New Contributors!
Rabu, 15 Mei 2013
The beginning of the month we had put a call out for contributors. We poured through so many amazing blogs and really wanted to choose them all, but had to narrow it down to two bloggers to bring on. You may have noticed the two new contributor photos in the sidebar over there and maybe the new profiles in the 'meet' section up above. I am really excited to introduce to you our two new contributors to B.You!!!
Natalee
Natalee is the lovely lady behind the blog Eat Nap Play; a lifestyle blog sharing her family life, crafts, healthy living, and so much more!
Ashley
Ashley is the owner of the blog Modernette; a lifestyle blog about music, culture, photos and creative processes.
We are very excited to have these two talented bloggers on board with us and a part of the B.You team. Both of them are on the Wordpress platform, which was one of the main reasons they were chosen. B.You is a Blogger blog where the writers are all on the Blogger platform for their own respective blogs so having two contributors who are on a different platform can bring more diversity to the mix and offer tips, tricks and how-to's to those who don't use Blogger. But that is not the only reason they were brought on! Come back each week to see what other amazing posts they have to share with you!
Be sure to say hi and welcome Natalee and Ashley to the team!
Two, no make that three bazillion free fonts...
This is by far the single most popular post we have ever done on Weekly Photo Tips, so we have decided to edited and update our list of the best available free fonts out there to share with you here today.
Enjoy.
There are times when working on projects (for both yourself and clients) and the standard fonts you find on your computer just aren't doing it for you.
And the right font can really "make" the project pop (just as a bad font can sink it).
Below is list of websites that have way more FREE fonts than you ever knew existed.
1001 Free Fonts
Abstract Fonts
Acid Fonts
California Fonts
Chank Fonts
Creamundo.com
DaFont.com
Fonts.com
Font Fabric
Font Freak
Font River
Font Shop
Font Space
Font Squirrel
Free Fonts on Pinterest
Free Typography
Get Free Fonts
Google Fonts
Simply The Best Fonts
Urban Fonts
If you download any of these fonts for a project I (and your fellow Weekly Photo Tippers) would love to see the final results so email me a screenshot or join our Flickr group and post it there.
A very nice carbon fiber tripod...
If you are in the market for a tripod you should consider the new Flashpoint F-2228N Version II Carbon Fiber Tripod.
It has a maximum height 65", when closed is just 22", will support up to 22 pounds and comes with both spiked and rubber feet.
This tripod usually sells for $219 but is on sale for $99 (with free shipping).
You may want to consider the F-9 Compact Tripod Ball Head with Quick Release to top it off.
It to is on sale for just $44 and also has free shipping.
Introduction to Wordpress
Selasa, 14 Mei 2013
It may seem odd that I am using Blogger to talk about WordPress, but all of us at B.You thought it would be a great idea to diversify the content of this site and provide information to you both for Blogger and WordPress. It seems foreign for me to be typing a post in Blogger because all I know is WordPress. I can't say that I have a preference for one or the other because I am not familiar with each of them on the same level, so I will stick to what I know and tell you a little bit about WordPress. I started my blog on WordPress.com back in February. There are two different ways to start a blog through the WordPress publishing application. One way is through their dot com site. This is the approach I took when I started. There are many benefits to this approach. First of all, it is free ninety-free. Who doesn't like free stuff?! Secondly, it gives you the option to publicize your posts on multiple different social media sites (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). And, my favorite part is that you can track your stats within the application through the built in "site stats" page.
The other approach to starting a site with WordPress is for more advanced users (in my opinion). It involves downloading the software and signing up for website hosting. This is done through a web hosting service. There are many hosting companies out there. Do your research before you sign up with one. Web site hosting will usually run you between $4 and $8 per month, and many companies offer free trials. If you choose this route, you have more options for customizing your website. It is more work for sure, but the benefit is that you have full control of your content, your design, and your space on the internet. The WordPress platform is the industry standard and is used by many businesses and bloggers. With this option, you will be able to advertise on your blog, whereas you do not have that capability through the dot com option.
I want to touch on design for a second. Both options allow you to choose a pre-designed template for your site; however, with the dot com option, you can only customize a few things within the template, so what you see is pretty much what you get. However, with the self-hosted option, you have the ability to edit the coding of the template to change way more stuff. This is part of the process that will take more advanced knowledge to navigate through or you can hire a web designer to create your site if you don't have the desire and/or time to design it yourself.
