Personal Journal - Tips for Journal Writing

Playing on My Guitar

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:41:00 +0000

Guest post written by Pete Shilling

I've played guitar for as long as I can remember. When I was 7, my mom signed me up for lessons with this guy in town, and I have to say, that was one of the best things she could have done for me. Why? Well, she gave me the opportunity to cultivate a hobby I now love and appreciate so much! This time of year I get particularly good use from it. I'm able to play with other musicians in town for the holiday parade, which seems to bring everyone such cheer!

I love it so much, I've even been shopping around domain names to see if I can start up my own music site. I'd love to give lessons on the side, so setting up that business may be something I have to just do in 2011. I could give lessons, just like that guy did for me, so maybe I can help inspire a ton of other local kids. I just think those are the things you have to share -- the passions that really are worth living for.

MI was compensated by my friends at DomainNames.com for this guest post.

Journaling Knives

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 04:15:00 +0000

A personal journal should reflect personal interests and style. I have a great friend, Larry, who loves to hunt, fish and collect knives. He is one of those people that just can't get enough of it all. That's a great thing when it rolls around to be his birthday because no one can go wrong as long as they don't duplicate a previous gift which was inevitably a knife.

He has every kind of knife imaginable such as a:

1) pocket knife

2) tactical knife

3) survival knife

I've heard his wife, Ruth, say many times that if there was anyone she could depend on if she were lost in the forest, it would have to be her husband. Not only can he live off the land, but he enjoys doing it. She has created an awesome journal of all his weekend jaunts with tons of pictures recording the size of the fish he caught or where he camped on the side of a mountain.

His friends and family alike often enjoy the fruits of his labors, so looking for a new knife for him is a pleasure. It also couldn't be easier than going online and visiting Knife Depot where they offer a broad selection, low prices, great quality merchandise all backed with a money-back guarantee. That is definitely a win-win situation. Every time we give Larry a new knife, there is the obligatory picture with him and the knife to be put in his journal. We've all just gotten used to it now.

Keeping a journal interesting is not such a big task if you break it down into smaller bites and neither is buying a knife if you just click to the awesome website called Knife Depot. Enjoy the journey - yep, that's what it is all about and hopefully we all have Larry and his knives with us when we get lost in the mountains.

My opinions are valued and I was compensated by my friends at Knife Depot for this post.

Journal Learning

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:44:00 +0000

Let's pretend that you are convinced that keeping a daily journal is important and you know what kind of information to include within the pages. Do you think that writing a journal can change your life?

As you write about your hopes, dreams, goals, successes and failures, the deeper meaning of who you are becomes evident. It is easier to appreciate your uniqueness and purpose on this planet. A journal allows plenty of space and time to contemplate the mysteries of life, but more specifically, your own life. As we privately reflect on our path, our guard goes down and we become less defensive. With an open, clear mind, the ability to become honest with ourselves is much easier and that helps us put change into motion.

Blank pages can be intimidating unless we view journaling as an opportunity to release our thoughts and emotions as well as record our journey. Self-exploration will assist in planning the steps towards successful accomplishment of our goals. Each day provides the means to reflect on what we have already completed and how we need to proceed in order to stay on the right path.

Find a place to record your thoughts whether it be in a bound journal or on the computer and be dedicated to writing each day. Once it becomes habit, you'll begin to look forward to the relaxing time spent writing. Make sure to include all the things you learned during the day whether it was positive or negative. Dissect the situations - your reactions, other people's reactions, and the things that happened. After it is written, go back and read the passage. Write about how it makes you feel and anything learned from your own writing. This process is empowering and will help to bring about changes to you and your life.

A journal allows us to see ourselves from a stranger's point of view. It tells us all the things that other people just can't tell us for fear of hurting our feelings. If you read your journal and don't like yourself, use the knowledge gleaned and change. Plan your path to change in the journal and set goals along the way to help them become reality. Keeping a journal is a positive force for change and improvement in one's life. Take advantage the opportunity to do so.

As Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, once said, “I don’t want to live in a hand-me-down world of others’ experiences. I want to write about me, my discoveries, my fears, my feelings, about me.”

