Ideas for Creating, Following or Sprucing up your Blog

This blog has been a work in progress now for almost 2 years.  Our first post was on May 20, 2008.  Wow! that seems like forever ago.  I have used and researched a ton of resources (some that have worked and some that have not)  and wanted to compile a "help guide" that will be a permanent fixture on LLBB's pages for people who are creating or want to spruce up their own blogs.

I will be adding more stuff as time goes.  If you have a "great blog technique" and you would like to share it please leave a comment and I will post it  giving you the credit with a link back to your blog.

A very wise girlfriend of mine once said to me "We as women should all be on the same team and support one another...because we are in the trenches daily.  Don't we all have the same goals:  to raise our families, support our men, be good girlfriends, and grow our businesses.." It has been a great piece of advice and I think of it often ;)


Be mindful though, even though I pretend *wink*wink* that I am a computer genius I am NOT! Please make sure and backup your blog before you make any changes.
It is super easy
1.log in into blogger 2. go to your dashboard 3. go to settings 4. blog tools 5. export blog
It will save it to your computer.

Backgrounds

I think you will lose people right off the bat if your blog/website is not visually appealing.  "Don't judge a book by it's cover" does not work in the land of blogging.  The easiest way to give your blog its own personality is with backgrounds.  There are tons of resources out there for FREE !  If you have a little $$ and you want something that is unique check out buying one off of www.Esty.com. You can have someone design you buttons, backgrounds, and links pretty cheaply. I would suggest giving them a deposit and not all the money upfront!  I learned this one the hard way.  Not all people will finish a job!

Resources for Free Backgrounds 

www.shabbyblogs.com

www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

www.hotbliggityblog.com

www.butterflygirlmsblogdesigns.blogspot.com

www.coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com

www.paigeandbrooke.blogspot.com

A Resource for Free Fonts
Best fonts ever and they are FREE!  Amanda has a ton of great tutorials. She has one about changing the text in your headings..haven't quite mastered this but it is on the list.

www.KevinandAmanda.com

Adding Pages

Two years later and I just found this out.  I was trying to figure out how to upload pdf's for another blog I have and came across "Adding Pages"  which can be a stationary place that you can have info on.  Like where this blog post will remain.  Here is the link google has given to explain in better detail.  It is great for About Me, Lists, Resources you want to share and much more.The help in blogger is really good.

Adding Numbers to Your Comments

Adding numbers to your comments is great if you are going to have give-a-ways.  Here is the tutorial that I used.  Searched through a bunch of them.  This one was easy. Code is a little tricky to find.  It's about 3/4th the way down.


http://bloggerstop.net/2010/01/numbering-comments-in-bloggerblogspot.html

More to come... Picasa, Flickr,  Adding a signature, Watermarking Photos and more ;) Till next time...

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com 
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

This is for Yaya!

Yaya that is what Lily calls my mom. Isn't that cute?!? I am really posting this video for my family but I got a new camera and I am having fun testing out all of its features. It is a Sony Cyber-shot. I think it  takes better pix then my Nikon D40 (but that is a whole different post bc I should have bought a Canon, oh well next time ;)

Anywho the Sony CS-DSC-H55 takes 14.1 mega pix, has a 10x optical zoom,  a 25mm wide-angel lens, a huge screen, will take "sweep panorama" pix and has a setting that when it detects a smile will take the pic automatically (perfect for taking pics of kids.)

Please dismiss my "baby talk" and Tom and Jerry playing in the background.
T & J is Lily's fav.  She prefers "actions to words!" Haha just a little Tom and Jerry humor. She would watch it 24/7 if I let her.


Don't forget that the game day dress give-a-way ends tomorrow at 10 PM PST. 

So easy to enter.  If you don't see your team add it to the comments.  Any team can be made!

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Can it get any cuter then this....

This might be my FAVORITE Bathing Suit Ever!
Hula Rose by Kate Mack and its on Sale Right Now for $34.50 reg $46.

 Don't forget about our Game Day Dress Give-A-Way!  

Click here to enter ;)

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com 
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Give-A-Ways are BACK! Go Team Go!

We are giving away  a custom made SBD's Game Day Dress!  These are a LLB favorite!  As everyone knows We Love The Gators!!! What is your families favorite college football team?  We have done Ole Miss, UT,  Norte Dame and many more. We don't think there is a  better way for your little one to show their school spirit than in one of these.  If your school is not shown...not to worry we will make any teams colors!!!

