I've been working on blog design pretty much non-stop since I put out my call for it. I think I overdid myself a bit- I got 46 responses! But I don't mind because it makes me happy to do it. I love doing design. The only stressful part has been answering emails. I tried to talk my husband into answering them all for me so I could focus on the creative side of things and he laughed at me. I had to try. 

I have a client who wants dandelions for her blog button. I looked EVERYWHERE for a good picture of them (that was actually usable- no stealing). There were none to be found. Of my FOUR design programs I have on my computer there was not one single dandelion. Not to be outsmarted by computers and my own ambitious "I can do anything" attitude, I grabbed my camera, went into my front yard, and started taking pictures of the dandelions growing there. Then I emailed her this picture and asked if she liked it. She was thrilled. And I was delighted to have found a use for both my graphic designs and my photography in one hit. 

But the best part? It was finding simple beauty in my own front yard. Until yesterday I hadn't even looked at the dandelions growing there. Now I can't stop staring.

This is a reminder to myself. I have so many interests, hobbies, and activities in my life. I am the girl that does everything and doesn't know how to say no. One day I told Aaron we can't ever have kids because I already sleep maybe 6 hours a night and still don't have enough time in the day. How will I ever add children to that mix? I think I'd go insane. Literally. I don't know how you moms out there do it; have kids and be a functioning member of society at the same time. In my mind it's one or the other. I know it's not really that black and white but you get the idea... Sooner or later something has to give. So what do I change? What do I give up or say no to? I only do things that I love. The problem is I love a lot of things. I don't remember the last time in my life I was truly bored. Possibly on my 12+ hour flight from the States to Japan? But that was only because I didn't have a laptop and no matter how many sleeping pills I took my body insisted on being awake the entire time. I swear I was so drowsy I fell into my food tray and yet somehow was still awake. That's some skills my friends. But I digress. When you love lots of things and you want to do it all, how do you decide what to do and what to give up?

PS You can say hi to me here today if you'd like.

It's been far too long since I've done an annoying post where all I show are pictures of Twink, don't you think? And since I shared with you my excitement over ordering this adorable Yoda hat for my baby I couldn't resist sharing the "after" pics once it arrived. Just try and resist this cuteness.

I know. You want to steal him. I hear it all the time.

I have a treat for you today. Lena from Mom2MemphisAndRuby is here visiting! Lena is one of my favorites. She's fun and original and she has some darling kids so there are always great pics on her blog. And because she loves us here at As It Seems she's giving away an ad space on her blog. I won one of those a few months ago and it was so great to work with her. It's definitely a prize you'll love! 


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I'm going to admit something... this is an old post!  BUT, there are many of that I haven't met yet OR maybe we became bloggy buddies AFTER I posted this... so pulling out this old post is totes justifiable!

I've been meaning to visit Sue here on As It Seems forever!!! I am so happy to finally be here!

My name is Lena and I blog over at Mom2MemphisAndRuby.

One of the things I'm ''famous'' for is how I named my kids.

Okay! I know ''famous'' might be an overstatement, but it's definitely a topic that comes up a lot AND it's how I named my blog, so I thought it would be fun to share!

Naming trends come & go and I love that people aren't shying away from giving their kids 'unique' names.  Picking "the right name" for you kid is a big deal to me.  I feel lucky to have a picked a couple of names that have been well received by friends, family & strangers alike! 

My son, Memphis, was named in honor of Elvis... or more specifically, the birthplace of  ''Rock 'n Roll.''
My husband threw it out there before I was even pregnant, and even though I LOVED it, I still went ahead and bought a ton of baby name books and searched online for hours & hours... until I realized that nothing compared to Memphis... it was different, withouth being weird, meant something to us and flowed well with the middle name I had already chosen (Mitchell).  It was perfect.  It's also a lot of fun seeing people's reaction to his name.  And he loves when he hears his name in a song (and there are quite a few about Memphis!).  It makes me happy to know that he thinks his name is special... because he really, really is one-of-a-kind!

Ruby, on the other hand, is a name we've loved for a really long time.  Early on in our relationship, baby names came up, we agreed we both loved the name and if we were ever blessed with a little girl, it woud be a shoe in!  Except by the time we were expecting her, we had grown tired of it... the novelty had worn off since we'd only ever talked about THAT name forever.  So, we started a new list.  Winter was a top contender, as were Ramona, Madden and a few others...