Black Friday Mentality

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 05:35:00 +0000

Thanks for the post, Nora Howe

Have you ever seen a normally mild mannered pleasant woman turn into a screeching devil on Black Friday? I went to Toys R Us with my friend Sheila to pick up some toys for my granddaughter for Christmas. I will never forget this as long as I live. The woman went armed with her credit card and her cell phone in case we got separated. As it happened, I heard her southern accented voice all over the store as I was choosing dolls for my granddaughter. Raggedy Ann dolls were on sale for eight dollars each instead of regularly priced eighteen and I grabbed two of them. Barbie dolls were on sale for six dollars apiece down from seventeen dollars. Four of them went into my bag.

I heard Sheila across the store in tricycles yelling for a salesperson to help her carry a riding toy. I heard Sheila expounding on the price of a Fisher Price plastic climbing set for indoors. I heard Sheila yelling for ya'll to clear the way so she could carry all this stuuuff. Then I heard her shouting that Ah'm at the checkout and for me to meet her there.

She got half price on her toys. Safely back home and watching Satellite TV offers, we wrapped our toys and her voice changed back to the sweet woman I know.

My opinions are valued and I was compensated by my friends at http://www.DirectStartTV.com for this post.

Green Stripes Grill Cover

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 03:52:00 +0000

When writing a journal entry, what is an acceptable subject? Personally, I don't think anything is off limits. If your journal is online and public, I do think there should be limitations as to the private information shared, but otherwise go for it.

So when you write about an event, you try to help the person who will some day read your journal to feel connected and a part of the activity.

I will give you an example...

After buying the grill, I went online and found the best

grill covers

that look classy and won't detract from the landscaping in the back yard. I was so thrilled to find that the

barbeque grill covers

came in several sizes so that I wouldn't have to worry about it looking all baggy and distorted.

Just when I had decided to buy the Bird of Paradise design, Dad came in and peeked over my shoulder.

"Don't you just love the Green Stripes?" he asked totally oblivious to my choice.

"Oh yes, it is very nice. Is that your favorite?"

"Yeah, I love it," he said as he walked away.

So I ordered the Green Stripes. I love your Dad and he does so much for the family. It was just something I could do to let him know that I care what he thinks and I love him. He will be so surprised."

With a journal entry like that, you are able to teach without sounding like you are preaching. It gives an example of real life experience and the choices you made which will ring truer to your posterity than just words.

You were able to draw them into the experience and think about the whole family dynamic surrounding a fun purchase. It may seem boring stuff to write, but wouldn't you want to know about the dynamics and day-to-day life activities of your great-great-grandmother?

***I was compensated by 1001 GrillCovers.com for reviewing their site and writing this post. However, my opinions are always honest and I really do love their sundials. Thanks 1001 GrillCovers.com for the opportunity to brag about you!

Changing Labels in Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:35:00 +0000

Do you have too many key word labels in your posts? Have you added an "s" or "ed" or possibly both to a main word and now your posts are scattered and disorganized? Then it is time to fix them up!

With a little patience and time, you can have your blog postings categorized without a zillion key word labels. I hope you noticed I used both "patience" and "time" in requirements for this organization feat. Just remember to take One Step At A Time.

I'm going to dedicate this posting to PJ who has a habit of deleting my email instructions. (laughing my head off)

CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW

Let's use the word ABUSE as an example

♥
• click POSTING

• click EDIT POSTS

• find the key word label that you do not want any more in the left column and click it

• the example shows "abuse" as the key word label to change

• after clicking the key word, all the postings with that key word label will be listed to the right

• click EDIT next to the first post

• go to the key word labels and erase the key word that you do not want any more

• if necessary, replace it with a different word

• click PUBLISH POST ♫

Now start all over again with the directions beginning with the ♥ and ending with the ♫

You have do do this for EACH key word label you want deleted or changed with EACH posting

That's it!

Tips To Help You Have An Interesting Blog

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:25:00 +0000

• Color - Although men are scientifically more visual than women, we still like things so "look" appealing. Color draws the eye to the blog and encourages it to stay if the colors are inviting.

• Photos - Post at least one good photo per posting. If the color encourages them to stay, the relevant photo encourages them to stay longer to read your posting.

• Uniformity - We all seek peace. Great grammar, spelling and distinct paragraphs with spacing is a must because the reader needs to flow through your writing in order to grasp and relate with your thoughts.

• Header - A header starts the whole blog. You wouldn't go to an elegant party completely outfitted from toe to the beginning of your scalp. No, you would make sure that your hair looked great too! Your header is your hair, so add a little hair spray and run a brush through it LOL That, of course, is a loose analogy.

