Top 10 Things I've been Doing Other Than Blogging

Hey team. So I was debating ways to re-start blogging since it's been about 2 months. Do I make excuses? Do I try to explain? Nah, how about just the "Top 10 Things I've Been Doing Other than Blogging." Enjoy!

10. Recieving lovely rain boots from Jessica Swift's Kickstarter project and being included on her website wearing said beautiful rainboots. I'm dancing because I'm so famous.

9. Block-printing some beagle-themed Christmas cards for the masses. I also made a beagle angel Christmas tree topper :o)

8. Celebrating Beer Advent... don't ask.

7. Enjoying some D.C. pastimes like sneaking quietly through air ducts at the International Spy Museum and seeing Zoo Lights at the Smithsonian National Zoo.

6. Recieving a brand new Singer sewing machine to replace supplement my very old one. Thanks Mom! And sewing a fantastic navy and white houndstooth iPad sleeve on said brand new sewing machine. Starting small, I know.

5. Ordering and giving my mom her own custom Snarky Beagle iPhone case from CaseMate. I almost stole it because I loved how to came out, even more than the first one.

4. Joyfully rolling around in (maybe also drawing with) brand new Sharpies I got from Kevin.

3. Attending lots of fun soirees and outings from the pretty darn classy Battery Lane Family Thanksgiving (don't mind the post-it note place cards) and New Years on U Street  to the decidely less classy Jersey Shore party. I love my friends/neighbors.

2.  Celebrating Christmas with my family in my one-bedroom apartment and watching Kevin make an AMAZING Christmas dinner for us with delicious things like clementine granitas and herb and scallion bread pudding.

1. Finishing and generally-knocking-it-out-of-the-park grad school. I officially have earned my Master's in Public Relations from Georgetown University! Hooray! I'm super excited to have it off my plate and once I recover from my stressed-out-burned-out-freaking-out (no promises on how long this might take...) I will hopefully have more time for my creative pursuits.

Week 3: Many Things to Many People

One of the first things I realized when I said I wanted to blog about design is that it means many things to many people. It can be fashion, jewelry, packaging, art, graphics, photography, events, weddings, architecture... the list goes on.

The majority of the blogs I read and, given the time and attention span, emulate are about home design. Here's my take on the major ones:

Apartment Therapy

I call Apartment Therapy a clearinghouse because you can expect to see no fewer than 150-200 posts a day from the main RSS feed. The blog is so popular that they actually own several spin offs including The Kitchn, Ohdeeoh and Unplggd. They also cater to regions of the country with specific content for cities such as San Francisco, New York and D.C. There are a mix of home tours, practical tips, recipes, contests and round-ups. It's inspiring, it's overwhelming, it's like Martha Stewart on crack.

Design*Sponge

I see Design*Sponge as the internet's answer to the demise of home design magazines like Blueprint and Domino. More focused than Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge can deliver up to 25 posts in a day. The regular features include city design guides, artist and designer spotlights and do-it-yourself projects. I like Design*Sponge because of its editorial polish. Grace Bonney, the founder and editor, clearly has a viewpoint and an aesthetic and it comes through in every post even though she has hired several additional writers to create content. But the original, creative content makes me want to organize my apartment and break out the glue sticks and sewing machine (if only I could sew, hmmm).

Once Wed

I debated whether I should add this one to my list because yes, it is a wedding blog and no, I'm not planning a wedding (right now). However, this blog also has a clearly defined editorial voice and weddings combine several aspects of design that I love from table-scapes to save-the-dates. They also feature photography and original art that is downright amazing. I enjoy the motivation to do-it-yourself on tasks as small or big as a wedding. I need as much motivation as I can get.

Overall, I think these are three of the most inspiring blogs and I love the amazing things that they share.

Week 2: A Fresh (Re)start

I've had this blog for almost three years now and the primary purpose has been to share my quirky artwork with friends and family. In addition, I've been an avid reader of design blogs like Design*Sponge, Oh Joy!, the Dieline and Apartment Therapy. They've always inspired me to keep sharing and creating new designs. I wouldn't say that blogging has nessecarily transformed my outlook on design, but I'm definitely excited about sharing more regularly and defining my voice in this area. As anyone can see from my archives, the blog has not been a priority and quickly falls by the wayside when my schedule fills up thanks to work, school, friends and family.

The blogs that inspire me the most are not just those that are sharing ideas and projects others have taken on, but those that create their own craft and designs projects. My (maybe somewhat lofty considering my schedule) goal as I expand this blog for class is to create original projects and content including more original artwork, home design and craft projects.

Another inspiration that has really pushed me to extend and pay more attention to my blog is my friend Kelly. Her blog, "View Along the Way," was recently featured on OhDeeOh and several other blogs. She has a similarly busy schedule (not to mention a toddler) so maybe its jealously but its definitely been motivating me to think about creating my own projects (and getting my apartment organized).

All that being said, my priority will be to keep the posts focused, original and distinct.