Saturday, July 31, 2010

Succesful Blogging 101

First of all, please excuse my lack of blogger-world of late. I was on a mini-vacation (way too much fun--I'll tell you all about it later) and then had a girls-day out with my sisters and aunt. So all in all, I've had a pretty busy week. Pretty busy in meaning pretty awesome busy. It's nice to be able to relax though...not that I would have ever traded any of it. Never, ever, ever.



Yup. That's right. You all know what I'm talking about. Those little blunders and "oopsies" that we wished that we'd known before starting blogging. I'm here to talk about what I wish I could have done, and what I've learned. (and believe me, I've learned a lot.)
1. Start with your own domain name. (seriously)
This is something that I regret not doing all. the. time. Just ask my mom. It's pretty cheap if you register with blogger, and if you want to switch to wordpress or something (perish the thought) it'd be a lot easier. A domain looks more professional. Period. There's something about seeing your own domain that will give you a swell of pride, kind of like finding the last few raspberries on a raspberry bush, after everyone else has gone. And I like the thought of untacking that blogspot from my site...
2. Don't ever, ever use text-speech or chat-speech.
I can't tell you how many blogs I've gone to and left after reading this:
so, i went to the mall today and it was soooo funn! yeahhh...I just had a tonnn of fun. LOL XD and then i picked out this top, and ashley was like "ohmigosh, it looks greaaat on you!" and i was likeee "oh my gosh, i know," haha! we had such a great dayyy. haha. LOL, ttyl peeps!
See what I mean? Not good. It not only has terrible grammar and text-kind-of-talk, but the subject is uninteresting, which leads me to number 3...
3. Make sure that what you write about is interesting--and if it's not--then make it interesting.
I can't stress this enough. So many times I've gone to blogs and have been bored. And I feel terrible! You have a story to tell--so tell it. Make me so enthralled that I can't leave. In a re-take of the above "blog post" (with proper grammar this time) there are two ways you could go. You tell me which sounds more interesting...
So, I went to the mall today and it was soooo fun! Yeah...I just had a ton of fun. LOL. I pickeed out this top, and Ashley was like, "Ohmigosh, it looks great on you!" So then I was like, "Oh my gosh, I know," haha! We had such a great day. Talk to you later, peeps
Well, today was ton of fun! I went to the mall with my friend Ashley, and we had a blast! We went to this one store and there was this adorable top--blue with these rhinestones at the neck, and then a swirly pattern on the front--and I tried it on and it was so cute! Ashley was like, "Ohmigosh, it looks great on you!" Which it did--not to brag or anything. Sadly though, the price tag didn't look great on me. LOL. But all in all, it was a great day! Haha, okay, talk to y'all later, peeps!
Neither are incredible, but I know that I'd rather read the one on the right. (however, if you had bought a top that had something to do with canon, adobe, or godiva, then I might be a little more intrigued.)
4. Include photographs or graphics or something eye-catching in your posts.
As much as I like reading, on blogs or websites, scrolling through long posts filled with nothing but text can get a little boring, and it can encourage me to stop reading. I'm serious. It gets a little monotonous. If you don't have any good pictures, then try including some cute graphics or even change the size or font or color of the text in some areas to add emphasis. Trust me. It'll make a difference.
5. Don't go overboard or underboard on the spacing. (yes, I just said underboard...)
Make sure that between each paragraph, you have a blank space. It makes it much easier to read. But, don't have too many spaces between paragraphs...otherwise it feels like you're scrolling down a vortex of neverending paragraphs that just keep going...
6. Have a good design. (otherwise known as, "DON'T EVER TOUCH THE TEMPLATE CREATOR")
Okay. I'm all in favor of little things to make the blogging life easier. However, the Template Creator seems to be the opposite of that. First of all, have you noticed that when you scroll, the scrolling is funny? (at least on firefox--my staple browser). And secondly, the look of the templates are somewhat generic, considering that tons of people are now using them. Don't fall prey to the coolness factor (I know, I was intrigued at first. Note the "at first" part.) There are so many alternatives out there, such as Shabby Blogs, or The Cutest Blog on the Block, or custom design sites, like mine, Vivid Design Studio. A lot of people work hard to create cute backgrounds or templates that you can get for free or at a reasonable price. Or, you can buy a custom design (which is then made completely for you!) These are all great alternatives to the template creator, which, let's face it, doesn't look at all classy or stylish.
7. Pick a theme for your blog and then stick with it.
What are you going to write about on your blog? If you only post book reviews, then don't surprise me with a post about how your dog ended up chewing the pages of your autographed copy of Twilight.
8. Make me feel.
Along with your posts being interesting, make me feel something. Make me laugh, cry, or smile so hard that my cheeks hurt. Don't be bland--go vivid. Tell the story so that I feel like its my own.
9. Spread the word! and give a response. Make a COMMUNITY.
Get a button made, set up a feedburner, and make sure to have your followers gadget visible. Get the word out about your blog--and let people know that you value you them. Set up guest posters, and try to guest post on other blogs. Comments are good all the way around, so try to return them--even if it's difficult. Give your blog an open feeling and let people know that they've entered into a friendly community of fellow bloggers.
10. Don't make your follower count white.
Self-explanatory. Not sure why I don't like it, I just don't. It takes away from the OPEN feeling a blog has.
11. Make lists.
Ha! Gotcha! But seriously, I love reading lists. Maybe that's me, or maybe it's just universal, but I love, love, love lists. I make them and read them. And if you make them funny, it's even better. If you've got a post full of lists, you'll probably get a good response.
12. Feel free to lighten up a little.
Sure, deep posts from the heart are good, and lets face it, we all have to write (AND read) them from time to time. But not make all of your posts like that. If you've got something on your heart, speak it. But maybe schedule it for later. And then write something humorous. Chances are, if you make someone laugh, they'll stay a bit longer.
13. Don't disappear! (at least not without warning)
If you're going on a trip, let us know so that we can account the leave as a vacation, and not that you've disappeared off the face of the planet. If you're going to take a break, tell us. You've got people out there who follow your blog--the least you can do is to give them a heads up.
14. Giveaways for the WIN.
If you've got a giveaway, make it good. Try to giveaway the best possible thing that you can, and maybe add several others. Make it big, make it viral, and make it fun. And most of all, make it easy to enter. I like being able to enter several different times, but 32 different options can become a bit daunting, and deter me from entering, even if you ARE giving away an ipad. (okay, I confess, if you were giving THAT away, I'd probably do all 32.)

