As some of you may have noticed, when you try to post a comment on one of my posts, it takes you to the 404 error page. This is some issue to so with b2evolution that I'm trying to figure out, but it's taking awhile.

To let you know, I do receive the comments you leave, and they do get posted. To see for yourself, hit 'back' and refresh the page. Your comment should be there.

Tomorrow I'm leaving town for about five days. Going to stay with The Boy's family, all of whom (well, this part of his family, anyway) I've not met yet. I'm looking forward to it and Hastings is a place I've only been to once before, and that was when my mother was critically ill in the hospital there. Will be nice to go back in better circumstances.

I did make cupcakes, by the way, and they were awesome. Should have taken some photos! Silly me.

Apologies to Internet Explorer users. I know the layout is looking a bit rubbish for you right now, but bare with me while I figure out how to fix it! Or you could just switch to using Firefox because it really is superior to IE, especially since IE is full of bugs.

Funnily enough, I just read an article about a campaign of sorts for web developers to trash all IE hacks. I have to say that I agree with the guy. How are people going to see how rubbish IE is if everyone uses hacks to make things pretty in it? And more importantly, how are Microsoft going to get the boot in the behind they need to develop a browser that's not as plainly crap as IE is?
If it wasn't for the fact I want my site to look pretty in more than one browser, I would leave all the hacks alone and not bother. But, alas, I like the pretty... So, I shall at least try. However, since I never use IE, and I honestly don't think anyone else should, I don't have that strong a desire to fix it.

Got rid of lots of stuff and there is no longer a visitor content section as this place is more blog/collective, now. I think I'll still weed out some of the stuff from the Sam section, as well. Have to rewrite things and clean up the unused folders and files from the domain. Also need to make a new layout for Bibliophile.

Loads to do, but I'm enjoying it very much as it's been ages since I've really been able to do any real coding. I felt a bit rusty at first but it all came back (mostly!).

As you can see, not much has changed, so far. Nothing at all, actually. But this isn't because I've been lazy, it's because I've gone through two designs for a purely collective website, and neither felt right at all. Something was always missing and the whole idea of giving up so much of the site hasn't been sitting well with me.
So, I've been slowly working on a new design for the site, one I'm really happy with. It will mean I can still keep the blog (which I'm now loath to remove since it took so much of my time and frustration to set it up in the first place!), and have a few pages of interest. My other sites will be more easily accessible from the front page, as well.

At this point I wont have visitor content, unless I can figure out what to offer. In the long run, I don't think having visitor content/goodies will be very practical as I can't easily update them and add more. Soo, all in all, I'll probably have an even more boring site than this one already is!
I will, however, make a concerted effort to update the blog weekly with something other than "I'm good. The End." Even if that means reading about a failed attempt at cooking a meal or the confusing selection of laundry detergent at the supermarket.

In other news, my boyfriend and I will be going to Gisborne to help my parent's work on their house. They're renovating to sell and my dad has been doing most of the work himself, so he could really use a hand. My mum also had minor surgery on her foot today, so it'll be good to have me there to help her out with things.
I'm actually looking forward to going back there, and Az has never been, so it'll be cool to show him around the place. Hopefully, between working, we'll be able to do some fun things (small-town cinemas are always amusing to visit). Aaand, out for dinner, because one thing can be said about Gisborne: it has some very good restaurants.

And, of course, being is Gisborne, I will have the use of the desktop computer with all my stuff on it, so updating the site will be much easier and hopefully faster.

Oh desktop computer music collection, how I have missed you so!

I've decided to post because Christine asked how I was doing. :]

I'm doing quite well, definitely still alive, definitely ok and definitely happy (with most things, nothing is ever perfect!).
I had a great Christmas and New Year's with my family and boyfriend (who is brilliant, kthnx), just lots of fun.

I never go into depth here, so don't expect any juicy details or anything (but there are some). Just know I'm well, and happy, and loved, and I like waking up in the morning.

Soon I will making a very big change to PrettyBloomers. Basically my personal site, the one you see here with the blog and all that, will be no more. I can't properly update it anymore as I still don't have the computer with all my files and programs on it. I have all my files on disc, but it's really hard to update anything using my sister's computer. Aside from that, I also don't feel that I want a personal site anymore, with all that old stuff about me. I've changed significantly over the past 6 months and no longer want to have so much of myself (albeit alot is no longer valid) so public. There is Facebook and MySpace for that! (Har har).

So, my plan is to continue with my fan- and namelist collectives, book reviews, and of course my Quilting Bee quilt. I will be keeping all my affiliates, unless any of them decide they no loner want to be affiliates, but I will no longer have link exchanges.

The new site will be small, with maybe a few extra pages with some basic info and/or random things for anyone who's interested. I'm not entirely sure yet. As long as I can make it look good using Serif Photoplus, I don't care about extra pages!

Oh, Photoshop, how I miss you so!! *sniffle* (No, really, I used to have hours of fun on that thing when I was bored, and, seriously, I miss it more than I miss anything else on that damn computer. Even more than my collection of Angelina Jolie photos, but not quite as much as the music).

Anyway, I shall leave it here and try to think up some drafts for the new site. Wish me luck (please?!).

P.S., I don't even know what the latest design trends are. Not that I want to pay attention to them, but usually I at least know...

I felt like I should write something before the year is over and done with, before I have another long spell of not posting anything, and before Christmas.

Firstly, I think the biggest news, the news I'm most pleased about, is that I met this wonderful guy who is now my boyfriend. He's amazing and I adore him so much; he hasn't been in my life for very long, but I can't imagine it without him. And that's all I'll say because every time I read a blog post that contains lots of gushing about a boyfriend, I roll my eyes and wish they'd shut the fuck up already.

Because I'm so nice like that.

(But he's awesome, just so you know.)

In other news, I am working part-time, about 2-4 days a week, cleaning for a friend of my sister's. The pay is good so it makes the small amount of hours I work worth it. Of course I do want, and need, a proper job, probably full time, and I need it soon. Once the rush of Christmas and New Year's is over I can start looking properly. I want to save up to move out as soon as I can. I would really like to have my own place, but rent is not cheap and I don't want to move out without some financial back-up of my own. That would be like digging my own grave and jumping right in...

I still don't have the computer I was supposed to have all those months ago, but I don't really mind that much because I have nowhere to put it, anyway. It just means that updating the site is almost impossible, at least for anything that requires the ability to make graphics, and any major changes. Of course being close to the New Year means I would love to get a new design up, but that's not going to happen, much to my disappointment.

Merry Christmas/whatever holiday you celebrate/just have a nice end-of-year time, and have a good New Year's.