In praise of blogs and bloggers

Oh my poor, neglected little blog, how I've missed you! I know I said I would be posting on Thursday but obviously, it didn't happen, as my weekend got in the way. The weekend--well, it was physically and mentally exhausting and very stressful. It was a combination of things which taken alone wouldn't be such a big deal, but crammed all on top of each other into a 48-hour period resulted in a Perfect Storm-type situation that left me longing for Monday afternoon, when I knew I could take a long nap. And nap I did--one of those coma-type naps that take a while to shake off; I felt like I was moving in Jello for a good hour afterwards. I'm feeling much better now and I'm ready to get back to normal life and normal blogging again!

I'm long overdue in mentioning that sweet Shara thinks I rock! Shara and I first became acquainted on the Yardsalequeen.com message boards. Not long after that, Shara started her own blog and we became fast friends. She is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful and generous souls it has been my pleasure to come into contact with and I just adore her.

I started this blog almost 2 years ago and have been just blown away by the number of wonderful people I've 'met' in the blogosphere. Finding people who not only like the same things I do, but who have also become my friends has been a huge blessing for me and has really filled a need in my life. Man, I love you guys. :) Thank you for offering your suggestions when Maren wouldn't sleep, for listening to me crow about my latest yard sale finds, for answering my questions, and for providing a much more interesting alternative to housework with your own great blogs. :)

Here are some bloggers who also rock:
**Kimberly Ann at Nostalgic Homemaking. I really like her writing style and the interesting topics she posts about.
**Brenda at Brenda's Little Cottage. I just recently found her blog and we like a lot of the same things. Right now she's redoing a dark china cabinet by lining the back with pretty scrapbook paper--how clever!
**Candice Carpenter. If I could instantly adopt any style, it would be hers. Candice is a paper artist and I absolutely love what she does. She's going to Silver Bella and I can't wait to meet her! I feel like such a groupie.

Speaking of my friend Shara, I received the sweetest Halloween package from her last week. Shara puts together the most amazing packages of treats and her ability to pack a Flat Rate Priority box is unrivaled. :) Many of the contents of the package had a black cat theme--a sparkly mask, a vintage Gurley candle, a cute handmade cat trick or treat bag, and the most adorable glittery black cat treat cone that Shara made! There were other fun things--honeycomb pumpkin decorations, an old MSL, candy, a yummy pumpkin clove candle, and even treats for Miss Maren. I love that now my Halloween decor includes wonderful things sent by dear friends (Shara and Rebecca) so when I look at my decorations, I'm reminded of them and how lucky I am to have met such wonderful people through blogs! Blogs, how I love thee. :)