New Blog Crush and Thursday Ramblings

I read a lot of blogs but it takes some sort of unknown “pull” for me really connect to a blog, so much so that it becomes part of my nightly reading routine. Therefore, when I do stumble across one that is unfamiliar but truly great, I get extra excited (in that sort of dorky blogger kind of way).

I am betting that you’re going to feel the same about Eat Sleep Cuddle. Cute name yes, but her kick ass content is why I think you’ll add her to your RSS feed.

Her tone of voice is honest and witty. Her posts are helpful, resourceful and beautiful. Put it this way, I never wanted to make a raw kale and brussels sprout salad until reading this post, and I am debating whether or not to skip my nightly dessert routine for the icky Apple Cider Vinegar tea that could have my skin glowing by morning.

But are you asking yourself, “so what?” What is Alexis getting at with this random Thursday post?

I guess the underlying driver for this post is that every night as I comb through my trusty blogroll I am inspired, humbled and to be perfectly honest, pretty intimidated by all the talent out there. Let’s get real for a moment, Lex & Learn is not the start of a business venture, so I don’t have fancy photo editing software or other sparkly add-on’s that make certain blogs simply spectacular. But that doesn’t stop me from going on and on, day after day, and I’ll take all the direction and inspiration I get can from the likes of “those” top, TOP bloggers any chance I can get.

And, thank you. Thank you to my mom, friends, coworkers, family members…to everyone who stops by from time to time. I blog for you. I blog for me. It’s a release in a creative format that doesn’t involve glue, scrapbooking or trips to Hobby Lobby (all things I love in theory but cringe around in reality). I believe that blogging is a way to savor memories and hold yourself accountable for tomorrow’s biggest dreams and goals.

I love the little Lex & Learn world I’ve built and am seriously grateful to have some wonderful supporters who follow along.

A Little Sprucing Up

The changes are oh-so-small, but I am really excited about the mini design face lift Lex & Learn got this week thanks to a small add-on order I made with Designer Blogs.

You’ll notice a spruced up navigation bar with page buttons that fit better into the overall design theme. I also treated myself to a favicon (the cute little L that should show up at the top of your browser when you are on my blog) and a custom post signature. We also got rid of the busy patterned paper design on the left and right of the blog and replaced it with a simple beige HEX color. Eventually I may go for more white space with a banner that spans the entire page, but for now I am really happy with how it turned out.

Designer Blogs may not be the cheapest online digital blog design shop out there, but I cannot sing their praises more loudly. If your blog is your baby and design/HTML coding is not in your areas of expertise, I think they are 100% worth the investment.

So, what do you think of the small design changes I made? Any recommendations or ideas for how I should continue to evolve and improve my blog design are appreciated!

Sunday Blog Love ~ March 25

Love is all aroundExcuses, excuses. I have plenty of those for why the Sunday Blog Love series has fallen by the wayside. Those aside, it is one of my favorite posts to write so since I’ve found myself with a moment of “me” time, I thought I’d bring it back.

Enjoy…

Have a lovely Sunday!

Blog Love ~ Feb. 26

LoveSigh, it has been too long since my last Sunday Blog Love post. If you read Lex & Learn regularly you know that the first few months of 2012 are extremely hectic (in a good way) for Mike and me, so I am getting behind on blogging some weeks–but not this one!

Loves of the week include…

  • This killer weekend day and night ensemble by Sequins and Stripes. I am in love with the whole look, but am seriously debating whether or not to treat myself to that dress. It is still winter in Colorado so dresses with sleeves are a must, as is being able to rock dresses with tights.
  • The Everygirl launched this week and while I don’t know Danielle personally, from reading her blog she seems absolutely lovely and I’m excited for her success. If you don’t know what The Everygirl is yet, go learn about it right now!
  • Maybe I will do something like Project Life when I have kids, maybe I won’t. I’m not very crafty or patient. But my friend Lindsay is AMAZING at it and I am truly in awe of her Project Life digital creations. Her girls are going to love going through their books when they are older. Maybe Lindsay will teach me like she’s guiding my sister-in-law Kelly!

I also want to officially welcome Anne Mason to the blogging world. Anne is the fantastic better half to my cousin Joey. They live in New Orleans and just bought a beautiful old home…and according to her new blog Hammer & Heels, there are lots of projects in store.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Blog Love ~ Jan. 29

heartI wish I could live in half the blogs in my bookmark bar. I am in awe of how bloggers find time to discover beautiful things, but keep up their own site. Do they sleep? Luckily for all of us they must not, which means we get to enjoy prettiness like this.

What posts captured your heart this week?

Blog Love ~ Jan. 22

gold hearts
Another week, another “that is so freaking cool” trip through bloggers-ville.

  • I want to live at Danielle’s (Breakfast at Toast) house, or fly her to Denver to come decorate ours. WOW!
  • Admiring Katie from The Neo-traditionalist and her super chic pixie cut. I am still almost in tears some days because of how short my hair is right now, so I totally love her confidence for being able to go that short.
  • Camille Styles’ Sea Glass color collage embodies the essence of fresh and beautiful.
  • Colorado’s mountains (our second home) are finally getting the snow they so desperately need, so Hip Hip Gin Gin’s Let it Snow fashion and accessories guide came at a great time. I am really needing the navy hooded cardigan.
  • The neon genius on Shoppings My Cardio is more than a week old, but I was a bit behind in my blog reading and literally gasped at how awesome these runway looks are. I would kill to be able to pull this look off, especially because it would be so unexpected based on my typical style.

Have a fabulous Sunday!

Education and Inspiration

Blogging Research WordleVmac & Cheese is one of my favorite blogs. I “found” Victoria last year and look forward to her gorgeous posts each day. So I was thrilled on Monday night when, catching up on blogs from the long weekend, I discovered her awesome series of blogging tips that kicked off on Jan. 16.

Link to first post: Welcome to Mini-Alt Week!

All of the tips are great, and the overall layout of this series is even better. Take for instance the digital photography tips post. We bought a DSLR camera last summer and while I want to improve and get off the auto feature, books and lengthy posts about digital photography quickly have my eyes glazing over. I just don’t learn that way.

Whether you currently have a blog or have thought about starting one, I hope you’ll agree that this is a series you should not miss. Thanks Victoria for the inspiration and collaboration with so many amazing bloggers this week.

Blog Love ~ January 15th

heartsIt has been much too long since I shared a “blog love” roundup. I read so many posts each week and always enjoy passing along little bits of inspiration to you. Now that owning a home has become more of a steady cadence of projects, instead of a race to unpack a mountain of boxes, I am again finding that hour on the couch to read my favorite blogs while Mike pretends not to be asleep. Bliss!

 

 

Speaking of bliss…

Have a lovely Sunday!

Blog Love ~ December 11

Love is all aroundI have been slacking on my Sunday blog love posts lately. Shame on me! The holidays seem to bring out the very best in many bloggers. Gorgeous clothes, cheery holiday decor–I’ve been glued to my computer nearly every evening.

Favorite posts from this week include…

  • Chocolate Mug Cake on Running to the Kitchen had me drooling and adding all of the ingredients to this week’s grocery shopping list
  • Cupcakes and Cashmere has me craving Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies
  • Keeping it Real with KP has an easy Peppermint Bark recipe. Great way to avoid the $25 price tag at Williams-Sonoma
  • Fur children love good style too, and Apartment 34 has a great Gone to the Dogs spread with chic dog beds that you can be proud to display in the living room

Happy Sunday all!

Friday Five: New Blog Loves

I haven’t participated in a Living Like the Kings Friday Five link-up in ages. They are always fun to read and I love Kat’s topics each week. So I decided to get back in the swing and share with you, my five newest obsessions in my personal blogroll.

With Style and Grace ~ Digging her mix of cooking, lifestyle and fashion posts.

Plush Palate ~ “Champagne taste for style,” is part of her tag line. Need I say more?

Sacramento Street ~ This blog is listed on countless blogrolls but for some reason she just made it into mine. It is graceful, pure and simple.

The Neo-Traditionalist ~ Pretty sure that Katie crawled into my mind before publishing certain posts and borrowed images that I dream about nightly.

and last but not least…

Decor8 ~ If I could hire someone to decorate our house, wrap my Christmas gifts, and help me be brave enough for wallpaper, Holly might just be my gal.

As my friend Carissa says, it is easy and oh-so-addicting to fall down the “rabbit hole” when exploring the blog world. My entire focus is starting to shift towards home decor, design and organization since we are literally DAYS away from learning if “the” house is going to be “our” house.

What blogs have captured your attention lately?

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