and in blogging....

an old sketch drawing....
Remember this post? Yeah, well I'm still struggling with keeping up with commenting. I try but I hate Google Reader, I like Feed Demon except it makes it really annoying to comment, and I have two separate gmail addresses that make it difficult to use the Blogger reader with my surfing priorities....

So, just to let you know, if I'm following you, I'm still reading, I'm just having difficulties streamlining my reading process enough to let me comment as much as I would like.

Rest assured, everything that we all put out there is absorbed into the inter-webs....

so make sure you love what you put out there. I'm trying on my end. :)

I'd love to hear your suggestions for ways you are managing all the blog content you read!

♥

On Blogging...Vol. 3 Technical

So, along with my new found blogging vigor, I've decided to employ some new (to me) technology. Before, I had been using my Blogger Dashboard to follow all of my blog subscriptions. But, in an effort to think outside my own box, which might seem like DUH to others, I am trying out Google Reader to manage all my blog subscriptions. I can't tell you why I haven't tried it until now and I can't tell you yet whether I like it or not.

I like it for the following reasons:

*It provides a format without my blog attached for a more reader friendly format. I don't have to see my blog up at the top with the little date attached of my last post to impart guilt if I haven't blogged in several days. :)

*It shows what I've read, and I can mark as read certain blogs, so it helps me stay caught up.

I don't like it for the following reasons:
I haven't figured out how to keep it regularly updated. I've tried to delete some blogs (which has been my goal of quality, not quantity) but sometimes when I log back in, the blogs that I thought I deleted show back up. Sometimes the number of blogs unread shows numbers like 157, which, although I follow many blogs, they don't number nearly 157 and even though after yesterday, when I made my list into a manageable number and read them all and everything showed zero, today it said 157 and the ones I deleted are back. hmmmmm. and even still those posts did not number 157.

any advice?

I'm just trying to find a more constructive and organizational way to organize my blog reading so I don't miss the small blogs I love and I can fly through the popular giant blogs I read like magazines (you know, like Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, etc.)

I also have another problem. My main blogger account is linked to a non-gmail email. And my etsy shop is linked to a gmail. I use my gmail daily and I want to make it all cohesive. I would like to merge it all but that's not possible according to google. It appears as though I'm going to have to transfer all of the blogs I read over to my gmail account/reader....which is a big pain in my ASS...yes, my ASS...I'm sorry, but it's totally worth cursing over.

I will always have to keep the original non-gmail blogger account to edit the layout of my blog (until I transfer everything over to my main website to wordpress which will happen sometime this year) I've added my gmail account as an admin on my blog but it still makes my blogging life a bugger in the meantime and that's annoying.

What do you all do?

On Blogging...Vol. 2

I want to thank everyone for their comments on my blogging post. It really means a lot to me that my post struck a chord with so many people. I've continued to think about this, spurred on by your comments and the posts that so many of you have made on your own that have caused me to examine my own blogging habits. Part of my reexamination of my blogging habits involves analyzing the blogs I love to read.

Why do I love to read them?

What inspires me to comment?

Am I inspiring others in this same manner?

And decidedly, I was not. I receive so many more comments when I post honestly, from my heart. I have held back on this blog from posting so many ideas and inspiration.

Sometimes, I am apprehensive because I worry it is not what you want to hear.

Sometimes, I suffer from just putting my personal thoughts and feelings in the internet ethos because it is forever documented in some eternal dossier out there in the cyberworld.

I visit other people's blogs because I want to know more about something, about these people that I have seen, their work, their philosophies.

That brought me to a realization about this blog. Remember when I said that I started this blog for my business? Yes, I did. However, I think that people visit this blog though because they want to know a little bit more me as a person....why I make the things I do, what makes me tick perhaps....And I'm ready to start sharing a bit more.

I really am. So, thank you, for coming here to learn about me, as a person. I look forward to getting to know you as well.

Blogging.

Hello. My name is Barbara and I started this blog to promote my business.


But that isn't the only reason. I've been thinking a lot about social media lately. And intention. And why I choose to follow people on their blogs or their Twitter or Facebook. A lot of it is just that. social promotion. But I realized that I've ended up following a lot of people just BECAUSE...not because they inspire me or because I value their business or they value mine but to gain followers perhaps on my blog....and that's not really why I started doing this.

A few weeks ago, I posted a giveaway, in conjunction with a bead swap that I did. I was giving away for free, 3 different things, as a fun addition with the swap. Only 1 out of the 3 people contacted me, despite my reposting the fact that I had stuff to give away to the winners. All of these people were followers on my blog. I have deleted that specific post because I don't want to expose these people, because it isn't my intention to make them feel poorly. Everyone has stuff happen and perhaps the winners didn't realize that they had won. Perhaps they don't read blogs regularly....Whatever....it's not their fault. I don't expect anything in return. But it made me think about things differently.

I wanted to do something fun and offer something fun. I spent time making something. Spending time shooting the photos for the blog, making the items for the free giveaway. It hurt my feelings, in short. So it was an exercise in giving.

