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Sunday, August 10, 2014

The Essence of Sweet Nothings...a mini blog tour

Hi, ya'll.

 I received this very nice email from

Cecilia Lynne of My Thrift Store Addition blog



Hi there BJ ,

You don't know me but we have a mutual friend: Audrey@Timeless Treasures. She is a sweetheart and suggested I contact you to participate in a blog tour. I have committed to post for August 4 and introduce 3 other bloggers. The bloggers I introduce will then post August 11 introducing 3 bloggers they invite....and so on.

It sounds like a fun way to find some great blogs and new friends. Will you be one of my bloggers?
Just let me know.
Either way, nice to meet you!
Blessings,
Cecilia
**********
My thanks, Cecilia, for inviting me to do this MINI BLOG TOUR.




Cecilia is an awesome DIY'er...

She loves thrifting with a passion and knows just what to do with her treasures to make them her own.

I just love this and am looking for a cute basket to spray paint in this luscious color.











 I just learned from her that
HOME DEPOT has chalk paint, much cheaper than other chalk paints.

You should go over to her blog and see the chairs she just painted with this color....they are to die for.

Her patio furniture looks sooo sharp with the newness she just gave it.

You should go visit  

Cecilia Lynne of My Thrift Store Addition blog

and please tell her bj said hey. 

 **************************************************
 I started blogging in 2007 and was so scared to publish that first post...
remember how YOU felt..?

One of the first blogs I started reading was
MY ROMANTIC HOME


CINDY'S blog was so beautiful and her style of decorating is just awesome.
"I love your choice of turquoise for accents, Cindy."

Cindy just made a move and it looks like her new place is coming together nicely.

I was to work with the questions below, in red, using my own spin on the answers.
What am I working on:

I have no projects going at this time. I do have a piece of furniture I am anxious to get painted but it's going to wait until fall and cooler weather.

I have another project in mind, involving SHUTTERS (I luv shutters) but haven't found the ones with just the right bit of chippy, scrubby, just a little bit almost ugly so I can give 'em some love and character and charm.

The last project I did was a few months ago.....
My Spa Hutch 

 



My plain black olden hutch that belonged to my mama needed a beauty treatment. 

And, boy, did I have something in mind for her.

I used some olden shutters in this large closet room
on either side of the window.

 

 First, I gave her insides a beautiful COLOR..

TURQUOISE...the color of the sea...



Then, I filled her with white fluffy towels...
black and whites...
a fluffy white robe hanging on her arm door. 



This tiny project is just the kind I like.
Great results in a short time.
As I age, I'm very careful about starting on larger projects, knowing my limits...
it saves on the freaking out moments.

 Why do I create what I do?

My creating  is mostly my blog. I am not talented in crafty things, I don't sew very much and altho I LIKE to cook, my idea of a wonderful recipe always includes MIXES. I am such a SEMI-HOMEMADE kind of girl.

I do have a passion for decorating our home. Like all of you, I enjoy pretty rooms and I have so much fun going to thrift stores to find one of a kind pieces.
I like the look of a room that appears to have taken years for it to come together. Older pieces, finished in my taste and style, seem to  do that, better than a lot of new pieces.

One of my very favorite things in blogging is COPY CATTING. :)
I like copying a photo out of a catalog or magazine. Pottery Barn is always fun to copy.

A few years back, there were several Copy Cat link parties and they were so much fun.


POTTERY BARN on your left...over $100.00
My version on your right...$6 from an estate sale.

What fun I had, dressing her in jewelry and taking photos.


 Using photos of her jewels and face made an interesting mosaic.

How does my work differ from others?

Blogging is so much fun to me. I love every bit of it. 
However, I don't think my work on it differs much for others.
ONE of my most loved parts is composing a post.
I have never, for a minute, suffered writers block and always think of 2 or 3 ideas while I'm working on one. At this time, I have 16 posts in draft, just standing in the wings, waiting for their shinning moment. And, as we speak, I am working on a post showing my newest thrifting finds. I just took photos of them and while I'm typing this, I am thinking of words to go with my photos.


 The photos make all the difference in blogging, I think.

Of all photography, I enjoy taking photos of food more than any other thing. I've been told several times that food is the hardest of all to get great pictures of. It's always a challenge  to see if I can make my food "look pretty". 


I like the little added things that make a photo special. 

This slice of Watermelon Pie wouldn't look nearly as good without
the addition of the fresh watermelon. 
The addition of the BLACK AND WHITE napkin is a good contrast.


When we were having a picnic in the park 
and I wanted to showcase my vintage picnic basket,
I stopped at the grocery store for a $5.00 bouquet and 
they just "made" the photo shoot.

I could have shown the popovers alone...
but adding the apricot preserves and crisp bacon just made a great mosaic. 
(as well as an AWESOME breakfast...:) ....and....now, I'm hungry.


