http://www.intouch.orgjlajdklsjklfdasjlkfsd

Undergoing a Re-Design

Hi!

The Blonde Diggity is currently undergoing a re-design to a magazine format and will be up and running soon with its new design.

In the meantime, feel free to look around and catchup on some old stories.

And if you happen to find the blog on lockdown or private, it's only temporary while Web designers are testing the new design—so check back.

Thanks again for visiting!

xoxo,

The Blonde

"When The Frost is on the Punkin"

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin’ turkey-cock,

And the clackin’ of the guineys, and the cluckin’ of the hens,

And the rooster’s hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it’s then’s the times a feller is a-feelin’ at his best,

With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;

But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

And the raspin’ of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

The stubble in the furries—kindo’ lonesome-like, but still

A-preachin’ sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;

The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

The hosses in theyr stalls below—the clover over-head!—

O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;

And your cider-makin’ ’s over, and your wimmern-folks is through

With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ...

I don’t know how to tell it—but ef sich a thing could be

As the Angels wantin’ boardin’, and they’d call around on me—

I’d want to ’commodate ’em—all the whole-indurin’ flock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock!

~ James Whitcomb Riley
(1849 - 1916)

Inexpensive Wall Art — An Idea

So I've been living in my new office now for about 8 months and have an enormous amount of wall space to fill up.

Being as that I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for traditional framed art, I began brainstorming ways I could fill up the wall space without emptying my wallet.

Now what I am about to share with you is not rocket science ... and I'm sure it won't be "news" to some of you. But for those of you who had no clue, I've got a cheap and easy way to create a photo collage without breaking the bank.

I started with a paper pack of scrapbook paper, 8x8, from Hobby Lobby ... but you can choose any size based on your wall space.

Going through the paper pack, I chose complementing images in style and color to fit my desired number of frames. For instance, I wanted to fill a more vertical space, so I chose 12 images that I could arrange in a vertical grid on the wall (3 images across, 4 rows down).

Then I went to Michael's and found my frames. I chose simple black 8x8 frames, and I was lucky enough to find a 4-pack economy size. These normally retail for $19.99, but I was able to get them on sale for 50% off with an additional 25% off coupon I found online. (Be sure to check your Michael's or Hobby Lobby sale circulars as these go on sale quite frequently.)

I placed my chosen images in each frame. Then, using the floor as my "workspace", I arranged the frames exactly as I wanted them to appear on the wall.

The hardest part of this entire process? Measuring to hang all 12 frames. It only took about 30 minutes, and the results were far better than I anticipated. Plus, I can easily change out the images seasonally or as often as I like—all I have to do is pick out a different 8x8 paper pack and I'm good to go!

Total project cost: $15 to $20, depending on your paper choice

If you try this for yourself, be sure to link back and leave me a picture—I would love to see it!


*Here's a close-up with the flash for easier viewing.

NaNoWriMo—An Update (of sorts)

The beginning of November started out with me picking up the gauntlet to write 50,000 words (or a novel) in only 30 days.

So I hit the ground running ...

and I stayed on pace for the first 7 days of the month (that's 1,667 words a day).

But on the 8th day, God created my birthday ... and so I celebrated. And wrote nary a word.

And on the 9th day, God created "writer's block" ... and I kept right on celebrating my birthday. And wrote nary a word.

And on the 10th, 11th, and 12th days I kept on celebrating. And when I was done celebrating, I celebrated some more.

Then on the 13th day, I realized time was a-wastin'. In a valiant effort, I dusted off the 'ole laptop and started playing catch up.

And finally on the 17th day, I wrote almost 8,000 words in ONE day and was just a thousand words shy of being caught up.

Then on the 18th day, I was hit with a curs-ed stomach virus, and spent the next two days in bed ... writing nary a word.

So here I sit, on the 22nd day, still trying to play catch up.

In my defense, I have written close to 30,000 words. Which is quite the amazing feat, if you ask me.

And my novel is taking shape. I've actually written some amazing moments alongside the "junk" that has to go, and my characters have developed and taken me places I never imagined on November 1st we would go.

My plot has thickened, taken some twists, and a whole lot of turns. The ideas have been churning, and I feel the best really is just around the corner.

Only 20,000 words to go before the 30th ...

have mercy.