The day we found out we were having a girl, we literally just looked at each other and said ''Ruby!''  It just felt soooo right.  We paired it with Ramona... a tribute to our favorite punk band, The Ramones.  Ruby is such a sweet name.  I think it's ''cutesy'' enough for a baby, but ages well.  Ruby is a classic.  It's not nearly as uncommon as Memphis' name, but so far she's the only Ruby in town!  I'm happy she won't be referred to as ''Ruby L'' throughout her school years. 

I am really happy & proud of the names we chose for our children.

I sometimes wish I could have more babies so I could just so I could pick a couple more of my favorite names!! lol

I'd love for you to share your naming stories and visit us over at Mom2MemphisAndRuby!

I'd love to offer one of Sue's readers the opportunity to to win a 1 month Large Sponsorship space on the blog too!  Good luck!

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About the Husband Man

If I didn't write about my husband today I would feel very ungrateful. I know Memorial Day is the day to remember fallen service members, but it can also a day to honor all our service members. My husband is dedicated and hardworking and doesn't get nearly as much credit for pure awesome as he should. And so for the first time on my blog I'm going to properly introduce my him.

This is Aaron.

He's a member of the United States Air Force.
He doesn't usually get this dressed up, but our wedding was a special occasion.
He looked so handsome that day.

Usually he looks more like this, which suits him well.

Aaron Loves

Sue

Twink

Iced Tea

Video Games

Drawing

Aaron Likes

Grilling

Snowboarding

Being a Nerd

Coke Zero

Singing

Aaron Doesn't Like

Working Crazy Hours

Doing the Dishes

Waking Up Early

My Aaron is such a genuinely good person.
Today and every day, I am PROUD to call him my husband.

Something Good

Today is the day we link up for Send Something Good! What a fun project this was. Remember when I talked about it before? Anyway, I sent a package to Jess at The In Between and I received a package from Christianna at Dream On, Lovely. It was so fun. I think they said something like 180 bloggers participated in this project. These are the lovely things that I got in the mail.

She wrapped everything up and put cute tags giving me hints about them. 
It was so fun to open the box and see I still got to open "presents" after that.

I loved everything! 
The magazines were so fun to read- I've bookmarked several pages for future reference. 
I can't wait to cook with the seasoning. 
I must be creative and come up with something tasty!

The Mr. & Mrs. cups were handmade for us. 
She even included toys for my Twink baby! 
We all know anyone who spoils my puppy is automatically my friend.
And how did she know DP chapstick is my favorite kind? 

This is the package that I sent to Jess!

All sorts of Japanese goodness!
I had way too much fun putting her package together.

I'm especially excited about Sunday Favorites today. 

I've got some awesome things to share with you. 

BE EXCITED.

First is this cuff bracelet. 

Click on the link- you'll love it.

Wuthering Heights is one of my all time absolute favorite novels. 

I just so happened to find this treasure so I can WEAR the book and look adorbs. 

Don't worry, I've already ordered one and I'm waiting (not so) patiently for it's arrival.

Kristina shared her favorite go-to pinterest recipes this week and just looking at them made me hungry!

Patricia has spent this month writing about her personal experiences with foster care for National Foster Care Month. 

It's some really beautiful writing.

This mango+avocado salad looks too delish to miss. 

And I have everything to make it in my fridge.

Kirstie wrote a fun post about enjoying the little moments together- especially when you don't get a lot of them!

And at this very moment THIS is how I feel.

So I'm going to let my husband take me out to dinner.

Today we went to a museum showcasing the work of Terayama. He was an avant-garde artist who did most of his work in the 40's and 50's. Apparently his art wasn't appreciated then but now people love it. Basically his main goal in art was to shock or scare people.