Handmade reversible monogrammed dress or boys romper.  Dress has school team on one side and monogram or name on the other. Romper is one sided. Monogram or schools team your choice.

This item is personalized for you.  Delivery is about 2-3 weeks.

Value $65

Comes in sizes newborn to 6T!

General Giveaway Rules: 

1 Entry for commenting on post
1 Entry for re-posting on your  Facebook page
1 Entry for joining our Facebook Page
1 Entry for becoming a follower of LLB on Twitter
1 Entry for re-posting give-a-way on you Twitter
2 Entries for re-posting on your blog
5 Entries if you purchase something from Lily's Laundry Boutique within now and end of give-a-way (you must comment on blog!)

Ends Wed April 28th at 10PM PST!
Make sure to leave your email EMAIL ADDRESS,  SIZE and how you entered in your comments!

A comment will be chosen at random on www.random.org and the winner will be posted on www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Winner will be posted within 24 hours. 

You will also be contacted via email .

If you are out of USA feel free to enter but you will need to pay shipping if you win ;)

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Misha Lulu Spring 2010! Too Cute.

Right now everything on LLB is one sale! 

Misha Lulu "Blue Bird" dress $46

Misha Lulu "Green Skirt" $44

Misha Lulu "Oh Deer" shirt $32

Misha Lulu "Swimmer" dress $46

www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Unique Gifts. Andie Freeman.

I am always looking for unique gifts for people.  My mom's birthday was in January I could not decide what to get her.  Her favorite thing in the whole (besides her family) is her little dog Sugar.  She sends me pictures of Sugar all the time.  She sent me this one picture titled it "Sugar does the dishes."  It was so freakin' cute I thought "that needs to be a painting."  I searched and searched and found Andie Freeman on Etsy.  She was so easy to work with, super accommodating and did an amazing job.
I love featuring and learning more about women who are entrepreneurs. Because of this I wanted to share a little interview I did on her.

What is your background in the arts?
I have been into creating for as long as I can remember, and crafts were usually a great escape for me when I was bored. But when I got into high school, I started to move my creativity into graphic design. I was on the yearbook staff and took an internship during the summer with a local graphic designer. While in college, I majored in fine arts, studio painting to be specific and communications as a minor. After college, it was like, "ok.. so where is the job?" so once I realized I had no way to make money except waiting tables, I went back to school. I attended one of the best advertising arts colleges at the time, Portfolio Center, in Atlanta. It was a totally transforming experience. Critiques are tough there, but I loved the hustle and bustle of the deadline life. It was such a high to create constantly and I swore I would never stop! My husband, an old friend from high school, also went with me to PC and studied copywriting. After PC, I worked for Coca-Cola, Rich's, and when we moved to St. Louis, I worked at Zipatoni creating awesomely fun promotional advertising and packaging. It was a total dream job. But I was young (and maybe a little stupid) so I quit my killer job and went with hubby across the country to LA with no job waiting for us!!!! Luckily I landed a job on Rodeo Drive working for the fashion designer, Bijon. It was, let's say, an experience. So much so, that we left a year later and came back to our southern roots. While back in South Carolina, I started my own design company and won several awards for some really nice pieces. After our son was born, we both realized what an awesome little city we lived in (Columbia, SC) and that no one really knew how great it was for families. We got an in-depth business plan together and approached the banks for a loan for a family magazine. We started Palmetto Parent, a family magazine for the Midlands of South Carolina and served our neighbors together as editor and publisher for three years. Our readership was between 30-40,000 people per month, and creating the magazine was in incredible labor of love. It was our third child. It was a very tough business to keep going for a young family with now two children, and so we sold it to Gannett Publications. Since then, I have thrown myself back into entrepreneurship as an artist. I paint portraits in oils, illustrations in acrylics and watercolors and various artsy things for my Etsy shop, ScribblesAndNibs. Oh yeah, and I recently opened a second shop for my graphic design and digital photo cards, WowhouseDesign.

Where do you get your inspiration?

All around! Usually from whatever project I am working on. I am always thinking about what is appropriate for the client. My fine art is inspired by all sorts of things, music, stories, and I love to paint en plein aire in Hilton Head, my home.

What are your favorite mediums to work with?
I love working in oils, but they dry slowly and aren't what I prefer for my bright illustrations. In that case, it's watercolors or acrylics. I also love taking little pieces of ephemera like old photos and drawing on them.

How did you learn about Etsy?
A few years ago, I was selling paintings through Posh Tots and I was looking for another venue, but at that time, it seemed unlikely to me that I would make money. About six months ago, I kept reading posts on Wet Canvas about Etsy and thought, huh, might have to check it out again Since Nov. I have been an addict!

