Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Vintage Vera Scarfs
Hello spare time, meet Hello Giggles
If you haven't been over to check out the new site Hello Giggles (a collection of blog posts, videos, and images especially made for women) I suggest you check it out now. But be careful cause hours will slip by like minutes as you peruse the oodles of articles and topics featured. To give you a bit of background, the site was founded by actress/musician Zooey Deschanel, producer Sophia Rossi and writer/Internet Sensation Molly McAleer. (I wish I was an "internet sensation." Can I just start introducing myself that way?)
So far I am loving everything by Almie Rose. Her Betty Draper impersonation is hilarious and she wrote an article on the hottest male Disney characters with Prince Eric being number 1...In short, I wish she was my friend! But so far all the content on Hello Giggles I've looked at has been pretty funny. If you have the time, and as I said, you're gonna need it, go ahead an have a looksie. I know it's going to be a daily read for me!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!
Thanks again to everyone who participated in my blog party yesterday-- y'all rock. Just so you know, all the giveaways will be open all of next week, so there's still plenty of time to enter.
In other news, I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend with the boy. Maybe the beach, definitely a dinner party or two...I hope you have a great Memorial Day Weekend too and here's an amazing video to get your weekend going...it's a very unusual rendition of the Dying Swan....
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Finish your Drinks and Get out!
Haha, just kidding! But seriously and sadly all good parties eventually have to come to an end. I want to say another huge thank you to all my guest bloggers and giveaway donators-- I feel so lucky to have met all you fabulous people through this blog and you made my party sensational! I'd like to end the evening off with one final giveaway!
This giveaway is in three parts and there will be 3 lucky winners! As you may or may not know, I try to be crafty and enjoy making things, so each prize is a different kit for making something new!
Summer Art Journal Kit and Paper Pack Prize!
-spiral notebook
-assorted scrapbook paper
-assorted summery stickers
-japanese masking tape
-bakers' twine
-brown paper labels
-two journaling pens
Get Your Bake On Prize!
-recipe card pack
-baker's twine
-Snicker Doodle Cookie Mix
-Vintage Apron
-Measuring Spoons
Stitch 'n Bitch Embroidery Kit Prize!
-5 colors of embroidery thread
-1 oval shaped embroidery hoop
-Needle pack and pin cushion
-1 set of Camp Out pattern transfers from Sublime Stitching (the best place to find all things embroidery!)
To Enter leave a comment below with your favorite Summer activity and be sure to spread the word about this giveaway! Blog or tweet about this giveaway for extra entries, but be sure to comment with a link for each time you enter.
Happy Blog Party Day! Hope you had fun and Good Luck!
Fun Facts about East Timor from The Boy!
I asked the boy if he'd be interested in contributing to my blog party and to my surprise he said yes! Here are his fun facts about East Timor for your reading pleasure! *
Did you know, that that East Timor is the furthest east country?
Did you know, there is no West Timor, and the farther west you travel, the more East Timor you get?
Did you know, that in East TImor, bats are considered immortal, which has made them very difficult to defeat in political elections?
Did you know, that when Michael Jackson came here to East Timor, he fixed everything and made it better?
Did you know, that East Timor has entered a bid to host the Olympic Games every year since 1980, and was offered to host the Olympics in 1996 but forgot to build any stadiums, so it went to America?
Did you know, all of the Wu-Tang Clan have summer homes in East Timor and Raekwon's home was named 'Lovely Home of the Month' in February by East Timor Homes and Gardens Magazine? Also, his song Ice Cream, is the East Timor national song?
Did you know, that although East Timor has no newspapers, its Fish and Chips are best in the world?
Did you know, that in East Timor, rattlesnakes are turned into makeshift baseball bats by our eager children, using the resin and the varnish left around by Manny Ramirez, when he spends time in the country on his fishing expeditions?
Did you know, that buttresses was invented in East Timor because all of our walls kept on falling down?
Did you know, John Boehner was voted 'Favorite Uncle' in East Timor for four years in a row?
Did you know, that here in East Timor, humans have very big trouble knocking bats off the top of the pop charts because of their very special sonar voices?
