Happy Halloween // Blogtober is Over

Well, Blogtober is over guys.  I had fun putting it together & it sure was a challenge to have 31 days of posts.  I honestly don't think I'll be doing that again though it was fun to have a month long feature.

So I hope you've enjoyed yourself!  If there's anything you'd like to see featured on the Boost Your Blog monthly post, shoot me an email.  I'm up for it!

Happy Halloween!

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Trend Tuesday // Is Confetti Contagious?

Sometimes I feel like with these Trend Tuesdays I'm just posting what I'm in to rather than maybe what is really trending.  But sometimes I just don't care.  I've been in love with confetti for a while now & took too adding some to my new project: the Five One Six shop.  Here in January, I'll be moving all of they physical items (knits, pottery, etc) out of the Five Sixteenths Esty shop & into the Five One Six shop.  Right now it's hosted on Storenvy but I am probably going to get my own domain name to go along with it.

For me, it's just time to move on to something more professional (I sorta talked about this a while ago, but since have changed my direction!) & while my Storenvy coding skills aren't totally on par I still got the storefront to look nice.  I can't handle the etsy fees & I've been shoveling two dimes + selling fees, etc into that hole for over six years - way back before I even had any realization of this being a real business.  I also always felt that etsy didn't fit my aesthetic.  My pictures just didn't look right in their format, my header always looked dumb.  So I decided to fix that & jump ship.  The Five Sixteenths shop is still going to be open & those etsy fees actually pay for themselves right now because the design part of the shop has always done well.  New designs are going to be launched here soon!

Anyway, back to the confetti.  Not only am I totally interested in it, I am working with a client right now who has some in her inspiration.  Can't wait to put it together!

I discovered L E I F today, the cutest shop featuring one of my ceramic inspirations Lindsay Emery.  So I poked around a bit & headed to their blog.....then spotted the confetti.  I love how there are just little hints, just little colorful polka dots accenting the design.  A great use of confetti.

Another lovely & minimal use of the polka dot confetti is from an awesomely awesome blog Design Love Fest.  Just a tiny celebration up there in the top left :)

 Oh Happy Day blends a bit of pattern in there too.  Love the blue & yellow.  Really brightens my day!

The wedding blog Ruffled has a big celebration going on at the top there.  I don't quite like that it's blocked by an ad...but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  I am loving the plum & pumpkin colors.  Great for fall but also not so seasonal that it would be too dark for all year.  

Changing it up a bit is C.R.A.F.T. with some triangle confetti bits.  I just think it adds a bit of pizazz to you design.....that's just me.

Little elements can go a loooong way.  Spruce up a text based design with a dot here or there or take Ruffled's idea & make the header full of fun.  It's all about the little elements but now I want to put confetti on everything!

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Make it Monday // 2 More Background Generators

Continuing to catch up! I at least want to have 31 posts so anyone who stumbles upon Blogtober in the future knows what's up...oh, and I don't want to cheat you all out of 31 tricks & treats!

I shared with you a while ago the Tartan Maker + some freebies from Pugly Pixel but I wanted to share with you some other lovely backgrounds + their makers:

Stripes Generator
This is the sister site to the tartan maker!  I love stripes & you can add as many or as few as you'd like!

get the tile image here 

BG Patterns
Choose from an array of icons, change the size, orientation, color, etc.  You name it! Make pretty feminine backgrounds with this one.

get the tile image here

I love BG Patterns because of the range of icons you can use.  You can manipulate them in a bunch of ways too so the options are nearly limitless.  There are a few lace like icons too to make a pretty feminine design...great for a wedding blog!

Enjoy!

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Bright Ideas // 2 Ways to DeClutter

If it isn't evident, I really love blogging...unless I'm sick...then it gets put on hold.  But I am also a sucker for all those newfangled things you can put on your blog.  Stuff for the sidebar, stuff for your footer, etc.  All that nonsense that just seems cool at the time.  I think I mainly do it because I love to find & play with new things.  But sometimes this clutters up my blog & doesn't make it look too nice.  I've tried to stop being a widget hoarder & here are 2 things I keep in mind when I think my blog is getting too cluttered:

 Do I Need it?  - Is it really helping or is it just cool? This helps me decide if it's really valuable to my readers.  I recently added a recent design work little icon over there on the side bar.  I didn't have one for a long time but because I am looking to do more blog designs, I thought it would be another little place to actually showcase a design rather than just have it in the navigation.  I looked at it this way, when I come to a blog I read the content.  What is right next to the content? The sidebar! Usually I scroll away from the header of the blog as soon as I arrive & only go back if I want to know more about the blogger.  But the side bar is right there catching my eyes as they move from left to right.  

