Blogger's Block Challenge

Since I have been battled writer's block before, I thought doing *all* of these prompts might be a fun way to get some interesting and different content on this blog.  I stumbled upon this article through Bloglovin' and I have been quite impressed with the quality of the articles they send.

Anyway, here are the topics I'll be covering, to be posted whenever I don't have other timely content to write about.  Sound fun?

POST IDEAS FOR THE STUMPED BLOGGER, PART ONE



1. Behind the Scenes. A few photos of your morning routine, what makeup you love to use, or even your walk to work. Take your readers into your world and show them something new, from your point of view. No matter how big or small it may seem to you, it will most likely always be interesting to someone reading your blog, as we are all curious creatures by nature.

2. Stream of Consciousness. Sit down and write. Really write. I call this a brain dump and they are my favorite posts to read on others' sites. Talk about your day, your thoughts, what you're dreaming of, what you're scared of. Just write and don't stop for a good 10 minutes. 

3. Share a Snapshot. Think back to a particular time in your life- it can be big, like the first day of high school or the day you met your partner, or it can be small, like getting the mail yesterday or riding the train to work. Take that experience and capture it in a paragraph. Describe it; tell a story. Create an image for the reader and allow them to be right there with you, along for the ride.

4. Photo-an-Hour. Take your camera (or iPhone if that's more convenient) and commit to taking one photo per hour the entire day. Start when you first wake up. At the end of the day compile all of your photos into a post, and write little blurbs about each moment in time. 7:07am- wake up. Feeling so tired but ready to start the day.

5. An "I'm good at this!" post. Sometimes I feel like I see the same kind of DIY projects floating around the internet over and over again. It would be so nice to see some new ideas, from new people, even if you're not necessarily a DIY-blogger. So what are you good at? Maybe you're an expert BLT-maker, or you taught your dog how to do really neat tricks, or you still enjoy getting out your old keyboard and playing songs. Teach your readers how to do it themselves! Just share it, even if it feels a little out there. In my opinion, fresh and good and out there are pretty awesome.

6. Share a collection. What do you collect? Take photos of your whole collection, then of a few favorite items. Tell your readers the story of how the collection came about, and talk a bit about those special pieces. There's a reason you love these things enough to collect them, so share some of that passion in the post.

7. Borrow a Feature. So many bloggers have particular features they do regularly. For example, I do Currently posts,Jen does Weekly Parenting Ups and Downs, and Diana does Friday Darlings. There are so many bloggers out there who something special and unique to their blog, that it could be fun to try it out for a post. Just be sure to give credit where credit is due and share where the feature is from, along with a link. 

8. Song and a Story. Pick a song in your life, maybe your wedding song, a song from an old boyfriend, a party song from college, just a song that has some sort of meaning, and tell your readers about it. Share the song in a one-track playlist, then write the story of the song. Where did you first hear it? What does it mean to you? What do you feel when you hear it?

9. What's in Your _____. The "What's in Your Bag" posts are super popular, but I would love to see what's in your car's glove compartment. Or your junk drawer, makeup drawer, etc. Post a photo of what's in there, and talk a bit about each thing. 

10. The Best ______ Ever. Choose a topic, like Meg Ryan movies or blueberry muffins, and gather together what you'd need to find "the best ______ ever." Maybe you'll screen five of the most well-known Meg Ryan movies and crown the winner, or try out four blueberry muffin recipes and pick the very best. This can be a one post project, or span into a mini project as you search for the very best of whatever you choose to highlight.

I'm curious to see if anyone else picks up this challenge.  Please leave your link in the comment section if you do.  Thanks!

2014 Goals

I know it may seem a little late to be posting goals for the new year, but these have been swirling in my head since the end of January and I think they are finally ready to be listed and documented.  Not to mention by publishing them I can hold myself accountable and keep myself on track for the year.

  1. Finally get my Tax/ Incorporation in order.  Aka, am I a sole proprietor or LLC?  I meet with my uncle who does taxes for a living to figure this out next week.  :)
  2. Commit to at least one show/fair/market per month.  Obviously I missed the first three months this year but so far I'm on track to start in April with the Merchant's Landing Show April 12 & 13.
  3. Post to this blog once a week.  If more is happening that's worth posting about, I'll be sure to post it as well, though it may be less wordy.  Who is ok with just a picture post once in a while?
  4. Get my wares into a physical brick & mortar store.  More to come on this once things are settled.  I'm currently talking with two different shops and it just makes me super excited for new possibilities!
I've also started reading this great book that has some nice exercises (I'm not usually a fan of "exercises" in a book) that really spoke to me after I met my goal of doing 1-3 physical shows in 2013.  I felt so empowered and excited I couldn't wait to make more goals for this year & feel an even bigger empowerment at the end of this year.  Thus my mind has really started opening to the possibilities because of this book & it has really inspired some energy in me for this year's success.


So far my favorite passage is on goals & goal setting (thus inspiring this organized post instead of just a note to self on a scrap piece of paper):

Goals are really amazing things.  They give you focus and set your course.  [...]  Goals support Intentions.  By actively working on these goals, the end result will be accomplished.  You can use your intentions to make sure you keep your business on track. [...]  Your goals should be your friends; they should excite you, and you should look forward to working toward them.  Goals are not chores.
Exercise: Make a list of all the goals you've had since you decided to be a creative business owner.  Now circle all the goals that you've already accomplished.
Quote from Jolie Guillebeau: "Take small steps consistently.  Do something every single day to make a little progress toward your goal." 
Grow Your Handmade Business - Kari Chapin

Anyone read anything inspiring lately?

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I may have to move my January challenge to February because my book came up due, tomorrow, at the library and I can't renew it -- someone else is interested in it and has a hold on it.  So if I don't have time to copy the pattern before I return it, I'll have to re-request it for February's craft challenge.  :(

Craft Book Challenge - January's Project


My first goal for January: Liel's Craft Book Challenge.   Instead of using one of my own books for this first project, I'm going to use a book I borrowed from the library.  After browsing through it immediately after getting it home, I bookmarked about a dozen fun little patterns I want to try but haven't found the time.  So this challenge will be perfect for that before I have to return the book.  Then maybe I'll try one of my old vintage pattern books from my great-grandmother on crochet slippers...

This month's pattern will be:

A Knitted Chair Cushion

I think I'll try it in yellows, pinks and/or greens so it's ready for springtime.  :)
I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration!