What the Blog's it all about?

Coming back to my blog after a few months away from it, I've been reminded, despite my initial self-consciousness in starting it, how much I actually now enjoy it. I've been tweaking the layout and updating the content....learning how to add things, editing my photographs..and in doing so I've realised that the whole blogging 'thing' is a creative process in itself.

If you are a blogger yourself, this post will be a little irrelevant, because you're probably hooked already, but I thought I'd write a little about why I've (proudly) become something of a 'blog addict'.

Before I got involved in blogging, I, perhaps rather cynically, thought it a somewhat self-indulgent outlet for people who have too much time on their hands. Essentially nothing more than an elongated Facebook Status Update?! 

But, NO! How wrong and quick to judge I was. Delve inside the world of blogs and bloggers and you can discover a treasure trove of information, inspiration, and fascinating opinion.  

Parenting, lifestyle, beauty, sport, DIY, culture, cars, gardening, technology, travel, health, trainspotting (YES! trainspotting) You name it, there will be loads of blogs on the topic. Some are better than others. Many are very very funny (except perhaps the trainspotting ones...I doubt they're very funny...sorry Trainspotters!) Only today a friend shared a blog post on Facebook from Hurrah For Gin ...LOVE the name... which had me 'laughing out loud'...(can't bring myself to use the acronym 'LOL').

The word 'Blog' comes from the term 'Web Log', basically a term for an online journal or diary. But many people in the blogging community generously share tutorials and advice on how to make and do things too. I often find myself turning to other blogs for advice on how to add something to my own. Pam at DIY Design Fanatic, for example came to the rescue when I found this post about how to add social media buttons, and when I try my hand at new skills, my first port of call is now always a blog. (Saving money on books and magazines until I know it's something that I'd like to take further).

The wonderful 'Bloglovin' is a site where you can follow all your favorite blogs (yes, this blog is on it too!!) in one place and find new, interesting pages to look at.

You choose the blogs you want to follow and then receive a personalised feed of posts from those pages. It will also suggest blogs of interest based on those you're already following.

Obviously it favors the popular 'big players' with relative newcomers like me only getting a look in if you actually know the name to search for, but nonetheless we all have to start somewhere.

So, if you're new to the whole concept of blogging, or have always dismissed it as I once did...then why not say to yourself  "Hey, you know what? I'm going to throw aside my preconceived opinions and ideas and try something new today"...Get yourself over to 'Bloglovin, browse some topics that tickle your fancy (yes, that is 'fancy'...had to be careful of typos there otherwise I might be getting myself a whole different kind of readership!!) and you might just find someone who has something interesting to say...Oh, and be sure to follow me, Binkle & Bungo too!

E xx

P.S Don't forget you can leave (nice or constructive) comments below. Just click on 'comments', scroll down to name/URL and off you go..and if you have a website or blog yourself, please feel free to add it for me to look at and share x

Creative Hibernation

Rather like the bear in the John Lewis Christmas ad, I've been in something of a hibernation for most of the winter. 

Whilst it would have been SO lovely to have actually spent the last few months sleeping soundly (my favourite hobby!) in a warm, snug cave away from all this relentless  wind and rain. I haven't.....

Instead this is what my life has been all about:

Colour Cards, Flat Matt Emulsion, Intelligent Eggshell and lots and lots of Polyfilla!  As I mentioned before, we moved from our cottage to a big old Georgian farmhouse back in the summer which, whilst in pretty good structural shape, was in need of a bit of TLC decor-wise. Now, I LOVE interior design and could bore the socks off anyone about the merits of Little Greene Paint over Farrow & Ball  and whether Elephant's Breath is a nicer shade than Skimming Stone BUT when it comes down to the practicality of putting that paint on the wall, I struggle. I REALLY struggle. Unfortunately when you buy a house that is rather too big for your family of 3 + Labrador, there isn't much money left in the kitty to get the professionals in. Therefore, life has gone pretty much on hold whilst I've sanded, primed, rollered and painted 5 rooms, 2 bathrooms and a hall, stairs and landing including all 44, yes 44 (!) bannister spindles. There have been melt downs, spilt paint and many a bad temper but finally after approximately 200 hours of redecoration, the end is in sight.  Don't get me wrong, there is still more to be done, but the offensive rooms are finished and the rest can wait.

So I'm back. This blog will undergo a little 'redecoration' of it's own over the next couple of weeks and then onwards and upwards with creative tinkerings and dabbling with crafty stuff.

Until then x

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