"Following" and Other Cool Blogger Features...and An Introduction

So I've been reading a ton of awesome design blogs for a long time and read them all through Google Reader! I decided blogging might be fun, so I started this one on a whim not too long ago. I finally started getting some viewership after linking up to some parties of the awesome blogs I read, and even some comments (squeeel! how exciting!) Well a really cool reader left a comment (Erin at Where Beauty Meets Function) saying she wanted to "Follow" me but there wasn't a way too (wasn't sure what follow is but it sounded cool and I wanted it to happen). So I researched it (thanks google) and got it up and running. So now I'm slowly but surly going through and "following" all the blogs that I've been reading and getting inspiration from. Yay! :D Feel free to follow me too if you want!

Oh, and since people are actually looking at my stuff (no clue that would happen!), then I thought maybe I could introduce myself a little. My name is Jessica Lauren and I've lived in North Carolina my whole life. I graduated from NC State with a degree in Communication Disorders and in Elementary Education, and now I spend my time working with kids with autism and loving it! I also dream of being a stay at home mom (no kids yet but coming soon hopefully) and full time crafter, but I'm going to have to keep practicing on that one! I'm married to a guy who doesn't get my crafting addiction but supports me just the same when I ask him to go with me to the craft store for the millionth time that week! :D
I am also the proud mommy to two fur babies...and like a proud mama have to show them off :D
Here's our oldest one - Ziggy (lab boxer mix) at 2 months old when we first got him
and at 2 1/2 years (and about 75 pounds heavier) in the snow last year
and our other dog Zoie (american bull dog, english springer spaniel mix from our best guess), who we adopted from the SPCA last year
Thanks for checking out my blog, and I'd love to hear from you all about any tips you have about blogging, increasing readership, or just about you! New project coming tomorrow if I can get it done in time!