Welcome to my newly spruced up blog! Come on in and check it out.
I love the new colors and layout that my web designer, Cameron Sanderson, put together. Typepad has been a very easy blogging platform for me to use, but I needed professional help to incorporate some technical stuff I couldn't do on my own. Cameron came in with a lot of expertise in Wordpress and other platforms, but had not worked with Typepad before. After checking out the Typepad possibilities, his comment was, "looks easy enough!" and was up to the challenge of trying something new. He is still tweaking the details, getting links up and working on the "backdoor" issues, but I know ya'll won't mind if it's not perfect just yet, will you?
My daughter, Lauren, who is a graphic designer, took my doodles and worked with the colors I liked to make something that looks pretty and very Company Girlish. She spent countless hours on the phone and screen-sharing with me to come up with the final look. Thank you, sweet Lauren! You are awesome. The new look has just the feeling I was looking for....bright, light and fun. And yet so intellectual, just like the Company Girls. If you are looking for a very talented graphic girl (who just happens to have red hair) you can find her here.
If you are looking for some technical help or web design, I can highly recommend Cameron to you. He's got a great eye for what works well, and can do some amazing things. My little ol' blog is far beneath his capabilities and I am grateful for his expertise. You can contact him at design@cameronsanderson.com
And since Home Sanctuary is getting its long-overdue freshening, of course I thought we ought to use it to segueway into Today's Small Thing.
When preparing to entertain guests, I've learned (the hard way) to stop whatever I'm doing and go freshen myself up at least an hour before they arrive. There is nothing worse than hearing the doorbell ring earlier than expected, and having to answer the door looking like a drowned rat.
I'd much rather have lipstick on, a clean blouse on and my hair combed when my guests arrive, than have everything set out perfectly but feel self conscious of under arm stains and straggly hair. It's awkward to have to excuse myself to hurriedly pull myself together while the guests wait nervously in the living room. But taking a few moments to make sure I look presentable is a small way of honoring the people who are visiting me. They are important to me, so I should look like I care.
It's funny how often I forget about the MOST important person I care about, my husband. Back in the days when he used to work in an actual office, I tried to keep an eye on the clock so I could be sure to freshen up a tad bit before he got home. Yeah, I know it's very Old School. Very June Cleaverish. But I thought that maybe the spit-up on my shoulder and my hair yanked into a messy ponytail wouldn't be very appealing after seeing those cute girls at the office. (Well, they were mostly old ladies, but still.)
As time marches on, it's easy to get a little lazy about stuff like that. After all, we're in this for the long haul, and it shouldn't matter if I have lipstick on or not, right? And I've seen him look pretty uninspiring himself, so it's not like we're dating or anything.
But just like taking a few minutes to prepare myself for others, occasionally freshening up for my man tells him that I am giving him honor as someone who is important to me. It communicates love and respect. It's also a little flirty, and what man minds THAT?
Today's Small Thing is to "freshen up" before you see your husband today. After you've had a hard day with the kids, or worked with grumpy, obnoxious people at your office, he doesn't expect you to look like Miss America. But wouldn't it be nice to look good for the guy who is coming home to YOU tonight? Even if he is too tired to notice, you are choosing to honor him with a little extra effort.
POINTS: 50 for freshening up. Hey, girl, you're a hot mama! Look like one for your guy.
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