Be Blessed Lovelies

Last week much of the blogging world was rocked by the death of Leslie from A Blonde Ambition. It's actually a blog I never read myself, but the more I hear about her the more I wish I did.

Leslie met her husband through the Show Us Your Single link-up at Kelly's Korner. She was the mother of two baby girls, only 22 months old and 7 months old. 7 months. As in the same age as Elley. In fact her baby is only one day older than mine.

I lost my mom almost 4 years ago, when I was 27 years old. It's way too young to loose your mother, and yet compared to Leslie's two little girls it really is a lifetime.

So often in movies after someone passing a character finds some hidden journal or gift from the loved one they lost for one final bit of closure. Except that's made up, and doesn't happen in real life, at least not often. But as a blogger Leslie's words are ready for her daughters to find one day. There's a line in her daughter's 7 month update, the last one she wrote, "Lord willing, I'll be around for many more milestones to come."

I'm not quite sure I'm ready to write down my hopes and dreams for Elley articulately, but Leslie's death has made me realize that you never really know how much time you have. I just hope that one day she's able to be her true self and be happy. I want her to have a solid family around her, not just those she's related to by blood but the friends she chose to let into her circle. And I want her to know that I love her so much, and that I would be there for every single milestones to come.
I can't imagine what Leslie's family is going through. I know that nothing can replace a loved one, but if you looking for something to do, there's a college fund that's been set up for Leslie's two girl at http://www.gofundme.com/d53bgd5p8s.

So ending this post with the words Leslie used to end hers, Be Blessed Lovelies.

Five on Friday (5)

It's my first Five on Friday of the new year!

So far, we have had a fairly low key new year. We spent New Year's Eve at home and New Year's Day at my in-laws' eating lunch and watching football. As for a few other random updates...
1. My Erin Condren planner arrived! 2014 was my first year with one, my first year with a written planner since college even, and it was a success. It definitely helped that I had all type of pregnancy related appointments to keep track up, but I used it for a number of other things as well, like writing down shopping lists and scheduling blog posts. After one year with one, I knew 2015 wouldn't quite be the same without a brand new one to carry around with me, and I can't wait to start getting use out of it.

2. I'm always reading new books, but something I don't do very often since getting into book blogging is reread favorite books. I did reread The Mennyms last year and had a blast, which is why I'm so excited to participate in the 2015 Reread Challenge. I know my overall reading will likely be down in 2015 with our daughter taking up quite a bit of time, but even if it's limited I still want to make a point to reread more in 2015.
3. Three-weeks-old isn't too young for an American Girl doll, is it? Because I'm obsessed with the 2015 doll of the year and think my daughter needs her. I mean she's a baker that's a francophile (and yes, I do realize it's a little odd for a French themed American girl). But still her accessories include macaroons and a slice of brie! Plus there's a French bistro set! And she's only here for one year, so would it really be that awful to buy her for my daughter now, since she won't be available once she's older?!?!?!

4. About two weeks ago we had newborn photos taken. We don't have the photos back yet, but our photographer, who blogs at Little Mrs. Married posted a behind the scenes sneak peak. If I already wasn't excited about them, that photo only increases the anticipation, and I can't wait to see how they all turn out.
5. Speaking of bloggers and babies, I was gratful to receive this gift from Lisa and Amber two of my longest blogging friends. There's definitely something to be said for the blogging community and the friendships that you're able to form with people across the world. I really wasn't expecting to receive anything like this, but I can't even express how excited I was to see it arrive in the mail.

If you're stopping by from Five on Friday be sure to say hello! And just for fun, how old were you when you received your first American Girl doll? As for me, I received Felicity for Hanukkah in second grade which would have made me seven-years-old.

2014 in Numbers

I may have a slight obsession with the my blog's statistics. I'm not quite sure what everyone else does, but I'm guessing most people don't look at them every single day, as the first thing once their computer is on. It's not that I necessary care when they're higher or lower, but more that I'm just curious what they are. Since I like knowing what they are on a daily basis, it makes sense that I love being able to compare them each year, which is why the past two years I've written out a post of yearly numbers. This year is no different.

To see my stats from years past go here:
2013
2012
I currently have 295 followers through GFC and 298 followers through Bloglovin.

I've had just over 16,000 unique page views in 2014 according to Google Analytics (which is where the rest of the stats are from as well).

The top 10 most viewed blog posts in 2014 were:
1. Show Us Your... Holiday Decorations {2014}
2. Brulee-ing In the New Year
3. Let's Get Mixed Up
4. Behind the Labels
5. Nobody Better Lay a Finger
6. Why I'm Using Feedly Over Bloglovin
7. Steak it to Me
8. Five on Friday (4)
9. Winner Winner
10. You Got the White Stuff
The top 10 most viewed blog posts written in 2014 were:
1. Show Us Your... Holiday Decorations {2014}
2. Let's Get Mixed Up
3. Steak it to Me
4. Five on Friday (4)
5. You Got the White Stuff
6. It's a Baby!
7. Show Us Your... Gallery Walls
8. Five on Friday (2)
9. In The Land of Men {Giveaway}
10. Baby Bumpin'
The top 10 blogs that referred visitors were:
1. Kelly's Korner
2. New Girl on the Post
3. Little Mrs. Married
4. Blonde...Undercover Blonde
5. Walking With Nora
6. Here's the Scoop
7. Stacey Snacks
8. Books in the Burbs
9. Beyond the Aisle
10. Carolina Charm
In 2014, I had blog visitors from 83 different countries
The top 10 visitor countries were:
1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Germany
5. Australia
6. Poland
7. Brazil
8. Finland
9. France
10. India
In 2014, I had visitors from all 50 states as well as Washington D.C..
The top 10 visitor states were:
1. California
2. Louisiana
3. Texas
4. New York
5. Virginia
6. New Mexico
7. Florida
8. Pennsylvania
9. Arkansas
10. Massachusetts

Are you as obsessive of your blog stats as I am? Or let me know how you found yourself at From L.A. to LA or where you're reading from?

The Top 10

Each December I like to go back to look over and post the stats of the year. It's things like where I had the most readers from, which blogs lead the most people to my blog, and my top posts of the year. And while I've done this the past few years, I've never taken the time to list out the all time top posts of the blog since the beginning. At least till now. So please enjoy this blast from the past! Hopefully you can find some new posts to delight in or maybe it will remind you just how long you've been reading.

1. Show Us Your... Holiday Decorations
This post, like many of my others, was linked up to Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life series. Actually this top ten post could easily be entirely posts that I linked up there. So to keep things fair, I've decided to pick only one Show Us Your Life post. This is one of my favorites showing our 2012 holiday decorations.

2 All American Girl
I'm a little in love with the fact this post on my American Girl dolls is here. I was, and really still am, obsessed with my American Girl dolls, so I'm happy to see I'm not the only one.

3. Behind the Labels
When I was working on our wedding invitations I looked in vain for a great wrap around label template. Instead I wound up making my own, and posted a tutorial on how to do them. It really was far easier than expected, and I'm happy to see so many people have found the posts and hopefully are trying it themselves.

4. Brulee-ing In the New Year
This recipe has quickly become my most pinned post. Not too surprising since it is one of the most delicious things ever, creme brulee. I made this the day before my 101 list started, and since making creme brulee is on that list I still need to make it again. Is hasn't happened yet, but I'm already looking forward to is.

5. The Tea Rose Trilogy: Book 2
I'm not quite sure why this is my most read book review. But I did love Jennifer Donnelly's Tea Rose Trilogy so I'm happy to see if here.

6. The Argument Against E-Readers
No, I still don't have an e-reader. I obviously see the convenience of them, and how they make life easier. But for the reasons in the posts I haven't made the change yet.

