New Blog Location!

Alright, it's official. I'm no longer posting here...
Because I'm starting to post on my new blog!

My first post went up there today. However, I'm waiting to throw a full-blown launch party until Monday next week so that I can work out all the kinks and problems. It still does have some little quirks, so please forgive me while I work those out.

Please, please follow me there! I'll be posting in Facebook and on Twitter as new posts go up, and once I get the RSS feed working and get links to other social media hubs up and running, you ought to be able to follow me as you please.

So go and see my latest post! There's a free printable template for some really cute Valentine candy boxes. I think you'll like them!

Kelly!

Meet Kelly from Diego Girl.

She's pretty rad. I met her because she actually found me. She sent me an email about swapping blog buttons, and after taking a gander at her blog, I was in. She's fun, happy, and pretty chill. It comes across on her blog.

She and I both reside in beautiful San Diego. She may not have a weekly  posting schedule, but it doesn't bother me because she writes about local stuff, and I'm a big advocate of living somewhere as great as here. She does usually have 5+ posts a month though.

I love to see what living in San Diego lets her do and experience, because then I get inspired to take advantage of the perks of living here too. Maybe one day we'll meet up. If we do it will probably be to do something fun/healthy, because we're both active and sort-of health nuts.

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 What's your favorite place you've ever lived?

Of course, I love living in San Diego.  I’ve always been lucky enough to live by the ocean (with the exception of a short stint in Vermont) and I’ve always lived in beautiful places.  In San Diego, I love that the weather is beautiful year round and that there’s so many ways to enjoy the outdoors.  I’ve also lived in Maine where I loved the trees and rocky coast; Edinburgh, Scotland where I actually grew quite fond of the rain and the castles; and Melbourne, Australia where I just remember having lots of fun! 

Name 3 things you like about yourself.

I like my creative side, I love that I can make people laugh (I’m best at this in person – unfortunately it doesn’t really come across in my blog), and I like that I challenge myself.

What's your favorite dessert?

I love chocolate and I’m also a big ice cream fan. 

What's your go-to recipe/food when you don't know what to do for dinner?

Stir-fry.  It’s easy to have everything on hand – I keep chicken, steak and veggies frozen and have rice and all the ingredients for the sauce in my pantry or fridge.

What are the last 3 things you pinned on Pinterest?

Actually, I’ve never pinned anything!  I hear good things though, so maybe I’ll start one of these days. 


What is something you've always wanted to learn and why haven't you learned it yet?

I’d love to be fluent in Spanish.  I’ve studied it for a while and I do ok, but I think I need to spend some real time immersed in the language to become fluent.  I haven’t yet been able to carve out that opportunity for myself, but it’s on my bucket list. 


Sum up your blog in one sentence.

Diego Girl is about living an adventurous, active, confident life.


Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Most of my inspiration comes from nature and from my family. 

Is there anything else you want others to know about you?
As much as I’d love to be as fit, athletic and healthy as Gabby Reece, I have yet to find the willpower or drive to make it happen.  I love being physically active, having fun and eating healthy foods, but I also love lounging around the house eating a bowl of ice cream and watching romantic comedies.  Like many people, I struggle to find the time and energy to stay fit and eat healthy, but I try, and I get a lot of satisfaction and confidence from doing so.  

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Now go read through her posts and get motivated to do something healthy and active! 

Thanks, Kelly!

Jennifer!

I started following Jennifer's blog a while back. She's a creative, loving, quirky old soul. She's got fabulous hobbies and I'm pretty sure that if we lived in the same town we'd go to flea markets and estate sales every weekend. If I thought my projects were already never ending, it would probably be even worse then.

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What's your favorite place you've ever lived?

Every single placed I've lived has been full of good things but I have to say that my favorite place so far has been my current locale of Athens, GA.  It's been difficult to change my life so much to move here but I've learned so much about myself...and the fireflies are amazing.

Name 3 things you like about yourself.

I like my button nose, that I'm able to pick things up with my toes and that I have the ability to forgive.

What's your favorite dessert?

It's a 3-way tie between panna cotta with balsamic reduction, chocolate pots de creme and a good dab of peanut butter on a spoon.

What's your go-to recipe/food when you don't know what to do for dinner?

I make this crazy egg concoction involved tomatoes, avocado, yogurt, cheese and poached eggs on a toasted tortilla.  It's amazing, healthy and super messy.

What are the last 3 things you pinned on Pinterest?

Jack-o-lantern ideas, a cool beetle tattoo and a clutch made by Jesse from Anykind.

What is something you've always wanted to learn and why haven't you learned it yet?

I've always wanted to learn how to trapeze and simply haven't been courageous enough to try.  I suffer from a bit of a fear of heights but since I added this to my bucket list I think that I'll eventually be able to do it!

Sum up your blog in one sentence.

