Newest update: I now have Photoshop

I still consider myself to be in the learning stages with my Apple Mac and I am making it a habit to use it even for the simple searches or mail checks.   If I don’t use it I will never learn all the fantastic features it contains.   I did purchase the iWork when I first purchased the computer, so I have been dabbling around with iPhoto.   I reasoned to myself though if I am in this learning mode at present, I may as well throw more into the equation, so I now also have Adobe Photoshop.   I received the software yesterday along with the Missing Manual for it and am excited to dive in!

If you have been following along with the Post A Day challenge and my blog, you may have noticed my list of topics for each day is gone.   What I found happening was that I was trying to follow the outline of topics exactly and I was feeling pressed to come up with a new craft or tech idea to write about and, quite honestly, it wasn’t fun.   My topics were great and definitely part of what I do, but if you notice my posts have become more centered on photos, recipes and now with the gardening season upon us…much more gardening!

I still haven’t missed a day although there are gaps.   These are filled by my other blog GardenDish with gardening recipes which will become more frequent.   …and gosh, who knows where this new Photoshop will send me.   So like an evolving diary … my blog keeps learning and moving on to new facets in life.   The one underlying lesson I am taking away with this challenge is not to limit myself and to write about what I am passionate about – it is much more interesting.   Since that changes (almost weekly) you will never know what to expect next.   For now it’s ……. Gardening, Photos and some good ole’ healthy eating.

Thank you for your patience as I shift gears a bit.   One more note – it seems using the air card brings me back to prehistoric time and my computing is slow and although I can check in … there is not a whole lot of browsing and commenting I am able to do.    My trips and air card use will be on the increase and I can read most …. very slowly and very patiently.

Me and My Blogs …

I just recently set up another new blog for “Munchie Monday” and I created it in a matter of minutes.   I must be getting good at it, eh?   Actually the more you work with something, the better and quicker you get at achieving your final results.  I do have a few blogs … this one, The Running Garlic, the one I just created for Munchie Monday and Garden Dish.   These three will be the blog triangle I work within.   There are a few others I have created in the past…all a learning experience and although they still remain intact, my interests have evolved.   I remember being quite intimidated by this whole blog concept and publishing my first post was such a scary experience.   The hesitation before clicking that “Publish” button was REAL and finally telling myself to “Just do it” was such a dramatic achievement.  Now I rarely hesitate once I am ready to Publish.   That speaks volumes to me about getting out there and doing something we are unfamiliar with.   I must admit I do try to learn all I can about subjects that interest me, but I think the tricky part with blogging is – You have no clue who is reading your words and you most definitely do not want to make a fool of yourself (even though you don’t know who you would be making a fool of yourself in front of).   It’s that fear and that funny voice in our heads creating doubt.   Needless to say, I won out over that voice and since participating in the Post a Day Challenge I really enjoy my blogging.   I am excited to add content to the other blogs because I know it will be fun!

There are plenty of neat features between all the themes and layouts and different settings with the WordPress blog to keep you busy and your mind active.   Learn WordPress is a great start to learn many of the basics and as I said before the more you work with something, the easier it gets.   There are different ways to set up features on the blog and even one to set yourself private from the world, so if that aspect frightens you, as it did me…set it to private.   With my gardening interests I have found that documenting daily or weekly activity, weather and problems in the garden with a blog is an excellent tool.   It allows you to quickly look back at the year before and see what was happening and what you were planting, your harvest and your pictures!   Priceless

I have also found that I go out of my way to experience different things or take photos that I never would have if I didn’t have a blog to talk about the experience.

So if you are thinking of setting up a blog, I encourage you to do so.   No one needs to read it.   I am betting though by the time you experience the ease and the fun that blogging adds to your life, you will be anxious to share it with ….. whoever is reading it out there!

Thinking about Writing…

As I sit thinking today … I am thinking about writing. There are writers and then there are writers like me. I write about things I know … factual things like planting a seed and the progress of its growth or mixing ingredients and watching as the cookies bake into a golden brown in the oven. I write “how tos” or tutorials to help others do what I have already done. At times I write motivational tidbits and hope it helps others overcome obstacles. I consider myself a “safe” writer….writing about things I know.

In the last few months two very distinctive trends started to surface in my life and opened my eyes to the “other writers”.   The first eye opener is my son who recently graduated college and is working on his novel. He doesn’t talk much about it, but I now understand.  I get it.  I have always just read self-help books or books with a concrete theme (cooking, gardening, sewing) and although I would read a fictional book on occasion I only purchased “practical” books. Then I started interacting with writers in the WordPress challenge and started reading some of their posts.   They are writers like my son.   They become the characters and build a world from their thoughts; they follow their imaginations to wherever they may lead.   They create an environment all its own and they write …. from the depths of their minds.   Unlike me, the safe writer, they break the barriers and tread the unsafe grounds.

Now I am becoming aware of different authors or books that I see mentioned. There is a huge world of writers out there and they create works of art that people rush to read.  They nod in agreement when they refer to a specific author and his works … it’s a bond that only writers and the readers know.

What prompted my real and final full understanding of this concept was just recently at a family gathering.   My sister and aunt were discussing books and authors sharing their insights – I sat there looking from one to the other and finally piped in saying…. If you both love reading so much why don’t you Write!   Write a book!

They both looked at me in total disbelief and said no, no we could never write like this … “There are readers, like us, and then there are Writers.”

So as I sit thinking today … about writing …. I know now I totally “get it”.

I think it’s finally time to crack open the book my son handed to me a while back and told me I should read “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein.    I am sure the writer Peter Weis would nod in agreement.

NetworkedBlogs on Facebook

Do you use NetworkedBlogs on Facebook?   If you have a blog and use Facebook you really should be connecting these two social media tools to gain the most exposure for yourself.   All you need to do is follow the steps outlined under the App for NetworkedBlogs and you will be able to display a Blog link on your fan page for readers to click and read your blog.   Your blog posts will appear and the reader can go “read more”.  

You also have the ability to Follow other blogs that interest you.   On the Home page on Facebook there is an icon in the left column NetworkedBlogs you can click and see all the blogs you are following.   From there you can Vote, Share or go Read the full post.

For my Feature this Friday, I would like to thank those following my blog via the NetworkedBlog App on Facebook.   Thank you Everyone!!

Here are a few that also use the NetWorkedBlog feature – give them a Follow!

Eliz = EOF737′s Mirth & Motivation

Sandra = Give & Get

Leta = Leta Marie Designs

Nicole = Nicole Visions

Paul = Pantry Blogger

Linda = Steider Studios

Me = The Running Garlic

If you have any questions about using the feature, I will do my best to help you out.   Thanks again!!

**As of yesterday Facebook upgraded pages so things have moved around a bit.   If this affects the NetworkedBlogs I will let you know!

Small Business Sites and more Post a Day

I created a page Post a Day Challenge on my blog and a tab appears above.   This is a breakdown of the topics I will be posting about each day of the week.   I also created a Facebook group for those of us participating so we can share our posts with each other via Facebook.   Others can join us in our daily or weekly challenge and I am sure we will meet some great fellow bloggers and learn some fun new things along the way!

Today (according to my daily breakdown for Sunday) the topic is “small business”.   I am no expert on small business but I do have some experience in this area since we have owned a small business in the restaurant industry for almost 15 years now.   We came to a point along the way where we made the decision to stay small instead of expanding and we do hope to retire in the next few years.   I have also dabbled in a few direct selling lines, real estate and most recently have opened an online shop at Zibbet selling some of my handmade creations.

I am always on the lookout for social sites to network with others and I love the concept of marketing.   At the end of the year and beginning of a new year alot of companies will create recaps of “the best of the year” and this is a Great resource to find a list of small business sites that come highly recommended.   Here are a few small business sites that offer wonderful advice and tips for those interested in learning more about small business or who already run a small business of their own.

Inc.com       Entrepreneur.com      SmallBizTrends.com      Mashable.com

Business Done Now has a great writeup and video on Social media websites for 2011 to keep on eye on … it’s worth checking out!

There is a wealth of information at each of these sites and you may spend many hours reading and learning.   If you are thinking about starting a blog for your small business, I highly recommend WordPress .  I have created several blogs over the years and find WordPress to have that sophisticated look I want for my writing and sharing.   Earlier today I posted a recap of my blog stats they emailed to me so I can see how I did and this is just one of the great ways they motivate and stay connected with their users.   Give WordPress a try; definitely a great business tool!

2010 in review #postaday2011

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 7,600 times in 2010. That’s about 18 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 61 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 73 posts. There were 284 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 289mb. That’s about 5 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was January 25th with 379 views. The most popular post that day was One World One Heart – Meet fellow bloggers!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com, blotanical.com, twitter.com, blogger.com, and grow.gardenbloggers.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for lollipots, candy melts, peas, garlic, and dill seedlings.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

One World One Heart – Meet fellow bloggers! January 2010
288 comments

2

Lolli Pots – candy creations! December 2009
2 comments

3

Seed Paper Flowers and The Big Card! March 2010
5 comments

4

Nasturtium GROW Project April 2010
10 comments

5

Companion Gardening revisited February 2010
9 comments

Post a Day Challenge

Back and forth – measuring the pros and cons – the time involved and the rewards ….. and what did I decide?   I’ll do IT!    WordPress has initiated the Daily Post where those who choose to participate will create and publish a post for their blogs on a daily basis.   There is the option also to post once a week but since I more or less do that already I decided to go with the daily challenge and see what happens!   They will be joining in the fun and posting tips and encouragement and ideas on a daily basis also, so we won’t be alone!   I mentioned this challenge to my son, who is the expert writer in the family, and he suggested I just write what I am thinking and then in the same breath he said….well, maybe not.   There is the real challenge … “what” I will blog about – not writing it up, since once I get an idea I can write … it’s the “what” part for me that I need to focus on.   Since I am a big list writer, I thought I would make a list

There it is …… blank.   I think how I plan to approach this is to dedicate certain days for specific topics.   My interests are varied so instead of just rambling on about topics I can keep some type of organization with the day format.   This challenge will definitely help me focus on content and different tools that are available, such as, the “Press This” feature I just added to my toolbar which I read about here —> Tips for a new year of blogging — Blog — WordPress.com.

Also shown in the photo above is my new Mac Pro I received as a Christmas gift and since I have always been a Dell gal (3 of them currently) learning the Mac system will be something I can post about AND that little AT&T gadget is what they call an “air card” and this will enable me to connect to the internet anywhere!   Now when I am at our remote home in the country I can connect and blog daily ……. yippee!  

Basically, I am pretty excited about this Post a Day Challenge and I figure those reading my blog will either get tired of hearing from me every day OR as I am hoping ….. tune in daily in eager anticipation to see what I am up to!   Of course if you have suggestions for a blog post or can give me any type of direction, I am all ears … seems we have alot to discuss and discover in the next 364 blog posts I will be creating!   One down and more to come!

Mini Gourd Ornaments

I grew quite a few mini gourds this past season and while most are still drying on racks, a few were finished with the drying phase and I was anxious to use them for Christmas ornaments.  In the past I created some really neat gourd flowers with my minis and some pumpkin decorations.  These I posted at Craftster and can be seen here.  For my lastest creation I first added a thread hanger so I could work on the gourds from all sides and they could dry nicer.

 Mini gourds ready to decorate

I painted 2 coats of white acrylic paint on some and 2 coats of black on others.  I let this dry then added my designs.  The 3 littliest gourds turned out super …

 

as did the mini snowmen ornaments.  I finished by adding a coat of Mod Podge for sealing and for the shiny affect.  At first I tried Polycrylic which I read was a good product to use to seal the gourds, but it seemed to eat at the paint.  Not sure why that happened but will do some further research.  I still have a handful of mini gourds to decorate and tons more once my harvest drys up … so Fun!  It is amazing how they can be transformed into creations of art! 

I added a post to the Business blog titled Benefits of Blogging if you are interested in reading this information.

Here are 2 larger gourds drying on the racks also.  Haven’t decided what they will turn into yet!

 Any ideas?