Did you know, that when East Timor was made into country, the people wanted to call it 'Pupplebucks', but became disenfranchised by very violent militants?
Did you know, that in East Timor rattlesnakes are still alive and make more fun noise than American baseball bats?
Did you know, that last year Manny Ramirez caught fifteen fish and forgot to take a photograph of even just one of them?
Did you know, that bats have their own X Factor show in East Timor and have a mean pygmy shrew who tells them all that they are not good enough to clean his whiskers and makes them weep?
Did you know, in East Timor we are ashamed to say we have not yet discovered the meaning of life, putting us behind most other countries in that regard?
Did you know, Bruce Springsteen wrote an album called Born in East Timor entirely on the Qanbus Lute, but it was turned down by his label so he angrily recorded a stupid album called Nebraska on the guitar and blues harp instead?
*My thanks to my boy for sharing and just in case there is any confusion, none of these facts were sourced from wikipedia or national geographic! ;)
Did you know, that that East Timor is the furthest east country?
Did you know, there is no West Timor, and the farther west you travel, the more East Timor you get?
Did you know, that in East TImor, bats are considered immortal, which has made them very difficult to defeat in political elections?
Did you know, that when Michael Jackson came here to East Timor, he fixed everything and made it better?
Michael Jackson: known in East Timor as Oualanvika; 'The one who kissed it and made it better'
Did you know, that East Timor has entered a bid to host the Olympic Games every year since 1980, and was offered to host the Olympics in 1996 but forgot to build any stadiums, so it went to America?
Did you know, all of the Wu-Tang Clan have summer homes in East Timor and Raekwon's home was named 'Lovely Home of the Month' in February by East Timor Homes and Gardens Magazine? Also, his song Ice Cream, is the East Timor national song?
Did you know, that although East Timor has no newspapers, its Fish and Chips are best in the world?
Did you know, that in East Timor, rattlesnakes are turned into makeshift baseball bats by our eager children, using the resin and the varnish left around by Manny Ramirez, when he spends time in the country on his fishing expeditions?
Unlike in Americans, in East Timor it is very possible due to our magicians to play baseball alone
Did you know, the East Timor river Rib De Selsal was God's basis when he designed the shape of the tapeworm?Did you know, that buttresses was invented in East Timor because all of our walls kept on falling down?
Did you know, John Boehner was voted 'Favorite Uncle' in East Timor for four years in a row?
Did you know, that here in East Timor, humans have very big trouble knocking bats off the top of the pop charts because of their very special sonar voices?
Did you know, that when East Timor was made into country, the people wanted to call it 'Pupplebucks', but became disenfranchised by very violent militants?
Did you know, that in East Timor rattlesnakes are still alive and make more fun noise than American baseball bats?
Did you know, that last year Manny Ramirez caught fifteen fish and forgot to take a photograph of even just one of them?
Did you know, that bats have their own X Factor show in East Timor and have a mean pygmy shrew who tells them all that they are not good enough to clean his whiskers and makes them weep?
Did you know, in East Timor we are ashamed to say we have not yet discovered the meaning of life, putting us behind most other countries in that regard?
Did you know, Bruce Springsteen wrote an album called Born in East Timor entirely on the Qanbus Lute, but it was turned down by his label so he angrily recorded a stupid album called Nebraska on the guitar and blues harp instead?
*My thanks to my boy for sharing and just in case there is any confusion, none of these facts were sourced from wikipedia or national geographic! ;)
Ballet Giveaway
Being that this blog is rather ballet-based, this next giveaway has a ballet theme! Enter to win this gorgeous full-sized poster print c/o LolaStretch from Dane Shitagi's Ballerina Project.
If you haven't seen the photos from this amazing collection, you definitely want to check them out. But be prepared to lose several hours getting lost in his pictures!
Additionally, this giveaway includes a tutu from Red Ribbon Fox! The Red Fox Tutu features warm foxy colors and will fit ballerina's from about age 3 to 6. This would be the perfect present for any little dancer (or soon to be dancers) you may know!
Here's how to win:
Just leave a comment below and for every extra entry item you complete!Extra Entries:
1. Become a follower on google, facebook or bloglovin
2. Tweet about this blog party on Twitter
3. Blog about this giveaway/blog party on your blog
Giveaway from All Things Chula!
Our next giveaway comes from Valerie and her etsy shop, All Things Chula. (Chula means cute in Spanish, again perfect for my Fiesta de Blog!)
An avid scrapbooker and paper-wizard, Valerie has kindly donated a pack of her paper butterflies (100) to one lucky Lilac and Lace reader! These lovely paper pretties are the perfect embellishment for scrapbooks, art journals, cards and crafts of all kinds. So check out Val's adorable blog and enter to win!
You know the drill...
To enter: Leave a comment below with your name and favorite insect (you must have one, c'mon!) For extra entries you can:
1. Become a follower on google, facebook or bloglovin
2. Tweet about this blog party on Twitter
3. Blog about this giveaway/blog party on your blog
Be sure to leave an extra comment with links for each of the extra entry items you complete! Good luck!
Tex-Mex Salsa Recipe from Carly
Carly from All this Grace and Charm, is one of my favorite newly found bloggers. Not only is she a fellow red-head, she also has amazing style and is a flat out fabulous writer. In perfect blog fiesta fashion, here's her recipe for....
Easy Tex-Mex Bean Salsa (yum!)
 |
| Via http://www.basicallymyra.com |
In art school, downtown Chicago, I had a roommate from Texas. In fact, as it turned out, she and I had attended the same elementary school in Texas during a brief stint in which my Midwest-bred, single father was relocated to Dallas. But that's of no relevance here. Except, of course, to cite that I have a thimble's worth of Texas cred. (Or, at least enough to sling around southern-sounding phrases like, "a thimble's worth.")
This roommate cooked almost exclusively from a worn, family recipe book, containing any number of highly delicious, easy Tex-Mex dishes. When I moved out of our apartment at the end of Sophomore year, I photocopied a few of my favorites... This salsa is one that I make for almost every casual party I have. Folks can't get enough of it, I've memorized the recipe:
2 cans black beans
2 cans white (shoepeg) corn
1 can Rotel
Juice of 2 limes
1 jalapeno, chopped
Cilantro to taste
Fajita seasoning to taste
Mix beans, corn and Rotel together. Add lime juice. Add jalapeno. Add cilantro. Add fajita seasoning (this makes the salsa, so don't skimp on it).
Visit me at All This Grace and Charm!
No Sew Bows DIY from Megan!
Super cute DIY project...I'm definitely going to try my hand at this one!
Hi Everyone!
It's Megan from Lovely Miss Megs here!
I hope you are all having a great day and are super excited about Heather's blog party. I know I am!
So I think what needs to happen first is a BIG thank you to Heather for letting us be a part of this awesome celebration. Congrats for reaching 100 followers!
Alright, now on to my post. At first I was stumped on what I could write that would be interesting for people to read. I must have gone through a dozen different ideas before I realized I should keep it simple and stick to what I know. So without further adieu I give you my tutorial on making no sew bows for your hair/ clothes/ purses, etc. It's the perfect craft for beginner DIYers, or those of us that only have a short period of time to get creative during the day.
Approximate time to make: 7 minutes
Things you will need:
1. Scissors
2. Ribbon. (I prefer the wired type so my bows hold their shape)
3. Glue gun ...don't forget the glue sticks!
4. Alligator clips. I got mine at Sally's hair supplies
5. (optional) Embellishments for the middle of the bow
1. Cut a piece of ribbon twice the length of what you want your finished bow to be.
2. Take both ends of the ribbon, fold them into the center and glue in place.
3. Fold the ribbon length-wise 3 times like you would a paper fan. Put a little dot of glue in between each fold to hold it in place. Only put the glue in the middle portion as this is where your bow will be gathered. (see picture)
4. Cut a small piece of ribbon and fold it so the finished edges line up lengthwise. This will become the center of your bow. Wrap it around the part you just gathered and glue into place.
5. Take your alligator clip and glue it to the back of your bow. If you are using a clip like I did make sure you apply glue to the bent side not the flat one.
