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2011’s Top Ten!

top ten{via}

It’s that time of year again.  That time when everyone waxes eloquent on all the BESTS in everything for the year.

So… for FUN… let’s look back at the 2011 year right here…

This has a fun blogging year for me.  I’ve managed to blog lots and open new bloggy chapters too.  

In January, I started my 5 dinners 1 hour Journey and have shared my Menu Monday post almost every single Monday since!   My cooking has improved and diversified greatly in the past year, and I have found lots of new recipes to try from other blogs and especially the amazing Pinterest

I also started a fun Blogging Tips series in October called Beautify Your Blog that ended up getting quite the response from other DIY blog designers like me.  :)  So far I’ve shared six posts from DIY Headers to a Custom Favicon

In chronological order, here are My Top Ten Posts from 2011…

1. My Martha Stewart Experiment was the beginning of this whole Weekly Meal Prep Madness and my 5 Dinners 1 hour journey.  I don’t think I would’ve ever believed it if you would’ve told me that that little “experiment” would have turned into something I ended up doing virtually EVERY week.   I think I maybe skipped two weeks out of the year.  Crazy.

mse

2. Learning to Love where you Live was some semi deep thoughts on just finally realizing how MUCH I have to be thankful for in our cozy little space with all five of these people I call family. 

lovewhereyoulive

3. Living Room Love was a look at the transformation of our main little Living Space.  It has come A LONG WAY, people!

LivingRoom

Somehow all that darkness turned into this…

living room 2

4. Sharing our Journey Through Pain was a hard post to write but one that felt good to share all the same.  It was incredibly scary putting all my thoughts and fears and pain OUT THERE.  Part of going through pain, though, is having the chance to perhaps help someone else who is right there in the throes of it.

It was an Aha moment comparing two pictures of my little family and knowing what elapsed between them.

Just proves you NEVER really know just what is around the corner after this painful moment you are experiencing.

pain

5. Our Disney countdown was So. Much. Stinkin’. Fun.  It was simply fantabulous to squeeze every little bit of goodness and excitement out of our totally awesome Disney experience.  And… I think the kids liked it too.  Ha!

disneycountdown

6. I wrote this Blogging 101 post kind of as a go to when I’m asked blogging advice.  I’m definitely not a blog expert, but I have picked up a few pointers over the years and had fun sharing my little tips and tricks.

blogging

7. My Crockpot French Dip Subs are the hubs favorite, and I LOVE that they just couldn’t be easier!  These are so very, very good.  Trust me!  Ya gotta try ‘em!  Trying new and fabulous recipes is one of the AMAZING byproducts of that little Martha Stewart Experiment. 

subs

8. DIY-ing Custom Sidebar Titles was one of my biggest blog design light bulb moments.  Couldn’t believe how easy it really was to make my very own!!  Having unique coordinating sidebar titles is one way to make your blog really have that polished look of the professionally designed blogs.  Promise.  It’s so easy!

sidebartitles 

9.  Comic Relief Through Pinterest was a really fun post to write sharing some really hilarious funnies that tickled me.  Pinterest is one awesome place.  So much good out there to be shared, peeps.

pinterest

10. And last up on the Top Ten 2011 List is Fashion Friday!  Cheating a bit since this isn’t really just one post, but it is something new I started that has been surprisingly fun… though a bit unnerving to pose and snap self portraits in the mirror.  :) 

fashion friday

  

And believe it or not, this is my 213th post this year! 213 days out of the 365, I have published a post… Guess that means I think I have a lot to say or something?

Wishing all of you fabulousness in the New Year 2012!  Thanks so much for reading!

feelscript sig smiley

*Linking up to Southern Hospitality’s great Recap Party and some of these great parties too… Weekend Bloggy Link up, Tatertots & Jello, House of Hepworths, Delightful Order,Bowl Full of Lemons,Organize & Decorate Everything, Funky Junk Interiors, Somewhat Simple, Shabby Creek Cottage, No Minimalist Here, Skip to my Lou,Fingerprints on the Fridge,CRAFT,Today’s Creative Blog, the 36th Avenue, Thrifty Décor Chick, Home Stories A-Z, Honey we’re Home, and Someday Crafts. You should check ‘em out!!:

11 Responses to 2011’s Top Ten!
  1. Kim @ Cheap Chic Home
    December 28, 2011 | 2:19 pm

    Wow, you certainly cover a lot of territory. I'll have to check out your blog tips, as I'm always on the lookout to make mine look better.

  2. Renee@LivingLaughingLoving
    December 28, 2011 | 2:33 pm

    Ha ha! Yeah, I don't like to be confined to one topic. Too much I like to expound on you know. :)

  3. Jayme Smith
    December 28, 2011 | 3:25 pm

    Love your blog! So glad I found it. My favortie are the meals and fashion friday… although I think I am going to go check out the beautify your blog section right now!! =)

  4. Gaby @ Tmuffin
    December 28, 2011 | 7:05 pm

    Okay, yup, you are seriously fabulous. Any mom who can do this much and stay fashionable is pretty awesome. That said, I'm off to take a shower…. :)

    I'm so glad I found your blog and am looking forward to 2011!

  5. Christina
    December 29, 2011 | 4:00 am

    so I totally missed the "Learning to Love where you live" post – so going to check that out now!

    do remember the Journey through Pain post – cried through it with you. then re-read all the way back through your links and story :)

    You really have grown in blogging this year – so fun to watch and read it all! :) You are a challenge and inspiration to me! :) Love reading your blog and love that you cover all kinds of topics.

    My favorites – your blogging tips and fashion tips and your menus (although they usually make me feel guilty, but maybe I will do better in 2012)

  6. Rachel
    December 29, 2011 | 3:34 pm

    Love keeping up with your life, and wow have I learned a lot, ha ha! Happy New Year!

  7. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
    December 30, 2011 | 4:14 am

    I'm off to read about blogging 101 :)
    Thank you for your visit today, love your blog. Happy New year!
    XO
    Kristin

  8. Betsy @ Romance on a Dime
    December 30, 2011 | 6:18 am

    Thanks for sharing your top 10!!! I'm definitely going to check out the Blogging 101 and beautifying your blog!

  9. Erin @ His and Hers
    December 30, 2011 | 3:35 pm

    Wow! You've had a busy year! Any mention of the word "Disney" makes me get all nostalgic…I LOVE that place. I bet you guys had an awesome time. I'm off to check out the Beautify Your Blog links! :)

  10. Colo Junkett
    January 5, 2012 | 9:12 pm

    Fabulous! You have a fabulous blog thanks for sharing I really enjoyed post 2 and 6.

  11. Jennifer
    January 10, 2012 | 1:52 am

    I love reading your blog each day. As a newbie to blogging, I LOVE your Blogging 101 tips. VERY HELPFUL!!!

2011’s Top Ten!

top ten{via}

It’s that time of year again.  That time when everyone waxes eloquent on all the BESTS in everything for the year.

So… for FUN… let’s look back at the 2011 year right here…

This has a fun blogging year for me.  I’ve managed to blog lots and open new bloggy chapters too.  

In January, I started my 5 dinners 1 hour Journey and have shared my Menu Monday post almost every single Monday since!   My cooking has improved and diversified greatly in the past year, and I have found lots of new recipes to try from other blogs and especially the amazing Pinterest

I also started a fun Blogging Tips series in October called Beautify Your Blog that ended up getting quite the response from other DIY blog designers like me.  :)  So far I’ve shared six posts from DIY Headers to a Custom Favicon

In chronological order, here are My Top Ten Posts from 2011…

1. My Martha Stewart Experiment was the beginning of this whole Weekly Meal Prep Madness and my 5 Dinners 1 hour journey.  I don’t think I would’ve ever believed it if you would’ve told me that that little “experiment” would have turned into something I ended up doing virtually EVERY week.   I think I maybe skipped two weeks out of the year.  Crazy.

mse

2. Learning to Love where you Live was some semi deep thoughts on just finally realizing how MUCH I have to be thankful for in our cozy little space with all five of these people I call family. 

lovewhereyoulive

3. Living Room Love was a look at the transformation of our main little Living Space.  It has come A LONG WAY, people!

LivingRoom

Somehow all that darkness turned into this…

living room 2

4. Sharing our Journey Through Pain was a hard post to write but one that felt good to share all the same.  It was incredibly scary putting all my thoughts and fears and pain OUT THERE.  Part of going through pain, though, is having the chance to perhaps help someone else who is right there in the throes of it.

It was an Aha moment comparing two pictures of my little family and knowing what elapsed between them.