So what tips or tricks do you have? What blunders have you committed? What was your biggest OOPS moment? And if anyone from Apple is reading this, then please know that I'll giveaway an ipad any day. Gladly.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Give her some love.


I'd like you to meet a very special girl.

Her name is Emily.

And she has leukemia.

Friday, July 23, 2010

What inspires me.

The lovely Liv--fondly known as Olive Tree--from (of) Horsefeathers is hosting a fun photo challenge: What inspires you? I've been wanting to enter, but I've been so busy that I kept forgetting. So imagine my surprise when I found out that it ended tonight!

I was prepared to show you images dripping with pure whimsy--all showing with my fumbling attempts the glorious beauty everywhere.

But then I got stuck. I'm inspired by so much that I sometimes feel like I'm drowning in it. How can I narrow down everything into two entries? It's an almost impossible task, as it requires one to look deeper into inspiration, and why you're inspired by such and such. The range of what inspires me is so large--from sticky fingers to some fallen petals to a drifting cloud to kiddos in a pool. There's just so much. And I can't choose what inspires me...so I chose two that explain to some degree what I'm inspired by.



Do I really have to explain this photo and it's source of inspiration? There's a depth to it that I hope that I got in some way. Vivid colors. A sunset. Silhouetted. Night sky. Vacation. Family. God's glory. So much beauty out there. And it's all just waiting to be seen.



And then this one. Laughter. Family. Love. I love this guy. I love his excitement and joy in the silliest things. I love his passion for life. It's what I hope to celebrate--real, vivid, and beautiful life. And he has it, baby--even if he's only two.

So those are my "official" entries, but I couldn't resist slipping in a few other, "unofficial" entries, such as...
















What inspires you?

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Puts it into perspective




These pictures were taken about ten minutes before Sam swallowed the sequin.

Ten minutes before he started choking.

Ten minutes before we knew that anything was going to happen.

