I’m taking the ProBlogger challenge today!  ProBlogger has some great tips on blogging and while I don’t participate in every challenge or follow every tip, I thought this one would be fun.  Many thanks to Kate for tipping me off to this

Today, I’m playing along by listing the seven links from these categories:

1. Your first post

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

3. A post which had great discussion

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

5. Your most helpful post

6. A post with a title you are proud of

7. A post you wish more people had read

Okay, here we go…

1. Your first post:

Well, my first official post on this blog was more of a transitional welcome post.  I had blogging for a while on Xanga before I moved to WordPress – remember Xanga?  And Livejournal?  Oh, the good ‘ole days…

My second post was pretty average – a recount of several friends engagements or weddings, and my first opportunity to photograph a wedding!  Looking back at this post, I don’t think I realized how necessary a picture is when you’re TALKING about photography!  So, because I was completely clueless at the time, here’s a photo from my very first paid photography gig, Jonathan & Anna’s wedding.

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most

This is tougher, because there are just SO many posts over the past 3 years.  I think perhaps this recent post, Thoughts on Discipline, was really enjoyable to write.  I felt like I was chatting with an old friend and it’s a true look into my life and my struggles.

3. A post which had great discussion

I’m often surprised by the posts which generate the most comments, or the most lively interaction – usually it’s the fun random posts  And a lot of the discussion is started by my mom, who is probably my most faithful blog reader!  Some popular discussion starters: Best Super Bowl Ads, Cover it: Our New Duvet, and of course, people love commenting about Our Nest.

4. A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written

This could take me eons to decide since I read so many blogs and subscribe to a bunch.  I’m constantly jealous of the originality of others, and the TIME they have for some of their posts.  It amazes me.

I’m always a glutton for posts that are about organization ideas that are pretty, and this is one of my favorites: Real Simple Solutions for an Organized and Efficient Home at the Inspired Room.  It’s still flagged in my RSS reader  Runners up: Wrapping Paper Organizer from Centsational Girl, and just about every single furniture plan on Knock Off Wood.

5. Your most helpful post

I have no clue!  One of the most popular posts and often searched is this one: What to Do With a Plate Rail? If you Google “how to decorate a plate rail” or something similar, it’s usually in the top 5 results, and it seems that I’m not the only one who is clueless about plate rails.

Other posts I think are helpful: Simple Living, Home Management Binder, and Weekly Housekeeping Schedule

6. A post with a title you are proud of

Confession:  I hate coming up with titles of posts.  I’m just not witty or original in the slightest.  But probably this title is my favorite, just because it’s completely ridiculous:  Shopping Spree Leads to Death

7. A post you wish more people had read

This isn’t to toot my own horn or anything, but there are probably several that I wish more people had read.  A few I can think of off hand: Some Day We’ll Say, “That’s SO 2005!”, and probably both of the posts about our crazy dishwasher installation saga – that was hard work, people!  You can find them here and here.

How about you? What have been your favorite posts? What have you enjoyed reading?  Feel free to play along on your own blog, and link back up here in the comments

Recently, I discovered the wonder of RSS.  I know I’m behind the game a little, but at least I found it! It has been SUCH a timesaver for me.  I enjoy reading blogs and exploring all of the creative things people are doing, the fun stories, and the little helpful tips shared by strangers and friends.  And if I didn’t have RSS, I would (and could!) waste hours upon hours clicking through bookmarks and then clicking on someone else’s bookmarked blogs that they list in their blog and, before you know it, I’m in a black hole of procrastination. Someone help me.

How does RSS work? Honestly, I don’t understand it completely, even though I like to consider myself fairly tech-savvy.  What I do know is that most blogs have a subscription or “feed” you can click on – often the button looks something like this:

It’s like the Target logo cut in quarters.  Or, if you surf the web using Safari, at the very end of the address line, there’s a handy little RSS button that has a similar function.

I haven’t explored much with RSS, but basically, you can start clicking on the RSS icons, and go to a RSS reader of your choice (google has one built in to Gmail) and read your syndicated feeds in ONE place.  You won’t get the full viewing experience since it’s JUST the post content, not all the prettiness of your favorite website.  But, if you’re like me, it saves tons of time clicking through bookmarks and helps me avoid the black hole of endless blog surfing.

I’ve started using RSS and reading blogs on Mail, the email client for Macs.  So I don’t even have to open a browser! And when a new post has gone up, a little number shows up indicating the number of new posts available for reading, just like email.  The news comes to me, instead of me searching for the news, which is BRILLIANT!

So, I’m curious, how do you read blogs? Bookmarks? Google Friend Connect? (I don’t even know how that works!) RSS?  Just curious!

For more on RSS and blogging, go here, here, and here.

Of, if you’re a visual learner, watch this video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU]

I apologize for the lack of posts recently – with the end of the semester and other life stuff speeding up, things have been busy!

