Will You Come With Me?

I know this whole two posts in one day thing is becoming a bit of a habit (I swear I'll stop soon) but I've had something on my mind and wanted to get it out there!!

My other (frequently mentioned) blog is a self-hosted Wordpress bad boy! I love it! I love Wordpress in general! I'm getting itchy feet and I'm thinking of moving this post to Wordpress (self hosted). These are my reasons...

1 If you're hosted by a company such as Blogger or Wordpress (itself) they have some kind of right to every thing you post. I'm not saying they'd use it...but they might. It's obviously more beneficial for the likes of Lonely Planet blogs or STA Travel blogs and similar where they can actually take your blog entries and put them in their travel guides etc and you would get nothing in return.

2 My second, and main, issue is with the limitations of Blogger. I know you can do some fancy things with it, but with a self-hosted Wordpress blog (I've never used Wordpress hosted so can't comment on it) the possibilities are pretty much endless! There's a widget or plugin for pretty much everything imaginable, there are thousands of basic themes / layouts instead of just the handful on Blogger and it's all a little more user friendly (or user oriented!).

3 My third is just niggles but they irritated me a lot this morning! I keep getting a message when typing a post that says "could not contact Blogger.com. Saving and publishing may fail". I feel like I'm being threatened!! Then, when I can eventually save what I've done, I go to publish it and it looks nothing like it did in the "edit" box, there's crazy spacing and paragraphing all over the place. So I have to edit at least twice. Silly i know, but it's annoying when I'm rushing!

So....before I make the decision I just wanted to know whether you, kind hearted and committed, follower would continue to follow? You can continue to follow me through Blogger (but you would need to change my site address - simples!) and I'll obviously still be available in your Google Reader (but I would have better RSS) if you change my URL address there too.

In fact, it would pretty much all be the same, you would just need to change my address, add me as a bookmark or subscribe to me by email!!

The poll is over to the right, or you can just leave a comment!! I've left it open for a week so I'm not really in a massive rush...I may even leave it until my 100th post to go (if you let me go).

Holy Mojito - That's What I Call A Give-Away!!

Good Gals Inc. is having an amazing give-away to celebrate her 100th post! Whoop! Check out the excellent bundle of gifts she's giving away - seriously, every girl needs a flamingo towel!!!

Show some appreciation and go check out her fantabulous blog!!

Photography Contest over at "A Cowboys Wife"!

I heard about that someone was holding a once-monthly photography contest whilst over at Country Girl, City Life. That someone is A Cowboys Wife.

I love love love taking photos so this is clearly a good one for me (oh, BTW, that doesn't mean I'm much good at it...but I don't care!). Check over at A Cowboys Wife for competition details, rules and excellent prizes!! Each month there will be a new theme / topic. This month the topic is "Colours".

My first entry - "A Tractor in the City"

Footnote - Yes, it's not exactly a "me" photo, but hey, it looks good and was a brilliant day in the snow!!

#5 - Something Old

Soooooo, for the past week I've been participating in My Life in Photos hosted by the delectable Everything Except The Grill .

The plot line...The purpose of this photo challenge project is to encourage you to pick up your camera and start capturing details of your life. This project should also serve as a way to look at what others are finding to shoot and will hopefully keep you inspired to look for more moments in your life you wouldn't always think to capture with your camera.Our first My Life. In Pictures. challenge will start on March 30th and run through April 3rd.The assignment will be: Monday- Something new, Tuesday- Something on your table, Wednesday- The view from your front door, Thursday- Something you do each day and Friday- Something old. If you need any more details they are listed here. It's your last chance to join in today! Go on, squeeze all 5 pictures in to one day!!

#5 Something Old

I was going to take a photo of an old person, then I remembered I don't have any of my own left... apart from my parents and they aren't that old (it scares me to say that!!). I decided upon a picture (well I scanned it) of an old picture.

Seeing as though I've talked a bit about my entertaining, yet somewhat disturbed, parents I thought I'd introduce you to one - Mr Secret-Keeper. Although he severely dislikes the Bee Gees he clearly thought he was one!!

The photo was taken in around 18...OK, 1973 in Greece...(sing with me) Papa was a rolling stone...until he met Mrs Secret-Keeper! He wasn't actually the manwhoring type of rolling stone though! He just travelled a lot before he met my mom...who am I trying to convince here!?

My dad lived in 17 countries in 4 years - I know that's not much nowadays (I know people who have visited more in 12 months) but for the 1970s that was a lot considering it took days / weeks to get anywhere and travelling abroad was expensive!! Dad and his crew (as they would be known today) visited Russia, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, France, Espania and Norway to mention a few. These were just the ones before my sister and I were born!

Well, that concludes My life in pictures. I promise that next week I will come up with something good to blog about. If you have any topic suggestions please let me know!! I intend on getting some much needed sleep this weekend so I will be in tip top condition for next weeks blogging (although I clearly plan on blogging over the weekend!!). xx

#4 - Something I Do Every Day

How we roll...Everything Except The Grill - The purpose of this photo challenge project is to encourage you to pick up your camera and start capturing details of your life. This project should also serve as a way to look at what others are finding to shoot and will hopefully keep you inspired to look for more moments in your life you wouldn't always think to capture with your camera.Our first My Life. In Pictures. challenge will start on March 30th and run through April 3rd.The assignment will be: Monday- Something new, Tuesday- Something on your table, Wednesday- The view from your front door, Thursday- Something you do each day and Friday- Something old. If you need any more details they are listed here.

In this post (go on, have a look, it'll all make sense) I drew a picture! This is actually something I would like to do everyday! But kids, today I'm going to make it happen!!!....several hours later. Gutted! I got to where I was going, set myself up only to realise I'd left my camera memory card firmly plugging into my effing laptop! very distressed!! So I tried my best with the photos, but they aren't that great.

First, the suspense builder...

Yes...you guessed it! This is the famous "Blind Spot"!! It's a little messy you'll see, but this is because our cleaning staff have been reduced in numbers and are now officially only cleaning once a month...erm...yuk!! I would've done it myself but I'm just so super busy (preparing the "Blind Spot" and getting excited) I didn't have time.

Please remember my photos are a little useless because I forgot the camera thing and I had to use my Iphone (for an expensive phone the camera isn't that great!)...anyway...

See, I wasn't lying, I could totally slip in there with the fairies and go to sleep and no-one would know!! Someone in the building has requested I leave it like that so they can bring their dogs in...I'm considering my charges!!

The View From My Front Door

Here's the drill...Everything Except The Grill - The purpose of this photo challenge project is to encourage you to pick up your camera and start capturing details of your life. This project should also serve as a way to look at what others are finding to shoot and will hopefully keep you inspired to look for more moments in your life you wouldn't always think to capture with your camera.Our first My Life. In Pictures. challenge will start on March 30th and run through April 3rd.The assignment will be: Monday- Something new, Tuesday- Something on your table, Wednesday- The view from your front door, Thursday- Something you do each day and Friday- Something old. If you need any more details they are listed here.

Here is the view from my front door (and no, I do not own a Mercedes! My parents came to visit but arrived before me and so stole prime position and I had to park way way out there - being the shiny blue car!! Cheeky!).I seriously don't have anything to say about the view!! I bought my house 2 years ago and it's not the most exciting view in the world, the back view's alright (lol), and from the upstairs bedrooms. I hate the curtains in the porch but haven't quite gotten around to changing them. Erm...that's about it I suppose!

***NEWS FLASH***

Holy crap - an American firm just bought Basil Brush...WTF!?

Another random conversation with the p-unit (my parents!) - talking about school reports...

Dad - My school reports always said "must try harder", "erratic work", "needs to pay attention", "please see me".
Me - Much the same as mine then!?
Dad - There was one that said "needs to watch himself", I was never sure what that meant.
Mom - So that's why you were always looking in the mirror when we first met!?
Dad - No, that was because I was really good looking!
Laughter!!

Bless the p-unit, poor disillusioned souls!

xx

P.S Mom's not pregnant

P.P.S can you believe some MP tried to claim for 2 porn DVDs in her expenses?? Another WTF if you don't mind!!

P.P.S My writing has gone a little bizarre due to insomnia!

Shelf Envy, or is it Shelve Envy?

I will be posting for My Life in Pictures later tonight – I seem to be doing 2 posts a day a bit too frequently at the moment! This must stop!!

Until yesterday I never knew that a condition commonly known as “shelf envy” (or would that be “shelve envy”? Now that I’ve questioned myself that word looks really odd and wrong, have I spelt it wrong?). Anyway, I thought I would make your envy a whole lot worse (well maybe).

Here are the 2 sets of shelves in my living room.

The room is actually bigger than it looks in the picture, for some reason this always seems to happen to me! Please excuse the dead flowers in the vase, they were alive until recently I swear.

In other news (hehe), if you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that I had trouble sleeping last night…and I hated it!! Finally got to sleep at 2 only to be woken up by my horrible alarm at 6am! This 6am thing isn’t doing me any good! I’m a groggy mess today!

My mom just emailed me at work:

Mom – How’s work today? Less fraught than yesterday?
Me – Work is horrible and N’s husband has just lost his job because AVX is closing down and shipping themselves to Czech. Couldn’t you get pregnant or something to bring a bit of joy to the ever so depressing world?
Mom – I think I’ve already done my bit for the world population expansion programme!

Seriously Jen, what kind of child (grown-up child) asks their parents to have another baby just to fill a miserable gap in time?? Seriously! Why doesn’t this thought fill me with dread like it would any normal person?

I don't actually want her to have a baby though!!

To All You Crazy Bloggers

Do you ever lose blogs?

I feel like I’m permanently mislaying the blogs I love. I convince myself I’m “following” them (because I have a million and one bookmarks for my other blog so it makes more sense to me to “follow” them on Blogger – saves me getting confused, which is easily done!), but then 5 days down the line, when said blog hasn’t, apparently, been updated, I realise I was never following it! Gutted! Then there’s a lot of back-reading to be done! It breaks my heart!

I realised this morning that I wasn’t following one of my favourite blogs (Lilyspeak) and my goodness it was a shock! I have no idea how long it’s been since I read her blog but I’m feeling stressed as there’ll be a fair amount of catching up to do! The pressure!!! The even worse case scenario is a I fell in love with one of the first blogs I found via Blogger and I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was called or how I found it. Talk about devastated! Just in case you know it...it's the blog of a teacher and she has an Autistic pupil who was about to become a main feature!! Please help!

Anyway…this is for you!

Yes you. You reading this I mean you!

Dear ______ (insert as applicable),

I’ve been meaning to write to you for a while now, but the time just never feels right. Somehow I just don’t seem to be able to find the words to say what I want you to know.

We've been dating for almost a month now, it feels like an eternity (in a good way!). I know some of your biggest secrets and you will learn more of mine as the days go by. I can be shy. There are two massive secrets in my life (no, it's not that, I'm definitely a girl!) that I don't yet feel able to tell you. But I will get there.

You haven't yet taken me for dinner or to the cinema or even spoken to me on the phone, but I feel we have something special.

I love that you read the things I write for you and that you leave me little love notes in response (even if you were a little horrified at this post). I love that you keep on coming back and so I love to pop over to your (metaphorical) house and leave you little messages as well!

In short…I love you! It really is that simple and if I had said that I wouldn't had have to write this letter....yes...I am dumb but I'm not blond (sorry if you are blond!).

I love you Mr/s Blogger! I hope you love me too!

Yours faithfully,

Jen

Footnote: In particular there are 16 of you that I especially love....you know who you are! Those 16 boys and girls who openly admit to loving me and also openly admitting that I am in fact fantabulous!!

Further footnote: I have actually sent off the first item for the Accessory Circle today. If you're not already involved and would like to join in just send me an email. To find out more about it click the "Accessory Circle" label in the sidebar on the right!

Yet another footnote: Apologies, I am somewhat retarded when it comes to Blogger (being new and all) and so I couldn't figure out how to stop the indenting quote!!

My First Blog Award!

I was saving this for a blog-drought day, where I’m uninspired for a post! Today is that day (so far anyway). Hopefully I’ll get some inspiration later and I will *gasp* post twice in one day!!

So here goes…

I received the Kreativ Blogger Award from cJs (and muchly appreciative I am!) . It is my first EVER award - online anyway!!

In order to receive this award I have to list 7 things I love then pass it on to 7 blogs I love.

So here are my 7 things:

1. Blogs - Reading them, writing them, commenting on them, dreaming about them…..everything about them.

2. My Internet – What more can I say! I do love the internet. I love the way it connects you with people and information and you can even order a pizza with it’s help!

2. Friends – Real life and bloggy - in fact, some of you little blogging tykes are probably better than a few real life friends! You rock!

3. Smut Fest Books - This has become clear with recent posts - I am dirty!

4. TV Series – GG, 90210, Gilmore Girls (yet to finish here so please don’t spoil it!!), CSI…hmm I’m sure there are more, ooooh, American Idol, Ice Road Truckers (hah, not very girly!), My So Called Life re-runs, Girls of the Playboy Mansion (I just love it ok!). More will follow!

5. Having Fun – whether it’s a girly night in or a drunken debaucherous night out!

6. Social Network Site Stalking – There you have it, I am a Facebook stalker! I have no shame, well not much anyway!

And here are 7 of my fave blogs (and I am planning on blogging about you very lovely people shortly, but hopefully this will do for now!):

1. Life of Leetid
2. Just Playing Pretend
3. A View from 5280ft
4. The High-Heeled Diaries
5. A Girl Could Get Lost
6. Whisper Your Secrets
7. No Ordinary Rollercoaster

I’m sorry if I didn’t nominate you – I would’ve nominated everyone if I had enough votes - but as I'm not the Queen (I unofficially am though) I didn't feel it appropriate to change the rules!!

I might be back later!!

Sing With Me "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend"

So, you'll never guess what I heard via Tova!!!

Scarymommy is giving away diamonds...DIAMONDS!

Can you believe that someone is giving away diamonds, real diamonds, not diamante or CZs??? Holyomgeffingmother! This is something I want a piece of! Actually, I don't want a "piece" I want a pair....of beautiful diamond earrings.

Clearly I am going to win, but I just thought I'd share the wealth and let you all know so that you can try and win too (oh no, I just remembered I AM GOING TO WIN so you'll be wasting your time...but hey ho, it'll be fun anyway!).

To enter click on this bad boy "I want sexy diamonds" or click the image (although I don't guarantee I've done it right). The rules are there - they're pretty simple, for 1 entry just subscribe to the feed and for extra entries you can tweet, blog and add to blogroll!

GOOD LUCK!!

BY THE WAY if you haven't seen my last couple of posts, check them out HERE and HERE, because it’s super and uber cool and the bestest thing ever and you need to join in. It’s my 100% excellent recession busting plan (that, like I’ve said before, I cannot believe the government have never thought of. They’ll catch on soon though – like they did with my idea to print more money!). JOIN IN (or I’ll tell you how much you suck. Well I wont, but I’ll say I did!).

Tips for Women

1 It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.

2 It is important that a man makes you laugh.

3 It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.

4 It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.

5 It is important that these four men don't know each other.