What is a fun fact about you?
I have brothers older than my husband's parents and when I was born I was already an aunt. Also, I met my favorite rocker once in a somewhat quiet place. It was Robert Plant and he was getting ready to play tennis with his son at the tennis center my boyfriend worked at. Ahhhh, dreamy!

What is your favorite thing to do on a Friday night? or favorite show?
Friday night is movie night with the kids. We watch a movie and I usually make my awesome BBQ chicken pizza. I can't get enough of it! My favorite show is Psych. I don't watch anything really impressive on TV, sadly. It is purely for me to escape. I listen to movies while I work. My faves are O Brother Where Art Though? Something About Mary, You've Got Mail, Caddyshack and Big Labowski.


www.scribblesandnibs.com
www.andiefreemanillustration.com
www.andiefreeman.com
xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Home Sweet Home!!!

Testing this new blogging app out on my iPhone.... A glimpse of where I grew up :) to be continued...





www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Black Hammock Fish Camp Rd,Oviedo,United States

G Wine Cellars

We threw a party Saturday night for Garrett from G Wine Cellars.  We meet Garrett last October in Napa at his winery and my husband has kept in touch with him.  He called and asked if we would host a party here in the desert where he could serve his fantastic wine.  Of Course!  We are always up for a great party! He and his girlfriend flew down from Napa with their delicious wine.  We had 10 couples for a sit down dinner where he served 3 cases wine.  The weather was gorgeous.  We even busted out glow in the dark bocce ball. I am pretty sure that everyone had fun because our last guests left at about 2:30 am....to say the least I was exhausted but it was worth it.

I was totally into my table decorations.  I wanted to do a spring/nature/seashell combo and I think I pulled it off pretty well.  Potterybarn always has great ideas for table decorations.  I bought sea glass, reindeer moss and drift wood from them. I used tons of candles and votives because I think at night you can never have too much candle light.  I had the lanterns, seashells and scatter crystals (which add a lot when the light from the candles hit them.)  I have collected pretty jars, bottles over the years and I filled them with the crystals or with the moss and candles.  I bought white flowers because I didn't want colorful flowers to overwhelm the tables.  I used twine and white card stock paper for wine glass markers which also double as seating cards and put peoples names on them in pencil.  I even hung white Chinese lanterns in the ceiling over the tables outside. Everything  I used had a nature feeling to it.

 Morning After...Lots of clean up ;) but well worth it!

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

I'mmm Baack....

Holy Moly!!!  I have been M.I.A.  We have been so busy around here I have hardly had time to think.  We have been out of town, Lily had spring break, my parents were here for 10 days, I threw our annual Easter Egg Hunt for 80 plus people, had a sit down dinner party for 10 couples and have been managing the two babes and my sweet man on top of it all.

So I have A LOT to get caught up on around here at LLB.   Misha Lulu Spring 2010 arrived while all this was going on and I haven't even had a chance to add it to the website..but I'm back...well at least for a couple of days bc we have a wedding this weekend ;)

So here's a glimps of the last couple of weeks...Sometimes a photo says 1000's words right !?!?!
Will be adding more details tomorrow...Lily goes back to school... YEAH!

Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com

Whistle(r) while you work...

There's been a lot of whistling and not a lot of working going on over here for the last couple of days.  My hubby and I just got back from a little vaca in Whistler, BC and it was awesome.  I have never been to Canada before so it is now checked off of my bucket list.  Whistler was BEAUTIFUL.  The weather was gorgeous.  The scenery and skiing was to die for and the little quaint town of Whistler Village was so neat.  They still had the all the Olympic stuff up!  Here are some pics.  If you ever get the opportunity to go there, Go, you will not be disappointed.

How cool is this?!?  Those fire lit rings behind us were on the sky slope and the Olympians were skiing/snowboarding through them and doing tricks!

My friend Wendy and me being silly!

The winner of the Big Citizen Dress is...Katie I cannot believe she won 2 x's in a row!  Good for her!

Details for Drawing #1,740

You are logged in as drawing as Laurae Neil.

Owner's View

Drawing #1,740 PRIVATE

Big Citizen 5th drawing held Completed on Tuesday, 23 March 2010 at 20:19:49 UTC

Winners (1)

1st: katievarela@att.net

xoxo, Lily's Laundry
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.com
www.LilysLaundryBoutique.Blogspot.com