Thursday, May 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
New Contributors!
The beginning of the month we had put a call out for contributors. We poured through so many amazing blogs and really wanted to choose them all, but had to narrow it down to two bloggers to bring on. You may have noticed the two new contributor photos in the sidebar over there and maybe the new profiles in the 'meet' section up above. I am really excited to introduce to you our two new contributors to B.You!!!
Natalee
Natalee is the lovely lady behind the blog Eat Nap Play; a lifestyle blog sharing her family life, crafts, healthy living, and so much more!
Ashley
Ashley is the owner of the blog Modernette; a lifestyle blog about music, culture, photos and creative processes.
We are very excited to have these two talented bloggers on board with us and a part of the B.You team. Both of them are on the Wordpress platform, which was one of the main reasons they were chosen. B.You is a Blogger blog where the writers are all on the Blogger platform for their own respective blogs so having two contributors who are on a different platform can bring more diversity to the mix and offer tips, tricks and how-to's to those who don't use Blogger. But that is not the only reason they were brought on! Come back each week to see what other amazing posts they have to share with you!
Be sure to say hi and welcome Natalee and Ashley to the team!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Introduction to Wordpress
It may seem odd that I am using Blogger to talk about WordPress, but all of us at B.You thought it would be a great idea to diversify the content of this site and provide information to you both for Blogger and WordPress. It seems foreign for me to be typing a post in Blogger because all I know is WordPress. I can't say that I have a preference for one or the other because I am not familiar with each of them on the same level, so I will stick to what I know and tell you a little bit about WordPress. I started my blog on WordPress.com back in February. There are two different ways to start a blog through the WordPress publishing application. One way is through their dot com site. This is the approach I took when I started. There are many benefits to this approach. First of all, it is free ninety-free. Who doesn't like free stuff?! Secondly, it gives you the option to publicize your posts on multiple different social media sites (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). And, my favorite part is that you can track your stats within the application through the built in "site stats" page.
The other approach to starting a site with WordPress is for more advanced users (in my opinion). It involves downloading the software and signing up for website hosting. This is done through a web hosting service. There are many hosting companies out there. Do your research before you sign up with one. Web site hosting will usually run you between $4 and $8 per month, and many companies offer free trials. If you choose this route, you have more options for customizing your website. It is more work for sure, but the benefit is that you have full control of your content, your design, and your space on the internet. The WordPress platform is the industry standard and is used by many businesses and bloggers. With this option, you will be able to advertise on your blog, whereas you do not have that capability through the dot com option.
I want to touch on design for a second. Both options allow you to choose a pre-designed template for your site; however, with the dot com option, you can only customize a few things within the template, so what you see is pretty much what you get. However, with the self-hosted option, you have the ability to edit the coding of the template to change way more stuff. This is part of the process that will take more advanced knowledge to navigate through or you can hire a web designer to create your site if you don't have the desire and/or time to design it yourself.
So, in the end, the best thing to do before starting a blog with WordPress is to decide what you want to accomplish with your blog and how much time you want to put into it. If you just want a place to share your thoughts with others and do not have much time to dedicate or money to put into it, the dot com option may be best for you. If you want to have a place that feels more like your own and you don't mind spending hours of your time creating your space to be exactly how you want it (or hiring a designer), then you might want to check out the self-hosting option.
I know this is a lot of information and it may be a bit confusing at first, but if you are really interested in starting your own blog, I urge you to do your research and find out which option best suits your needs. I started with the more basic dot com option. I love it, and it was great for me for a while, but I found that I wanted something that felt more like my own, something that I could call mine and mold into my happy place. So right now I am in the process of transitioning to a self-hosted site using the WordPress software. It has taken me countless hours to design the site because I have had to learn so much along the way. It will take me many more hours to finish it, but it will be mine and it will be worth it to me.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Featured Small Business: Salvage Audio
Hand made items and small businesses are popping up everywhere. Anyone can take something and create a product and turn it in to a business, but not everyone can catch your eye. While scrolling through my IG feed one day, I saw a friend of mine had posted a photo of a hand made audio box. Now, I don't own an audio box, nor do looking at audio boxes do anything for me; but this particular one stood out.
After some investigating and lurking on his Facebook and IG feed to find out more about these audio boxes, I saw what he was doing was totally amazing and unique that I just had to share it with the world. So I sent off a few questions for him to answer so you could learn a little bit more about Jared Kirby and his hand made business Salvage Audio.
When did you start Salvage Audio?
The idea for Salvage Audio started during the summer of 2011 when I was shopping for an iPod speaker to put in my living room. I couldn't find anything on the market that fit my style, so I decided to build my own! My friends and family really liked what I had made. I built a few more for others, then started selling online in November of 2012.
Can you tell us what Salvage Audio is all about?
Salvage Audio is about quality, design, and great sound while blending the rustic look of old reclaimed wood, with the sound quality and convenience of new technology. All of my Music Systems use Wireless Bluetooth connectivity to use with your phone, tablet, or computer. I'm really trying to bring back quality craftsmanship into a market full of molded black plastic. This is accomplished by being eco responsible with my practices, such as, reclaimed wood and recycled packaging supplies.
Where are you based out of?
SA started in San Luis Obispo, CA, but has since moved to a shop in Atascadero, CA. I'll soon make the move back to a shop in SLO. I love San Luis and most of the reclaimed wood that I use in my systems comes from SLO, so I can't wait!
To view the rest of the interview and for free shipping and a coupon code, head on over to Chevron Stitches.
To view the rest of the interview and for free shipping and a coupon code, head on over to Chevron Stitches.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A Little Change
As time goes on when blogging you will go through some changes along the way. It is important to grow as a blogger and in your content; that way your blog can be a reflection of you and stay current for your readers.
You may have noticed a few changes here at B.You. A couple of those contributor photos are not there and our 'Say Hello To Us' section is a little bit bare, but we are going through a small transition right now and some changes are being made. We put out a call for contributors and had a great response! Unfortunately we couldn't bring on all of the inquiries and have narrowed it down to two. This week you will see two new faces over there on the sidebar and learn a little bit about them in the 'Say Hello To Us' section.
The changes we are making are small, but will be great for B.You and will not affect the dynamic of of what you have been reading all along. I am excited about this new change and can't wait to start the transition. Thank you all for your patience and sticking with us through this change!
You may have noticed a few changes here at B.You. A couple of those contributor photos are not there and our 'Say Hello To Us' section is a little bit bare, but we are going through a small transition right now and some changes are being made. We put out a call for contributors and had a great response! Unfortunately we couldn't bring on all of the inquiries and have narrowed it down to two. This week you will see two new faces over there on the sidebar and learn a little bit about them in the 'Say Hello To Us' section.
The changes we are making are small, but will be great for B.You and will not affect the dynamic of of what you have been reading all along. I am excited about this new change and can't wait to start the transition. Thank you all for your patience and sticking with us through this change!
Monday, May 6, 2013
May Featured Blogger
Last month we wrote up a post on giveaways and decided to have a fun little giveaway of our own where you could enter to win the chance of being a featured blogger in May. Jerika from Everyday Bay won! So let me introduce you to May's featured blogger:
I began blogging as a way to track my pregnancy but quickly lost interest because I didn't have the easiest pregnancy. Now that I am a stay at home mom I am back blogging again about anything that is on my mind that day. I blog mostly about my family and whats going on with us. You will find more about my son, Baylor, than anything else there. I want to document every little thing that happens in his life because I am quickly learning that babies grow so fast.
I am fairly new to blogging and I can't wait to grow my blog and start doing new things with it. The blogging community fascinates me so much and I love becoming a part of it!
Jerika's blog is a sweet daily read and I just love looking at all her cute photos of her baby Baylor! Head on over to Everyday Bay and check it out. Plus, right now she is having a giveaway! Who wants to win a pair of amazing moccs for your little??
Jerika's blog is a sweet daily read and I just love looking at all her cute photos of her baby Baylor! Head on over to Everyday Bay and check it out. Plus, right now she is having a giveaway! Who wants to win a pair of amazing moccs for your little??
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