Congrats, your bow is done! You can leave it as is, or you can embellish it like I did with a button in the middle. Also if you used wire ribbon feel free to fluff up your bow. Or if you like the flat look better that's cool too! It's all about personal preference.
Now you can wear your bow however you want! I tend to wear mine in my hair or on the collar of my shirt.
Now you can wear your bow however you want! I tend to wear mine in my hair or on the collar of my shirt.
Well, I hope you all found this tutorial helpful! If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at: megansoares@hotmail.com or drop by my blog to say hi! I love making new friends!
Finally I'll say it again, cheers to Lilac and Lace for being such an awesome blog!!! You are such an inspiration and I love watching your blog grow each day.
Take care lovelies!
Finally I'll say it again, cheers to Lilac and Lace for being such an awesome blog!!! You are such an inspiration and I love watching your blog grow each day.
Take care lovelies!
Playlist from Kellie!
Hi Everyone! Kellie here from ...on the brink of something beautiful (at getthewordsout.blogspot.com). I'm so glad that Heather asked me guest post, cause well- I love her blog and blog parties! {Kellie, the feeling is mutual!}
Since it's almost summer, the only thing on my mind seems to be music and the music I want playing on my ipod...so here are some songs on my list right now. Hope you enjoy them! And don't forget to stop by my blog and say hello!!!!
-Kel
Flickr Finds from Kristi!
The Cheddar Guppies are HUGE Lilac & Lace fans. As soon as I read she was having a blog party I knew I wanted to be part of it. So without further adieu I bring you a few images from some very talented flickr folks. Here's to you Heather . . . we like your style!
by SauTina
by Philip Payne
by Klementin
by Clickykbd
Thanks Kristi! These photos are gorgeous! ~Gidget
Giveaway from Hello Sundae!
Hi, everyone, I'm Jenny from Hello, Sundae! Heather asked me to guest post for her blog party and I'm also doing a giveaway to celebrate!
In case you don't know me....
- I'm studying Literature at the University of South Florida
- I was in the Army for 8 years! (I might be girly but I can hold my own...)
- I have too many hobbies and not enough time
- My lovely boyfriend is teaching me photography
- I have 3 ferrets, 2 cats and a slew of reptiles
- I love the color pink
- I go to Walt Disney World at least once a month, sometimes twice!
- If it could be said that I hoard anything, it would be lotion. I love almost every scent from Bath and Body Works!
I can't remember where I found Lilac and Lace, but I really love reading this blog! I love the little snippets and peeks into the world of dance. The only dancing I do is the Snoopy dance when I'm excited!
Celebratory giveaway!
These earrings were handmade by me. I made them specifically for this giveaway, for more like them check out my shop!
Use 'TutuFeathers' for 10% off!
Oh my stars, I just love Jenny's blog and her fabulous feathery earrings! Thanks for sharing Jenny!
To enter: Leave a comment below with your name and favorite Disney Character. For extra entries you can
1. Become a follower on google, facebook or bloglovin
2. Tweet about this blog party on Twitter
3. Blog about this giveaway/blog party on your blog
Be sure to leave an extra comment with links for each of the extra entry items you complete! Good luck!
Cash Box Restyle
Hi All! Hope you're enjoying my blog party!
With my work's recent move, we had lots of items that were found amongst the clutter that eventually ended up being "trash, unless someone wants it," and one of those items was a pristine, untouched cash box. I took the box home, not completely sure what I wanted to use it for, but positive that I would find a use for it somewhere. I mean, who doesn't need another storage container of some kind, right? Sure enough I found a new purpose for the simple cash box. Here's how I restyled a basic cashbox into a stylish and useful carrier for all my embroidery thread and supplies.
Before~
After~
I needed a way to organize and sort all my embroidery floss and find a way to keep it all in the same place. Previously it had been stored tangled up in several sandwich sized Ziplock bags...Needless to say, something had to change.
And change it did! I used the top level dividers to divide and sort my embroidery thread by color, hold my large collection of buttons and include a pin cushion with embroidery needle. Meanwhile, the bottom of the box proved to be the perfect place to stash all my multicolored elastics. Now when I'm working on an embroidery project I can find everything I need in that one box!
