Blogger Luncheon

Learning more about Blogging

Hi,  I had a wonderful time at the Blog Luncheon today held at The Vintage Bricoleur.  I learned about some great “new(to me) blogs that I plan to follow.  Before I hit you with all the practical info that I learned, plan to implement, and hope that you too will find useful I just want to say what a fabulous job our teacher/mentor Courtney Allison from the very successful blog French Country Cottage did with the presentation. 

I also found a wonderful spirit of gifted engaging women in the group.  There is nothing like being surrounded by like minded people who share your passion. I definitely made new “bloggy” friends!  Everyone was happy and excited to be there. Everyone was smart, energetic and fully engaged.

Here are some things I learned.  Now you all will see changes on my web site very soon.  The first big change is to figure out a new background.

·         Some new (to me) blogs to look for new and creative backgrounds. 

o    www.thecutestblogontheblock.com

o    www.PlumRoseLane.com

o    www.LeeLou.com

o    www.Shabbyblogs.com

o    www.graphicsfairy.com

·         Word Verification

o    Place in off setting if you want comments go to settings, comments

·         How to handle negative comments on your own blog

o    Be Nice.  Perfect, my kind of people.

·         How to spread social media cheer,

o    Linking accounts to your blog:

o    Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook,  Tip: always thank people who like you

o    Shout out and share you blog posts on Twitter and Facebook.

o    Pin your best blog photos to Pintrest and add a simple label

·         Make it easy for followers to follow your blog.  Have a link to Google Friend Connect (GFC,) Linky Followers, email etc.

·         Make sure your Pintrest, Facebook and Twitter names are all the same as your business

·         Be sure to tag photos you take of the places you take them. 

o    Example if you buy something at Home Goods, tag it so that Home goods will see it. 

o    You never know when a sponsor might present themselves.

·         How to get a custom domain

o    blogspot blogs for $10.00 a year through Blogspot

·         Developing your Brand

o    Be genuine, only endorse or praise products you’ve tried and love.   

• Expect a payoff for everything you do that takes time away from your family and your life. There are a variety of pay offs that can make it worth it:

o    Higher Traffic

o    Recognition

o    $$$

o    Experience

·         What and how to join a Link Party.

o    Have only 1 full post per page to encourage readers to click around for more content

o    Make sure your site is easy to read

o    Make content easy to find with Navigation and Categories

o    Be Interesting and Be Memorable

o    Always thank the host of the Link Party

o    Leave a link back to the blog hosting the party

·         How to handle Images:

• You cannot just download pictures off of the internet to use in your post. Even if you cite the image or link back to where you got it, it is still illegal to use if you don’t have permission from the owner. Pictures have to have a creative commons license or Creative commons for creative use (for paid posts) to use on your blog.
• No iphone or poor resolution photos (oops I have done this)
• Easiest thing is to use your own pictures
• Do not put high resolution photos up on blog
• Use a watermark on your pictures, easy way to do it is through Picasa 3 (Google)
• Use PicMonkey to create Pinable images
• Use Flicker Creative Commons and I Stock for pictures. You may have to pay.
• Try BeFunky.com it’s free and can add picture frames, words on pictures, watermark and more

·         How to get better ranking on Google:

• Use Google Keyword Tool to look up good key words
• Use key words in your title, content, and tags.
• Don’t over use key words though, make it sound natural.
• Use synonyms for your key words

·         How to Grow your Blog:

• Use Goggle Analytics to:
• Look at your traffic sources
• To set Goals (decrease bounce rate, increase page views, increase unique visitors, etc)

·         Here is my list of my new blogger friends:

www.thevintagebricoleur.blogspot.com

www.wildberryranch,blogspot.com

www.willyswife.blogspot.com

www.theoldefarmhouse.blogspot.com

www.nottooshabbyshop.blogspot.com

www.paintstuckundermyfingernails.com

www.thedailyparagraph.com

www.lazycowgirls.blogspot.com

www.rustdustandroses.wordpress.com

www.lifeandlinda.com

And our lovely and brilliant instructor:

www.frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com

Last thing, now that I have the bug --Blog Conferences I am interested in:

Jun 21st – Haven Conference 2012

• What: Conference for DIY & Home bloggers
• Where: Atlanta, GA
• When: June 21-22, 2012 (Missed this year but plan to go next year)
• Fee: TBD

August 2nd – BlogHer 2012

• What: A women blog conference that opens to all.
• Where: New York Hilton, New York, NY
• When: August 2-4, 2012
• Fee: $79-$698

Sep 11th – The Travel Bloggers Show 2012

• What: Conference for travel bloggers
• Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA
• When: September 11, 2012
• Fee: $75

And that's it for now.  What are you learning that's new?