 What's Going on Down There?  - Once upon a time I thought, 'well, I'll just move all this junk to the bottom of my blog.  I still do like all this stuff.'  Which meant that my footer was a jumbled mess of random icons & links.  Now (along with the first tip) I only have a few things down there.  Any copyright things & a little banner asking you to sign up for the newsletter.  Nothing too fancy.  Too much stuff can make your blog scroll forever.  Believe me, I was guilty.  Keep it relevant down there.  I've seen lovely designs with 3 column footers.  One column has recent tweets, another has popular posts, & other as links for policies, terms, contact, etc.  I love that idea!

These are the two main things I look at when I think I want to add something or it seems there's too much junk in the trunk.  I've always loved minimal designs but for myself, I just can't keep it that way! So jealous of Hayley of the Weekend File.  The design we worked out together....so awesome & minimal....too bad I can't keep mine that way!

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Inspiring Colors // Colour Lovers

Here we are Saturday's post. I have been soooooo darn sick it's not even funny! I've been working on some orders & decided to let the blog slip a little for the past few days.  I think I'm coming out of the sickness though.  Sheesh, I really don't like being sick!

For this Saturday's inspiring colors, since I've been laid up in bed, I thought I'd find some good looking combos on ColourLovers.  You can see a few posts here on how to use ColourLovers for your blog like making color palettes & headers.

Right now I am loving delicate, feminine, fall, preppy colors.  Weird, I know.  But I've been drawn to these color categories & it's evident in the designs that will be launched in the shop in Novemeber.  I am actually pulling everything but blog & graphic design stuff out of the shop.  If you want a sneak peak of where it will be on January 1 as I reorganize, you can click here.

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Fan Friday // More Blog Stuff

Well, here I am again, catching up with posts.  I tried so hard to do a 31 day feature...but moving & all that jazz...then, this weekend (Fri-Sun) Zach & I were both sick.  I was horrible & gross.  Both of us, laid up in bed coughing & sleeping it was horrible.  He's all better today but I'm still overcoming mine. I despise being sick.  I am ok with it for the first like two days...then I just get frustrated because I can't get anything done!  So here I am on day 4 still feeling crappy.  But I've got work to do so this cold better back off!

Another example of creating a blog posting schedule from Styling You.  I really like seeing how others take on this crazy thing called blogging.  I think it's great to see the same thing from a few angles.

I don't think I've mentioned all the awesome tutorials Kira has going on over at Her New Leaf.  She's super awesome & took on her own blog re-design & learned a lot.

Link Love

++ A great screen cast + banner freebies from Oh My! Handmade.  Plus some other resources thrown in ++

++ Freebies from I Rock So What.  There's a load from printables to social media icons.  I totally forgot about this blog...so glad I ran across it again! ++

I've been having fun sharing some nifty stuff with you all, even though I have to catch up sometimes!!!

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Feature Interview // Maddie of Thriftary

Hey, hey, hey! I have loved this 31-day Blogtober thing....but I can't wait to get back to posting about life.  Really, I've got like soooooo much to share about our house, about how I've been doing self-employment wise, about a lot of stuff!  But for now, I'll just share with you some awesome answers & fabulous stuff from Maddie over at Thriftary, the Feature Sponsor for the month of October!

1. Why did you start blogging?

Oh man. How my intentions have changed. I started this blog when I first married Burley, to keep my scattered family posted on what was going on in our lives. That quickly changed into me falling in love with graphic design and delving into a whole new world! 

2. What is your favorite part about blogging & the blogging community? 

I love that I can, at any time, hop online and read about a bunch of inspiring women, doing inspiring things. It's like constant encouragement to keep growing and learning. I also love that I have actually made some amazing friends though the blog world, that I wouldn't have had a chance to meet otherwise!

From her post How to Shop at a Thrift Store Part 2. (She found awesome stuff!!)

3. What is the hardest part about blogging/being an indie biz owner? 

Well, since blogging is not yet able to be my full time job, I would say that the hardest thing is trying to find time for it all! Not only just creating posts, but making sure that post content is fresh & not thrown together. Making sure it is all very me and very inspired, rather than falling into the "oh crap i have to post something today... I'll just talk about what I have seen on Pinterest" trap.

4. What is your favorite feature on your blog?

I have recently started posting some videos of me singing and playing songs that I have written. I had never really found forum to share my own songs before, and the blog has proven to be a really fun and half-way anonymous (not sitting in front of a live audience) way to do that.

5. Give us the best blogging/business advice you've ever received? 

The best advice I have received is to find my voice, and stick to it. Early on, I feel like my blog was just a mishmosh of me and a bunch of other blogs I had read. It didn't TRULY sound like me. Once I kind of got rid of that "what if people hate my potty mouth" feeling, I just started writing like I talk, and people have responded really well to that. And I guess if some people don't like me... They have stopped reading my blog. And that's OK because no one has told me they have done that, so I haven't had time to feel self-conscious about it :)

I need her DIY Bar Cart

6. Give us the best advice on life you've ever received? 

You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose. But you can't pick your friends' nose.

7. What is your favorite fruit? 

Hands down, peaches. Love love love peaches. Not because I lived in GA for most of my life, but because they are the fruit of the gods.

8. What is your favorite color to wear? 

I am a sucker for a good mustard color. Or mint. that is a really hard question. Maybe mustard and mint together? Ah. I dont know. Mustard. No mint.

Thanks so much Maddie! If you'd like to connect with her please check out her awesome blog, follow her on twitter, & check her out on facebook!

If you'd like to be the feature sponsor for November, please check out the rates here! I'd love to have you!  Seriously though, check out Thrift Fairy...you'll love it!

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5 Reasons Your Blog Ad Will Make Me Click

Sponsoring blogs is stressful.  Is it just me? Every time I even think about sponsoring a blog I get a little hesitant.  What if it doesn't work? What if it's not the right market? How do I ensure readers will click my ad?  All of these things run through my head each month & it got me wondering: Why do I click on ads in the first place? Thinking about this helped me discover how readers may interact with my ad in a blog's sidebar.

I always click through a few ads on blog's sidebars because I love discovering new things.  But I don't click through all the ads every time.  So what makes me click? Here's my list:

 Cool mix of type & imagery  - I love good use of text.  If you've got a great blend of cursive & sans serif text, I'll probably click.  If your serif text creates a cool texture, I'll click through.  If the proportion of the text to the image is a great composition, I'm gonna go see what you're about.  Throw in a great color palette & I'll click through like no body's business.  I'm drawn to graphic, bold colors, retro font choices, & texture.  Why do I click these? Because you'll probably have a great design to back up your button & I'll have fun looking at your blog, not just have fun reading it.  I think this is a universal reason to click through ads even though people's preferences will vary.  Whether you are artsy or not, you know what sort of ads you're drawn to so pay attention to what you click when you do & consider that when making a button.

 The image of you is relatable  - If you look like me, I love you & I'll pop on over.  If you look like you like the same things I do (ultimate book-by-it's-cover judgement here), you probably do & we'll get along.  You look interesting, I'll give you a shot.  If your image is well balanced with your text & you look like you are creative & fashionable and like we could be friends...I want to get to know you.  Of course this is purely my own opinion here.  The bigger deal is that you look relatable.  After all, you are trying to appeal to people like you when it comes to blogging...that's how you make friends right?

 You're a little bit vague  - Oooooh, so your ad is only colored text on a map looking background? Wonderful, I wanna know what that's about! Do you travel, let's find out!  I see that you've got a picture of your workstation & the name of your blog.  Great! Do you offer advice? Are you a designer? Are you a creative person? Is that your studio? Let's go check.  Leaving a little to the imagination in your ad will definitely make me click.  For example, if your blog is about travel...perhaps a map is a great piece to incorporate into your design.  It let's the potential reader know a little bit more about you but they wanna click through to learn a bit more!  Saying something about your blog in the way your ad has text over an image can go a long way.

