olive + yew

Notice anything different? Maybe those of you who are signed up for my emails don't, but I'm guessing the rest of you will. This blog has undergone its second (and hopefully final) transformation, because Lord knows technology isn't my strong suit, and trying to create/refashion this blog is giving me (more) gray hairs.

So here goes.

I started the blog on a whim because I wanted to try my hand at blogging, not really thinking through implications for the future (imagine that). I didn't stop to consider that while I loved the name Sous Mon Parapluie for a blog and I thought it was really clever and cute, about 99 percent of people in America probably don't speak enough French to understand it, much less spell it. After a year or so I realized that it was hampering my efforts at growing readership because no one could spell the name of my blog to look it up.

I'd been wanting to change things up for a while, but couldn't figure out how to do it without losing all my existing content. Then, lo and behold, the nice folks at Weebly help center came to the rescue. All my old links will (um...should) forward to the new site, so no worries if you've pinned a pin of mine, or saved a Facebook post. You can still click on it, but it will forward you to the same post on the new site.

So why olive + yew? Well, "olive you" is something B and I text to each other a lot to be cutesy. Plus, I personally really love olives (random but true). It's a Mediterranean thing, I guess. Anyway. I thought it would be a cute blog name. But the more I looked into it - remember, I am being an adult and thinking things through this time - I saw that that the olive typically symbolizes peace, glory, and abundance - all things I work for and wish for my family, and all the things I wish for yours, too. Once I found that out, I looked up "yew." Turns out it symbolizes wonder, curiosity, change, and rebirth (that's why you often see yew trees in churchyards). And while I loathe change - aside from moving to Europe - it's so necessary. This is a reminder to me that very often, curiosity, change and growth are what's needed to live a life of peace and abundance.

So what am I going to write about? The same ol' stuff I have been: books, travel, food, books, home decor, fashion, beauty, books...all ways to make your life richer and more pleasurable with simple solutions. A good book suggestion for a rainy afternoon, an easy, healthy, crowd-pleasing recipe, or an inexpensive way to spruce up your office. Same stuff - new look. Basically, Sous Mon Parapluie got a makeover.
 
You will notice some new features, however. For instance, there's now a handy-dandy search bar where you can look for recipes or book reviews I've posted a while back. I'm pretty excited about that for my own sake, because half the time I'm trying to search my own blog for a recipe so I can make dinner.

So I hope you enjoy the new look. Spread the word - olive yew, my dear readers, especially those of yew who have been with me since the beginning.

xoxo,
E