In my last few posts, you all have shown me an overwhelming amount of support with what’s going on in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful to have such an amazing group of friends.

From the regular readers to the ones who came out of the woodwork to share their stories or just leave some love, I appreciate it all. Every comment, every tweet, every email and gchat, thank you. You don’t know how much it means to me.

Really.

And in more thank you news:

Last month 20 Something Bloggers held the Bootleg Awards. I was up for a few and thanks to you awesome bloggy friends, I managed to walk away with three of them.

I’m still floored about that.

I know this thank you is late but I wanted to wait until I had badges to put up. I wanted them to match my pretty new design too. Now that the design is up, the badges are going up!

You guys are awesome.

For serious.

Or you won’t be able to see my new design!

This blog needed a new coat of paint and I was well overdue for some change.

I’m kind of loving it.

What do you think?

P.S. I’m giving away a Nintendo Wii, a M&M Premium Prize Pack and an adorable dress OR cowl/beret combo. Go enter all three!
P.P.S. Have you read issue four of The Printed Blog yet? Download the PDF from our site and let me know what you think!
P.P.P.S. I’m going to do a video blog this weekend since I don’t have time to now.
P.P.P.P.S. Jenn and I are heading out to NYC Tuesday for the day. Get ready, bitches.
P.P.P.P.P.S. You’re so not bitches. I just thought it sounded cool. FAIL.

I know, I know. I’m a bad blog friend. I’m not around as much. Not commenting or reading as much as I’d like. You’re probably not even reading these because I suck so much. I promise, I’m not ignoring you, “losing” your phone numbers blog addresses and breaking up with you.

It could be because I’ve been sick and feeling crappy.

It could be because Chicago is currently being mistaken for Antartica with all this ridiculous snow.

It could be I awesomely dropped my iPhone charger in a cup of pop (not soda).

It could be because I’m really in need of a hair cut.

It could be because I’m too busy chasing a puppy around in 30 feet of snow.

It could be I’m really mad I can’t find Greek: Chapter One.

But really?

It’s because I’ve been working crazy hard on trying to get The Printed Blog together. You try launching a newspaper in a month and a half!

I promise though, this blog won’t suck this week. I mean, I could have posted more Edie pictures but that’s like every other day here at the House of Lovely.

You people need variety.

And all I can manage to do is crank out is a list of possible could-be excuses.

Instead of leaving this blog cold and barren, I’ve scheduled some fabulous, funny and all around awesome guest bloggers to keep things lively around here. So check back Monday for a super fun announcement (from me) and then show my guest blogger friends some love this week?

I promise once things slow down a bit, I’ll stop being the neglectful blog friend that I am.

But, I’m trying to figure out ways to get as many of you guys in my paper as possible. One way or the other. It will be worth it!

This blog would be absolutely nothing and read by no one if I didn’t join the 20SB community. Really. I’ve met the most amazing people in real life and online from it so I could not be more thrilled that we are up for a Weblog Award! So everyone should go vote for us for Best Online Community. You can vote once a day. We are way behind but can definitely catch up so go vote!

In more voting news, we just had nominations for the 20SB Bootleg Awards. It’s so exciting nominating your blog friends and hoping they get recognized for their awesomeness. Last time we did these awards, I won Most Likable. This year, I wasn’t expecting any nominations really because 20SB grew from like 400 to 3,000+ and we have tons and tons of fabulous blogs. I did entertain the thought of Oh How Lovely Shops being nominated for Best Shopping blog and only because I don’t know of any others in 20SB.

To my surprise I ended up being nominated for three awards and winning Best Shopping Blog already (no other shopping blogs got more than one vote).

I was nominated for:
- Best Design
- Best Guest Blogger (my favorite guest posts I’ve done were for Katelin with freakish childhood photos and Renee about ocean liners and gangbangers)
- Best Cross Platform Experience (blog and twitter, in my case and is totally exciting)

I’m totally flattered and was really honestly not expecting any of those. Thank you to those who nominated me!

Anyway point is, voting for the finalists is now open. You should go check out the categories, which blogs are up for what and vote. I don’t even if it’s not for me, you’ll probably find some really great new blogs like I did!

And if for some completely strange reason you are in your 20s and blog and are not part of 20SB?

Well, I’m going to pretend that’s not possible because you’d really be missing out on a great bunch of people!

(go join)

on Coltrane.

Wordpress 2.7 Coltrane, that is.

(click image for bigger picture)

It’s so pretty and clean looking. Plus you can customize your dashboard to what you want and don’t want on it. Push things out of the way, use collapsible boxes to minimize boxes your not using, faster and sleeker. Moderating and replying to comments from your dashboard, automatic upgrades and plugin browser too? Plus it has an accent (post about all the features and intro video).

Blogger bloggers, you are missing out.

WP users, what do you think of the latest upgrade?

(this is probably the geekiest post I’ve ever written but dude, it’s so pretty!)

A few notes today, lovelies.

First off, I started a review blog because I couldn’t figure out how to get my review pages to allow comments on here. Whatever. What is it called you ask?

Oh How Lovely reviews

I know, I know. I’m so creative!

Anyway, I have a review up right now for The Slanket. Remember how I wrote about wanting one a couple weeks ago (here)? You guys should go comment on it and stumble it so I can convince the people at Slanket to give me one to give away to you guys. Seriously, you know you want to look as cozy as me because this thing is really awesome!

Secondly, at the Oh How Lovely Shops blog, I’ve been posting a holiday gift guide. So far there is holiday cards, stockings, a doggie guide, men’s guide and then on Friday the baby guide will be posted. Next week I will be posting more.  Also if nothing in the guide hits the spot, check the archives. There are tons of great items.

