tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64399331952070847602024-03-12T15:03:29.713-07:00Blog GuidebookUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger878125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-63862600406549019872019-12-13T12:28:00.003-08:002019-12-13T12:29:59.318-08:00Farewell Friends!We haven't been updating this blog, but we wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed it throughout the years.<br />
<br />
We will leave it up indefinitely so you can still have access to the tutorials etc.<br />
<br />
Lyndsay is living in Utah with her lovely family and is still creative and enjoying a busy life.<br />
<br />
Sarah lives in Missouri with her family...is homeschooling and creating a new business idea.
<br />
<br />
Blogging has changed so much in the past few years, we are no longer able to keep up with all platforms
and possibilities! Good luck to everyone out there!<br />
<br />
<br />
Lastly, The Blog Guidebook is available for sale if anyone is interested. Thanks again!The Blog Guidebookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17205200739241851769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-42534463555860274492017-01-29T10:59:00.001-08:002017-01-29T10:59:29.431-08:00PicMonkey App - Yes, it's Free. Yes, It's Cool.Downloading the<a href="https://www.picmonkey.com/mobile-app" target="_blank"> PicMonkey app</a> was one of the smartest things I did in January. It's free and it makes your images look so much better before you post them on Instagram. Your IG feed can be so pretty...it's all about your style. Some folks love the pale colors, more white in an image, some love lots of color like aqua or pink. Whatever your style, you can enhance your photos using this free app. Works for iOS and Android.<br />
<br />
We've always loved PicMonkey online, it's our go to tool when not able to use Photoshop. When they released their app we jumped on it, like a monkey. Monkey. LOL.<br />
<br />
There's also a cool thing called their "hub" where you can save your images in their cloud. Which is brilliant if you don't want to clutter up your phone storage. To use the hub you have to have a ROYAL account which is about $4.95 per month, but also allows you to use all the features of their editing program (which you only use online so you don't have to download or install any pesky software/programs). <br />
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Here's a few ideas of what you can do.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3MMxBIrBaOcDh2zsE05YYMnxLhiTlPCEKzndtusr0OPae4YTHp70rDaRPfU6hA84LrQUVPUYdwrcd-WvMnMjXyjmWMq_uUDwoCDss8lhLW-t-mH95GXef1AkTcIPsjjbgttd0wo3n7k/s1600/IMG_9837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3MMxBIrBaOcDh2zsE05YYMnxLhiTlPCEKzndtusr0OPae4YTHp70rDaRPfU6hA84LrQUVPUYdwrcd-WvMnMjXyjmWMq_uUDwoCDss8lhLW-t-mH95GXef1AkTcIPsjjbgttd0wo3n7k/s1600/IMG_9837.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r0q3Qi6vRjInypOvV5wfDkhROiVapAAosJqo8ifXFYcbJaTvEkX8eGXb6B5FKEA_nQkhfxxeA5qk4FMV5scHQEypnwvvlgPC83UvIsKxoelvkjL4V8RknoMVBADba2_7nGKlgfuXkeM/s1600/IMG_0198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2r0q3Qi6vRjInypOvV5wfDkhROiVapAAosJqo8ifXFYcbJaTvEkX8eGXb6B5FKEA_nQkhfxxeA5qk4FMV5scHQEypnwvvlgPC83UvIsKxoelvkjL4V8RknoMVBADba2_7nGKlgfuXkeM/s1600/IMG_0198.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8fdDoL-MuFDjYvFw2VPYeyNWiXmkB4wbmzyim89ha7EvkN9yaHdKJthNuYBZBr8emLYuBry3PVJxrE_WBKsWvWyks8BYex281qJRwDUsZFRut0T8RlKpxMmQ0y9T2RIB2DXb2q-Y4EY/s1600/IMG_0075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8fdDoL-MuFDjYvFw2VPYeyNWiXmkB4wbmzyim89ha7EvkN9yaHdKJthNuYBZBr8emLYuBry3PVJxrE_WBKsWvWyks8BYex281qJRwDUsZFRut0T8RlKpxMmQ0y9T2RIB2DXb2q-Y4EY/s320/IMG_0075.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkfYF1xwyIyTp7gGRcKHqPKxOhx-bq9mhimX5VikAcPLUp0fIiRR3nfZA1KRdumv1u2lUfxJC0SDhGPzs6puyrpNWXXngt_YG1UDdxMurpkRcWNQz3T82w89Y5zlM-iGAt1IxLQ877oE/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkkfYF1xwyIyTp7gGRcKHqPKxOhx-bq9mhimX5VikAcPLUp0fIiRR3nfZA1KRdumv1u2lUfxJC0SDhGPzs6puyrpNWXXngt_YG1UDdxMurpkRcWNQz3T82w89Y5zlM-iGAt1IxLQ877oE/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr>
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Would love to see your edited photos or images...leave a link in the messages to your pics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-38748731245167948332017-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:002017-01-29T10:17:10.119-08:00Link In Profile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://linkinprofile.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://linkinprofile.com/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguF8L4Xb9dFb-DLkmp-31XI5gyMWEIg6r9Xp7KG7uo5B0LC2jgIVrYoWTTKMU3QC7NwBFhxCwGrFNG51OT_pNQMGlCqSqblpteAAGgZWKG84N7HXxhA8E_1i006NHItOL5gVa1nkaoUA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-29+at+12.04.56+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br />
There's a nifty little site called Link In Profile that can help you add more than one link to your Instagram account. It's not free but if you are a blogger/instagrammer making a few bucks on the web, then you can probably afford $10 a month for this treat.<br />
<br />
Basically you use Link In Profile as a storage source for the links you want readers to go to from your Instagram account. You would keep your main link in your profile as usual, but when that is clicked it would go to an unlimited scrolling page featuring all your links with a heading and an image.<br />
<br />
Isn't that cool?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://linkinprofile.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://linkinprofile.com/" border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9layEGjxrMny5GwkQBZ4eaOOa7n3QgdrY9ARdPd5VIF7pADD_tNrFKCShKGXnXY1nimjlSNGbM8ZvlEJhoZLSKgMTYoYZGZafLihfZxfRo10f6IC4MCOjeBX8G-POcnqS-TTt6hKk7pQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-01-29+at+12.04.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Do you know why Instagram doesn't allow clickable links in your posts?<br />
<br />
<span class="rendered_qtext">You cannot add a clickable link to an
Instagram post. Instagram removed this feature due to the high level of
spam posts and affiliate marketing posts that were being published on
the platform. Or so they said. The bottom line is they want to get paid, so if you are willing to pay for an ad you can get a clickable post. Of course, we don't want Instagram to turn into Pinterest, so that's ok.</span><br />
<span class="rendered_qtext"><br /></span>
<span class="rendered_qtext">If you don't want to pay $10 per month (after the free trial period), I suggest Link My Photos.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://linkmy.photos/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://linkmy.photos/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvZIXUftmG0cYlwwqAYfbxH_AWkHME9Y5MxHosxaBi9ooNRbSzir7mlLbvDXvQ_dGyfcdrU4LgREGQ9Xo-_tjxBE3U-O7DGOf5OMGZjPvBxuFTdiscswVvqrIgkOuZN-F2C_CKMMJyYI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-01-29+at+12.14.56+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br /><span class="rendered_qtext"></span>
<div class="qtext_para">
LinkMy.Photos
provides an ideal landing page for your Instagram profile link. Your
followers will be taken to a photo feed with all your clickable
Instagram photos, so even your previous website and YouTube links from
older photos remain relevant. You’ll also get meaningful metrics for how
many followers are viewing your photos and clicking through to your
links.</div>
<div class="qtext_para">
LinkMy.Photos offers a free plan for
your most recent 3 linkable photos, and inexpensive plans for unlimited
photos and multiple accounts.</div>
<div class="qtext_para">
<br /></div>
<div class="qtext_para">
Do you have a secret way to add links to Instagram? We'd love to hear your ideas! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-34419666536647724442016-12-20T07:16:00.000-08:002016-12-20T07:16:08.543-08:00Blog of the Week - The Minimalists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.theminimalists.com/" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn41ht2VAzzOz0yS7JIxRlAYJQ45tI3EZ8QqGBuALiUdMcFZsvP24hk6qbI8pFqbrrZ-3ui_YYmB8y2wol1dkB1r8rHbjYinL2TjgxfkUMLwX53ufONrXubjANWlp-CDUIQXspXEZzXqI/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-12-20+at+9.04.34+AM.png" width="317" /></a></div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.envye.com/affiliates/track/imp/banners/15_5" height="1" width="1" /><br />
Because Christmas is in a few days and everyone is hurrying to buy stuff for their families and friends, I found this blog very uplifting and it made so much sense to me. I watched this documentary on Netflix the other day while I was sick and I felt like, I'm on the right path. I just need to be reminded why I moved us to this small house!<br />
<br />
Check out <a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/" target="_blank">The Minimalists</a> blog, it's black and white, it's clean, it's minimal. You'll feel good. <br />
<br />
Probably due to the cold weather and we've all been fighting some kind of illness, this house feels cramped and chilly...upstairs is totally warm and toasty (we're calling it Italy - do you know what reference that is from?)...and I keep imagining a large rambling house that has roaring fireplaces in every room...LOL. That's not very minimalist is it?<br />
<br />
I love that Josh and Ryan aren't really selling anything, I mean, you can buy their book, but you can accept their philosophy for FREE. Ask yourself simple questions about why you do what you do, why you buy what you don't need...it's almost too simple to be real.<br />
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They've got great podcasts you can listen to for inspiration...I say do it! It's so easy to start thinking differently, you might be able start living differently too. Less really is more.<br />
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Hugs and Happy Holidays to you all if I don't get back on here before the New Year!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-19871702303899502462016-11-08T07:33:00.000-08:002017-01-29T11:04:56.028-08:00Let's Be Different Today<br />
Shall we talk about being a bit different?<br />
Don't we all feel like that...almost all the time?<br />
Swimming against the current,<br />
Like a salmon.<br />
<br />
I've decided to start a new blog, about changing my lifestyle, about stepping outside of the box, about living in a much smaller home, about finding new adventures and teaching my kids in a more fulfilling way...and probably a lot of other stuff too.<br />