Blogging Tips from a Pro! (You have to read this one!)
Hello there! I'm Alycia from The Curious Pug and I am so happy to be doing a guest post for a fellow ballerina & blogger, Heather! I thought I'd about write some tips that worked for me when it comes to growing your blog readership. Before I start, please note that this post is about the things that helped me the most over the last 2 years and isn't meant to be taken as the only way to go about things. Everyone's blog is different and you should do what you feel will work for you :)
First a little background:
I've been blogging consistently since November 2009 when I first opened my Etsy shop as a way to keep sane during the months and months of unemployment due to the economy. The main purpose of my blog was originally to share photos and updates on new products for my shop - boooring! I quickly realized that blogs strictly about other people's shops weren't the type of blogs that I enjoyed reading. I found that I enjoyed a more interactive type of blog, where there were tutorials, support for other Etsy sellers, with more personal type posts, things I could relate to. Since I knew my way around Etsy pretty well back then, I decided to write up a bunch of tutorials (that I still have up today) on things that I needed help with at one point and had figured out.
First tip:
Writing those tutorials was the best thing I could have done, because this was where my first huge surge in readers came in. It was someone at Etsy that found my tutorials (whether through tweets or from a forum post) and they included the blog link to my list of tutorials in one of their mass emails! I was ecstatic to say the least and I must have gained 100 new readers just from that one promotion. This was the first boost in my blog-self esteem. So this is my first tip: Have content worthy of being re-tweeted and talked about, whether it's super interesting or helpful to others.
More tips:
Write consistently to keep motivated.
At first when I had hardly anyone commenting or following, it was discouraging. I know! It feels like you are writing to nobody. So to keep myself from giving up, I set up certain days to do certain posts. Mondays I'd play with the Pounce feature and would post about new and interesting sellers. Wednesdays were for my wishlist where I'd post about the things I had added to my Etsy favorites over the week. Fridays I set aside to interview Etsy sellers and post a Q&A with them. Now that I'm not an exclusive Etsy blogger anymore, I set aside my Fridays to share my Project 52. Tuesdays are for fill in the blanks. I leave all the other days open to write about whatever I feel like. Make something up! It's fun! And encourage others to play along.
Don't be afraid to feature other bloggers and/or Etsy sellers on your blog.
You might think, "well if I post about their blog and their shop, people are just going to leave my blog to go there instead." Well, no that's not necessarily true. Doing so is not only a cool way to meet new people, but eventually, someone will want to feature you! While that person you just featured is tweeting the link to their feature on your blog, guess who will be coming to your blog now? All those people. So do an interview with a blogger. Share your favorite links. Interview a favorite seller.
Include lots of pictures
I will admit that I get bored easily with a pictureless post. I can't help it, it's just the way I am! I think it's safe to say that lots of other bloggers will agree with me, that more pictures is better. Even if it's just a random webcam shot of you sitting there at the very moment you wrote your post, it's something to relate to!
Write honestly about the good and the bad.
It's your blog and you can do whatever you want with it by sharing how much or how little you want, but I found that along with the happy shiny posts about cupcakes (yum!) and kittens (aww!), people want to read about the bad too. Not because they enjoy your bad news, but because they can relate. When my dog died I had the hardest time ever getting over it (I'm still not over it), and I was completely depressed and angry, but I had SO many lovely people leave comments relating to me, telling me their own stories that it truly touched my heart. When you show you are vulnerable it makes you come across as a human being with feelings. So don't be afraid to write honestly.
Be aware of who may be reading
You never know who may find your blog and end up reading your posts. Your mom, your sister, your employer, your nemesis from college, some stranger on the other end of the world. So just think about what you write before you post it. Especially if your blog is an extension of your shop, be careful about posting things that may affect your business in a negative way (IE: politics, abortion, personal views like that). I always tell myself to write as if I know my grandma is going to be reading. Sure, sometimes I may throw out an F-bomb once in a blue moon, but that's different than talking smack about someone who's feelings might get hurt or offended. Just be aware.
