soho-life.com

Do you have a blog theme addiction?

I have and I have it bad. I spend hours and hours and hours looking for just that right look and sometimes I ‘put up with a theme’ until I have time to go in search again.

Case in point - my Proverbs 31 Woman blog. I just can’t find the right look but I would like to portray a woman with old-fashioned values who is a mother at home and a business woman too. So she could be pictured with an apron, or with kids around her, and definitely in a home environment. But I’ve not see many blog themes that match that description. And then it also needs to have a blogroll that categorises blogs although I believe I can add a code for that.

And sometimes when on the hunt I find other templates I love and I end up starting blogs I really don’t need but love the template so I want to use it. Another case in point - Kathie’s Garden. This one is badly in need of new posts.

But sometimes I can find just the right template like the one for this blog - I’m happy with it, and for several other blogs I have or blogs I manage for clients. One of my latest ones is Block’s Indicator - I actually found about 5 different templates ideal for that one so we’re trying them out as the blog ages gradually.

I did eventually find a theme for Proverbs31-woman.com though that I like - although it doesn’t have the look I originally envisioned. But I like the way the categories are done.

So, tell me about your favourite themes or your blog addiction!

blog themes, blog templates, blog addiction, favourite theme

Tags: Blog Templates // 5 Comments »

I get quite a number of invitations these days from people I don’t really know.  I don’t mind connecting with them however I do ask first where they found me and why they want to connect?  Obviously they haven’t read my profile before sending the invitation otherwise they would know that’s a requirement for me to connect.

Why do I do this?  Well, I want to feel there’s some kind of personal connection first.  I also don’t want to be counted as a number as I know that many, particularly LIONS, are prone to do.  Quality not quantity is something I’m seeking in the way of connections - will there be a mutual benefit for us both to connect?

If I know and recognise the name as someone I’ve chatted with before I will accept and then I’ll give them suggestions on how to do an invitation and send them here to my blog to check out the LinkedIn category.  But if I don’t recognise their name I wait for their response and often those responses can be funny or even indignant.  Some don’t respond at all.

Why would a response be indignant?  They seem to expect that because we had a minor connection via an email about 3 or 4 months ago I would remember who they are.  Perhaps they don’t get much email but I get 2-300 on a daily basis because of the nature of my business and also the groups I belong to online.  Why would I remember someone who might have answered a question at LinkedIn or responded to a forum message?  It would be different if we actually did business together in some way but usually it’s one of the former.

So, if you’re new to LinkedIn I encourage you to look at personalising your invitations (you can click on edit and change the text of what’s being sent) and make sure you read through the profile of the person you wish to invite first.   You can get penalised by LinkedIn if you get too many “I Don’t Knows” against your name.

Oh, and if you have copied someone else’s email that says something about ‘please do not mark IDK’ then I suggest you don’t do that.  It’s almost as bad as a blanket invite being sent.  If you can copy and paste someone else’s message, you are also capable of writing your own personal message.

Tags: LinkedIn // 2 Comments »

Then have I got something for you!

The moderators and administrators at Aussie Bloggers were given a short story, and asked to fill in the blanks. The results have been combined into The Lazy Bloggers Blog Post Generator. And they’ve made it available for you to use too!

No longer do you have to worry about writer’s block and I’m sure you could get some really interesting stories for your blog. Why not try it out and share here or at Aussie Bloggers the fun that you’ve been having!

blogging, writing, writer’s block, ideas

Tags: Blogging // Add Comment »

If you are an Australian, either living in Australia or abroad, and you blog, then you might be interested in joining the Aussie Bloggers Forum. Now reaching 6 months of age, this forum boasts over 600 members and over 32,000 posts - that’s a lot of chatter!

I discovered the forum only a couple of weeks after it got started and am now one of their top ten posters and also a moderator at the forum.

I did think I really did not need another forum (I belong to quite a few!) but as blogging is something I really enjoy, the chatter there is lively and always of interest.

So, if you’re an Aussie blogger (i.e. you live in Australia and blog, or am an Australian overseas who blogs) then we would love you to join us at the Aussie Bloggers Forum.

Tags: Blogging, Uncategorized // 3 Comments »

My book “Worth More Than Rubies” is being launched at Amazon tomorrow. And I’m doing a special offer with giveaways for a 24 hour period only. Of course, the book will always be available, but if you want to experience the special offers, then it needs to be purchased during the time period listed below.The date is:

Special offer (24 hours only): From 12.01am 27th June 2008 AEST(10am 26th June - 9.59am 27th June US EDT)

See Amazon Campaign for advance details.

If you’d like to be reminded of the launch and the goodies that will be available please register below - you’ll get an email from me just prior to the launch.

Tags: Work From Home // 2 Comments »