Thursday, May 13, 2010

Master of My Domain...Name



A great big thank you to the person who donated this Victoria Hagan Target end table to my local thrift shop. SCORE at $7.50! Both Tom and my daughter said, "When are you going to spray paint it?" Guess they know me pretty well. For now, I'll enjoy it au naturel. The table, not me, you silly goose!


As I was snapping the pic of the new table, I started thinking about An Inch of Gray. I mean, what is it? A house blog? A "mom" blog? An online journal?

Sheesh. I'm wondering if my blog, like my life, just reflects a "jack of all trades, master of none" approach.

I LOVE house blogs, and for the very reason I love them, I know this doesn't qualify as one.

Many readers come over from one of my faves, Young House Love, and they must take one look and say, "What the heck?" After all, we read house blogs for eye candy and tips. We want to build an idea file. We want an escape. House blogs are like a glossy magazine, showing how life COULD be. People coming to my blog are more likely to read about PMS, flatulence, and my general anxiety, which are not really conducive to dreaming.

Also, the facts that I couldn't take a good photo if my life depended on it, and that the windowpane right behind my cool new table is covered with cardboard and painter's tape pretty much disqualify me from ever reaching house blog status.



Mommy blog? I don't know. As my kids get older and their lives get more complicated, they feature less prominently here. They know how to find my blog on the computer, and that scares me.

All of this is so typical for me, anyway. I've never really known where I fit in and can never seem to jump whole hog into anything. I probably never would have gotten married if an ex hadn't called me out on always trying to keep my options open.

This has been the case with friends, too. My dear friends from college start reminiscing and invariably I have no recollection of the event. I've already shared that I was "less festive" than they were in college, so to an extent they were sheltering me, but there's something else. They dove into very close friendships with a tight group of people, hanging out together and at select fraternities. I may have made this party, or that one, but I also might have been with the black turtleneck wearing English majors, complete with fake British accents, the InterVarsity Youth Groupies, my roommates, or more likely alone with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and my comfy pants. I was all over the place.

So those who love house blogs are probably wondering why the heck I write about getting my brows threaded or "celebrating intimacy" with my husband.

And the rest of you are probably wondering how many more times you'll have to look at my yellow lamp-- which the entire family HATES, by the way.

Maybe the blog is random and always will be, like me, and like this list that just burbled up in my head:

Current Fave TV Show: Modern Family
Book I'm Reading: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Dinner Tonight: It's 6 pm already?
Next Movie to Watch: It's Complicated
Low Point in School: The Physical Fitness Test...always!
Night Owl or Early Bird: Night Owl
Current Self Esteem depleter: Seeing pics of parties on Facebook that I'm not invited to
Flaws: Diarrhea of the mouth, defensiveness, low blood sugar freak outs (and many more)
Greatest Hope: To Do Something Meaningful


I guess I don't know what this blog is, but I want you to know I'm sure grateful to you for reading!






27 comments:

Shay said...

Anna
I love the randomness of your blog. Dont question it- it just is ...

And dont change it either! It's a perfect reflection of the pieces of you that you want to share.

Kristina P. said...

I think you are just a life blogger.

See Mom Smile said...

What I love about blogging is you don't have to be anything! Random is highly acceptable. We love Modern Family. I love how it spans generations because we can watch with our teenagers and all laugh our heads off.

Amanda @ 24 Maple Lane said...

Anna I love reading your blog because it's so real and down to earth.
I attempted to start a "house blog" a few months ago, and so far it seems to be more of a "life blog". Without any followers. Yet.
But I love doing it because it's nice to talk about whatever I want and no one can talk back!!
Seriously though, love what you're doing. And I love Modern Family too!!! (wow even my comment in random)

Marg said...

Anna, I love your blog just the way it is. Random is great! I don't want to see perfect people with perfect families and perfect houses all the time.
If everyone tried to have a perfect house or food blog I would find it very very boring. I like to know that I am not the only one who isn't perfect, so thank you for sharing your random thoughts.

Dixiejet said...

I ADORE your blog...I read the entire thing,which is unusual for me since I'm a "skimmer" .

Christy said...

And I'm grateful to YOU for writing. Whatever, whenever - yours is one of my faves! For real! Can't wait to meet you this summer. And for the record, I LOVE that yellow lamp.

citymouse said...

I totally understand! Hence my blog name... Random Thoughts... I have been wondering where I fit in in the blogosphere lately. I am definitely not a mommy blogger, although I do write about my family. It seems like all the blogs I come across are either about young families or 20-somethings. I like reading your blog because I feel like I can relate to your life.

R said...

I hate that lamp too.

Anonymous said...

I think this is a fun random blog, great find on that side table!

Unknown said...

I love your blog because it is random. Kind of like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates--you never know what you're gonna get.

Brenda Susan said...

Okay Anna, you have given me the perfect excuse to say something I've very much appreciated about your blog....It's not predictable or boring!
I don't go to House blogs much and the Mommy blogs are of a different era than me so.....
I love your blog because it is real life, funny and inspiring!
(The cardboard made me giggle!)

Deidra said...

I love this blog. Random rocks. And so does Modern Family.

Diane at Perfectly Imperfect Life said...

I love your blog, Anna, because you remind me of me. I too feel like a "jack of all trades, master of none".

That and you're so honest. You're not afraid to say things I wish I could say (or maybe you are but you do it anyway, which I respect too!)

My RSS reader is full of home blogs, but yours is truly one of my favorite!

Anonymous said...

Yours is my favorite blog. Promise you won't stop. Ever. You would so be my BFF - if I knew you.

Elisa @ What the Vita said...

Yep, I'm one of those who found you via YHL and I saw some of your chair projects, I was like, cool another home blog. But then you started talking about other things and then I realized, not just another home blog... and I loved your blog even more.

I can't find my blog said...

A common problem for those of us who blog. I love random: that's what write and what I read. You go girl! And I love your furniture posts even if I never get around to doing those projects on my own!

Judi B said...

Random is good. And it's nice to read an honest report. You're more brave than I am and I enjoy your openess.

Kelee Katillac said...

Hi Anna:

You are a commentator! Like say...Anne Lamont ...now that's good company.

This is an HONEST blog. A blog about authenticity.

I can relate though....last year when I did the dog-scarf fundraiser I lost some subscribers....some folks want the house thing and not the dog thing or the dog thing and not the house thing...but I kept most of them--subscribers.....they are kindred souls....

I just do my thing....and you do too! Like attracts like....

and I like you!

love, kelee

Anonymous said...

i found you through YHL and i've come back a few times a week ever since (when i am supposed to be working) because of you, or, i should say because you are funny and it makes me laugh to read about your exploits. i always though an inch of grey referred to your roots...is that right? anyway, hope you keep blogging!

Stimey said...

I like what Kristina P. called it: life blogging.

I feel a little bit the same. I have an umbrella of things I write about, but I imagine it's confusing for my readers who come to my blog one day and read a funny story about ladybugs and then the next day I'm crying about special needs.

All hail the random.

Pseudo said...

The coolest thing about blogging, for me, is that there are no "rules." We can blog as we like and change as we go. I love your blog, honest and real.

Kate Coveny Hood said...

I just love you Anna. And this is exactly why we are friends. I wouldn't want to do BlogHer for the first time with anyone else.

Nichole@40daysof said...

Love the Seinfeld reference and the randomness!

Anonymous said...

Anna, you are perfect exactly as you are in all your inperfection. And all of us feel that "don't quite fit in anywhere thing." Look at me, I move every 3 years and fit in ABSOLUTELY no where. But that's OK. Your blog is the only one I regularly read and it always makes me smile. The lamp, however, is really ugly. Sorry, but it is. The rest of your house is lovely but that lamp....

Anonymous said...

Your blog is one of my favorites. You have such a way with words. Thank you for doing it, and thank you for showing me your cardboarded up window. It may be petty, but it makes me feel better about the state of me and mine right now.

I like what you did to your light fixtures, btw. Good thinking!

jbat

K A B L O O E Y said...

I may be rationalizing here, as one who has a more random, less inspired (and inspiring) blog than you, but please just keep up what you're doing. Call it random, or a "life" blog, I guess, or essay? Who knows, but you strike a nerve. Clearly.