Some Unexpected Benefits to Blogging

When I started this blog in April, it was an easy way for me to share all of our pictures without having to e-mail each and every family member or friend or use annoying Kodak gallery. I could also use it as a way to keep a digital scrapbook of our time here and I got to play around with some graphic design like I like to do. I sometimes even used it to vent some living abroad frustrations. These are all great bloggy benefits.

What I didn't expect were some of the perks that go along with it.

Like, remember when I posted this wondey house from a House Beautiful spread a month ago?

Yeah, well I got an e-mail from the owner a couple of days ago thanking me for posting her home. She even told me she enjoyed our pictures and seeing Austria. When you are a design lover like me, this is like...well, cool.

And then, this past weekend Art and I were cruisin' along the main street downtown with Elsie on Sunday when there's hardly anyone out. We stopped at this other couple with a dog because the dogs always like to sniff each other and the girl goes "Are you Carolyn?". We had never met in person, but Anna had e-mailed me several months back because she had found the blog and she too was moving to Graz with her husband. She had some questions about getting set up here and we exchanged many e-mails. She said she mostly recognized me because of Elsie...she had seen her on the blog. I've had about five other people e-mail me and ask me similar questions or even if they should move to Graz. Now, that's a little hard for me to answer, but I try to give them some advice. It's nice to be able to help answer some questions from anxious soon-to-be Austrian dwellers because I know just a little knowledge and preparation can help a lot.

And, back in October, I got an e-mail from someone at HGTV asking me if we had any interest in being on House Hunters International. She had found us through the blog and said we looked like good candidates. Now, I used to watch HGTV (a little too much) and know this show inside and out. I was perked. But, as it turns out, we had things going on and there was a lot of work involved, so we declined at the time. I also don't like seeing myself on camera...I'm like "oh, she's kinda annoying".

And finally, I now have more vanilla extract and Almay eye makeup remover pads than I know what to do with! You mention it, you got it.

(oh, and lots of chocolate chips, but I know exactly what to do with those.)