We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on the 15th. How is it possible that so much time has gone by? How is it possible that I am almost 40? I swear, I feel so much younger than I am, and that’s not to say I think 40 is old. I don’t, but I remember when I did. I don’t feel much older than I did then.
The other day, Joanna posted about a pretty aquamarine ring that could be used as an engagement ring. Then she asked everyone to comment on their relationship status for fun. Two things occurred to me. One, my parents had a box of loose aquamarines in the 80s in various shapes and sizes. If I can get my mits on that box, I can have a ring made as a present to myself for doing something great, with “something great” to be defined at a later time. Like Justice Stewart once famously said, I’ll know it when I see it.
The second thought to occur to me happened after I read the first 300 or so comments. Almost everyone who answered was dating, engaged, or married less than 4 years. At 11 years, I felt seasoned and tough, like a cube steak. I also felt old, like maybe the internet is for people 32 and under. Not really. There are plenty of people online my age. Right? Successful people? People besides Dooce and Pioneer Woman? Because sometimes I feel like the older sister of blogland. Of course, maybe I should try reading blogs in my demographic. Heh.
Look at me with my stream of conscious blogging. Must be all the Virginia Woolf. While I am at it, I’ll ask a few more questions. Because I’m nosy and it’s Friday.
Favorite blog niche right now? These things change for me, and I’m sure it’s the same for you, too. Right now, I’m really into design blogs. This happens to me at the beginning of every year. I get obsessed with my house and making it better. True to form, I am eating up design posts like they’re chocolate and peanut butter. I want to find a new narrative blog to love, but so far I’m coming up dry. Any suggestions?
Color Stories. There have been a few people who have started their own, or said they would love to do their own. It sounds like fun, so I’m thinking about doing a link party at the end of the month where we can all link up to our color stories. It wouldn’t have to be your photography, in case you are nervous about that sort of thing. I’ve seen people create a color story from etsy items, rooms from their inspiration folders, favorite foods, whatever. Would you like to do something like this? If enough people are interested, I’ll figure out how to do that linky thing where all the pretty pictures pop up.
Whew. I think I’ve rambled on long enough, don’t you? Have a great weekend, everyone. :)
[End stream of consciousness.]
My husband just turned 40 on the 15th. I won’t be 30 until April, but our 11th wedding anniversary will be on October 15th. :)
That photo makes me want to reach out and rub the petals between my fingers. I can’t have a flower garden because I’m allergic to bees, and I can’t have fresh flowers in my house because I have pollen allergies. Sometimes I miss the velvety softness of flower petals.
Have you tried florist roses? My husband and son are the same with pollen allergies, but these poor roses are so completely engineered they have no scent or pollen. They don’t really open past the loose bud, as you can see. I do believe they’re practically made of plastic. Lovely, though. :)
I’ll have to give it a try, thanks. :)
I can totally relate to this entry!
I am 36 and cannot figure out when that happened. I had my first of two daughters when I was 31 and felt “too young” to have children!
I follow a few blogs (you are on my daily reads) and am also currently obsessing over design blogs. I cannot decide if this is a good thing because it feeds into my “when I grow up” tendencies. For example, when I grow up my house will look like that; when I grow up I want to try that; when I grow up I will be that cool! Very inspiring and dreamy to read, but for some reason I cannot catch up to them. I like to blame lack of time and monetary means rather than my age. :)
Sometimes I think my tastes are too young and playful. I wonder if someone my age should have more responsible things on their walls than a pair of vintage bullhorns my dad picked up on a cross country trip in the 70s. :)
I turned 37 on the first. There was no fanfare but the next day I swear there were two more gray hairs. When did I get this old? My parents seem so young and they still go dancing–I hope I have an ounce of that energy when I am 40!
I am all about design blogs right now. I am currently in the ” we need to take everything to goodwill and clean” stage. Too bad I can’t do that to my husband’s favorite sofa.
My favorite blog niche is definitely design. I do tend to especially like the ones that are on the narrative side, like D16. I know what you mean about the age thing. I am 41, married and mommy to a six year boy and my current blog obsession is Manhattan Nest. A blog that is authored by a guy who probably wasn’t even born when I graduated High School. Ugh.
A non-design blog that I have been following for almost a year is 66squarefeet.blogspot.com. It is about gardening, food and traveling. Marie’s writing is excellent and thoughtful. The only other narrative blog I follow is, err, yours and I love it.
Have a great weekend!
I’m obsessed with Manhattan Nest, too! So odd. I’ll check out 66. Thanks for the recommendation! :)
I love design blogs, but I’d rather have a magazine in my hands … speaking of age. :) Narrative blogs are my favorite … though I have discovered that I can’t read them all everyday … I don’t have the time.
Funny you should say that. I was thinking about cutting my posting down to 3 times per week.
I do have time to read yours everyday, however. :) Some are just so LONG. No matter how entertaining, I simply don’t have time to read a novella at every sitting.
And while I can understand needing to cut back on posts — know that we will be somewhat pitiful on those two days …
happy anniversary! and I’m turning 30 in March but our 8 year anniversary is in May. I so see what you are saying about everyone being super young on the internets. ;)
*rude* I can’t believe I forgot to say this eariler…
A very Happy Anniversary to you -here’s to the next 11!
Happy anniversary! I have no idea how time slips by and we continue to feel young – it’s really weird.
So many things I thought as I was reading your post!
First of all, and let me say thank you for this, I love that you compared your “something great” to obscenity/pornography. Somehow, I really think your something great is going to be much, much more awesome. :) (Also, raising two little boys counts as something pretty great, in my honest opinion!)
Second: my grandfather, who is 77 years old, is on facebook. (As are are both of my grandmothers, my parents, and 5 out of 7 aunts and uncles). You won’t be too old for the internet until you start sending me flashy kitten .gifs with inspirational sayings underneath them.
Finally, happy anniversary! Many blessings to you both!
(I don’t have a favorite blog niche, I’ll read anything that distracts me from the monotony of work!)
I thank my lucky stars my parents aren’t on Facebook. Everyone should be glad about that, actually.
I am only 20, but sometimes I wish I was 30 or 40 just because the design blogs you read are so much more applicable (because you actually have a home of your own, not just temporary, shared space)! I sometimes feel silly posting design things on my blog because I don’t have a house of my own to decorate.
I would be interested in Color Stories! And–I know a blog that is somewhat of a narrative blog, but more of a post-a-picture-with-a-melancholic-sentence type of blog (which, in a way, tells a story): habitblog.com/habit/
I can see your point of view, too. But, you know, a lot of the big design bloggers rent! I read Habit, and I love how you described them. They are melancholy! I never noticed it, but you’re spot on right.
A couple of things:
1. Get your mits on that box of aquamarines and have a ring made for yourself because you are fabulous. You do something great everyday and you deserve a beautiful ring.
2. God please don’t let the internet be for those under 32! PLEASE GOD! I love this little corner of the internet because even though I don’t have children and I’m single, I can relate to you. I don’t see you so much as a big sister, as much as a friend I could sit and have coffee with while discussing all the things I love.
3. If you find a good narative blog please share it. I have a couple of favorites, but I think you have suggested all of them so I’m not much help. Have you read Kelly Hampton? She’s lovely. You might like her.
http://www.kellehampton.com/
4. I’m going to start a color story of my own. I need an inspiration to pick my camera back up and dang it, I’m going to do it.
Sorry that was so long. I’ll stop rambling now!
I’m going to figure out how to do that linky thing. For you, Toi, I’d do anything. (Legal.)
Eleven years, congratulations! That is definitely something to be proud of (and you are *so* deserving of that ring; I saw it on Joanna’s blog and it took my breath away, too).
