Tuesday, January 31, 2017

January Life



So! I felt like rambling a bit this morning, so here's a (very general) current life recap. ;)

#1: Married life is Absolutely Wonderful. ❤❤❤

#2: I'm thrilled to be living where I am. In the west. Sandwiched between two glorious western mountain ranges. With the ocean a few hours away.


#3: Moving is a lot of work. A lot of work. And it takes lots of time to get organized. And I keep realizing that I've just moved across country and that's actually moving. Meaning, I guess it's quite amazing that I already have almost all my boxes unpacked and that things are as organized as they already are. ;)

#4: I'm getting a lot better at driving and also navigating my way round this brand new territory.


#5: I'm painting the inside of our house, so there've been lots and lots and lots of (actually maybe ten) trips to Home Depot for paint samples. I'm finally down to picking the color for the den, i.e. the very last room, and I have the gallons of paint for the rest of the house, so I'm hoping to soon wrap up my paint sample extravaganza. (Seriously, I have a whole collection if someone would like to take up some sort of art form with them??)


#6: My tried and true hand-me-down laptop computer officially reached the finish line this winter. But my Very Dear Man got me a new laptop for Christmas(!!!), which I'm learning all the ins and outs of and typing on this very minute. :D I was trying to ease my old computer along through all the wedding planning and it made it(!), but very sadly it's been getting melting-hot-to-the-touch for quite awhile and making odd, loud whirring sounds. The only thing it's not doing, in fact, is rocking round on the counter like it's about to explode; but I'm still holding my breath for some sort of terrible smell and a small stream of some sort of black, sticky, melty stuff to come oozing out somewhere with a little strand of smoke spiraling sadly away. Now I just need to get all my files pulled off and transferred over before some such dire calamity strikes.


#7: My brain is spinning with all sorts of ideas for spring-ish headers and backgrounds, but I think I'll make myself wait a few weeks. (In other words, can you tell I've just been on Pinterest after four months of fairly complete abstinence?? ;P)


#8: Along those lines, I'm setting up a new author website (part of the whole name change transition), which is taking quite a bit of time and effort as well, but I think it's coming together and we're getting close to the grand unveiling. (Along with some other grand announcements in the writing/book department around the same time, so stay tuned for that.)


 #9: Hamlette is hosting an I Love Austen Week soon!! (Splendid, is it not?) If you haven't already, do read her post and you can join in HERE. I'm planning a couple posts and it promises to be an absolutely lovely time.


#10: What do you all think of a reading challenge? I know. I feel like I'm being extremely ambitious, but I would like to get back into reading more and I thought something super easy might work well. The number of books would be anywhere from 3-10 (because we're already nearly in February and everyone gets busy in December) and you could choose whether to share a mini or full length review. The only stipulation would be that they're books you've really wanted to read for awhile and haven't previously reviewed. (Preferably previously unread too, but I suppose a reread could be fine as well.) What do you all think? Does that sound manageable/interesting to anyone?


Now I think I'll head off to get some lunch and then outdoors for some fresh air and exercise. I hope you're all having a lovely Tuesday!

Let me know about the reading challenge idea and I'd love to hear what you've been up to this month!



18 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you're settling in! It must be absolutely lovely to be so close to both the mountains and the ocean.

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    Replies
    1. Skyeler,
      Thank you! (And yes, indeed, it's quite splendid... ;))

      I hope all is well with you and you're having a lovely February!

      Delete
  2. Pinterest has tons of ideas for paint chip art; my sister cut them into bits to make a mosaic.

    A reading challenge would be fun, would it be monthly or annually?

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    Replies
    1. Livia Rachelle,
      That's a great idea on the paint chips! I do have those too, but my issue's actually mini 'cans' of the actual paint itself. I did paint one flower pot which turned out well... Maybe it's a good spring gift idea? :P

      And I'm so glad you're interested in the reading challenge! My goal is to be extremely flexible/keep it manageable, so participants can space their books through the end of the year or read them in a big pile all at once -- whatever works best with their schedule. And then I might do a round up post in July or so and then again in December for all the reviews posted in those windows. What do you think?

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  3. Heidi, I'm so glad everything is working out!!!
    My computer is getting old and I'm getting worried...
    I would love to join a reading challenge!!

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    Replies
    1. MovieCritic,
      Thank you! And YES, I quite understand the computer dilemma. :P
      Yay!! I'm so glad you'd love to join the reading challenge! I'm hoping to make buttons and do a kick-off post in the very near future so we can get reading! ;)

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  4. Hello dear Heidi...happy Wednesday to you!
    I am sipping tea and enjoying a catch up with you...
    SO glad to hear you are enjoying this wonderful new season of your life as well as decorating your cosy new home! Have fun!
    Hugs and love to you!
    Kelly-Anne

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    Replies
    1. Kelly-Anne,
      Happy Wednesday to you, too, dear! Oh... you always paint such a lovely picture... It's raining pretty incessantly here today and I'm thinking I should follow your excellent example and get a hot cup of tea. (Now I said that and I'm sitting here trying not to focus on my sidebar with its steaming hot cup of cocoa... so maybe I'll go make up some of that. ;D)

      And thank you! I'm definitely having a lot of fun with my house organization/decorating. :)

      Hugs to you, too, and I hope all is well!

