A Beautiful Mosaic Planter for the Front Porch

Moving a blog is a lot like moving in real life.  Do you remember the last time you moved?  You know it’s going to be a big job but you really don’t know how big until you are in the thick of it.  And while in the midst of it, you probably think to yourself, “I’ll never do this again.”  Once you’re all settled in your new home, you’re happy you did it.  I’m not quite to the happy stage, but I’m getting there.  Every day gets a little better.

Working out the kinks
There are a few things I need to let you know about, in case you come across them when you stop by.

1.  Three savvy readers alerted me to a problem that appears to only be effecting readers who live outside the U.S.  Apparently, the redirect set up for the posts originally posted on the old BNOTP blog, is not redirecting for those folks who live outside the U.S.  When they click on a picture link under a category at the top of the blog, they are ending up back at the home page instead of on a post.

We’re working to solve that problem and it should be fixed in the next few days.   In the meantime, if you’re unable to reach a post via the categories at the top of the blog, try the search box at the top of the side bar.  It’s working great!

Email correspondence:
I’m way, way behind in replying to email correspondence.  If you’ve e-mailed me in the last week or so and haven’t received a reply, you’ll be hearing from me soon.  I should get caught up on e-mail this weekend.  Thanks so much for your patience.

Spoofing Myself! 
Did you send me an e-mail since the big blog move, but didn’t hear back?   Over the last couple of days I’ve had several folks e-mail me and ask if I had received their recent e-mail.  I had not .  But what I have been getting is lots and lots of notices telling me that e-mails I’ve been sending were not deliverable.  Only thing was, I hadn’t sent any of the the emails to which it referred.  Ummm

I have BNOTP set up to send me an email when a comment is left so it can be moderated and posted.  I knew something wasn’t quite right because I haven’t been getting any notices in my Inbox.  Solving that mystery was on my long blog-moving, “to-do” list.   Today, after getting a decadent 7 hours of sleep, I groggily rolled out of bed, shuffled down the hall, clicked on the computer and found 214 non-delivery notices waiting in my Inbox.  Let me tell ya, that will wake you up in a hurry!   No coffee needed!  Guess what got moved to the top of the blog to-do list?!

After a call to my hosting company, I think the problem is solved.  Apparently, BNOTP was sending emails to notify me of comments (as it should) but the return address on all those emails  was the exact same as the address where the email was going, my Gmail address.  Huh?   Let me repeat that…my Gmail  was sending itself emails, emails letting it know a comment had arrived.  And those were being rejected by Google, thus leading to rejection e-mails filling up my Inbox.  Crazy, huh?

Apparently there’s a name for this kind of activity.  The good folks at Liquid Web said it’s called “spoofing” and Google doesn’t take too kindly to this behavior because it mimics the stuff the bad guys do.   Yikes!  I have my suspicions about whose really behind this prank.

But he’s not talking.

 

So what else is on my blog-moving to-do list?

If you scroll down to the bottom of the home page and click on “More Posts from BNOTP” you’ll see pages that look like this.  That’s good.

 

 

But if you keep clicking on the words, “older posts” eventually you’ll come to posts that look like this.  That’s bad.  The link will still work and it will still take you to the post, but who wants to see ugly old blanks spaces where there should be pretty pictures.

It takes quite a few steps to fix each of these.  I have to click on the post to open it up, copy a picture from the post, save it to my computer, add it back to the post making it the “featured image” and save the post.  Then I have to do a bunch of clicking to get back to the original page to fix the next one.  Exciting stuff.  ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

 

So, if you see those blank spaces where pictures are supposed to be, ignore them and click on the post title anyway.  The post is still there and I promise you’ll love it. 🙂

Awesome Slider!
I know it’s baseball season but this is a different kind of slider.  Did you notice that cute little thing at the top of the blog with pretty pictures sliding by?   ( The slider is visible when you first arrive at the BNOTP home page, not after clicking on a specific post.)  The slider is a place to feature and link to the latest post(s) or an old post that may be relevant for today.

I wasn’t real thrilled with the first slider we tried here on the new blog.  You couldn’t control the order of the pictures without deleting all of them and adding them all back each time you wanted to just change out one.  Ugh.  You couldn’t easily label/title the pictures and if you saw a post go by that you wanted to check out, if you didn’t click on it in time, you were stuck waiting until it rotated through again.  Patience has never been one of my virtues.

The new slider corrects all those issues.  See those little arrows on either end?  If you don’t feel like waiting to see what’s featured in the slider or don’t wish to wait for a post to come back around again, no problem!  Just click on the arrows and you’re in the driver’s seat.  Cool, huh?

 

This concludes our “State of the Blog” address.  On to the fun stuff!

 

Recently, my sweet friend, Jan, surprised me with a beautiful gift.  Jan creates gorgeous mosaics and she created this wonderful piece just for me!

 

Come a bit closer and check it out.

 

I can’t imagine how long it takes to mosaic a planter this large.  I love all the detail work…sooo pretty!

 

I had originally planned to use it on the screened-in porch but I love how it looks here on the front porch next to my bright red front door.  That’s a Kimberly Queen fern I have tucked down inside.  Have you heard of them? They don’t shed like the Boston ferns tend to do…love that!

Well, since my assistant has gone to sleep on the job, looks like I better get busy fixing all those missing pics.  Have a wonderful weekend dear friends!

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



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Comments

  1. Should I be able to see the slider now? My page does not have a slider. I refreshed just in case it was something in the way google chrome loaded, but no slider.

    In reading all that must be done to make this move is unnerving! I think I might have been ready to quit! =)

  2. So sorry you are having to deal with these glitches, but your site is really shaping up. I have seen blanks on other sites and I did not know why; this explains it.

    We should all sleep as peacefully as that cat.

  3. Since I am in the Atlanta area, is there a location I can go to, to buy one of these gorgeous pots? Pots seems almost a bad word to describe these lovely and magnificent containers !!

  4. Susan, I also don’t see the slider and I use Chrome.

    xo
    Claudia

  5. Susan, I figured it out. I don’t see it when I’m reading the specific URL for the post, but I do see it when I click on betweennapsontheporch.net – then it’s visible. Perhaps that’s what your earlier commenter was clicking on, as well.

    xo
    Claudia

  6. I’m not seeing a slider, either. I use IE on this computer.

    I get tired for you, just reading all you have had to do to make the change over. It will be lovely when it is finished.

  7. I know it’s a lot of work to move your blog but I love the new look and the features you’ve worked so hard to get fixed! Keep up the good work – and don’t trust that monkey!
    ~Adrienne~

  8. Judith - Texas says

    I certainly don’t want to add another problem to those already existing…..But

    Since you made the “move” all pictures on your entries are so blurred…in the past your pictures were crystal clear….is anyone else having this problem? As I don’t have this problem with other blogs, I don’t think it’s my computer. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

    Keep plugging away…everything will be back in correct form eventually.

  9. Susan, even if the monkey is trouble, we know that Mr. Max will take everything in his stride…or should I say sleep!! 🙂
    I am north of the border and so far, am having no problem with your site at all. I just love it. You are a saint Susan to go through all of this but I know you want to keep your blog safe for the future.
    The pot is gorgeous and your friend should definitely go into business but it usually is the case of time it takes to make any profit.
    My first trip of the day, is always to your site so I appreciate everything you are doing for us “mere mortals” unused to creating a blogging site, to admire your inventive ideas. Thank you Susan.

  10. I would like information on that lovely pot also. That Jan is one talented individual and how great to have her for a friend! I’d love to know if she has a website or sells them. It is REALLY lovely.

    • Pat, Unfortunately, Jan doesn’t have a website. I’ll check with her to see if she takes requests/orders, though. Will definitely let her know she has some interested fans. 🙂

  11. I love your new blog layout. I also love tht pot, what a dear, dear friend you have in her. Need to run, lots to do today. Take care

    Patsy

  12. I love the Mosaic planter.. Do you have others for sale and what are the prices?

  13. Susan, I just love your site and visit it faithfully. I can’t begin to imagine the frustration with all this. I am not a computer person, so don’t think I would cope very well. By the way, love the sock monkey and especially love the chair he is sitting on. I don’t remember seeing that before; is it new. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for all you do.

    Debby

    • Thanks, Debbie…you are a sweetheart. Appreciate you! I can see a light at the end of the tunnel now…getting better every day. 🙂 That chair is the one I used to sit in while blogging at the dressing table in my dressing room off my master bedroom, before I created the office. You can see it in THIS post about that bedroom.

  14. Susan,
    My first visit since your MOVE! Oddly enough, it takes some getting use to from the viewers perspective as well…our eyes get use to a certain format ~ and then we, too, must re~adjust! Not complaining…just saying! Of course, I can see you’ve been putting in l o n g hours by the way “Mr. Max” is napping at the controls! Ha! Precious! I’ll be back soon to visit BNOTP!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

  15. Love the mosaic pot. I did a similar project on an old wrought iron patio table. The glass top was broken so I put tile shards on a piece of plywood and filled it with grout. I did the same thing to a smaller table, but unfortunately, it was stolen from my patio. Broke my heart. I appreciate all the hard work you are doing on your blog. BNOTP is one of THE BEST blogs ever!
    Carry on.
    Nancy

  16. betty pigman says

    Love the mosaic pot ,would love to try one of these. Will let you know if i do.

  17. Perfect place for this beautiful pot. Reminds me of the beautiful ones that MacKenzie Childs does.

  18. Laurie Carlton says

    I so love this mosaic! However, even more so, I love your new blog site. After being on here over 2 hours last night doing some reading, I went back to roaming and reading on facebook, and eventually clicked on another blog, with a different format. I love this one so much better! It’s spoiled me as to blog pages I think. I’m a list person, so I love the list-menus that open at the top, and love the boxed ‘seasonal’ choices at the bottom. And this blog format moves faster as well. So be assured the work and worry was well worth it! I put a link to your blog site on my fb page because I want others to find your great treasures here. Thank you for taking time to share all you put on here for us. LC

    • Laurie, you made my day! The work to move and get everything organized is so worth it when I read your comment. Thanks so much for taking time to let me know…so appreciate that! 🙂 You are a sweetheart! It should get better and better as I add more content under those drop down menus.

  19. From the first time I followed a link to your blog, I have admired the “professionalism” of it, which reflects back on the character of you, the blogger. Reading what you’ve been dealing with in moving has only magnified that perception. I (and obviously MANY others) appreciate the care and attention that you invest in maintaining BNOTP at such an elevated standard. Thank you.
    On another note, the mosaic planter is truly beautiful! Receiving such a magnificent handmade gift ~~what a treasure!! If your friend decides to sell them, I would be in that line!

  20. I just stopped by for a minute. I want to let you know that your site seems clearer than before. There are no flashing green things on the edge of the screen something that would show up even on other computers that I used not just my laptop. I will be back when I have more time. Your pictures are so beautiful. Thank you for all you do.

  21. Would it be possible to share contact information for the friend who made your planter? I recently broke a beautiful (very similar in styling) mosaic art vase purchased from a show over a decade ago. I’m heartbroken and spent hours on-line looking for something similar. Your planter is one of the few images I found.

    • Hi Heather,
      Sorry to hear about your vase. I’ll give her your message but she isn’t working on her mosaics these days. She just moved and doesn’t have her craft room set up, everything is still in boxes. Also, she just had major surgery. But I’ll let her know about your comment. I don’t think she’ll be working on mosaics for quite a while.

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