Blog, Blog, Blog!

I've noticed that I've been on a blogging binge lately. From writing my own blog posts to reading lots of other people's blogs, I've found quite the distraction from waiting on this baby to get here.

Blogging is just down right interesting to me. You are either sharing a piece of your own life with total strangers as well as family and friends or you are totally peeping in on someone else's life, thoughts, and opinions. I think blogging can be vain and voyeuristic, but it is also a good way to share information, keep people updated, compare your own life with that of others and learn about different lifestyles and modes of thinking out there, share ideas and support, and feel connected to people in an odd sort of way.

I have really been thinking lately about why I started blogging, what I think I am gaining or hope to gain from blogging, and what kind of blog I want to present to the world wide web.

I started a blog back in 2005 or 2006 but got nowhere with it. I don't think that I completely understood the concept of blogging, so I gave up on it pretty quickly. All I knew was that I needed a forum to "vent" and share my thoughts. I am not sure why I feel I need a public forum to do so, but there is something oddly strange and gratifying about connecting to people through the web.

Last year, a friend of ours said that she was going to start a blog. She had done quite a bit of research on blogs and was ready to get hers up and running. It reminded me of the fact that I had once tried to blog, and she prompted me to start this blogging then all over again. So I did. It has been a year and half since I upstarted this blog, and I feel I am still going strong and enjoying it greatly. I didn't do my research about blogging. Again, I just knew that I wanted (and still want) a place to have an open diary...to share bits and pieces of my life, thoughts, opinions, and rants. People can choose whether or not they are interested in my story.

I've been doing a lot more "research" recently into blogging, and there are some amazing blogs out there. There are blogs that have specific themes and purposes. There are blogs about home design, decorating, and renovating houses; blogs devoted to fashion; blogs about cooking and recipes; blogs showcasing art and photography; crafty blogs about scrapbooking, sewing, and DIY projects; blogs about diet and exercise; blogs intended to keep distant relatives in the loop about children and family; and blogs written for a specific cause to raise awareness (this list is by no means all inclusive).

I truly enjoy all of these different types of blogs. A lot of them have given me ideas for projects and things in my own home and life. When I read blogs geared towards a certain theme, it makes me wish that I had some sort of craft or passion to share with the world...but I don't (that's not to say that I can't be crafty or passionate at times). My blog is all over the place...with no specific agenda or theme.

And I love reading the blogs that are totally random with a hodge-podge of themes going on (kind of like mine). I like to read about the ordinary every day things people are doing. I like to read people's vents and rants about a particular experience. I like to see pictures of singles, couples, and families enjoying the every day mundane happenings of life. I like to read about people who are trying new things or just trying to figure out this crazy life (reading more books, attempting to budget, decorating a room, trying out new recipes, getting organized, training for a 5k, etc, etc). I like to read other people's advice or suggestions or see what people are struggling with in their own lives.

Reading other people's blogs makes me feel human in the sense that we are all just looking for something a little more in our life. We all have good times, and we all have challenges. We all have talents to share as well as things to learn. It's nice to know that I can randomly one day read someone's blog (a complete stranger in another state) and completely relate to their experience or thought for that particular post learn how to do something new (like make a hand-crafted monogrammed bucket; paint a dresser; make a pelmet box). And I hope that when people read my personal thoughts and experiences that they, too, can find something relatable in what I have to say.

My hope is that I can be real with my experiences and feelings on here. I like being open with my life and sharing a piece of me with the world. And if by being open with my own experiences, I can help someone else who reads it or if I can get some support in challenging areas of my own life, then I feel this blog is serving it's purpose for me.  People may not always like what I have to say. My posts may offend some people. But the point is for me to be true to myself and my experiences. I don't want to put on a show for anyone. I want to say what I need to say in the moment.

I  like being a part of the blogging community, and I want my blog to be better. I've gotten some tips from other blogs about  how to step-it-up in the blogging world. I want to challenge myself to try new things and share the experience with everyone. I want to challenge myself to try new ideas to keep the blog interesting for myself and for those reading it (ie Flashback Fridays, Quotable Quotes, Wordless Wednesdays, Brain Dumps, etc, etc).

I want to take you along on this blogging journey with me. So, please, feel welcome to enjoy the ride...my ride on this crazy roller coaster of life.