The museum itself was so fun. They had an interactive section with all sorts of wooden creations you could actually climb in and ride around. The boys sat on the floor and built an elaborate wooden domino design culminating in a heart. They had a "create your own art" section with all sorts of things to craft together, along with power tools and saws (and it's supposed to be for children...) to help you create. I made a little wooden sculpture (for lack of a better word) and left it there so I can now brag that I have a piece of art on display in a Japanese museum. I bet you don't know many people who can say that! They also had a big wall where people write their name or draw a picture to leave their mark. You can see my simple contribution below. It was unlike any museum I've seen in the States and as strange as it was I kind of loved it.

These last two pictures are my favorite. The top one says "Sue" in Kanji and the bottom one says "Aaron." We had a friend write them for us (front and back) and then Aaron strung it on some string to make a little necklace for me. So cute. And the strangely fantastic red mustache? That was the front door. We knew right away we were in for something awesome.

I spent some time today and got my design portfolio together and ready to share. I've learned a lot and I've really loved what I've done so far. I'm still doing designs for free but it won't last much longer. If you want a FREE blog design, or just a button, or header, or about me blurb, visit my design site and fill out my order form or send me an email at 

design.asitseems{at}gmail{dot}com

I would love to work with you!

PS I also shared some tips & ideas on my design blog to get your creative juices flowing!

So we had an earthquake here in Japan. Literally twenty minutes ago. Not a little one- those happen daily and half the time I don't notice them. It was a 6.0 and only a few miles from my house, so I definitely felt it. Our house wobbled around us and our possessions all shook, some fell to the floor. Twink looked at us with panic in his face and Aaron and I just stared at each other, with him taking my hand, and feeling our world shake around us. And as my world was threatening to come down around me all I could think was

as long as we have each other we'll be okay.

I don't often post cheesy things (gross) but I have to say it. 

This man makes my world.

I absolutely adore him.

I renamed my blog.

I know, it's not normal. It causes confusion and people probably think I'm a little crazy. But I did it because I wanted to. It seems sudden to my readers but I promise you, it's not. I came up with Hello. Also, I love you. in 5 minutes back in November. I wanted a new name for my blog that was original and fun, so it was born. I was also participating in my very first giveaway through a friend's blog and I wanted to have my new name before the giveaway went up because I didn't want to confuse people when I changed it soon after. So I threw it together and away we went. 

But I never loved the name. It was long and I'm picky about punctuation... no one ever got it right. And that's okay because I don't expect others to be picky like I am. As time went on I liked my title less and less. Then I redid the look of my blog in May. I loved it. For about a week. And then I went right back to being unhappy with it (I know, so picky). So I realized I needed to take a long look at the blog and figure out what it was I didn't like. After all, it's my personal blog and at the end of the day I need to be the one that really loves it. After a lot of thought and planning, I unveiled this new look, complete with new blog name.

Now, about the name.

As It Seems

My original thought was "life isn't always as it seem." Of course that was really long and I didn't want a long title so I shortened it to As It Seems. And the minute I thought of it I loved it. Then I played around with it in my head for a bit and I still loved it. Then a week later (talk about fate!) I watched the season finale of one of my favorite shows and a song played at the end that I instantly fell in love with. And it's called As It Seems. Is that meant to be, or what? It's like the universe was telling me that I'd picked the perfect blog title. 

Or something. 

If you're curious about the song go ahead and listen.

Mostly I wanted a title that reflects my life. I have an amazing, beautiful, wonderful life. I try to show you my real life, the good and bad. I try to portray it in its true light. To show you my life as it really is. Life around here is as it seems (or as close to the reality as I can make it).

I had a friend tell me I couldn't possibly understand their problems because my husband and I don't fight. Ha. That's funny because we do fight (granted, not often or badly) but we don't do it in front of them. We all have trials, problems, and hard times. Just because I talk about the good times more often than the bad doesn't mean the bad isn't there. If I sat down at my computer every day and wrote about how much I miss my family, or greasy american food, or shopping malls that don't break the bank, I'd be a very ungrateful person. I'm sad sometimes. I'm happy more. But I try to always be real. If I have a bad day I write about it. If I have a good day I write about it. If I have a boring day... well I usually skip over those because no one but me really cares if I did nothing but read for six hours. But I like to keep it real. I wanted a change and I made it happen. Seize the moment, and all that jazz. I'm thrilled with the change and I plan on keeping it this way from now on.


And because I love you all, here are some pics from my week. 

PS I've updated my sponsor info. Don't worry, it's still free swaps. I'm changing it a bit though and now each swap needs to be refreshed each month. If I don't hear from you about renewal your button will come down on the 1st. Also, I'm limiting the number of buttons displayed each month. If I hit the limit you'll be asked to wait to the next month. I'm minimizing in my life and I'm happy about it. I hope this helps my sponsors get more traffic as well. Fewer buttons mean more views. If you'd like to sponsor As It Seems for June send me an email quick. Spots are already filling up!

An extra PS- did you guys see how amazing Kirsten is? She basically decorated my house for me. From 10,000 miles away. The girl has got some skills. Go visit her and she'll do it for you, too!

My dear bloggy friends, I've got a fabulous guest for you today. Kristina is visiting to share with us her pursuit of a healthy lifestyle for her family and some simple ways you can do it too. And she's so sweet because she's going to give some custom organic beauty products to one lucky reader. I always lament that I can't enter my own giveaways because I want one of everything. I suppose I'll have to just order myself some lotion instead. I hope you'll visit Kristina and show her some love!

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Hi there! My name is Kristina and I blog over at From City Corporate to Suburb Mama. A huge reason I got into blogging last summer was our real foods journey. If you're not familiar with the term "real foods" it basically means eating food as close to it's natural form as possible and getting all the goodness you can from your foods. This means tossing the packaged food, trying to eat more seasonally, buying organic (or at least avoiding the dirty dozen) and making all your foods from scratch (as much as possible) and preparing them similar to how they would have 100+ years ago. It sounds like a lot, and it's definitely been a journey that has required baby steps in some areas.


While I wanted us to pursue a healthier lifestyle, I also knew that because we are a 1 income family, we would need to be careful about how we made this transition.


I wanted to share a few things that we were able to do fairly quickly with little or no money involved. They also were immediate steps to better health.

Make your own yogurt.  That might sound complicated, but as you can see here, where I shared how easy it is, you will find that it can be done! Not only is it so much better for you than store-bought yogurt that has so many additives and sweeteners, it's also so much cheaper! When you figure that organic yogurt on sale can range from 75-99 cents per cup, it's easy to have that add up! Especially if you have kids that like to snack on yogurt too! I dare you to try it! :)

Stop using your microwave.  This is something that started in our home with the ringing in of the new year. I've stopped using plastic in the microwave, I challenged myself and my readers back in the fall, but I know I need to give it up completely. It's so easy to pop things in the microwave, but I get excited thinking about how much healthier our food will be for us  without the use of the microwave! and this tip is completely free! I confess, this is a hard one, and I do occasionally still use it, but with our move next month, we're leaving the microwave behind and not getting a new one! I'm excited about that!! 

Make your own on-the-go snacks.  Especially because we're mostly grain/gluten free in our home now, having snacks for on-the-go can get super expensive, super fast! It's amazing the variety of gluten-free options there are out there, but they don't come without a hefty price and they are mostly processed foods so a no-go now! Most of the time, I make all our snack foods. Most recently I made Larabars. If you've never had larabars, they are naturally gluten free and usually involve just a couple ingredients. Truly my kind of "make-it-yourself" recipe! They are so easy! Here's a link to the simple instructions I use: make your own larabars.

Another thing we did almost immediately that greatly helped our son Lucas, find relief from his eczema, was make our own hard lotion. It's a recipe I've perfected over the last year or so and I'm thrilled to have recently opened my etsy shop, Organic Mami. It's organic and all natural and hard, so it requires the use of NO preservatives! It also uses ingredients you could eat, so I feel really good about putting it on all our skin! I'm so happy to offer one lucky reader some lotion and lip balm today! And, I'd love to hear from you and get to know you better, so please, stop by my blog and say hi! 

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A Letter to Me

A letter to my eighteen-year-old self. 

And perhaps also my sisters. 

And anyone who wants my twenty-six years of wisdom.

And maybe even a reminder to future me.

Don't be afraid to try new things.

When opportunities come along do not be afraid to grab them. You only live once. And this life is a precious gift. Sometimes new opportunities are scary but they can bring amazing results. Once you let go of the fear you're left with something amazing.

Always follow your instincts.

