24.5.13

100 Posts: Highlights


Well, I've made it to 100 posts and I'd like to thank you all for your comments and emails.  This blog has been great motivation for us to get our bums in gear and tackle the projects on our list but it's also nice (seriously, it makes me blush) to know that I'm not "talking" to thin air.

I wanted to commemorate this milestone with a special post.  Young House Love (one of my favourite blogs) posts a monthly wrap-up each month, assigning yearbook-style titles to their posts.

Most Popular: This would have to be my first Craigslist Score post.  I was talking about scoring these vintage chairs (below) and then covering the nasty seats in cowhide and Apartment Therapy asked readers to brag about their favourite DIY projects.  I linked to the post and my readership shot through the roof.  It showed me the real power of a popular blog.  It's been months and each week I still have people who find my blog through that link!

Criagslist word of caution: This could also be called my "SCARIEST" post in a way because I recently had an unsettling interaction with someone from Craigslist.  Now, I'm still a fan of the site and I think it's very useful but it's important to remember that (just like in the non-cyber world) most people are great but a few ... aren't so wonderful. 

I won't go into details but basically, I was going to purchase an end table and the seller had arranged to drop it off.  I got a funny feeling about the interaction (I ALWAYS listen to my intuition) and I cancelled the deal.  Anyway, the guy kind of freaked out at me and physically threatened me.  Dude HATES real estate agents with a capital "H"!  He had my address (he was supposed to deliver it) and he made it clear that he had access to lots of information about me.  Needless to say, I was a little shaken and I called the police to report it.  We're fine and we're not exactly easy targets... Remember, the house is booby-trapped due to my zombie paranoia. ;)  Still, I wanted to pass on the warning to all of you!

Now back to the post.  Where were we?  Oh yes... Most Popular= Craigslist Score.


Most Colourful:  Until we paint the house, this will have to be my paint chip blocks which add a nice pop of colour and give me something to play with while I'm on the phone.  Some of my friends tease me over the "annoying craftiness" of this post but I'll just ignore them and play with my blocks ... ;)


Happiest Puppy:  You could also probably call this "Happiest Taylor and Corey" since it's the day we brought Barkley to his our new/old house!  We had promised him a backyard for his 7th birthday but the first week in the house was filled with renovations so he had to stay with his grandma.  Bringing him home made this house finally feel real to us!


Biggest Flop:  Which of my posts have the least views?  There are a few I could choose from.  You guys weren't big fans of all the real estate-y posts I wrote in the beginning... At all!  Not that I can blame you, to most people those posts are probably only interesting if you're looking to buy or sell in the near future.  Still, I think I heard crickets after I wrote some of those.  More recently, you weren't so interested in my post speculating about a possible casino in Toronto.  Message received: I'll stay away from the news!

Update: The casino idea was shot down almost unanimously.  Who else is thrilled?


Most Difficult To Write: This would have to be the post about some of the corruption at the condo.  It has seriously left a scar and, although I'm immensely proud of how I was able to initiate so much positive change, the first few months there robbed me of the excitement people are supposed to feel after purchasing their first home.  I've only just begun to tell the story but you'll see what I mean in the weeks to come.  It still makes me angry that the people responsible face no consequences but it was our dream to leave and buy a house... and we did!


Favourite DIY:  While I love our new headboard and some of the other projects, we've been completing in the new/old house, I think my personal favourite is the simple baby blanket I made while we were at the condo.  The blanket itself was nothing special... but the recipient is!


Surprise Viral: Perhaps it shouldn't be THAT surprising but 11 Apps to Help You Find the Perfect Home... and 5 More for After you Move: still gets daily hits.  I thought it was a fun post but I think it's one of my few SEO friendly posts so I think it gets tons of search traffic.


Most Controversial: For some reason, those of you who know me really seem to hate my toilet-sink idea.  Some of you are even preemptively boycotting the sink positive washroom!  Or worse... I'll spare the details but one person swore they would do the opposite of boycotting the washroom!  I'm not 100% sure what that means but YUCK!  Seriously, this post has come up in conversation with clients, over dinner with friends... and none of you seem to think it's a good idea.  Well now, my stubborn personality makes me want a sink positive even more!  We'll see what happens since that room's not on the list yet but I'm thinking I want at least one of these!


Most Personal: This would definitely be my "like letter" to Corey for Valentine's Day.  We're not huge lovey-dovey-sappy-gushy people (yes, that's a technical term) and this post embarrassed us both!  I do love how fabulously young I look in the picture (taken the summer we first met by our talented friend, Michael Budd) though.


Most Likely To Be Linked Back To Multiple Times:  The winner for this category would have to be the "before" pictures of our new/old house!  We've already made so many changes and we're hoping to be posting some awesome "before and after" pictures in the future!


Dirtiest:  Obviously this would be our trip to the dump!  So many of you contacted me with your own dumpy tales that I felt like we were standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity... atop a giant heap of garbage!  Seriously, I have been a recycling fiend ever since I got back from the dump.  I think people should consider taking their kids to teach them about waste!  Teacher friends: would this be an appropriate class trip?  Great idea, right???  Okay, I'm just kidding... sort of. 

What was that?  Was that the sound of all my parent friends simultaneously revoking my babysitting privileges?  I thought so.


Most Likely To Make Me Cry:  Okay, I already cried... after my mom called me to tell her that my Mother's Day post had made her cry.  Okay, we're both such softies but we can't help it!

 
So that's my first hundred posts in a nutshell.  Hope you enjoyed the recap!

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