We’re still working on house stuff, and I may have some news to share once things are a bit more finalized.

Recently I’ve been dealing with a lot of unexplainable injuries. First it was my knee. It got to the point where putting any pressure on my left knee or any weight caused enormous pain. Ice and pain killers have done the trick, but if it comes back, I may need to see the doctor.

But no sooner did the knee pain subside than did I start having extreme neck pain. I’m not sure if I strained my neck doing something or if it’s because of stress, but it is NOT fun. All I want to do is lay flat on my back so I don’t have to use any muscle to hold my neck up! Doesn’t exactly contribute to productivity!

So yeah, pray for my ailing body – I’d like to be better

Yes, I’m still sick. And because of that, I got bored and decided to design a new header for my blog. So far, I like it. I may need to change the opacity of the background picture so you can read the tagline better…

No, I didn’t have a hectic day yesterday.  Though I did have a lot going on. (I used google images to find the first image that came up for “busy day” – here you have it!)

Believe it or not, yesterday was my BUSIEST blog day EVER!  I had more visitors to my blog yesterday than any other day.  How exciting!  I didn’t even post yesterday, which is the funny part.

Sadly though, it was only 48 – which really isn’t very many at all.  But before yesterday, I never made it up above 20 or so.  Gotta take baby steps I guess

For you bloggers out there, do you ever feel like you go through a blog-identity crisis?  You know, where you have SO many things you’d like to include in your blog, but the only thing that ties those thoughts together is the fact that they all generated inside your head?

That’s how I feel about my blog currently.  I want to write about WAY too many things.  Politics, culture, music, media, food, photography, church, theology, weather, comics, spiritual disciplines, books, arts and crafts, free give aways – there’s just TOOOOOOO many things that I feel frozen in the abyss of uncertainty of what to blog about.

Curse that liberal arts education for making me well-rounded!!!

Even though my current blog sub-title is about reflections on my life here in Iowa, I find it difficult to actually share these things directly, and much easier to comment on this long list of topics, and in turn, my writing about other things becomes a reflection of me and my life.  How very post-modern of me.  I’m like a big giant mirror intercepting the world and bouncing it back at you, with the hope that you will in turn understand a bit of my mirror-ness.  Mirror-ability? mirror-essence? Whatever, I’m a mirror.  Go with it.

To be really honest, I just don’t find my own daily life all that exciting – yesterday I spent most of the day writing a talk about encouragement and studying Barnabas in the book of Acts.  Would a blog-post on Barnabas be exciting?  Maybe…..Today I’m preparing for an intensive Bible study on Saturday (what have I gotten myself into?) on the story of the manna and quail in Exodus and Deuteronomy.  Tomorrow I’m spending most of the day working on fundraising.

Direct reflections on the going-ons of my life just seem boring.  But perhaps my problem is that I need to become a better writer and story-teller.  For the longest time I have been a TERRIBLE story-teller.  Seriously, ask my husband.  But maybe this is my big chance!?!  We’ll see…

Do any of you ever have a blog-identity crisis, where you want to include something that just doesn’t fit? How do you decide what to include in your blog?  What about your theme?

Someone needs to explain this to me – what’s the difference, and how do they work?  I’m confused….

is pretty obvious.  When you are planning a wedding in less than 5 months, it can start to consume you.  I’m not there yet, and I’m trying not to get sucked into the “wedding industrial complex” as my fiance calls it.  Things are starting to fall into place, and while there are still things that stress me out, I’m also feeling more relaxed about the whole thing.  After all, a wedding is about two people coming together, not about flowers or colors or food, though those add to the celebration.  It’s about what God is doing to unite two people.  I’ll be so happy to be married to this wonderful man on July 18th, I look forward to it with great joy! 

That being said, I can’t resist sharing a few details. I picked out bridesmaid dress colors and a company. We’re getting them through Aria, based in LA with a showroom in Boston. I first saw them at my friend Lilian’s wedding a couple of years ago and I just think the dresses are simply and classy, which is what I wanted. Each of my bridesmaids got to choose their own style, and they are all in this same color called aubergine, which is a deep chocolaty purple. It’s going to look stunning!

We’ve also been working on a wedding website (coming soon!) and figuring out our guest list. Of all the things to be stressful, I think this might be it. I’m sure brides of the past can affirm that it is no fun going through your friends and making decisions about the list – or “who makes the cut”. It’s a terrible way to think about things, and I wish I didn’t have to. It’s not fun. Ultimately, a lot o fit is connected to the price tag, i.e. how much per person. It adds up fast. I’m not complaining, in fact, I’m excited that I get to host many friends and family for this important day. I’m excited for them to see New England, to meet friends, and hopefully enjoy a day or two away. I know not everyone will be there, but they’ll be there in spirit!

We’ve also decided on our honeymoon, though I think we’re keeping that a bit more secret….I’m definitely excited for it though! Im sure there’s more to share, but that’s all for now.