You have probably heard of this one, but one of my favorite blogs is Chez Larsson (http://chezlarsson.com/myblog/). She lives in Sweden and has one of the cleanest, whitest, most organized houses ever, plus she’s a good writer and includes interesting anecdotes about her personal life (she’s a newly single working mom with a teenage son).
Desire to Inspire has GREAT glimpses of interior design from all over the world; though my personal favorite feature is her Monday “Pets on Furniture” submissions from readers b/c I am antsy to get a dog. ;) http://www.desiretoinspire.net/
Some other newer to me are:
Besotted Brand Blog http://www.besottedblog.com/
Hilda Grahnat (also from Sweden, my favorite place): http://blog.grahnat.se/
and Creature Comforts http://www.creaturecomfortsblog.com/
Enjoy + happy internetting!
Also, Emma’s Designblogg: http://emmas.blogg.se/
and these:
Chez Larsson
Besotted Brand Blog
Desire to Inspire
Besotted Brand is Tristan’s blog. LOVE it. Love the other two, too. Emma’s I keep finding via links. I need to settle down and read it.
Happy belated anniversary! And you should definitely do something with those loose stones – although I would kind of love to have a box of loose stones around just so I could run my fingers through them.
I used to do that when I was a kid! Well, once or twice. My mom didn’t like me doing it so she hid them. I still don’t know where we got them. Probably from a patient of my dad’s. He would often accept goods or barter with people who couldn’t afford care.
Happy anniversary!
For a long time I mostly read design blogs, but I’ve actually started deleting many from my Google Reader because I found they were posting the same content on the same day. It was so obvious that a PR person emailed them all simultaneously! It all became a little redundant.
I’m in the process of tweaking my blog, trying to figure out exactly WHAT I want to write about and WHO my audience is. I hope that when I answer my questions, my blog will become one of your favorite narrative blogs ;)
I enjoy reading blogs by people my age (30) and older. Truthfully, it’s hard for me to relate to twenty-something bloggers who seem to have it all at such a young age!
I know what you mean about similar content. It’s why I love The Brick House. It’s pretty much original content. I will have to check out your blog when I’m done here. :)
Loved this post. I’m 35, an attorney (it makes me cranky sometimes, but most of the time I like it), mom and blogger. DH and I have been married for five years. The Interwebs is for all of us!
I am currently obsessing over design blogs, too! Love this post and love your blog. And happy, happy anniversary!
Thank you, fellow attorney! :)
You get it! I too feel sometimes that we (Chucho and I) are the oldest married couple around. It will be 11 years this May but I swear, most of our married friends are now single again! How are you supposed to deal with that? I sometimes wonder if the dating scene is probably what keeps someone young because as far as I am concerned…I feel much older than 35.
Happy anniversary!
Uh, that’s happening to me, too! My friends are suddenly single again….
Hah! I have been coveting that aquamarine ring forever! I actually own a couple of pieces from that etsy seller (onegarnetgirl), and her stuff is FAB. I often wish I had discovered her before the hub and I got engaged. Highly recommened.
I’m 27, married for four years (together for 8), no babies yet. We often feel like the only people on the planet who don’t have kids.
LOVE the color story idea. Would probably even be able to get over my neuroses long enough to participate.
Do it!
PS: I’m also mildly obsessed with design blogs (I found this blog via Apartment Therapy), and that has sort of grown into an interest in fashion blogs as well. The one I’m into most right now isn’t actually a blog, but I really enjoy flipping through the Wardrobe Remix flickr stream. It has inspired me to take more risks with my clothing instead of just admiring those who do.
Let me guess–the sharpie story? Polishing silver? I had no idea you found me via AT!
It was indeed The Sharpie of Legend that brought me to you. That and the fact that we have the same couch (except ours is the brown one).
But it was your honest writing and rapier wit that kept me coming back for more. ;)
Happy Anniversary! From one almost 40 year old blogger to another. Sometimes I still think 40 sounds old, my husband will be 40 in a couple months and it’s hard to believe!
My husband turns 40 next month! I can’t believe it.
Happy Anniversary. (I’ll celebrate 16 years in March… no wait, it’ll be 17) so I’m beyond your demographic and you have no idea how weird I feel blogging.
Speaking of which, I just revealed to my eight followers (low in number but extremely devoted) on my blog that I had a secret blog. This blog, I think, might fit well with your color story idea. If interested it’s: thiswhichremains.blogspot.com.
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a while.
All those pictures are perfect for January! Much better than what this CA girl will have.
I am another ’72 baby – but I am 6 months ahead of you, and will be 39 at the end of March. I agree – I can’t believe i’m nearly 40. For me, though, it’s complicated by the fact that I am married for nearly 5 and a half years, but no babies yet. I thought I’d have at least two by now, but life hasn’t turned out that way.
I am also another lawyer who loves to read and write – but I’m still practising.
Just wanted you to know that you have ‘lurker’ readers who are more like you than you know.
Vicki
I love it. We attorneys find each other, huh? :) Happy almost birthday!
Thanks Jules!
I can relate to your feelings. I will be 38 in a few months, and in that same month we will have our 15 year anniversary. I can’t figure out where all the time has gone. And in my brain I don’t feel that old. But I am not appreciating the gray hairs and boobs being not where they used to be. :)
As far as design blogs go, have you read Bryn Alexandra? I like her posts, but she also has an awesome design blogroll. I read a ton of design blogs that are on her blogroll every day.
I do read Bryn! That’s another thing that is on my nerves lately. The blogroll. It is woefully incomplete and at the same time, I’m tempted to take the whole thing down!
I know! I can’t fit all the blogs I read on mine. So, I sometimes think I should just erase it.
PS I like your signature wrapping. :)
Congratulations on your anniversary!!
Ok, I may be the oldest here: I’m 46, married for 22 yr, kids are 15 and 18 (yup, I have one in college).
Go get your mitts on those gems & make something for yourself – I inherited my my great grandmother’s diamond wedding ring. I took 4 diamonds from it and made myself a pair of diamond stud earrings and my daughter a smaller pair of stud earrings for her 18th b-day. The rest of the diamonds we’re saving and on our 25th anniversary, my husband is re-designing my wedding ring. I think of my great grandmother whenever I wear those earrings – which is pretty much everyday. :-)
As for blogs …. I recently bought a new computer and pretty much lost all my daily blog links. So, I’m rebuilding my list and on the lookout for new ones.
Gracious, girl. Don’t start talking 40 is over the hill.
Get that aquamarine. Wear what you want. Say what you want. Dance like you mean it. And have that colorful party. (Not sure how to party like that but I’ll be back to figure it out.)
No way you look like you are even CLOSE to 40. You are too gorgeous.
And you have every right to be yourself. Who are you going to try to conform to? Everyone is different. There is no normal. Stay young at heart and you will feel young and look young and, most importantly, be happy!
That is the goal.
Julie:
I think I’ve got you beat. I’m 48 with a 21 year old. And yes, I blog. *sigh* ( a big, old, tired sigh)
Don’t be fooled, people! Dina may be 48, but she looks 28, if that! :)
I’m old (over 50 shock horror) have 2 sons in their 20s and a 3 year old granddaughter, and yet feel like I am in my 30s. I am working on my PhD dissertation in film studies and blog reading is my digression, divertissemente, escape, sanity, breakfast joy and design inspiration. Yours is my fave narrative blog and for design I like Design Sponge and Decor8. For color and whimsy Rummage. Soulemama and Anna Maria Horner start my list of comfort blogs.
I’m 37, married 17 years this June, two kids. These days I read (and write) mostly book blogs, though I’ve hung on to a few narrative blogs for old times’ sake.
Jules, you now have a best friend for life, girlfriend.
I turned forty in November so don’t go on thinkin’ you’re old, cuz I’m older.
I really hope you can get your hands on one of those gems and make something fantastic.
The color stories thing sounds like fun.