Times, Er, Blogs are A-Changing

As I promised last week, I made some additional updates to my little corner of the blogiverse beyond updating my layout.  I’ve made some major additions to the sidebar and have added a few pages as well.  Let’s begin with the pages.

If you scroll up, under the header with the logo and photos you will see a blue bar that has links on it.  Before this only had links to the about page, contact page, my photography website, and our wedding page.  I have added three more pages.




New Page Numero Uno: Featured On

My blog is still pretty new and I am continuously thinking of new things to write about, however I plan on working even harder on my content this year and hopefully will get recognized by some other bloggers or websites and hopefully make some friends along the way.  If I’m featured on any other blog or website, I’ll be sure to update the page.



New Page Numero Dos:  Projects/Tips/Tutorials

As my blog grows, so will the amount of tips, projects, and tutorials I write about.  Even I forget what I have written in the past, so I don’t expect you to have to go searching for all of these posts.  Also, I love looking through pages like this on new blogs I discover so I can quickly get to some of the best posts.  Feel free to look around on that page and look back as I continue to update it.



New Page Numero Tres: Sponsors

After being contacted by Shabby Apple to host last week’s giveaway as well as a few other companies which I declined at the moment, I decided to open up the route to bring in sponsors if anyone would like to advertise on my blog.  However, I am going to be very choosy about any sponsors I take on.  This blog reflects me, the redhead in ruffled flats, so I will only accepts sponsors that I personally believe in and would or have bought from.

Now, for the sidebar updates!



I spruced up my sidebar intro image to reflect the new layout and my personality.  I love how it looks!



If you scroll down just a bit further, you will see an image advertisement that randomizes depending on what I blog about or what you have searched.  I am now using Google Adsense to bring in a little extra decorating money in case anyone decides to click on the ads.  Blogging definitely isn’t about money for me, but I really like Google Ads and have clicked on them many times myself, so having personalized ads run in that little spot is completely fine by me.  If at any time I change my mind about running Google Ads, I’ll remove them.  Like I said, it’s not about the money (so far, I haven’t made a penny and I’m perfectly happy).



Further down on the side bar is a new update with popular posts.  Using statistics of page views and number of comments, I’ve compiled five of my most popular posts.  I’ll update these as other posts become more popular.



And lastly, I have added 150x150 blog buttons for anyone that wants to link to this blog.  I love looking at them – I just love the new layout and the color scheme!  Feel free to grab one of the buttons if you are interested. :)

I hope you have enjoyed the new updates!  As much as this blog is for me to express myself and share my life with the ones I love, it is also a place others come to read, learn, laugh, cry, and search around.  Hopefully these updates have made all of those things a little easier and more enjoyable.  Let me know if you have any comments/suggestions/questions!

Happy Monday!

New Haircut: CHECK! New Layout: CHECK!

As much as I don’t like certain changes, like starting a new job, staying away from home, and starting a new workout routine, sometimes I crave changes.  For example, I have a trend of growing my hair out really long only to chop it off after growing sick of it.  I grew it out in 2006, chopped it off in 2007, grew it out until 2008, chopped it off in 2009, grew it out until 2011, chopped it off in 2012.  Horrible, I tell you.  Here’s photographic proof:

It’s a little pathetic if you ask me.  I both love and loathe both long and short hair and mostly just loathe medium length hair.  Who knows what that’s about . . . I think that’s a post for a different time unless you care to discuss it in the comments (be my guest).

What I am really here to discuss is the new look of my pride and joy: this here blog o’ mine.  I’d say the old look was like a short haircut: not much to look at but kind of cute.  Since I made it before I started posting, I didn’t have any images from the blog to include, so I used a retro color scheme (red, pink, and aqua) along with some vintage flower decals to make it feel like “me.”

Well, just as any haircut for me starts to feel boring and blah after a while, so did the layout.  This new look is like a long hair cut: more versatile but a little more high-maintenance.  As my blog changes, I can switch up the photos in the header and even change the fonts and graphic above the photos which I couldn’t do with my old header.  However, this means more work for me, but I’m up for the challenge.

I kept the flower graphic, background, and color scheme of the old layout, but refreshed it with new fonts and a couple of new tweaks.  I based the design off of my photography website which I worked incredibly hard on and love.  I like how they are more cohesive now.

If you are wondering where the photos from the header come from, then here’s a list just for you:

• Tank top ruffle photo: Goodwill = Goodduds
• Blue pedestal bowl close-up photo: my very first post, How to Cure A Lonely Fridge
• Wedding photo of me and Mr. Converse Sneakers: The First Look
• Winter tablescape photo: A Free Blue Christmas Tablescape
• Red lampshade photo: Pinterest Challenge: Changing Shades

Ahhh, how I love looking at these photos every time I come to read my own blog. :P

I made the blog a little more interactive, but will be working more on that over the next few weeks.

At the end of each post, I’ve added a link to “Like” or “Share” the post on Facebook.  I’d love if you share a post you like with your friends, but that’s completely up to you.  Also, at the end of the post you will now find the comments link as usual as well as the post labels, options to share the post in a variety of ways, and a place to react to the post.  I just thought it would be a fun way to interact in case someone doesn’t want to or doesn’t have time to leave a comment.

I also plan on adding some more functional items to the sidebar as well as some more pages, but those are going to take me a little longer to work on.

If you read my post about my big bad blog goals for 2012, you will know that one of my goals is to open up more by utilizing social media more effectively.  Well, I’ve been tweeting and updating my statuses like crazy!  See?

Now that I have an iPhone and have downloaded the instagram app, I have been uploading photos like crazy from my day.  You can view the updates on my Twitter profile here and my Facebook page here.  I’d love if you followed along on either or both sites because you will get to see and read about things I don’t always get to posting about on the blog.  Plus, it’s just fun!  I’ve already been incredibly active on Pinterest (946 pins!?!), so stop on by to see what I’ve been up to there.  Note: all of these links can easily be found on the sidebar. > > >

I think that’s the full tour.  I’m hoping I won’t get sick of it any time soon.  Let me know if you have any reactions, comments, concerns, troubles, or issues with or about the new layout!  I’d love some feedback!

Big Bad Blog Goals for 2012

Since my blog started only a few months ago last August, I have many big plans for this year!  Since I’ve rambled on a lot in the past two posts, I’m going to try to keep this post short and sweet. 
Here are my blog-related goals for 2012:

Goal #1: Go Easy on Myself

Everything I do, I try to do perfectly.  Well, in my book, there is no such thing as perfect blogging, so I’m just setting myself up for failure by trying to blog my way to perfection.  This year, I am going to try to be easier on myself.  If I don’t have time for five posts a week, no big deal.  If a project I try falls through, I’ll blog about it anyway.  I don’t want anyone thinking I’m perfect or that I’m too proud to admit to failure.  This year, I’m welcoming failure and backing away from perfection.

Goal #2: Step Away from the Screen

I love the blog world, probably too much, so I spend far too much time attached to my laptop.  I plan on being more purposeful when I boot up my computer and will try to limit how much time I spend blog-surfing.  Hopefully, this will leave more time for creative, informational, and/or interesting blog posts that you will enjoy reading.

Goal #3: Create a New Blog Layout

I set up this layout when I first started the blog, but it’s looking a little blah to me as of late.  I like the retro feel to it, but am not a fan of the blocky header.  In time, I hope to change it up and make it more functional in the process.

Goal #4: Get to Know You Better

Sometimes I forget real people actually read my blog.  It’s pretty amazing and I couldn’t be more thankful!  I plan on responding to everyone personally more, answering questions directly, and coming up with a better commenting system so chatting away is much easier.  I also want to stop by more of your own blogs because you all are very interesting!  This may cut into goal #2, but I’m willing to take that risk.

Goal #5: Participate in the Community More

I read a lot of blogs.  A LOT.  I can barely keep up with all the reading, but I love reading about other people’s decorating decisions and quirky lifestyles.  I want to start commenting more and getting to know other bloggers.  I also would like to participate in more linky parties because they are just darn fun!

Goal #6: Open Up More

I love bloggers who use Twitter and Facebook to let us into their lives a little bit more.  Now that I have an iPhone, I can easily take photos of my life and instantly upload them to both Twitter and Facebook.  I have already started plugging away at this and have to say that it’s very fun!  I now have a purpose for those social media sites so they don’t sit dormant.  You can follow me on Twitter here or like Redhead in Ruffled Flats on Facebook here.

So many goals!  So little time!  For the next 365 I’m going to be busy, but it will be completely worth it.  Here’s to my first full year of blogging on RiRF and making bloggy friends!

If you have a blog, what are your blog goals?