7 Dressing Up the Tables
I do find it interesting that this post of centerpiece inspiration for the wedding is so high on the list. It is interesting to go back and see what my initial thoughts were. Especially since my final centerpieces made not have been replicas of any of these, they definitely had a similar feeling.

8. Roasted Polenta with Swiss Chard
Every once in a while I'll bring back a Frozen Thursday post, but I don't write them nearly as much as I used to. I think this is an interesting choice to be in my top 10, since I'm pretty sure this is the only time I ever tried this meal. I'm also not sure if they still make this option, which could be one reason why it's become so popular.

9. The Final Invitation Post
Another invitation post! Along with a photo of the full suite, this include a budget breakdown as well as a link to each diy step.

10. Why I'm Using Feedly Over Bloglovin
Yes, I'm still using feedly as my reader of choice. I know for many Bloglovin seems to be the best, but I still stand by my decision.

Do you by chance have a favorite post on From L.A. to LA? Or are you surprised by the most popular posts on your blog?

February Blog Love

Each month I like to highlight a few of my favorite posts from my current sponsors. So join me for a trip over to Kitty Adventures!
Kitty Adventures

DIY: Lace Peter Pan Collar

Depression and Miscarriage

"When my depression ebbed, I was still sad---but instead of controlling and overwhelming my entire person, my melancholy was now just a tiny part of my heart. Like thinning fog. Like waking up from a bad dream. I was still sad, but I could move. I could feel the tears, but now I could hold them back--when before I couldn't no matter how hard I tried."

Italian Chicken for Two

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA, be sure to check out my sponsor page.

What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

January Blog Love

I'm excited to announce my newest sponsor Carolynn of Kitty Adventures.
Kitty Adventures
Each month I like to spotlight my favorites posts from my sponsors, and honestly had a hard time doing so this month because there were so many posts I thought should be here. So while I'm listing these three posts as my favorites for the past month, I highly recommend you check out all her other posts that I wasn't also able to highlight.

Our Biggest Fight

"My husband and I have been married for just over a year now! Isn't that exciting? I've definitely learned a lot in this year. One thing I've learned (and knew, before marriage) is that communication is extremely important. But after marriage, I've re-learned that communication isn't just important, it's crucial! Without it, hilarious and amazing misunderstandings abound! One person says something, and then the other person totally does not understand the premise or even the words, causing the message to be totally twisted and misinterpreted. If you are in any sort of relationship, I'm sure you can relate."

Here Today, Gnome Tomorrow

"He arrived looking rather cute. I let him hang out on my bookshelf for awhile and watch all the shenanigans that my husband, friends, and family participate in. I even played a prank by hiding him..."

Knitting Storage

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA, be sure to check out my sponsor page.

What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

2013 in Numbers

I always love looking at all the stats behind my blog. It's one of the first things I look at every single day. I find it a bit fascinating to see how people are getting to my blog, what posts they're reading, and where they're from. So to help spread the joy, I wanted to give everyone else a small snapshot to the numbers behind in blog in 2013.

As of December 22, I currently have 271 followers through GFC and 130 followers through Bloglovin. (The rest of the stats are as of December 22, as well.)

I've had almost 18,000 unique page views in 2013 according to Google Analytics, which is where the rest of the stats are from as well.