Just proves you NEVER really know just what is around the corner after this painful moment you are experiencing.

pain

5. Our Disney countdown was So. Much. Stinkin’. Fun.  It was simply fantabulous to squeeze every little bit of goodness and excitement out of our totally awesome Disney experience.  And… I think the kids liked it too.  Ha!

disneycountdown

6. I wrote this Blogging 101 post kind of as a go to when I’m asked blogging advice.  I’m definitely not a blog expert, but I have picked up a few pointers over the years and had fun sharing my little tips and tricks.

blogging

7. My Crockpot French Dip Subs are the hubs favorite, and I LOVE that they just couldn’t be easier!  These are so very, very good.  Trust me!  Ya gotta try ‘em!  Trying new and fabulous recipes is one of the AMAZING byproducts of that little Martha Stewart Experiment. 

subs

8. DIY-ing Custom Sidebar Titles was one of my biggest blog design light bulb moments.  Couldn’t believe how easy it really was to make my very own!!  Having unique coordinating sidebar titles is one way to make your blog really have that polished look of the professionally designed blogs.  Promise.  It’s so easy!

sidebartitles 

9.  Comic Relief Through Pinterest was a really fun post to write sharing some really hilarious funnies that tickled me.  Pinterest is one awesome place.  So much good out there to be shared, peeps.

pinterest

10. And last up on the Top Ten 2011 List is Fashion Friday!  Cheating a bit since this isn’t really just one post, but it is something new I started that has been surprisingly fun… though a bit unnerving to pose and snap self portraits in the mirror.  :) 

fashion friday

  

And believe it or not, this is my 213th post this year! 213 days out of the 365, I have published a post… Guess that means I think I have a lot to say or something?

Wishing all of you fabulousness in the New Year 2012!  Thanks so much for reading!

feelscript sig smiley

*Linking up to Southern Hospitality’s great Recap Party and some of these great parties too… Weekend Bloggy Link up, Tatertots & Jello, House of Hepworths, Delightful Order,Bowl Full of Lemons,Organize & Decorate Everything, Funky Junk Interiors, Somewhat Simple, Shabby Creek Cottage, No Minimalist Here, Skip to my Lou,Fingerprints on the Fridge,CRAFT,Today’s Creative Blog, the 36th Avenue, Thrifty Décor Chick, Home Stories A-Z, Honey we’re Home, and Someday Crafts. You should check ‘em out!!:

11 Responses to 2011’s Top Ten!
  1. Kim @ Cheap Chic Home
    December 28, 2011 | 2:19 pm

    Wow, you certainly cover a lot of territory. I'll have to check out your blog tips, as I'm always on the lookout to make mine look better.

  2. Renee@LivingLaughingLoving
    December 28, 2011 | 2:33 pm

    Ha ha! Yeah, I don't like to be confined to one topic. Too much I like to expound on you know. :)

  3. Jayme Smith
    December 28, 2011 | 3:25 pm

    Love your blog! So glad I found it. My favortie are the meals and fashion friday… although I think I am going to go check out the beautify your blog section right now!! =)

  4. Gaby @ Tmuffin
    December 28, 2011 | 7:05 pm

    Okay, yup, you are seriously fabulous. Any mom who can do this much and stay fashionable is pretty awesome. That said, I'm off to take a shower…. :)

    I'm so glad I found your blog and am looking forward to 2011!

  5. Christina
    December 29, 2011 | 4:00 am

    so I totally missed the "Learning to Love where you live" post – so going to check that out now!

    do remember the Journey through Pain post – cried through it with you. then re-read all the way back through your links and story :)

    You really have grown in blogging this year – so fun to watch and read it all! :) You are a challenge and inspiration to me! :) Love reading your blog and love that you cover all kinds of topics.

    My favorites – your blogging tips and fashion tips and your menus (although they usually make me feel guilty, but maybe I will do better in 2012)

  6. Rachel
    December 29, 2011 | 3:34 pm

    Love keeping up with your life, and wow have I learned a lot, ha ha! Happy New Year!

  7. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
    December 30, 2011 | 4:14 am

    I'm off to read about blogging 101 :)
    Thank you for your visit today, love your blog. Happy New year!
    XO
    Kristin

  8. Betsy @ Romance on a Dime
    December 30, 2011 | 6:18 am

    Thanks for sharing your top 10!!! I'm definitely going to check out the Blogging 101 and beautifying your blog!

  9. Erin @ His and Hers
    December 30, 2011 | 3:35 pm

    Wow! You've had a busy year! Any mention of the word "Disney" makes me get all nostalgic…I LOVE that place. I bet you guys had an awesome time. I'm off to check out the Beautify Your Blog links! :)

  10. Colo Junkett
    January 5, 2012 | 9:12 pm

    Fabulous! You have a fabulous blog thanks for sharing I really enjoyed post 2 and 6.

  11. Jennifer
    January 10, 2012 | 1:52 am

    I love reading your blog each day. As a newbie to blogging, I LOVE your Blogging 101 tips. VERY HELPFUL!!!