Call it what you want. A gut feeling. An answer to a prayer. Intuition. It's there. Some of us are more in tune with it, but it's always there. And it is real. If you get a bad feeling about something, listen to it.

You are a beautiful person.

Inside and out. And when you are beautiful on the inside, it reflects on the out. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind, and a beautiful soul. And you should share that with the world, even when you're afraid of judgement.

People matter most of all.

The relationships you have with your family and close friends will sustain you throughout your life. When you need support and someone to lift you up you can always turn to them. And they can turn to you. Relationships are the most precious part of life. 

Always be true to yourself.

Don't do anything because everyone else is doing it. Do something because you love it. Because you're passionate about it. And because you feel it deep in your soul.

Find your passion, and live it.
Life isn't about the destination. It's about the journey. So go out and live your beautiful, passionate life.

Sunday Favorites is quickly becoming my favorite post of the week. 

I hope you all love it as much as I do.

First of all, I know you've probably all seen it before but if you haven't, WATCH THIS VIDEO. 
I've watched Noah for a little while now but this is his best song yet. 
You'll love it.



J does some fabulous outfit posts but so far this one is my favorite. 


Malo posted some great Sunday Funnies today that were all about Mad Men. 
I love Mad Men.


This DIY of Instagram art is amazing.
I can't wait to try it!


Britney just became a Stella & Dot rep. 
Don't they have the cutest jewelry? 
I'm crazy about it.


I found an Etsy store that sells amazing shoe prints inspired by cocktails.
Shoes and drinks? 
Fantastic idea.


Mindy wrote a letter to herself that made me happy so I have to share it.


And I definitely ordered this hat for Twink.
Because I am an awesome nerd.

It's that time again. But before I introduce these awesome ladies to you I'm going to share a truth. I'm a blog-a-holic. I admit it. I read way too many blogs but I can never have too many bloggy friends. There is no such thing. I feel better having admitted that. Now on to my ladies. Like always, they've answered three questions about themselves and shared three random things they'd like us to know. I hope you'll take a minute to read about them and visit their blogs. Enjoy!

Meet Alli from Neither Rhyme Nor Reason

• Why do you blog? I blog as a way to journal the every day happenings in my life and to support people who might be going through adoption plans.
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live in Utah.  Mostly I love that my family is here. I used to dream of moving away as soon as possible, but now I can't imagine living without my family so close. What do I hate about it?  Snow. I should be living in Southern Utah.
• What is your favorite drink? I love an ice cold glass of water. I also like soda...a little too much. Dr Pepper and Sprite are favorites.
• Random 1~ I can shake my eyes.
• Random 2~ I hate apartment living and can't wait until the day we can own a home.
• Random 3~ I have misophonia.

Meet Mindy from My Life As Mindy

• Why do you blog? I blog because I found I missed writing after I finished my masters program. I had been blogging for about a year, but it was more for fun. Then in January, I realized writing was an outlet for me and I needed it. 
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live in sunny Tucson, AZ. I love it here! Even though it is hot is misrible, it is my home and I wouldn't change it. The desert in bloom is a beautiful sight! 
• What is your favorite drink? My favorite drink changes all the time. Coffee is always apart of the mix! I am currently trying to drink less Pepsi and more Iced Tea or water. 
• Random 1~ I want to write a book one day.
• Random 2~ I want to get my PhD in Education.
• Random 3~ I love Jelly beans.

Meet Tiff from The Coffeehouse

• Why do you blog? I started blogging as a way to document my life... to remember all the crazy, exciting and adventurous stuff that happens while sitting at home with husband and lab. I continue to blog because I love meeting new people, listening to their stories and sharing some of my own. It's a great big blog world out there. And I am officially hooked. 
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? Kansas. Love the sunsets. Hate the humidity.
• What is your favorite drink? My maiden name was Wine. I'm not kidding. Tiffany Wine. That should answer that question.
• Random 1~ I'm a certified scuba diver.
• Random 2~ I wanted to be a veterinarian as a little girl.
• Random 3~ I hate science (see why the vet thing didn't work out so well?)