<br />
I want to do something different!<br />
<br />
There are so many blogs out there about HOW TO BLOG. This blog has been amazing, and I know I could have done much more with it, but life is happening just past this screen, and I don't want to miss it. This blog, The Blog Guidebook, will be here for a little while longer, I know some of you still use it as a reference - never fear.<br />
<br />
Here are a few inspiring things to me:<br />
<br />
Don't put off your personal interests, don't push a pause button on your life...it is too short to ignore passions and interests and curiosity.<br />
<br />
Don't put yourself on the backburner. If you want to find yourself - now is the time to do it.<br />
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Your life isn't an equation, give yourself permission to DANCE, SING, PLAY, TRAVEL, LEARN, and all the other things we are waiting to do when our children grow up.<br />
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Would you like to VOTE for the new blog name? Here are a few choices I already purchased, but haven't used yet (email me at sarah@blogguidebook with your vote):<br />
<br />
From Small Things Mama (thank you Bruce Springsteen)<br />
<br />
Small Things Mama (shortened version, easier to remember?)<br />
<br />
Let Them Make<br />
<br />
<br />
And in case you were a follower on my DifferentDog.com blog, I actually sold that domain name last month, but you can still get to that blog via blogert at <a href="http://www.differentdog.blogspot.com/">www.differentdogblog.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
Thank you for reading today, I hope you'll tag along on my new adventures!!! I know some of these will include the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>travel</li>
<li>tiny house remodel</li>
<li>backyard clubhouse build</li>
<li>my new (to me) Argosy camper</li>
<li>using T-Tapp to get in shape</li>
<li>eating gluten/wheat free and gf recipes</li>
<li>decorating my tiny house</li>
<li>homeschool ideas and new printables </li>
</ul>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-78031047497925958412016-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:002016-08-24T06:57:23.157-07:00Pros and Cons - Thoughts On Living in a Small SpaceWe did it.<br />
We sold our big house and moved to a 1000 sq. ft. cottage.<br />
The master bedroom is 10x10.<br />
My kiddos have the upstairs attic for sleeping and toys...so that's about 500 sq. ft.<br />
That leaves about 400 sq. ft. for the kitchen and living area doesn't it?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_KBMggGG98RdmpYo-NQTCcW2-fEKvaMLQzStzzDCdg_122xwWpVUm8SoILKcPX2-6Kic2wPfyrnGbvRcIvSLUN9gfoOtpRBzDUWtIOGAI0Y52fNDs1H4RumBMSXYX-wMN9Ih2fV5JHA/s1600/livingtiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_KBMggGG98RdmpYo-NQTCcW2-fEKvaMLQzStzzDCdg_122xwWpVUm8SoILKcPX2-6Kic2wPfyrnGbvRcIvSLUN9gfoOtpRBzDUWtIOGAI0Y52fNDs1H4RumBMSXYX-wMN9Ih2fV5JHA/s640/livingtiny.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Cons of living in a small space:</b><br />
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You have to eliminate all the stuff you had in the big space. That can be a nightmare, especially if you love your stuff!<br />
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Little to no privacy. Two loud kids romping around the house, only one interior door. You do the math!<br />
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Less space for entertaining. <br />
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Things get messy pretty quickly. You just can't spread out like you do in a large home, you don't have the surfaces to lay everything out on, projects take up the entire living room...you have to be focused on really cleaning up at the end of the day.<br />
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No more buying. We consume in the U.S. don't we? I can't run out to Target and spend $100 every week anymore...I still go to Target but I don't buy anything that isn't edible or used immediately...no more $1 bin junk, no extra shoes just because they're cheap, no hoarding printer paper. It's hard to do, people!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEoJKbzZ2sqpP1QzyiyeI7IFOSuaCYt6bsitAqRzX5cO77jFIYR1CCxAmJLVxpQ6vu3bj1-KNdEoG8jjY0PRBpsQepG6cDeBR2BqFOZDJcnpFlc1neeqR481mFWObKDWjqgKV-CXoQTI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-24+at+8.42.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEoJKbzZ2sqpP1QzyiyeI7IFOSuaCYt6bsitAqRzX5cO77jFIYR1CCxAmJLVxpQ6vu3bj1-KNdEoG8jjY0PRBpsQepG6cDeBR2BqFOZDJcnpFlc1neeqR481mFWObKDWjqgKV-CXoQTI/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-08-24+at+8.42.40+AM.png" width="318" /></a></div>
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Finding space to store what you do use is super important here...and because the house is 70 years old there isn't a lot of built-in storage. Being creative about it is a pro and a con. If you enjoy the process then it's a pro. Negatively, it can cost money, use a lot of brain power, and take up the husband's energy building shelves and sheds etc. It's best to get rid of more stuff than you think.<br />
<br />
Lastly, it's still about stuff. I thought I got rid of a lot. But I didn't. Almost none of our furniture fit in the new tiny space. But I still brought it with me and now I have to sell it. Our garage is full and so is the new shed we paid over $1000 for....filled with stuff I'm not even using!<br />
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In a small space you have to consider how much you like yourself and your family (or whomever you will be sharing the space with), you will get to know each other much more intimately...so be prepared for the mental things that will happen too.<br />
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<b>Pros of living in a small space;</b><br />
<br />
These are my personal pros, but you could have a totally different view, fyi.<br />
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Pay off debt.<br />
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Lower monthly bills...lower mortgage, lower utilities, less credit card debt.<br />
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Have the ability to afford repairs or renovations, and/or do it yourself because size does matter! <br />
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Become closer and more loving with your kids.<br />
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Much faster chore time...mopping, dishes, tidying, dusting...everything can be done in a few minutes. I have my kids doing most of the laundry now, so it gets done faster too (since I tend to procrastinate about folding and dispersing).<br />
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You will know where everything is. Have a place for everything and you will know where it is, you won't have to dig through closets and drawers or the basement. Think of the time you'll have to sit in the shade and enjoy a coffee!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaupbIYa1UCdEIq1cKvyqlRGbzQalj7C4rT-cZfKav5zA2AUpJO7AvoLKOsgOTs1kK-A9mdPdUCPyOa-a6Ocy3pEmT1OGgrwBpPJbhBnmb24He0mMpg4jkp2gqNLz4O4rkQu854i4Urc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-08-24+at+8.41.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaupbIYa1UCdEIq1cKvyqlRGbzQalj7C4rT-cZfKav5zA2AUpJO7AvoLKOsgOTs1kK-A9mdPdUCPyOa-a6Ocy3pEmT1OGgrwBpPJbhBnmb24He0mMpg4jkp2gqNLz4O4rkQu854i4Urc/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-08-24+at+8.41.52+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
More outside time. We have a 1/2 acre lot, with a beautiful backyard space. This isn't the best place to hang out because of bugs and humidity, but I'm looking forward to some lovely firepit time, and leaf raking.<br />
<br />
<br />
Meet with friends away from home. This equals less prepping for people to come over. I don't have room to have hoards of kids over, or dinner parties! Now we just lock the door and meet up at parks, pools, and other people's homes. <br />
<br />
More cash to do things...we can now afford to take trips, join museums/clubs, do more sports activities, eat out if we choose to. I'm still looking for my little camper to take trips in!!!!<br />
<br />
You also get a chance to communicate more with those you live with. Try not to yell. LOL.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Are you interested in small living?</b><br />
<br />
I'm currently pondering the social backlash of moving to a small house. I wonder if people think we went bankrupt, or if we're having marriage problems...there are a lot of "rich" folks around here...we don't live up to the status quo anymore, will we still be accepted by society? Will we lose some friends we thought we had? Are we looked down upon now because we've chosen a smaller path?<br />
<b> </b><br />
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on tiny living.<br />
<br />
I'm considering a new blog idea...on living small...are you living small or transitioning to living small? Let me know!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-24820400200166908252016-04-20T14:53:00.000-07:002016-04-20T14:53:06.472-07:00Downsizing My American Dream<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-icb91fc5eomQbKJhawi4s_JhrtxeQJcHN7sCh_XyJjOr46ZTi7sl39eme0MBl9kjcD35F_f4P4o7r541xzEa7RoLo_uI5NRHvhJNbwSEaYHQ1BbSKqxaxk9-1EUPp6uQCNTjqVp6I6Q/s1600/americandream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-icb91fc5eomQbKJhawi4s_JhrtxeQJcHN7sCh_XyJjOr46ZTi7sl39eme0MBl9kjcD35F_f4P4o7r541xzEa7RoLo_uI5NRHvhJNbwSEaYHQ1BbSKqxaxk9-1EUPp6uQCNTjqVp6I6Q/s400/americandream.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIwW1OnbFmYHmb3GbZqKMbQTfjJTHmHjV6rAuwW7NDgk-HxkGnCv_Bf8HGq2J7lZ7ksVp2NBjldyu25BSsj6B0cULe_gj1l96JFmghwxbs8290CXPgdZgZw-G1jRY6yabaNDxBD1Hecc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-04-20+at+4.46.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIwW1OnbFmYHmb3GbZqKMbQTfjJTHmHjV6rAuwW7NDgk-HxkGnCv_Bf8HGq2J7lZ7ksVp2NBjldyu25BSsj6B0cULe_gj1l96JFmghwxbs8290CXPgdZgZw-G1jRY6yabaNDxBD1Hecc/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-04-20+at+4.46.08+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://scottcottonphotography.pixieset.com/2651sbelviewave/?pid=473931395&id=24&h=MTg4Mzc2MDk0Nw" target="_blank">Scott Cotton</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
So we finally did it. We bought a "small" house...almost a tiny house. It's tiny compared to what we have been living in the past seven years, and there are limited closets, no storage, no attic or basement storage, and a detached single car garage.<br />
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<b>Does that sound like the American Dream to you?</b><br />
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If it doesn't, let me tell you why it's mine.<br />
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We have one income and a large mortgage. This means we have less cash at the end of the month to have fun with. So that means we've been using our credit cards to buy things we really <i>want.</i> Our income covers the things we <i>need</i> like groceries, insurance, gas, clothes etc. If you boil it down, our lifestyle choices have brought us under, not built us up...we don't have money to retire on, no 401K, no pension.<br />
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We've been living in a big house, with a big yard, in a nice upscale neighborhood and enjoying it. Although, hanging over our heads has always been the fact that we can't afford to take care of the big house properly, and we are always worried it will fall into disrepair and then we wouldn't be able to sell it.<br />
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You have heard and seen how the tiny house movement is surging...well, I don't want to live in a real tiny house...I would lose my mind in 200 square feet.... But that lifestyle is appealing because you can get out of debt and find yourself.<br />
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Then, after going on a trip and traveling light (one suitcase for two weeks), I came home to this huge mountain of laundry, and a huge house to clean, and it struck me that I didn't like how I was living. I was feeling cluttered and uncreative, stressed about bills, and considering going back to work.<br />
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As a stay at home mom of three daughters, a homeschooler, a crafter, a home decorator, a chef, a go-fer and many other hat wearer, it was pretty daunting considering giving away my time again to the Man. So I started hatching a dream. Then I told my husband about it.<br />
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<b>Living smaller in a big world</b><br />
<br />
My kids love their separate bedrooms and all their toys, and they love running through the house screaming and dancing. So why would I want to give that up and be free?<br />
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I want my darling kiddos to learn more than consumerism and the want of more and bigger and better. I want them to have a more experiential life, the one I dreamed of giving them before they were born.<br />
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I love having an entire room dedicated to my craft/business. I love my newly remodeled kitchen and bathrooms...<br />
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I don't love my 80+ year old neighbors who don't like kids running on their lawns. I don't love rules and regs of how it's all supposed to be done. I guess I'm a rebel. Well, yeah.<br />
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It's a funny story, but two years ago I drove by this adorable "english" looking cottage and even toured the inside. So small!!! I thought. Then it came up for sale and I told my husband lets sell this house!!! I didn't think much more about the cottage because of the lack of space. But then I kept imagining the green space and how close to the park it was, and how low the price was...it would cut our current mortgage in HALF!!!<br />
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Okay, so you want to hear the rest of the story? Stay tuned.<br />
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I'm going to spill the beans on how much money we have now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-29260526180707625582016-01-15T07:16:00.001-08:002016-01-15T07:18:31.324-08:00Things To Do Instead of Blogging - Here's Your Free Pass<div style="text-align: center;">
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I tried. </div>
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I really did.</div>
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I wanted to be a good blogger and post for ya'll every day in January. </div>
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Didn't happen did it. </div>
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It's the 15th and I got to about 50%. So I apologize for not accomplishing my goal and I hope it hasn't let you down too much. We can always discuss later right?</div>
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Today I'm making a list of all the things I did instead of blogging...does your mind work this way too? Here's what I've been doing:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJI-WaocpalfmgR6phnkXLlob3lOOJnNP7FqUT5t3xaySO2szOMdMu1PEUARAvEXbF8-YvnniRrov36zJGPO2TOUGFHRf60eZxKtW_JPlUkceluReJGA4JZ8mmIGgIGRCKNc4U7WgIOE/s1600/tiling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJI-WaocpalfmgR6phnkXLlob3lOOJnNP7FqUT5t3xaySO2szOMdMu1PEUARAvEXbF8-YvnniRrov36zJGPO2TOUGFHRf60eZxKtW_JPlUkceluReJGA4JZ8mmIGgIGRCKNc4U7WgIOE/s320/tiling.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Tiling my kitchen</li>
<li>Dealing with a case of head lice and all it entails (see below)</li>
<li>Major housework</li>
<li>Major laundry</li>
<li>Major everything</li>
<li>Teaching my kids (homeschoolers)</li>
<li>Teaching other people's kids (homeschool classes)</li>
<li>Making ribbons for my Etsy shop</li>
<li>Celebrating my daughter's 25th birthday (baking)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lk3tR6j6AqOcZIGjOKRjKg4kxv80nAmu9CRhLwOtX5dmlfF38nzr4UHz2CrjURip2QQQ_yw9igZwGlTd15TIXW-tFLlk3XSC5XCWbOoyJDeIy2P8NWBtHXenupYixRcOWr5Xnim2bLo/s1600/birthdays.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Lk3tR6j6AqOcZIGjOKRjKg4kxv80nAmu9CRhLwOtX5dmlfF38nzr4UHz2CrjURip2QQQ_yw9igZwGlTd15TIXW-tFLlk3XSC5XCWbOoyJDeIy2P8NWBtHXenupYixRcOWr5Xnim2bLo/s320/birthdays.png" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Helping my mom move house</li>
<li>Organizing things</li>
<li>Moving furniture/redecorating </li>
<li>Beginning prep for moving</li>
<li>Searching for a new home</li>
<li>Shopping and cooking dinner every night</li>
<li>Dealing with food allergies </li>
<li>Letting dogs in and out every hour (old dog)</li>
<li>Binge-watching The Walking Dead and Hell on Wheels while not sleeping</li>
<li>More cleaning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM6TP2k6D9_RHhrWTL0Dfro1NPleumicepZM5ufMkAygg9Pofq08GqZ7ZRK_LdTFpD1WFUlsW2bPXAts-IjHi0u7vjLiOv019z54BnbCVqxephOeF0XVVnZElJYAFInbgvl4tIS-8fTA/s1600/bathroom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM6TP2k6D9_RHhrWTL0Dfro1NPleumicepZM5ufMkAygg9Pofq08GqZ7ZRK_LdTFpD1WFUlsW2bPXAts-IjHi0u7vjLiOv019z54BnbCVqxephOeF0XVVnZElJYAFInbgvl4tIS-8fTA/s400/bathroom.png" width="395" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Cleaning out the garage so we can park in there before it snows</li>
<li>Taking furniture and other items to sell to my flea market booth</li>
<li>Researching and planning for the Pinterest class I co-teach</li>
<li>Breathing, eating, a little sleeping</li>
</ul>
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What have you been doing the past two weeks? Don't envy me...the other half of the time I'm dealing with winter blues...yes, I'm complaining. This So Cal gal does not like winter and lack of sunlight. Anyway!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQp4o0rcAoIeKcR9BCULQTgDEbVGGNKyhi86fIcqXAw_O1DxAzzVd2vG-cOMtp11PFXSY_Ql-_8LYVMwoI-idyCdc62sMQlWF6uzBLO9yV14zeDwx3rbrd1PnaQG8awNwHh5yc_2j0KU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-15+at+9.15.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQp4o0rcAoIeKcR9BCULQTgDEbVGGNKyhi86fIcqXAw_O1DxAzzVd2vG-cOMtp11PFXSY_Ql-_8LYVMwoI-idyCdc62sMQlWF6uzBLO9yV14zeDwx3rbrd1PnaQG8awNwHh5yc_2j0KU/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-15+at+9.15.34+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just wanted to give you a FREE PASS if you haven't been blogging so far in 2016. </div>
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It's okay. </div>
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In the grand scheme of things, blogging will be there when you get back.</div>
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Hope the rest of your month is awesome! </div>
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(Like a trip to Florida or something!)</div>
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Hugs! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-50868451447664085302016-01-06T16:16:00.001-08:002016-01-07T06:24:32.040-08:00Day Six - Creating Blog Post Images To Use on Pinterest and Instagram<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqeHIEwj95Nw2wQJXlmioF8j2w6k36wXfhOP-iV5h5rsvRKC5cqBvCtxjud3DJGlrZneT-Z1v_LvfkXpmQIkcEE8dOPc0aO7ddCH9BGnvXBBy-P9VWJQqtwkdwFiSzw7a7Mr-wOUteno/s1600/creatingimages.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tutorial on how to use Picmonkey to make great post images for your blog" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqeHIEwj95Nw2wQJXlmioF8j2w6k36wXfhOP-iV5h5rsvRKC5cqBvCtxjud3DJGlrZneT-Z1v_LvfkXpmQIkcEE8dOPc0aO7ddCH9BGnvXBBy-P9VWJQqtwkdwFiSzw7a7Mr-wOUteno/s640/creatingimages.png" title="" width="426" /></a></div>
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When it comes to images on a blog - size matters! If you don't have the correctly sized image then it won't look perfect in its placement. This is one area where you can be perfect and look very professional.<br />
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We have a great tutorial to create buttons for yourself...read it and see if you get some inspiration. If you need tips on sizing your images check the list below.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.blogguidebook.com/2013/05/how-to-make-button-for-your-blog-part.html" target="_blank">HOW TO MAKE A BUTTON FOR YOUR BLOG</a></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogguidebook.com/2013/05/how-to-make-button-for-your-blog-part.html" target="_blank"><img alt="How to make a button for your blog - tutorial from The Blog Guidebook" border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMYYOSpUxcdQ9USAgXTsWWs1lyMxLqNvhu0D5WmQrdTAxlhuxXZprSn_MYSm6Yrx0ExdpGWclm2fRX39YYN77WTEUdpu1Vus3GaZJRDx6Tp4Q1SZDBinuKjanFA40RieBt8DEE8OJgw8/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-06+at+6.17.15+PM.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>You can use this tutorial to make great blog post images that help a reader to click on your image faster, hence getting them to your blog faster.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Instagram - 1080 x 1080 pixels</li>
<li>Pinterest - 735 x 1102 pixels</li>
<li>Facebook - 1200 x 628 </li>
<li>Twitter - 1024 x 512</li>
</ul>
In experimenting with the fastest, easiest way to create images we
know will work well in most social media feeds, we came across a couple of
image sizes that work well: one size for horizontal (landscape)
images and one for vertical (portrait) images.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Horizontal (landscape) – 1,024 x 512</b></li>
<li><b>Vertical (portrait) – 800 x 1,200</b></li>
</ul>
Changing Image Size - if you don't have access to Photoshop then I suggest PicMonkey (again), sorry for the repeat! Upload your image, make any changes and then save at the pixel size you require. If you're starting from scratch on PicMonkey, you can choose a custom image and start with the size you want it to be, then add your image and graphics to that space.<br />
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We've also written about how ALT tags can enhance your images being found in a web search. You can do that from Blogger...and it's easy peasy.<br />
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After you'd uploaded an image it is easy to add a link to that image, but you should ALT text too...click on the just added image, and a bar of choices will pop up. You've seen them before. Click on Properties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lkvnvt6Qv_p3Cc01pXC-IbyScdA60bZEN5LhFeiH-tG9UayDxPLTZOE8LGXVmg_VXJTdQ7OVKPzFxoyfC-IUH8RHp7pbffVHMeKnDk_XZGeMEsxfRw773E_Hy8GKTxkxj5MHDkZ59BM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-06+at+5.56.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lkvnvt6Qv_p3Cc01pXC-IbyScdA60bZEN5LhFeiH-tG9UayDxPLTZOE8LGXVmg_VXJTdQ7OVKPzFxoyfC-IUH8RHp7pbffVHMeKnDk_XZGeMEsxfRw773E_Hy8GKTxkxj5MHDkZ59BM/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-06+at+5.56.15+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then the box below will pop up and you will type your description in the Alt Text box, then click OK. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh77J3WUu_1Rd2CAy7y54HGhjmvdUgqIKIcEr_v275UxBQUBSeV-hwoRp6A9YJm5XH6Ve2EvL-cZIWV8KjRCo9tdfXjbqlk2y2Du1LIUY0bgDK0hPTWZC_mFdUR72951Yq4ZSQPwju_1k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-06+at+5.56.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh77J3WUu_1Rd2CAy7y54HGhjmvdUgqIKIcEr_v275UxBQUBSeV-hwoRp6A9YJm5XH6Ve2EvL-cZIWV8KjRCo9tdfXjbqlk2y2Du1LIUY0bgDK0hPTWZC_mFdUR72951Yq4ZSQPwju_1k/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-01-06+at+5.56.25+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Usually in the ALT TEXT box I use a good description and where the photo can be found...something like: "Useful Guidelines To Blogging at The Blog Guidebook". Etc.<br />
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<b>Cropping Your Image - </b><br />
PicMonkey allows you to crop your image pretty much a click away from when you uploaded it.<br />
You can also change image size via HTML in the sidebar if you're using Firefox as your browser. After you've uploaded your image, click Edit HTML and you can drag the image larger or smaller. It's a great trick, but it doesn't work in Chrome (or others).<br />
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<b>I know I've thrown this at you very quickly...but you can do it. Don't be afraid to move things around a bit and try new sizes, fonts, colors etc. You can always put it back the way it was. </b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-3229795737666792872016-01-05T12:11:00.002-08:002016-01-05T12:13:11.273-08:00Day Five - Discovering That It's All About the Font<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm_gGcKXCmgWRD3Y_vMSw1MBnM4J0wQ7V8BpeQXl3szVzrMipsuMIxCXfclGRHGbF6kHjFZqjSy5sTGybrdbF2R8wacpSZL_S7fMOFIyU5zgUjYZQJoxc2KCpqkRaakqtbhvG7iHfpP4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-05+at+1.58.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm_gGcKXCmgWRD3Y_vMSw1MBnM4J0wQ7V8BpeQXl3szVzrMipsuMIxCXfclGRHGbF6kHjFZqjSy5sTGybrdbF2R8wacpSZL_S7fMOFIyU5zgUjYZQJoxc2KCpqkRaakqtbhvG7iHfpP4/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-05+at+1.58.22+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Do you have a favorite font? Are you a font junkie? Have you just discovered the luscious world of fonts and want to know how to get some of your own? As a graphic designer it is easy to create a collection of lovely fonts that can create movement, branding, and imagery...but when you're just starting out, well, the font world can be overwhelming.</div>
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Let's dip a few toes in to the pool of letters and type...FONTS!<br />
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A font can make your brand recognizable. It can make it bold, happy, friendly, and memorable.<br />
Think about the <a href="http://www.dafont.com/star-jedi.font" target="_blank">Star Wars font</a>...if you change it does it look as good? Do you think you would remember it? It really is a font too...you can download it for free. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4_EF4qPLEKI1T9E49Iw1wa-VU0bRNvoYntsTA20VEDz_Hasp1_YWGV372pHbz1k6STu6kexQwwZByYE3N4IuUWNo1C0yGw71H9Xq09sL3amRHPwLUxAu1OZptR94-EUByCrHkXgMz5k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-05+at+1.49.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4_EF4qPLEKI1T9E49Iw1wa-VU0bRNvoYntsTA20VEDz_Hasp1_YWGV372pHbz1k6STu6kexQwwZByYE3N4IuUWNo1C0yGw71H9Xq09sL3amRHPwLUxAu1OZptR94-EUByCrHkXgMz5k/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-05+at+1.49.51+PM.png" width="606" /></a></div>
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Fonts are so interesting...and so are the people that create them. If you want to know more about the history of fonts, you might want to read<a href="http://ilovetypography.com/tag/type-history/" target="_blank"> I Love Typography.</a><br />
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Okay, now you are a font buff, grab a pencil and jot down some ideas on how you can use fonts to customize your blog, your blog name, or just play with fonts. <br />
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Here are a few of the BEST FREE (or almost free) font sites:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.fontsquirrel.com/" target="_blank">Font Squirrel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dafont.com/" target="_blank">Dafont </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.fontspace.com/" target="_blank">fontspace</a></li>
</ul>
Check out <a href="http://www.fontsquirrel.com/resources/getting-started" target="_blank">Font Squirrel's free user guide</a> on how to use free fonts. <br />
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Creating your own font: <a href="http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/how-to-get-your-handwriting-as-a-font/" target="_blank">Turn your handwriting into a font </a><br />
or check out this article on <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/nicolenguyen/how-you-do-dat#.jjLr0Do9b" target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a><br />
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And speaking of Star Wars I thought this little poster was super cute, created by illustrator Vincent Rondia! <br />
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<img alt="http://i.vincentrondia.com/" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rVMZBSXo8bRsunpmB4_hR54jJeemqcL3LrevjTHTEzSs-JqgZ6J1FoP83Ms5fdJLo22soJhQzXw9hoBkhCEGWOQt9UqXbyxP2Bqcn8yF2utyKwIfmNlEDzhLhnl2Iw-AB4mO5zHImfc/s640/swfontlarge.png" width="458" /></div>
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If you love fonts you will also love ELEMENTS...check out our short series:</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.blogguidebook.com/search/label/BGB%20I%20Love%20Elements" target="_blank"> I LOVE ELEMENTS</a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-47030561214099870522016-01-04T16:33:00.002-08:002016-01-05T09:44:25.868-08:00Day Four - Scanning a Hand Made Image to Use On Your Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif09vQJJ12l0-H7uG_ANgmvZqxD50sikzr9Bq2oUmYYjlgo-lZiLbdzmzflP3Cm9EkztQLaYG2t76j14OdeiyxOpir-8830R0UJAPjF-Mbp8c2UkUagODyCL7nY8Kd8yWB1FUu_udei5g/s1600/handmadeImage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif09vQJJ12l0-H7uG_ANgmvZqxD50sikzr9Bq2oUmYYjlgo-lZiLbdzmzflP3Cm9EkztQLaYG2t76j14OdeiyxOpir-8830R0UJAPjF-Mbp8c2UkUagODyCL7nY8Kd8yWB1FUu_udei5g/s400/handmadeImage.png" width="291" /></a></div>
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Blogging is a technical thing nowadays, but adding a hand drawn, personalized image somewhere on your site makes it feel less formal, less techie, less cold...makes it more inviting and a little bit friendlier...from my perspective. If your blog is all about business then you may not want to be that friendly, it's up to you. But you can use this method to add a myriad of other images to your blog also, such as collages, textures, children's art, items from nature etc.<br />
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When I say scan what do you think of? I always think of a very flat perfect item, like a photo. But scanning doesn't have to be just a flat scan done by your scanner/printer. It can also be a photograph, which you then use like a scan.<br />
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For instance, I painted a large poster size zebra from my daughter's birthday a few years ago, and everyone loved it. It was huge, so there was no way I could scan something so big. So I found a bright place (outside is good) with no shadows and took some close up photos at a high resolution setting.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">What is high resolution?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span class="_Tgc"><b>Resolution</b>—measured in pixels per inch
(ppi)—is the term used to represent this density. Two common resolutions
you'll hear are 72 ppi and 300 ppi. 72 ppi is considered “low-<b>res</b>” and 300 ppi is considered the minimum for “<b>high</b>-<b>res</b>.” A 4”x4” image at 72 ppi has 1,152 pixels in it (16 square inches x 72 pixels).</span></span><span class="_D8e"></span> <br />
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Can I use my phone to take pictures? Yes! That's what I wanted you to see here. You don't even need to scan anything...you can use the photo as your main image.<br />
Below is my original image taken with my iPhone. I then emailed the photo to myself and uploaded it to PicMonkey and Photoshop Elements.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNSPs45HC3pWqXW8o9kN0svaSHhqRjJ_mada521Qog-ZUISmMn-h5AqiY9RhcAahqYconfOd4ywlD9HnseuMsEft54fZd_ulvxdXxMpF7_xdjPbwQMECs1uPByTyQTjT38BFp7JBrvsQ/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNSPs45HC3pWqXW8o9kN0svaSHhqRjJ_mada521Qog-ZUISmMn-h5AqiY9RhcAahqYconfOd4ywlD9HnseuMsEft54fZd_ulvxdXxMpF7_xdjPbwQMECs1uPByTyQTjT38BFp7JBrvsQ/s1600/photo+1-1.JPG" /></a></div>
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In PicMonkey I added more saturation and cropped the image slightly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uY-PXQA3aOaYHDCBUFMurK5C9-Ti15dFyOQsKSAs2w6D-4ilkHgeQryLH1dfoi_Tli1B1omKGnm3oZL5jgp5cPSldFsX8RSWslihyphenhyphenJnjHM_tUl4TQE82p_ARf0HZUe-eZQoqOZWhmFk/s1600/plantpot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uY-PXQA3aOaYHDCBUFMurK5C9-Ti15dFyOQsKSAs2w6D-4ilkHgeQryLH1dfoi_Tli1B1omKGnm3oZL5jgp5cPSldFsX8RSWslihyphenhyphenJnjHM_tUl4TQE82p_ARf0HZUe-eZQoqOZWhmFk/s1600/plantpot.png" /> </a></div>
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Then in Elements I used the erase tool to start eliminating the background of the plant.</div>
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You can see some of the gray bits that still need to be erased, but it takes a while to do it.</div>
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PicMonkey doesn't have the capability to do this (as far as I know), so if you use a very white background that could still work well for this purpose. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFtSbOVGtE_Iulj7lz6w3_pceF2RxHH8RAonxLZ4RRojtaE5L-UoswpYB3buXuSL_b83JqHxkVWQhNRn4Q2r7JqbczaIUyNSb_dvWFFj6dkQisyCUKiX8F8VsCsCnWWSxiwjyPCDAkmY/s1600/plantpot+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFtSbOVGtE_Iulj7lz6w3_pceF2RxHH8RAonxLZ4RRojtaE5L-UoswpYB3buXuSL_b83JqHxkVWQhNRn4Q2r7JqbczaIUyNSb_dvWFFj6dkQisyCUKiX8F8VsCsCnWWSxiwjyPCDAkmY/s400/plantpot+copy.png" width="293" /> </a></div>
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The image below got erased a little bit too much, as some of the pot is disappearing... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDikqqhcQjY5-YTob2KKxf8z34jnEBt2OSzgyng2irEHgBYS9Gt1reAywX8aU6bq4H1r8TkwQmf_37-IHl4pu2ZBdm5gd3j2_9UFaFWdDetnZNEnG6Dn7QzqvxraKZNODCqDUNRzrSVU/s1600/plantpot3+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDikqqhcQjY5-YTob2KKxf8z34jnEBt2OSzgyng2irEHgBYS9Gt1reAywX8aU6bq4H1r8TkwQmf_37-IHl4pu2ZBdm5gd3j2_9UFaFWdDetnZNEnG6Dn7QzqvxraKZNODCqDUNRzrSVU/s1600/plantpot3+copy.png" /></a></div>
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Finally, in the image below I added some text and made a faux banner...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28RStWrdStkCUzuqCCVCo05YdtMheKNE62t5oSmFvxu1PjPxwfYvDXbTD7IyEkdPVqzrQ-Y5GhjcbOw7LgVB-AGEsL8KgjbR94pthJYHnbjZYYde-Jq5yD5bZQURuksujZup4Hvgm0SM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-04+at+6.14.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28RStWrdStkCUzuqCCVCo05YdtMheKNE62t5oSmFvxu1PjPxwfYvDXbTD7IyEkdPVqzrQ-Y5GhjcbOw7LgVB-AGEsL8KgjbR94pthJYHnbjZYYde-Jq5yD5bZQURuksujZup4Hvgm0SM/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-04+at+6.14.12+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Banner size - if you know the width of your blog you can use that size, I usually choose something between 900 and 1200. For the height, don't go over 350 pixels unless you're wanting quite a tall banner.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogguidebook.com/2012/08/how-to-make-header-for-your-blogger.html" target="_blank">Make a banner using PicMonkey</a><br />
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Sidebar size - Here again you would choose the size that you have set on your blog. Most blogs are somewhere between 150 and 300 pixels.<br />
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I didn't get into a lot of details here with these tips, if you need more help please let me know. Just remember you can use many different free programs to create images for your blog. I also have a lot of fun shopping for graphics on Etsy...they are very affordable!<br />
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Here's a great article I found with tips on creating a banner from <a href="http://www.thewonderforest.com/2013/09/how-to-create-blog-header-that-looks.html" target="_blank">Dana at The Wonder Forest.</a><br />
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Don't forget to share your images on Instagram with the hashtag #blogalong...I want to see what ya'll are up to! And of course, you can share this Blog Along Challenge everywhere, by adding to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter etc. But only if you want to. Thanks! Chat with you tomorrow on Day Five!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-35899944463371002352016-01-03T08:00:00.001-08:002016-01-04T05:53:05.208-08:00Day Two & Day Three - Blog Along With Me - Editing Photos & Adding Text<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=644890&amp;u=659091&amp;m=46133&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank"><img alt="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=644890&amp;u=659091&amp;m=46133&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QDfgWnHi6uJfkPZ9TRgXOYk7fto-nJMfTOihy4t0ahD-r2DMo_9wzYHZRHHIrk_Y6RxN6hkXXTlZHWuie2yfgdWw4y3sl1Th40dPKgkE3qDtlibFfQ-JuYjpR4fu2q6FTXx5Js1X6Ss/s1600/letthemblog.png" /></a></div>
Okay, this is fun people! You can use my favorite photo editing site for FREE and create some fun graphics for your blog...<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=644890&amp;u=659091&amp;m=46133&amp;urllink=&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank">PICMONKEY</a> wins every time...but feel free to use your favorite, of course!<br />
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Did you take some pictures for your blog the other day? Good. Make sure they are uploaded to your computer, and put them in an easy to find place, like your desktop...or a special folder.<br />
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Now open Picmonkey in your browser. You can only edit one thing at a time, but you can open multiple tabs in your browser if you want to have several photos going at a time.<br />
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There are some very basic steps that I've left out of this tutorial...if you need to know more, please email me or leave me a comment.<br />
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Upload your photo and then decide what shape you want the pic to be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JsIVzJ0jBfcr15Hsn2oRYOnLirvu-FVut-F8p7q6kLViAZNk9CtMaWYOOAkgsz8EO5qpEkNu7a3mb1Iq7Sah4KsjJ6MLekagSz-w-Gu5AiLokWFs3fk2sFDkQ-lU6gGgJybnxgpeDVU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.32.32+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JsIVzJ0jBfcr15Hsn2oRYOnLirvu-FVut-F8p7q6kLViAZNk9CtMaWYOOAkgsz8EO5qpEkNu7a3mb1Iq7Sah4KsjJ6MLekagSz-w-Gu5AiLokWFs3fk2sFDkQ-lU6gGgJybnxgpeDVU/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.32.32+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Click on the frame icon on the left and this will give you a choice of frames/shapes...I chose a circle. You can then size and move the circle around on your photo until you find exactly the right spot. Then click Apply. Make sure you leave your background transparent if you want it to be white when you add to your blog.<br />
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Next:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveZfVjQxaaEEtGk79IEVuejpU2j_OBhUZdqebgXtZu9JV3ewpyl5Mp8F9SRrWCozTFnQZXitsbqM6iSVc6_X6AAYIQlRXQ4VuVc3cFAWzbkbh1mUNSWyzDNb4Jk_QCcn6-WfUZ4LDIXI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.34.19+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjveZfVjQxaaEEtGk79IEVuejpU2j_OBhUZdqebgXtZu9JV3ewpyl5Mp8F9SRrWCozTFnQZXitsbqM6iSVc6_X6AAYIQlRXQ4VuVc3cFAWzbkbh1mUNSWyzDNb4Jk_QCcn6-WfUZ4LDIXI/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.34.19+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
I decided to add a speech bubble, they come in many shapes...I decided to go with an aqua color that you can choose from in the pop up on the right...Speech bubbles and other cute graphics are all kept in the OVERLAY tab that you can find by clicking on the butterfly in the left column. Choose and size your speech bubble, I also faded mine slightly so the photo shows through.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77bjrCZEc1JNPWsbt8s27ta01ArN5aoDCJQth044OHmjkRTYRU01AfpCZTi8izkdbGi8b1noJw4EDic5YaGH7dJO5Yg3eAuesfDFsGdKl9V70D_hBnRaDQ1HBe1yFHk9c2qKaaw5Bdhk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.36.13+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77bjrCZEc1JNPWsbt8s27ta01ArN5aoDCJQth044OHmjkRTYRU01AfpCZTi8izkdbGi8b1noJw4EDic5YaGH7dJO5Yg3eAuesfDFsGdKl9V70D_hBnRaDQ1HBe1yFHk9c2qKaaw5Bdhk/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.36.13+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
Now let's add text to our creation. Click the Tt symbol in the left column, and this will take you to their font choices, I clicked on YOURS which allows you to use the fonts that you have on your computer...you can jump back and forth between these options easily. So click on the font you want and then click Add Text. A box will appear, click in the box and type in what you want it to say. You can also easily change the size of the font in the right have Text box...plus change font colors etc. Drag the text to where you want to place it. If you are completely thrilled about what you just created, look at the top of your screen area and click on the SAVE option, this will take you to the next page.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRjA5_V1pOg-lkYQb9oS_xZeWgXoSvmhwXiQTjso0TZP0MGG9WXBVZB2Zh9o0SgYrGLZs0AkjcmR4Nm8_2r_QNxTfT0dNT2z-ShQtgEbPUHc8O9nOKAw-U3Y8MNfR5ihoJzehUXEr9eM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.36.57+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRjA5_V1pOg-lkYQb9oS_xZeWgXoSvmhwXiQTjso0TZP0MGG9WXBVZB2Zh9o0SgYrGLZs0AkjcmR4Nm8_2r_QNxTfT0dNT2z-ShQtgEbPUHc8O9nOKAw-U3Y8MNfR5ihoJzehUXEr9eM/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-01-03+at+9.36.57+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
I like to save my images as PNG files...this will keep the background transparent when you upload to your blog.<br />
You can see from the above image that I chose a name for my file and the .png tab. This page also shows you the dimensions of your image and the file size. Always good to know.<br />
Click Save to My Computer and follow through to save to your desktop location.<br />
