31 Days of Blogging: I'm Committing!

31 Days of Gracefully Aging

My blog has been rather hit-or-miss lately...mostly miss.  But today I came across a challenge that will force compel me to blog faithfully, at least for 31 days.

It's called simply "31 days," and it's a challenge to write on one topic in your blog every day in the month of October.

The topic I've chosen is:

Gracefully Aging

I'm on the far side of my 50's...so much so that I can see that big 60 milestone looming in the not-too-distant future.

A while back, I determined to be the best "woman of a certain age" that I can be.  My blog will focus on making the aging experience as beautiful as possible...not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well.

I plan to include, not only tips and advice from experts, but profiles of some of the gracefully-aging women that inspire me most.

Also, plenty of encouragement for those who, like me, want to believe that loveliness is not necessarily a quality that belongs only to the young!

Here's hoping for a successful month of blogging!

Here's a list of each post as it becomes available:

Day One: Modeling Joy

Day 2: Is there an expiration date on beauty?

Day 3: What about cosmetic surgery?

Day 4: Role models! My sister Beverly

Day 5: Wise Words

Day 6:  To gray or not to gray?

Day 7: Role models! Marie-Therese of The French Touch

Day 8:  Using health and fitness to defy your age

Day 9: YouTuber Miss Tammy

Day 10: Hair--The Long and Short of It

Day 11: Charla Krupp's How Not to Look Old

Day 12: Wise Words

Day 13: The Anti-Aging Serum that's Freely Available

Day 14: Blogs! 40+Style

Day 15: Makeup--Is Less More?

Day 16:  A Responsibility to Mentor

Day 17:  A Responsibility to Mentor Part 2

Day 18: Christie Brinkley's Anti-Aging Tips

Day 19:  Wise Words

Day 20: Blogs! Pam of OverFiftyFeeling40

Day 21: Our Aging Parents

Day 22: Our Aging Parents Part 2

Day 23: A makeup tutorial for mature women

Day 24: The Joy of Grandparenting

Day 25: Judy Chapman of Modern and Mature

Day 26:  Great Quotes about Aging Well

Day 27: Losing a Parent

Day 28: Living in an Empty Nest

Day 29: Blogs! Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Day 30: Helen Mirren


Day 31:  I Did It!

My Favorite (Best?) Posts of 2012

source

2012 wasn't my most prolific blogging year.  As I believe most long-term bloggers do, I went through some slumps.  But I believe I did do some quality blogging, and I thought I'd share what I consider my top 5 posts of this past year.

If you're a new follower, I hope you'll check out some of these oldies-but-goodies! In no particular order...

Adventures in Hair-drying - I take the opportunity afforded by Hair Dryer Appreciation day to reminisce about the ridiculously complicated hair styling routine I endured back in the 70s.

Saturday Review of Books: The Hunger Games - My review of "The Hunger Games" (the book, not the movie) was one of my most-read posts of the year...although I read it seemingly much later than everyone else.

Do You Hate Women Because They're Beautiful? - A British journalist's much-publicized article about how tough it is to be gorgeous prompted this post.

Is There an Expiration Date on Beauty? - When a male magazine editor insinuated that women have a "shelf life" when it comes to beauty and fashion, I asked what my readers thought about it.

The Most Famous Lovers of Literature and History - Somehow this ended up on Pinterest, so it has gotten a lot of views. It's a perfect fit for Valentine's Day, a costume party or just to see how many of them you've ever actually heard of.

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

"Young Woman Blogging, after Marie Denise Villers," by Mike Licht

Source: flickr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Today marks my 9th anniversary of blogging. I can't believe it!

 Nine years. So much has changed.

 Nine years ago, on October 3rd, I was looking forward to my son Jonathan's wedding in January.

 I still had one child at home...two if you count one who was away at college.

 My dad was still living, albeit with terminal cancer.

 I lived in a different house. I was still working at 101QFL/Radio 91, where I had worked since 1981, and I couldn't imagine that changing for a very long time.

 I hadn't yet been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I hadn't yet experienced the joy of being a grandmother.

 Yes, so much has changed.

  Even this blog has changed.