Close-ups are a great way to show off your food photos.
You can see the pepper flakes in these Cheddar Pepper Biscuits.


Adding the red flowers behind the Powdered Sugar Beignets
made a really pretty photo.
 
So, altho I have a LOT of foods on my blog,
it's the PHOTOGRAPHY  that is really the essence of SWEET NOTHINGS. 

(I wish I could be more careful with spellings...
and keep from jumping from one subject to another...
but I think I blog just like I think and talk.)

 How does my writing/creating process work?

I absolutely fly by the seat of my pants in creating posts for Sweet Nothings.
Many times,I might be working on a post and something either catches my eye, I have another crazy thought or even the finding of a recipe that I just HAVE to try and my post makes a 180 degree turn.

As always it seems, for me, to be the visual part that makes a good post.

 






 While I think this photo of a lake taken on our vacation is a nice photo of a beautiful place...



The photo above looks more interesting with all the boats and canoes...
at least to me.

I seldom publish a post that I'm not excited about. I preview it several times before publishing and if it just doesn't make me happy, I just start all over...or at least search for ONE PHOTO that has a little SASS to it.
 Of course...it doesn't take much to make me happy or excited....
I don't get out much, ya know. :) 


I seldom post a photo that hasn't gone thru photo editing.
The photo above....altho I love the light and dark, the shadows.......the reflections,...


I think it's much more interesting, cropped to show the SUBJECT of the photo better.

   I think that special photos can make or break a post.
I can have all the words that I want to use in a post,
 but they wait in draft until I have good photos to pair with them.

 And, I am constantly trying to learn more about how to take good photos
and I'll never be able to afford a great camera so I work with a point and shoot
which is even MORE challenging.

I love the photo above of our great-grandgirl, CATE,
 that Mr. Sweet took...
she looks like a little mermaid. :>)
*************************************
All I've talked about in this post is just MY ideas for MY blog.
Not everyone will feel photos are that important to a post..
"different strokes for different folks"  as the saying goes. 
 ************************************

The Blog Tour is winding down in Blogland.
This is the last blog tour on the list I am on.
Thanks so much for coming by.  
 
Linking with:
Blue Monday
Amaze Me Monday
Art of Homemaking Monday 
XOXO

35 comments:

  1. BJ, I have enjoyed getting to know you and it was so fun reading about your creative process. I LOVE your spa hutch--so clever! Thanks for the mention and kind words. You are sassy AND sweet! Hugs, Cecilia

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  2. I love the pictures you post on your blog. They always seem to support the ideas you're expressing and now I know why. Thanks for all the tips to make blogging easier and more productive.

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  3. i like that - semi-homemade. :)

    you always show off your food and sweets well.

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  4. Thank you, thank you for the blog tips. I am in love with your blog. It just feels good, like I am visiting a friend.

    Nonie

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  5. This post was just ...wonderful. I read every word..thought about it..and hate the pictures I took today..but..I will think more about just snapping willy nilly like I do. Actually, you are so good at pictures that I think you could have had a great career doing just that. It's an art. You are an artist my dearest bj!! Now I'm all puffed up because I personally know an artist.. :)
    Never mind me...it's late and I'm tired. Great tips..great pictures. I am such a fan..and have been for...ever!

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  6. Your blog is wonderful bj, and this post was extra special! Now I'm hungry and want to take a dip in a cool pool ;) I also love taking photos and adding them to a blog post--it makes me happy and I see it dioes the d=same to you! xoxo

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  7. BJ, I absolutely LOVE that pale blue basket! I'm going to track down that color. I've got the perfect basket in mind. :-)
    Have a wonderful week.

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  8. good morning bj ... great post and what a delightful way to wind down this Blog Tour. So happy that you met Cecilia and took part in this tour. She is a very sweet person. I know you will enjoy her blogs. I like your ideas on composing a blog ... words then pictures. I have the pictures but not the words. Perhaps I should take advantage of the draft feature on Blogger and see if it will break this blogger's block I have had almost all year. Thanks for your inspirations.
    Thanks for the mention of Timeless Treasures.
    Blessings.
    Audrey Z.

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  9. Good morning bj, What a great time to visit you. The blog tour is awesome. Most of all I enjoyed your tips on what makes a good post. You are an artist at getting perfect photos for your blog. Your stories are always real and your 'food' photos inspire us all. I mean it sincerely bj.

    Thanks for the email hello. It is good to be back. After reading your post this morning, I am inspired to get more artistic with my photos. BIG smile here.

    Love to you my sister friend,
    Jeanne

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  10. Morning BJ,

    Cate has grown so much! (Of course, she has!)

    Yep, you've always be a terrific blogger and photography is a big part of making a post worth reading. Thanks for playing today.

    Happy Blue Monday.