Comment on other people's blogs
Leave meaningful and honest comments. Not just a "wow. great post" kind of comment either. Bloggers can see right through those terse comments as if it's a way to get them to just check out your blog. And it is especially not OK to post a comment with just a link to your blog. If they want to check out your blog, they will do it on their own accord. Same goes for following. Don't ask someone to follow you. That's like telling someone what their next favorite book will be. They're like, "umm, ok?"
Do something interactive with your readers
I did a feature where I asked readers to send in a picture of themselves jumping in the air. And two other features where I asked them to send in pictures of their dogs and another one of their cats. Simple, but it was fun! Lot's of people participated and shared the link with their twitter friends which ended up bringing new people to my blog. Other ways to get people commenting is as simple as asking a question at the end of your posts. Create a weekly challenge and have people comment with the link to their challenge.
Have a pretty layout
This is not imperative, but it certainly doesn't hurt! All the things I learned about blog design I learned from searching Google.
Try to learn a photo editing program like Photoshop
I was scared. to. death. of Photoshop when I first opened it. This big blank canvas with buttons that I had no idea how to use. Again, Google was my hero (as well as Katrina from Pugly Pixel) and now I can play with my pictures, make blog headers and fun graphics to go along with my posts. It's quite addicting once you get the hang of it. Another much easier online program that you can use to edit pictures too is Picnik.
Sponsor other blogs
If you're ready to invest a little money in your blog, there's so many amazing bloggers out there that offer advertising on their blogs. And you are sure to find one that fits in your budget. Ask them for their blog stats to see how many visits they get per day/month. Usually the higher traffic they have, the higher the advertising rates will be. If you decide to go ahead with sponsoring a blog, create an eye catching button to entice readers to click on over.
Having a successful blog doesn't just happen overnight. It takes a lot of work and dedication! But don't let it feel like a chore. Blogging should be fun and chores are no fun, right? I know it's hard to run a shop AND have a blog to maintain, so set up a schedule for yourself. Plan posts ahead of time. Dedicate a day or two to bloggy stuff where you write posts for the week and schedule them to post on a certain day (I know you can do this with blogger but I'm unfamiliar with other blogging platforms). Then keep the rest of the week dedicated to your shop and promoting.
All of these things have helped me in one way or another. I hope you found this helpful and I wish you luck!
-Alycia
First a little background:
I've been blogging consistently since November 2009 when I first opened my Etsy shop as a way to keep sane during the months and months of unemployment due to the economy. The main purpose of my blog was originally to share photos and updates on new products for my shop - boooring! I quickly realized that blogs strictly about other people's shops weren't the type of blogs that I enjoyed reading. I found that I enjoyed a more interactive type of blog, where there were tutorials, support for other Etsy sellers, with more personal type posts, things I could relate to. Since I knew my way around Etsy pretty well back then, I decided to write up a bunch of tutorials (that I still have up today) on things that I needed help with at one point and had figured out.
First tip:
Writing those tutorials was the best thing I could have done, because this was where my first huge surge in readers came in. It was someone at Etsy that found my tutorials (whether through tweets or from a forum post) and they included the blog link to my list of tutorials in one of their mass emails! I was ecstatic to say the least and I must have gained 100 new readers just from that one promotion. This was the first boost in my blog-self esteem. So this is my first tip: Have content worthy of being re-tweeted and talked about, whether it's super interesting or helpful to others.
More tips:
Write consistently to keep motivated.
At first when I had hardly anyone commenting or following, it was discouraging. I know! It feels like you are writing to nobody. So to keep myself from giving up, I set up certain days to do certain posts. Mondays I'd play with the Pounce feature and would post about new and interesting sellers. Wednesdays were for my wishlist where I'd post about the things I had added to my Etsy favorites over the week. Fridays I set aside to interview Etsy sellers and post a Q&A with them. Now that I'm not an exclusive Etsy blogger anymore, I set aside my Fridays to share my Project 52. Tuesdays are for fill in the blanks. I leave all the other days open to write about whatever I feel like. Make something up! It's fun! And encourage others to play along.