My blog is about my desire to create and express and better myself every single day.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Lately it has been from my Mom since she's creative, and loving, and has overcome so much hardship to make this new and wonderful life for herself.  My Mom rocks!

Is there anything else you want others to know about you?

That I'm a huge advocate for animal welfare, sustainability, recycling and equality.  I'm an activist and always will be!

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That's Jennifer. Isn't she a doll? I sure enjoy her blog. It's very down-to-earth and every time I read it I feel like I just spent some time sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, drinking fresh lemonade and chatting about nothing in particular during sunset. It's a nice change of pace and a breath of fresh air. 

Go and say hello. She'd love it. 

http://gritsandmoxie.blogspot.com/

Brittany!

A few weeks ago I met Brittany. Well, kind of. She emailed me, and through our email conversation I feel like I've gotten a good glimpse into who she is. I have learned that she is kind and caring, genuine and sweet, with a fun personality. I think if we lived in the same town we would probably hang out once a week and try new dessert recipes every time. 

On second thought, maybe it's a good thing we don't live close because we would probably gain some unhealthy weight!! Anyway, here are her answers to my short set of get-to-know-you questions.

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What's your favorite place you've ever lived?  I've only lived in one place...Georgia.  And I love it.  Except for the heat.  And the humidity.

Name 3 things you like about yourself.  My eyes.  My spunk.  My ambition.

What's your favorite dessert?  I have too many to list, but ice cream tops the list.  Then S'mores.  And salted caramel anything.  Yumm!

What's your go-to recipe/food when you don't know what to do for dinner?  This sounds crazy, but popcorn with shredded cheese.  I could live off of it.  Not really a "meal" but I eat it all of the time.  Sad.  I know.  But my favorite go to food is tacos.  They are quick and easy and versatile.  You can put almost anything in a taco shell and it tastes good.

What are the last 3 things you pinned on Pinterest?  

http://pinterest.com/pin/72761350200803821/ {because I love to craft}

 http://pinterest.com/pin/72761350200803811/ {Butterfinger Fudge!  Yes, Please!}

http://pinterest.com/pin/72761350200803715/ {crock pot burger joint soup}

What is something you've always wanted to learn and why haven't you learned it yet?  I've always wanted to learn how to properly do my hair.  It's such a hot mess of frizz and wave.  I wish it was either straight or curly.  Instead I was cursed I mean blessed with a mix of wavy, curly, straight and frizzy hair.  I haven't learned yet because it's too tough to tame.  :) 

Sum up your blog in one sentence.  Hard one.  Ummm...It's me in a nutshell -- yummy, crafty, spontaneous.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?  Pinterest, my family's recipes, nature, books.  Just about anywhere I can.

Is there anything else you want others to know about you?  I'm fun and occasionally funny and I love my readers.

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Isn't she a sweetheart? I'm so happy she got in touch with me. Go check out her blog if you think it's something that would interest you. She's a wonderful lady to get to know.

http://www.britpins.blogspot.com/ 

Genna!

I've made a few friends since I began this here blog. And some of them have been through swapping ads with me. Take Genna for example. She's super nice and I  really like both the look of her blog as well as her posts. Check it out, but first, learn a little bit about her.

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Hello lovely Gourmet by Janae readers!

My name is Genna from Freed at Last and I am so thrilled to be able to join you all by sponsoring Janae this month. I hope you will take a minute to stop by and check out my little corner of blogland and say hello.

My blog came about as a way to document my transition from student to professional and girlfriend to wife. Big, scary life stuff, ya know? The name of my blog is a whole different ball game that you can hear about in my first vlog.

Before I started blogging I thought all a blog was was an unreliable source for a research paper that irritated me when I was googling.

Boy was I wrong!

My blogging venture began when a friend of mine began hers. I read, found other blogs, read some more and became fascinated by the community it formed. Like seriously, where else in the WWW do you find hundreds thousands millions of people coming together to share their stories, support one another of just leave a nice comment? Uh, nowhere.

So when I started my blog, I had high expectations. And let me tell you, I have not been disappointed! Take Janae for example, she spent hours emailing me to try and help me set up my sponsor page on Passionfruit which I still am not sure functions properly.

Other than some beautiful people, you come across some cool stuff by blogging as well.



Exhibit A: my Clarisonic Mia

via

This little babe has been the answer to years of acne for me! I can't promise that it will cure any and all issues for you though I would place a hefty bet on it, but it worked wonders for me!



Exhibit B: my Erin Condren planner

I could stare at this beautiful thing forever!

I saw this on a fellow blogger's blog and then about 2435839405 more after that. I started researching and realizing this may end my crappy-planner-that-always-ends-up-crumbled-in-the-bottom-of-my-purse woes. It definitely has ended those and added something special to my life. Oh, planner. How I love thee.



I could go on for days about the benefits of blogging, but I'll head back over to my page and I hope to "meet" a few of you very soon! Thanks for sharing your space, Janae :)