Crafty Texas Girls: blogs

Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts

10/12/14

The Texas Home T

"There is no place like home."

Kind of like this new t-shirt I just got. It's insanely soft, looks cute, and makes me think of home.


I was sent this insanely soft t-shirt to review for free. All opinions are my own!

Have you heard of The Home. T ? It's an online shop where you can get 'your home' on an insanely soft t-shirt. Plus they are made in the USA! And a portion of all proceeds from The Home. T go towards Multiple Sclerosis research. (If you are a local friend, be prepared to see me in this t-shirt a lot. It's so soft! I am wearing a size medium in these photos. I have washed and dried it multiple times and it has not shrunk.)

Wouldn't this shirt make a fun gift?!

To see more of The Home. T story and check out their insanely soft t-shirts, visit their website. Or look them up on Facebook or Instgram.

To go to The Home. T click here

What state do you consider "home"? (Mine is Texas of course!)

Which t-shirt is your favorite from "The Home T." ? Are most of you Texas fans like me?

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3/24/14

Getting People to Read Your Blog

Blogging is such an interesting hobby. When I started, back in 2010, I had no big plans for my blog. I hoped people would come visit. I hoped that maybe, somehow, I could make a little money from it, but mostly I just wanted to write about things I was passionate about. There was no Pinterest or Hometalk. I didn't know about Facebook pages for blogs, Twitter, Craftgawker, I just wrote about projects I did and made collections of ideas I liked.

Source

Now just four years later, things have changed SO much in the blogging world. Blogs have turned into mini-magazines. Bloggers are taking amazing photos, editing, writing, and promoting like professionals. They are creating amazing videos for YouTube and working with commercial brands and media consultants. They are getting books deals, television shows, and more. The idea of a 'mom blogger' just doing something at home, randomly snapping pics, posting them to a little blog and becoming famous is a fairytale-- if not an outward lie.

Me!! Click here to see how I made this necklace!

Now, not only does a successful blogger need to create great content accompanied by professional photography, they need to know how to get it out there. It's kind of like the 'if you build it, they will come' idea. But with the internet-- they won't just come, you have to lead the readers to you. Highly successful blogs spend more time promoting their work than actually creating it. Bloggers are scheduling posts, pins, and tweets (and the big blogs hire others to do this for them or work in a network of friends who consistantly promote each others work.) Social media sites have become a major part of a blogger's life.

Me-- blogging :) See my tips on "How to Start A Blog" by clicking here.

Maybe that is part of the reason blogging can be so frustrating. You make a great project, take the best possible photos and you send it into the world. And sometimes, that's as far as it goes. The best case scenario, it goes viral on Pinterest and you get a ton of traffic. But even after a few days, that high quiets down and you need more. You need another post, a more unique idea.

More likes, more followers, more pins... It really is quite crazy! There are SO many people that do it so well and so many who are inspired by those ideas. After awhile, it all starts to look the same. And the part that makes me sad, is those who are doing the hard, creative work get very little compensation in return. Can you imagine doing a job that takes up hours of time and so much room in your heart-- for a few free products or a small amount of ad revenue? Can you imagine calculating your worth by the number of people who click that 'thumbs up' icon on facebook? As someone who has done it--- I can tell you, it's ridiculous!

Can anyone relate to this feeling? LOL.

But if you love sharing your passion, you are determined, and have free time-- there are a lot of fun parts to blogging ;) I have met amazing people, gotten some really cool free stuff, and felt the joy that comes from others appreciating and admiring your work. I have also learned that the best way for me to keep my mind in a 'rationale state' is not worry about the other parts. I just focus on doing the creative parts and let the rest (like the promoting and linking up at a million parties) go. I try to keep it light, keep it easy.

Get this printable for FREE- just click here

With that said, if you are blogging and loving it-- run with it! Success isn't always measured in dollars or page views. Write, create, and do your thing. And if you want to share your posts, below you can find my favorite sources for great traffic. Because if you write it, you want someone to read it! (And if you read blogs, make sure to 'like', 'share' or 'pin' your favorite bloggers work. That's the ONLY way they ever get compensated!)

Are you a blogger? What has been the best part of blogging? And what has been the worst?

9/24/13

Oh the Places You'll Blog

Last Wednesday, I boarded a plane and headed out on an adventure with 7 other bloggers. We had been invited by Miele to visit their New Jersey office to learn about their newest vacuums and have a little fun in New York City along the way. Since we had bought a Miele vacuum a few years ago, I can honestly say our house has never been cleaner. So taking a trip, to learn more about a product I already love all in the name of blogging was kind of amazing.

Aren't these the cutest cookies ever?! I tried to 'save' them, but you can guess how that ended :)

Our group of "Pure Air Bloggers" got to know each other the first night over dinner at Eno Terra. It was farm-to-table fresh food and delicous wine. Swapping stories with other bloggers is always fun. Lots of picture taking and hash-tagging with the group :)

The next morning, we toured the Miele office. Much to my surprise (and delight!), Miele has an entire line of home appliances. Everything from dishwashers to coffee makers, steam ovens to cook-tops. Miele makes high quality products and stands out from the crowd with exceptional customer service.

Breakfast Frittata cooked in a 'steam oven' by Miele. That's right- a steam oven. Amazing!

Best coffee ever :)

See these beauties? They will last 20 years. Yep, that's why we bought one ourselves back in 2010. We were tired of replacing vacuums and having dirt/dust blown all over our house. Plus, check out the design. Who doesn't love a beautiful appliance?

After a morning of learning at Miele, we headed into Princeton for a tour by the infamous Mimi. If you are ever in Princeton, look this lady up! She was hilarious and knew all the 'dish' about the rich, famous, and brilliant minds of this ivy league town. I texted my husband while we were out with Mimi and said, "I want to live here!". The academic environment of the school is embraced by the entire town. Theater, science, art and more seeps from every square inch of the community. The public library even has a 'sound proof' children's wing so that the little ones of Princeton are never 'shusshed' during their pursuit of learning.

That's Mimi-- the smiley blond in the light blue pull-over.

Can you imagine going to class here?! When can I start? :)

Albert Einstein's house

After our tour, we headed back to Miele for a gourmet cooking class. We worked together to make homemade pizzas in the fabulous Miele kitchen. Best way to get know someone? Make a pizza with them! Here we are with the President of Miele USA, Nick Ord.

This girl--lives right down the street from me! We didn't even realize it til this trip. Yay for new friends :)

Aimee Lane from It's Overflowing, Nick Ord- President of Miele USA, and Me!

The last day of our trip, we headed into the city. I have never, ever been to New York City. So this was SO exciting!

We were invited to the Hearst Tower for brunch in the Good Housekeeping dining room, where almost all the US Presidents and the First Ladies have eaten.

China of course :)

Then we toured the Good Housekeeping Research labs. I didn't know much about Good Housekeeping, other than I looked through the magazine. But I found out that if any product that bears the Seal proves to be defective within two years from the date it was first sold to a consumer by an authorized retailer, then Good Housekeeping will replace or repair the product or refund the purchase price! So basically, they do the research on everything from appliances, recipes, beauty products, towels, bedsheets etc. and then they pass along their findings to you. That Seal is a guarantee of quality.

You'll see this recipe in an upcoming issue of the magazine, it's a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake covered in Reese's Puffs!

Testing room- ovens, mixers, coffee makers are all put to the test.

After the tour, we had 2 hours to see the City. So we squeezed it all in! A walk through Central Park.

A true New York slice. Cannoli from a bakery. Times Square.

And then a wild train ride back to the airport!

image via It's Overflowing on IG

It was once in life-time trip, I mean who would have thought a little blog about crafts could ever take me across the country?! I am humbled and astounded. Thank you to Miele for believing in the writing of 'mom-bloggers' and thank you to YOU the readers for being here!

When I got home, my daughter told me "Dad did everything just as good as you, except homework and hair. He wasn't very good at hair." Lol. I am so grateful to them for holding down the house and supporting my writing and crafting. Being away from home, made me love our sweet, simple suburban life even more.

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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8/2/13

Get Started: Tips and Resources for Blogging

Have you ever sat down at your computer and thought, "I would love to blog!"? I know there are lots of 'almost bloggers' out there. This week I have been emailed by three different people wanting to know how to start a blog.

When I began blogging three years ago, I didn't really know what I was doing. My goodness-- we didn't even have Pinterest back then!! (It was pretty much the dark ages.) So I just Googled every single question I had, texted my friend Jordin, emailed some of my favorite BIG bloggers and then just went through trial and error.

How I got started blogging ( the story behind this blog)

But if you are just getting started now, you are in luck. Between a beautiful template, a little research, a lot of passion and some great photography-- you can look like a pro from the 'get-go'. Here's how to get started!
1. Choose a place to blog. Could be WordPress or Blogger... do a little research.

The Best Blogging Platform

2. Put together an appealing layout-- mine is from Designer Blogs.

Get a pretty blog design

3. Choose a name and if you are ready, buy your domain name. (For example when I bought my domain name it changed from "craftytexasgirls.blogspot.com" to "craftytexasgirls.com")

How and Why to Buy Your Domain Name

4. Get writing. For me, great blogging is about living you life and sharing those stories.

How to Write Something Worth Reading

5. Photos matter. You don't need the best camera. But you need big, bright, well-lit photos.

Take Better Photos- 31 posts to show you how.

6. Find a community. Whether you attend a blog conference, email other bloggers, or belong to facebook group. Find others who can help and encourage you.

What I Wish I Had Known About Blogging

Tips and Tricks for Bloggers

7. Don't be afraid. It won't be perfect. Years later, you'll probably look back and cringe. But don't be afraid to do it. All those mis-steps are an important part of the journey.

The Do's and Don't of Blogging

14 Do's and Don'ts for Blogging

8. You won't get rich from blogging. Seriously. You won't. But--- blogging can open up amazing opportunities and lead to some awesome experiences.

Stop Trying to Get Rich Blogging

Some of the BEST behind the scenes advice about blogging from our friends at YHL.

9. Set aside comparisons. Someone will always have a 'better' blog. That's ok. Everyone, no matter how big or 'famous' feels that way. There is room for all of us.

What about those Perfect Blogs?

The Secret to A Great Blog

10. Enjoy it. Aren't we lucky that we live in a time when anyone can start a blog for free! Anyone can be 'a published author' in a matter of moments. Seize the day and share your story!

Encouragement for New Bloggers

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**Got a big SLR camera that you don't really know how to use? I admit-- I keep mine on 'auto' most of the time :) Join Photographer Kristen Duke on August 17th for a fun workshop to learn how to use you camera. I will be there, hope you can come too! More info here: http://www.kristendukephotography.com/say-no-to-autothe-workshop/

Sharing this post at: Too Much Time on My Hands -Home Stories A to Z -Tatertots and Jello -The 36th Avenue --Serenity Now -Love of Family and Home -It's Overflowing -I Should Be Mopping the Floor -Live, Laugh, Rowe

All photos and text on craftytexasgirls.com are copyright protected. You may not copy entire articles or posts (even with a link) without my express written permission. Email any requests or links used to craftytexasgirls@gmail.com.