Meet Kristina from From City Corporate to Suburb Mama

• Why do you blog? Blogging is an outlet for me in my crazy life as a stay at home mami of three kiddos, 6, 3 and 1. I started my blog shortly after quitting my full time job of 7 years to stay home with my  kiddos. 
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? We live right outside of NYC in NJ for two more months and then we'll be moving back into NYC where we work, go to church and do most of our lives. We lived there 4 years ago and cannot wait to get back. We are so excited about being close to our church community which is so much more like family! Having several friends in a 10-20 block radius will be so amazing, especially in NYC! 
• What is your favorite drink? coffee! ;)
• Random 1~ I'm the oldest of three.
• Random 2~ I'm a lefty.
• Random 3~ Peanut butter and chocolate are my favorite combination of sweets!

Meet Lena from Mom2MemphisAndRuby

• Why do you blog? I blog to keep me sane! I love that it's something I do ''just for me.''  AND the fact that I've made some wonderful friendships along the way is just icing on the cake!
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live in a small town in Quebec, Canada.  I love that the community is close-knit and there for each other... but being so small also means gossip travels pretty.darn.fast around these parts. Not cool.
• What is your favorite drink? That would be a tie between a hot cup of tea or an ice-cold Diet Dr. Pepper. ♥
• Random 1~ I hate cheese.
• Random 2~ I kinda love ''Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures'' on Nick (ha! if you know what show I'm talking about, you probably love it too!!:)
• Random 3~ I'm horrible at giving directions, and I hate driving in the city.

Meet Patricia from Little Red Writing Hood

• Why do you blog? I like being able to re-read over my travels, pursuits, and my life in general. I consider my blog a kind of personal writer's scrapbook. It's also for inspiration! And a place to vent.
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I love the scenery and culture here. You might not think "Utah" and "culture" go hand in hand, but you'd be surprised.  
• What is your favorite drink? Is it too boring if I say water? I drink water like it's going out of style. But as far as "real" drink goes I'm a fan of pina coladas. Any time of year. 
• Random 1~ I'm left handed and I loooove being left handed. I'm like the left-handed encyclopedia. I can name over a hundred famous people who are left handed.
• Random 2~ Most of the music I listen to is soundtrack or classical. To some it's boring. To me it's inspiring!
• Random 3~ I can sing various songs in ten different languages. I don't know how that happened. 

Meet Stephanie from Potentially Delightful

• Why do you blog? I blog because it's my "space" - I can show off my creative side, fashion, life, etc, in a place where other people can relate to me and share similar interests that I do.
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live in Missouri. I love that my family is near (that's about it- I really don't like Missouri). I hate almost everything else. 
• What is your favorite drink? My favorite drink is Sweet Tea.
• Random 1~ I used to hate the color pink.
• Random 2~ I like eating peanut butter & banana sandwiches.
• Random 3~ I used to have my lip pierced and I miss it a lot but I had to take it out for work.

Meet Brittney from The Musings of a Twenty-Something Wife

• Why do you blog? I'm not really sure why I blog to be honest. It started as just something that I wanted to do for fun. Now, it has turned into so much more. I love thinking of new things to write about and connecting with my readers. Blogging has added a lot of meaning to my life and has helped me to discover who I really am! So in short I guess I just blog for me.
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live near Baltimore. What I love is that I'm so close to the water. I love the beach, and boat rides and swimming. And while we are close to the water we still have a great city life with amazing shopping and restaurants. 
• What is your favorite drink? Oh, I have a lot of favorite drinks. 1. Water. 2. Coke. 3. Lemon drop martini - not necessarily in that order. ;)
• Random 1~ I'm not sure what my natural hair color is - I've been highlighting/dying since 8th grade and after I get it done I head strait to my mother's house to see if she likes it, if she likes it then I do because her opinion is the most important. 
• Random 2~ My husband is famous! 
• Random 3~ I could eat sugary cereal for any meal. I love me some frosted flakes, cinnamon toast crunch, smacks, fruit loops... yumm!!

