Help with My Blog

I follow a lot of other blogs, but can't figure out how I get the links with the active posts from those blogs to show up on my blog. Could anyone give me any pointers on this? I think I would have more followers if everyone could see the active posts. But I'll be darned if I can figure it out. I'm not not real savvy with this blog thing, but I've actually managed some things that when I first started out I thought I'd never figure out! So if you want to give me a point or two about this, I'd surely appreciate it. I want my blog to look like others that I follow so when people come to my blog they can click on active posts from other blogs and see what's going on in blogland.

Any help would be so much appreciated.
Sharon

My Surprise Valentine Swap

Yesterday I received a lovely surprise from Jeannie in Florida. She was my recipient in the Valentine swap I recently participated in. She did not have my name in the exchange; someone else did. But that person decided not to follow-through with the swap and didn't mail anything to me. So Jeannie, who I sent my package to, decided I should receive a package so she sent me one. It had the cutest things in it! A great journal with cute charms on the front, a beautiful zippered pouch (both handmade!!), a red and white paisley mug, white chocolate muffin mix with raspberry frosting (OH YUM!) and some jelly bellies! I can't believe how much stuff she sent me and she didn't even have my name in the swap! Unbelievable! Jeannie is a very nice woman who apparently has a huge heart. I can't thank Jeannie enough for making my day, or my week actually!

Starlight Primitives: Meeting New Friends Through My Blog

Starlight Primitives: Meeting New Friends Through My Blog

Meeting New Friends Through My Blog

I recently signed up for my first Valentine swap. I thought it was going to be so much fun - making something handmade and combining it with a few other items to send to someone I didn't know. And then waiting for my package to arrive from the person who had my name. But it was disappointing as apparently the person with my name decided not to participate and therefore I didn't receive a package. I was really bummed. I came home from work every day looking anxiously for my package only to find that it wasn't here. My significant other knew I was very disappointed. I was so pleased with the handmade items that I had sent my exchange person (a penny rug pillow, a wool felt heart ornament and a wool felt pincushion). I've now received an email from Jeannie (my exchange person) about how much she enjoyed the items I made for her. It made me feel so good. I expressed to her that I was glad she enjoyed the items and how much fun I had making them for her. I also expressed the disappointment about not receiving a package from my exchange person.

So Jeannie decides that she will send me a package because she said that was not right that I didn't receive one in return. I cried because I was overwhelmed that someone that I didn't know would be that in tune with my feelings and care enough to do that. What a sweet person! She said she's already mailed the package! I just can't believe it.

And then on top of that cool thing, I won one of the journals from the giveaway from With Thy Needle & Thread! This has turned out to be a good day, even if I did have to stay home from work because of the bad weather here.

So Jeannie, if you read this blog, I've already thanked you once. But thank you again for making my day, maybe even my week.

And thanks to With Thy Needle & Thread for my great new journal!!

Sharon :)

Organizing My Wall of Wool

We have snow today (only about 4 inches, which is not much compared to some who have more than 2 feet). So I'm spending some of my day inside organizing what I call my "wall of wool". Since I've started rug hooking, I've become obsessed with purchasing wool, whether it is on eBay or at thrift stores. I have no idea why I've purchased so much, but I have. I've slacked off some in the buying lately because I have so much of it. I use it for my rug hooking, pillows and ornaments that I make out of wool and wool felt. I sell the pillows at local craft shows.

At any rate, I have the wool organized by color on stackable racks. So I've spent part of the day organizing the wool and putting back the wool that I've pulled out recently to make pillows for the craft shows that I participated in before the holidays.

I'm working on several rugs now, one of which is a white pumpkin with a pumpkin-colored background. I haven't hooked in 4 months or so because I was working on the pillows and ornaments for the craft shows and then the holidays came and things just seem to have been busy lately. And I really like working with the wool felt and making pillows and ornaments. But I'm President of my local rug hooking guild so I need to be hooking.

On another note, I want to get my blog to where I have more followers. So maybe I need to have a giveaway. I'm going to ponder the idea and maybe come up with something handmade to give away. I'm still having trouble getting my blog to look like some of the other blogs that I follow. Maybe I can find a little help to fix it up.

I sent the items to my Valentine swap person from the Irish Rose Creations Valentine swap, but haven't received mine. Hopefully, the person who had my name will remember to send my items. We'll see.