The top 10 most viewed blog posts in 2013 were:
1. Roast in the Pot
2. Behind the Labels
3. Winner Winner
4. From Miss to Mrs: Remembrance to Kiddush
5. Why I'm Using Feedly Over Bloglovin
6. Brulee-ing In the New Year
7. The Final Invitation Post
8. Dressing Up the Tables
9. The Drive Home
10. Roasted Polenta with Swiss Chard
The top 10 most viewed blog posts written in 2013 were:
1. Winner Winner
2. From Miss to Mrs: Remembrance to Kiddush
3. Why I'm Using Feedly Over Bloglovin
4. Brulee-ing In the New Year
5. Apple-icious {Giveaway}
6. Nobody Better Lay a Finger
7. Mailbox Monday (27)
8. From Miss to Mrs: Behind From Where We Came
9. Sesame Noodlicious
10. Good Morning Vietnam
The top 10 blogs that referred visitors were:
1. Kelly's Korner
2. Little Miss Married
3. New Girl on the Post
4. Stacey Snacks
5. Blonde... Undercover Blonde
6. Newlyweds Next Doors
7. Random-osity
8. Beyond the Aisle
9. The Java Mama
10. Dolce Bellezza
The top 10 search terms that brought people to the blog (excluding the expected "From L.A. to LA blog") were:
1. Joni Mitchell Daughter Death
2. Freeway vs Interstate
3. The Tea Rose Movie
4. Adrienne Maloof Wedding Dress Display
5. Googliness
6. It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium Meaning
7. Bloglovin vs Feedly
8. Ella Rosa be118
9. Amy's Polenta
10. Fresh Market Cupcakes
In 2013 I had blog visitors from 84 different countries
The top 10 visitor countries were:
1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Australia
5. Poland
6. Germany
7. Finland
8. Sweden
9. India
10. Philippians
In 2013 I had visitors from all 50 states as well as Washington D.C..
The top 10 visitor states were:
1. California
2. Louisiana
3. Texas
4. New York
5. Virginia
6. Florida
7. Pennsylvania
8. Massachusetts
9. North Carolina
10. Kansas
If you want to compare, here are my blog stats from 2012.

Do you pay attention to your blog's stats? Or let me know how you found yourself at From L.A. to LA and where you're reading from.

December Blog Love

You may have noticed my current blog sponsor Organized Choas in my sidebar. If you haven't check her out yet, here's a few reasons that I really think you should!
Organized Chaos
Shana lives in South Africa, which means while I'm freezing in cold winter weather, at least cold for Louisiana, Shana is just starting her summer. And nothing is better than a trip to the beach in the summer, right? These next two posts are her recaps of her family trip to the beach

Durban Vacation: Part 1 Our First Trip to the Beach

Durban vacation Part 2: Old Friends, New Laughs, and UShaka

In the next post I'm linking to, Shana write a letter to her son on his first birthday.

LJ turns one: Happy Birthday!

"I can't believe that a year has passed already. Last night as I held you in my arms, I could just see that very first moment I held you! It all happened so quick and before we knew it you were born!"

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA, be sure to check out my sponsor page.

What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

November Blog Love

Last month I participated in Dara's monthly giveaway, and one of the prizes I offered was adspace on my blog. So I'm excited to announce the winner, Shana of Organized Chaos who you may have noticed in my sidebar. Shana is a mother of two who currently lives in South Africa, and I'm excited to share some of my favorite posts of hers from the past month!
Organized Chaos
30 Days of Gratitude: Loving South Africa

"Today, I am grateful for my South African life.
1. I love the social atmosphere in South Africa. It is a difficult thing to describe, because yes, we are social in America too. But here....it’s just different."

Conquering PPD: Step 1 Finding the Shift

"I was discussing with a friend recently about depression and I’d realized that I hadn’t wrote anything about my....my....I don’t like the word battle because I don’t feel I’m battling. I mean, of course, I struggle and of course I attempt to overcome it, yet I just feel battle is too strong...to violent of a word."

Conquering PPD: Step 2 Recognizing the Changes

"Step two came as I realized when it started to change....I started recognizing why. What changed that caused the shift?

Maybe....so that you can understand where this is all going....after I started figuring out what changed....I then asked myself why those changes affected me so tremendously."

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA, be sure to check out my sponsor page.

What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

Sunday Social (16)

Every once in a while I'm all about the Sunday Social questions posted at A Complete Waste of Make-up, and this week was one of those. I may not link up every week, but always have fun when I do. Anyways, here are the questions that struck my fancy this week!