Meet Kirsten from Through the Front Door

• Why do you blog? This is a funny question because my fiance asks me this all the time. When I tell him about a new series I'm starting or whatnot, he'll say, "I just don't get why you do that, it just seems like WORK." But to me, blogging is fun...it's one of the things I do for me. I get to talk about what I love most (home design), and the rewarding part is that there are people out there who actually care about what I have to say. I originally started blogging in order to document all the wonderful design inspiration I would find while I perused the internet.  Back before the days of Pinterest (gasp!), I would bookmark everything I found...and I hated bookmarks.  Because there were no pretty pictures, I would always forget what I saved, and would never be able to find what I was looking for.  So, I decided to try my had at blogging. Once I started, I fell in love...and now that I've gotten the opportunity to meet so many other wonderful bloggers and hear their stories, I can't imagine NOT blogging.
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? Well, currently, I'm homeless. Just kidding, kind of. I'm in the process of moving back to Minnesota from Denver, so in the meantime I'm staying with my best friend. But - Denver, I adore. It is seriously probably one of my favorite cities. I mean, you can drive for 30 minutes in be in the mountains, the winters are mild, the summers are outstanding, and the city itself is just amazing. However, I do miss my lakes...and my family, which brings me to Minnesota. I was born and raised in Minnesota, Duluth to be particular, which is right on the pointy part of Lake Superior. The lakes are by far the most spectacular part of Minnesota (over 15,000 of them!), and in the fall if you drive up the north shore you will see the most gorgeous fall colors ever. Even though I grew up in Duluth, I call Minneapolis home. I went to undergrad there, and that's where majority of my family is...not to mention my fiancé. It is such a fun city (you all need to visit). As for what I don't like about Minnesota...well for one, the INSANELY cold winters. I'm talking seriously freeze your tush off cold. Also, the humidity can be a bit much in the summer, as well as the mosquitos. Otherwise, I love the state.
• What is your favorite drink? My favorite drink is any drink that is mango flavored...although I am particularly fond of mango margaritas. YUM.
• Random 1~ I'm really tall.  Like, 5' 10" tall.  And I love to wear heels. 
• Random 2~ I think bananas taste better when they're sliced.  Seriously. 
• Random 3~ I'm terrified of spiders.  I blame it on watching Arachnophobia when I was 4 (gee thanks Mom and Dad...why'd you let me do that?)

Meet Malo from Life Feels Good in Portbail Beach

• Why do you blog? I started blogging at Life feels good in Portbail Beach in August 2011. We had just moved here and I wanted to write about my everyday life in our new place. Little by little, I discovered new blogs, new universes, new atmospheres and I realized it could be more than just a daily journal. So I also started writing about anything that interests me such as music, movies, latest favourites... What is awesome about blogging is meeting new people from all over the world and being in contact with adorable women. Blogging is my new hobby and I try to develop it by writing more and in a better English (minus the French accent!).
• Where do you live? And what do you love or hate about it? I live with my fiancé Ludo and our cat Garfield in Portbail, a small port in Normandy. This part of France is very marked by WW2 (we live next to the Allies landing beaches) and we have lots of museums and monuments dedicated to this period. We also live near Cherbourg, known for being an arsenal and one of Titanic's port of calls. A permanent exhibition about the ship has just opened here. I love living here. It's beautiful, peaceful and we love being surrounded by green, apple trees and cows! That is not a cliché, we do have lots of them!
• What is your favorite drink? I'm addicted to cappuccino. I can drink up to 10 cappuccinos a day. The only wrong side about that addiction is that I spend a lot of time in the ladies' room!
• Random 1~ I work full-time as a teacher. I teach English to pupils aged 10 to 15 in a rural school. I love my job even if it can be very tiring and oppressive sometimes. We do have many hats : I am the English teacher, but I can also be the nurse, the social worker, the psychologist, even the big sister or the mama.
• Random 2~ Ludo and I are getting married in August 17, 2013. I am going to be his Mrs and am so happy and proud of it ! We're looking forward to that day and I actually plan to write many posts about the planning of our wedding.
• Random 3~ Apart from being addicted to cappuccino, I also have a huge addiction for movies and TV series. Right now, I'm pretty much into TV series. We are a bit late here in France, I've just finished Pretty Little Liars and am currently watching Mad Men season 1. A few weeks ago I was completely obsessed with The Walking Dead and Downton Abbey, to such an extent that I often dreamt of zombies in my garden and talked like Lady Mary Crowley. Weird.