DIY Nursery Prints

I bought these frames for $2 at the dollar store, true, I had to coat them in four layers of white paint, but I was looking for something to do any way ;)  The frame on the left has some scrapbook paper from my collection and the frame on the right has an adorable, free printable that I found online.  You can click the link here.  

Now that I am on maternity leave, I am at home, bored, with lots of time on my hands and very little money.  This project was a perfect for me - very cheap, but it involved some time, creativity and I ended up with a pretty cute final product, just what I was looking for.

Not sure if anyone noticed, but I changed my blog layout for the first time since I started almost three years ago.  I think I like it, it was surprisingly hard to change for some reason...   I wanted something simpler, so I played around with the settings for a while.  It was fun and much-needed I think in hindsight.  I hope everyone likes it!

Why do I love Blogs so much?

(picture unrelated)

If you asked me 16 months ago what a blog was, I wouldn't have had any idea. How can this new-to-me phenomenon have such a huge place in my life right now?  Its hard to imagine that over a year ago, this hobbie/pastime didn't even exist in my world... And its not just the act of blogging that I love, I also really enjoy reading other blogs.  I have been thinking about this a lot lately as I'd really like to have a deeper understanding of why I enjoy this so much. Here are some of the reasons I have pondered:

Why I Like Blogging:
-First and foremost, I love having a chronological 'journal' of my life. Being able to express myself by combining pictures and written words is very attractive to me.
-I enjoy being able to communicate with my family in this way, I feel like they have access to my everyday life even though we live on opposite sides of the country.
-Blogging is a motivating factor for me, it gives me an excuse to take pictures, to write. Blogging about my life really helps me cherish all of my hobbies and interests.
-One aspect that really surprised me is that blogging helps me notice when my life is un-balanced. By scrolling through my posts I can easily identify which aspects of my life are being favoured, and which aspects are being ignored.


Why I Like Reading Blogs:
-I really like being able to get a glimpse into other peoples lives.  I have always enjoyed observing others, I love seeing different family dynamics, and I especially enjoy learning about different religions, hobbies and parenting styles.
-Blogs are usually very uplifting to me. I only frequent blogs that appeal to my interests and make me happy.
-I like being exposed to new things (even if its virtual ;):  I love trying new recipes and crafts, seeing how other people decorate their homes,  being inspired by the photography skills of others and much more. The blog world actually inspired me to learn how to knit!
-I feel like there is a very human aspect that is present while reading a blog as opposed to reading a general website or magazine. Most blogs that I follow are written by one person, and, usually, reflect the ideas and interests of that person.  Although there are more and more 'sponsored' posts, I still feel like blog writers are less influenced by outside forces than other forms of communication.

To Blog or Not to Blog???

If anyone out there frequents my blog regularly (I don't think there is, but just in case ;)  I apologize for my lack of posts recently.  I've been having a hard time finding the motivation to post... My blog was first started as a way for my family back home to have a glimpse into my life out here in BC.

However, in the last little while, I have felt less compelled to post for the sole reason that I can get away with it.  I don't have a huge following, and I know my close family members check this place out when they get a chance, but I don't really know how often they visit... This month, I have learned that being my own motivator is both a blessing and a curse.  I don't feel pressured to post, I don't feel the need to popularize my blog but at the same time, I don't have anything driving me to keep this blog up for any reason other than my own fulfillment

And so, I have decided that I will continue to blog, because it brings me happiness to do so.  This blog will become more of an online journal, I will use this space to express my thoughts and opinions about the things that are currently relevant in my life. I will continue to explore many topics, because I do not want to feel restricted in anyway.  I am very excited to get back into blogging and have a new found desire to blog even more, or at least make my posts more real, expressive and honest.  Here we go!

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My official 'Welcome to my Blog' Post

Hello there,

My name is Nicole and I’d like to welcome you to my blog.  This little personalized space I’ve carved out for myself within the world wide web has surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) become an important part of my everyday life.    My original intent when starting this blog was to create a place that my friends and family (most of whom live thousands of kilometres away) could visit in order to check out what I’ve been up to. 

Now, after 5 months of blogging, I must admit that my reasons have changed.  I now know that updating my blog is a reward in itself, I post because I enjoy it. Of course, it’s wonderful if others are enjoying my updates, but I would do this even if I knew no one was watching.  I’ve also realized that my audience is much, much wider than I was expecting.  In fact, most of the people who view my blog are ‘strangers’ – people who I do not know personally who have stumbled onto my blog because we share similar interests.  There are so many amazing and inspiring people in the blogging community, I am so glad I have become a part of it.  I look forward to sharing my life experiences with any and all who visit me here.

I have many interests that get featured in my posts, and for now, everything is all rolled into my ‘Fawn in BC’ blog.  You will see many posts about bento, mountain biking, boating, crafting/art, my cat, pictures of my surroundings, geocaching and anything else that makes me happy.  I hope I can inspire others to enjoy these things as much as I do. J

Thank you for visiting and please feel free to leave comments or links to your own blogs.

My First Post

          I've recently become very intrigued by many different blogs that exist on the internet and have decided to start my own. One of the main reasons I have embarked on this new project is to keep in touch with my friends and family.  Since most of my (very large) extended family lives far away, this blog will provide them with an easy way to check up me. Having a chonological account of all of my ideas and activities will be an interesting side benefit.  :)


Additional Note: added July 7th, 2011

Hello there,

My name is Nicole and I’d like to welcome you to my blog.  This little personalized space I’ve carved out for myself within the world wide web has surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) become an important part of my everyday life.    My original intent when starting this blog was to create a place that my friends and family (most of whom live thousands of kilometres away) could visit in order to check out what I’ve been up to. 

Now, after 4 months of blogging, I must admit that my reasons have changed.  I now know that updating my blog is a reward in itself, I post because I enjoy it. Of course, it’s wonderful if others are enjoying my updates, but I would do this even if I knew no one was watching.  I’ve also realized that my audience is much, much wider than I was expecting.  In fact, most of the people who view my blog are ‘strangers’ – people who I do not know personally who have stumbled onto my blog because we share similar interests.  There are so many amazing and inspiring people in the blogging community, I am so glad I have become a part of it.  I look forward to sharing my life experiences with any and all who visit me here.

I have many interests that get featured in my posts, and for now, everything is all rolled into my ‘Fawn in BC’ blog.  You will see many posts about bento, mountain biking, boating, crafting/art, my cat, pictures of my surroundings, geocaching and anything else that makes me happy.  I hope I can inspire others to enjoy these things as much as I do. J

Thank you for visiting and please feel free to leave comments or links to your own blogs!