1. What is the first blog you ever followed?
It was Christine Coppa's Storked on Glamour. I used to be obsessed with their blogs and read each one each day. And it's through those blogs that I found some of my first and closest blog friends. As for Christine Coppa, I followed her blog to Parenting.com and Babble.com, although right now she's not currently blogging.

2. What was your first blog post about?
I used to write on livejournal, and my first few blog posts were cross-posted there. But this was the post where I decided to start using blogger full time, and changed my blog name from "Shoshanah's Blog" to "From L.A. to LA." As a small excerpt from that post...

"So often I feel like I'm living the in between right now. That I'm in the middle of being a grown-up and a little kid, and I'm not quite sure where I fit in. It's kind of like I'm not really living right now, so I need to wait around till real life starts.

But life is still going on right now..."

3. Who left you your first blog comment?
Going back to my answer on number one it was Amber, who I found on the Glamour blogs, and who now blogs at Girl with the Red Hair. It was on my list of 25 random things, which you probably remember from facebook back in the day.

4. Who was the first blogger you ever met in person
I'm pretty sure it was Drew, who I don't believe blogs anymore.
5. What was your first “blogging milestone?”
Receiving my first review request from an author. Of course it was a book that wasn't a great fit for me, and one that I still haven't read. And while I still don't receive a ton of review request out of the blue (most of the books I receive are from being a part of various tours), the ones I do receive are a better fit for me, and I'm more selective with the ones I choose.

If you haven't answer these questions yet, let me know the answers to your favorite questions. And if you have and are stopping by from Sunday Social, be sure to say hi in the comments!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of Weak at the Knees by Jo Kessel!

July Blog Love

Each month I've been highlighting the sponsors you see on my sidebar, hoping to share a few posts I think you should check out!

Beyond the Aisle
Summer Recipe: Mixed-Berry Cobbler for the 4th of July!

Vacation Recap: Tennessee... and the Titanic?

"Our first stop was Sevierville, Tennessee, better known as the hometown of Dolly Parton and the gateway of the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg touristy area... I had tried to prepare him by explaining that Pigeon Forge is like a redneck version of Las Vegas. It is so delightfully tacky, complete with things like this brand-new Titanic Museum Attraction, which my sister in law and I could not resist dragging Mr. Q to on the second day of our vacation."

Would you ever visit a Titanic museum on vacation? It's a definite yes from me, but I'm not sure the boy would be quite as on board for it.

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA check out my sponsor page.

Show Us Your... Link-Ups

This week I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner to share my favorite link-ups. I think this will be a lot of fun, and hopefully I can discover some new ones that are worth checking out, plus introduce others to some of my favorites.

Mailbox MondayThis one was first started by Marcia who now blogs at To Be Continued.... It's a way to share the books you've picked up whether for review, purchased, or gifted. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists, but I promise you will discover a ton of books you can't wait to read in the process. MM travels to a new host each month, and since this Monday starts July, we'll be linking up at Book Obsessed.

Project 52This link-up is also on Mondays and hosted by Random-osity and Klienworth & Co. It's where I share my Project 365 posts each week. There's some amazing photographers that participate that I don't quite feel worthy of, but I still have fun sharing my daily photos from the year.


Book Club FridayBook Club Friday is hosted by Heather of Blonde... Undercover Blonde every Friday. It's a place to share reviews of the books you've recently read. Again you'll discover some awesome sounding books through this link-up, the hard part is finding the time to read them all.

What are you favorite link-ups to participate in that you think I should check out? And if you're stopping by from Kelly's Korner be sure to say hi!

WordPress Woes

I may not have my blog hosted on WordPress, but a lot of my blogging friends do, so I have my fair share of interaction on WordPress blogs. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to comment on their blogs lately. It feels like it's been months, but in all likelihood it's probably only been a few days. I type of my comment and hit submit, and it doesn't show up and no notification of what happened even appears. I started even copying my comment, except then I'd resubmit it, and this time I'd receive an error saying I'd already said that. I even started waiting a few days to see if it magically appeared after the fact, and still no luck.

