Girl turned blog stalker... turned blog stalkee...maybe

I am fairly new to blogging.
I started off learning about blogging by finding one blog on the Domestic Bliss website that was related to a store that I shop at...soon after that, I started to follow a couple of the blog links. I loved to follow what other ladies were up to and grab a little inspiration here and there...then I stumbled (and so ever grateful that I did) to the nieniedialogues...stephanie nielson has been the biggest inspiration to me and to my mothering and to my creativity and the list goes on. Shortly after discovering this gem...I decided to start our own family blog...thus...Life on Decatur Street was born....shortly after that...I turned into a "blog-stalker." Completely harmless crime by the way...no need to fret...or hide your babies.

I have always enjoyed writing and I still keep a journal to record my life for my children and maybe their children (not the most exciting of reads...but that's okay...I'm proud of what's inside, hand written on the pages). This, to me, is just the modern way of journaling. A fancy journal...if you will. Who doesn't love a fancy journal (or a fancy anything for that matter)?

I can spend hours a day, following blog link after blog link while my laundry piles up and I glance over and get that look from Mr. C...the one that says without words, "You're still online Blogging?" It has become part of my daily routine. Get children up and off to school...run through Starbucks for White Mocha...head home and switch on the computer...plop buttocks down and scroll through a list of lovelies and see who's been doing what. This is a wonderful way to be inspired by other ladies (sorry fellas...currently do not have one male blog saved to my favorites list...only because I'm not sure if such a thing exists..male blog... that is). I have discovered some of the neatest most creative ladies in this blog world. I found Valentine inspiration from Christina over at her blog. I stalk her blog daily to see what sort of wonderful must replicate and tweak to format my life craft she has been up too. I have stumbled onto decorating tips and baking recipes and things to do with my children (that is when I am not blog surfing). I get to catch a glimpse into the lives and daily musings of people that I do not even know. Strangely enough, after following some blogs...I feel like I do know the ladies behind the keyboard. In fact...Mr C. and I were in Hobby Lobby one day perusing through the home goods (lovely home goods section by the by...more specifically...I think we were in the section overflowing with iron thingies for the wall) and I recognised a gal across the isle. "Hey," I thought, and said out loud to the handsome Mr C..."I know her!" Mr. C replied back..."How do you know her?" (I'm thinking...what's with all the questions, honey?) I answered his question with the "I have come across her blog before" response that for whatever reason had Mr. C cracking up. When I asked him what's so funny (because if something is funny, I want to laugh at it too...I mean...who doesn't like a good laugh?) he said..."Honey, do you ACTUALLY know her then if you have only read her blog a couple of times?" Hmm. Guess not. Well that was deflating. But I felt like I knew her through her blog. I stopped myself from congratulating her on her new baby and from asking how the girls were handling the newborn at home and refrained from commenting about their Christmas pictures...they all looked so cute matchy-matchy and everything...and where did you find that neat wood calendar...you know, the one on your kitchen counter next to your cutlery set? Thought that might be sorta creepy to know that I...a complete stranger has been "blog-stalking."

I have secret hopes that I have some blog-stalkers out there...ladies who think that I have super exciting life happenings and creativity exploding out of my ears and are just itching to know what I have been up to as of late. That's now part of the motivation to blog, you know. I like to keep all potential blog-stalkers in the loop of the goings on here on Decatur Street. If you ever see me...strutting my stuff in the Hobby Lobby...or anywhere else for that mater...please...feel free to confess that you too are a blog-stalker..er..I mean...follower of my little blog. I'd love to hear from you.