Don't be afraid to feature other bloggers and/or Etsy sellers on your blog.
You might think, "well if I post about their blog and their shop, people are just going to leave my blog to go there instead." Well, no that's not necessarily true. Doing so is not only a cool way to meet new people, but eventually, someone will want to feature you! While that person you just featured is tweeting the link to their feature on your blog, guess who will be coming to your blog now? All those people. So do an interview with a blogger. Share your favorite links. Interview a favorite seller.
Include lots of pictures
I will admit that I get bored easily with a pictureless post. I can't help it, it's just the way I am! I think it's safe to say that lots of other bloggers will agree with me, that more pictures is better. Even if it's just a random webcam shot of you sitting there at the very moment you wrote your post, it's something to relate to!
Write honestly about the good and the bad.
It's your blog and you can do whatever you want with it by sharing how much or how little you want, but I found that along with the happy shiny posts about cupcakes (yum!) and kittens (aww!), people want to read about the bad too. Not because they enjoy your bad news, but because they can relate. When my dog died I had the hardest time ever getting over it (I'm still not over it), and I was completely depressed and angry, but I had SO many lovely people leave comments relating to me, telling me their own stories that it truly touched my heart. When you show you are vulnerable it makes you come across as a human being with feelings. So don't be afraid to write honestly.
Be aware of who may be reading
You never know who may find your blog and end up reading your posts. Your mom, your sister, your employer, your nemesis from college, some stranger on the other end of the world. So just think about what you write before you post it. Especially if your blog is an extension of your shop, be careful about posting things that may affect your business in a negative way (IE: politics, abortion, personal views like that). I always tell myself to write as if I know my grandma is going to be reading. Sure, sometimes I may throw out an F-bomb once in a blue moon, but that's different than talking smack about someone who's feelings might get hurt or offended. Just be aware.
Comment on other people's blogs
Leave meaningful and honest comments. Not just a "wow. great post" kind of comment either. Bloggers can see right through those terse comments as if it's a way to get them to just check out your blog. And it is especially not OK to post a comment with just a link to your blog. If they want to check out your blog, they will do it on their own accord. Same goes for following. Don't ask someone to follow you. That's like telling someone what their next favorite book will be. They're like, "umm, ok?"
Do something interactive with your readers
I did a feature where I asked readers to send in a picture of themselves jumping in the air. And two other features where I asked them to send in pictures of their dogs and another one of their cats. Simple, but it was fun! Lot's of people participated and shared the link with their twitter friends which ended up bringing new people to my blog. Other ways to get people commenting is as simple as asking a question at the end of your posts. Create a weekly challenge and have people comment with the link to their challenge.
Have a pretty layout
This is not imperative, but it certainly doesn't hurt! All the things I learned about blog design I learned from searching Google.
Try to learn a photo editing program like Photoshop
I was scared. to. death. of Photoshop when I first opened it. This big blank canvas with buttons that I had no idea how to use. Again, Google was my hero (as well as Katrina from Pugly Pixel) and now I can play with my pictures, make blog headers and fun graphics to go along with my posts. It's quite addicting once you get the hang of it. Another much easier online program that you can use to edit pictures too is Picnik.
Sponsor other blogs
If you're ready to invest a little money in your blog, there's so many amazing bloggers out there that offer advertising on their blogs. And you are sure to find one that fits in your budget. Ask them for their blog stats to see how many visits they get per day/month. Usually the higher traffic they have, the higher the advertising rates will be. If you decide to go ahead with sponsoring a blog, create an eye catching button to entice readers to click on over.
Having a successful blog doesn't just happen overnight. It takes a lot of work and dedication! But don't let it feel like a chore. Blogging should be fun and chores are no fun, right? I know it's hard to run a shop AND have a blog to maintain, so set up a schedule for yourself. Plan posts ahead of time. Dedicate a day or two to bloggy stuff where you write posts for the week and schedule them to post on a certain day (I know you can do this with blogger but I'm unfamiliar with other blogging platforms). Then keep the rest of the week dedicated to your shop and promoting.
All of these things have helped me in one way or another. I hope you found this helpful and I wish you luck!
-Alycia
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