I did post a shout out on twitter, hopping this was a common problem that everyone was happening or hoping someone had a solution. Tamar tweeted me back saying she was having similar issues, but I still had no solution.

I tried googling a solution, and still no luck. Then several days later, I tried a new search and this time landed on this post on Reflections in a Puddle. It seems someone she had been having similar issues and on her blog post asking for help was recommended to check out askismet.
Askismet is a spam filtering website, from the creators of WordPress and I'm assuming is the default way of filtering spam. It seems like I had been caught up in their spam filter. Maybe I comment too much? But I can't quite believe that. Although I'm sure re-posting the same comment over and over in an attempt to get it to show up, didn't help matters.

I've posted a comment to their support saying I thought I was having my comments cached, and within a few hours had an e-mail apology and was able to comment again. So if you have a WordPress blog, expect to see me around more! And if you happen to check your spam folder, I'd imagine you'll have quite a few duplicate comments from me.

Has anyone else dealt with commenting issues either on WordPress or a different site?

June Blog Love

Last month I started my monthly post highlighting the sponsors of From L.A. to LA. So once again, here are the blogs you've been seeing on the sidebar, with a preview of what you'd find there. Enjoy!

Munchkins and the Military
Tips for the First Time Cruiser

"It's no secret that the Hubster and I are pretty obsessed with cruising. We've agreed that cruising is just about the only way we'll vacation. Even with the Triumph mess that happened two months before our Carnival cruise, we still had no worries that our cruise would suck. I wouldn't have minded a few extra days at sea either way. If you've never taken a cruise, you have to try it..."

Sprayable Sidewalk Chalk
Summer Pasta Salad

Beyond the Aisle
patriotic home decor: for memorial day and beyond...

"I was supposed to be a July baby - my due date was Independence Day. Apparently, I had other plans, and came into the world on May 29th. Being a May baby definitely has its perks: strawberry birthday cake, "summer blockbuster" options for theater outings, and, obviously, sandal weather. Sometimes, my birthday falls on Memorial Day - I suppose I traded one patriotic holiday for another...

As a kid reading my mama's Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living magazines, I imagined grown-up me living in a white farmhouse with a lot of Americana- red, white, and blue look so fresh and happy in home decor. While that dream hasn't come true quite yet, I love finding ways to add these colors to our living space!..."

If you want to look into sponsoring From L.A. to LA check out my sponsor page.

What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

May Blog Love

As I've started to look into sponsorships I've been exploring some of the perks to offer that made sense to me. I know people offer guests pots, but in general I'm not a huge fan of them. Don't get me wrong I enjoy reading them, but I can't remember ever reading a guest post and thinking, "Wow, after reading that single post I'm going to start following everything they post!" I do like the idea of shout outs on twitter, except for the fact that I have a hard enough time remembering to shout out my own blog.

But I remembered a feature Amanda, now blogging at Next Page in Nashville used to do, where she'd highlighted some of her favorite recent posts by fellow bloggers. Think of it as a monthly spotlight post, except I'm telling you why I like reading their blogs. I'm excited to share what excites me, and hopefully you'll feel the same way! So without any further introductions, here are some of my favorite posts from my sponsors for the past month.

Munchkins and the Military
Worst. Anniversary. Ever.

"As much as Hubster and I love each other, we both agree that yesterday was our worst anniversary yet. It even beats out last anniversary, when he was in Afghanistan. In case you aren't following me on Twitter or Facebook, one of our vehicles was broken into last night when we stopped at a hotel on the way to Fort Leonard Wood."

We Found a Place

What a whirlwind of a week it's been!! Yesterday was no different. We house hunted, signed a lease, and moved our belongings into our new home in a matter of eight hours.

Vodka Soak Gummies

Beyond the Aisle
Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure Recap

"I've been writing about my health goals on this blog for a while, and recently I've added a new component to my exercise: walking... and I'm talking long-distance walking!"

