Happy 2012!

January 9, 2012 By

I get so excited about the new year – I have grand ideas, big plans and goals. Of course I forget about them approximately 6 minutes after I wake up on the first, but that’s what Mondays are for, right?

Peaches, raspberries, sugar, yummy healthy

 I took a break from working over the Christmas break, but still managed to sneak in a small project (Bonjour Farine!). I have some fun projects coming up, like the make over of my friend Rachel’s site, and a website devoted to JUST tablescapes – place settings, centerpieces, tables for all seasons and events – it’s going to be so much fun! One of my most recent clients, Shari at My Judy the Foodie will be posting her 100th post this week, and is now averaging 300 hits a day! Considering she’s only been blogging for a little over 6 months, that’s pretty fabulous!

Blissdom is also coming up soon! Once again I will be a Photography Community Leader and I am OVER-THE-MOON excited to see my favorite photographer (and mentor) Me Ra Koh there too! If you will be there, and have any questions on your camera, make sure you find me or one of the other amazing photo leaders during the conference. If you aren’t going, WHY NOT????  ;)

Did you make any resolutions? I kinda did, but only in the sense I would like to do things better – better at menu planning, taking more time to be creative, walking more, eating better…not very exciting I know, but anything that makes life a little easier, right?

PS – the photo above was my breakfast one morning – frozen peaches, raspberries…YUM!

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A blogging tip or two…

January 26, 2010 By

You already know how I feel about feeds…so now I will share a few more tips/suggestions/ideas I share with my clients who are new to blogging or just need a refresher: (disclaimer-this doesn’t mean I have followed my own advice - but it most likely is on my to-do list)

  • Readers want to know who you are - believe me I am the WORST at this. I cannot write about myself to save my life. Having an About page, or at the very least a picture in your sidebar with a little blurb about who you are is a must – otherwise people are free to imagine you as wifebeater-wearing man in a trucker cap and a cigar hanging out of your mouth (pretty, non?)
  •  avoid sidebar clutter – I know you want to display your “you have a pretty/yummy/funny/hawt, creative blog” button someone sent you, but sidebar clutter not only is visually distracting, it slows your blog loading time. Create a post JUST for these buttons, make a link on your sidebar that says “My awards” or something to that effect for this purpose. You will save your readers’ eyes and your blog will load much faster
  • SPEAKING of slow loading blogs – ENOUGH with the music already – I don’t care if you have whale sounds or trills of the rainforest on your blog - it’s still startling to hear music coming out of nowhere – and for those moms who are up late feeding sleeping babies in their arms while web surfing? Startling their baby awake with a rockabilly wake up call isn’t very appreciated…
  • If you want to appeal to advertisers/sponsors/companies who do giveaways, start a post or page for listing your review posts (paid or just your own personal reviews), giveaways,  blogging events, etc…this will give those comapnies an easy way to see the work that appeals to them, and it looks like you take your work seriously.

I hope these help a few of you – if you have any questions about blogging or design, feel free to leave it in the comments - thanks for all your emails on the last post!

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Confession – good for the blog?

January 24, 2010 By

I hate blogging..

There, I said it, got it out.

Ok, I don’t HATE it but I was getting close. I have been at this for the better part of 4 years, and doing design for about 3 1/2. I have seen bloggers come and go and I have had a love/hate relationship with it for awhile now.

I love blogging for:

  • The amazing women I have met and the friendshipsI have made because of blogging.
  • The places I have been and the experiences I have had as a result of blogging.
  • The opportunity I have had to make a small income designing blogs to enable me to stay home with my boys while they are small.

I hate it for:

  • demanding that I spend time with it.
  • taking extra  time away from my boys (although I have yet to refuse a request for a book or a snuggle – I do have SOME priorities!)
  • allowing me to fall back on lazy homekeeping and convenience foods.

But I want to LOVE it again. I missed it a lot during my self-imposed hiatus. I need to find that balance (it’s been a much-talked about word this last week or so- is it the new year that does this?). I’m not a writer - not like some of my favorite bloggers are – the ones who make me laugh, cry and think. I don’t intend this blog to be a memoir to share with my kids when they grow up.  I’m not uber-talented in decorating, or a cooking fiend…

I am just a mom who loves my boys fiercely, and is an information junkie who needs a place to unload once in awhile before my head explodes. So if anything I write makes you laugh,  gives you a great idea, or helps you figure out what to make for dinner tonight, then that is the icing on my already yummy cupcake.

PS – I have a post for almost every day this week – don’t get used to it :)

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