Still no luck? If there is anyone on your gift list that is hard to find a gift for and you can use some help, drop me a line and I’ll see what I can come up with!

Also on the Shops blog is this week’s etsy giveaway from Shop Red Leaf and I have three tubs of bubble bath dough for three lucky people! Go check that out and leave a comment to enter.

I’m feeling pretty crappy with a sore throat and head cold so that’s all for now.

Happy Tuesday!

Vote for my shopping blog for the Divine Caroline: Love This Site Award! I’m up for the style category and in second place. I believe voting ends tonight so help me win $250!

Don’t let a forum win. We all know blogs are far superior!

Remember I’m donating about half of it to a worthy cause if I win!

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Well it was great reading all the comments about what you don’t like about blogs! It wasn’t meant to be an attack or the rules of blogging, just personal preferences. That’s all. The comments were pretty interesting though so check them out if you’re curious to see what other bloggers think on the subject.

Since I was emailed a couple times asking to post about it, I think it would be good to talk the opposite now.

What do you love about blogs? What makes you add them to your reader or bookmark? What makes you come back for more?

Me:

• good, quality writing
• posts that make me think, that introduce me to new ideas, make me dig a little deeper or really question my own views and feelings
• blogs that inspire me – to try something new, to keep working toward something or that just make me want to be a better me.
• funny bloggers! I love to laugh and if you can make me laugh, you’re almost sure to go to my reader
• blogs with great photography. I know some bloggers can’t post them being anonymous but I love getting that extra glimpse into someone’s life.
• learning things. I love to find things that I can apply to my own life, whether it’s a recipe, new store or site to browse, design tips, etc
• the blogging community in general. I’ve said many times before how great it is. I’ve never has such amazing conversations, emails, support – not even with some friends in real life!

Okay, your turn!

The other day I cleaned out my reader and twitter. It was long overdue. I’d skip over way too many blogs when they updated and basically it was just taking up space. Since it kind of ties in to my cleaning the house of my internet life, why not blog about it? I know there is a thread going on the 20SB forums about this but not everyone uses the forums so I thought I’d post about it here too. It should make for an interesting discussion!

I’m going to add this as a note before: don’t get all offended if you see something you might do in this post or comments. That doesn’t mean no one likes your blog or you or whatever. We are talking generally here and not pointing fingers. In the end – it’s all about content. Don’t get your internet panties all in a twist!

What makes you click that unsubscribe button? Or click away when you come across a new blog? Or unfollow on twitter? What turns you off?

Let’s hear it.

Mine:

• Partial feeds. I probably love you and your blog but the partial feed thing kills me! You can say I’m lazy but I’d rather read through my reader and if I have a comment, then I’ll click over.
• Even worse – no feed. I hate when I try to add something to my reader and am unable to because you have no feed. FeedBurner is your friend. Burn, baby, burn!
• LOLspeak. I know we all use it occasionally, but if your whole blog is all OMGWTFLOLZBBQ!@?  Well, that can be hard to read unless you are in 8th grade where that is spoke fluently.
• Excessive emoticons. ‘Nuff said.
• Light text on dark backgrounds. It’s way too hard on the eyes. Seriously, my glasses could be coke bottles and that makes it just harder!
• Cluttered blog design. If you have gifs, glittery blinkys, tons of images all of your blog, it is definitely hard to read because I’m too freaking distracted by the rainbow that vomited to tell me how much you luv you have 4 ur gurlz or whatever.
• Hard to navigate blogs. Plain and simple.
• If your blog is ugly or boring. Not everyone wants a custom design or can afford one or even cares. I just think it’s nice to have something on it, whether design or something in your sidebars that shows some personality. Something that shows you. If I come across a blog for the first time that has nothing, I’m more than likely going to click away.
• Blogs that talk shit all the time, are constantly negative or feel the need to attack others to get attention. LAME.
• Twitter peeve: Don’t twitter your whole story in a flutter of tweets. It’s called microblogging for a reason. Hit up your real blog for that.
• Trying to hard. Don’t force it. Some people just have a way with words and can make anything sound beautiful. Others don’t. Don’t force it. Don’t try so hard to move your readers to tears or be super deep. It’s obvious when you’re forcing the words.

Overall, remember content is key. If you have great content, people will come back. Everyone has different tastes too. Some people might love your blog, some people might hate it. Don’t take it personal.

Always, have fun with it though.

When I joined 20SB on ning, I think it was in October or November of last year. It was quite small compared to what it is now! I was new to blogging and was welcome by this great little community of bloggers, I still remember the first blogs I read from there.

Now it’s close to 3,000 members!

3,000 bloggers just like me.

People who’ve been there, done that and took the time to share their story with me. People who send a ‘hello friend!’ email when it seems like I’ve had a rough day or just to see what’s new. People who’ve made me feel like I’m not so alone. People who have made me laugh day in and day out with their posts and comments. People who I felt sad along with when something bad happened. People who I otherwise wouldn’t have met and be best friends with. People who I traveled to San Francisco to go meet. People who want to hang out when they come to Chicago. People who are some of the best writers I’ve ever read.

People that are now friends.

Yesterday I found out I was featured blogger. I couldn’t hold back my excitement. I’m really happy I found the 20SB community and that’s it’s become what it is today.

Thank you. It means a lot that you take the time out to read my blog. I may just be another blog on your reader or you might stop by occasionally…whatever it maybe, I appreciate it.

You guys rock.