I think I've lost my mind

Yeah. It's official. I have. Lost my mind that is.

Or was it all a dream? Or too much wine? Or too much diet coke with a fresh lemon wedge that has finally affected my memory?

Because I think I parked my tootie tot in my big ole leather chair all day a couple of hours Saturday to set up and launch a new blog. A little something something called "Blog Around the World."

What. was. I. thinking? I wasn't. I didn't. Well I did. But, now I'm thinking I wish I was getting paid for this hobby of mine. Gotta work on that.


But I've still lost my mind.


However, you know what? It's fun. I love writing. I love making new friends all over the world. And I love connecting people together. And I love that my husband is my biggest fan, supporter, cheerleader and financier of it all. If he wasn't behind me in all this, I'd still be blogging to myself.


Doesn't matter. Mind. Gone. Kaput. Bye Bye


Because not only did I launch the site, ignore my family, ignore this blog, and ignore your blogs, I agreed to guest blog for Sarah over at Like A Warm Cup of Coffee."


Yup, I've lost my mind.


But I am honored that she thinks enough of me to write for her while she is basically bed ridden in the early stages of her second pregnancy. So friends, since I spent all my creativity on her post, I am sending you over to Like A Warm Cup of Coffee to give Sarah some comment lovin' in the way I know all us blogging Mama's do when one of us is feeling a little blue or under the weather.

Meanwhile, I've gotta go find my mind.

Now where could it be.....

Got any ideas?

The 50 State Challenge

Okay, I have been thinking about doing this for awhile. I am dying to see if I can get a blogger from every state in the country to come forward. I did have a reader from Hawaii at one point. But she hasn't been around for awhile. Oh Oh and I did see Alaska run across my sitemeter one day and was so excited. But, yeah, she hasn't been around in awhile either. Hmmmm, was it my grammar? Oh well, you all are my friends now, and I want to know what state you are from. If you wouldn't mind, please leave a comment, even if you do so anonymously, and tell me what state you live in. I will tally 'em up and see who's got the biggest presence in this little part of blogosphere.

Then, I'm going to do state by state party post linking all the bloggers from a particular state.

I'll make dinner and serve wine or whatever, while you talk amongst yourselves and your homey's. Wanna play? Oh come on, pretty please. And, yeah, that means all you lurkers, ya gotta play along, too!

I'll go first!

Your comments so far are cracking me up. No, there won't be a bathing suit competition, but there might be a pie eating contest. In our gowns. And high heels. Go get your Spanx now.

Okay we need the following contestants:

Ms. Connecticut,
Ms. New Hampshire,
Ms. Vermont (never seen this one)
Ms. Maine (saw this one this morning. Why didn't you take your crown?)
Ms. Wyoming (might be tough)
Ms. Montana (must not have computers there)
Ms. Massachusetts (I have seen you a couple of times)
Ms. Delaware (hmmm?)
Ms. West Virginia (ooooh, I don't think I've ever seen WVA)
Ms. New Mexico ( Oh I saw you on Friday!!! Claim your crown!)
Ms. New Hampshire (Didn't you drop by in the last two weeks or so?)

Blog Bling

If you can't see the bling, re-save my blog to your favorites. It will then show up. What? I'm not on your favorites? What you are waiting for? An invite?

Pssst. Can you hear me? I don't want The Man to know this. But I bought a new blog bauble for myself yesterday. Oh wait, he already knows. He helped me pick it out. So why I am whispering? I don't know. I'm alone in the house. Kind of weird. It's so quiet. I'm not used to that. Maybe that's why I'm whispering. My kids are at my parent's house for the day and night. Woohoo. So now, I get to clean out the basement again. Notice I said AGAIN. Yeah, good times. I hate keeping stuff. Once we are done with stuff, off to goodwill it goes or to some unsuspecting recipient like my neighbor T-Luh who will find a Little Tikes Rocking Horse on her front porch when she gets home. Her husband has no idea that horsey is moving in from down the street. That's the way we roll around here. And I mean we roll. As in we roll our unused junk from one house to another. Witness the desk in my daughter's room that was given to us by one of my neighbors. LRRH loves it. Free and functional. Works for me. What does all this have to do with my new bloggy bauble? Not one thing. I just wanted to talk to ya.

Did you notice it yet? My new bling? No? Okay, I'll tell you. Look at the browser tab on this page. Notice the curly cue up there? It's from the dotted "i" in my header title "This is the Life". Cara from Your blogicon custom made it for me. And lucky for you, while I was driving home from the half-a-tank drop off of my kids at my parents house just so I could get some peace and quiet some projects done, I was thinking that it would be fun to adorn a couple of bloggy friends with some new bling. Just like mine. Don't you love it? Your custom blogicon will look cool on your browser. And when your fans add you to their favorites, your blog will, ya know, BLING.

Do you want your own custom blogicon?

If you do, leave me a comment and tell me what kind of gas guzzler you drive. That's more interesting than "Hi, I'm Betty blogger and I want bling. Enter me in your contest." Plus, as I've said before, I'm nosey like that. (Did I tell you I hate mini-vans? Won't be caught dead driving one. Well, I can't be caught dead driving one because I would be, well, dead. I drive a $75- and- rising a tank SUV. )That's all ya gotta do. Just say "Hi Debbie, I drive an SUV or minivan or car or bicycle or in my case sometimes, a broom." No linking back. No wasting a post about Debbie's 430something post giveaway on your blog (437 to be exact). Simple. And I will have Little Red Riding Hood do a live random drawing of TWO of your names at the end of the week. Polls close at midnight Eastern time, July 26, 2008. That sounds so official doesn't it.

I really have no idea what I'm doing. I just wanted to bless TWO bloggy friends with their own custom blogicons as a way of saying thanks. You all think I'm funny. And, you keep coming back. And, I really appreciate that, because I'm a little insecure about this blogging thing sometimes. And, you all have really encouraged me along the way. Oh, wait, now I know why I was whispering, I didn't tell The Man about the blog bling giveaway. Oh honey, it's only $20. I'll pay for it with Hunka Hunka's (my son) birthday money that's soon to arrive in the mail for only me to see. Ever.


A couple of you have mentioned that you can't see my blogicon. Go to your web browser where you would type in a URL, and there should be a curly cue just before my blogspot URL. If you use Internet Explorer it will show up on the browser tab instead of the blogger logo right next to the title "This is the Life."

Company's coming!

Okay gang. I want everyone on their best behavior today. We have some new guests arriving any minute. Some of them are new to my neck of the woods, and I really want to leave a good first impression. As you know, I did some re-decorating on the sidebar last week to clear the clutter for them. Today, I did some tidying up and prepared some refreshments. I hope they like diet coke with lemon as much as I do. If not, I do have my next favorite drink, Perrier, stocked in the wine fridge. Oh yes, we will be serving wine for the early evening and evening guests. And, if they prefer beer, soda, or lemonade, well, that is ice cold and waiting for them, too. As for food, I have prepared some hummus and pita wedges, an artichoke dip in a bread bowl, and a platter of brie and gouda with crackers. I've also decided to have a sit down dinner which will include regency beef tenderloin, out-of-this-world-scalloped potatoes (both from Southern Living) and blue cheese walnut spinach salad (from Rachael Ray). Molten chocolate lava cakes will be served for dessert courtesy of Southern Living as well. I want everyone to meet and greet the new guests with all the graciousness you have extended me since landing on my little slice of the blogosphere. Oh, gee, I wonder if I have time to go get a new outfit and shoes. Probably not. At least I got my hair restored to its natural color a couple of weeks ago. And, I've been moisturizing.

Ok girls, go pretty up because all the Saucy SITStas will be arriving any minute.

Oh, oh, and one last thing, don't forget to sign the guest book.


