Will Blog for Shoes

wife, mom, recovering shoe addict

It’s New To Me: Flickr & Picnik

September 17, 2009 13 comments »

Subtitle: A Good Excuse to Post Some WAY Overdue Pics

Since I bade farewell, although temporarily, to my trusty, crusty excuse for a laptop, I’ve struggled to get pictures onto my blog. You remember my frustration with the Mac and uploading pictures, right?

The truth is that I’ve struggled for a years to get pictures just like I want them on this blog. I read so many blogs with amazing pictures, so when I go to post one on here, I feel somewhat lacking downright inadequate. HH put a version of Photoshop on my computer over a year ago. He pretty much told me an idiot could use it. Well….

I signed up for Flickr almost two years ago as part of a Christmas gift swap, but only uploaded pics for that swap and then another one that I helped host. I didn’t really take the time to explore it. I knew some of my favorite bloggy peeps used it religiously, but I didn’t see much use for it since I take pretty crappy pictures. When I really wanted to post a pic of Bug’s new dress, I decided to upload my shots to Flickr and play with the colors. I wanted the picture to be as pretty as my Bug and her dress.

Well, that’s when I discovered Picnik. I’d seen many folks tweet about it, but, again, crappy photographer here… hello! Picnik is now the editing software used in Flickr. (Did I say that right?! Photo-editing newbie, party of one!) It was a dream! It was so easy and something about it makes me want to upload pictures and edit them every. single. day. As recently as two days ago, I even learned how to add text to (kinda) watermark my blog pictures.

Examples, you request? But, of course! Let’s start with Bug’s First Birthday party:

My Sweet Bumble Bee

The Cake

My Proper Lady Eating Her Cake

While I’m still a pretty crappy photographer, a few borders and some text sure make me a little happier with the pictures I post. Now, to get a house with some natural light…

And, yes, I know that most bloggy pros have been using of Flickr and Picnik for a while, but it’s new to me (I’m even thinking of springing for the Picnik Premium Upgrade)! So, if you use Flickr and/or Picnik, I’d love to know some tips & tricks!

(Totally forgot to add that Bug’s bumble bee pillowcase dress came from here– totally affordable, and even with special measurements made it here in record time!!)

13 comments »

Posted in Bug, It's New To Me

For Now, We’ll Just Call It Sticker Day

September 12, 2009 7 comments »

This morning, I woke up in a pretty good mood. Wog only woke up once, I crawled into bed with him and then we slept away until after 7:30. That’s pretty huge! After he and HH left, I turned on the TV and it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks… it was September 11th. My good mood quickly faded.

Despite the overcast weather, it was easy to go along with my usual Friday morning activities: dishes, the grocery store, picking Wog up from preschool. He was especially proud of a sticker that was on his shirt. He chattered about it all the way to the gas station. He kept trying to show it to me, but all I could manage was an “Uh huh” and “That’s great” since I really couldn’t very well turn around while I was driving.

After pulling up to the pump, I stepped out into the mist and proceeded to chat with the kids through the rolled-down window while the gas pumped. It was then that Wog pulled his sticker off of his shirt and held it out for me to see.

It was a flag. The American flag. I began to cry. (Thank goodness for the misty weather.)

Today he’s clueless. It’s a cool day because he got a sticker.

7 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

I Like Purdy Things

September 10, 2009 16 comments »

…which is good, because I’m purdy again!

After much hounding nagging threatening withholding begging cheerful prodding, HH finally came through and finished my new digs.

WHADDAYA THINK?!

Yeah, I know! Me too!

16 comments »

Posted in Site News

My Top Ten Song Covers

September 1, 2009 10 comments »

The title is wildly awkward, isn’t it? I’ve reworded it about fifteen times and it is still taunting me. I think I must move on…

A couple of months ago, HH gave me the greatest gift: thirty minutes of alone. Every. Day. He pretty much pushes me out the door as I’m chewing my last bite of dinner and insists that I stay gone for thirty minutes. I’m not sure if he’s spoiling me or protecting himself & the kids from my less than kind personality of late.

Regardless, it’s a beautiful thing.

I take the opportunity to get some exercise and walk around the neighborhood. Despite the obvious health benefits, probably my most favorite thing is that I’m getting reacquainted with my iPod.