Louisiana Bride
Goat Cheese, Cranberry and Dijon Chicken Sandwich
What are your favorite posts from around the blogosphere this past month?

Introducing...

A few weeks ago, I participated in Dara's 300 follower giveaway, and one item I included (on top of a Starbucks gift card) was blog ad space. Which leads me to introduce Alex of Munchkins and the Military, my first blog sponsor!

Hey everyone! I'm Alejandra, or Alex for short. I am a stay at home mom of two toddler girls and military wife. I'm originally from Miami, but after meeting my husband in college, the Army has brought us to Savannah, Georgia. We're getting ready to make another to Missouri soon. On my blog I talk about life with my kids, and how we handle everything that the military tosses our way.

In addition, here are a few of my favorites from Alex's posts in the last month.
Flower Girl Practice

How she created fake flowers for her daughter to use as practice for being a flower girl in an upcoming wedding.

An Excerpt:
"I've probably mentioned the fact that we're going to a wedding this weekend a thousand times. I don't know if I've mentioned that V is going to be a flower girl though. I've taken it upon myself to do some practice rounds in our living room so that V doesn't run through the church aimlessly come Saturday..."

It's Taco Tuesday

Her recipe for Taco Pie.

Farwell
Her last post before moving From GA to MO.

An Excerpt:
"I have to admit, although I'm excited to start our next adventure in Missouri, it was sad to see the truck pull away with all of our belongings yesterday. Even though most of our friends have left the area, and one of our best friends is even going to Missouri with us, I'm going to miss living in Georgia..."

If you'd also like to join Alex on the left side bar with your own sponsor ad, you can! (This information will always be available on my Reviews Policy & Sponsors page under my About Me on the right.)

Don't forget you still have a few hours to enter my giveaway for an 8x10 travel print from Melissa etsy shop, Around the World in 80 Frames. Coincidentally, both Melissa and Alex are Military Wives, so it's a little fitting that they both made it into this same post!

Finding Beauty in the Unexpected

Bloom by Kelle Hamtpon
Before I even start talking about the words in the book, I have to talk about how it actually looks. This book is gorgeous! The entire thing is on photo paper, and there's at least one image every page or so. Which means as you read about an event in the author's life, you actually see a photographer of it happening. I guess that's what happens when you're a photographer, and your blog gets turned into a memoir. But as beautiful as the pictures are, the words that accompany them are even more so.

This memoir documents a year of Kelle's life. The year that she gave birth to her second daughter, Nella. A daughter who has Down syndrome, which no one knew until after she was born. I have no idea how I would react in a similar situation, but I have to imagine I would go through similar emotions.

I know when my mom was pregnant with both my brother and me, when asked if she wanted a boy or a girl she'd response, "It doesn't matter, as long as they're healthy." And while nothing life changing happened to either one of us, I was hospitalized with jaundice, and my brother had surgery to separate the bones in his skull as an infant. My mom had told me that it almost like some form of karma, where the only thing she really wanted, she didn't feel like she had.

While I don't have children yet, one of my biggest fears is that they won't be healthy, that something will be wrong, and I don't know what I would do. And I realize the likelihood of that happening is slim, but still you never know. Which is why Bloom hits such a nerve. Because Kelle, never expected to be here. And yet she is, and her memoir is her coming to term with what life brought her way.

I really did love this book, but if I had to name a negative aspect it would be that at times the progression is too quick. It seems one chapter she still hasn't quite accepted that her daughter has Down syndrome, and yet the next she's being asked to speak at conferences as an advocate for the community. Although I have to imagine part of this is based on how her blog must have grow overnight once she gave birth to Nella.

Speaking of the blog, I really loved the references to the blogging community. I think only a blogger can read about how she flew cross-country with her two daughter to meet an never-before-meet blog friend and really get it.

I feel like I've gone on and on in this review, without really getting to the point. So what I'm trying to say, is if you read this, I promise it will leave an impression.