When I first typed into that Blogger box (yes, I've stuck with Blogger all these years), I was excited about having another outlet for writing and connecting.

But I began by looking at the blog as a sort of public diary...kind of, "This happened to me today, or I did this last weekend, and here are my thoughts on it."

Over time, the blog has become much more topical.  Perhaps my only rule of blogging is that I have to be vitally interested in whatever I'm blogging about.  If I'm vitally interested, maybe you will be too.

With images easily available via outlets like Google and Pinterest, my blog has become much more photo-driven.  I want it to be visually appealing, pleasing to the eye.

As I've tried to come to terms with aging by being proactive about beauty and fashion, that, too, is reflected in my blog.

And with every post, I try to be cognizant of my belief that as a Christian, I am to be "salt and light" in the society in which I live.

I try to reflect the philosophy of my life verse, Philippians 4:8, and my personal motto (a quote from Mother Teresa),  "O Lord, let your light shine on others through me."

I hope you like it

I've never had an enormous number of readers of my blog, although it does have its following.  But I'd be kidding myself if I said I didn't care about that.

I put care into my posts, and I do it hoping for an audience.  As long as I continue to blog, I'll probably be trying to get more people to read it. :)

This is the first thing I wrote on this blog:

Well...hello.

I guess this is my introduction to the world of blogging...a modern technological wonder that appears to be tailor-made for people like me, who can't seem to stop putting their thoughts on paper (or cyber-paper, as the case may be!)

I think this is going to be fun!

And it has been. :)

By the way...

A lot of people celebrate their blogging anniversary with a give-away.  As it happens, I'm already in the midst of one!  DO go here and enter to win this beautiful top from Soft Surroundings...time is running out!

I've been terrible.

I haven't blogged in almost a month!

I really don't have a great excuse. I've been blogging for almost 9 years now, and sometimes it goes in cycles...there are times that your enthusiasm wanes, or you just don't feel like you have anything to say.

Because I do really enjoy blogging, though, I won't be abandoning this blog. And with a new season approaching, I feel my creativity slowing returning.

In fact, an awesome give-away is just around the corner!  Everything's in place for it...I just have to decide when it will actually go live.

Stay tuned! :)

So is anyone else obsessed with Instagram?

Well, I finally got a smart phone.  It's not an iPhone, but it is at least capable of being connected to the Internet, and more importantly...Instagram!

I do radio commercials for a beautiful shop called Crimson Ridge, and they gave me a bunch of tulips today!

Here's what Instagram is all about (from their website):

It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your photos with friends and family.
Snap a picture, choose a filter to transform its look and feel, then post to Instagram. Share to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr too – it's as easy as pie. It's photo sharing, reinvented.
Oh yeah, did we mention it’s free?

I've been going a little nutso experimenting with Instagram.  But here's an apology upfront: I'm sorry a lot of these pictures are of me.  I'm really not that vain.  It's just that I've pretty much been all alone for most of this week and I'm, like, the only subject around.

I do plan to remedy that, and take cool pictures that other people might actually enjoy seeing.

So here we go:

Here's one I snapped of hubby so his picture would show up when he calls me.

Here's one I snapped of me, so my picture will show up when I call him.

Sorry if this one's kinda lame.  I had literally just installed Instagram, and was looking around for anything to take a picture of.  This happens to be a bookcase in my home.

This is what my hair looks like basically in its natural state, albeit helped along with some product.  If you'd like to know what I do when I wear my hair curly (which is about 25 to 30 per cent of the time), and what products I use, go here.

Here's another idea.  I don't have a scanner, but I decided to take a picture of a picture that's never been put  on line.  These are my boys, Jonathan and Justin, at the ages of about 5 and 2.  (They are now 32 and 29.  WHERE did that time go?!?)

Another pic with the flowers--this one taken with a cool, glowy, filtered light effect.  By the way, women of a certain age like myself?  Instagram effects can be quite kind to us.

Now I'm even more excited about Instagram, because I found out how to put my Instagram photos directly into an album on Facebook.  It's called instafb.  Cool!

OK, now some questions for YOU:

Do you have Instagram?

Do you use it a lot?

Anything you particularly like about it?

