The best online resources to improve your blog

Hello there my friends! It's almost the weekend, whoot! I hope your week has gone beautifully!

I used to share a lot of blogging tips and have stopped doing that as much over the years. I was reminded at a conference last year that SO MANY of you are interested in blogging or have already started one and the advice would be welcomed.

So I'm determined to be better about sharing again! I'll be going on my tenth year of blogging in just a few months and I still can hardly believe it. Truly the BEST, most amazing job I've ever had. I pinch myself every day. I still have SO much to learn as this business is constantly changing, but I do have a lot under my belt that I can share. :)

I'm sharing the six online resources I use nearly every day to run my business. They are so helpful for different reasons and I'll go into each. Most are free for the basic use!

1. PicMonkey for photo editing

I don't use anything fancy to edit my photos. I love photography and it was a hobby of mine before blogging, but I still haven't taken the time to learn Photoshop. It intimidates me, simple as that. :)

But photos are EVERYTHING on a blog...it doesn't matter what you're blogging about. You need visuals or it gets boring real fast. I used another program for years (you may see my refer to it in my earlier posts) but they went under. Thankfully PicMonkey came along to fill that need:

Their basic options are free (and there are a lot of them). If you want extras you can pay the upgrade and that's $33 a year. They are absolutely worth it for me. 

You can do a ton with this site -- brighten, sharpen, adjust color and resize your photos. 

You can also create your own printables! I love this site and find it offers plenty of editing options for my needs. Someday I may learn Photoshop...but maybe not. 

2. Tailwind for Pinterest

THIS is one I don't think I could live without. There are plenty of scheduling sites for Pinterest but this is the one I like the best. Tailwind is an incredible resource full of information and helpful tools for bloggers: 

Not only does it make it incredible easy to schedule your content on Pinterest for weeks and months out, it gives you access to the stats of your Pinterest account and how pins and boards are performing. 

The analytics are so interesting and you can see where it's best to spend your time on Pinterest. It also shows you the optimal times to pin for your specific account. I like the scheduling part the best because it means I don't have to be on the computer for hours every day: 

There are also "tribes" with groups of bloggers which make it super easy to pin similar content to yours -- which is important because people that follow your account want to see consistent content. 

Tailwind is free to those who want to just use the tribes but if you want all the bells and whistles it's $10 a month (if you pay for the year in advance). It is a tool I would hate to be without at this point and I can't recommend it enough. If you'd like to try it out, you can use my (affiliate) link here. 

I plan to go more in depth on this tool in a later post so I can show you all it does! 

3. Coscheduler for the best headlines

This is such a cool, FREE resource! You put in your post title and it will give you a score:

Before I said photos are everything and I take that back...titles are even more important because no one will find you if you don't have great titles! I still struggle with finding the best ones and this is so helpful. I don't use it every time but I should.

Here's a very basic title for today's post:

That's a pretty bad score. I consider anything below 70 to be poor. 

Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right combo of words but look what a difference it makes: 

You can see I'm still at 0 percent for a couple of them but it's a MUCH better score. If I play around with it more I'm sure I can get it higher. 

They offer a few other helpful tips for each title as well. This is a simple way to see how well search engines will view your blog titles. Such a cool free resource! 

4. Google Analytics for stats

I have to tell you, I don't look at this nearly as much as I should. But if you have a blog, (at least one you'd like to make a business out of) you absolutely need to at least have this code installed on your blog so you can see how it's performing.

Google Analytics is an absolute treasure trove of information:

You'll be able to see how many page views and visits you get every day, the unique views, the general areas of the world your readers are coming from, and most importantly, what posts are getting the most traction and who is sending you traffic. 

Knowing what posts are popular at any given time is helpful so you can make those the best they can be. You want those coming from searches and Pinterest to stay awhile and come back to your site...this gives you insight into if they are doing that. 

Make sure the code for Google Analytics is installed at the top of your site to get the best information. 

5. Photobucket for photo storage

I've used this for both personal and blog use for years. It's a free service for the most basic needs and that includes quite a bit of storage. I don't use it to host my blog photos but it's an option. I used to use it for all of the images for my blog design, but now it's more for free printables I've created: 

This is great because you can share full size photos or printables with readers without giving them full access to your account. (Using the codes they provide on the right of the image.) 

You can see my free Valentine printable here if you need a cute one for this upcoming holiday! :)

This service is free if you stay under a certain amount of photos. I have a TON on my personal account and I'm not even close to the limit. But there are upgrades available: 

If you have photos or images that you want to share in their full resolution, or you just need a place to house your photos off of your computer, this is a great option. 

6. Bit.ly for trackable links

This is another favorite FREE service. Sometimes it's helpful to see how many people click on your links -- for numerous reasons. This site allows you to add your post url into their site and then they give you a shorter link to use instead: 

I started using these years ago purely for Twitter -- to help stay under the character count limit. But I've found this valuable in so many ways since! You can see how well your links are performing and they are stored forever (you can search by keyword to find old ones). So you can pull your link from a post years ago and share it again. 

I find it's especially helpful when sharing posts on social media. You can also see how the link performs over time: 

I will create one bit link for Facebook and one (a mobile version on my phone) for Instagram. This way I can see how much traffic I'm getting from each site. If you work with brands this is a great way to show them how much traffic came from social media.

You can use your bit link within your posts (linking to old posts) as well to see the engagement. I don't do this but if you're curious it's interesting. 

They now offer the ability to edit your link to a more friendly version as well -- instead of numbers and letters I can change it to "TDCwhatever" and use words that describe the post. I think this is helpful to readers because I know I usually hesitate to click on a link if I can't see what it's talking about. :) 

The only problem with editing your link is that Instagram does not recognize them as a legitimate web address. I hope they fix this soon! 

Well there you go! My six favorite blogging resources that I use nearly every day. They not only help me organize and streamline my work but also give me helpful insight into how my readers respond to my content. 

Are you a blogger or have you considered creating one? If so you can check out my blogging posts with tons of tricks and tips over the past nine years.  I think I underestimate how many of you are blogging or are thinking about it! 

Have you used any of the tools I mentioned or do you have any you can't live without? I'd LOVE to hear about them! 

You can pin this image to save this post and refer to it later!: 

Best of Fall: Decorating Ideas

Hello there my friends! I'm joining in with a few incredibly talented blog friends today to share some fall inspiration with you. I KNOW…it's still August. So if you are still enjoying a summer you may want to look away. But we've been back to school for a couple weeks here, our temps have dropped considerably and I AM READY. ;) 

I cannot wait for even cooler nights, apple picking, sweaters and boots, pumpkin patches and all the yummy fall scents and food. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and I love looking at inspiration to get me ready. 

I'm sharing some of my favorite decor and fun projects here today! At the end of this post you'll find the links to the rest of the bloggers on the tour (you will not want to miss them!). 

Last year was my favorite for our back patio: 

Aren't those mums gorgeous? They were so large and fluffy -- I'll have my eyes out for those again this year. 

The patio will be even better with the beautiful outdoor lights we added this year! I can just smell the fire and taste the s'mores right now!:

Our front porch is super tiny but I love decoration it for the season -- I never go without the corn stalks! I usually make a fall wreath and this DIY pumpkin wreath is one of my favorites: 

It reminds me so much of a similar Pottery Barn version but when you grab everything on sale the price is considerably cheaper. (And when I say considerably I mean like $70 cheaper!) It's seriously as easy as sticking each part into the wreath form. 

Moving inside, a couple years ago I shared a pretty and easy fall tablescape: 

And then last year I painted the table and went simpler with the decorations: 

I LOVE fall printables and try to incorporate them into our decor every year. (You can see my picks from the past couple of years here and here.) I made one of my own a few years ago and you can download it for your home: 

Other than Christmas fall is my favorite time to craft. I love figuring out ways to add warm and whimsical touches by making my own pieces. My candy corn bunting is still a favorite of mine years later:

You can see more of that fall mantel here, although that room looks completely different now. I love decorating our newer large mantel for the seasons! 

If you've been around these parts for awhile you know my absolute FAVORITE way to add seasonal touches is with pillows. You can see how I do that on the cheap with my table linen pillows: 

I just adore these! I was so in love with the Pottery Barn pillows I found in the catalog but didn't want to spend that much. Instead I made my own for a fraction of the price: 

I do this often and they always turn out so well! I can't wait to put these out again in the next couple of weeks. :) 

Those are just a few of my favorite fall-inspired projects and spaces. :) I cannot wait to see what the other ladies have in store for us! Next up on the tour is Annie's beautiful home from Zevy Joy:  

And here is the complete list so you can click through: 

Cottage and Vine

Driven by Decor

Eclectically Vintage

Emily A. Clark

Kelley Nan

On Sutton Place

Zevy Joy

Enjoy! I'll be back with an update on the loft makeover later this week!
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How to Take Photos of Windows (And Get Bright, Beautiful Photos!)

I've been so excited about this trick and have been looking forward to sharing it with you. This camera tool has rocked my world! I know it's probably obvious, but as a home blogger photos are super important. Beyond that I've enjoyed photography as a side hobby for years, so I'm tickled with these results.

Getting bright, clear photos is important but there are many spots in our home that are a struggle to photograph. What drives me crazy is they are probably the brightest areas because they are near windows -- but they photograph horribly because of those windows. 

I always end up playing around with aperture to try to get a decent shot and then editing to make it brighter. I lose the view out the windows in the the process though. They are usually blown out, but to get the rest of the photo to balance out it's all I can do sometimes. 

Soooo. I bought this little tool years ago. It has sat in a drawer for all this time because I didn't take a few minutes to get it out and play around with it. Dumb. It was because of a cute cat photo I was trying to get that I finally tried it out. :) #catlady

It's called the Neewer TT560 Speedlite flash:  

This thing ROCKS! It's around $30 and I can't even believe the difference it makes. I'll show you some of the photos and then share some more details about how to use it. 

Here's the original photo I was trying to grab the other day: 

The room is dark and the windows are bright, which is typical. I love our view so I would like to be able to see what's outside instead of a bright orb of light (after I edit the photo to brighten it up).

Here's the same view with the Speedlite flash:

I couldn't believe the difference! 

Now using a flash is usually a no-no for interior shots. It really messes with colors and creates shadows and is overall just not good. I never ever ever use a flash for home shots. Until now. :) This thing is pretty amazing. 

Here's a shot of our powder room on the manual setting I normally use (these are all just candid shots I took to try it out): 

Again, I usually increase the aperture or edit to brighten it up, but you lose some detail and there are always spots that are still dark. 

Look at the difference!: 

Shadows are reduced, detail is there and it's bright and clean. Love it. I didn't edit this photo!

I love this spot in our kitchen but it takes a lot of editing to get it bright and the windows are always blown out with the regular settings: 

Here is is using the flash attachment: 

You can see out the windows! And details! Amazing. 

It really helps to reduce shadows -- our sofa sits not far from this table so there's usually a shadow with a regular setting: 

The Speedlite almost completely rids the photo of those shadows: 

Remember when I showed you the daylight bulb I'm obsessed with now? This is like the daylight bulb for photos. ;) It looks like there's a skylight above, right? 

It's a different look than I'm used to but I love it. I don't need to use it in every space but the difference really blows me away. 

One of my favorite spots in our house is our window seat and it's tough to take photos of it: 

I like that you can see the trees outside but when that happens you can't see the inside!

The difference is crazy with the Speedlite: 

I didn't even edit this photo -- that's unheard of for this spot. I love that you can see everything -- the inside and the outside! One of my favorite parts is how you can see the true color everything. That is the real color of our walls. (So similar to that daylight bulb I talked about.) Even the trees look more their true green. 

When you adjust aperture you can lose some crispness to the photos. This flash allows for an even better look without losing quality. 

I've heard of a Photoshop trick for years now to take photos of windows -- you take two photos and edit them together in a way so they aren't blown out. That's beyond what I want to do every time. This little tool does all the work for me. 

Here are some things to know about the Speedlite: 

• You can only use it on a auto setting. I only use manual so this is an adjustment for me. (But kind  of nice at the same time.) 
• The flash slides in to the top of your camera (I have a Canon) and is battery operated. Remember to turn it off when you're done. :) 
• You can adjust the brightness of the flash -- sometimes it blows everything out so you need to see what works. 
• You can move the flash component around and from what I've learned you should not point the flash towards your object (at least for these types of photos). The point of this tool is that it's a much bigger flash than what is on your camera, so it will give your photos an even more intense flash if you point it at your subject. Instead, point it to the ceiling. It bounces and fills the room with light which is what brightens everything up.
• You need to be careful with all white horizontal surfaces that will reflect that light from the ceiling. Our kitchen table in the photo above goes super white (which is it's true color) but it can blow out the photo a little because of that. 
• As I said, the results take some getting used to -- they look more true to life than I'm used to. I won't (and don't need to) use it everywhere, but I LOVE the results in some of my harder to shoot spaces. 
• The one I linked to works with Canon, Nikon and at least eight other brands.

I had to share this find with you, years after I bought it. Gah. I'm sure many of you have been using it -- as always I'm super on top of things. ;) 

If you are a blogger, sell items online or just love photography I highly recommend this attachment. It's about $30 and totally worth it. Have you tried this tool? Anything else I need to know about it? 

Affiliate link included for your convenience!

Hiding in Plain Sight

Hello there and I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Ours was equally relaxing and productive, just the way I like it. :) I normally host the before and after link up today -- if you'd like to link up please check back tomorrow! I'm pushing it back one day to participate in this fun post. 

I'm joining in with a group of bloggers today to share some of our favorite organizational tips and how we've simplified our homes -- all to celebrate the release of my friend Melissa's new book, Make Room for What You Love: 

Isn't that the sweetest book cover? Melissa blogs at The Inspired Room and we've known each other for years. I'm thrilled for her! 

As I mentioned, a few of us (OK like 30 of us) are joining in to share some of our favorite tips and organizing solutions with you today to help kick off her book release. Melissa shares how to really focus in and figure out what you love, simplify, then organize those items that mean the most to you. 

It hits home for me because I've been looking at decluttering, and therefore organizing, differently over the past year. I've realized the joy in only filling your home with what you love and need. That's why this book spoke to me -- I have very little tolerance for random stuff we don't need anymore. I find the more I go through and the closer I get to "done" I feel like I'm on the edge of something really really amazing for our family. 

Do you ever feel like you're almost to the point of getting your act together? Ha! Most of my life I've never even felt close, but lately it's just…right there. So close I can taste it. I keep telling myself I just need one more week to get through the last bit of clutter! Without any responsibilities. Or plans. Or naps. THEN, I'll get there. 

Honestly I don't think I'll ever completely have my act together (it keeps life interesting) but I do feel like our home is a much happier and relaxing place because I've been able to purge so much and streamline what we use. Now here's the thing though -- we do still have stuff. I like stuff. But what we have we LOVE. We just love a lot of things. :) 

I do like those things to be put away where I don't see them all the time. And every once and awhile, I like a few empty shelves where those items live. Not to add more stuff -- but for room to breathe. I call my favorite storage in the house "hiding in plain sight." Spots that are nice to look at but they pack an organizational punch. 

I know I talk about these built ins a lot but I have to tell you, they're not only pretty, but they hold a TON of stuff!: 

My Dad and I built these bookcases and we used basic kitchen cabinets as bases. They are only 12 inches deep but you can go here to see how much I keep in those cabinets. It's seriously fabulous. 

Another one of my favorite spots for hidden storage and organization is my dream come true -- the window seat in our kitchen: 

There was no way I could just close up all of that open space -- I knew it had to be functional somehow. The seat lifts up and hides our larger (and rarely used) appliances and serving dishes. This seat is dreamy for more than one reason! ;) 

I have quite a few dressers and consoles in our home -- all were found on Craigslist over the years. And  most of the dressers in our house do not hold clothes: 

One dresser holds craft supplies, one is dedicated to office supplies and this one holds most of my tools and paint supplies. I love that you'd never know they all hold such practical items and look good doing it. :) 

If you've been around these parts for awhile you know my love of organized spaces has grown over the years, but my loathing of cords has run deep for some time now. I hate cords. Bleh. When we built a new fireplace for our family room years ago I used more kitchen cabinets to hide all the stuff I didn't want to see: 

These cabinets were reworked to be a little deeper so we could fit our TV components inside. I added the metal mesh so they could breath without seeing every little thing inside. (You can see how I replaced the doors here.) 

Not only do they hide the electronics, but they hold a bunch of other stuff too. I think adding these to either side of the fireplace was one of the best decisions we've made in our home: 

There you go -- just a few of the ways I hide all the stuff. :) It's pretty from the outside but easily accessible and super functional. I love when form and function work well together -- it doesn't need to be either or! Do you have any favorite ways to hide the necessary stuff in your house? 

Be sure to check out all of the other talented ladies joining me today! I can't wait to see what they share: 

Don't forget you can pick up Melissa's new book here. It would be a lovely little addition to your Mother's Day gifts! 

Here are all of the links so you can click around: 

Eleven Gables / Craftberry Bush / At the Picket Fence / Julie Blanner / Beneath My Heart / Thrifty Decor Chick / Emily A. Clark / Reluctant Entertainer / My Sweet Savannah / Domestic Fashionista / At Home In Love / 320 Sycamore / Sunny Side Up / Happy Happy Nester / The White Buffalo Styling Co / Sweet and Simple Home / Finding Home Farms / In My Own Style / Fox Hollow Cottage / The House of Silver Lining / Infarrantly Creative / Fieldstone Hill Design / Shabby Nest / Today's Creative Life / Sarah M. Dorsey Designs / Just A Girl / Southern Hospitality

Have a great start to your week! I will be back tomorrow with the May Before and After link up, just a day late!

Affiliate link included for your convenience! 

Useful Trick to Find Similar Images on Pinterest

Happy Friday! I'm ready for the weekend! Hope you have a fun one planned. :)

While on Pinterest this week I found a new tool they've added that I thought was pretty cool. I think it's been around for at least a few weeks now but as always I'm late to the party.

It's brilliant so I had to share. When you open a photo in Pinterest you'll see a little square in the upper right hand corner:

Click on that and a ton of other photos that are similar to the one you you're looking at will pop up on the right:  

You can expand the cropping so that it "reads" the whole photo: 

This gives you even more (and I think better) comparative photos. This is awesome!! Be sure to use the scrolling tool on the right to see all of the photos they suggest. 

What's even better is there are descriptive words and phrases across the top -- click on those for more specific examples that match those phrases. It will still use your inspiration photo to find those. 

I do find it works best when it's a full shot of a room or vignette. Pins with only words don't translate and it doesn't always recognize close up photos well. But for wider shots this is such a great option!

When I'm looking at ideas I tend to look at Pinterest first and search there -- are you like that? Google has become my second source. This is so helpful when you find a specific decorating idea you love. 

Loved this and thought I would share! Hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend. :) 

What's in My Bag? (It's Not Tools for Once!)

Hello my friends! I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend! Our was wonderful. :) Today I have a different post for you all and I'm excited about it. This DIY girl rarely talks fashion or beauty (and it will stay that way) but I am a girl and I do love both. The beauty stuff more than fashion really (I find most of my clothes at TJ Maxx)-- but makeup I love!

I'm joining in with a few of my favorite bloggers today to share what's in my makeup bag. So fun for a change! (Thank you to my beautiful friend Chris for having me!) I've been looking forward to this because the products I use are those that it's taken me years to find -- I feel like it's a science to find makeup that work best for you. I LOVE to tell people about them because I'm so thrilled with each of these:

Let's start with the eyes shall we? This is my favorite part because I think the eyes are most important. First up, I should tell you most days I wear only some under eye concealer and mascara. If I'm going out running errands I'll amp it up with more eye makeup and blush as well. And if I'm going out out I'll add in foundation, eye liner and more dramatic color. 

I've learned with age to take good care of my eyebrows (I get them shaped up every two months or so)  -- remember thicker eyebrows are a good thing! One of my absolute favorite products is the Gimme Brow by Benefit: 

I think some eye pencils can look just like that -- filling in your brow with a pencil. This stuff is awesome -- it makes your brows darker and fills them in so they look much fuller and prettier. It's pretty amazing stuff. I use this most days that I wear makeup. It's so fast and the best part is it looks natural. 

Another favorite product of mine (I'll say "favorite" a lot because it's taken me years to find all of these that work so well!) are the mascaras I use. Yes, two. :) For every day I like the They're Real mascara by Benefit: 

I love this stuff so much -- it covers great and the brush is fantastic because you can get every little lash with it. I use this nearly every day. They only negative with this is that there's not a lot in the tube. About four weeks in it's drying up or running low -- but I can usually stretch it for longer. 

Now when I want more drama I use the Younique mascara. This stuff is different and takes two steps. Well, three really. I put my regular mascara on first, then while it's still wet I'll do a coat of the Younique mascara. Then you use the smaller tube which is filled with the "fibers" -- you brush these on your lashes where you want some more fullness and length. The little fibers really make your lashes transform -- it's really cool. 

You finish up with another coat of the regular Younique mascara. I find that over time I can just do my regular stuff and then a coat of the Younique mascara because it seems to hold on to some of the fibers -- just that makes my lashes crazy pretty. This stuff really is cool (and no, I'm not being paid to say that) and I use it all the time. You just have to have a light hand with it. It takes some practice to make them not get too full and clumpy. 

My favorite eye shadow is the Urban Decay Naked palette: 

This is not cheap! I put it off for quite some time because of the price, but it is worth it. The palletes are beautiful (the original Naked is my favorite) and of course, you are getting 12 eye shadows in the kit for the price. I use the tones to the left for every day and add the darker ones for a more dramatic eye. 

I've used the Laura Mercier under eye concealer for years and it works well, but I still feel like there's probably a better one out there: 

The price is high on this one too but it lasts forever! Seriously, I probably shouldn't say how long (I know there's a shelf life to makeup). ;) Like I said though, the coverage is good but not amazing. If you have one you love please let me know!

OK, this is one of my best finds! I tell everyone about this foundation because it's so good. I don't wear foundation much, but this stuff is awesome. It always surprises me when I use it. It's the bareMinerals bareSkin foundation: 

I got it in a kit with the foundation brush, which I highly recommend using: 

Here's the thing -- I use a couple drops for my entire face. The coverage is incredible. TWO drops. Shake up the bottle well and then drop the foundation into the top of the brush (it's hard to see here but it's concave). I started using a brush instead of my fingers for foundation years ago and I love it. I will blend with a blending sponge at the end if needed. 

The coverage is better than any other foundation I've tried. Plus it's light (duh, you're only using a few drops) so it doesn't feel cakey or gross. I can't stand that feeling of having makeup on so I just adore this stuff.

My favorite blush is quite a find -- I use two regularly and they are only a couple and three dollars each. Have you seen the E.L.F. cosmetics? You can find them at drug stores and grocery stores and they range from a dollar to a few for most. 

I won the shimmering facial whip at a baby shower a year ago (most of us thought it was lipgloss at first, that was fun) and have used it since. Again, a little goes a very long way. It's a gel that you rub into your cheekbones and I LOVE IT. It's only a dollar! 

It creates a very natural, pretty glow. It's perfect for every day and really great for the summer months. It says shimmer but it's not overly so at all. 

My other favorite of theirs is the $3 powder baked blush: 

It looks like it would go on brown but it's a rosy color (I use Rich Rose). It's definitely more of a dramatic look though so I tend to use this more when going out. I love the way it goes on and come on, you can't beat $3!

Finally, one of my favorite lipsticks to finish off the look -- I love the Clinique Chubby Sticks: 

They go on so smooth and pretty and stay put well. I love the colors too -- I lean toward red or berry tones. They don't feel quite as heavy as lipstick to me but have all the color and staying power. 

There you go! Some of my makeup favorites! It's fun to be girly in a post for once! ;) If you'd like to see what I look like with all of this makeup on, go here. (A friend took professional pics of me last year and I'm slowly updating my old pics. I rarely share pictures of myself on here so this will be my profile photo for at least seven more years I'm guessing!)

I store all of my makeup in a pretty storage box and have a spot near our bedroom window where I sit and put it on (I use a mirror) when I'm doing my every day looks: 

Most days I take less than a minute to apply my makeup. If I'm running out it takes less than five minutes. I love it but don't like to spend a lot of time on it! :) 

I love finding new products that work well so please do share what you love! Do you use a great concealer? This list includes my absolute favorites -- I do use primer and other products as well, but these perform the best for me. 

Please check out the other ladies (some of my favorites in blogland) on the makeup tour today! 

Chris at Just a Girl

Kate at Censtational Girl

Beth at Home Stories A to Z

Courtney at A Thoughtful Place 

*Some affiliate links included for your convenience!