Memories of a Beautiful Retreat

Design Inspiration: Villa Toscana Style

What inspires your design?  For me its a sense of excitement-- a feeling I get when I am so enamored and inspired by a room, a house or an estate.

Back in early 2000, I worked at a beautiful Tuscan-inspired luxury Bed and Breakfast located in the heart of Paso Robles Wine Country. This elegant property was located right on the vineyards of Martin and Weyrich Winery- and the perfect location for relaxing retreats, elegant weddings, special events and romantic getaways. This was a place of inspiration for me as the architecture, craftsmanship, design and custom ironworks were all inspiring examples that have expanded my design ideas.

I enjoyed mingling with guests, making gourmet breakfast in the Bistro Kitchen or pouring expensive wines and serving hors d oeuvres on the patio.  This was a special place as there were cooking demonstrations, special meals prepared by 5 star chefs for in-room dining and an atmosphere of old world charm.  Italian music played in the background, some of my very favorite songs still today.

At the Villa Toscana the rooms were all suites that had expansive baths, sitting rooms and balconies. To round out the property- Villa Toscana also boasted two deluxe suites- the 1200 square foot Casa Dolcetto Cottage and the 3500 square foot Winemakers Residence. Each room was named after one of their wines and finely decorated with the same complexity and enthusiasm that was put into the winemaking.



The whole complex resembled an Italian estate--from the stucco, limestone, and ironwork exterior to the suites furnished with French and Italian antiques.

One of my favorite things to do there was to take a stroll through the vineyard, pick vegetables from the on site gardens and sit and listen to the imported fountains.  I look at my own home today and see many of the qualities of the Villa Toscana represented here.

The crown jewel of the property is 3,075 square-foot villa known as the Winemaker's Residence.  This is where the VIP's stayed.  I met Barbra Striesand and James Brolin there. The expansive two-bedroom house was furnished with Italian antiques, art and luxurious bedding, as well as a trio of fireplaces and a dining room for ten.

 

 

I was especially inspired by the outdoor decor.  This is one of the patios at the Villa.  Richard and I patterned our veranda after this.  We have large travertine floor tiles on the deck and the same ironwork railings too.

 

Although the Villa Toscana is now closed, I still find inspiration in the photographs I have of the property.  It inspired so many details in my own home.  

 

Unique and Personalized Rooms

Make each room "Unique and Personalized" with things you LOVE

I don't know about you, but when I come away from a home tour or traveling I always take some pictures of projects I want to make. 

I love these old soft leather antique gloves.  It was the practice for ladies to wear gloves when going out and they would feel naked without a fine pair of gloves. Like the rest of a lady’s outfit gloves could be formal or informal. Formal gloves were often made from leather.  These gloves are custom-made of kid leather, also known as kidskin.  In the olden days, ladies took off their gloves to eat unwillingly since they put fingerings and rings there over.   Unfortunately, the gloves I have are too small for my hands.  It occurred to me that they might make a nice "holder" for my rings:

A project I made last year is a lamp out of an old tea pot.  I found a second tea pot that is very similar in size and a second shade that is the same, so now I am making this lamp into a pair of lamps for my buffet.  I like the finish "not polished" as it feels more rustic.  But you could easily polish it and add a silver picture frame and accent.  This greyish silver lampshade has a patterned liner and when the lamp is on you can see the pattern through.  I also use energy efficient light bulbs so I can leave this lamp on all night when we have guests.

A handmade pillow is sure to make your room unique and personalized and give your home the exact feel that you desire.

Throw pillows for indoor or outdoor spaces are typically square in shape, anywhere from 14x14 to 18x18 inches. Consider making a large cushion-like pillow quite a bit larger—24x24 or 26x26 inches.
Measurements will be different if you plan on a different shape or to match the shape of a special hankerchief or scarf (like the one pictures). Throw pillows are also sometimes round, cylindrical (like neck rolls and bolsters) or rectangular. Also consider body pillows and shaped pillows. You can either stitch the shape yourself and fill it, or buy a pre-made pillow to cover with the fabric of your choice.

Freshen Your Space

Good morning.  And Happy Father' Day to all the Father's out there.  When the weather begins to heat up I like to change out my accesories and pillows and go for brighter more lively colors.  I came across some cheerful inspiration on one of my favorite websites - Houzz.com  http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/297760/list/Freshen-Your-Space-for-Spring
Houzz has a lot of wonderful ideas.  Don't forget to capture your most inspirational ideas on your pin boards on Pinrest.  Want to see whats on my decorating pin boards?  go to http://pinterest.com/jonelle3/

Freshen Your Space for Spring

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Window Treatments on Houzz- For Example:

Cellular Shades · Curtain Poles · Curtains · Roller Blinds · Roman Blinds · Venetian Blinds · Vertical Blinds · Window Blinds ·

Paint, and the many shades of white

As many of you already know I am married to an handsome Architect. (He's on the far right, that's Oly our Bernese Mountain dog in the middle.)  Yes, at times I feel he just can not possibly understand why I want to repaint the back guest room and the current paint still looks in perfect condition.  He can not see why I spend hours pouring over pintrest posts of lively painted rooms.  In fact in his world he see's color differently than I do.  Here is a link to an Architect's guide to color:

An Architect's Guide to Color

Houzz- Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More »

Browse Bath Products on Houzz- For Example:

Bath And Spa Accessories · Bath Mats · Bathroom Countertops · Bathroom Mirrors · Bathtubs · Shower Curtains · Showers · Towel Bars And Hooks ·

Redesign for a Better Traffic Pattern

Interior redesign, or the art of using the clients’ own furnishings to create the inviting look and feel of a beautiful well organized home, is a fast-growing alternative to conventional interior design. It's a trained set of eyes to reevaluate and reclaim your current furnishings to create purpose and unity in your Home; to rearrange, regroup and reorganize determining the best use of your space. It also feels good to reduce, reuse, recycle for the most affordable and clear solutions making this the best value for your Home needs.  

The before...

Here is a home that has a lot of nice elements, but the couch is closing off the family room from the family.  The two red couches are large and take up a lot of visual space.  Also the room traffic pattern makes it too close to the nook table area and the bar stool chairs so you have to squeeze by the furniture.  The bookshelves are cluttered and visually there is a lot going on in the space.

Next here I am by the side door looking towards the kitchen.  The small table on left was used to store magazines but not used. The rug feels like it is going the wrong way for the room and there is not enough room between the couch and piano.  Also the rug stained and dirty and the coffee table is too busy with the shell collection under the glass.

The rug had a lot of small beverage spots so I suggested the homeowner use Chem Dry's Carpet stain extinguisher to clean the rug.  I have used this product for many years and find it the best at taking out small stains and the overall cleaning of any carpet or area rug.  The rug dried in a few hours as we dusted off all the books and bookshelf accent items.

And the after project......

Once I centered the coffee table between the couches I added some matching pillows.  I only used the pillows with a lighter background to lighten up the room for summer.  On the coffee table I added a bird cage from another room and stuffed some plant material inside.  I found a small tea set and two small china dolls to complete the grouping.  I also placed two almost matching flat rectangular baskets under the coffee table with magazines in one and photo albums in the other.  A nice location for guests to look at while visiting.

Here you can see I have added a sofa table behind the couch that can be used as a writing desk.  I added a large colorful rooster lamp and switched out the shade to a neutral cream one.  I added one of the extra nook chairs to the desk and a basket for books below with a plant to help hide the cord to the lamp.  This is a bright and sunny location to read or write and enjoy the family at the same time.

I like the couches facing each other as it really add a sense of space to the room.  I also like the two chairs as part of the conversation area now.  There is a lot more room around the arrangement for traffic flow.  The book shelves have been organized and I found a few pictures and baskets to add to the the shelves for interest.

Before:

After: