Some Favorite Blogs: Part 1

Sometimes a blogger needs inspiration. Actually, to be completely honest- I should say, "You, as a blogger will always need inspiration!" Your brain can only do so much on its own before you need to refuel it by looking at some pretty nifty blogs across the web!

I personally, try to refuel once a week (but that's just me)- usually on a Saturday morning when I really can't get much work done. I usually have a good hour or two of quiet before the weekend starts with my husband- so this is the perfect time to browse through my favorite blogs (and Pinterest), find inspiration, pin certain ideas or loves, and then digest it all, the following two days while I'm off.

Because I'm a food blogger mostly, my blog loves are usually going down that road. But I love to gander through home and DIY blogs, as well as just "pretty to look at" and design-focused blogs.

Do you need inspiration? Are you feeling like you could use a few new blogs to frequent so your brain can refuel? Here are just a few of my absolute favorites!

INSPIRATION BLOGS

creature comforts // love and lavender // wit & whistle // rebekka seale // bleubird

These are the blogs I look at and usually sigh with relief. They're my "pretty to look at" and "find big time inspiration" blogs. 

Creature Comforts not only blogs about delicious color combinations, but she also showcases pretty neat gift ideas, simple DIYs, and all around gorgeous photos to excite your creative brain. 

Love & Lavender was one of the first blogs I started following. I just love them. True, when I first started following I was a newlywed, and so all things wedding were my cup of tea- but I just can't seem to NOT come back again and again. They post some of the most beautiful wedding (and party) ideas!

Wit & Whistle is such a gorgeous blog. It's simple, tidy and pretty to the point. Amanda has a knack for creating art and crafts that are sure to ignite your creativity. Plus her greeting cards are a crack up! Truly one of a kind.

Rebekka Seale is another blog I follow because it calms me and yet sparks my creativity at the same time. Her whole aesthetic is simple, yummy, and absolutely gorgeous. There's something about the way she writes that's like a lullaby- it's soothes me. Plus her pictures! Oh her pictures! I just love them. (She also posts some amazing recipes as well!)

I think I have a simple/gorgeous aesthetic theme going on here- Bleubird follows suit with the last two blogs mentioned. Gorgeous pictures, neat DIYs, simple recipes....just lovely.

HOME, DECOR + DIY BLOGS

hank & hunt // oh, hello friend // kevin & amanda // lovely indeed // apartment therapy // design*sponge

These next few blogs are the ones I go to when I'm looking to accomplish something in particular, looking for a craft idea, wanting to learn how to do something for my home, easily...need a blog design element tip, a blog "how to", etc.

Hank & Hunt is a great source for simple party DIYs (and I mean GREAT source) and amazingly gorgeous fonts!

Oh, Hello Friend is another blog I've followed for a LONG time. I even call Danni my friend now. Awwwww. She's so very talented when it comes to DIYs, packaging ideas, and gorgeous design elements. Plus she has a brand new shop where you can buy things like washi tape, rubber stamps, and all things cute + packaging + gift ideas + office stuffs!

Kevin & Amanda is pretty much my number one choice for blog design and just plain "blog" help. If you've got a weird question, they've most likely already answered it, in blog post form.

Lovely Indeed is a great source for simple (yet awesome) DIYs for the home, gift ideas, and for parties. Plus Chelsea uses such gorgeous color choices for all her crafts and does a lot of travel talk as well! I love this blog as much as I love her quirky (funny as heck) personality.

Apartment Therapy and Design*Sponge are both blogs I visit when I want to get inspired to change something in my home. Great place to see "small space idea solutions", as well as crafts on the cheap, real people's design ideas, and all things artsy!

FOOD + BAKING BLOGS

deliciously organic // the faux martha // love & olive oil // elana's pantry // oh, ladycakes

Be still my heart. My favorite category of all. (Surprised?) These are some of the blogs I frequent when I need some kitchen inspiration. And boy do I leave inspired!

Deliciously Organic is amazing. The end. Carrie is one of the sweetest and most down to earth food bloggin' gals I know. She specializes in all things organic (duh!), as well as gluten free and Paleo. 

The Faux Martha's whole aesthetic just kills me- I'm so in love with it. Her pictures make me swoon each and every time. From good 'ol mac and cheese to upscale dutch oven bread- her recipes never disappoint. They're easy and oh so yummy!