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  5. The description of the coming demise of your laptop seriously broke me up. We have so many memories together and to think of it having such a tragic end... :)

    Ha! A reading/book review challenge! I'm all in.

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    Replies
    1. Eowyn,
      Ha! *grins* And yes, I just started typing those sentences and they started running on and on. I think it was all the emotions pouring out/my "dealing" with it... Maybe?? ;D :D

      And yay on the book challenge! Good. Very good indeed.

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  6. I found myself laughing with: Married life is absolutely wonderful. Because I think the same! I got married ten years ago, we were so young but we found out the “Married life is absolutely wonderful” So! Congratulations for that.
    My computer is getting old and I'm getting worried as well.
    I would like to join a reading challenger but I prefer don’t involve myself right now because I’m very busy, sorry.
    :D

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    Replies
    1. Miss Josephine,
      Awwww.... thank you!!

      And yes, old computers can be nerve-wracking. It's so hard to say goodbye, but yet there's always this constant, worrisome question.
      Do you make back-ups of your data? It's a super helpful thing to know you can fall back on if something terrible happens. ;/

      And ohh, I'm sorry you won't be able to join us! Just as a note, though, my goal is to make it SUPER manageable (i.e. you could sign up for as few as three books for the entire year) and they don't have to be big fat classics. The idea is to be digging back into reading/fitting it in again (I'm talking about myself/my own motivation here ;)), so a Nancy Drew or a children's classic would thoroughly count if that's what you chose. Basically it just has to have chapters. ;D
      But (either way) don't worry at all -- I quite understand!! ;)

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  7. I'm so happy for you, dear Heidi!!! <3

    Mountains and ocean--okay, now I AM jealous ;-)

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    1. jessica prescott,
      Thank you, m'dear!!! :) <3 <3
      *hugs*

      Delete
  8. Ohh, I love this lovely little update post! I'm so happy for you, Heidi. Your new life sounds so exciting and beautiful and joyful. You totally deserve it. :) :)

    Yay for a new laptop! I feel bad for your old one, though. Sounds like he's been trying his best to hold on as long as possible for you. :(

    I cannot WAIT for your new author website...and the other announcement! :D

    Hmm, a reading challenge sounds delightful! Not sure how much I could commit to joining it, but it does sound intriguing. :)

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    1. Natalie!
      Oh, I'm soo glad you enjoyed it!! And awww... you're too sweet. :) ;)

      YES on the new laptop! And oh, now you're making me feel guilty... ;P Hee. Don't worry too much though. It's hard for me to get rid of things I've had a long time (I'm trying to be ruthless on clutter and get better on that), but I've kind of been hopping back and forth between my old laptop and my new one since Christmas. And the old one that worked so long and hard isn't remotely being consigned to the dustbin yet. The problem is, it's been overheating for so long I've gotten used to it and I have to face up to facts and realize something really terrible could suddenly happen and I don't want my technology advisors (i.e. my husband and my dad) to have to point out that they'd been recommending I take off all my files. ;P :) The fact that the screen is starting to go dim at times is helping with the adjustment. ;P (Okay, that was a long ramble... Can you see I'm still working through this?? :D Oh dear. One must laugh.)

      And on the website, etc!!! YES. I just feel like I'm in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-land about all of that. Eeepers I can't hardly wait. ;D

      And I still have to make some buttons, but I'm hoping to post more on the reading challenge soon, so hopefully that'll give a few more details and help sort things out. I'd definitely love to have you join! :) :)

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    2. Heehee! Oh, don't feel guilty. ;) Laptops and such don't last forever...although I know the feeling. It can be hard moving on to a new one when you're so used to your old one, plus all the memories it might hold. :) You too?? Oh, I'm so sentimental, it's horrible. I keep all manner of silly things. But, I HAVE been getting better. After all, I do love having things clutter-free, so it's worth the momentary pain of saying "goodbye" to something. Awww. I hope it's not too hard to adjust to your new laptop. But yes! Do take your important files off the old one. Losing them due to a crash or whatever would be pretty awful.

      :D :D I can't wait to SEE it!

      Sounds good, thanks! :)

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  9. Keep the extra paint! You never know when a toilet upstairs will spring a leak that ruins paint and stuff in the floor below, and then you'll be wishing you had paint to touch up after the repairs. #houseownerlessons

    My laptop has been behaving peculiarly for months now, and I'm afraid the day will come when it refuses to wake up. Saving everything very obsessively in my Dropbox account and onto thumb drives whenever I use it!

    Looking forward to the new blog/site and so on!

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I'd love to hear your thoughts and look forward to further confabulation. Please just be courteous to one and all. Oh, and I love thoughts on old posts, so comment away!

(Also of late -- what with time being finite, and Life Happening + managing multiple blogs and computer issues and all that -- I sometimes have to alternate between creating new content and replying to comments, but rest assured I'm thrilled to hear from each and every one of you and always hope to reply thoughtfully in full ASAP. <3)

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