'S NOT FREAKING THERE.  I can find the directory and such, but a ton of it just isn't there, and the old page isn't there.  Luckily, I backed up the entire site a LONG time ago, to a CD, so I don't care anymore if I lose it.  Oh, and my old diaries?  They're still there, somewhere, but not where I can find them through my old links.  Luckily I also have THOSE backed up, in a Word document.  I'm at a point where I'm entirely ready to put iP behind me.

SO.  I'm going to spend today re-doing my sidebar images so they are hosted in Typepad and are, you know, DEPENDABLE.  Whatever, iP.

*edited*  HA.  I'm done.  I rock.

Ok, fess up

I just looked in my SiteMeter records -- which I haven't done in a while -- and today I've had readers from these countries:

Tunisia (where's that?)
Germany
France
Spain
Finland
Egypt
Japan
India
United Kingdom

Seriously?  People are reading my blog in these countries?  Or maybe they randomly got here through a Google search?  I don't know.

I saw quite a few more states here in the U.S. than I was expecting, too . . . which makes me wonder who in the world those stats are coming from.  :) *waving*  Hello to all my friends I haven't met!

I know that a lot of people lurk but don't comment, which is fine . . . makes me feel like I'm talking to myself, but hey!  I do that anyway!  (Seriously.)  So it's all good.

9 pounds 9 ounces!

KELLY!  HOORAY, HALEY IS HERE!!!!!

Wishing you a speedy recovery and lots of fun enjoying these first few days!  And I can't WAIT to see more pictures!!!

(Blog land people who Kel didn't e-mail, I'm sure she'll post to her blog in a few days.  LOL.)

Where's the love?

I think Typepad might hate me.

It hasn't let me do ANYTHING I needed to today. 

What the hell, people?

I love you . . . so delurk.

So a week ago I got a comment from Shannon D, on my "Why we paint" entry.  I e-mailed her back and thanked her for commenting, and she said "Ok, confession time: I have been reading your blog since iparenting days and I followed you here through Kelly. After all this time, I am starting to come out of lurkdom." Dude, that means she has been reading for like 2 or 3 years and never told me!  That's amazing to me.  I mean, I'm totally glad she de-lurked -- but I really thought that anyone who had been reading for that long had already let me know.  And of course, that has me wondering if I have any OTHER lurkers?!  (I know that all us bloggers go through this from time to time.)  I don't check my SiteMeter stats hardly at all (no time for that!), so I don't know who is here and who isn't.  Monica, do you still drop by from time to time?  Older sisters: Sara and Sheri?  Haven't heard from you all in a while.  Bonnie?  How the heck are you doing?  Lovely Melissa - what's up, girl?

What really got me excited about talking with Shannon, is that I have gotten her interested in digital scrapbooking!  (woo hoo!)  Nothing like spreading the love of a hobby that will quickly turn to obsession!  I decided that since Shannon was sweet enough to de-lurk and it's been so fun talking with her, she gets a $10 gift certificate to Shabby Princess' Shabby Shoppe (which has a grand re-opening today!).  I'm not saying I'm going to give EVERYONE who de-lurks a gift certificate, but I AM saying that you never know what I'm going to do!

To all my wonderful friends from the past several years: Happy Valentine's Day.  I'm sorry I don't come by more often.  You know I love you all.

I need a favor!!!

9-1-05 I'm NUMBER 50!!!!!!  Thank you, everyone!!!

ok guys, so here's the thing: I've had over 2,500 hits on my Digi-Scrappin with Jen blog in the past 3 weeks.  (Which I think is pretty cool!)  But I JUST signed up for a link on the Digital Scrapbooking top 50 site, so the hits counter is starting from ONE. ONE, PEOPLE.  I'm at the very bottom of the list, and I want to move up!!! (I'm 180 out of 182!!!)  If you love me at all, can you click on through to my site to drive the hits up?  (Um, and if you wanted to do it like twelve times today . . . heh.)  'Cause you know you go there anyway . . . heh.  And if you want to be a dear and tell your friends to do it, too -- well I'd just love ya forever!!!

*EDITED, 8-30-05:  GUESS WHAT?!!! I'm #93 right now!!!  YAY!!!  I was telling Priscilla last night that my goal was to be in the top 100 by next week -- and I'm THERE already!!!  Keep those hit comin'!!!

Announcing . . .

I've been a dedicated paper scrapper for YEARS . . . but recently discovered Digital Scrapbooking, and HOLY COW.  It's SO fun.  I will never give up paper scrapbooking, but at the moment I'm working on a blog all about Digital Scrapbooking -- I noticed a lack of centralized information to help people figure out where to get started, and you know me -- always up for putting all my energy into something random!  Hopefully this will be a help to those of you who are thinking about {dreaming about} hopping on board but have no idea how!  If you would like to learn more about Digital Scrapbooking (with Photoshop), click below:

Blogiversary!

Today is my one year Blogiversary!

394 entries in 365 days.  Yeah, you could safely say that I'm hooked.

Thank you to Typepad for having the best blogging service ever.

Thank you, Kelly, for dragging me kicking and screaming into Blogworld.  You rule. 

Thank you to all of my readers -- even those of you slackers who only lurk and never post a comment -- for being my friends and my sounding board.  You guys rock!

Look!!!

LOOK WHAT I JUST MADE!!!
I am beyond excited.  This is my first "blinkie" (yes, I know that nothing is blinking.  Ok, it's my first animation.)
You of course can take it and use it on your site, just be sure to give me a shout-out.  ;o)
Thank you, sister Sheri, for the great idea and photographs of the troll.  You rule.

WEEKEND PLANS:
Friday I have the day off from work, to go to a piano teaching workshop.  Miss me!  (Kelly!  You're the only one who notices if I'm here or not right now anyway.  LOL.)
Saturday Jake, mom, and I are driving to Cleveland, TN (3 hours) to see Lou's cousin get married. Lou has a work obligation and can't come. (Mom is coming with me to baby-sit Jake during the ceremony, then we'll all go to the reception together.
Sunday is church and catching up on everything I usually do on Saturday (like LAUNDRY and SLEEP.)

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND, EVERYONE!