Welcome to Xnomads' Blog!
I'm so eXcited that you are here!! Congratulations if you have made it this far. I am the last stop on this very fun blog hop!
If you are starting on my blog and have missed all the other blogs, you can click to I Speak Melsh to start at the very beginning. She has some fun blog hop activities to tell you about so make sure you don't miss it. Otherwise just keep on reading because you are almost finished.
To those of you who have been here before, WELCOME BACK! And for those of you are at Xnomads' Blog for the first time, I thought I would share a little about myself.
I am an eX-Southern California resident (south of LAX about half an hour) and have been living in Beijing, China (not Xi'an, though I went there way back in 1997 to see the terracota warriors) for almost 3 years. My husband's job brought us here and we have 3 eXcitable boys - 12, 10 & 6. All of them attend bilingual schools so are much better at speaking Mandarin than me! For the Spring Holiday, they went around saying, "Xin Nian Kuai Le!"
I also answered some questions from this fun quiz from Scrapbook Shortcuts, a Simple Scrapbooks special issues from a long time ago! That way you can get to know me eXtra well and I can save it for the journaling of a future scrapbook page:
TWO X TWO
1) Two everyday things I couldn't live without: my laptop & my hair straightener (or else I could never leave the house - since kids, my hair has gone frizzy)
2) Two of my favorite songs: Falling Slowly (Once Soundtrack) & Anyone Else But You (Juno Soundtrack)
3) Two things I want to do before I die: buy a house on a cliff overlooking the ocean & hike the Anapurnas
4) Two things I worry about: the amount of pollution in the air in Beijing & traffic safety (no carseats and rarely any seatbelts in taxis)
6) Two stores I shop at: 'The Supermarket' (the small import store in our apartment compleX) & City Shop (another import store)
6) Two things that scare me: construction in China during an earthquake & my children becoming teenagers
7) Two snacks I could eat every day: popcorn & crisp delicious carrots (that someone else cut up for me)
8) Two people I'd be lost without: all four members of my family
9) Two nicknames I've beengiven: Mugsy (by Jenny in elementary school) & Mar (by Diane in college)
10) Next two places I want to go on vacation: India (next month! hurray!) & Maldives
The things I talk most about on this eXtra special blog are:
PHOTOGRAPHY
An eXcellent eXample of my photography are these photos:
When I sit down to scrapbook, sometimes I feel eXtra creative. Sometimes I don't. Here are a few of my favorite recent layouts:
Some cakes I made that eXhausted me:
I think I used this alligator cupcake cake as a teaser on my old blog during the first BFS! [I wish I could link back to it but unfortunately my old blog became corrupted and since it was supported by Apple and their various tech people (At least 10 tried to help me) were never able to fix the problem, that blog is now lost forever.]
Other things I sometimes share on this blog are:
*HeathIER (yet still delicious) Recipes,
*eXtra good things I find on the web
*photos of field trips to places around BEIJING &
*personal and family updates.
I'm so glad you stopped by! I hope you will come by again.
But before you go...
Please leave me a comment and if you can't think of anything to say, tell me the next two places you'd like to go on vacation or the two items you can't live with out.
This is a list of all the participating blogs on the Alphanumeric Blog Hop. I hope you had fun!
Living Life One Blessing At A Time
Xnomads' Blog <----- YOU ARE HERE)
Note: If any of the posts aren't up yet, please bear with us - the different time zones and the peculiarity of blogging platforms when it comes to autoposts may mean that one or two posts don't appear on time! If that's the case, come back to this list to pick up from the next blog, but do please pop back and try the other link later, when the post should be there for your enjoyment.
OTHER EXCITEMENT COMING UP ON THIS BLOG...
Do you have enough photos of your whole family? No?
Then join us for this monthly challenge - one FAMILY photo a month for 2011 AND a link up here on the 5th of every month to keep you motivated. It's SUPER easy.
In May we are having a Mini Blog Hop for the FAMILY x 12 project.
May 5 I will have a mini blog-hop to showcase my monthly personal project FAMILY x 12. If you are taking a monthly family photo (or would like to start) and would like to join us for a little motivation and light accountability, leave me a comment or send me an email (link on the right hand side of my blog) and I'll be in touch with the details. (A family photo can be whatever you define as family, even if that is just you and your spouse/partner or you and your cat [dogs count too]!)
Are you in Ali's ONE LITTLE WORD Class? Need a little push to get your assignments done?
Join our Monthly Blog Hop on the May 1st!
If you are in Ali Edwards' ONE LITTLE WORD class over at Big Picture Classes and want to share your projects with your fellow clasmates as well as see what many of them have been up to for the past month, join us here on May 1st, 8 AM PST for a fun blog hop. We will be doing this every month on the 1st for 2011. Please go to the Chit Chat section of the classroom message board for instructions on how to sign up.
If you want to put a ONE on 1 Blog Hop blog button on your blog, feel free to grab the code over there on the right side of this blog. Click here for every thing ONE LITTLE WORD on this blog including past blog hops.
love the cakes
teh next 2 places I'd like to visit (money no object) Galapogas Islands and Carribean
Posted by: helena | April 17, 2011 at 07:27
You have covered X thoroughly! Very inspiring and creative! I have been doing a personal photo challenge this year 4 people 12 times so I think I'll join the blog hop. Seems I can't resist LOL
Posted by: jillconyers | April 17, 2011 at 07:32
So enjoyed reading and learning a little more about you and your eXciting life. Two things I can't live without - Robbie & ice-cold Coca-Cola!
Posted by: Melissa | April 17, 2011 at 07:38
I want to go to the Galapogas too! Ive always wanted to go there. Someday...
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | April 17, 2011 at 07:59
Can't believe how well you have covered the letter X - brilliant post!
Posted by: Debs | April 17, 2011 at 08:03
Great, Jill! Im so excited to hear that. Im happy to see you on this blog hop too. I didnt know you were in BFS. Nice to see you! : )
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | April 17, 2011 at 08:09
Youre making me thirsty, Melissa!
Posted by: Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie | April 17, 2011 at 08:10
Love that alligator cake it looks too good to eat.
Posted by: Mary Bainbridge | April 17, 2011 at 08:59
your post is eXcellent, I love your cakes, so clever and your stories from Beijing are wonderful, I love your answer to number 8,! I would have answered similar. x
This has been a great blog hop.
Posted by: Miriam | April 17, 2011 at 09:01
An eXciting and eXtra-special finish to the hop! Thanks so much for joining in :-) An eXcellent collection of photos, facts and projects! xx (The neXt 2 places I'm going on vacation? France and then LA! Lucky me!)
Posted by: Mel | April 17, 2011 at 09:13
Oh waht an Xcellent End to the blog hop. I really enjoyed reading your post and your photos are Xspecially great to see. As for the places I would like to go - I would really love to go to Cuba and Vietnam. Jen x
Posted by: jennie | April 17, 2011 at 09:18
Xcellent post! Great getting to know you and your life in China WOW what an adventure everyday must be for you and your family. I just adore the alligator cake and would love to try and make one like that for my son's bday would you mind?? I also love the idea of a family photo each month although I detest the idea of having my photo taken... I think it would be a good record xxx
Posted by: furrypig | April 17, 2011 at 09:30
Our family is planning to go to China next year, so I may have to look you up in Beijing. It's my favorite big city. The other place I'd like to go for vacation is back to Washington D.C. We were there last summer for a week, and still didn't see everything we wanted to see.
Right now, I can't live without my computers and my cell phone. They keep track of my life and provide my livelihood!
Posted by: Carol Anne | April 17, 2011 at 10:08
Your photos are fabulous - I really enjoyed poring over them today.
Things on my list to do before I die? See the Terracotta Warriors!!
Posted by: Sian | April 17, 2011 at 10:29
love the alligator cake
caroline
Posted by: caroline | April 17, 2011 at 10:38
Both your photography and your layouts are wonderful. Two places I'd love to visit: the Greek Islands and Australia.
Posted by: Karen W | April 17, 2011 at 11:13
An eXcellent post.
Posted by: Jacky S | April 17, 2011 at 11:37
Oh, I would love to see the Terracota warriors. Those cakes are amazing, very clever
Posted by: Tracy | April 17, 2011 at 11:57
Interesting end to the blog hop. My husband worked in China for about a year - but he commuted back here to the UK every 6 weeks. I'm not sure I could do what you did and move there but you do what you have to. Like your photos and cakes.
Posted by: Nicky | April 17, 2011 at 12:34
Margie, you were an eXcellent pick for the letter X! Thanks for finishing off the blog hop with so much eXcitement!
Posted by: Cheri | April 17, 2011 at 12:45
I agree eXcellent creative coverage of the letter X! A great post to end the hop on.
Posted by: Beverly | April 17, 2011 at 14:27
What fantastic cupcakes, I love the idea of the alligator/crocodile. ~c~
Posted by: Clare | April 17, 2011 at 14:29
The alligator cake is fab! Great post to end this brilliant bloghop xx
Posted by: heather | April 17, 2011 at 14:30
Your alligator cake is eXtraordinary:)
Fiona x
Posted by: Angelfish | April 17, 2011 at 15:05
Totally blown away by that alligator cake!!!! Sandi :)
Posted by: Sandi Robinson | April 17, 2011 at 15:11