Can I just tell you how much I like music? ! I’m in no way musically inclined. I cannot sing. I cannot play an instrument. But I love songs. My favorite songs are songs I already know, which is why I LURVE a cover! So, allow me to share my favorite song covers cover songs songs sang by someone other than the original singer…

oh heck, you know what I mean…

10. Lady Marmalade covered by Christina Aguilera, Maya, Pink, L’il Kim, Missy Elliott. While I’m sure this makes no real music critics top anything, I always crank it up!
9. Darlin’ Nikki covered by Foo Fighters. Yes, this song is disgusting and dirty. And, yes, my love for Dave Grohl makes me listen to bad things sometimes. Sue me.
8. Smooth Criminal covered by Alien Ant Farm. Seriously, try to not get all funky when this one comes on the radio.
7. Killing Me Softly covered by The Fugees. This cover almost made me grow an afro.
6. The Man Who Sold the World covered by Nirvana. I’m the weirdo who doesn’t love Nirvana. Something about this song, though, is hauntingly beautiful.
5. Faith covered by Limp Bizkit. This one may have thrown any credibility I had right out the window, but I think it’s awesome.
4. Hello covered by David Cook. Yeah, I think I kind of broke my own rule here by including an American Idol artist. To me, though, it’s deserving of a little rule breakage.
3. Amazing Grace covered by Chris Tomlin. Don’t let this one get lost in this list. Maybe it’s degrading to call it a cover? I don’t know. I do know that I can’t contain the waterworks everytime I hear this version. What an amazing job updating and maintaining, Mr. Tomlin. I might just cry while typing this.
2. Landslide covered by Smashing Pumpkins and also covered by Dixie Chicks. Yeah, it’s a two-fer. Loved the original. Love the covers. It just doesn’t get old to me.
1. Stop in the Name of Love covered by Jonell Mosser (on the Hope Floats Motion Picture Soundtrack). I loved the music more that I loved the movie and this song got lost in the film. While I love the original, I think you miss the gut-wrenching-ness of the song. I could listen to it over and over. And I do. More than you care to know.

So, there’s my list. For now, I guess I should say. Who knows, Scissor Sisters could cover Stayin’ Alive and my list would get turned over right on it’s ear.

So what about you, what’s your favorite cover?

For more Top Ten Tuesday, head over to Oh Amanda!

10 comments »

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday

My First Time

August 23, 2009 17 comments »

Ok, the title is making me giggle a little. I know what you’re thinking of, you sick-o, and I am SO not going to talk about THAT.

But this is almost as special.

My first internet purchase. (*Dreamy sigh*)

Picture it. 1997. My friend wears this awesome tank out to a bar. I covet it the entire night. She tells me it was a STEAL at J Crew. (The nearest one of which is four hours away.) I pout. She says no, she bought it ON THE INTERNET. What?! What is that?! The next day I march into my techy boyfriend’s place and demand that he show me what that there internet is all about and did he know that one could buy things on there. He typed some weird words, “.” and “com” and VOILA. Within minutes, I’d staked claim to a darling teal blue striped, spaghetti strapped tank.

I wore the heck out of that thing.

But styles change. The look has gradually changed to longer tops (THANK GOODNESS), and over the years the tank got shorter. (Ok, I got wider. To-may-to, to-mah-to.) I just couldn’t get rid of it. I loved the color. It was still in such good shape. And it was my very first internet purchase.

A few weeks ago, though, I took it out of the drawer and put it in the mail. And, yesterday, I got this:

I was speechless.

Prairie Mama sewed it up for me. She takes your old tanks and tees and turns them into stylin’ dresses, rompers, or tops for your little one. Obviously, there wasn’t enough tank to make an entire dress for Bug, so she asked if it was ok to add some purple fabric. It turned out so great! I’ve already pulled aside two more tees from the yard sale pile to send to her.

And, yes, I’m totally lame and forgot to take a picture of the tank before I sent it to her.

Check out Prairie Mama’s etsy shop here.

Hat tip to Steph, who did this first for her Ivy. You can see her dresses here.

17 comments »

Posted in Bug, Really Cool Stuff

Tags: Really Cool Stuff

I Miss My Blog

August 22, 2009 7 comments »

Where did it go? I’m pretty sure it’s sitting on this table right beside me, somewhere in the vicinity of the laptop that no longer connects with the internet since my 13 days in the wilderness. But why sit around and bemoan the loss of my crappy computer when I sit here before you (well, kinda) typing away on a lovely new-ish loaner Macbook?

Why? Because I can’t do a cotton pickin’ thing on here! I do have a mouse now, so the whole right click thing has been righted. (If you knew how long it took me to learn to use a mouse, you’d understand why I just can’t let it go!) But I cannot upload a single picture. Kind of makes is hard to post about Bug’s first birthday or Wog’s first day of preschool, don’t you think?

I guess it’s kind of wrong to blame the decline of my blog on a Macbook, huh? I mean, shouldn’t I be doing the funky chicken while running, naked, around my house in broad daylight because I’m blogging from a Macbook? (Ok, that might have happened.)

If the Macbook is not truly to blame I guess I could say that I’m just looking out for my bloggy peeps. All 5 of you. You mean so much to me that I wanted to spare you from this blah-ness that has set in deep. I really don’t think you want to read about the mound of dishes in my sink that never goes away. Or that I’m not really enjoying being a mom these days (DISCLAIMER: LOVE MY KIDS, NOT LOVIN’ THE BUTT-WIPIN’, THE CONSTANT SCOLDING, AND THE TANTRUMS, THOUGH). Or that my husband makes me so mad sometimes I want to punch him in his teeth (he didn’t really want to hear that, either). Or that trying to buy a house makes me giddy. Then it makes me cry. Then it makes me throw up. Then I’m giddy again. Then I throw up…

So, if you’re reading this, it’s your fault that I’m not blogging. I was just trying to shield your sensitive selves from the ugly.

Ok, so it’s not really your fault.

And, now, you have had to read about all that.

I’m sneaky like that. (Insert conniving super-villain laugh here.)

To be honest, I do feel like all I post about is why I’m not posting. (Say that three times, fast!)

So, what do you think about this:

WILL BLOG FOR SHOES: A Blog about Why I Don’t Blog

Has a nice ring, no?

7 comments »

Posted in Uncategorized

“ALL” The Winners

August 5, 2009 2 comments »

Congrats to the two winners of the ALL Small & Mighty giveaway:

#8 Rachel
#22 Stacey

I’ll be emailing you two in a jiffy to get your addresses!

2 comments »

Posted in Giveaways

ALL Small & Mighty Laundry Detergent: A Giveaway

July 28, 2009 23 comments »

I am way overdue in telling you about a great product that the folks at ALL and Momselect gave me the opportunity to try… ALL Small & Mighty laundry detergent. I guess I should tell you first that I’m a laundry nerd. I spend what seems to my husband like ages on the laundry aisle every time I have to replenish my detergent. I smell everything. I calculate price per load. I smell everything again. I buy store brands, big-name brands, all-natural brands, one for grown up laundry, one for kid laundry… whatever the mood (or coupon) dictates.

With all the product love, my laundry room/pantry/storage room got a smidge out of hand, so I decided to go with one detergent for the whole family. Much to my smellgood lovin’ heart’s dismay, it had to be a fragrance -free. I settled on using the big brand’s “free” detergent and was satisfied with everything about it… except the price. I was stoked to find that the ALL Free & Clear got my clothes just as clean as the big brand and the price makes my budget a whole lot happier.

Now, while doing some price research for this post, I noticed that the ALL Small & Mighty costs more per load than the regular ALL 2X, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me since the only difference is the higher concentration and smaller container. I’m all about a smaller container taking up less room in my way too junky laundry room, but it wasn’t that much smaller than the 2X concentration (the Small & Mighty is 3X concentrated). Regardless, they both work great and they are both priced a good bit below the big brands.

Even better, TWO of you can win a full size ALL Small & Mighty laundry product of your choice. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me something laundry related. What product(s) are your favorites? How often do you wash clothes? Is your washing machine fabric softener thingie as gunky as mine? Whatever…just leave me a comment! You can also earn extra entries by tweeting about the contest (make sure to include @willblogforshoe in your tweet). You can be also earn an entry by updating your Facebook status to include the word “ALL” (all caps & quotes, please). You are not limited to the number of times you can do either and you will earn an entry per tweet or status update!! Don’t forget to leave me a separate comment to let me know about your extra entry (or entries). Leave a separate comment per extra entry, please!

Winners will be notified via email on Tuesday, August 4th.

23 comments »

Posted in Giveaways, Review

Disconnected: A List

July 21, 2009 6 comments »

Sunday night storms
Broke my teapot
No power for 4 or 5 hours
Tree branch down
Cracked windshield
Flat tire
No internet for 9 days
And counting
1 stomach bug on Monday (me)
Emptied one can of Lysol
1 more stomach bug on Wednesday into Thursday (Wog)
Finished off another can of Lysol
Broke my pepper mill
Another stomach bug yesterday/today (HH)
Night spent on my parents’ couch with 2 kids

Next week will be better. Right?!

6 comments »

Posted in Randomness

Help a Sistah Out

July 10, 2009 15 comments »

I haven’t posted in a sweet forever, because my comments were jacked up on my last post. I think I’ve cleaned them up, but I want to make sure the problem is fixed.