 You're the Feature Sponsor  - If you're the feature sponsor that means you've got a lot of real estate to work with in order to make a big impact.  Your button should be impressive since you've got more space.  Often you're more experienced & you've figured out what you want to say to the world.  This doesn't mean that you have to be those things.  The feature sponsor is often a blogger taking blogging seriously.  Feature sponsors get the most perks and therefore the most traffic & often have well designed blogs with awesome content...so I wanna see whats up with you!

 You're on Trend  - While I don't always encourage this, sometimes you can't help it.  Be it those damn chevrons, the tempting draw of neon, or the tribal vibe of triangles if you're on trend I'll probably click.  Make sure I'm not disappointed though & have the trend somewhere in your blog design to tie it together.  Sometimes on trend is great but sometimes a unique take is better.  With this it's all about balance.

So there you have it, 5 reasons I'll click on your ad if I see it in the sidebar of one of my daily reads.

What makes you click an ad? Who are you marketing to?  What makes your target market click on you?

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Tartan Tuesday // Background Generator

I think last Thursday I shared an awesome blog resource: Pugly Pixel.  Well, she doesn't disappoint!  There is an oldie but goodie found on her blog featuring a Tartan Maker where can make lovely plaid backgrounds for your blog.  Make plaid, graph paper, gingham, it's up to you!  Since it is fall, the season for flannel, I thought this would be great for a fall inspired blog design or even an academic-ie one with graph-ish paper.

Blogging is so awesome because it opens you up to so many resources.  I love sharing these resources with you & hope you can put them to good use!  I'd found this generator ages ago but couldn't think of what to do with it.  I am so glad someone put together a wonderful review & beautiful examples.

Play around on the site here & read Katrina's review here.  Oh! She's made some awesome bits for you to download too! So check it out!

What resources to you go back to time & again?  Why do you love them so?

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Make it Monday // Tabbed Blog Notebook DIY

About a year ago, I made my blog book from a notebook I picked up from TJ Maxx.  It's getting full so I thought it would be time to create another book for jotting down blog ideas.  Because I like to be super organized when it comes to these things, I made mine with tabs so that I can jot down ideas in the correct category & flip to them easily.  That make developing and idea much easier!

Supplies: Notebook, Washi Tape, Markers, List of your Blog Topics (optional tab dividers)

The notebooks I chose came from Target.  The apple one is from the Dollar Spot & (yay!) Curiosity Shoppe stuff was on salle the other day so I bought somethings I've been wanting.  I'd suggest a thick but not too thick notebook so you can divide pages easily.

I made a list of my blog features & other sections I'd like to include in my notebook to write down & flip to my ideas easier:

 + Make it Monday

 + Trend Tuesday

 + Wednesday Decor

 + Boost Your Blog

 + Thrift Tips

 + Other Blog Topics

 + Other Notes

Make the Tabs - If you don't want to go out & purchase some divider tabs, use washi tape to make your tabs like I did.  Cut a piece of tape even on both sides.  Lay the tape down so it hangs off of the page.  Flip the page over & carefully fold down the tape to meet at the edge of the page, stick to itself, & make a tab.

Place a tab where ever you wish.  I made my Make it Monday section bigger for DIY instructions, supply lists, sketches, etc.  If you need even sections go for it, it's your notebook so make it your own!

Then I labeled my tabs & began jotting down ideas.  Sometimes I throw in sticky notes so I can move them around in the notebook but most of the time it's just a place for writing & sketching.

The Curiosity Shoppe notebook became my blogging book & I'm trying out another book (the apple book) for the various shops and side projects I work on.  Both of these will stay in my purse so I can jot things down on the go & pull it out when I sit at my desk.  

I've still got some room in my old notebook so I might wait until the new year to use these but it's always fun to have a back up!

Do you have a notebook to organize ideas? How many tabs do you need?

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Inspiring Colors // Solid Color Pop

I am a fan of super simple blogs.  You can check out the design I did for the Weekend File & this DIY blog design to see what I mean.  If you're not a fan of creating a color palette or perhaps you just can't settle consider going the route of a pop of color.  Take the DIY blog design up a notch with a cool Caribbean blue or a lovely yellow. (You could even use a fun font instead of the Serif one I used to make it more playful!)  One color can do it if you throw in a few shades of gray for text & links.