Love & Olive Oil is (again) another blog I've followed for a long time. Lindsay and Taylor have some serious talent! Every recipe makes my mouth water and their pictures are seriously amazing. Having already put out a cookbook, and currently working on a second, they're a great recipe "go to" source! Plus they love cats. And I love cats. So that's awesome.

Elana's Pantry is a new one for me, but I'm already in love! A friend recommended it to me when I mentioned I was looking to eat less starch and gluten. Elana's got you covered! Focusing on strictly gluten free, it's a great place to find recipes that are yummy (I've tried a few) and easy to make! Plus I love that she doesn't ONLY use those expensive gluten-free flours! Win!

Oh, Ladycakes is just like The Faux Martha- I just love them to pieces!!!!! Love their look, love their recipes, love their pictures!!! Some creative cats we have here (see what I mean about the cat thing?) Although Oh, Ladycakes focuses also on gluten free and mostly vegan recipes ;) Don't let that stop you though!

Hope you're all seriously inspired! What are some of your favorite blogs out there?

How to photograph reflective surfaces...

One of the more challenging things to light is glass (and other highly reflective surfaces), because normally when we photograph a subject we are putting our light on that subject.

But with glass we do the opposite, we are lighting around the subject.

You will find a couple well done tutorials for lighting glass here and here.

Today is the last day...

Just reminder that today is the last day to save almost 50% on the new editing tool "Clarity" from Topaz Labs (just $29).

For more information you can check out our original post here, or head over to YouTube and watch our "demonstration" video.

B.You Bloglovin' Blog Hop #9

<center><a href="http://byourownblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/byou-bloglovin-blog-hop-1.html" target="_blank"><img alt="BLOGHOP" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8617324975_966612e7c2_n.jpg"/></a></center>

Thank you to everyone who linked up last week!! Lets help this bloglovin' blog hop grow by sharing with your friends, followers, and adding the button to your sidebar!

Grab the button above and put it in your linky list or sidebar.

Follow your host, co-hosts, and guest host on bloglovin'. Leave a comment that you're a new follower so we can all come and check you out!

Link up your bloglovin' URL only. We had several people that submitted their blogs URL, but this is a bloglovin' hop so only link up your bloglovin' account, please!

Hop around and visit some of the other blogs that linked up and give them a follow. This is all about making new friends and finding new reads, not just linking up and expecting everyone to follow you.

Pin, Tweet, Facebook, blog this link up! The more exposure it gets, the more potential followers for you! 

Your Host:

B.You Blog

Your Co-Hosts:

Ashley @ A Fox & A Wolf

Torrie @ Fox + Hazel

Christina @ Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe
Natalee @ Eat Nap Play
Ashley @ Modernette

**If you are interested in being a guest host, please email us at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com

Five Helpful Tips for Choosing a WordPress Theme

Choosing a theme for your WordPress site is one of the first steps to getting your blog up and running. A theme dictates the basic design and layout of your blog. With thousands of themes out there, picking the right one can be an overwhelming task. Here are some important things to consider when shopping around for the perfect theme.

1. Cost: How much do you want to spend on a theme? There are many free themes available through WordPress and other sites. There are also a variety of places where you can purchase a theme which will usually run anywhere from $10-$80. Or, you can go the more expensive route and hire a web designer to create one for you.

2. Support: Be sure with any theme you choose that there is good support offered. This support may be available from the company you purchased your theme from or through online support forums. Be sure to find out how much information is out there about your theme. In the event that you have a question about how to modify something within your theme, you want to be sure you have somewhere to turn.

3. Reviews: Check out what other people are saying about the theme you are considering. Look for a theme with a high rating and multiple reviews. Read through the reviews to see what people like and don't like about the particular theme before making your decision.

4. Style: It is important to choose a theme that fits well with your style. Focus on the layout of the theme. Do you prefer one, two or three columns? Do you like the sidebar on the left or on the right side of the screen? Most sites allow you to demo their themes. Activate the demo and poke around to see how you like it. After navigating around a few of them, you will start to get a feel for what you like. I personally prefer two columns and a sidebar aligned on the right side.

5. Customization: Find out what features of the theme are easily customizable. Some themes will allow you to change more items while others will be more limited. Assess what options you want to have the ability to change and make sure the theme you choose allows for it.

I am currently using a free theme through wordpress.com created by WooThemes. It fits well with my style and has been very easy to use. It has up to 7 different color schemes and has the capability to support a custom header and background image. Overall, it has completely met my needs as a first time blogger. I hope with these helpful tips you will be able to find the perfect theme to help you build your special place in blog world.

