The Adventure Begins

Please join Goose Girl & Foxy in celebrating the opening of their new blog space. The adventure begins today....

(You will find a blog button located on the sidebar to direct you there, or click on the image above!)

Gigi & Foxy

COMING SOON....

Groundhog Day

Yesterday was just like Groundhog Day the movie. For those of you who haven't seen it, Bill Murray stars as a news reporter sent to cover the events of Groundhog Day and watch with everyone else if the groundhog sees his shadow or not. Through a series of events he keeps living the same day over and over and over again as he is given the chance to figure out what he really wants and make that day and his life "right".

With all the problems blogger has had over the past 48 hours, it has felt like Groundhog Day. I have had things that I have read in Google Reader that I looked at on Wednesday, that suddenly disappeared, only to show up again late last night, in twos or threes.  I seem to be seeing the same things over and over again. I myself, have had posts disappear and then reappear, but the comments have vanished and for that I am sorry.

The lovely Miss Holly left a comment on my Thursday post, which suddenly reappeared again, but will not let me repost her comment. All of you are always so kind to write to me, so I am posting her comment here:

Yea! I love #11!!!! I love being nice to people.....it gives me great pleasure...

Thank you as always for your comments. Since, I am not sure that this will even work today, I will not write more, I am going out to enjoy the sunshine with Mr. Michie and run a few errands!

I hope all of you have a lovely weekend! ❤ Jennifer

2 Year Blogaversary

I'm growing up! I have now been blogging for two whole years today! I never thought that when I wrote my very first post, that I would meet such kind, artistic, generous women (and men) who follow me, read me and support me.

I truly appreciate all of you and I want to personally Thank You for taking the time to read me and to write me. I look forward to this next blogging year to come and I hope you continue to stay with me, I have so much more to say and do and see...

Here is just a sampler of some of my favorite posts over this past blogging year:

Summertime in the South
Mile High Banana Cream Pie
My Fox
A Tuesday Date
Pumpkin Hunting
Goose Girl & Foxy
Goose Girl & Foxy's London Day Out
The Force is Strong

(Image created by J. Michie)

Cosmo Fun Fearless Female

To my complete surprise I have been nominated with 9 other wonderful Australian female bloggers in this years Cosmopolitan Magazine Fun Fearless Female Competition in the Bloggers category.  I actually haven't ever won anything in my life and I'm not so sure that this will change however, if you do enjoy visiting my blog and if you do enjoy my posts and if you would like to vote for me then I would love that.  Click HERE to vote.  It only takes a few minutes.  I think it would be wonderful to be one of the 3 finalists however, I am just so thrilled to have been nominated in the first place.

Thank you for your continued interest in my blog.  I feel a bit funny asking you to vote...it's not really my thing to ask for votes....but if you decide to then thank you so much!!xx

xx

Anna

Thank You

Thank you all for your lovely comments and warm wishes to me over Christmas and the New Year.

I hope that you all enjoyed the holidays and created many happy memories to treasure in years to come! Your comments mean the world to me!

Warm wishes for a very happy New Year!

Oh My Word!

Last week, in all the craziness that it was and became, in the five minutes peace I had, I went to a blog I love, Oh My Word, by the very wonderful and kind Evelyn. We talk to each other on Twitter and she has the hootiest husband, who along side his brother has turned an old ambulance into a Ohio State University tailgating machine, which I just love.

In all that was happening last week between work and home, I went to read this very lovely blog and Oh My Word, you will never guess what happened? I looked over to her "fabulousness" column and there amongst other women I admire, sat my little button.

I could not believe it! Surrounded by other great bloggers, Jenny Wren's was there in the "fabulousness" column, well Evelyn, I thank you; you more than made my day, you made my week and I think you are pretty fabulousness too!

If you don't already read Oh My Word, please make sure you take a look, take my word, it is a blog worth reading!

The Art of Simplicity

I have gone through so many changes with my new blog, In the Art Cupboard. I had so many different ideas of how I wanted it to look. It would be cleaner, simpler, not all the girly flowery things that exist here on Jenny Wren's.

I mocked-up a "board", trying a background that looked like a cork board with my designs pinned on it and lived with that for awhile, although something about it never felt right. I tried a stretched canvas background, a solid color in a variety of hues. Like Goldilocks, I just new they were not the right fit.

And, then it hit me! I was trying too hard, too hard to make it look like something it wasn't, this is a blog about simplicity, about finding one thing a day you want to photograph and putting it up for the world to see and so, the site itself, should be just that. I lost my way for a little bit, but I found it again, simplicity is key.

1 Year Blogaversary

Today is my One Year Blogaversary! So put on your party hats! I can't believe that a year has passed so quickly! I started this blog as a way to keep my creative juices flowing, to write about all the crazy things that flow in and out of my head and to work harder on my goals of getting my children's books published and start my Etsy shop.

I never thought when I wrote my very first post that I would would meet so many wonderful people over the year and I want to thank all of you for reading and commenting, I never dreamed that I would have followers, readers and commentators, I thought only a few people would find me here and there, and that was ok, I created this Blog for me, and I have enjoyed every minute of it!

I wish we could all be together, I would have a party, a tea party of course since I live in jolly ole' England. But, we might have to serve some iced sweet tea as well, I have not forgotten my Southern roots! If I was having a party I would serve this cake:

It just made me smile, and it looks perfect for a fun garden party. It also made me think of Burl Ives' Lollipop Tree song, I had this record when I was little and my sister and I would dance around to this song. Oh if only there could be a real lollipop tree, I would quite enjoy that!

Keep reading, I have so much more to come, so much more to write and share, so much is happening at the moment, I am on the rollercoaster of life and not the merry-go-round and I am prepared to be surprised!

(vintage party children copyright The Baby Gardner)
* Obviously tea parties are floating around my head at the moment, since I wanted to have one on Monday as well...
**The actual Martha Stewart Lollipop Cake is a carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting, but I love the recipe for the Ruffle Tower Cake so I chose to use that one instead; you can find both on her site.
***Happy Cinco de Mayo

B.I.

B.I. or, "Before the Internet".  Our internet has been affected this past week due to a flood in the Paddington area.  I got on-line Wednesday evening to work on a post for Thursday and no internet, so after much button pushing, hemming & hawing, praying and stamping my feet I realized it was all to no avail.


So we have been living a life of "Before Internet", we have become Fred & Wilma without the giant pearl necklace and water buffalo hat! It has been quite amusing. You don't realize how much you rely on it, or at least I do, when I need to convert a recipe or research an idea that has popped into my head! But, we are back on-line and going strong!

To Debs, I don't know who you are, but thank you for your two comments, I loved your foxy information and hearing about "Sausage" and thank you as well for sharing the Blog info with me. I have two things I have been dying to post (sad I know) and I want to get caught up reading all of my pals because I have missed what you have to say! So I am going to do that right now, hang tight, there is more too come!

Here's to a Beachy 2010!

Have you missed me?

I started Beach Cottage Love with all good intentions last April, thinking I could keep a second little blog on the side. "Just for fun."

It didn't take long to realize how tough it is to maintain two blogs at once. I thought I could do it all, but--at least for now--I can't. I need to focus on my main blog in the new year instead of spreading myself so thin.

Thanks to everyone who has followed Beach Cottage Love over the past 8 months. Hope I'll see you over at my primary blog residence, Hooked on Houses, in 2010! ~Julia

(Photo via Coastal Living.)