Back when I was an itty bitty baby blogger, I took a big step and went to my first blog conference – Blissdom.  I went by myself and roomed alone, so it was a little intimidating.  I awkwardly walked around, hoping to recognize someone from their 125×125 profile picture or maybe someone would recognize me, but I wasn’t hopeful of that.  I did manage to connect with some other DIY/Home Decor bloggers within an hour or two of being there and more began to gather. Someone suggested a group picture, so we bunched up on a grand staircase, turned sideways, so we all looked skinny and smiled.  In the midst of the tummy-sucking-in and hip twisting, someone next to me said, in a soft voice, “Hello.  I love your blog.”  I was taken aback that someone knew who I was, so I turned to see who my “fan” was.  The

Before I get into today’s post, I just want to share how encouraging it is to hear how many you are going to pull out your china and silver and start using it regularly in response to my spurring yesterday!  I started to chuckle at the thought of all of the families who came home to a set table with folded napkins and fancy place settings…probably thinking there mom has finally lost it or there was bad-news-bomb she was about to drop.  I love it.  Anyway, onto my topic today… I used to be an HGTV junkie.  Remember the days of (the original) Design on a Dime and Room by Room?  And when Candice Olson and Sarah Richardson hit the scene and brought it to a whole other level?  HGTV was like my comfort background noise when I was at home.  I loved watching the makeovers and getting new ideas.  Sarah started

As I shared a few days ago, Jeff took me to the Poconos for a couple of days.  We stayed at a beautiful stone lodge that was built on 5500 acres in the 1920’s – Skytop. I loved getting to know a bit about the history of the place.  The architecture and intact original details were beautiful.   …and it was fun looking at pictures taken over the years… The service and food were spectacular.  Since I’m a vegetarian, it can be a little tricky sometimes when I eat out if I want more than a salad or a plate of mushrooms, but they were so accommodating.  The chef made a dish for me of a cheesy risotto with fresh vegetables.  It was delicious and the food altogether was a highlight. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy, misty and foggy, so we didn’t get to enjoy all of the outdoor activities