Ten minutes.

It puts life in perspective. When I look back at that day, I remember that cold fear that just gripped me. The little voice that whispered, "What if he doesn't make it?" It would creep into my mind and demand that it was to be listened to. I couldn't shake it. The truth was, it could be a reality. As much as I wanted to deny it, I couldn't ignore the fact that I might wake up without a Sam in my life.

So I prayed. I couldn't stop praying. I didn't want to lose a moment. So I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. Every minute was precious. I don't remember what I said; everything blurred together and I just prayed and prayed and prayed.


Every minute is precious.



That cold chill stayed with me. Haunted me. The next day when Sam was with mom at the hospital, and my aunt was over, I wanted to ignore the fact that Sam was in danger. He was in the hospital, he would come home and be fine...right? That's what kept biting me. How would I know? How could I know? What if...



But he lived. He's here. God gave us a miracle. And all of your prayers helped--all of them mattered.

When he got home, he was passed from person to person. Kissed and cuddled and cried over. He's been babied and loved on even more since the event. Because we could have lost him--and that's hard to even think about. The reality that I could have lost a brother is so painful that it makes me cry.



My mom's profile says, "Life is short. And a gift!" And it's so true. There is no way to clock how much time we'll be given, no way to map out exactly what we're going to do. There is so little time, and it could be cut short--snapped--and gone. There's no way to know when our time, or our loved ones' time will be up. It just happens. In just a minute. A moment. A blink, and then--gone.

But it shows just how precious life is. How every single minute needs to be cherished. How we need to embrace life and live it to the fullest--vivid and whole and real.




Ten minutes is a gift.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Panel Memories

It's true. I'm digi-scrapbooking. I've found that I'm starting to really enjoy it...though not so much the name. As you all know, I love the simple things, so using this as an outlet to convey a powerful and deep emotion through simplicity is something that I've been enjoying.

I've uploaded the pages that I designed tonight. My favorite? Do you remember whimsy? There's something about those soft, teal blues that make me feel nostalgic. And nostalgia is one of my favorite feelings.







I think I'll call them my Panel Memories.

What did you do creative today?

Saturday, July 17, 2010

What I learned yesterday...

My sister and I went with a couple of friends to a fair yesterday, and I learned some very invaluable things. Such as...

They like to look at their "fat" reflections on the side of the car.

Trying to take a photo of your feet while walking does not work.

My sister is a cutie. Oh, wait, I already knew that. I told you though.

If Hayley sees you taking a picture, she'll quickly put her hair behind her ear.

Even an overexposed image can't stop these girls from looking cute.

It is possible to take a picture where everybody is actually looking and smiling.

In her spare time, Hayley doubles as a jester.

Deer are considered "Exotic Animals." (the sign said so.)

Zedonks do exist.

After walking around with flipflops, your feet will look like this.

Purple cows like to sit on people...

...and hug them.
(the above two were not posed. promise.)

If you take a picture in the shadow of your house, it will end up looking like this.

So you need to find a sunbeam.

Then take the picture there.

And any day that ends with this...

...is a good one.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

In one year's time...

...I'll be here again.



But right now, I'm home.

I don't know how to begin writing this--my thoughts are swirling around and getting tangled and leaving me with such a sense of melancholy. Woodland is like a small glimpse at what Heaven will be. It's a place of so much joy and laughter and it's filled with life.









It's always been hard for me to come home and realize that life still went on without us. But for one week, time was stopped for us and we were there, enjoying family and celebrating life.




How can I explain what Woodland means, what we did, how we lived, what the week was? It's like trying to grasp at and hold a cloud--you can see it, but it slips through your fingers and leaves you drenched with it.




At the moment, I just want to sit and soak it all in. Because the week was awesome. It rocked--majorly. Every year, it gets better and better. And this week was no exception. I don't know how we manage to do so much in so little time; at the end of the week, it feels like it's gone so fast, and then I look back and can't believe how much we've done.





And now I'm home. Home and a little melancholy. But that's okay. Because life is so big, and beautiful and full...and it's good. It's so so so good that I can't even find enough words to describe how blessed I feel. And, I'm gonna soak it all in.

Completely.




_______________

Side note, a big thanks to the amazing guest posters!