"Clarity", a new tool from Topaz Labs...

We've been fans of Topaz Labs for some time (see our previous posts here and here), they produce outstanding products at extremely affordable prices.

Well, they've just announced another to their large stable of tools called "Clarity" which is available for both PC's and MAC's.

Clarity allows you to selectively adjust the contrast in your images without those nasty halos and artifacts that usually accompany that type of editing.

Below is a quickie video that demonstrates what Clarity looks like and how it works in Photoshop, though it's also works with other image editing software flavors, like PaintShop Pro, Photo Impact, and others. You can get a full list of compatible software for PC's and MAC's at this link.

Speaking of how Clarity works, you can sign up of for (one of many) free one hour seminars being offered by Topaz Labs, attending one of these webinars would be a great way to see Clarity editing "in action" and how it will improve your image editing workflow.

Two other resources you will want to check out are the Clarity tutorials along with the users guide.

Though you can take your time going through all of those resources, you will want to act quickly on purchasing it as Clarity is being offered at a special introductory price of just $29 until May 31st (2013), simply use the code "claritynew".

After that Clarity will be $49.

I hope you enjoy the video below, if you're a subscriber you'll need to return to Weekly Photo Tips to watch it, or head directly over to our YouTube channel and watch it there.

Duty, Honor, Country...

Back in 2008 I asked our readers to contribute images of their loved ones who they would like to have remembered and I would use those images to make a Memorial Day slideshow, below are the results of their contributions.

The first men featured are "The Lanni Brothers", they are my uncles, first generation Americans and they could not have been prouder of it.

It was because of their example that during a time when some were worried about being drafted, I enlisted.

Each year I mean to create another slideshow but always seem remember too late to get the process started, so forgive me for repeating it again this year.

If you are having trouble viewing this, or would like to view it larger, simply follow this link.

And if you would, please share this with others, because these brave men and women (and the others just like them) deserve to be remembered, to be honored.

It's Memorial Day weekend...

Many look at this weekend as the official start of summer, as the weekend they open up their BBQ for the season, or because of all those sales... but it's about something so much more, it's about remembering, remembering those who have paid the ultimate price, those who have "gone on ahead".

Memorial Day was established over 150 years ago as a day of remembrance of those men and women who have died in the service of their country.

Which brings me to an important movie that I recently watched (yet again), Taking Chance.

I implore you to watch this little known, seldom seen true story about taking a fallen soldier home.

It's not pro war, it's not anti war... it's not about war period. It is about honor, dignity, and respect, Taking Chance tells the story of the final trip home for those who have given it all because they were asked.

Chance Phelps died in Iraq in 2004 and this movie is about his last trip home.

I promise that if you rent this movie you will be moved, and if you're not, if you think it was a waste of your time simply drop me an email and I will give you back double what ever you paid to rent it.

Because I think it's that important.

Please... kick off your summer, have that BBQ, and maybe even take in a sale, but if you would... please... remember too.

If you are a subscriber and won't see the video trailer because they are not pushed through, come back to the blog or view it on YouTube.

Six Things You Can Do Today to Improve WordPress!

Over the years that I've written online, I've used various platforms.
Like a lot of people, I started out with LiveJournal. I've also dabbled with tumblr, for about two seconds I had a Vox account, and a few years ago I registered my own Blogger - which I still continue to use.
Since Blogger, I have also become a user of WordPress, which very quickly became my go-to for blogging needs. The most difficult thing about WordPress is how incredibly sharp of a learning curve there is in learning to use it.
So today, I'm sharing six things that I recommend doing to all WordPress blogs - whether they're freshly made, or just looking for a quick face lift!

1. Deactivate and then delete all of the plugins you don't like, or aren't using.
Benefit: Not only will your blog run faster, it will also be more secure! One of the most well-known ways of compromising WordPress blogs are through deactivated files that haven't yet been deleted, so cut your chances from the get go and get those files gone.
2. Change the default settings on your Permalinks page
Benefit: Your posts will rank higher in SEO.
WordPress default (for some reason) is to file your posts by /year/month/date/your-post-name. Change it to just /your-post-name and your content will automatically become more likely to be crawled successfully by Google's search index program.
3. Limit yourself in categories, not Tags
Benefit: Your content will be easier to discover.
Think about your categories as genres, and your tags as ways to narrow those genres down. This will allow your reader to discover more content (via category), yet still find specific content when they want it (via tag).
4. Make WordPress work for you and your content!
Benefit: You can spend more time writing, promoting, and networking.
Install an Editor's Calendar plug-in to schedule posts ahead of time, find social network plug-ins so your content is automatically published to Twitter, Google, and Facebook, and automate as much SEO as you can! Make your blog "work for you" and you'll cover more ground in success in a shorter amount of time.
5. Remove your beginning widgets, and start fresh
Benefit: Your blog will have a cleaner, more customized look
Removing your starter widgets will allow you to decide the flow of your website that you'd most like your reader to follow. What is more important to you for your reader to see first: Instagram photos? Your pins?
Also, remember to remove the "meta" widget. Not only do you not really need to display it, if you do, you'll basically be showcasing a direct link to your admin panel to those who may use it for not-so-nice purposes.
6. Start adding META information to each image
Benefit: Increased ranking in Google Image Search
When you upload post photos or graphics, type in some keywords or even an image caption into the various ALT values that are there. Google will scan through your keywords whenever someone searches with Google Images, and can potentially be a great source of traffic if you nail the right words!

That's it! My six favourite tips. What are yours? Feel free to leave your own in the comments.

B.You Bloglovin' Blog Hop #8

<center><a href="http://byourownblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/byou-bloglovin-blog-hop-1.html" target="_blank"><img alt="BLOGHOP" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8617324975_966612e7c2_n.jpg"/></a></center>

Thank you to everyone who linked up last week!! Lets help this bloglovin' blog hop grow by sharing with your friends, followers, and adding the button to your sidebar!

Grab the button above and put it in your linky list or sidebar.

Follow your host, co-hosts, and guest host on bloglovin'. Leave a comment that you're a new follower so we can all come and check you out!

Link up your bloglovin' URL only. We had several people that submitted their blogs URL, but this is a bloglovin' hop so only link up your bloglovin' account, please!

Hop around and visit some of the other blogs that linked up and give them a follow. This is all about making new friends and finding new reads, not just linking up and expecting everyone to follow you.

Pin, Tweet, Facebook, blog this link up! The more exposure it gets, the more potential followers for you! 

Your Host:

B.You Blog

Your Co-Hosts:

Ashley @ A Fox & A Wolf

Torrie @ Fox + Hazel

Christina @ Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe
Natalee @ Eat Nap Play
Ashley @ Modernette

Guest Host:

Jennifer @ Magic Cat Jenny

**If you are interested in being a guest host, please email us at b.you.blog [at] gmail [dot] com

Do you love photography and to read?...

(click on image to view larger, read easier) 

Because if you love both photography and reading I could really use your help.

As I mention in my review of Scott Kelby's "The Digital Photography Book: Part 1", books for review are delivered on both a numerous and regular basis.

So much so that it would be impossible for me to read them all.

Here's how you can help me out, pick any one of the above books (first come first serve), and I will send it to you to read and write a review.

Not only will the book be yours to keep, we will also provide links back to you (your website, Flickr page, etc.) as part of your intro/bio that will be part of the posted review.

The only two things we ask is that you follow our review policy and have your review back to us in a two to three week time frame.

So after getting this far if you are still interested simply send us an email with your book of choice along with your snail mail address and we'll send your book right out to you.

You might want to include a second choice just in case your first choice is already gone.

UPDATE: all of the books have been claimed, thanks everyone...

Blog Design: 25 Free Social Media Icon Sets

We talked in a previous post about how there are thousands of free resources on the web that you can use to make your blog your own. To delve into that a bit more, I've rounded some 25 FREE social media icon sets that will make your site look like the bomb-dot-com. Check out the aforementioned post for even more free icon sets and design resources!

via Dinosaur Stew & Lena B Actually

via IROCKSOWHAT

via Pancake Ninja

via Pure Imagination

via rafiki270 on Deviantart

via Social Media Delivered

via Craftiments

via The Pixelista

via Geek Fairy

via Joy Laforme

via c.w frosting

via IROCKSOWHAT

via Pink Moustache

via The Pepper and Her Pups

via Geek Fairy

via Besotted

via Totally Tates

via Design Bolts

via Dreierlei Liebelei

via 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic

via The Shoppe Designs

via Crab + Fish

via c.w frosting

via Hazel & Agnes

via verve & sass

PHEW! That's a lot of icons!

Let us know if you end up using these icons on your site! And as always, if you do, make sure to give credit to the original sources and if you pin the sets, PLEASE pin from the original source too! Only pin the title image from this post - we want to make sure we direct traffic to the designers for all their hard work.