My "Resolution" is Simple

A winter scene out my back door

January 1st, 2013 - Happy New Year everybody. Yesterday it snowed here in Vancouver, WA. Today we had a cold, bright sunny day and even a sunset. 

I took a week off, since it was Christmas and we had family visiting and lots going on. Of course, today I read online that consistency is key with a blog, if you skip a week some will think you stopped writing.

I have been doing some thinking about this blog and finally found the direction I want to take. Each year, my sister gives me the 'I Can Do It' (think positive) daily calendar. I just opened up the new 2013 calendar and part of today's quote was, "I choose thoughts that make me feel good." Pretty simple, but there it is.

My resolution is for my blog to make me feel good. Creating this blog has been fun and I'd like to keep it that way. Doing things because they should be done a certain way just isn't fun. If taking a week off gives people the impression I'm inconsistent, that's too bad. 

One thing I enjoy is sharing new finds: websites, books, vintage items, you name it. This morning I went to Shawna Coronado's website for the first time. I've been following her on Facebook for awhile and her post for the new year had me checking out her site. It is about green living and sustainable lifestyles. For example, she offers $10 meal ideas for those of us trying save money. It's pretty interesting so I encourage you to check it out and I will add it to my favorite sites at the bottom of the page.

I also like blogs with lots of photos. As I've said before, I quit copying photos from the internet or Pinterest (copyright infringement is a looming legal issue). But, when I did that I felt limited by the photos I take. My own photos are ok, but they don't represent the scope of my interests. So I've been looking into Creative Commons and would like to use Flickr more for blog photos. Since this requires more homework on my part, it will happen gradually.

Our back deck New Year's Eve.

One thing that I'm excited about sharing is an upcoming class in February for rain garden design. It's offered locally to landscape professionals and I'm interested in seeing some examples and plant lists that we can use here in the Portland Metro area. I look forward to posting more about alternative garden ideas.
P.S.
I just removed Ad Sense from my side bar. I added it thinking I could earn some money (nope) and just now saw a scrolling ad for a drug. I've actually specified in the past that I wanted ads that compliment my blog, i.e. home and garden. I'll stick to advertising businesses and groups I like.