PS. I forgot to let you know which rooms my guests will be visiting for the day. Please be sure to mingle in and around them at your leisure.

No More Freakin' Solicitors, Please!
The Name Cemetery
If You Can't Laugh At Yourself

Getting to Know You

Isn't there some annoying song called "getting to know you, getting to know more about you." Don't worry, I won't sing it. But, I do have a little game that, I want y'all to play. I've got some quick questions that require quick answers that tell us alot about each other. What? You don't want to play? Please, pretty please? I'll go first.

(Diet) Coke or (Diet) Pepsi?
French Fries or Cookies?
Big parties or small gatherings?
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Beach or Mountains?
Thanksgiving or Christmas ?
Like sports or "That's so boring"?
Nickname?
Favorite Color?
Birthday?
See the comment section for my answers. And, I hope to see yours there as well ;)

Thanks for all your help.

Trish didn't win. But thanks for everyone's help!

I AM LITERALLY BEGGING EVERY PERSON THAT CLICKS ON MY BLOG BETWEEN NOW AND 12 PM EASTERN TIME TO VOTE FOR OUR FELLOW BLOGGY FRIEND TRISH. OVER NIGHT HER BIGGEST COMPETITOR PULLED DOWN A BUNCH OF VOTES. If you have voted, Thank you Thank you Thank you. IF you haven't, I am begging, I mean begging you to click on the link below. I promise to update my blog once this contest is over...until then, go VOTE!

One of my favorite bloggy friends, Trish, entered a photo contest last week for her family to win a Wii. Guess what? She is a finalist!! Check out this picture of her son:
I am trying to get everyone I know to vote for her. Well, I don't really know you but you are a captive audience right now. So click here, scroll down to the voting bubbles and click on "It's My Crazy Life."
I really really really want her to win.

Then come back and read my post about needing a 12 step program ;)

Blogging Interrupted

It has happened. My life has gotten in the way of blogging this week. Have painters here. They painted half the house. I hated the color. Started shaking. Started panicking. Started to cry a little. Started to panic more. I have 20 foot walls in my foyer and family room. This is a big deal. This is gonna cost me. Called my husband. "It's ok, sweetie." Thank you Lord for a husband who loves me no matter what. Started going through the color samples again. Started painting large swatches all over my walls. Got so desperate that I was asking the painters for advice. Not such a good idea. But they assure me all is ok. Picked new color. Bought more paint. Helped daughter with school project. Painters are coming back today. Also, I am watching my neighbor's wee ones in the midst of this, but that is a good thing because my son has been bored out of his mind with this paint fiasco I have been consumed with. Now he has someone to play with today. This weekend is a soccer tournament and party. It is going to be one million degrees. Poor girls. Poor me. Gotta go get my daughter ready for school, now. Sorry I am talking like a robot. I will resume my Mommy Blogging journey soon. I need a diet coke with lemon.

Meanwhile, go vote below. Trish is in the lead, but I want to keep it that way.

The Secret is in the Sauce

Not spaghetti sauce, not chocolate sauce. It's, uh, wait, I'm not sure what kind of sauce it is, but it is brilliant and oh so, tasty. Two of my favorite bloggy friends, Heather and Tiffany are the brain children behind a new blog called "The Secret is the Sauce." Self-proclaimed "Comment Junkies, " they developed the site as a way to help drive traffic and increase comments to blogs that want to participate. Each day, a new blog will be featured and links will be given to three of the best posts as selected by the author. This is a great way to see new blogs, but most of all it is a fabulous way to get your blog exposed to new readers. It is also a way to encourage and to support your fellow Mommy bloggers by leaving them one of those Christmas present comments I talked about earlier today ;) Right now, they are holding a contest if you decide to participate. The prizes include a blog makeover and a digital camera among others. This is a win win for everyone. Ewww, did I really just say that because I haven't said that since I left the corporate world. If you want to participate, click on this little bit o bling, and check it out.