Welcome to the new blog, friends!
I hope you found your way over here pretty easily from the old space. I've been tinkering over here for so long now that it already feels more like home to me. Hopefully it soon will to you too!
First things first, if you're a subscriber of posts (meaning you have posts sent to you through email whenever a new one appears), you will need to re-subscribe to this web address. You will no longer receive updates from Give Everybody Nice Sweaters as new posts will no longer go there. (But never fear, all the posts from there are over here now too!)
Why The Abundant Life Project?
I'm glad you asked. :)
Long time readers probably noticed several months ago that the layout of the old blog got a little wonky. I'm by no means a techy person so I don't necessarily understand it all, but I think I was using a template that expired (?) and so it automatically switched to a default one that was not so great, to say the least. It really limited me on what I could do.
Obviously that had to be addressed.
Also, I felt like it was time for a change. It's crazy to think that I started blogging three and half years ago. At the time, I had no idea if it was something I'd keep doing or not. While I've definitely had some long...pauses, if you will...during busy times, I'm glad I've kept it up. This is the scrapbook of our life and I want to be able to share it with our kids someday. Three and half years is a LONG time when it comes to anything tech-related (would you keep a cell phone that long these days?) so we were definitely due a little upgrade.
I loved Give Everybody Nice Sweaters. It continues to be one of my very favorite song lyrics. But I suppose it didn't really make sense to anyone who showed up looking for a free winter wardrobe. Ha! Those people were probably very disappointed to see my blog.
So I was ready for a new name and with that, a new look. I mentioned it to my favorite Tech Support, Matt, and he jumped on board to help me. But first, he introduced me to Squarespace. That means nothing at all to you non-bloggers, but it's a new platform that promises to be better all around - from writing posts to uploading (and editing!) pictures and on and on. Now, normally I don't like learning new technology - I'm perfectly fine staying in the semi-dark ages - but Tech Support Matt made me think I could do this so I got out my credit card and bought in.
But still, why The Abundant Life Project?
Oh right. The name.
Here's the thing: I am so not good with coming up with clever titles. Nothing rhymes with my name. There's nothing witty about what I do. We don't live anywhere unique. I just really could not come up with anything.
And Doc? Well, I love him but he just really wasn't coming up with anything good either. The best I had come up with was playing off the literal location of our new house and calling the new blog The Corner House. Turns out, though, that there are already a bunch of corner house blogs out there. (Just google it!) I really didn't want to be one of many. I wanted something a little more unique than that.
Finally, one Sunday morning while we were getting ready for church, I thought I had it. I was leaning hard towards something like The Family Project that had a tagline along the lines of "from power tools to sewing machines." I really hadn't figured out the exact wording but it seemed to touch on all the main things I blog about. There was the Family part, which I definitely ramble on and on about! And the power tools tied into all of our renovations or restorations or woodshop creations. The sewing machines is probably the newest main topic on the blog, but I have a feeling it's here to stay a while so it made sense to include it too. And the word "project?" Well, I cannot tell you how many times I'm asked "What project are you working on now?" People who know me know I've always got something in the works. I'm just living from project to project.
Later that same morning, while sitting in church mulling over how I would exactly word everything, our preacher started talking about living abundantly.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Hmmm...now that's food for thought. Isn't one of my biggest projects to make sure I live abundantly? Doc and I talked about it and we think characteristics of living abundantly include being generous, caring, thoughtful, happy, forgiving, and, as Doc put it, being the sunshine on someone's rainy day. Y'all, that's something I can get behind. That's what I want to be.
I was torn. Do I go with the name I'd been brainstorming all morning, or focus more on this idea from church and call the new blog something like Living Abundantly? I had no idea. I texted Tech Support Matt to see what he thought and, because he is a genius with all things creative and brand-y and design-y, he suggested smashing the two names together.
And that's how The Abundant Life Project was born. It helped that the domain was available for purchase too. :)
So yay! New space! New name! I hope you like it. I promise I won't disappear for so long again.
Now, it's not quite perfect yet. I'm still learning how it all works - it's COMPLETELY different from wordpress - so bear with me if things get wonky occasionally. I can be a slow learner and sometime technology makes me want to cry. But I'm trying my best here!
Oh! Before I wrap this up, I'd love your thoughts and opinions. What do you think of the new space? Love it or hate it? Have a better name idea? (I suppose it's not too late to change it again...) Something missing that you'd like to see? Font too small? Too light? Pictures too big or too small? Please leave me a comment! Actually, even if you don't really have anything to say, leave a comment anyway...I haven't really tested to see how those work yet. Lemme know if it's easy or hard to do.
After you comment, be sure to check out the test posts I did. There's a super yummy and easy recipe for you, an update on our never-ending rental house saga, and some fun pictures of my favorite little girl!
Once again, welcome to The Abundant Life Project!! Glad to have you here. :)
Fun fact: While writing this post, I typed the word "abundant" wrong every. single. time. and had to backspace to correct it. I may have chosen poorly on this new name...
Fun fact #2: My husband's real name is Matt (but no, not Tech Support Matt). I think I'll call him that from now on. :)