Then, in the midst of me feeling put out by this, I read this post, on Nicki's blog. It really struck a chord with me and since then, I've been reevaluating my blog connections. I've been trying to comment on blogs I visit and I've been trying to take note of blogs I comment on who don't return comments. By nature, I'm a lurker and don't comment very often. I am, however, trying to change this. I've taken a look at my blog list and am narrowing to down to a QUALITY, not QUANTITY list. I want to appreciate the efforts of all of the blogs I read, and have them appreciate me in return. A lot of the blogs I visit are LARGE. They have many hundreds of followers and I don't expect a comment in return, but I do read the comments and I take note when/if they respond to comments. Even if they answer simple questions or say "Thanks!" I've also been reevaluatating my own comments to see if I've thanked those who've commented.

I really, really want to be more mindful of my blogging experience and not have it be so passive. I want everyone to know how much I APPRECIATE THEM COMING HERE TO READ MY RAMBLINGS!

I want to provide a voice for my business, and foster a community and I'm still working on that community part. I want people to voice their opinions and be inspired and inspire others. Who's with me?

An update!

Hello Lovelies! Sorry I've been a bad blogger and haven't been in touch! We all get so busy, no? Truth is, I've been working on some new things! Here's a couple photos and keep an eye on my vintage and papergoods shop, Kit of Parts, because I've been making and unearthing a bunch of great new things!

aloha!

Straw Bale Dream House!

Today, I am in love with this. You could say this is my dream house. I just love all of the reused elements and the careful consideration they took in building it.

Since I have adopted the South as my home, my perfect dream house will have a wraparound porch, preferably almost as big as the house. Environmental sustainability a definite plus, although I just adore the old southern cracker-style low country feel but knowing it was made of straw bales?! Part of it would be screened in to make a sleeping porch or area to escape the bugs. I just love all of the reused elements and the time it took to make it.


Those gals over at Beauty Everyday are just incredible. Please check out their gorgeous blog. everyday. :)

A good freebie

A great freebie available by the lovely ladies over at Kindred. Their summer series of free desktop wallpapers are out and I'm having a devil of a time picking which one I want. All lovely artists....Be sure to check them out here.

lazy sunday....

a lazy sunday here. woke up late and not terribly motivated today. the weather is hot and makes one lethargic. inspired to make some homemade lemonade by these posts by artsy mama and lobster & swan. enjoy!

photos courtesy of artsymama and lobster & swan respectively. please visit their wonderful blogs as i do each day for your daily dose of inspiration.

recently...

I’m back to the blog after a long and much needed hiatus. I’ve spent my time working on my creativity and contemplating this blog and what it will entail. I also just returned from a trip to Pennsylvania to visit my amazing family, whom I am grateful for everyday. I'm going to be frank with everyone out there, blogging does not come naturally to me. I'm a very solitary and secretive girl. I normally keep all my wild thoughts to myself and I often get caught up in what I should write, whether it is worth reading, whether I would want to read it myself. I write, I make drafts that I sometimes but rarely post....

I wanted to tell you about this amazing class I took with the talented Katie Runnels of The Constant Gatherer a few weeks back. It was held at the studios at Flatiron Studios in Greenville, SC hosted by Teresa of Art & Light Gallery. All during the month of May, there were Saturday workshops with several talented ladies such as Lily Pottery, Royal Buffet and Jess Gonacha in addition to Katie.

Katie is a fellow SCAD alumna and it was fun to see how she works and glean a little inspiration as well as make a fun still life terrarium. I was just tickled *pink* about how mine turned out, I'm actually working on a painting inspired by it...That will come soon.

There are more posts about Katie's class here & here.

bienvenue!

So what better way to spend ALL day sunday than reformatting and redesigning my blog....I've been looking for a template that would enable me to add more content and I think I finally stumbled upon what I was looking for. Oh! How I would love to pay someone to do it for me!!!! You know what they say about "champagne taste and rootbeer budget....."

I'm sure you'll see me tweaking things a bit for the next couple days (weeks!) but I hope you like the improvements I'm making....

a year of color......

One of my intentions for 2009 was to engage myself artistically, in a meaningful way, with other artists in order to inspire and exchange ideas. I visit several blogs regularly, and am totally enamored with Kari Ramstrom's blog, Artsy Mama. Kari is currently hosting a private blog named A Year of Color, which anyone can join by purchasing a subscription through her Etsy shop. Both of her blogs are filled with gorgeous inspiring photos, ideas, projects, and interviews.

If you can't get enough of home decor, craft, or diy magazines like me, you will find her blogs so inspiring, you may not even need to splurge on that guilty pleasure of a $5.99 magazine.

I'm currently participating in a swap coordinated through the Year of Color blog, themed "All that I Love.." I will be posting pictures of both the items I am swapping and the items I receive in the coming weeks. I don't dare post the items yet for fear I will ruin the surprise for my swap partner....but i do hope she is as pleased with them as I am!

Merry merry....

after a long hiatus, i have returned to blogging, committed in the new year to post every several days. My day job takes a toll on me, as i work long and strange hours, often 10-14 hour days, usually early in the morning or long into the night. This tends to limit my artistic productivity since i find myself most productive in the morning, after a good night's sleep which i rarely receive....so blogging definitely takes a second seat to actual creating. i am committed, however, to begin carving out a few spots a week to divulging my personal secrets here on the web.

please stay tuned as in the next several weeks, i plan to give some goodies away, for those who tune in. i promise to start bringing back BOLO (be on the lookout) too, to peak your interest.

i've got many new and exciting things in the works for the new year so please check back often.