Lori recently posted the dates for this year's Bead Soup Blog Party and just as last year I'm going back and forth on whether to sign up or not. Of cause I love making a bead soup and I enjoy getting a bead soup and the challenge of using it. I love seein what others get and what they do with their soups.
It's just... Not so much the cost of shipping or of the soup (big stash, can find good things to send without shopping) even if I can't deny money is tight as always. It's stil worth it. The big issue is that, especially as the BSBP has grown, I feel overwhelmed and stressed out by the blog hopping. I know no one will dislike me for not comment on all 500+ blogs (that's how many participants there were last year, I think) and I know there's no time limit for how soon I have to get around to visiting other participants, but even a tenth of that can feel like a lot and I feel bad if I don't hop much as the hop is an essential part of the event.
Still, despite my hesitations it's hard to resist signing up. Maybe I should just be better at making friends to swap with privately or join a swap group instead. But BSBP is still a bit special as I've joined several times (no all parties, but many), there's so much eye candy to see as so many participate and just generally, it's a fun way to find someone you've never met before to swap goodies with.
Sign ups aren't until next sunday so I still have a little time to think it over, make up my mind about whether the pros outweigh the cons. I'm always very tempted and find it hard to resist -- and always feel all out of energy when it's time to blog hop. But swapping is fun and seeing what others make for the BSBP is fun... It's hard to choose...
Kristina, I am doing exactly as you are, and weighing pros and cons. Last year I strongly considered joining; but since I tend to enjoy much smaller blog hops, I actually took advantage of those instead. The sheer number of folks involved is really daunting, and I am a person who finds it difficult to pick and choose, and always wants to visit EVERYONE.
ReplyDeleteYes, even if it's a good and acceptable strategy and all, trying to choose just a part of the participants to visit is so hard (for many reasons). Even when knowing no one is forcing me to visit them all, one still wants to and that's the problem: wanting more than is possible to muster up the time and energy to do. It's a fab hop and swap, it's just so easy to paint one self into a corner and feel daunted by the enormous amount of blogs -- and then guilty about not being able to finish the hopping.
DeleteThis time, the date shouldn't be a problem, but one never knows what will get in the way and mess up any smart plans one comes up with to tackle the huge number of blogs, adding to the stress I tend to feel.
I'm in the same boat. I love BSBP, but still haven't decided if I'll sign up this year or not.while there are many small things factored into my inability to decide, the biggest is the same as yours ; the stress and pressure of the huge blog count that it ends up being >.< I do understand Lori's insistence on not limiting it, since she seems to be buried under the nasty notes from all of those who didn't get to sign up in time, and she doesn't want to leave anyone out. It's that huge heart and loving spirit that has made the BSBP the huge amazing thing it is... but I have noticed the last few, whether I took part or just followed the hop... were just... you burned out on hopping >.< I might decide to join in and give it another go. I do enjoy the chance to hook up with other people and exchange pretties, and despite the fact I always end up doing the last minute dash to finish things off in time to get my blog done, I do enjoy even that part :)
ReplyDeleteThe big problem really is that BSBP is so fab, isn't it? I too sympathize with Lori's decision to include everyone who wants to participate and that's what makes it even harder, at least for me: one one hand not wanting to be one of those whiny people wanting to limit the BSBP and on the other hand just not being able to cope with such a huge blog hop.
DeletePersonally, I thought I'd finally decided to skip this year, but then you think about it one more time and remember how much fun it was last time... (Well, not all the hopping, but the rest -- from the swap with someone you haven't met before from another country to, as you too seem to enjoy, the mad dash to finish in time.)
Do not worry. The way I would do this is first, visit who visits you first. Then just randomly hop. The comments are the gravy. The reward is the creation. The one time I limited the people, I had revolts, hate mail, spin offs that infringed on the trademark, and it made me feel horrible. I have told and will CONTINUE telling people that they are not expected to see all the blogs. You do what you can do.
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