Design it Chic: September 2010

Boost My Blog Friday 10/01

Today is Friday, that means it's time again to catch up with Boost My Blog Friday here on Design It Chic:

BoostMyBlogFriday

It's simple.. the only rule is: no rules!! That's right!! This blog-hop is supposed to be a boost in our blogs' asses... friends-wise:)!!
SO just make sure you link with us, follow me as the hostess (and leave me a comment so i know you follow me and return the love back:) and then feel free to follow whoever you want to, leave nice comments, send them love notes and chocolate boxes *WOW scratch that last part:P* and don't forget to do the happy dance!

If you join with us on Boost My Blog Friday, please take your time and leave a comment, so we know you're participating with us and maybe pay you a visit:) Thanks!

And as always, today I have another question for you guys:
If you were to compare yourself with one of the Friends characters, which one would you be?? Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Chandler, Joey or Ross?

I have to say most likely Monica. I'm a perfectionist and i don't accept losing at anything:P I'm a bad liar and also a clean freak. And I talk a lot.. and fast:) i have just a bit of Rachel, as in fashion inclined, but that stops there.. so I must go with Monica this time:) What about you tough?? Who would you be if you were to compare with one of the Friends characters? DO share!!

Happy Friday!
And don't forget to check Blogger tutorials for more blog-handy tips and easy HTML tutorials, plus you can check SEO or Unclutter tips for more improving your web traffic secrets!:) I'm out now!!

If you follow me from any of these hops or something else, let me know so i can come check your blog back;)

Oh and don't forget to sign in our amazing trick or treat giveaway while it still lasts!

Unclutter your blog - posts

Hi all!! Mid week, so we'll clean our blog a bit, to keep up the "unclutterness". Yup that's right, today we'll look into few ways of helping your blog look cleaner by focusing on the posts.
So here it goes:

1. Use fewer but relevant words for your post title. I am sure all of you are good writers, plus everybody has its own unique style, but when it comes to post titles, you got to keep them short and catchy. Nothing turns a reader off like a long dragging title, that by the time they finish reading they forgot what was all about:) I know it's a challenge nonetheless, but it's so worth it, especially since this is also a SEO trick:)

2. Write blocks of text. Even if the content of the post is useful, sometimes the way it's displayed is what makes the difference. Concentrate the essence of the information on different paragraphs. This way your readers will be guided visually on where different "sub-topics" are starting and where they're ending. It must sound stupidly simple, but surveys proved it's working.

3. Alternate with pictures, but don't overload. Pictures are a useful tool to break down the text, but unless you're a photography site, then pictures must remain just tools not become the posts themselves. Ok you can indulge yourself a little treat and throw a post only with pictures once in a while, but at some point readers will want to hear your voice too. And plus the bigger the pictures, the slower the site will load. Plus it'll be more likely that you'll be losing your text among loads of images:) So upload pictures with measure and make your voice heard!

4.Lose the post footer gadgets and stickers. I think i might become obsessed with this gadgets thing, but i can't stress enough how big of a difference it makes to get rid of these unnecessary gadgets that only make the page load slower and add clutter to your blog. By all means, don't get me wrong, gadgets are good, but not all of them and not over-used. You can use the footer of your posts for creating a well constructed linking web that is more SEO appropriate and drives you more hits.

5. Post your signature. I know most people find blog signatures just a designing tool, but indeed it's more than just that! How many great artist had ever created a piece of art without stamp it with their signature? Well not too many! So even if the scale is waaaaay different, why not treat each post as a piece of art and leave your mark behind?!? Plus.. think of it, wouldn't that be the last words/image your readers will be left with when they'll leave your blog??
Also this is another important part of building your blog's brand, but this is another topic for another time:)

That's it for today! Hope it helped!
Check back to see what comes up next in Blogger tutorial section, SEO tips department or how we teach new HTML tricks and tips every day!

Here are the 3 winners for one Trolley Card complete with delivery:

Traci @Traci66; Daphne @FlipFlops&Pearls; and J @Boobies,Babies&aBlog. Congrats girls!!!

Don't forget to sign in our amazing trick or treat giveaway while it still lasts!

Munchkin Designs - trick or treat giveaway -

*GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!!!!*

Hi all! Today i just got a detour from our blog-tech posts just in time to introduce you to our awesome friend Lisa at Munchkin Designs!

If you haven't heard of her just yet, let me simply introduce her like this: she has some super cute fresh designs and custom gifts, just in time for the Holiday season. Oh and since Lisa is such a sweetheart, she decided to give one of our readers one funky trick or treat tote of your choice from her shop!!! YAAAAAAAY!

So if you have kids, you'll definitely want to snag one of these for the Halloween:) And to make it even more fun, this giveaway will stay open the entire week!!!! Now who doesn't like that?!?!? So let's skip pleasantries and jump to how the thing's working:

To participate in this giveaway the 1st thing you must do is to become a follower of Design It Chic, then go check out Munchkin Designs site and come back and tell me in a comment what custom gift from her store did you like most. That's it!!! It's as simple as that!!! This is just one entry to sign up!

Normally it would be one entry per person, but to make it more interesting, you can gain extra entries only by:

a) blog about this giveaway with a referring link back to Design It Chic, then come back and comment in 3 separate comments that you did that and leave the link to your post (3 entries)

b) become a fan of Munchkin Designs on Facebook, then come back and comment in 2 separate comments that you did that and leave the link to your Facebook (2 entries)

c) follow Munchkin Designs on Twitter, then come back and comment in a separate comment that you did that and leave the link to your Twitter (1 entry)

d) Add my button to your blog and then leave a separate comment back telling me that you did and leave the link to your blog as well so we can check! (1 entry)

So in total there can't be more than 8 entries per person(that's if you follow Design It Chic and visit Munchkin Designs site, post about the giveaway, become a fan of Munchkin Designs on FB, follow Munchkin Designs on Twitter, and add my button to you blog)... we gotta give a chance to everyone;)
But just know that the winner get checked at all these things, just because we don't want any fake entries(yeah we're serious business like that;) anyways..

This giveaway is open September 27th through October 3rd midnight Central Time Zone.(so Monday to Sunday). And it's US open only!

Hope one of you lucky readers will get to snag one of these cuties for your kid this Halloween! Enjoy and let the giveaway fun begin!!!!

Here's where I'm hanging today:

If you follow me from these blog-hops or even something else just let me know so i can get back at ya and check you out:P I'm out now! Peace!

Boost My Blog Friday 9/24

Today is Friday, that means it's time again to catch up with Boost My Blog Friday here on Design It Chic:

BoostMyBlogFriday

It's simple.. the only rule is: no rules!! That's right!! This blog-hop is supposed to be a boost in our blogs' asses... friends-wise:)!!
SO just make sure you link with us, follow me as the hostess (and leave me a comment so i know you follow me and return the love back:) and then feel free to follow whoever you want to, leave nice comments, send them love notes and chocolate boxes *WOW scratch that last part:P* and don't forget to do the happy dance!

If you join with us on Boost My Blog Friday, please take your time and leave a comment, so we know you're participating with us and maybe pay you a visit:) Thanks!

And as always, today I have another question for you guys:
What candies do you like most? Soft or hard ones? Sweet or minty? Different shapes or doesn't matter?

I am not much of a candy fan during the year, but around holidays, i start craving for them:P I love all the chewy soft candies that are either fruity or caramel/apple flavored and i think i can eat as many sweet/sour-ish candies i can get:) I know i know probably that's why my dentist will send me a threaten letter right about now:)ha ha.. but seriously i can indulge myself this one at least around holidays:)
Now what about you galls?? Dish your sweet guilty pleasure!!!

Happy Friday!
And don't forget to check Blogger tutorials for more blog-handy tips and easy HTML tutorials, plus you can check SEO or Unclutter tips for more improving your web traffic secrets!:) I'm out now!!

If you follow me from any of these hops or something else, let me know so i can come check your blog back;)

Oh and don't forget to sign in our amazing Trolley Cards giveaway while it still lasts!

Make borders for images in HTML

Hi all! Mid-week, so we're staying in shape by teaching another one of our usual HTML tutorials! We've received a few emails asking how you can create those cute borders around the images that you upload on your blog.
So naturally, today's topic is exactly that: how to make borders for images in HTML.

We've come to rescue with a tutorial about how you can make borders for images using directly the HTML script, instead of actually tweaking the picture. This way your pictures remain untouched, while they have a cute little frame on your blog. Problem solved.. everybody's happy:) So grab your tools and let's get on working here!

First thing you need to switch from "Compose" mode to "Edit HTML" mode on Blogger's editor for this post. Then you need to actually upload the picture you want it "border-ed". Mine would be this:

Now i will show you how this picture really looks like in HTML after i uploaded it:

Yup kind of like this! See that text i have underlined for you?? The one saying "border"?? That's the part that actually needs to be deleted and replaced with this one:

You can change the number "4" which will result in changing the width of the border, and you can change the "#C3C499" to any other color (you can check an online version of color generator here).
Here's how mine turned out:

Now that's it for today! Hope it helped!!
Check back to see what comes up next in Blogger tutorial section, SEO tips department or how we teach new HTML tricks and tips every day!

Don't forget to sign in our amazing Trolley Cards giveaway while it still lasts!

Trolley Cards - Giveaway -

*GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!!!!*

Hi all! Today i just got a detour from our blog-tech posts just in time to introduce you to our awesome friends at Trolley Cards!

If you haven't heard of them just yet, let me simply introduce them like this: they're those guys with the awesome greeting cards ready to be delivered to your dear ones in your name. Oh and since the team at Trolley Cards are also nice people on top of that, they wanted to make you a surprise and give 3 of our readers a free greeting card of your choice complete with delivery!!! YAAAAAAAY!

How cool is that, right?!?! And to make it even more fun, this giveaway will stay open the entire week!!!! Now who doesn't like that?!?!? So let's skip pleasantries and jump to how the thing's working:

To participate in this giveaway the 1st thing you must do is to become a follower of Design It Chic, then you need to check out Trolley Cards site and come back and tell me in a comment what greeting card did you like the most from their store. That's it!!! It's as simple as that!!! This is just one entry to sign up!

Normally it would be one entry per person, but to make it more interesting, you can gain extra entries only by:

a) blog about this giveaway with a referring link back to Design It Chic, then come back and comment in 3 separate comments that you did that and leave the link to your post (3 entries)

b) become a fan of Trolley Cards on Facebook, then come back and comment in 2 separate comments that you did that and leave the link to your Facebook (2 entries)

c) follow Trolley Cards on Twitter, then come back and comment in a separate comment that you did that and leave the link to your Twitter (1 entry)

d) Add my button to your blog and then leave a separate comment back telling me that you did and leave the link to your blog as well so we can check! (1 entry)

So in total there can't be more than 8 entries per person(that's if you follow Design It Chic and visit Trolley Cards site, post about the giveaway, become a fan of Trolley Cards on FB, follow Trolley Cards on Twitter, and add my button to you blog)... we gotta give a chance to everyone;)
But just know that the winners get checked at all these things, just because we don't want any fake entries(yeah we're serious business like that;) anyways..

This giveaway is open September 20th through September 26th midnight Central Time Zone.(so Monday to Sunday). And it's US open only!

So you have a baby shower coming close that you know you can't make it to? Send a Trolley Card! Your cousin gets 30 and you miss the b-day party cause your boss makes you work over weekend?? Send a Trolley Card! Holidays coming soon and you want to let your Nana know you're thinking of her? Send a Trolley Card!

Hope three of you lucky readers will get to make your dear ones happy by simply sending them your sweet thoughts so easy! Enjoy and let the giveaway fun begin!!!!

Here's where I'm hanging today:

If you follow me from these blog-hops or even something else just let me know so i can get back at ya and check you out:P I'm out now! Peace!