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  11. I really liked this and all your sassy touches and ideas . . .
    Especially the Spa hutch . . .

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  12. I enjoy reading your blog! Love all of your photo's, especially the food ones. Have a great day!

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  13. It's funny. If I had been asked to explain your blog style and what I like about it, I would have said exactly what you said. The things you mentioned are my favorite things about this blog and why I like your style. I am so out of the loop that yours was the only one of the blog tour posts I read. I think it was a nice concept!

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  14. You do have one of the nicest blogs out there, interesting and different all the time. I got away from it for a time while writing on Bubblews but miss my friends here in the blog world and publishing lots of "cropped" photos! Yes, mine are usually cropped too!

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  15. Hi BJ,
    I always love to see what you cook...and it always sounds good to me. :) I also like little projects and old stuff, so it's a treat to have your posts in my email. I don't often comment, but I read...and enjoy. Thanks for doing this blog tour!
    -Revi

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  16. Enjoyed this post. Great photos. Have a blessed day. Madeline

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  17. BJ, as always a great job on your presentation. I enjoyed it, but am worn out. I would never get a post up like this. I do not have the knowledge of programs to do this. So glad you are really doing an excellent job on your computer.

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  18. I love this inside MY ROMANTIC HOME! Nice photos, great!

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  19. I love all your posts...you are so creative! And make your food look so delish, that I can't wait to try our hand at making them! I'm like you, my posts mainly circle around photos!

    Blessings,
    Gert

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  20. I loved your treatment of the hutch, it really brightened up with the turquoise interior! The romantic home link is cool too. My DIL is really into chalk paint, she has done some old pieces in it, it really adds nice texture. Cool photos and blogging ideas!

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  21. Oh dearm that was a long and very informative and LOVELY post! Nice photos, nice blues and yummy cooking!

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  22. You've indirectly reminded me that I haven't been to the pool all summer

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  23. Ooh bj, your hutch turned out so well! I love the happy color that you painted inside the hutch.
    Your food photos are always awesome. Thank you for the tips, too. I'll try to remember them. I loved Cate's mermaid pic...so cute!
    You're always full of happiness at Sweet Nothings!! xo

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  24. It's fun to hear some things I've missed along the way and to hear (and see) things I've loved since you first share them. My Romantic Home was one of the first blogs I read, too. A favorite, for sure. Thanks for telling us about Cecelia - I'm on my way over to her blog to see more! And I plan to pick up some of that chalk paint at Home Depot very soon.
    ~Adrienne~

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  25. It was great reading your discussion of the nuts and bolts of the way you blog. You ARE one of the best food photographers I know! Now I'd love to have you do a tutorial on some of the very things you discussed here. I could learn a thing or two from the master!

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  26. Love the after of the basket and the color you chose. Beautiful photos! Have a great week ;)

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  27. Great post and lots of great ideas and good food. Always fun to say hi to a sweet friend! Happy Blue Monday! Enjoy your week.

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  28. Hi bj, yes I too love how the hutch turned out and your food photos and the recipes are wonderful. Enjoy your week.
    Julie

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  29. Chalk paint at Home Depot? I'll have to remember that! You did a grand job on the hutch redo. Very stylish! And you do a wonderful job on your food photos too. Keep on clicking!

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  30. BJ, loved every bit of the tour! You are such an inspiration, and I'm in awe of what you accomplish! xo

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  31. BJ, you are very creative. I love your spa hutch.
    Actually I have never heard of a spa hutch til now.
    I think your probably right about pictures making the blog.
    However, I worry about the page being too busy.
    I wish I could find a happy medium.

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  32. BJ,
    I had a "Grand Time" at your Blog Tour, dear friend!!!
    LOVE the photo of Cate in the pool!!!
    I think your uniqueness is your photography of food!!!
    Another, your Sweet Nothing sayins. . ."Oh, honey"!
    Love it when you do that!!!
    Thanks for sharing!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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  33. Very fun and interesting post. Thanks for including your tips too! I enjoyed visiting.

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  34. This was such a great blog tour BJ. I think I have been reading your blog since the beginning and I have always loved your style, your funny anecdotes, your bargain hunting ,your breakfasts (!), and your sweet personality. Keep on blogging sweet friend, and I'll keep on visiting!

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  35. Hi BJ, I really enjoyed your tour! The spa hutch transformation was darling. It looks like a pretty display that I would dig through at a boutique. Even better when it is your home. Your food photos made me a bit hungry though... when are my muffins going to come out of the oven? As always, thank you for sharing on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! Have a beautiful weekend ~~

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Way too much spam and people commenting that are stealing my space to post nonsense so.....no comments allowed.
So sorry but I have no other choice.
I love my blogging friends and most of all my family but these spam prone people are so rude and selfish have made my blogging not nearly as much fun..

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