Before I delete all the party blogs from my reader

let me showcase my favourites (also, so that I can start obsessively stalking them again in May next year).

A to Zebra celebrations

Bird's Party Blog

These are the last two left in my reader - I deleted tons once I knew what I wanted.

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By the way, what's your feeling on half-birthday celebrations?

I love, love, LOVE this post by MandyE on her girls' half birthdays.

And I loved Johanna's comment so much that I announced to D that we will henceforth (!) also be celebrating half birthdays.

Because they're twins and have to share everything (especially in my house), they might as well have two birthdays :)

He thinks I'm mad.

I'm not going to go all out but I will get cake, use the happy birthday placemats (what? you don't have birthday placemats?) and put up a birthday banner.

Have I told you how much I love birthday banners/ bunting?

I put up 4 for their birthday party, and (shhhh) I had another 2 stacked away, just in case the house didn't look decorated enough :)

The main banner is still up, by the way.

I even have a banner at work so I can "decorate" the person's desk when it's their birthday.

They're so cheap (I bought mine for about R15 each at a party shop) and instantly make me (and the birthday person) feel happy.

You can download a free birthday banner here. (you're very welcome)

So what do you think about half birthdays? Fun or overkill?


PS can you see I'm on a bit of a high? I just had a FABULOUS meeting with new clients. I LOVE working with good people.

Saturday sightings, also known as Featured Friday again late

This is actually my Feature Friday post, again late!

I looked in my Google Reader and saw tons and tons of the crafty/ home/ decor/ variety so I'm going to have to categorise them further so that I don't only pick 2 - 3 and forget lots of my other favourites.

Let's start with food blogs.

I love a good food blog with a story - I want to be transported and feel like I'm watching Nigella :)

I also love reading food blogs where the blogger clearly loves food and is not just posting recipes.

And good pics ALWAYS help - always.

So these are some of my favourites:

The Pioneer Woman - I was reading way back in the day long before she was as famous as she is now.

Things I still want to make - cinnamon rolls, chicken spaghetti and I'm trying these baked beans out tomorrow. I've got to start jazzing up my baked beans.

When I decided to start eating better, I unsubscribed from all the cooking blogs (to set up my environment for success) and the ones below are all new ones I'm folllowing but please go have a look and drool...

Joy the baker

The girl who ate everything (don't you love her blog name?!)

Bless this food (this is a girl who loves her food)

Two peas and their pod

and one I found on Friday, Skinny Taste. I've already bookmarked her skinny tuna noodle recipe.

I also have started putting together that recipe blog I spoke about before :)

I have a loose plan for all the food I plan to make "one day".

I pull out the recipe (if from a magazine) or print off the internet and stick it all in a folder in my kitchen.

Here's the thing - I put the date on the top and if about 6 months have passed and I haven't bothered yet, then clearly I'm not that into it.

So then I'll either write down the missing ingredients, go buy them and cook the thing (if it still looks good) or I'll toss the recipe.

I will say that I am more likely to try baking something than cooking it (because I can't follow a recipe exactly!) and I only tear out recipes that are quick and easy so chances are I already have the ingredients in my kitchen.

What are your favourite cooking and baking blogs? What's your favourite recipe? Do you like trying out new recipes? Do you have a plan for testing things out?

PS I've already decided that my 37 things list will include trying 2 new recipes a month - a cooking and a baking one. Can't wait!

Feature Friday... a day late

I thought it would be fitting for me to start off showcasing some blogs in my inspiration and dreaming folder :)

I've been reading Andrea's blog, Superhero Journal, forever. It really does feel like forever because she was also infertile when I started reading. And now that baby is about 4 or 5 :) and there's a baby 2.

You all know I'm obsessed with people who are open and honest and admittedly not perfect. This is her.

She makes the most beautiful jewellery, takes gorgeous pics (of leaves, shoes and weird things :)) and writes beautifully too.

Also, how can you not love a blog with the name Superhero???!

Andrea's one of the creators of Mondo Beyondo.

Jen Lemen is the other creator of Mondo Beyondo and she's the other blog I want to talk about today.

Jen is beautifully introspective and asks such good questions that make you think.

If something makes me think about things hours and even days afterward, that's a minor miracle right there because I generally move on so quickly.

I remember writing a comment on one of her posts YEARS ago (at least 4 years ago) where I spoke about my infertility and she wrote back with one of the sweetest comments ever. I saved that email for years and then shortly after the babies were born, deleted it.

Anyway, I love love LOVE this latest post on Andrea's blog. And incidentally, the pic on the projector (in her post) is one of my favourites ever.

Here is a link to Jen's blog.

Go make a nice cup of coffee/ tea and settle in for some good reading time :) These are blogs I read over lunch because I need to read and think about things.

Two questions for you today:

Do you normally read blogs like this? By creative, arty types?

If yes, which ones are your favourites?

PS Was anyone already a follower of these blogs?