Here are some solid colors I'm loving:

here // here // here

Here's how the My New Life DIY Blog Design would look with a pop of color & a cursive font:

Just one color can do it!  What are your favorite colors?

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Fan Friday // Some Sponsor & Other Blog Love

Here we are again....I'm catching up for 3 days.  Never again will I remodel a house AND do a 31 day straight blog feature.  But both are nearly once in a lifetime events, eh?

Wowzers.  It's been crazy this past few weeks trying to get the house done.  But we are on our way.  I can't wait to show you & really I think if October is Blogtober then November has to be Homevember...what do you think? It may not be a month long, everyday feature...but I've got A LOT to share with you.  I've got some do's & don'ts, some tips & tricks, and some who to use & who not to use suggestions.  It's gonna be fun.  But anyway, on the the faves of the week:

I'm giving away a blog design featuring a header, button, & social network icons over on the Weekend File so head on over & enter!.  I recently redid Hayley's blog to be more modern & clean.  It looks amazing! I think Hayley has a great eye & knows what she wants.  It was perfect for designing...if something wasn't the way she saw it in her mind, we worked til it was there.  Great vision is wonderful in a blog design.  If you haven't checked her's out, here's a little screen shot:

BEFORE

AFTER

I am also going to talk more about the process here soon, just gotta write it out!

If you're interested in a design, I'm open but also the feature sponsor this month - Maddie from Thrift Fairy - does design too!  She's got a cool, colorful aesthetic so check her out!

It's killing me not to show you some of the Home Decor things I'm loving right now so let's stay focused with this awesome desk organizer:

Of course the link doesn't lead anywhere, so if you know please share!  This is a super cool, feminine, & I'd dare say professional addition to your desk.

Link Love

++ This list of pretty cursive fonts from Modern Buttercup.  I love cursive fonts & usually write in cursive.  I've used it past elementary school....yes sir I have ++

++ More fonts here.  Love me some fonts ++

Hope you've enjoyed your week!

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Blogs You'll Love to Love & They're Pretty Too

Today's post for Blogtober features a few assorted blogs that I am in love with.  Along with all the other things I collect, I collect blogs like no one's business...really..I need to clean out my reader.  But here are a few you'll go back to time & again, promise

Campfire Chic - I can't say enough about this girl.  She's amazing in every way & truly a professional blogger.  Go here for no nonsense, straightforward posts on DIY's, Social Networking, Blogging, & more.  Always inspiring, always fresh, always informative.  Seriously.  Oh, & if you're in a blogging rut check out her Three Sixty-Five book for inspiration!

Oh, Hello Friend - With sweet deals from lovely people & an all around collection of awesomeness, this beautifully designed blog is just filled with pattern inspiration.  This blog truly is designed down to the last dotted i.  My favorite part of the site is the packaging category.  Of course the DIY section is pretty awesome too!  You'll get so much inspiration from this super awesome blog.

Pugly Pixel - This website is my go to site to learn, find, & fall in love with something new.  There are tons of beginner & advanced blog tutorials as well as a few free blog layouts.  Pugly Pixel has posted some amazing tips that get me every time.  It will make you want to try something new!  The layout is also super minimal allowing the content make the biggest impact.

So why am I sharing these lovely blogs with you?  To show you the variety in design based upon the need of the blogger.  Each of these designs carefully relates to the blogger's mission.

I see Kam as a person dedicated to social media, sharing her life, helping you blog better, & being an all around sociable gal so a great image of her as her header helps her a lot.  Her no nonsense straightforward-ness shines through too in the simplicity of the design.  She wants you to see exactly what's needed & nothing more.  The pop of orange, I think, keeps with her artistic side.

Danni is a lover of design, flea market finds, pattern, packaging, & inspiring others.  I got this from reading her blog & her about page.  In her design you can see her love of innovative & wonderfully paired elements as well as her love of pattern & vintage.  All of these things sing the melody that is Oh, Hello Friend.

Katrina blogs about her love of design, photography, & her everyday life.  The minimalist design of her blog allows the images, text, & message to shine through.  No outside stuff...just the facts.  But it's innovative with image sliders, use of space, pairing of text, etc to show how fancy she is with her coding.  She is nearly a genius, I think.  Her photography is impecable & the way she shares content is like reading a well formated magazine.  Even though there maybe different text, pictures, etc it all comes together through an over all aesthetic.