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You are now ready to add your saved image(s) anywhere to your blog.<br />
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Now grab your sketch pad and start doodling for a fun new banner...what are you good at? Can you draw, paint, quilt etc? Use those mediums in your sketch. On Day 4 we will chat more about how to add hand drawn art to your blog for a more personalized look.<br />
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Coming up in our 2nd week: editing more photos and how to use on your blog and Pinterest!<br />
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<a href="http://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=644890&u=659091&m=46133&urllink=&afftrack=" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://static.shareasale.com/image/46133/728x90v1.jpg" height="78" width="640" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-51575964843824924282016-01-01T08:25:00.002-08:002016-01-01T08:33:02.546-08:00Day One - Taking An About Me Selfie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJheFOysDXJC7Z0wn0N8SS-AAIzxF2sTtmnyOJ84SI948N4cEysLYZyzTz3IZmx5WZVO2PvO-vI4QctKHkKlJ3WqCOBK8eRed9HfXQmiLeHuESQdi_9eINSIXxRItCzeGlJaVwnnrC1bA/s1600/DayOne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tutorials in the month of January to perk up your blog/writing in 2016 at the Blog Guidebook" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJheFOysDXJC7Z0wn0N8SS-AAIzxF2sTtmnyOJ84SI948N4cEysLYZyzTz3IZmx5WZVO2PvO-vI4QctKHkKlJ3WqCOBK8eRed9HfXQmiLeHuESQdi_9eINSIXxRItCzeGlJaVwnnrC1bA/s640/DayOne.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know it's the day after and you probably partied until at least 10:30pm...I know I did...but don't you think your blog needs a little face lift? Luckily you don't need to spend anything on this face lift...you can use your phone's camera or your new DSLR camera you got for Christmas. (If you did get a new camera, check out the link in my sidebar that will take you to some awesome classes that are super affordable and you'll be taking amazing pics in no time!)<br />
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Oh, and I want to remind you about one more thing, in case I forget. Do you have a "copyright" notice on your blog? Don't forget to update the date...it's 2016!!!!<br />
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Okay, so here's how to take a pretty picture...<br />
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Smile.<br />
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Think amazing thoughts.<br />
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Find your "good side". Yes, we all have one...or two.<br />
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Wear something that goes well with your blog design...I prefer aqua and pretty colors like hot pinks and yellows.<br />
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Maybe put on a bit of makeup but don't think about it too much. Makeup can make you look older, or more tired etc...<br />
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Lighting is super important. Famous actresses always requested a certain kind of lighting to make them look wonderful on screen...you should too... I prefer a filtered sunlight...not so all my pores show, but a light that gives me a healthy glow. You can also add a bit of a glow in a photo editing software or on IG.<br />
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Use a different angle. Did you know you can use a different photo every day on your blog? Or just change it with the seasons. Don't take a full face shot...maybe just your eyes and nose....half of your face, or maybe looking over your shoulder at the camera...create visual interest.<br />
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Remember you don't have to have a photo of YOU on your blog...but something representational would be perfect. This morning because the sun is shining in I have decided to do a little desk montage for the month of January...and I will change it at some point before February. Here are a few of my shots (I used my iPhone and my Samsung tablet to take these, and they are not edited - that's tomorrow!):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrydDGUeqTOXQmStj0-egmoWB2X5gM3LvCEOe-8EMzcKE_JQoyNl_16T8fOoDLppUelnO3PJ7ifd2V9V9EEKf8eMgc7y8y5MCiBh8VlW6tPMS3Cip6k5RZg1MtW7gHkejU-wdqv366mo/s1600/20160101_094742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmrydDGUeqTOXQmStj0-egmoWB2X5gM3LvCEOe-8EMzcKE_JQoyNl_16T8fOoDLppUelnO3PJ7ifd2V9V9EEKf8eMgc7y8y5MCiBh8VlW6tPMS3Cip6k5RZg1MtW7gHkejU-wdqv366mo/s640/20160101_094742.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9OvTsP_1oB13TLHj82WPfu3b-h6tXylDV0WSOnkkHR-5U_1aMqf1jBbztvRmfbkMFY9GMaWZdR9K0eNdCx-jCzgCGPZqiuf5yKsjTW8IUH7vW4e4rURuBZE5yDDHQHmgYo_uk7qOh4M/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9OvTsP_1oB13TLHj82WPfu3b-h6tXylDV0WSOnkkHR-5U_1aMqf1jBbztvRmfbkMFY9GMaWZdR9K0eNdCx-jCzgCGPZqiuf5yKsjTW8IUH7vW4e4rURuBZE5yDDHQHmgYo_uk7qOh4M/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jC6riWGmh42iKNBvwEC7Pa6b4V3JlMuzVyWfgeYqto8iWT8ZzdkukHMecUum8MQ65gP6DyMeaoQSc9hSczyOznhHyBjjTfPSs7DT6d9gQbnMw3g_OMwO7VCNHwGQBAJi9ECKLO9my-Y/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jC6riWGmh42iKNBvwEC7Pa6b4V3JlMuzVyWfgeYqto8iWT8ZzdkukHMecUum8MQ65gP6DyMeaoQSc9hSczyOznhHyBjjTfPSs7DT6d9gQbnMw3g_OMwO7VCNHwGQBAJi9ECKLO9my-Y/s640/photo+4.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Here's what I plan on doing the rest of the day: I want to add myself to my posts...so I'm going to try different facial expressions looking in different directions, as if I'm looking at the actual text. I have no idea if it will work...but I've wanted to try it for a long time now.<br />
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Tomorrow we are going to use a photo editing program to play around with our photos we took today. So when you are done shooting yourself, (not like that!), make sure and upload your pics to the computer so they are ready for tomorrow.<br />
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See ya then!<br />
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P.S. If you want to read my ebook from a few years ago...here's the link to the<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">FREE <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2wUPFoykAF9dF84QkV4ZlFIZUk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Study Guide</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-8743085927011440642015-12-29T10:04:00.000-08:002016-01-01T14:08:01.785-08:00Blogging Inspiration Play Along With Me - Week One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqkUzWv5-JN2rsjQhND67QZm3i9m5FrJ3dTNk1dR4ILoAhrlXpjFCp2fJVJGzcGqy0DfuvGo2IUw8b0oGwGemCyEw2WPSjhb6iE-iiUIfi9KUiQBCYldfaZAOPMULrMEijNWhiNFJqYQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-29+at+12.00.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqkUzWv5-JN2rsjQhND67QZm3i9m5FrJ3dTNk1dR4ILoAhrlXpjFCp2fJVJGzcGqy0DfuvGo2IUw8b0oGwGemCyEw2WPSjhb6iE-iiUIfi9KUiQBCYldfaZAOPMULrMEijNWhiNFJqYQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-29+at+12.00.20+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Brush off the cobwebs! Shake off the dust!! Stretch those fingers to the sky!!!!<br />
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Let's play a game and make our blogs even better in January!<br />
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Follow along with me every day in January and use the IG hashtag #<strike>BLOGGAMES</strike> #BLOGALONG to follow everyone's progress...just do what I do in your own creative way! I will post information, maybe a video or two, and links to how I am doing each task. Let me know you're playing along by following me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahadab/" target="_blank">@sarahadab</a><br />
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Day 1 - Photograph yourself for your blog ABOUT ME page (or use your New Year's Eve pic!)<br />
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Day 2 - Using a photo editing program add text to your photo and upload to your blog<br />
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Day 3 - Sketch out some ideas on paper for a new banner/header for your blog, add color watercolor markers<br />
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Day 4 - Scan your completed banner and upload to your editing software, edit out blemishes and add any font/text to make it pop<br />
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Day 5 - Check out the latest fonts from dafont.com or your favorite font warehouse, brainstorm on how you might add them to your blog in a creative way<br />
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Day 6 - Using PicMonkey.com practice creating images to use for your post ideas...make them the size that is perfect for Pinterest or Instagram<br />
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Day 7 - Brainstorm a list of post ideas to use throughout the year...for inspirational links come back here on January 7th<br />
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(I look forward to working with you on this fun inspirational project for January 2016)!<br />
Take a few minutes to read my <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2wUPFoykAF9dF84QkV4ZlFIZUk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">FREE STUDY GUIDE</a> from a few years ago that still holds some great blogging guidelines...pass it on!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-81244113564519015442015-12-29T08:28:00.004-08:002015-12-29T08:28:56.848-08:00Calendar Guide for 20162016 is around the corner...as usual, time just goes by too fast for us busy mamas, and we need our planners and calendars to help us stay organized and CALM. Right? Well, sometimes it calms me down, but usually I hyperventilate a little bit anyway.<br />
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So here are my TOP PLANNERS (click images for links) for 2016:<br />
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<a href="http://gettoworkbook.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://gettoworkbook.com/" border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8W1LrGxdNXnRnnR2wqJ7fXlJ8eVrRJYSo-D0sc8GOJgf6G65JUBtDiawoqof4GhdklOBND799ZSx-60Mjv3pTKBiTJ0AXwTF1kJesgHzotVt3sGN4BrQBHz3xZOueXxv1lyiYl5nxm8/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-28+at+2.04.39+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The GET TO WORK BOOK by Elise Joy...cost is $55. You can write on it with a Sharpie and it won't bleed through! Woot! Love the thickness and quality of this planner.</div>
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<a href="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2015/06/free-planner-2016/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/2015/06/free-planner-2016/" border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61zVQmvZcm_2wjesZ0h4W-E6fi_sVT0En02tHQni-2UZPtrttyDE0GmvhFoprIK80otmFdnO1MpiuOwc4lVpF5K8Gy4t8OFjbTt96Fhtwzu0RghUfBtkLH6aXg1z7_AUh_AzKYmjAAIs/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-28+at+2.10.03+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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FREE PRINTABLE PLANNER FROM THE HANDMADE HOME...cost is $0 except for your own printing costs. I like this one because you can choose the pages you know you will use. There are also several styles to choose from.</div>
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<a href="http://jeneanmorrison.net/blog/2015/10/23/2016-coloring-calendar-the-super-awesome-coloring-book" target="_blank"><img alt="http://jeneanmorrison.net/blog/2015/10/23/2016-coloring-calendar-the-super-awesome-coloring-book" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-r12aX6UYtAr9lLpsm3s9_H81SfYJZmIfBNTRHvSiZ4x3eM4hXhN0gs-s-nBQtHymh-V5PHv5YNF-nx9D0DpkfmK3wjrSanXDm_AUGHK-nlLtC1pMOQerXAWeh-EwNzUcK7vcYQHMiU/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-28+at+2.20.50+PM.png" width="504" /></a></div>
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Color every day in 2016 with this fun & artsy calendar by Jenean Morrison!</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndsayJohnson?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndsayJohnson?ref=search_shop_redirect" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsROlJ3zMh-EMds28y3Tm7QMcPfqJ2NqHDSUzBovKC4v2inE159cSJi2WzrAwFouVwGXRnJnOFdZyVlG3zkCWwTyzXUc3mmebCe5PFzcBvGmkrNjvTLdVIXd5LhW8pzv-KcQasmU6LJzg/s640/Succulent+Calendar+11x14+2016.jpg" width="504" /></a></div>
I also recommend the lovely watercolor succulent calendar by Lyndsay Johnson...available for immediate download at her <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/LyndsayJohnson?ref=search_shop_redirect" target="_blank">Etsy</a> shop...for $5!<br />
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Do you have any amazing calendar/planners to tell us about? We'd love to tell our readers!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-41664078850367403442015-12-28T12:00:00.001-08:002015-12-28T12:00:06.895-08:00Daily Art Hub Free GraphicsAre you looking for cute graphics for free? I get a new set in my email every day! Check out:<br />
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<a href="http://dailyarthub.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://dailyarthub.com/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yV5o1SfuMqtONnaI_sF73K6b6MD_kgm70YJh0kKWxYJ6z6PcUlzp47f6r7qGncBmYvfkS8FAGX2Q0NoPUMWpWDKdsiUBEIrR3RfH86nopQ5WqBn8DjBg8wOWUY2ofWzkEelH9udNxJQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-28+at+1.58.17+PM.png" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-7045033946967667952015-12-08T06:47:00.000-08:002015-12-08T06:47:04.734-08:00Where's My Permalink?Learn as you go. Or, forget what you've learned when you don't use it! That's what happened to me today...I forgot where to find the Permalink for my posts on Blogger. Even if you haven't written a post yet, you can still create a Permalink to send out.<br />
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When you are in the NEW POST screen, look on the right hand side of your screen, and you will see a column called Post Settings. There are quite a few helpful tabs here so you should familiarize yourself to make things easier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7EPbHe6To6tPdn_iPnvtglVSMW7_1cHhuDQ2uQ6e2UiBQqnp2kQ71vBGJHrbMGXCYsE-BENXNcuHbTPYmIEnB8Ft7Mx7qfHkqoxerwAlI06r2IkfRUQmcelmTKqssE76dYd8C5iUi4M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-08+at+8.38.55+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7EPbHe6To6tPdn_iPnvtglVSMW7_1cHhuDQ2uQ6e2UiBQqnp2kQ71vBGJHrbMGXCYsE-BENXNcuHbTPYmIEnB8Ft7Mx7qfHkqoxerwAlI06r2IkfRUQmcelmTKqssE76dYd8C5iUi4M/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-12-08+at+8.38.55+AM.png" width="256" /></a></div>
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Under Post Settings:<br />
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<b>Labels</b> - label your posts to organize them on your blog and to be found quickly by readers.<br />
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<b>Schedule</b> - here you can post date, pre date, and set publishing times for your posts.<br />
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<b>Permalink</b> - this is the link to the post so it can be found on the web. When you send out a link to a blog post this is what you should use, not just the link to the blog.<br />
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<b>Location</b> - this gives you the ability to share where you are posting from geographically.<br />
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<b>Search Description</b> - add some key words so your post can be found<br />
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<b>Options</b> - under this tab you can allow comments (or not) on the post, see the literal HTML in compose mode, and choose line breaks.<br />
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If you need more help understanding how these tabs can work for you please email me or leave a comment here. <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-78976524025344602972015-12-04T11:22:00.000-08:002015-12-08T06:47:36.549-08:00Giving Stuff Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVVvn7uU5TEP0qq9d60TfQyoHL_DZR0cppD7zY8B0H9m9w7gG0ulweYocBvjXxpYgTy_wBIo_8cckEVWW4t7FVZnDmyNCklIY1R9sPsGGdUjqlzHNHAYkAvDtGA5EQh3EGWFfXI3C5tg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-12-04+at+1.16.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXVVvn7uU5TEP0qq9d60TfQyoHL_DZR0cppD7zY8B0H9m9w7gG0ulweYocBvjXxpYgTy_wBIo_8cckEVWW4t7FVZnDmyNCklIY1R9sPsGGdUjqlzHNHAYkAvDtGA5EQh3EGWFfXI3C5tg/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-12-04+at+1.16.11+PM.png" width="611" /></a></div>
This giveaway is now closed. <br />
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You can win this fun little bee on a faux medal ribbon pin...(I have other styles in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/WrenandRabbitCompany" target="_blank">Etsy</a> shop)...if you jump over to my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahadab/" target="_blank">IG account</a> and enter now by following me and tagging two friends. A winner will be chosen on Monday...plus I will even ship to an international winner!<br />
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And if you want to order anything from my shop you can get 20% off by using the code: shopsmall.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-77786454468559230232015-11-25T07:04:00.000-08:002015-11-25T07:04:00.093-08:00Blogging Tools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebloghelp.com/awesome-free-blogging-tools-every-blogger-should-know-about/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BtD2pyr1OiWowB1CyRbLYwMuf_7O612qTt9QL64i9n_xHNsf1VFSkk7u2H4E_QBMoEwqSpYdkY6LuxFsldjKsx_m2N_ZrD0Jjv9ABx3WwEbYgXKkI9I10Z6LgV0yGeFqqUWrkaLOqb4/s400/free-blogging-tools.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I found a new (to me) blog about blogging that I thought everyone here would appreciate it. It's a blog called <a href="http://thebloghelp.com/awesome-free-blogging-tools-every-blogger-should-know-about/" target="_blank">The Blog Help</a>. Pretty cool name huh? I have linked this image above to a great article that talks about tools that bloggers can utilize to be better bloggers.</div>
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As you know, I haven't been posting about actual blogging very often lately. I've come to believe that there are some great bloggers writing about "how to blog", and they can do it a lot better than I can. I'm going to start giving shoutouts to those bold new bloggers...something to look forward to!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-71679147944700028752015-11-24T06:54:00.001-08:002015-11-24T06:54:16.733-08:00Shop Small This WeekendI've got a giveaway coming up for you very soon, so stay tuned! Don't forget to buy from small businesses this Saturday! Got to keep the spirit of small business alive!<br />
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wrenandrabbitcompany" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8Xjw823HgG4db-zDSdci4ZZrTVRAt6Us8BUYnF-boHOMc1nc-k-JoJAR_1iU4-a8tz1Eku85SP9lc9Lbs4u8M5_rWpbCOqtTZxTSQmRYcXmeQQ_N9wlRtSB1nDTXd5qPkX70mWQhrXk/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-11-20+at+11.11.07+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgokGJIcAalrSuqzzDbS7FxWQttsJUd3TCheTsjJ70kR0cgTqmySBfvIe6dwGpk4B5PD-NvTsqYInu-4dMZdypsTTydRUqvg-6xg7ZeCtdOFjW1pNEMCwYyBwnZ1jehQNYS9x3vRPd04/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-11-21+at+11.25.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgokGJIcAalrSuqzzDbS7FxWQttsJUd3TCheTsjJ70kR0cgTqmySBfvIe6dwGpk4B5PD-NvTsqYInu-4dMZdypsTTydRUqvg-6xg7ZeCtdOFjW1pNEMCwYyBwnZ1jehQNYS9x3vRPd04/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-11-21+at+11.25.07+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I will be giving away a customized library font banner and a "Best of/in Show" award ribbon to one lucky winner! Details coming very soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-21910943603467189942015-09-18T10:12:00.000-07:002015-09-18T10:20:53.861-07:00Free Watercolor Tutorials <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNyVp03Dy5QJrxrP3CmJcMbRA8yW8RrPIq0ktNx72FfO_zHzhpuLyPSFfVRox5gg9fMdW1ZNHMAe6rqZ51BxDhKrCTbcWioexnKojx_CMOzYiNKicCzdJCScsmf3X3NWzf1IfScmPgJ4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNyVp03Dy5QJrxrP3CmJcMbRA8yW8RrPIq0ktNx72FfO_zHzhpuLyPSFfVRox5gg9fMdW1ZNHMAe6rqZ51BxDhKrCTbcWioexnKojx_CMOzYiNKicCzdJCScsmf3X3NWzf1IfScmPgJ4/s640/photo+1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted this morning, not quite finished</td></tr>
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In the midst of organizing my craft room I came across a drawer with several old boxes of watercolor paints that someone had given me. I looked one of the boxes up online and it was originally $35! I didn't know watercolors were so pricey (you know, compared to the kid versions). <br />
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I love art, so I decided to teach myself to watercolor (it's always been something I wanted to do). But I'm kind of chintzy and didn't want to pay much for a class. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8UtoBXMRuPYByWAxeyC6vi2OGQ-zzVTpZXrqJB0clBTqXCzZpuL_pJjSGYqCXdNsAuID8onvZA__HDdMvgSEgRtipbgSvIVl9RDLbwGpLzz0Vcu2kxl-_OJxVWVz1qx-wCF5Cq6qyag/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8UtoBXMRuPYByWAxeyC6vi2OGQ-zzVTpZXrqJB0clBTqXCzZpuL_pJjSGYqCXdNsAuID8onvZA__HDdMvgSEgRtipbgSvIVl9RDLbwGpLzz0Vcu2kxl-_OJxVWVz1qx-wCF5Cq6qyag/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the feather practice!</td></tr>
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So I went to <a href="http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=683654&U=659091&M=42943&urllink=" target="_blank">Creativebug</a> and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=watercolor+tutorials" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> to look for classes that might be free...and there's a lot out there. I decided to sign up for the Creativebug two week free access to all their video classes, because I also want to learn calligraphy and they have some lovely lessons. My two weeks are almost up, and then they will charge me $4.95 per month. Which is as much as a latte, so it all seems fair to me.<br />
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<b>FREE TUTORIAL SITES</b><br />
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I also found some gorgeous quick tutorials on painting wreaths, flowers, leaves and more at these cute sites:<br />
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<a href="https://thepostmansknock.com/three-watercolor-leaves-tutorials/?utm_source=The+Postman%27s+Knock+Blog+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f4c6709a4f-thepostmansknock_rss&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0eb41a4679-f4c6709a4f-101158937" target="_blank">The Postman's Knock </a><br />
This is where I found the wreath and how to paint leaves<br />
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<a href="http://www.apieceofrainbow.com/paint-watercolor-flowers-forsythias/" target="_blank">A Piece of Rainbow</a><br />
Really gorgeous flowers!<br />
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<a href="http://www.myflowerjournal.com/" target="_blank">My Flower Journal</a><br />
There are some amazing watercolor flowers and a heart shaped wreath<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUXDSiEHl61O7ijLKrowBK40pX0qbJbvDgQCFaU5NR49HDxNvdwNwxMeDndUGBq7RyBOJ0GkV_WuhT6FxPz6ffENokai_MX9rOePpo5mfr79lAD5AP3K4H1izK21awJTLK8hzT-9e0_w/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUXDSiEHl61O7ijLKrowBK40pX0qbJbvDgQCFaU5NR49HDxNvdwNwxMeDndUGBq7RyBOJ0GkV_WuhT6FxPz6ffENokai_MX9rOePpo5mfr79lAD5AP3K4H1izK21awJTLK8hzT-9e0_w/s320/photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practice</td></tr>
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Here are a few of my first watercolors:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB1TTUTDmYfzN-rZx5aPYE_A8_Effg5sT7ACZlCrtZeRnWagBJAUt1pCuYL6MuWgsquJQh1P5D-4tE3CNe6UN2H5VVfQ-Jt3_wppDhUjp8BZnV_N5FoE_sN7iFusTnoLP78zR52eYK60/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+12.38.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB1TTUTDmYfzN-rZx5aPYE_A8_Effg5sT7ACZlCrtZeRnWagBJAUt1pCuYL6MuWgsquJQh1P5D-4tE3CNe6UN2H5VVfQ-Jt3_wppDhUjp8BZnV_N5FoE_sN7iFusTnoLP78zR52eYK60/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+12.38.59+PM.png" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNEUt7o7KPcd-Yj858tnnLH4Hsn1Ti93OLg9BS23FknBUBNjbYTs7zh4X-LwGh0flXl2b1WZt8nJ2ST3mXbPA278-dhHZRyDn6ziWIhvBs3-6X9xSZjShmn40dTxPrVUT7x1cZbHL7Ss/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+12.39.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNEUt7o7KPcd-Yj858tnnLH4Hsn1Ti93OLg9BS23FknBUBNjbYTs7zh4X-LwGh0flXl2b1WZt8nJ2ST3mXbPA278-dhHZRyDn6ziWIhvBs3-6X9xSZjShmn40dTxPrVUT7x1cZbHL7Ss/s640/Screen+Shot+2015-09-17+at+12.39.26+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
The great thing about learning to paint is that you don't need a lot of crazy stuff to do it...you can even use a cheap kid's paint box until you're sure you want to continue. Then you will definitely see how amazing the true artist's paints are compared to the children's brands.<br />
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I had a stash of paintbrushes already, and luckily had some mixed media paper that works well for beginners. A week or so after starting I did buy a big brush for washing the page with water, but I haven't purchased anything else yet. (I'm secretly jonesing for a super cute mini paint box with homemade colors though)....<br />
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Below is a journal page I finished last night in bed...I paint the watercolors during the day and then I can doodle at night...the dog in the corner is my little schnauzer Kirby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUp65sBBwkp9OkF5LWaeUwRwwOI33ThBHasvgjcDqGMjhHe-6aYrUEKoxqQ8XQdP-Y1rpg5DxSa8Ki5dVliZ4-bTPed_FMLMn4tLl4mQyHDb2JImrzk9uYt1U-g4N9ZvV9j3qayFsrEs/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUp65sBBwkp9OkF5LWaeUwRwwOI33ThBHasvgjcDqGMjhHe-6aYrUEKoxqQ8XQdP-Y1rpg5DxSa8Ki5dVliZ4-bTPed_FMLMn4tLl4mQyHDb2JImrzk9uYt1U-g4N9ZvV9j3qayFsrEs/s640/photo+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope this inspires you to try something new...start easy peasy, don't try to paint a landscape on your first try...I tried a landscape and those are hard to do!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-70495344366754327732015-08-04T01:00:00.000-07:002015-08-04T01:00:11.859-07:00Free State Printables<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fabnfree.com/2013/11/17/love-your-state-free-printables-sh/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu34NFGQ9m8NMBvIGrpKMVAbwqh1tLVr8ZleRakh4A52lcJ8TRWi63Z_xhcxLLOup9iNFGX2ttniKmVRyz1Rnlry2v3BiuNoKFbgDOwfmplumjy9U7zAfFJ05IH8G0JLoDHQvX4u8Lado/s640/FabNFree-LoveYourState-FreePrintableWallArt-PREVIEW.png" width="262" /></a></div>
<img border="0" src="http://www.envye.com/affiliates/track/imp/banners/15_5" height="1" width="1" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-27397397998356029232015-08-03T15:15:00.001-07:002015-08-03T15:15:26.506-07:00Reasons Why No One Is Reading Your Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thenectarcollective.com/no-one-reading-your-blog/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraNPbSj7OqMTwrXjo6JOycl46o0roewRj15yDatF441rH_tERjWqfcKFQuUTvfLV8X0MK9j_egszTsoOqkVMN2VH-kIV1ixWj-Wt2U3S78OIa0ZtRdBxM8kdOW4kyHa8NdTGFwoWnuwo/s640/reading-your-blog-1.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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I love this post from <a href="http://thenectarcollective.com/no-one-reading-your-blog/" target="_blank">The Nectar Collective</a>! The tips are spot on if you want to grow a consistent readership. Click over to TNC to read the post.<br />
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And don't you just love their blog name? Kind of similar.... <br />
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<a href="http://www.envye.com/affiliates/aff_tools/blogguidebook/tool/banners/5"><img border="0" src="http://www.envye.com/affiliates/images/banners/f61430851b27629b3560d2c0db13d4e2.jpg" height="70" width="600" /></a><img border="0" src="http://www.envye.com/affiliates/track/imp/banners/15_5" height="1" width="1" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-75104178561199958622015-07-22T07:59:00.002-07:002015-07-22T07:59:21.896-07:00How To Take A Great Selfie<center>
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Hey, there! Lyndsay here. I don't pop up very often, but back in the olden days, Sarah and I started the Blog Guidebook together! </center>
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I'm usually behind the scenes with design, but I have a few selfie tips for you today! </center>
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First off, I do NOT look as bright eyed and bushy tailed as I do in my selfies. Stop by my house around noon and you'll see what I mean. ;) Here is what I do to get a stellar selfie:</center>
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1. Find a big bright window and stand in front of it. The light will make your pores and fine lines (ahem) look smaller, and erase dark circles and puffiness (double ahem).</center>
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2. Hold your phone just above your eye line. Not TOO high, or you get a triangle face. Not too low, or hello double chin.</center>
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3. Find your "smile." I can't full mouth smile in a selfie. Otherwise my nose grows and grows. I have a selfie half smile that makes my cheeks look rosy and my nose not overwhelm the frame.</center>
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4. Ramp up the color just a *bit* if you want to showcase makeup. Lighting will wash you out. So obviously I upped my blush and lipstick to show off this look.</center>
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5. In a selfie rut? Take a drive. Wonder why you always look amazing in a car selfie? It's the light coming in from all sides! Unbuckle your seatbelt, try to hide the carseat in the background, and SMILE (with your special selfie smile).</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikMmivny4XurmsjkRmFkO5SiaWct4i0t57iapBaWir-a5HaFoPHnUkD61ESLYQexenyBE0cm9XJr7TvkLMBQ50Y3xe5xCAILFH6tUcJM7U6yOMW6HKDHLWZ3AXpkDlxoXuHUH6ltLv_j2/s1600/11141300_10205288689111366_4158048055874677879_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikMmivny4XurmsjkRmFkO5SiaWct4i0t57iapBaWir-a5HaFoPHnUkD61ESLYQexenyBE0cm9XJr7TvkLMBQ50Y3xe5xCAILFH6tUcJM7U6yOMW6HKDHLWZ3AXpkDlxoXuHUH6ltLv_j2/s320/11141300_10205288689111366_4158048055874677879_n.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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**Remember that smart phone optics are different than a regular camera. So you might look odd. So just keep trying if you aren't loving your selfies.</center>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6439933195207084760.post-37648152179946747782015-07-03T17:08:00.003-07:002015-07-03T17:08:52.891-07:00Don't Hire a Blog Designer<div style="text-align: center;">
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This weekend only $35 all themes!</div>
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Check out Envye.com by clicking image above.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0