Would you like a side of Technorati with that Del.icio.us Web Feed?

Today's my second blogiversary.

It took two years of convincing, but my friend Julia finally got me to add an email subscription service to this blog. I, recently, started with FeedBlitz, but didn't like the ads. Right now I'm trying out FeedBurner.

I've set it up so that subscribers get each new blog post (not just shop updates), in full, sent as an html email. I might make some changes — perhaps only post a teaser, instead of the full post — please consider it a work in progress. So, if you want to sign up for Green Kitchen emails, the form is over in the right side bar.*

I'm also trying out a couple widgets from AddThis. One, you'll see, is at the bottom of each post. It allows readers to easily save blog posts into their choice of social bookmarking: Del.icio.us, Google Bookmarks, Facebook, etc. The other addition is the all-in-one button for RSS feed subscription, so you can read Green Kitchen over at Bloglines, or Technorati, or My Yahoo, etc. If you want to read this blog in a feed aggregator, the RSS button is under the email subscription form in the right side bar.*

Before making these changes I only had a Bloglines link, because that is how I choose to ingest my 393 craft blog habit! It took all this time for me to *get* that everyone likes to take their internet a little differently. Apparently only about 11 percent of internet users even use feed readers. You mean everyone's not just like me? ;)

Of course, all this change is motivated by my Etsy shop. Now that Green Kitchen is serving up more than just posts, I want to make sure that y'all are getting your bookmarks, or emails, or feeds, as you like them.

Suggestions?

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*If you click over from a post title in a feed reader, my side bar doesn't show all it has to offer. Please click on the Green Kitchen banner and it will bring you to the home page, which will have all the side bar content. Sorry about this glitch. Anyone know how to fix it? Alice?
Thanks to Karen in Wichita for the technical help.

New Blogger

Well, I printed out a whole year's worth of posts and comments before I switched over because I know someone who had lost everything. Kind of feels neat to see the pile — looks like a lot of work. Anyone know of a way to back up a blog electronically?

Sorting Folk: Matching Names with Places

blog_emails
Originally uploaded by Green Kitchen.

I used to be able to remember the name of every person I had ever met. Then I worked in retail and things got a bit confusing. But, I was still pretty good at recalling details, such as: relationships (didn't she used to go out with...); jobs (oh, I know her from...); residences (I always see you in front of the house on...)—all trivial information, but, fun to me—it's how my brain works. I get a sense of satisfaction at making connections, secretly hoping that everyone I know will know each other—it's my version of the Kevin Bacon thing.

In the pre-computer years I kept Manila folders on the guys that I thought were cute, mostly surfers. I know, it sounds stalker-ish, but it wasn't, really, it wasn't. ;) I inherited this trait from my father. He once kept a folder on a dead-beat renter who had stiffed him of a couple months rent. One day the FBI knocked on our door asking my father if he knew of this man. My dad whipped out his folder, impressing the FBI representative—they joked about offering him a job.

Isn't there a job where you follow around a politician and whisper in his/her ear telling them what they need to know about the people they are meeting? I'd be good at that job. I mean, I would have been good at that job. Now my brain is mush, some people call it mama-brain. A friend told me that your IQ temporarily lowers while you are pregnant and for sometime afterwards. Is this true? In my case, probably.

Enter the modern computer age. Now it's very easy to keep folders on everyone you know. But, what do you do when you "know" several hundred cyber friends? Listen people, my blogroll* is pushing 250 crafty blogs that I keep up with! I've enjoyed over a thousand email comments and correspondences with my bloggy friends. But, when I'm skimming through my Bloglines it all starts to blur, to become one voice. I hate losing track. I want to remember everything about everyone, remember.

So, it's been taking me several days and I'm not finished yet, but I'm doing some sorting. I'm taking all my blog comments and putting them into folders, electronically, thank goodness. The folders are titled with the name of the person's blog and their first name. This way when Siow Chin leaves a comment I can remember that she came from Little Purl of the Orient. Even though I subscribe to her blog and enjoy reading it, it took me awhile to connect Siow Chin to her blog because her Blogger profile didn't link back to her blog. Now I have a "Purl of the Orient/Siow Chin" folder for her. This makes me happy.

I bet all you Typepad-ers are going to tell me how Typepad does this for you automatically, in which case I may be tempted to switch over. But, for tonight I have you all neatly tucked away in your little electronic folders. Good night sweet cyber friends.

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P.S. I do read blogs outside of Bloglines, too—in fact, everyday. But, to keep track of the madness which is 234 blogs, I use the aggregator, then I click on the blogs that I want to read up close and personal.

*Warning: Bloglines and other feed aggregators can be very addictive. If you have a touch of OCD it can be dangerous.

Hello Craft Bloggers!

After many months of lurking in the crafty blog world I've decided to start my own, which is proving to be bit challenging on my outdated Mac OS system. But the allure of the craft community is stronger than my I-don't-want-to-upgrade-my-system laziness. I want to thank all you crafty bloggers for giving me entertainment, inspiration, and an overall energy boost--each very necessary for me after my 2005 crafting rollercoaster.

2005 was a very crafty year for me. My child was old enough to allow me some craft opportunities, as well as enough time to co-host an alterna-craft fair called ¡CRAFTALICIOUS! The fair was great--we had over 50 vendors, over 1200 attendees, and a full-page color article in the local newspaper. The only real complaint was that it was crowded and sweaty. I made new crafty friends--I felt like I had found my people. But nobody warned me of post-show letdown. Actually, Leah, from Craftster, who had been generously answering my questions, told me that after her first Bazaar Bizarre show she couldn't even say the BazBiz words for months . At the time I didn't understand; I was riding the high of manic anticipation. But, after the show, I went through several months of craft depression. I was directionless. I only had the energy to do some silly felt portraits of gender-bending saints. Everyone was asking when the next show would be, but it didn't seem right to consider embarking again on a project where two people worked full time on a craft fair for five months, neither financially wise nor fair to the craft widows and orphans the time commitment had created. So, after wallowing in my depression for awhile, my crafting co-hort Meghan and I decided to apply for a local craft fair only to be denied by a committee that liked mohair teddy bears better than our kanzashi and George Bush toilet paper cozies. Luckily the rejection did not set off another bout of depression; I couldn't really get with the teddy bears, so why would I think they could get with our stuff. To each their own craft fair.

Enter the crafty and arty blog world. I fell in love with it as soon as I googled for a children's pants tutorial and found Red Current: a stay-at-home mom who admits to letting her children watch videos so that she can find time to craft. She only cleans for 20 minutes a day. Her photos are beautiful. What's not to love. I've made six pairs of pants based on her tutorial. From there I went to Angry Chicken and was immediately impressed with her small quilts. I was inspired to make a few for Christmas presents, but enjoy hers more. After seeing Susie's little paintings I did a 12 Days of Christmas series and was in my first art show since college. Recently I bought Jess' book and am excitedly anticipating learning to knit on double-pointeds. And, today I bought Camilla's calendar, which brings me up to date, literally and figuratively. I'm looking forward to posting more photos of things I make and hope to be an active part of this crafty community. Thanks again for everything.

The photos above are of a Dreary Xmas wallet series I did last winter. Somehow sad Christmas makes me happy.