4.5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Monday Afternoon

I know your normally expecting a movie review from me this time of day, except with Evil Dead the only new movie opening, instead we had a movie free weekend. With that said, I do at least have a surprise for you since for the first time in 2 or 3 years, I've changed up my blog layout! It's still a work in progress, but if you're reading this in a RSS reader, because sure to come by and visit this actual site. And just as a reminder, this is what you're used to seeing here.
When was the last time you gave your blog a makeover? And what are your thought on the white background? Part of me really loves how minimalist it is, but I'm not sure how long it'll be until I get bored with it.

On Sponsorship & Giveaways

I'm sure by now you've seen how sponsorship have seemed to take over the blogosphere. It feels so weird especially since a year or so ago, I never saw them. I'm not talking about ads themselves, which have been common for a while. (I even have a few on the blog myself.) But more the sponsorship where a blog is sponsoring another blogger just like themselves.

I'm not completely sure where this craze started, but after a little research it seems to have steamed from the blog Decor8. They actually offer a blogging class that you can pay for to teach you to become a better blogger. And one piece of advice they offer is to open up your blog for sponsorship.

The reason they give this advice is based on the thought that it makes a blog look more legitimate. And as silly as it seems, I agree with that logic. I know I've been to blogs and seen a large number of sponsors and thought, "Wow, they must really successful," except that once I look at the numbers of followers I see it's almost half of my own.

Now in my opinion, sponsors and a large number of followers don't make a popular blog. Instead what I'd rather have is a blog where everyone is interacting. One blog that I think has this, that I'm always a little jealous of, is Lisa's Yarns. No she may not have the flashiest blog full of sponsors, and say may not have thousands of followers, but the followers she does have interact. I think the number of comments she gets on a single post is about what I average in a week. And I realize that so much of this is because of who Lisa is, that she seems to be such great friends with so many people, but I'd love to foster that same friendship and community here.

Unfortunately, while it may be easy to gain followers by having giveaways or sponsorships, they can't necessarily create that community. Instead what they can do is help people find your blog, and hopefully what you're writing is so awesome that once someone stumbles upon it they want to stay and join the discussion.

With that said I'm looking to open the blog for sponsors. And thought it be fun to help out Dara of Not in Jersey, but putting it up as a prize in her 300 followers giveaway. Since I'm still not completely sold on sponsorship as a prize, I'm also giving away a $5 Starbucks card to help anyone's coffee addiction. With that said, I'm turning the rest of this post over to Dara to introduce all the other bloggers participating and all the prizes you could possibly win!

I told myself that when my blog reached 300 followers via GFC I would hold a giveaway. That was obviously before everyone started witching over to following on bloglovin! However, I’ve declared it close enough. Today 14 of my closest blogger friends and helping me celebrate. First, check out what we’re giving away. Then, use the form below to enter!
Good luck to everyone!

Avery / Hot Pink Satchel (Purse) with Gold and Rhinestone Accents from her store, Bloom
Annie / Cookbook: “101 Things to do with Canned Biscuits”

Breanna / 1 month VIP ad space and $5 Starbucks Gift Card
Breenah / Blog header and three blog buttons

Kerry / Large ad space
Kimberly / Biggest of the Big ad space

Kristyn / Large ad space and $25 Etsy Gift Card
Lanaya / Sponsors ad space

Leslie / $10 Amazon e-gift card
Mallory / Blog ad space

Mel / Glitter Washer Pendant
Melissa / Medium ad space

Kera / Handmade headband and set of hair clips
Shoshanah / Blog ad space and $5 Starbucks Gift Card

A bag, a cookbook, ad space on 8 blogs, $25 to Etsy, $10 to Starbucks, $10 to Amazon, a blog header and buttons, a necklace, and a headband and hair clips! Aren’t my blog friends generous? I couldn’t decide what to offer up from me to match their generosity. So you get to choose.

Dara / $10 gift card to store of your choice or handknit item

a Rafflecopter giveaway