Hello lovelies! I just wanted to let you all know that I’m over at HSBA Post today. Check it out and let me know what you think!

I normally don’t write a whole blog post about another blog post. I just don’t. But you know, something that my friend Lisa-Jo, aka The Gypsy Mama, wrote really hit home with me. She wrote “Why I very rarely have a “quiet time” with God“.

You know, I can very much relate. The loud times with my family are often better. Label me as a bad Christian. I don’t care. It’s true, though. If quiet times are what floats your boat, that’s great! But loud times float mine.

What about you? What floats your boat? Quiet or loud?

I have a crush on Mason jars. Who wouldn’t, though? Everyone has at least a few Mason jars laying around. (Do you have any of the aqua blue ones? Those are my favorite.)

If you are Mason jar challenged, here are some things you use them for.

1. vases – The large ones hold twigs and flowers quite nicely.
2. containers – Use them for sugars, flour, oatmeal and the like on your kitchen counter! You can also store leftovers in them.
3. treasure holders – The smaller ones work nicely for “treasures” that your children bring you. They would also work for any little odds and ends.
4. canning
5. pencil/pen holder
6. candle holders

Remember, safety first. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.

As of March 2010, I am officially accepting family-friendly ads! If you will remember, I had an emotional blogger moment back last year when the FTC cracked down on bloggers. I decided that I would no longer do giveaways, reviews, or ads. Truthfully, when I stopped accepting those things, it sucked part of the fun out of blogging. I love connecting with my readers and other bloggers! I also love sharing companies I support with them!

So, as of March 2010 I will be accepting family-friendly ads, product reviews, and giveaways. I love you all! I love being able to share my favorite companies, Etsy and Big Cartel shops, and more.

What are some of your favorite companies and shops? What would you like to see?

I’m exposure challenged. If you want me to explain exposure to you in a blog post, I’m not your gal. Ree is.

It’s a real pain having to hunt around for things on a blog. Make it easy for your readers to:

1. subscribe
2. search your blog
3. grab your button
4. read more about you
5. comment

If you don’t make it easy for readers to do those things, they might not come back. Spend some time and make it super easy for them to find those things.

Go make awesome blogs!

Shutter speed is simply this: how fast your camera snaps the shot. It’s easy peasy.

Shutter speed in low light:

If you are in a low light situation, your camera’s shutter will have to stay open longer to let more light in. In this kind of situation, if you aren’t using a tripod you’ll probably get a blurry shot.

Shutter speed in normal light:

If you are in a spot with normal light, your camera will snap the shot faster. Why? It’s because the more light there is, the shorter amount of time your camera will have to hold the shutter open.

It’s really easy. Really.

Hello lovelies!

Yes, I do realize I have been having site troubles. No worries. They are all fixed now. I do want to give you a heads up though. . . If you look through my archives, none of my 2009 stuff is there. I am working on getting that back up.

As a side note, if you haven’t read all of the Photography Basics or Blogging Basics series thus far, now would be a good time to catch up. Just search “photography basics” or “blogging basics” in the search bar {on the right}.

Xoxo! Be blessed!

by Hannah Braboy on February 22, 2010

Scarves- You can get them at thrift stores (or regular stores) pretty cheep. They are a nice way to add some pop and color to any outfit.

Hats- You can have so much fun with hats! There are lots of different styles and colors. You are sure to find a couple that you love!

Growing your blog is a lot of work. The close friendships that are a result are priceless.

1. Commenting – Comment regularly on the blogs you read. When you receive a comment {from another blogger}, return the favor by commenting on their blog.

2. Social networking – Twitter, Facebook, and the like are all great tools to connect with readers beyond the comments and promote your blog. Use them to their fullest.

2. Email – Email you close blog buddies regularly. Set up times to meet with them. This might be a little more often for bloggers who live closer together.

3. Guest posting – Ask a few friends {with blogs} if they’d be interested in you guest posting for them. Also, you might want to throw the offer out to guest post on yours.

4. Word of mouth – Write really good, make your posts word of mouth-worthy, and make it easy to share them with others.

5. Blogrolls – Put your friends on your blogroll. When you do, they will most likely put you on theirs.

6. Advertising – See if you and a few blog friends can trade blog ads.