Monday, December 19, 2011

In response...

Okay, so the little one is down for a nap, and the 5 year old is watching a movie. I've gone only a few moments left of this quiet time to get some blogging done, since I spent the first little while sewing. Finally!

I wanted to start off this post by saying a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the commentors. I read each and every one and unfortunately, with the amount of suggestions that there were, and being super busy last week in preparation for a Christmas party on Saturday evening, I was unable to respond to each and every one. But here's what I got:

Tutorials are the most wanted posts, followed by clear/focused pictures, and then WIPS (from beginning to end) including mistakes made for learning and progession, humor, and a sense of who I am as a person. Got it! You all have wonderful advice and I thought I'd take a moment to respond to some of the comments that really stood out to me. There are many comments that were similar, so please don't be offended if I picked one that has the same suggestion you made! I promise I read yours too!

B Greene said: 
I love to see repurposing projects - I enjoy being nudged into seeing objects in a different light!
Well, I'm not sure what kind of repurposing you like to see (thrift store clothing, furniture, lighting, etc) but my husband and I do love to repurpose. I already have some before and afters in previous posts, but you will see some more in the future. Maybe not so much in the winter, since it's zero degrees outside, but lots during the spring, summer, and fall. Thanks for the advice!

Susanne said:
People like tutorials. Make sure you get on Flickr and join some swaps!! That's a great way to get to know other bloggers and to get readers!!
I finally joined Flickr, but I haven't really figured it out yet, it's still new to me. But I will get better!

Arlyne said:
I like blogs that have a little variety, honestly. Yeah, great tutorials are good, but I need some clue that you're a stressed out momma/wife/employee/whatever, too, and not just a crafty queen, ya know?
Oh I'm a stressed out momma alright! I waited almost 5 years inbetween kiddos and because it's state law in Idaho that children who do not meet the deadline cannot begin school early, I have 2 kiddos at home. I'm also a super stressed out wife. My husband is awesome. He works hard. But with the ecomony being what it is, he was dealt a hard hand to make work. We're okay though, and I hope and pray that others who are also struggling financially will find relief soon. 

On that same note, Becky said:
I love well done/'pretty' pictures but I love it even more when a blogger gives you a glimpse into what it took to achieve those pretty pictures. Like the sink full of dirty dishes, the 5 attempts it took to get that great looking end product, forsaking the house cleaning/kids baths. It nice to see other ladies dealing with the balance of family/home/work/crafting! 
My 6 mo. old hasn't been taking very good naps lately. And with as busy as I've been, it's been really irritating. After 5 weeks in a row of my husband being gone during the weekdays and only being home on Sat and Sun, I had to let the baby cry things out for about an hour so I could finish a charity quilt last week. I'm so horrible.

Tina said:
I like and religiously follow blogs that have three things:
1. Frequent and regular posting. Set a schedule and follow it. You don't have to post every day, but at least once or twice a week. I love reading blogs! So of course, when it's been a month since one of my favorites hasn't blogged, it's really frustratin! I need some inspiration people! But seriously, it's my goal to give my followers at least one posting with some pictures in it once a week.

2. TUTORIALS--I love learning new stuff.

3. Quality and relevant content. I stopped following a blog recently because the blogger spent an entire post, on a "fashion blog" talking about why she didn't wash her hands after going to the bathroom. It was a complete turn off and all I could think every time I read a post after that was how disgusting it was that she didn't wash her hands after going to the bathroom. Okay, so this is disgusting and hilarious at the same time.

Jingle and Georgia both agreed that I should comment back:
I will try!!! Like I said above, I didn't comment back during the giveaway because things have been crazy busy, but I also know I won't be getting 277 (WOW, I'm still amazed) comments on each post, so that should be a little easier!

Wicca said:
Although I know that some patterns are personal and not to be shared, I like to see some step by step instructions to do some handmade stuff :) 
I may be doing a post on this particular comment soon. If I have bought a pattern, or someone has given me a pattern, I will probably (out of respect of their hardwork) not do step by step instructions unless there is ONE or TWO parts that I feel, as a beginner quilter, need better explaing. However, when I see a block that I love, and I don't want to spend the money to buy a pattern when I want to figure it out myself and make my own block to certain sizes, I may do a tutorial. But again, there's a debate between me and my husband on this one so I my need input...I'll post about that soon.

Judi said:
Don't add music to your blog. I hate that, and always have to search for the button to turn it off, or just leave the blog quickly.
Uh, no way. I love to sing along to music, but the first time I opened several blogs and all these different songs end up playing all at once, I decided right then and there that I would not put a play list on my site! 

There were soooo many more great suggestions about:

My blog layout: I like simplicity, so my blog will stay pretty clear cut and simple. I will keep ads to a minimum.
Mistakes: I will always admit mistakes. This is a learning blog. If I can make a mistake and save one other person from doing so, I TOTALLY WILL.
Grammar: This was a funny one, but I get it! Typically, I catch my spelling errors, but the biggest one that bugs me that I will not catch all the time is the word "because". Sometimes my fingers like to push the ''u" first. But I do tend to say "so" in a way that when I'm super excited about something, instead of clicking on the bold or italic buttons, I'll just include a lot of extra "o"'s. Sorry!
Giveaways: I like simple giveaways. I will not require you to jump through hoops (like "this", follow "that"), PROMISE!
 

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