Monday, November 30, 2009

guest posting and new blog look

So how was everyone's Thanksgiving weekends? Cooking disasters, dog ate the entire sweet potato dish, somebody stole your parking space, I want to hear all about it. One of my best friends once had her aunt break a plate over her father's head during Thanksgiving dinner...I really don't think anything can compare to that story. Gotta love family!

My Thanksgiving was lovely - I spent it with the people I love, I wasn't in charge of cooking anything except heating up appetizers, I introduced about half my family to the glory that is pita chips and hummus, and my family thoughtfully brought brownies for me while they all munched on pie for dessert (I'm not a pie person most of the time).

I also avoided Black Friday like the plague, mostly because a) I love people, and b) I want to continue to love people. And c) I'm not a shopper. I don't go into a store to lovingly browse or try on every item of clothing for two hours, I'm a Get In Get Out kind of shopper, unless I'm at a book or music store. If you're at a book or music store with me, I am so sorry, I hope you brought along your copy of War and Peace to read through.

In other news, I changed my blog look and I'll be adding more pictures and quotes in the next few days. I've been itching for a change for a while, and yesterday I finally had some free time to just sit down and find a new blog background and add some more pictures I've taken over the years. I like how it looks so I hope you guys like it too.

And finally, FINALLY - I was asked to do my very first guest post, by the always wonderfully creative and adorably affable Jonas over at Beyond Wunderman. I got the email yesterday, he asked if I could guest post today, and I was so incredibly excited to be asked to post on someone else's blog (oh the thrill!) that I immediately said yes. And then wondered what the hell to write about. Jonas' helpful suggestion was, "Whatever you feel like."

(Jonas, I adore you!)

So I hope you guys like my travel story over on his blog and continue to check out his writing in the future - Jonas likes to meld fantasy, reality, alcohol, and occasional threesomes into his blogs, and I always get a kick out of the way he spins his tales. And if you're in the mood for some straight-up fiction, check out the novel he's working on, Pomponne. I think you guys might like it.

Happy Monday and I'll be back tomorrow with more weekend and Thanksgiving details - including the blog title that my mom made me change. ;)

24 comments:

Honey Bee said...

Yay, I welcome the change!
Heading over to read your guest post now...glad to know your thanksgiving went well.

Iva Messy said...

ohhh great new layout!!! glad Thanksgiving went well!

krista said...

i don't have any breaking plate stories. at least not this year...

jenn said...

no crazy stories - i'm boring. i love the new blog look though - it's so pretty!!!

Jo said...

I am totally with you on the shopping thing!! Book stores, I could live in. Clothing stores, in and out!!

Love the new look of your blog! I'm going to head over to your friend's blog and read your guest post now.

Have a great week!!

Pretty Zesty said...

I actually had no drama this year. Then again I didn't drink. Hmmm, do I start the drama? haha Unfortunately I was the one cooking all the yummy food and felt too sick to eat! BOO! I actually still don't have my appetite back. Come Christmas I'll either look like i walked off a deserted island or I'll eat everything in site!

Anonymous said...

Hey ... thanks for taking the time to do the guest post - I loved it!

jonas :)

Phoenix said...

Yay! Thanks Jonas!! :)

nichole said...

Looks fabulous! Now ... email with your address. I have a little present for you. ;)

nicholerobertson at gmail dot com

Lira Kellerman said...

Thanksgiving was so incredibly relaxing, mainly because last minute, Anthony asked if we could do everything with just the two of us. Okay!
I made leftover turkey quesadillas last night with a cranberry aioli (my own thought up recipe!!) which I thought were awesome.
So yeah, thanksgiving was awesome because no family was involved. Wait. I take that back. Because my NEW family was involved.

Anonymous said...

The new blog layout is excellent. I agree that no one can top the breaking the plate over someone's head story. That's intense.

drollgirl said...

wow! breaking a plate over somebody's head is very cartoon-y! yeeikes!

so glad you had a nice thanksgiving.

and you should be guest posting all over tarnation. you write REALLY WELL! :)

Maggie May said...

i like it! fresh.

Ida/FarEastLogbook said...

I'm loving your new layout!! So fresh and stylish!

Deech said...

The Layout...I love it...I love it...I love it!

Glad to hear that your Thanksgiving was peaceful...at some point I will post about mine as well.

Gwen said...

I love the new look!!! I'm glad you had a fabulous Thanksgiving and I can't wait to read your guest post!!! XOXO

Barbara said...

Breaking plates definitely beats anything that's ever happened to our family- we've come close, but can't beat that one.
I think your new blog look is absolutely lovely!
Will scoot on over to read your guest post.

Angie Muresan said...

Wow! No stories like that for my Thanksgivings. The day was beautiful and everyone behaved. I love book stores too, and with the exception of Anthropologie, I'm an in and out clothing shopper. Maybe the fact that Anthropologie has books and music and candles is what makes me linger.
Will head over and read your friend's blog now. Wishing you a lovely week!

krista said...

tracy...did you get my email?

Wine and Words said...

Blog is beautiful. I sure wish someone with half a brain would help me with my sterile looking place!

A New England Girl said...

I LOVE the look of the new blog. :) I also love that you had such a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was way more low key than normal. So, I'd have to say it was pretty lack luster, but still enjoyable. We usually celebrate with my family and my sister-in-law's family, but this year they opted out of the big celebration, as one of her brothers is deploying. I totally understand that desire, but going from having 25 people at Thanksgiving to 10 certainly makes a big difference. :)
I'm right there with you on shopping, too. I am a sucker for Barnes & Noble or other book stores, but clothing and all of that? No, thank you. I would never, ever dream of venturing out on Black Friday. Too many rude, inconsiderate people! :)

Hope you're having a happy Wednesday. xoxox.

AJ said...

I have to say I'm not a fan of the new blog layout. The colours and style are nice (and fit well with fall and Thanksgiving), but the layout is not good.

The first problem is that the leaves and flowers on the left cover up the words. Previously I could read all the text on the page, and then page-down to read the next page. Now I can only read roughly the middle half of he page, due to the text being covered up.

Additionally, I'm not a fan of having such a narrow page. Many sites (including, I think, your previous layout) force line breaks at certain points. I have a large, widescreen monitor, and I have my browser window maximized. I do this to fit as much content on the page as possible. However, the text of your blog only fills 23.4% of the width of my screen (yes, I pulled out a ruler and measured). The rest of the screen width is wasted space. If I add the width of the "about me" and related links column, it jumps to 35.1%, which means most of the screen is still wasted.

On the plus side, I enjoy the content, so I'm willing to put up with some level of bad layout.

Phoenix said...

Thanks for your honesty, AJ...and I'm glad you still read the blog :)

Clarity said...

Hello Darling. Glad your holiday was lovely, all this and brownies too?

Completely agree with you re. speed shopping, except for book stores - gee homie, this is getting uncanny.

Congrats on the guest post! woohoo...

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