The at Home Card

I have a lot of things going on in my life. Don't we all? For me there is work that often feels worlds away from all that makes up my home life. There is the richness that comes from time spent with extended family. And of course the irreplaceable but fleeting time spent socially with friends.

Primarily this blog concerns all that happens "at home". Although from time to time other areas are touched upon. I haven't been writing on anything lately, but my visitor count has remained constant so I'm hoping if you are reading this you've found an unexpected surprise today! I've posted!

I see re-entries like this happen all the time from authors of other blog sites. I'm marking my re-entry with explanation of  my "at Home" reference.

With the lost art of etiquette, does anyone know to what "at Home" refers?

Per Martha Stewart's website: Usually following a wedding it's a "small card ... to let people know how to contact you -- and how to address you -- after the wedding. The title usually reads: "At Home," and was followed by the date you would return from your honeymoon, or your wedding date itself: "

Another site said, "the at Home card developed, to tell your acquaintance callers when you would actually be in and ready to entertain them, usually on a fixed evening repeated each week. In the United States the culture retained a strong association with the idea of home-making, and newly married couples would be expected to print and distribute at Home cards giving their new address as well as the times when visitors might call (see The Art of Correspondence by Joseph S Locke, Boston, 1884). This idea has developed so that in the US today the at Home card is printed merely as a change of address card for the newly married."

So this is to say, Stacey Browning is "at Home" once again on her blog. Please visit anytime. No change in location. Feel free to address with comments or other inquiries. I'm home.

This Blog

Let's talk about this blog. I'm enjoying posting but I'm feeling cramped in by the look and feel of the blog. Have you noticed I eventually get bored and change the graphics? Still, I don't seem capable of the artistry I'd like it to have. I'm also feeling like it would be nice to have a blog at which there is a mix of personal and other interesting topics. Many mom-authored blogs weave in crafts, cooking and design posts, while relating about their home lives. I like looking at others' DIY acumen, but that kind of stuff isn't exactly me. I'm no "Martha" if you know what I mean!

What's more me is stuff that relates to a mom working in business. Maybe organizational stuff. Maybe comments on the work/life balance struggle. And of course, ideas to mark moments through special events. I like those kind of things. In fact, if I had all the free time in the world, I would create a site that could be "monetized" (a blogging term for getting advertising $) focused on culture-development and recognition in organizations. But I don't have all the time in the world...

Therefore, I would like to mix things up a little bit, without making my blog bigger than it should or needs to be. To do that I secured a spot on a waiting list for a designer to craft a new look for this site. I'm trying to come up with a new name too.

I'd really like any ideas or comments you have on this blog. I admit I do it a lot for myself - it's very cathartic! But I also do like when I know visitors return to check in often.

In Print

Made a book of the first year of blog posts. It arrived on Saturday and made us feel very accomplished. For me, it's easier than scrap booking and we'll have so much detail to look back on about this time in our lives. If you are interested in creating your own book, check out http://www.blurb.com/.

It's Browning

Ever wonder why our blog address includes "itsbrowning"

Chris loves to grill. My mom gave Chris a chef's hat and apron one Christmas. Embroidered on the apron is "It's Browning on the Grill". Pretty clever. Once we get into grill season, I'll be sure to take a picture of Chris in his garb and post it.