Gathering Dust

Google Giveth and Taketh Away

Sometimes Google makes me feel like a peasant, waiting to see what crumbs it will throw me.

Actually, that's not accurate.  Google has been very generous in what it's given us- its search engines, Gmail, Google reader and probably unnumbered and untold other innovations and information gathering that I'd rather not know about.

But I also kind of feel like Google is my drug dealer- its gotten me hooked on things like Picnik and Google Friend Connect and now it's taking them away.  I think it wants me to replace them with some other Google service, and I'll probably try it, because right now, I feel lost and I need my fix.

The most frustrating thing about losing the Google Friend Connect widget is that no one really seems to know what that means. 

Does it mean that if you've chosen to subscribe to "Gathering Dust" through Google Friend Connect (GFC) and by doing so, Gathering Dust has been added to your Google Reader, when GFC is gone Gathering Dust won't be in your Google Reader anymore?

Beats me.

People all over the internet are trying to figure it out.

Here's my suggestion.  If you originally started reading my blog by joining GFC, and you still want to read it after March 1- just go to your Google Reader, click on the red "Subscribe" button on the left side and type in "Beth Leintz".  You can do this right now.

That's how us peasants can stay friends.

(Images provided by- of course, Google Images)

Five Year Blogiversary Giveaway

It's hard for me to believe, but on Wed (Feb 8), I'll have been blogging for FIVE years. That first month I think I had five posts and four comments- and I treasured every one of those comments- just like I do now.   When I started blogging, my plan was that it would help send people to my eBay store. 

The eBay store is long gone, but the blog is still going strong.  And when I started the blog, I had no idea how much more I'd get from it than just new customers.

I've made friends with people all over the world- people who share my love of antiques, lace and tattered bits of paper, people who share my love of my pets and have been so sweet when I've lost one.

I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of bloggers in person- on both coasts and in the great antiquing and crafting world of Texas.

I haven't done a giveaway in awhile, so this seems like the perfect time.  I had a good day at an auction and want to share some of the vintage goodness.

The giveaway is the pretty pink Valentine candy box in the second picture, a group of hankies- a Valentine hanky, a floral hanky and a hanky with a pink tatted edge.  Keeping with the pink theme, the candy box will have some pink millenary leaves, pink tatting and a pink velvet rose corsage- and to add a punch of a color- a tiny tomato pin cushion.

Just leave a comment between now and Thu Feb 9- I'll post the winner on Friday morning.

And thank you to everyone who reads my blog often, or occasionally or just once or twice- I appreciate it.

Button Floozies

If you'd like to hear more about buttons, or more about my Yorkie puppy who's name is Button; I've written a guest post on the Button Floozies blog.

Button- hiding under the bed.  Maybe I should wrap a Swiffer around him so he could tackle some of the dust under there.

Romantic White Christmas is Ready

 
Karla and my e-zine, A Romantic White Christmas is "open for business".  The first project starts on Monday Nov 8, but Karla has already added some welcome projects and video links.  The e-zine will run through Nov 24, with projects added every Monday, Wed, Fri & Sat, and mini crafting projects and decorating ideas added in between.  The cost is $25, and the blog will be available indefinitely.

Here's a peek at a few of my projects.

 

And some of Karla's:

 

We'd love for you to join us. You can get more information and specifics about the projects  here, or email me using the link in the right column.