I recently finished one of her books, Riversong. She’s an author whose blog I started reading way before learning about the books she’d written.
Her blog, Tess Thompson – Inspiration for Ordinary Life, is a beautiful blog. Some blogs I keep going back to because of the author’s wit or because of lovely photos and visuals. Others because of the recipes and lovely food photography. But with this blog, it’s all about the writing.
She has a way with words that I could only wish I had. I don’t even have the words to describe it. But a page off her blog is like a full story. Read this one, Jumping Into the Green, and I think you’ll know what I mean.
I read her blog and then think about my own. How mine is so different, and how I’d love to write as beautifully as she does. But I don’t, and I still keep writing. I figure if I write about interesting blogs like hers, and practice practice practice, I’ll eventually find my voice and no longer be insecure about my blog or my writing. Maybe.
One of the older blogs on my reading list is IKEA Hackers.
From the site’s About page:
IkeaHackers.net is a site about modifications on and repurposing of Ikea products. Hacks, as we call it here, may be as simple as adding an embellishment, some others may require power tools and lots of ingenuity.
It’s community of follower submit their own hacks to be featured so contributors may be coming from all corners of the world, though I’ve not seen any from the Philippines just yet.
I’m not the DIY type (but I would be if I had the skills), and we don’t have a real local IKEA store, but the hacks are just so good that I kept following the blog. I am also amazed at the ideas that come up, and the savings that homeowners get from using various IKEA products and customizing them for their needs.
Who knows, someday when I live in my own home, I might need a hack and finally get to use one of theirs for inspiration.
I do find though that anything relating to kids on IKEA Hackers are not just adorable, but really fun to make! They’ve also featured a lot of play kitchens so I’m making sure to feature some of them here, they’re my favorites:
Now here’s one we actually can take inspiration from right now. We’ve got a mess of a kitchen counter, and an even messier porch where the actual cooking takes place. This kitchen storage and pull-out counter may just be the solution we need:
My dad also seems to be very close to deciding on getting us a flat screen LED TV. If so, we’re also going to a need a better setup for our media to incorporate the possible new wall TV mount. Good thing there’s the media storage category on IKEA Hackers for inspiration.
Do you have DIY projects at home too? Do share. Or if you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, go ahead and checkout IKEA Hackers too. 🙂
The blog features stories of small businesses and good ideas. Some of the stories are really quite inspiring. I’ve found myself clicking through to read the full story, and even to checkout the websites of the businesses themselves. I have hopes of finding what service I can provide to the world, and venture into my own business. I just don’t know what it is yet. This blog that shows me others who have found their niche and built their own empires can be truly inspiring.
Yesterday, one of the stories I particularly clicked through, is that of Swimmable Mermaid Tails:
Pretty aren’t they? With these custom-made mermaid tales, any girl’s mermaid dream can come true. It’s not just a costume for show, they can actually swim in it. I don’t think this Etsy business has any competition. Photo is from Etsy.
So the blog features business such as this one, and lots more. Though I haven’t seen them feature this business yet, but this credit card for teens sounds like something I’d expect to see on their pages. They also post trivia via their “Today in Entrepreneurial History” posts.
If you’ve missed it, here are other blogs from my Reader.
My Reader is a collection of feeds from all sorts of blogs. I have scrapbooking blogs, mommy bloggers, tech bloggers, foodies, celebrities, and so much more. Today, let me feature a tech blog – Geeky Gadgets.
From its About page:
Geeky Gadgets is designed to provide up to the minute daily technology news on the latest advances in the technology sector including software, hardware and gadgets from around the world.
Geeky Gadgets features in-depth reviews on the latest devices with impartial coverage of the features and developments of new technology.
Many times I have learned of cool new stuff from this blog. iPhone accessories, cool new cameras, just to name a few. I’m pretty sure I’ve linked up to their posts a couple of times in the past.
They don’t always have long in-depth review articles though, which is actually to their advantage. It’s like they give out feelers and then link you up to relevant reviews. They hook you up on something and send you off. Haha
I read Geeky Gadgets a little differently than the other blogs I’ve so far featured here on From My Reader. I have been following them a little longer than I’ve curated my Google Reader. So Geeky Gadgets isn’t there, instead, I subscribed to their feeds via email. And that works. I don’t read each and every post they have, but when I see a headline or a picture of interest, I click on it and read the whole post.
Today, there are two posts that got me reading:
The Eco-Amp Paper iPhone Amplifier. I have heard this before and even read how simple it is to make a paper ‘horn’ to amplify the sound from your iPhone or iPad. I’ve never tried it though. This paper speaker is made from post-consumer materials – recycled! And costs $7.99 for a pair.
Maybe I can attempt a DIY though. I’ll show Alfred and see if he can fashion one for me
This rollup stylus also seems a good idea. It’s still in development, and the creators are raising funds via Kickstarter, yet another site I receive email updates for.
The pen can lay flat and adheres to the iPad Smart cover. Since my iPad is of the first generation variety, this is no use to me really. Smart covers were created for the iPad 2. I still have my Targus stylus and it is small enough to carry around everywhere (though I hardly ever use it really).
So anyway. If you want to keep updated with tech news and the latest gizmos, checkout Geeky Gadgets!
The goal of the tiny house blog is to discover the different options available for a person looking to down size into a tiny house or cabin. I will be looking at different type of construction, from logs, to yurts to modern and the unusual. I will also do book reviews, look at alternate energy for heat and electricity. I also want to hear your story so please contact me with your pictures and your own experiences in living simply and small.
I enjoy looking at the beautiful tiny houses, a lot of them people actually do live in. I don’t take notes or anything but perhaps I should, if I ever want to live in the condo I’m paying for. It’s not a tiny house like the ones featured in the blog, but their use of space and the solutions they offer for storage and functionality is something that can definitely be adapted to my own little condo. Or to my small room!
Anyway, here’s a video that was posted on the blog on May 10th. It’s a tour of the original (the first) Jay Shafer Epu. Sorry, I don’t know enough about tiny homes to know Jay Shafer, but he seems to be pretty big in the tiny house circle. As for me, I just followed the Tiny House Blog because I thought the small houses were cute! Now I’m thinking there’s more to it…
Let’s checkout the video –
While watching I kept thinking – maybe this is one solution for the lack of affordable housing and the lack of space in Metro Manila. Tiny homes like this could be built for squatter families and it won’t take a lot of space. It would be more humane to live in a house like this than in their cardboard shanties. Unless there are ten heads in one family.
They also post trivia via their “Today in Entrepreneurial History” posts. 
