Learning more about blogging

Chatting one night on Etsy, I expressed frustration at feeling like I never know what to write about on my blog. And I don't mean writer's block - more like just lack of what to really write about. After all, I lead a pretty quiet life for the most part!

To alleviate this, Jenny (aka JennyBunny) suggested that I google for some blog ideas. A bell went off inside my head as I thought to myself - "I should have thought of that!" since I am constantly searching the internet when I want to shop or need information.

After wandering through some of the sites that popped from my google search, I found the following to be interesting (there are lots more of course, but this is a start). They're not quite ideas about what to write about but rather how to write blogs that others would potentially want to read.

One article that caught my eye was "5 ways to increase Internet traffic to your blog or web site". The author of this article had some points that I hadn't even considered, such as submitting for blog contests. OK - I admit it! I'm not really a contest kind of girl! And while it's not something that I will necessarily do, for those who like to enter contests it could be loads of fun. Other suggestions included using your technorati tags more effectively and using keyword tools when writing posts.

Another article that I stumbled across and found interesting reading is "10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog". The tips here are common-sense-icle but again, I certainly don't DO all of them. Be controversial?? I admit, I'm not the type to throw my political views out there for all the world to see. A time and a place for everything and my blog is not the place for that in my mind! But I see the author's point. The biggest suggestion that caught me off guard was #10 - Make it Easy to Comment. Sounds simple really but made me go look at my settings to see if I actually allowed this to happen.

So, my next step is to explore more ideas on what to write about. How do you come up with ideas for your blog?

Autumn is in the air!

I love the fall season - warm days - days that you can actually "smell" fall in the air. And chilly nights - sweatshirts (I'm a casual kind of girl) needed for dog walks and snuggle under my down comforter kind of nights. For some reason, baking always seems to be on my mind this time of year also. Not cooking - never that! - but baking pies, cakes and cookies kind of baking. Mmmmm, warm chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven with milk - my little bit of heaven!

I'm pretty fortunate since there are lots of apple orchards near our home in New Hampshire. Rich loves it when I make individual apple pies - I think he is kidding himself into thinking he's not eating as much - LOL! But the tempting aroma of them baking - especially the cinnamon - and how the whole house smells when they come out of the oven - yummy!

So, plans for the upcoming weekend? Wish I could say baking but I'm rushing to get ready for the first craft show of the season. I'm creating new hang cards for my earrings and trying out a special display for my sterling necklaces - so much to do! But I'm still going to stop and smell the autumn scents ... and I recommend you do to!

4 Things about me ....

Sunshinecitylassie tagged me for a fun game - I need to note 4 things about me in various categories. These games always make me slow down and think about lots of different things - mindbending LOL! Anyway, here I go ...

4 jobs I've had:
convenience store clerk
retail manager
call center operator/order-taker
office manager

4 films I can watch over and over:
Pretty Woman (sappy, but I still love it!)
Lord of the Rings (pick any of them - love them all!)
Sweet Home Alabama
The Lake House

4 places I have lived:
Robbinston Maine
Waterville Maine
Hudson New Hampshire
Manchester New Hampshire

4 favorite TV shows:
Criminal Minds
Big Love
NCIS
Two and a Half Men

4 favorite foods:
Chocolate
Macaroni and cheese
Melty Brie cheese with apple
Ice cream

4 website I visit every day:
etsy.com to check my store
hotmail to catch all of my email
ebay (always find something interesting)
bank account site

4 places I would love to be:
Washington DC around cherry blossom time
Greece - have never been but would love to visit!
Paris
secluded Hawaiian beach enjoying warm sunshine and swimming with dolphins

4 favorite colors:
Blue
Black
Red
Purple

OK, so now I need to find another person to tag .... hmmm, how about Lis from Simple Arts Planet ...

Also, since I'm blogging my little heart out - a couple of my latest jewelry pieces showcasing carnelian, black onyx and sterling silver

Time flies!

Have you ever noticed that life gets reallllly crazy all at once? I've been planning a trip to northeastern Maine to visit my family over the Labor Day holiday for awhile. Rich opted to stay home with the dog since his mom had back surgery on the Wednesday before I left and we didn't want to be too far away should she need any assistance.

So, I drove my six hours to get home and I must admit, it was great seeing everyone. Friday was spent with my maternal grandparents and running some errands. I definitely count myself very lucky to still have grandparents to visit! Saturday was great fun - a family friend (I used to babysit his daughter, who now has kids of her own - I feel so old!) took me to some lakes that I haven't seen in ages in his four wheeler (not an ATV - this is like a mini jeep - not sure what they are actually called) and I got to snap some pics.

This is a view of Rand Lake:


Merrill, my chauffeur for the afternoon, with his constant companion Daisy:


Western Lake, where we used to ice skate and go ice fishing as kids:


A view from the top of Trimble Mountain (that's Canada on the far side of the St. Croix River):

A fire pit is a necessity for hot dogs and roasting marshmallows!

And this is the view from my house - again, that's Canada on the far side of the river:


I also got a chance to spend some time with my mom, friends, and my brother. The day before I returned home, I spent some time picking fresh Maine blueberries for everyone in NH. I refuse to rake and pick the berries over afterward - I'd much rather just pick a spot, sit down (make sure you are wearing old jeans!) and pull clean berries from the vine. Imagine these in fields as far as the eye can see!


With my visit behind me, I now have to focus on my upcoming craft show in two weeks. Yikes! Time sure does fly!

Going to see my Mom

This is a "run-by" blog! I'm heading to Maine to see my Mom, brother, grandparents, and extended family for the Labor Day weekend ahead. I thought I'd post a quick note to let those of you who swing by my little blog that I'll be back with lots of pictures next week. Have a great Labor Day weekend if you are in the US and happy weekend to those of you in other areas!

Special order request

I was so excited when I received this special order! My onyx and sterling anklet was chosen for purchase at a local shop where I sell some of my jewelry. One of the customers fell in love with it and requested a necklace, bracelet, earrings and (of all things!) a ring using the same materials.

After chatting with her to discuss preferences, my customer opted for a "Y" necklace. I suggested a sterling chain to add a bit of sparkle and to help show off the beauty of the onyx. She was thrilled with the results:

The bracelet and earrings were alot of fun to make. The bracelet was just a smaller version of the anklet she had already purchased and was pretty quick to put together. As she liked longer earrings, I added 3 small dangles to the end and, fortunately, she loved them.

The ring posed a bit more of a challenge for several reasons. First (and foremost!) I don't own a ring mandrel so sizing was a worry. Luckily, she took the same size ring as I wear so I was able to use myself to size it.

I must admit I was really pleased with the way the set turned out - and more importantly, so was my customer!

Treasury post

Woohoo! This morning I was thrilled to find out that my Sunrise Earrings (beginning of second row) were part of a treasury posted by BeadsDeep. How cool!