Why I Returned to Blogging After a Long Break

After a very long break, I found myself wondering whether this blog was still on—and whether I still had something I wanted to say here. The short answer was yes.

So much had changed since I last wrote regularly. I had moved to Texas, my home looked different, and the pets who shaped my daily life had changed too. Knitting was no longer the center of every free hour. Walt and Lilly brought a new kind of happy chaos, and my interests had expanded into travel, Disney cruises, books, home projects and local DFW discoveries.

Why I Decided to Come Back

I missed having one place to collect the things I would recommend to a friend. Social media is useful in the moment, but posts disappear quickly. A blog gives me room to explain what I bought, where I went, what worked and what I would do differently.

That became the idea behind Curated by Shelley: firsthand stories and practical recommendations drawn from my real life—not a site built around things I have never tried.

What You Can Expect Here

• Honest reviews of products I purchased and used

• Disney Cruise Line experiences and planning advice

• Dog-friendly outings and local finds around DFW

• Books, LEGO, Mahjong, sourdough and whatever I am genuinely enjoying

• Updates when my opinion changes after more time or use

This post marks the moment I decided to build a more useful blog around the person I had become. If you are new here, welcome. If you remember the original blog, thank you for finding me again. Either way, I am glad the microphone was still on.

Original note from my return:

Wow its been a while. Life sure is different these days! I barely knit due to a crazy puppy - well she's 3 but you get the idea. My pets are different than last I was here. My home and state are different. My whole life is different! Anyone still out there reading?? Thinking about getting this going again.....

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My Mahjong Starter Haul: The Prettiest Tiles, Mats, and Accessories Worth the Splurge

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Blanks in American Mahjong: The House Rule That Completely Changed My Game

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I Tried the Sourdough Bulk Fermentation Float Test, and It Actually Worked

Bulk fermentation is still the part of sourdough that can humble me. I can feed a starter. I can stretch and fold. I can shape a loaf. I can bake a loaf that makes my kitchen smell amazing. But knowing exactly when bulk fermentation is done? That is where things can get tricky. My last few loaves had definitely overproofed on the counter. Not dramatically enough to be a total disaster, but enough that I could tell I had missed the sweet spot. The dough was a little too relaxed. The final shape was a little harder to manage. The oven spring was not what I wanted. So when I kept seeing a new bulk fermentation trick online, I was curious. The idea was simple: when your dough is ready for bulk fermentation, pinch off a small piece of dough and drop it into a room-temperature glass of water. Keep the glass next to your main bowl of dough on the counter. When the little piece of dough floats, bulk fermentation is done. It sounded almost too easy. So of course I had to try it. The Sourdough B...

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