Read the about page of your favorite blogger & see how their design reflects them & what they blog about  Now how can you echo the things you care about in your blog design?

I hope you see what I mean here & enjoy your Thursday!

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Daily To Do Washi Tape Inspired Printable

Man on man, I can't wait until I have a desk to call my own!  We just demolished the walls separating the living area & a closet that was kinda dumb.  Now Zach and I get to battle it out to see who gets the desk space under the window & who gets the desk space where the closet used to be.  I did want the one where the closet used to be because it has a lot of wall space....but that would be perfect for shelves for Zach's stuff.  Maybe I want the window...maybe I want the space....I haven't decided & I don't think he has either.

Once I get my own desk I can't wait to organize it.  Blogging from various coffee shops, the bed, assorted spots on the floor, & couches doesn't compare to having a desk of your own.  I haven't had one since college & I am growing to appreciate it more & more.  Funny how these things catch on.

Today I want to share with you a washi tape inspired printable to help you organized your bloggy life.  If you've got a blog & shop (or maybe offer a few services with appointments you need to organize) this is for you.  I have to say this probably isn't going to be a daily thing I'll use.  Handwritten To Do lists in my notebook & planner usually help but for especially busy days/weeks I find myself planning out things more in order to get everything done.  I know I go on & on about planning but if you've got a lot to juggle you gotta do something!  Blog planning isn't for everyone, but hey I'm just sharing what works for me.

Side note: You'd think my entire life is organized the way my blog planning is......you'd be wrong.  There's a reason I don't blog about my decor too much & I'm sure my new desk area will be swamped in no time.

Get this in Pink + Gold here

The cute & feminine touch this has really makes my day! I am in love with that golden color & love it as an accent on my blog.  I also love the bright purple I've added.  Makes things pop & it's my favorite color.  If you're interested in a design of your own, shoot me an email!  I'd love to chat!

Have a great Wednesday!

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Integrate your Instagram into your Blog

(Hey oh! Post 3 of 3, we're finally caught up!)

It's true, I've fallen head over heels for the coolest app: Instagram.  It's a great way to document your day, your travels, your taste, etc & it's even a cool little micro-blogging machine.  Share with others an instant peak into your day but what about those people who follow your blog but may not have a smart phone?  How do you share your day with them? Even further, how do you let people know that you're on Instagram since there's no web link for it?

Below are a few ways to integrate your love of filtered photography on your blog:

 Instagram Slideshow  - I actually first encountered this on Megan's blog the Freckled Italian.  Immediately I started looking for a way to get my hands on a cool rotating slideshow of my recent pictures.  I found the website Snap Widget that lets you import your photographs via your username & even hashtags.  Then you set the width & paste the code in a widget on your sidebar.  Super easy!  I threw in my username below the slideshow so others could search me if they wanted in order to follow me through Instagram.

 Followgram  - This is a website that I have my instagram icon at the top of the blog linked to.  You can join & find bloggers/people you love with out using your smart phone.  You do need to have an instagram account but hey, you could borrow your friends phone or use an iPod touch connected to the internet to sign up.  Then follow online.  If you do share your everyday photos on Instagram, Followgram is a great site to link Instagram to your blog.  Another neat part is on your profile page you can find a QR code that others can scan to follow you.  If you want, copy the image & paste it on your sidebar.  Now others can scan to follow you!  Another site I've seen is Webstagram.  I don't think one is better than the other, I just found Followgram first.

 Weekly Sum Up Posts  - Usually on Five Sixteenths, Sunday is reserved for a weekly sum up.  A lot of readers/bloggers say they don't really care for sum up Instagram posts like this but for me it's a personal thing.  A big part of my blog is a journal of my life so Sum Up Sunday is a promise to myself to recap the week so I can go back & look at my life over the course of this blog.  So, incorporating Instagram photos like this can help you stay connected to the personal aspect of your blog.  I think posts like these keep you real as a blogger because you're sharing your real life.  Usually I use the image URLs from my Followgram account (another reason it's pretty cool!)

How do you connect with readers through Instagram? Are you on it? Let me know, I wanna follow!

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