So, in the end, the best thing to do before starting a blog with WordPress is to decide what you want to accomplish with your blog and how much time you want to put into it. If you just want a place to share your thoughts with others and do not have much time to dedicate or money to put into it, the dot com option may be best for you. If you want to have a place that feels more like your own and you don't mind spending hours of your time creating your space to be exactly how you want it (or hiring a designer), then you might want to check out the self-hosting option.
I know this is a lot of information and it may be a bit confusing at first, but if you are really interested in starting your own blog, I urge you to do your research and find out which option best suits your needs. I started with the more basic dot com option. I love it, and it was great for me for a while, but I found that I wanted something that felt more like my own, something that I could call mine and mold into my happy place. So right now I am in the process of transitioning to a self-hosted site using the WordPress software. It has taken me countless hours to design the site because I have had to learn so much along the way. It will take me many more hours to finish it, but it will be mine and it will be worth it to me.
Featured Small Business: Salvage Audio
Senin, 13 Mei 2013
Hand made items and small businesses are popping up everywhere. Anyone can take something and create a product and turn it in to a business, but not everyone can catch your eye. While scrolling through my IG feed one day, I saw a friend of mine had posted a photo of a hand made audio box. Now, I don't own an audio box, nor do looking at audio boxes do anything for me; but this particular one stood out.
After some investigating and lurking on his Facebook and IG feed to find out more about these audio boxes, I saw what he was doing was totally amazing and unique that I just had to share it with the world. So I sent off a few questions for him to answer so you could learn a little bit more about Jared Kirby and his hand made business Salvage Audio.
When did you start Salvage Audio?
The idea for Salvage Audio started during the summer of 2011 when I was shopping for an iPod speaker to put in my living room. I couldn't find anything on the market that fit my style, so I decided to build my own! My friends and family really liked what I had made. I built a few more for others, then started selling online in November of 2012.
Can you tell us what Salvage Audio is all about?
Salvage Audio is about quality, design, and great sound while blending the rustic look of old reclaimed wood, with the sound quality and convenience of new technology. All of my Music Systems use Wireless Bluetooth connectivity to use with your phone, tablet, or computer. I'm really trying to bring back quality craftsmanship into a market full of molded black plastic. This is accomplished by being eco responsible with my practices, such as, reclaimed wood and recycled packaging supplies.
Where are you based out of?
SA started in San Luis Obispo, CA, but has since moved to a shop in Atascadero, CA. I'll soon make the move back to a shop in SLO. I love San Luis and most of the reclaimed wood that I use in my systems comes from SLO, so I can't wait!
To view the rest of the interview and for free shipping and a coupon code, head on over to Chevron Stitches.
To view the rest of the interview and for free shipping and a coupon code, head on over to Chevron Stitches.
Hey mom, happy Mothers Day!
Minggu, 12 Mei 2013
Yes I may be 50 (something), but I am still a mommas boy.
My mom was a single parent of 5 (2 girls, 3 boys) and we were poor (though I didn't know it when I was younger). We lived in the projects in the Boston area and my mom struggled to make ends meet with some pretty crappy jobs, cleaning other peoples homes and taking in their laundry.
The two things I remember most from those times were being happy and always having an outstanding Christmas. No matter what the year had held for us, when Christmas came it was magical. It seemed no matter what we had asked for from Santa, we would find it under the tree on Christmas morning.
I knew there just had to be a Santa because there was no way my mom could afford to buy us these things.
Well, when I got a little older, I knew the big man was more myth than man but I couldn't figure out how my mom did it, how she made Christmas "happen". Because by then understood clearly, we were poor.
Then one day I happened upon five envelopes that were all rubber banned together. One had my name on it and the others had the names of my brothers and sisters. Each envelope had the exact same amount of money in it, all in one dollar bills and loose change.
Then it dawned on me, after a long day of cleaning houses my mom would take some of that days money and split it evenly between those 5 envelopes. And she would do this after every basket of laundry, after every dirty house, all year long. So by the time Christmas came, mom could make the magic happen.
Though at the time I understood the process, I could not fully appreciate all her hard work and all that sacrifice until I was older.
As I write this it still amazes me.
And I know why we were happy, because we were loved.
Well, it's time to head to mom's. My daughters love this for several reasons, not the least of which is that when I walk through her door I am no longer their dad, I am my mothers son. They get a kick seeing me in that role.
The picture below is from a few years back, the girls made my mom a cake that looked like a platter of spaghetti and meatballs (cream cheese "spaghetti" frosting, strawberry "sauce" topping).
Happy Mothers Day mom, I love you!
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