What to do when I don't agree ...

As I mentioned yesterday, I get lots of update emails from sites/blogs that I like to check out regularly. This morning, an update arrived from a site that usually I look forward to reading and really enjoy.

I was somewhat astounded to find myself in the middle of a VERY heated exchange between the publishers of the site, a possible advertiser and anyone else who wanted to wade in with a comment. I'm not entering in to this nor do I wish to pull my readers in. However, it highlighted several areas which I have been thinking about this morning.

First:  
Advertising - 
Blogs can be a lucrative way of earning money by selling advertising space on them. I don't do this because I don't want to feel any obligation. I want to say, I don't like or I LOVE that without any conflict of interest. Putting a comment somewhere that I've been given the product or had a free stay doesn't quite cut it with me.

Second:  
Anonymity - 
I will not publish any comments that are anonymous. If you don't want your name published for a specific reason, please tell me and I will let you know if I feel I can keep it private. If we don't agree, I just won't publish your comment. The same will also apply to comments that add links to products that I cannot remove, they won't be published either. I'm not saying you can't disagree with me but I feel if I make this "rule", we will all think twice before making offensive comments. 

Third, and I guess the biggy: 
Politics, Race, Religion & Gender - 
You are a human being, so am I. I will treat you as I would wish to be treated. To be blunt, I don't care about your opinions on these issues, they belong to you so ... keep them to yourself and I will do the same.  

I hope that through this blog and my website, you can see that generally, I am a fairly straightforward, happy, kind, tolerant individual. But every now and then, things need to be said. I hope that by saying them now, you never end up looking at this blog and finding yourself in the middle of something that is really quite unpleasant over which you have no control.              

So there you have it. Rant over. PLEASE let me know your thoughts on my three guiding principles. I really do welcome your thoughts and comments.

Fab new find!

I'm not sure how many blogs/sites my readers follow, but my inbox is always full of updates. Sometimes they get a cursory glance before the dustbin but at other times, something catches my attention and I spend time looking through the blog/site and every now and then I find a gem. Again, I'm not sure how far my readers will go for something that takes their fancy but I buy from Internet sites in Europe and North America quite regularly. Yes, the delivery is more than it would be from a UK site but when I find something I love, I always weigh up buying a similar product with a cheaper delivery or the one that originally caught my eye. I feel I will always know that I went for second best ... (I do hope my husband isn't reading this!)

So I have a fab new find. It's called Pressed Cotton and they sell goods for gatherings! The website immediately appealed to me. I love the strap line on the home page: shop for your wedding .use for your home. Organised by style or category or products, the style headings are so evocative - Southerner, Explorer, Daydreamer, Gardener, Romantic, Eclectic, Modernist, Treehugger and Inventor. How could a treehugging, daydreaming, romantic gardener with a penchant for exploring and with an eclectic, modernist daughter NOT fall for this site?

I've chosen my favourite images from the site but PLEASE do have a look for yourself.