Category: Random

Snowy Wednesday Evening Thoughts

Lauren6 Comments

Guys, I’m getting really creative with these blog post titles, aren’t I?!

Anyways, it’s Wednesday evening, it’s snowing and I maybe totally skipped my workout to bake cookies, drink beer and eat homemade potato soup.  To be fair, I had a headache and I was hungry so it wasn’t going to be a good workout even if I hadn’t skipped out.  I’m sure it was the right decision because I’m suddenly feeling inspired to write a post made of long-winded numbered points.

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Cookie-fueled writing inspiration>runner’s high.  Sometimes at least.

Please enjoy previously mentioned long-winded numbered point section.

1.  Like I said, there was homemade potato soup on the menu tonight.  This soup, to be exact.  It is not the first time we’ve made it.  It is delicious.  Joey has decided to adapt it into “our favorite soup recipe ever” and has been talking about how to do this all.night.long.  Help.

2. I bought the Alabama Shakes CD aaaaaand, that is some soul music!  It’s a little bit Adele and it’s a little bit Amy Winehouse, but then it’s its own unique thing too.  I’m not quite sure, but I think I really like it.

3. Cookies.  From a box.  That I found in the very very back of my baking shelf.  And might be over a year old.  But taste amazing!

4. We’re completely caught up on Parenthood and for the two days before we started another TV series, my life felt so empty and meaningless.  We have since started Six Feet Under.  I had no idea Peter Krause was in this show too.  I’m not sold just yet but I have high hopes (and a bunch of 10/10 ratings on IMDB) that assure me I’ll love it.

5. Are you aware of how much a quality Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet costs??  Don’t even look.

6. This is exactly how I feel about the Harlem Shake.

7. Joey had flowers delivered to me on Valentine’s Day and they were… a little worse for the wear.  One angry phone call and three days later, new flowers were delivered.  They look much better.

8. I’ve had that “is my throat dry or sore?” feeling since Saturday and I’m trying my hardest to convince myself it’s the former.  Although if it does end up being a cold, I’ll continue to live like a normal person instead of acting like it’s the end of the world, because I’m a female and that’s what we do.

9. I told my sister I would read over her paper on Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and I was all too excited to read the original story first.  How awesome is Poe?  Did you know he also wrote detective stories?  Guesses on how many times I will offer to take my sister’s lit class for her before the semester is over.

10. Is it Friday yet?  My nephew’s birthday party, dinner in Denver for Denver Restaurant Week, hopefully some beer brewing and the Academy Awards this weekend!  Someone’s psyched and that someone is me.

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What’s going on in your life?

What’s the last album you bought?

All-time favorite TV show?

 

10 Tips for the Aspiring Blogger

Lauren7 Comments

1. Test it out before spending any money.

It’s SO easy to get a free blog. Feel free to check out all the different blogging platforms, choose one you like, then give it (and your blog) some time before shelling out any space upgrade or domain buying money.

2. Be real.

As a experienced reader of blogs, I would much rather tune into someone’s site if I feel like they are a real person with a real life that I can relate to. Being open and honest is the best blogging policy.

3. Choose quality over quantity.

This took me a few years to figure out. It means I would rather write one or two posts that I actually put a lot of thought, effort and editing into than posting 5 days a week just to keep a reader’s interest. And it means I would rather use one good picture than 10 crapy rushed ones.  Or, you know, zero pictures…

4. Your blog is what you make it.

It used to be a big deal how many comments I had or views I got, but at some point I realized that my blog is really for me. I love and welcome any conversation that may occur, but for me, it’s more about having a space to organize my thoughts and empty my brain. I know my family and friends read and I know it makes me happy to write. And that’s enough for me.

5. That being said, blogging can be a great way to build a community of like-minded people.

It can be an amazing way to find people all over who have similar interests, passions, problems and fears. And that can be a very comforting and helpful thing.

6. Find a good system.

And I mean that in the vaguest way possible. If you work best on a schedule, go for it. If you like to work from a coffee shop, make time and do it. If you want to find another program to write through instead of your blogging dashboard, take some time to find it. If you don’t have a Mac, might I suggest Windows Live Writer? (I miss you WLW!) Honestly, I write a lot of posts from my phone (I have the WordPress app). When the urge to write hits, I’m not always at home with access to my computer. It works for me.

7.  Put some thought into your blog title.

Because changing it further down the road would be a pain.  And because the name of your blog is important!  And because it will help you figure out the focus of your blog.  It can be as specific or as vague as you want the content of your site to be.  And yeah, you probably want to like your blog name.

8. Edit your posts!

I cringe when I look back at old (and maybe recent) posts of mine and see all kinds of typos and misspellings.  No one wants to read/view your work if it looks like you didn’t take the time to really look at it yourself.

9. Think long and hard about why you want to start a blog.

Remind yourself often and don’t lose sight of that reason.

10. And finally, don’t take any blog-writing advice from anyone with a small time blog and no real blogging authority.

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Do you have a blogging tip for a new blogger?