Touring Through Blogland

Touring through Blogland continues and Brenda tagged me and I am

supposed to answer a few questions.  So here goes:

1. What am I working on right now?  In terms of decorating well that

question is not so easy to answer.  As many of you know, I moved from

Idaho to Texas last August.  It was a huge move both geographically and

a life style change as well.  My husband and I moved down here with my

mother and we consolidated our two households.  Then five months ago

my Mom had a major stroke and died.  I am still picking up the pieces after

her death.  It's been a tough year for me and I am just taking things day by

day.  I  do a little decorating, have a good cry and do a bit more.  I know

that it will eventually get a bit easier, but for now I just do what I can each

day and try not to push myself too hard.

2.  How does my work differ from others in this genre?  Firstly, my little

dog Bentley has been an important part of this blog from the very start.

As Dorothy had Toto, I have Bentley.  He is my beloved little companion

and I often involve him in my posts.  I have been writing this blog for a

few years now and I can see it evolving.  In the beginning I was feeling

my way through the process and now I feel more relaxed and easy about

my writing style.  I would like to get away from the self imposed

structure of my blog and start to incorporate more free thought.

3.  Why do I write/create what I do?  I want my blog to be a happy

respite from our stress filled world.  I like to show a few pics and tell a

little story and  have my readers leave feeling uplifted.  I am not a 

slave to decorating so that is not my main focus.  I want my readers

to feel like they stopped by to visit a friend rather than be reading

a glossy magazine.

4.  How does your writing process actually work?  I never know for

sure what I am going to write about.  It may sound corny, but my

spirit just moves me.  I can sit down at the keyboard and have an idea

in mind and suddenly the muse takes over and I am off in another 

direction.  

Now I am supposed to pass the torch along to three other bloggers.

My first blogger is Robin the Decorating Tennis Girl.  Robin and I 

started blogging right around the same time.  We quickly became good

friends.   We have a lot in common.  We are both only children, have

a passion for old TV shows like the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Bewitched

and That Girl.  We also are old movie fans too and watch our favorites

over and over again.  We consider each other to be sisters and always

know what the other one is thinking.  We love old houses and a

traditional decorating style and somehow always end up buying the

same thing without the other knowing in advance.  It is almost 

freaky!

Secondly is Karen of Brayton Homestead Interiors.  Karen has a

little Yorkie just like my Bentley and her's is named Krumpet.  We

have known each other for several years now.  She is also an interior

designer by trade and loves France as much as I do.  

And finally my dear friend Sarah of Hyacinths For the Soul.  Sarah

is a fellow Texan and has been such a good friend to me 

throughout my move from Idaho back to the Lone Star State.

As with Robin and Karen, we always seem to be on the same

page and ours is an easy and comfortable friendship.  Also like

me, her dog is her constant companion as well.

What I love about all three of these women is that home and

family come first.  They all like to live simple lives with the

emphasis on quality and not quantity.  And most importantly

they make the truest of friends.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley