20 questions.

Because it's pretty apparent that I'm having a tough time breaking back into the blogosphere, I figured a little re-introduction is in order.  You know, kind of like, "Hi, I'm Julia... I like to blog sometimes..." yeah... something like that...

Or how about just a quick game of 20 questions?  You down?

1) What is your full name?

Julia Leslie Black

2) Where were you born?

the metropolis of Manhattan, Kansas

3) Do you like your handwriting?

most days

4) Do you have kids?

yes... #sweetzaragirl

5) What is your favorite cereal?

Cocoa Krispies, no doubt

6) Would you ever bungee jump?

oh hellllll no.

7) What shoes are your wearing right now?

slippers... those count as shoes, right?

8) Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

Zara and I just Facetimed my parents:)

9) Favorite sports to watch?

football... or volleyball

10) Do you dye your hair?

guilty as charged

11) What is your favorite ice cream?

ice cream-schmice cream... i'm a gelato girl now

12) Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings

13) What book are you reading right now?

I'm reading a magazine... does that count?

14) Summer or winter?

SUMMER!

15) What are you listening to right now?

the intro to Pretty Little Liars (I'm almost caught up!)

16) Beach house or mountain home?

beach house, please.

17) When was the last time you cried?

uhhhh... yesterday... during some stupid commercial. 

18) How many states/countries have you lived in?

four

19) Morning person or night owl?

night owl... definitely NOT a morning person

20) What are you supposed to be doing right now? 

(that you are obviously ignoring by playing 20 questions:)

sleeping...

There you have it... feel free to play along.  Let me know if you do, I'd love to read your answers:)  Happy Friday!!

tomorrow.

things that make me happy...

On my happy list lately...

...fresh cut flowers from our front porch...

...cherry limeades at work...

 ...downs after dark...

...pretty thank you cards...

...an anonymous strawberry fairy...

...my new Uganda necklace...

 ...awesome antique finds...

...quality time with the girls...

 ...my handsome husband...

...my new project life kit...

(and the most appropriate 3x4 card ever)

The past couple of weeks have been beyond exciting around here... I am constantly reminded of how much I have to be grateful for.  We simply can't stop thinking about our sweet baby girl and we have been so encouraged by how all of our friends and family have responded to our adoption news.  Baby girl is already so, so loved... and that makes me so, so happy.

What's on your happy list lately?

woop. woop.

the liebster eleven

Several weeks ago, the lovely Marcela of Tu Casa Blog presented me with the Liebster Award.  And although I was extremely honored and flattered, I couldn't help wonder "what the heck is a liebster?!?"

Apparently liebster means "dearest" in German... and from what I can tell, the origins of this award started back in 2010 by some German blogger... so I guess that would make sense.  Ideally, this is an award for the "little guys" ...bloggers with less than 200 followers.  And while I have a few more than 300 followers, Marcela was kind enough to nominate me anyways... which I haven't decided if that is because she a) genuinely likes my blog despite the rules... b) ran out of other blogs to nominate... or c) thinks I should probably really only have 200 followers and is trying to figure out where the other 100 people came from...  I'm going to go with (a).  Besides... with all of the rumors about Google Friend Connect disappearing from the Blogosphere, it's hard to be all particular about followers and such.

And because no blog award is without rules and stipulations... the Liebster Award comes with a few of it's own.  If you are nominated for the Liebster Award, you'll need to do the following...

Rule #1... Post 11 random facts about yourself.
Rule #2... Answer the 11 questions that the nominating blogger asked.
Rule #3... Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you intend to nominate.
Rule #4... Select 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to nominate for the award.
Rule #5... Visit their blog and let them know 11 times... just kidding... just let them know you gave them an award.

I have no idea what the deal is with the number 11 here... I mean, why not just 10??  But hey, I don't make the rules... I just follow them... well, kind of.  I'm skipping rule #1, because I mean, really... I don't want to bore you to tears.  (I only made it to random fact number 3 before I was bored myself).  Anyhow... let's get on with it shall we?


my answers to the 11 questions Marcela asked...

1) What motivated you to create your blog?
I created Black Tag Diaries a little over 4 years ago.  I thought blogging would be a fun way to document my craft projects and little life stories.  Many of my friends and family live out-of-state and the blog has proved to be a fun way for them to keep up with our life here in Louisville.

2) What's your favorite food?
Hmmm, tough call... chicken 'n' dumplings, maybe?  Or pretty much any kind of southern food... hmmm, or breakfast food... or ice cream...

3) If you had to pick a different country to live in, which one would it be?
I'm going to go with New Zealand... North or South island... I'm not picky.

4) Do you speak a second language?  Which one?
Nope.  Unless, "Hola, coma estas?" counts?

5) How long do you spend on the web looking at other blogs?
Probably 30 minutes to an hour... I have a few favorites that I make sure to check out daily.

6) What's the best advice you've got to grow your blog?
I try my best to actually comment on the blogs that I take time to read.  One of my favorite parts of blogging are the connections you make with other bloggers all over the world.

7) What's your favorite home decor magazine?
Country Living.

8) If you had a magic wand to change anything, what would it be?
I would make ice cream healthy.

9) What's your least favorite task at home?
Doing dishes... especially since we don't have a dishwasher.

10) What's your go-to outfit?
The layered roll-up look.

11) High heels or flats?
Flats.


my 11 questions for you...

1) What's your all-time favorite movie?

2) Mints or gum?

3) What types of blogs do you gravitate towards? (home decor, crafting, cooking, literature, style & fashion... etc??)

4) As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

5) How do you drink your tea?

6) What U.S. city is on your "must visit" list?

7) What do you never leave home without (besides your cell phone)?

8) What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

9) Beach or mountains? 

10) What was your favorite childhood toy?

11) What's the strangest thing in your purse right now?



the 11 blogs I'm nominating...

1) Jaimie @ Living in the Light
Jaimie is one of my favorite bloggy friends and just recently hit 100 followers... be sure to congratulate her!!

2) Hillary @ Homegrown in KY
My good friend Hillary just recently started blogging about her life and adventures as the wife of a med student... and they recently found out where they will be doing their upcoming residency... Greenville, SC!!

3) Chrystina @ Chrystina Noel
I always love reading up on Chrystina's blog... she was responsible for inspiring my "Christmas in July" party this past year :)  Brilliant.

4) Flossie @ Life on Flossie's Farm
A fellow Kentuckian... and another one of my favorite bloggy reads.  I always love her "cuppa joe" posts... honestly, it's like I am sitting across the table from her in a cozy coffee shop.

5) Angie @ Life of a Housewife
Angie is the most committed blogger I know... she is so diligent about her daily posts and she's even started doing daily pictures.  So consistent, I tell ya.

6) Christiana @ My Sixth Lens
Love, love, love checking out Christiana's daily outfits on instagram.  She is a gorgeous godly woman... with incredible fashion sense to boot:)

7) Ashlee @ The Kitchen is not my Office
This is a newer blog for me... and is definitely becoming one of my favorites.  Ashlee and her husband have 5 beautiful children, 2 of which are adopted from Uganda.  I have found several of her adoption-related posts to be incredibly helpful and encouraging.

8) Jenna @ Keep Caffeinated and Carry On
Jenna's blog always keeps me laughing with her hilarious photos and weekend shenanigans.

9) Kate @ A Journey in Style
I love following Kate's style adventures and seeing the fun outfits she puts together with her "neglected" wardrobe items.  She barely made the cut with 199 followers:)

10) Lani @ It's My Life
I'm always loving Lani's crafty creations... and lucky her, she is on a "craftcation" right now with her best friend... that sounds heavenly to me.  I'm definitely wanting to copy this and go on a craftcation of my own soon.

11) Morgan @ Confections from the Cody Kitchen
Morgan is actually one of my dear friends from Georgia... and be warned... if you head over to her blog you will want to eat EVERYTHING.  My mouth starts watering just thinking about those mint brownies... mmmm.

So.  There you have it.  My nominations for the Liebster Award... be expecting a trophy in the mail.  I would love to know if/when you do your own Liebster blog post, so I can be sure to read it:)

happy sunday

I hate when that happens.

happy wednesday

Just a little chocolate bunny bunny humor for your Wednesday morning...

crazy weekend

Things are crazy over here in the city of Louisville... having a blast with my family... full review coming soon... promise.

ebay v. craigslist

After my Thankful Thursday list post from yesterday, I had several comments asking about Ebay and how it differed from Craigslist... Which was better? Which I preferred? What's the difference? ...etc, etc.

So.... I thought it might be helpful to do a quick little review of the two very popular selling sites. This "review" is strictly based on my experiences as a new(ish) seller... I am not a fanatical seller (not yet anyways) and have only sold a handful of items on either Ebay or Craigslist. And, truth be told, my husband really did all of the hard work in listing most of our items.

Okay, so that all being said, let's start the official review, shall we?

Craigslist...

Craigslist is an online community allowing people to both purchase and sell items according to their location. The major advantage of Craigslist over Ebay would be that it's much easier to sell/buy large items (like furniture or cars even) because the person you are selling to/buying from is ideally located in the same city, so you can easily make arrangements for pick up/delivery... ie, no shipping costs. Of course, anytime you are meeting complete strangers from the internet to exchange items, safety always becomes a concern. Always take precautions when arranging meeting locations.

We have tried selling a truck (yes... that sweet 1987 Chevy pickup, for those of you that know it well... sad, I know) and a sofa on Craigslist. So far, both with no luck. We had a few serious prospects come out to examine the truck... but regarding the sofa... not so much. Well, I take that back... we have had A TON of "hearing impaired" and "speech impaired" people interested in collecting our personal information so they could "purchase" the sofa... aka, we have encountered A TON of scammers on Craigslist. But that's to be expected more when you're dealing directly with all of the crazy people out there in the real world.

Ebay...

We have had a much better experience selling on Ebay. Ebay uses more of an auction-style of buying/selling... and overall seems to be much more protected. Ebay manages the bidding directly, and all payments are made through Paypal. We recently sold a bow, a jacket, and a guitar... all of which sold at higher amounts than we expected.

On Ebay you have the ability to set a "reserve" price if you know you don't want to accept anything lower than a certain amount. This ensures that if you do sell your items, you can at least collect a minimum amount or choose to not sell at all. If you're lucky your item might start a bidding war and the price is likely to go above what you were hoping for. You have to be organized and prepared to head to the post office as soon as your bid closes... that could be more effort than you're wanting to give. Depends on how motivated you are, I guess.

So... there you have it... my 2 cents on Ebay and Craigslist. Now who's ready to go sell some stuff!?!?

hello october...

October... The cool, crisp air seems to almost draw me in. The rich fall colors inspire me to create. In October I will be... visiting college girlfriends... spending time at the office... editing photos... watching Raider football... baking cookies... photographing a wedding in Mobile... planning the first community craft night... finishing some projects... enjoying fall.

What about you? What does October have in store for you?

out and about.

tgif

really??

I mean... I know there are people that really love their pets and all... but come on... Your dog will not be going to the store to pick out a Mother's Day card... let's just be honest. And as much as Little Cat loves me, I highly doubt he will be perusing through the Mother's Day card section anytime soon.

But yet... I have seen an entire section dedicated to Mother's Day cards from your pets. I just don't get it.

Mother's Day is this Sunday... don't forget to call your mom!! :)

the versatile blogger...

Ooooo, a blog award for me?!? So exciting!

Thanks to Kari at The Busy Busbys and Kit at A Step into My Life for considering Black Tag Diaries worthy of the Versatile Blogger Award. Be sure to check both of their blogs out... you won't be disappointed.

To accept the Versatile Blogger Award the rules are:

1) Thank and link back to the blogger that gave you the award.

2) Share 7 things about yourself.

3) Pass the award on to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.

4) Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award.

~~~

So, here we go... 7 things about me...

1) I was a cheerleader in middle school, but could barely do a cart-wheel.

2) I always drink tomato juice on airplane flights.

3) I took only 2 classes during my last semester of college: a photography class... and ballet. (best semester ever)

4) I hate to cook, but love to bake.

5) I could live off of macaroni & cheese alone.

6) I played 4 years of collegiate volleyball.

7) I have a strange obsession with stationary and paper goods.

~~~

Now I'm passing this award on to 7 other award-worthy blogs...

1) Courtney @ Mostly Dazed & Often Confused

2) Stacie @ The Tales from the Fairy Dust

3) Melissa @ Lady of the Flowers

4) Molly @ The Rigoloso's

5) Jessamie @ Jason, Jessamie & Georgia Bean

6) Star @ Star's Pink World

7) Lindsey @ Random Acts of Brackett

tag... you're it.

So, here's how it works... my new blog-friend, Kari over at The Busy Busbys, tagged me with 8 fun little questions... And now I get to tag 8 of my blog-friends and ask them my own set of 8 questions...

~~~

Here are the 8 questions I answered from Kari...

1) If you could be in any tv show when you were a kid what would it be?

The Wonder Years... no doubt. I always thought Winnie Cooper was the coolest.

2) What has been your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Probably my Barbie mansion. You know the one. Three stories with that awesome pull-string elevator.

3) What actress would you want to play you if your life was a movie?

I'm going to go with Sandra Bullock. She is beautiful and I always love the characters she portrays.

4) What decade fad do you wish would come back?

The 70's, for sure. Bellbottoms, peasant shirts, and shoes... optional.

5) What song describes your life?

Amazing Grace. A classic description of God's love for us.

6) What was your favorite subject in school?

Math. I know... shocking answer for an accountant.

7) If you could have a dream job for a day what would it be?

Is there such a thing as a professional arts & craftser?

8) If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

A cat. I could definitely handle eating and sleeping all day.

~~~

And here are the 8 questions I came up with for you... Feel free to play along... consider yourself tagged:)

1) What's your favorite room in your house?

2) If you had to spend the rest of your life in one season (fall, winter, spring, summer), which would it be?

3) Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip?

4) What are you most looking forward to?

5) What was your favorite vacation as a child?

6) Books or movies?

7) How do you drink your coffee? Do you even drink coffee?

8) What was your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

my personal assistant

Once I started working from home, I decided I could really benefit from an assistant. I went through a tedious hiring process, interviewing candidate after candidate, but finally found an assistant that I felt was right for the job...

He started out okay. Updating me on my daily to-do list every morning... Taking notes... And overall, being very focused on the task at hand. However... lately, I've been noticing some disapproving behavior from my new assistant.

For one, he's been drinking way too much Dr. Pepper, usually causing a massive sugar crash in the afternoon.

He's been caught sleeping on the job on numerous occasions.

I've even had recent complaints about his poor customer service.

I've thought about hiring a new assistant, but I'm not sure that I could find another one that would work solely for cat food and a little love and attention...

a love/hate relationship...

A friend of mine posted about some of her love/hate relationships yesterday... and I realized that I have a few of my own...

I love the smell of freshly laundered sheets... I hate folding them.

(especially those dang fitted sheets)

~~~

I love icecream... I hate brain freeze.

~~~
I love the colorful autum leaves... I hate having to rake/bag them.

~~~

I love Little Cat... I hate that he now has a litter box.

~~~

I love to read... I hate that I never make time to do it.

~~~

What do you love/hate??

a good hair day...

Recently my co-workers and I have stumbled upon this awesome website... angrylittlegirls.com. We have absolutely been cracking up at these cynical, hilarious comics! We have even analyzed the character profiles to determine which Angry Little Girl best suits us. I'm proud to say that I am Wanda... the "fresh soul sistah" :)

Which one are you???

Kim: the angry little asian girl is true to her moniker. She's one short-tempered little angry girl! Grrr!!!

Maria: the crazy little latina. She's quite loopy. She doesn't look at the world, she looks inside it! She's one super kooky kid.

Deb: the disenchanted princess. She's the girl that has it all... beauty, money, cute clothes, great hair... but she's never happy! Sigh...

Wanda: the fresh little soul sistah. Because we all need a friend that's well-adjusted and positive. (Secretly, we hate people like her!)

Xyla: (pronounced Zy-la) is the gloomy girl. She's full of doom and gloom! It's like a dark cloud of rain follows her...