Blogging | Sarah Markley

Archive for the ‘blogging’ Category

Sunday August 9th, 2009

I’m proud to FINALLY announce my part in this new website for women, (in)courage.

Maybe you are regular reader, or maybe you’ve found me through another (in)courage blog today, but either way, welcome! And maybe you are here from Robin at Pensieve.

So
absolutely
glad
to
make
new
friends.

To see photos of the other amazing women taking part in this adventure, click here.

I’m excited to introduce you another blogger who will be a integral part of this website. I’ve actually “introduced” her to you many times before. She, in fact, is who inspired me to begin blogging over two years ago and for that alone, I can’t thank her enough.

Lisa Leonard at Its the Little Things.

Not only is Lisa a daily blogger, but she has a fabulous jewelry business, Lisa Leonard Designs. Her handcrafted, hand-stamped jewelry is one of a kind. I lived with her for my last two years of college and if I’d known then that her (future) jewelry would be so hotly sought after, I might have made her start stamping stuff for me then.

You know, like toothbrushes, hairspray cans, curling irons. Not the same effect? Okay, then we’ll just stick with her beautiful baby spoons, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

So go visit Lisa and tell her hello from me!

(in)courage goes live TOMORROW and my first post for them will be up on Tuesday.

And if all this isn’t enough to keep me busy, my new blog will go up this week (fingers crossed). So, pay attention!

Oh, and I’m doing this all remote because, technically right now as you are reading this, I am camping.

Without electricity.
Without a bed.
Without the internet.
Without, well, clean feet.

And Since I’m at the End of the List, Here’s Everyone…

Annie @ Annie Blogs – www.annieblogs.com
Jennifer @ Balancing Beauty & Bedlam – http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com
Angela @ Becoming Me – www.becomingme.net
Angie @ Bring the Rain – www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com
Emily @ Chatting At The Sky – www.chattingatthesky.com/
Anne @ FlowerDust – www.Flowerdust.net
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect – www.givinguponperfect.com
Heather @ Heather Gemmen – www.heathergemmen.com
Holley @ Heart to Heart with Holley – www.dayspring.com/holley
Ann @ Holy Experience – www.aholyexperience.com
Melissa @ The Inspired Room – www.theinspiredroom.net
Sarah Mae @ Like a Warm Cup of Coffee – http://www.likeawarmcupofcoffee.com
The Nester @ The Nesting Place – www.thenester.com
Robin @ Pensieve – www.pensieve.me
Tsh @ Simple Mom – www.simplemom.net
Jessica @ The Mom Creative – www.themomcreative.com
Amber @ The Run-a-Muck – http://therunamuck.com
Andrea @ Under Grace & Over Coffee – http://www.undergraceovercoffee.com
Kristen@ We Are THAT Family – www.wearethatfamily.com/
Jennifer @ Studio JRU – www.studiojru.blogspot.com

Written at 12:01 am · (14) Comments ·

Friday April 24th, 2009

Russ Hutto posted my after-Mount Hermon debriefing on the Our Creative Community website last week as a three part series.

Here it is for you all! I will post the other two next week.

PART 1: BLOGGING TO WRITING

Last spring I was a virgin writer’s conference attendee.

In 2008, I came green and nervous with only one friend. When someone asked me what I wrote (as everyone does at a writer’s conference) I stared back and said something like, “Uhhh, I blog.” I was unfocused and worried and tried to defend myself. I just needed to relax and admit I just wanted to learn.

Most grey-haired, legal pad-toting, old-school writers just stared back at me and either asked me what a blog was or asked me how it having one would help launch their historical fiction romance book. The idea of a blog having relevance or value in itself was foreign to them.
So much has changed since last spring.

I still blog. It’s the 300-word-a-day discipline that Anne Lamott asks writers to do. Sometimes my blog posts are much shorter or longer than 300 words, but since last year’s conference, I’ve learned so much about writing and about friendship.

The blogging has become less of my PRIMARY writing and more of my PRACTICE writing.

In the year between I’ve entered some writing contests, submitted several article for publication, and gotten paid to write some website copy for a friend. I took what I learned last year, swirled it in with the chaos and busyness of my life as a mother and tried to do as much as I could. Aside from the website copy, I have yet to get a byline, but I am convinced I am a better writer today because of the discipline of blogging.

I’m not a virgin anymore.

I found myself at Mount Hermon this year with a collection of friends from last year and in between, with a new confidence and new answers for the “What do you write” questions at every meal.

I write. I love to write. And I know why I’m here: to hone the gift God has given me.

Written at 8:34 am · (4) Comments ·

Thursday April 9th, 2009

I’m over at Our Creative Community this evening.

I wrote a post about Decompressing After a Writer’s Conference: Blogging to Writing.

Head on over and check it out…

Oh, and by the way…I’m on the plane RIGHT NOW!! Stay tuned!

Written at 6:15 pm · (2) Comments ·

Monday July 9th, 2007

I come with credentials. At least educational ones: Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude for undergrad, Masters of Arts in Education with High Honors. I taught middle school Language Arts before I stopped to raise a baby. But now, what I do is mother. Oh, I also scrub toilets, apply bandaids to skinned foreheads, and pull loads of hair from all the various drains in our home. For some people, this might be unfulfilling or look like I am “stooping low” to do something so menial as being a stay-at-home mother and, forgive the archaic term a “housewife”. I must be wasting my degrees.

Some might also think that this is my highest calling, to be a mother, to contribute to society through the raising of my daughters, giving to them the tools it takes for them to be sufficient contributors to society…thus the cycle goes.

I would pose that my contribution lies somewhere in between. I mother all day and all night each day of the year. This is what I do. This is my “job”. But I also help my husband in our business, I volunteer at my church probably more than what is my share, and now I blog.

And of course I am pretty new to this. But, this is what I think: raising my kids as my lifelong “contribution” is supremely important, but the fruits of that endeavor won’t be seen for years, I can only guess. But this blogging thing, it feels like an immediate contribution to life outside of my little home. I am connected and it feels good. I can see immediate results when someone comments or someone reads. I like that. Delayed gratification is best, however, sometimes its nice to see the fruits right now.

Kinda like when I see a scrubbed toilet glisten!

Written at 11:58 am · (3) Comments ·

Friday July 6th, 2007

So, this is us. Of course not together, and not in one photo. How would we possibly be able to get a photo of all of us together with the baby smiling? My husband, Chad, the baby, Naomi, me and our older daughter, Hope. The three joys of my life.

And, of course, this is my first attempt at blogging. In my 32-year-old mind, there is some strange fear at the vulnerability of a blog.
No one will want to read…
It’s weird being “out there” on the net…
Stuff like that.

This is us – me and my family. I’m Sarah and I stay at home with my two girls. Hope is 5 1/2 and will be going to Kindergarten in the fall. She loves to ride horses and has taught herself how to read. Naomi is 17 months and loves life. She is beginning to talk and repeats everything. My husband, Chad, is my spontaneous, ADD-fueled partner in life. He is my gift from God who grounds me and is the love of my life.

Written at 8:30 pm · (3) Comments ·