First things first, I’m looking for a professional blog designer.  I have a couple in mind, but wanted to ask my lovely readers for their input first.

Let’s just get this out in the open:  my techie skills are limited to the on/off button and CTRL+ALT+DELETE combination troubleshooting trick.  I fumbled my way through this blog design that you see here and although it will suffice, as Sustainable Life Blog once put it on twitter, “it looks like a kindergartener’s work.”  (He was referring to himself and I have to disagree, but will gladly steal the description for my own work.)

My favorite designs?  Here, here, here, and here.  Oh, and here.  And here.

I want a design that works.  A package design, if you will.  The designer doesn’t have to have a web design degree or anything.  But I want a button for people to “grab I want a button for people to “grab” and add to their blogs (or that I can swap with other bloggers!).  I want buttons in my sidebar that go with my theme.  I can write the content, but I am just no good at the design.

Do you know of any blog designers out there?  If you suggest yourself, please don’t be offended if I don’t hire you … like I said, I have a couple in mind already, just wanted to put this out into the universe in case my perfect blog-designer match was waiting.

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Mi amiga, Crystal, over at Twenty Eight and a Half (whose writing I first encountered – and became hooked on – over at Brunette on a Budget) tagged me with The Versatile Blogger award.

And since today was all-around shit-tastic, this award put a little skip in my step that I very much needed.  Thanks, Crystal!

So, here are 7 things!

• I studied abroad in Spain one summer during college.  I went to school, lived with a Spanish family, lived in a big city (Valencia, Spain, to be exact), the whole bit.  In my 27 1/2 years of living, it was in the top 3 experiences of my life.  It is quite surreal to be in Kansas City one day, living your normal, simple Midwest life and on the other side of the world the very next day, standing in the middle of a Spanish plaza with thousands of people bustling around you, on the pay phone, shouting at your parents that you landed safely in Madrid; and then to get into a car with a Spanish woman and drive to her downtown apartment, meet your new “brother”, eat a fresh Mediterranean-style dinner, and go to bed in their house so you can get up early for your first day of Spanish school the next day – it was quite a whirlwind!  While I was there, I was able to see much of Spain, including one (wild) weekend in Ibiza.  No words can sum up how grateful I am for that experience.
• Living alone for 3 years post-college was one of my better decisions.  Now that I’m about to be married, and a family will follow that, I know that I’ll never live alone ever again.  And while I’m happy about that, I think it’s good for one’s independence and growth to be, literally, on their own for at least some time in their life.
• I got glasses in the 2nd grade.  How embarrassing.  With my shoulder-length bright blonde hair, blunt bangs, and big plastic glasses, my 3rd-grade teacher often referred to me as “Garth”.  You scarred me for LIFE, Mr. Packard!
• I am super un-jealous.  Girls do not make me jealous at all.  I am not catty and like to be friends with girls.  However, you can smell a jealous, insecure girl from a mile away because they tear down other girl’s looks and actions constantly.  Focus on yourself, girlies!
• I lose interest in things quickly.  Two exceptions are:  my fiancé and blogging.  I have lost interest somewhat quickly in every guy I ever dated except for G.  Scarily enough, my interest in him continues to grow each day.  Sometimes it drives me crazy!  The other is blogging.  Although my interest in the actual act of blogging ebbs and flows (most due to lack of time or things to write about), if I’m not writing, I am stalking your blogs like crazy!  I am a tad obsessed with blogs (even if I’m not commenting, I am totes reading).  A third thing that might be added to the list is health/fitness … but I even lose interest in working out sometimes … which is why I am always having to change things up.
• I hid 6 bottles of Mike’s Hard Lemonade in my room as a teenager for months.  My friends finally had a party one night and I took the (stale) drinks to the party.  The next day, my mom asked me where the bottles were.  Apparently, she had been keeping an eye on them the entire time I thought they were “hidden”.  Epic teenager fail.  Another parental win.
• My favorite drinks are: Boulevard Zon (although, New Belgium Mothership Wit is making headway), Mainstreet Cabernet Sauvignon (oh, who am I kidding?  It’s really Yellow Tail Cab.), Captain Morgan & (Caffeine-Free) Diet Coke with a lime … and lots and lots of water.  I love water. 

To pass on the award, you’re supposed to nominate 7 versatile bloggers.  Well, I never liked leaving anyone out, so I nominate all the young, female personal finance bloggers!  You know who you are … I just awarded you.