Any suggestions or tips for me?

PLEASE let me know in my comments section!

A Spring Make-over

Notice the new look?

Yep, the make-over is for my blog...and it was necessary.  That's because my previous background was from Shabby Blogs, and Shabby Blogs was apparently hacked.  When I tried to access my blog last night, I got a Google Chrome message advising me of malware.

So I had to "change my skin."

This background is from Hot Bliggity Blog.  I'm not sure if this change will be permanent, but for now I like its light, airy look.

Were you affected by the Shabby Blog debacle?  Let me know!

I've Been Tagged!

via

One of my favorite bloggers, Pam at over50feeling40, has tagged me with a "get-to-know-the-blogger" thing.  A fun opportunity for (not literally!) navel-gazing. :)

It involves answering 11 questions posed to me by Pam…. then confessing 11 random things about me…and finally asking my own 11 questions of 11 other bloggers. Here we go!

Here are the questions Pam asked me...



1. Name one lesson you have learned from blogging?--That I can come up with  a post that I think is extremely interesting, appealing and well-written, and I won't get one single comment on it...whereas something I just threw on there will get a lot of response! So, patience and trying not to be too competitive, because I'm never going to be a superstar blogger.


2. What makes you smile?--My two grandsons, Payton (almost 5) and Josiah (2).  Even just looking at pictures or videos of them, I'll catch myself with a silly grin on my face!


3. What do you enjoy most about being a woman?--Wow...so many things.  But honestly?  I think I love dressing up and "fixing up." 


4. What is one thing you would tell young girls to remember when they get older?--That EVERYTHING has consequences.  Good and bad.  Too much tanning? You'll have wrinkles way before your time.  Those tattoos that look so cute now?  They're going to look ghastly when you get older...especially that cute little one on your tummy.  Make a good skin care regimen a daily part of your life now? It will pay dividends when you're older.


5. You wish you had learned to : sew and play the piano.

6. Your favorite place in the whole world is: Austin, TX.  Just because that's where so many people  I love are.


7. If you were stuck in an elevator, who would you like to be stuck with: my sisters.


8. The next book you want to read is: I just started my first Elizabeth George mystery (A Great Deliverance)on Kindle, and I checked out the next two in the series from the library.  So it will be Payment Upon Death.


9. Hardwood floors or carpet?--Depends on the room.  I love hardwood floors, but there's something about a nice cushy carpet in a den or family room.


10. Coffee or tea?--Coffee in the morning, but I love a good cup of tea as well.


11. Dresses or jeans?--I really do love dresses, and a comfortable dress can be even more comfortable than a pair of jeans.  But there's a time and a place for both!
And here are the 11 random things about me:

1.  I love the sound of Celtic music.  Even bagpipes.

2.  I started working in radio when I was 19 years old.

3.  I do calligraphy pretty well...I've even been paid to do it!

4.  My favorite kind of movies are romantic comedies that aren't filthy...and sadly, they're few and far between.

5.  My favorite book in the world other than the Bible is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

6.  I like to fly, but I could NEVER jump out of an airplane.

7.  My favorite drink in the world used to be Coca Cola, but I have not had more than a few sips of it since I was diagnosed as Type 2 Diabetic in 2007.

8.  I once covered a murder trial in which the suspect (already a convicted murderer) escaped while being escorted to the courtroom.  (He was found, convicted of that murder, and has since been executed.)

9.  I dream about visiting Ireland, but also England and Scotland.  And Paris!

10.  I've been told I do a really good impression of Dolly Parton singing.

11.  I love to sing.

OK, now I'm going to cheat a little...


Rather than singling bloggers out to tag, I'm going to invite you to answer the questions Pam asked me on your own blog, along with the 11 things about yourself.  If you want to make up questions and tag others, feel free!

Saying goodbye to my book blog...at least for now

Source: travel-living.becomegorgeous.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Well, I've decided to merge my book blog, Cindy's Book Club, with this blog, at least for the time being.

The blog never really took off readership-wise, and sometimes it's hard to maintain two blogs and do them both justice.  When I started the book blog, I was unemployed and had plenty of time on my hands

As for book reviews, author interviews and all other things books and reading--including my participation in book blog-hops, etc--they'll continue right here.  Books and reading have always been one of the ruling passions in my life, and that's not going away!

As for the reviews and other content on Cindy's Book Club, that will stay where it is.  And who knows, someday I may return to double-blogging--never say never!

In the meantime, I invite you to check out some of my most popular posts on Cindy's Book Club...

--My review of Siri Mitchell's She Walks in Beauty

--I have a crush on Adam Dalgleish

--My review of Son of Hamas

--My review of Diane Noble's The Sister Wife

--My review of Julie Andrews' Home

Some of My Favorite Posts of 2011

If you blog, have you ever worked hard on a post, really put your all into it, only to feel it was completely lost in the shuffle and never thought of again?

Well, I decided to look back on 2011 and dig up some of my favorite posts that disappeared into the ether I hope you'll check one or all of them out when you have a moment!



January--Brisco County Jr, where have you been all my life?--Thanks to DVR, I fell in love with a TV show from several years ago.


February--A Touch of Spring--While blizzards swirled and temperatures plummeted, I yearned for spring with some lovely images.


March--Today is As Young as You Feel Day--Some thoughts on being the best you can be at any age.


April--A Royal Wedding, a Fairy-Tale Princess--I adore Duchess Kate, and I was all caught up in the royal wedding excitement!


May--Paris, Je T'aime--My pictorial homage to a city that I long to see.


June--When was the last time you wrote a letter?--Thoughts on the dying--or maybe still quite alive--art of letter writing


July--Beautiful Bedrooms--If anything inspires you to re-decorate your bedroom, it will be these gorgeous pictures.


August--When I Went to a British School--I reminisce about attending a British school in Beirut, Lebanon, when my parents were missionaries in the mid-60's.


September-- Oh, How Pinteresting!--Yep, this was the year that I discovered Pinterest...probably the most gorgeous and informative place on the Internet. In this post, I display a variety of cool things I'd been seeing on the site.



October--I'm Finally Wearing More Scarves--I finally catch on to one of the more attractive trends of 2011 (and it's a trend that has staying power.)


November--Some of My Favorite Childhood Books--I celebrate National Young Reader's Day by reminiscing about some of my best-loved childhood reads.



December--It's Still a Wonderful Life--My tribute to what is probably my favorite movie of all time.

Some Awesome New Blogs I've Found!

I've adopted a new life verse for myself. It's Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

As a news reporter, I'm constantly confronted with things that are disturbing and ugly--the violent side of humanity.

I have to stop frequently and remind myself to think about things that are just, pure, and lovely.

So I've memorized that verse. And I'm trying to surround myself with things that are in keeping with that verse...and that includes the blogs I read.

I have some amazing blogs on my sidebar...check all of them out! Of course, I don't blanketly endorse everything that's written on each one, but there's some good stuff there.

In recent months I've found some more wonderful blogs that enhance my online experience and therefore, my life.

Here are a few of them:

I love this young woman's vibrant spirit, lovely style and missional heart. Right now she's on a visit to China, which seems to own a big part of her heart.

Pam of Over50Feeling40

Over50Feeling40--As I get older, I never want to "give up" when it comes to my looks or my style! Blogs like this encourage me to be the best "woman of a certain age" that I can be.

This is from Pam's mission statement:

"Just after my fiftieth birthday, I received a brutal wakeup call….my new driver’s license came in the mail! I looked at the woman in the picture and was shocked…she looked elderly, worn out, and downcast. She was overweight and wearing an oversized, man’s polo making her appear much larger. She had no makeup and frayed, greying hair. The picture communicated that she was tired and had given up on herself. On that day in 2003, I realized that I had given everyone in my life (my family and students) every drop of my time and put myself on the back burner. I began with vigorous determination to reinvent myself. The journey has led me to fun, joy, peace, confidence, and new directions…but is a continuous process.


"Therefore, my mission with over50feeling40 is to inspire women over 50 to look and feel their best… to strive to be women of strength and dignity…and to enjoy every single day of life…one day at a time."

Castles, Crowns and Cottages

I've been following Anita for some time, and I truly love her unique blog! Anita doesn't post every day, so a new post from her is an event!

She displays gorgeous images and ties them all together with writing that is nothing short of poetic. I have commented to her that her blog is like an oasis of loveliness on the internet. It's like a little visit to a beautiful, relaxing and encouraging place.

The following blogs inspire me with fashion and beauty in my previously stated goal of "being the best 'woman of a certain age' that I can be"!

Girl With Curves

Tanesha Aswathi is a stunningly beautiful young woman who embraces her God-given shape. She posts outfits of the day that are absolutely gorgeous. I enjoy checking out the styles she puts together.

Kate Bryan of The Small Things

Kate is a professional hairstylist with some awesome YouTube tutorials on hairstyling and other style advice. I've really been enjoying both her tutorials and her blog.

So take a few moments, check out these blogs, and enjoy the loveliness!

I'm Participating in Followers Fest!

Welcome to Notes in the Key of Life! My name is Cindy Swanson.

I love to write, and anything that captures my interest will find its way to this blog.

Whether it be matters of faith, current events, family issues, beauty and fashion, books and entertainment, health and fitness, diabetes issues, or a wide variety of other topics,I hope readers will find my writing appealing, engaging and relevant.

I love to laugh, I love music, I dream of traveling to Ireland, Scotland, England and Paris. I'm into beauty and fashion and trying to be the best "woman of a certain age" that I can be!

I believe that grace, love and kindness have a ripple effect, and I want to be a light in the darkness. My faith in Jesus Christ defines me.

I'm a radio newscaster and a voice-over artist who is passionate about reading. I'd love for you to visit my book blog, Cindy's Book Club.

I've been married to Doug for 33 years!

We have three grown children--Jonathan, Justin and Elizabeth. Jonathan is married to Daylyn, and they are the parents of the loves of my life--my little grandsons, Payton and Josiah.

I adore my family, and spending time with them is what makes me happiest.

I hope you'll leave a comment, and please come back again!

P.S. I'd be thrilled to death if you'd "like" my blog's Facebook page. Find it on my sidebar and click, or go here!




October Followers Fest is a linked blog hop hosted by Casey Wiegand, Much Love Illy,Changing Lanes, and Boho Baby Bump! Go to any of the four blogs to get more info.

Do you blog about books and reading?

Many of you know that I maintain a separate blog completely devoted to books and reading--Cindy's Book Club.

If you've never checked it out, I'd love for you to do so now. Also, if you have a book blog, or just include books, reviews, etc in your blog, I'd love to know so I can check yours out as well.

I'd also like to invite you to participate in a new meme/blog hop I'm starting called "Bookish Images Monday." You can find out all about it here.

Happy reading and book blogging!

The Ultimate Blog Party 2011 was a great experience!

So apparently the Ultimate Blog Party 2011 is history now--although the links are all still there, and I'm sure you can continue to check out the blogs listed there.

I've participated in the UPB for a few years now, but this year I put more time into checking out and commenting on other blogs, and it had such a lovely pay-off!

I've gotten some of the nicest comments from other bloggers--on both this blog and my book blog, Cindy's Book Club. And once again, I've been amazed at the sheer number of quality, beautiful blogs out there.

I want to take a moment to say thank you and welcome to the new followers I gained through the UBP! Many also were kind enough to "like" me on Facebook.

When you take the time to blog, and you try to make your content interesting and engaging, it's so nice to get the affirmation of other people enjoying it and appreciating it! That means a lot...and I can't thank you enough. :)

Stuff to tell you!

While my husband and I are holed up in our cozy basement TV room riding out the blizzard of 2011, I thought I would do something I haven't done in a while--a "Stuff to Tell You" post. It's a random potpourri of interesting information and link love. Enjoy!

--I've really been enjoying Alison Sweeney's re-vamped blog. It goes hand-in-hand with her job as host of one of my favorite shows,The Biggest Loser, and focuses mainly on healthy eating and fitness.

Recently Ali was looking especially lovely with a gorgeous updo. She explains how to get the look here.

--Successful blogging is often a case of quid pro quo--or as Jeff Roney calls it, the blogging boomerang. Basically it's all about the good things you do in the blogging world coming back to you. Good stuff!

--You know Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers is a great quarterback--but did you know he plays the guitar to unwind?

--Is Facebook generating "online sociability fatigue"? That's one of the questions raised in this insightful article about the social networking phenomenon.

--If (like me) you're still mourning the loss of "Lost," you'll want to read this article by Carlton Cuse: Lost will never really be over.

--Oh, and one more thing--if you haven't yet checked out my book/reading blog, Cindy's Book Club, I do hope you'll do so now!

Thanks and Happy New Year to Everyone Who Reads My Blog!

2010 has been the year I regained my love for blogging, rejuvenated my blog, and even launched a new, separate blog.

After blogging since 2003, I had kind of lost interest. I was posted halfheartedly and rarely. Then something changed. I found a new blog design (free, of course!), and started blogging again on a regular basis.

At first, it was mainly re-runs from past years. Then I found other blogs that featured gorgeous pictures and welcoming atmospheres, and I took some cues from them. Suddenly I was finding all sorts of things to blog about!

Hardcore reading addict that I am, I decided to start a separate blog that is solely about books and reading--Cindy's Book Club. I think it's interesting and fun, and I would really appreciate it if you'd check it out!

I truly enjoy blogging. I've always been an aspiring writer, and what better way to indulge that love? It's like having my own personal little magazine, where I can pretty much write about whatever I want.

I want to say a great big thank-you to those of you who read this blog. Yes, my goal is to increase readership, because I'm not content to just project my thoughts out into the ether. Words need an audience, and I so appreciate those of you to take the time to read mine.

I'd like to wish all of you a very wonderful and blessed 2011. Thanks for reading "Notes in the Key of Life"!

Who is Dasha?

A photographer whose work is breathtakingly lovely



I've mentioned earlier that my returning interest in blogging has coincided with a renewed interest in reading other blogs...granted, I seem to have more time to do that since I don't have a regular job anymore.

And as I also mentioned earlier, the main thing I've noticed is that more blogs seem to be decorated with incredibly beautiful pictures.

Apparently, photo sites like flickr, tumblr and weheartit have made it easier to share pictures on your blog, as long as you give the photographer or source proper credit.



Some of the loveliest floral still life pictures that I've been seeing carry the signature "Nikonchuk Dasha." But who in the world is Dasha?

Nothing I can find on the internet seems to make it clear, although I’m pretty sure she’s a woman and Dasha is probably her first name.

If you Google the name, you’ll find various photo forums, many of which are all or partly in what looks like Russian.




I did find this tidbit, apparently written by her:

I was born in Mariupol (Ukraine) in 1982. I take a great interest in a photo about one year. I understand that I need still in many respects to learn and to try much - is me and stimulates:)

I wish I could find out more about this amazing photographer. If you know anything, please let me know. In the meantime, enjoy some of her beautiful images, via this website and this one.




I'm linking back today to Company Girl Coffee Time...feel free to join me by clicking on the icon!

I'm resurrecting my book blog!

Given my love of reading and all things book-related, I decided to resurrect my long-dormant blog, Cindy's Book Club.

The blog used to be attached to an actual book club. For a few months, a few years ago, I hosted a book club as part of my radio job with 101QFL.

Although it provided a lot of fun and fellowship during its short life, the book club was eventually discontinued.

However, the blog site remains...and I've decided to do something with it. Cindy's Book Club will be a site where I put my book reviews, book discussions, and pretty much anything to do with books.

Initially, I'll bring some of my older author interviews (which are transcribed--not in audio form) to the blog.




These books are no longer new--in some cases they go back as far as 2003, when my other blog, Notes in the Key of Life, began--but they are certainly worthy of some new publicity!

Today, I highlight Jane Kirkpatrick's Tender Ties series.

I'll also use this blog to link to reviews on other blogs and sites, so if you have a book blog, please give me your link in my comments section, and I'll make sure I follow you and put you on my blog list!

Blogs of Gentility, Grace and Charm

I've mentioned earlier that along with my renewed interest in blogging has come a renewed interest in other blogs.

Since I last actively read other blogs, a plethora of new ones have sprung up into the blogosphere.

Lately I've been finding blogs that actively endorse and applaud things that are sorely missing in today's society, like civility and graciousness.



Bringing Lady Back is just such a blog. The author, Bethany, explains:

Having seen one too many bare midriffs, heard far too many foul words coming “out of the mouths of babes”, and knowing I need to guide my daughters through these murky waters, I decided to do something about it.


I created this blog for those who would like to live in a world where we can be free from the insipid insult and protruding pantie. Here you will find a collection of inspiring rules and quotes for women of all ages to refer to in order to live a more beautiful, fulfilling life.

Each day brings a new piece of wisdom or guideline for graciousness, courtesy and ladylikeness. I love it!



Another such blog is Live the Charmed Life.

The author, Deanne, recently blogged 100 Ways to Age with Grace, Elegance and Joie de Vivre. Here are some of my favorites:

--Smile more, it’s an instant facelift

--Learn a foreign language now, to help stave off Alzheimer’s Disease later

--Mentor someone younger, it’s a great way to help one another understand a different generation

--Moisturize religiously

--Don’t dress in a frumpy manner

Grow Line is another blog with this same spirit of civility and grace. It looks like it may have just opened shop in cybersphere, but I'm looking forward to good things from the mother-daughter team who write it. This from their profile:

Grow Line’s passion is to revive the “art” of being a lady while encouraging manners and grace. Our profound desire is to inspire little girls, young ladies, and women to “Grow” into creative and confident women who are rich in mind, soul, and spirit.

We could certainly use more graciousness in our society, and I believe the good things we do cause a ripple effect. I applaud the spirit and purpose of these blogs.

Let me know in my comments section if you know of other such blogs.

Beautiful Blogs

The front door of Lea at CiCi's Corner, decorated for fall

It's amazing how something as simple as changing my blog design and template has gotten me excited about blogging again!

(As you may or may not notice, I've tinkered even a bit more with my design. I now have a beautiful background from Hot Bliggity Blogs. They have an incredible selection of beautiful free blog backgrounds, as does Shabby Blogs.)

Since getting back into blogging, I'm discovering some beautiful blogs that are new to me.

These blogs are not only physically beautiful--they have a certain gracious, serene atmosphere that just makes you want to spend time there.

Here are some I'm loving right now:

--CiCi's Corner Do go check out her post in which she has pictures of her fall decorating...it's breathtakingly gorgeous.


Cherie, AKA Tish Jett, is author of A Femme d'un Certain Age

--A Femme d'un Certain Age This means "a woman of a certain age," which is how the French graciously and complimentarily describe women--well, around my age! It's so much nicer than saying "a middle-aged woman," don't you think? Anyway, here's how the author describes her blog:

"A Femme d'Un Certain Age is dedicated to women 40ish to whateverish and every detail herein is chosen for you -- for us -- to wear, to amuse, to use. . . And always, always with a French twist.


Stay with me and I guarantee you will re-think age, beauty, well-being and style.


Together we are about to embark on a life-enhancing cultural exchange with the masters of looking fabulous at every age: Les Femmes Françaises."

A lovely image from French Charming

--Since I'm a sucker for all things French (you'll notice a theme here!), I immediately fell in love with French Charming.

This blog hasn't been updated since August 23, apparently because its author is undergoing some physical problems that make it painful for her to type. But I'm going to enjoy delving into the archives.

--The Paris Apartment Lovely, evocative photographs that make me want to go to Paris, NOW.

Those are just a few...I'll be sharing more in the weeks to come. If you have a beautiful blog you'd like to recommend--even if it's your own--please let me know in my comments section! There can never be too much beauty spread across the internet.

It was time for a make-over.

After having the same blog design for three years, I'm ready for a change!

I did love the design from Bluebird Blogs (which I believe is out of business now.) The sheet music and roses image was beautiful, and really captured the spirit of my blog.

But, it's time to move on. I've finally switched from Blogger's old template method to their newer lay-out method, which is much easier to manage.

I also like the clean, uncluttered feel of this design. And I'm hoping it will mean my blog is easier to load for some of you who have complained that the old template froze their computers.

This has actually renewed my excitement about blogging! :)