• A button/badge - Here is another analogy...Women love ear rings. Your blog's badge is the ear rings and your best advertising piece. I have a whole page dedicated to everyone's badges. People specifically ask me to take their badge and I do especially if they are willing to post mine too. Isn't that the whole idea of friendly blogging--supporting one another? If you want to see my friends buttons, it is on the tab called SPECIAL BLOGS.

• Don't add music - Although I am the number one fan of loud, window shaking music, don't add it to automatically come on when someone accesses your blog. The majority of peeps just don't like it...me included because when I am blogging at 3:00 a.m. and have forgotten to turn down the volume, it is terrible to access a blog with music that blasts throughout the house.

• Posts - Ensure that your posts are interesting and consistent. Readers need to know that you are going to post consistently so that they will make a point and create a habit of visiting you often to read interesting things about your, your life or the world around us.

• Ask - Don't hesitate to ask questions. There will be many that ignore you or are unwilling to share good information, but there are also many who are more than happy to help you.

I hope that helps. Happy blogging!

Importance of Journaling

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:40:00 +0000

Image: Bookwright

Why should you and I put all the time and effort into keeping a personal journal?

Let's see if I can name a few reasons that might inspire you to take journaling seriously.

• record your life for your posterity; create a memoir of your life

• help yourself analyze situations and experiences from all angles which will help you notice and hopefully not repeat bad patterns

• keep track of your growth

• improves your writing

• organizes your life and choices

• gives you an opportunity to relax and meditate

• the relaxing nature of writing and recounting life has a medically therapeutic result

• clarify your dreams and goals

• can release all your old hurts and wounds by dissecting them and then letting them go

• share your experienced wisdom

• face your fears in an effort to overcome them

Keeping a journal can be as simple as writing in a notebook, so it shouldn't scare you away. If you keep a blog, it is the perfect place to start. Just make the effort to print and bind the pages that are journal worthy.

When should you start keeping a journal? Yesterday? Last week? With that said, start now. There is no time like the present to begin a worthy endeavor.

"After the writer's death,
reading his journal is like
receiving a long letter."~Jean Cocteau~

Numbering Comments

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:21:00 +0000

I offer giveaways on two of my blogs, The Redhead Riter and Contests & Giveaways. One thing that I needed on my blogs was to have the comments numbered. I had tried several times to get the code to work, but to no avail.

I am, however, determined. I do not want to have to count all the messages to get a winner! So, with mouse in hand, I feverishly surfed the internet...and surfed...and surfed.

Then to my absolute thrill...

JACK POT!

I found a blog with the greatest tutorial on adding numbers to the blog's comments. Not only is it easy to understand, but also includes snapshots for the more visual individual.

(Raising my hand way up in the air saying, "That's me! That's me!")

It is a blog written by Susie Jefferson who in her own words is a "Happily married freelance artist & designer based in London, addicted to bookbinding, mixed media and digital art."

Cute button, huh?

Like me, she also has several other blogs, but I haven't had time to check them all out yet because I am still celebrating my success with adding numbers to my comments on two blogs already. But I am going to head on over to the rest as soon as I publish this post! I am sure her blogs are going to be filled with all kinds of things that I like and I am sure I will get more insight on better bookbinding.

So if you are going to ever host a giveaway, save yourself some trouble and add the numbers now. Head on over to Computery and find out How To Number Your Comments at http://1stfloorflatcomputery.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-number-your-comments.html

Thank you Susie!

Scrolling Marquee HTML

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:25:00 +0000

Have you been wondering if there is an easy way to make text scroll like a marquee? Every now and then do you need something different and nifty to catch your reader's attention? Well, here is the simple code for scrolling marquee text!

All you have to do is copy the code in your blog, replace the text, and TAA DAA!

Do you like the text to scroll? Gets your attention doesn't it?

Click the picture below to see the text enlarged and color coded with directions...

Color and HTML

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:12:00 +0000

I love color.

Every color.

Colors have an affect on our moods and I know I can "feel" color.

My favorite colors are white, blue and yellow. Maybe I am always secretly craving to have a son.

I always go to the same site when I need a color code. There are many to choose from, but it is by far my favorite.

It is called the HEX HUB and is located at http://www.december.com/html/spec/color.html

So the next time you need to add a color code to a font, template or table, give it a try.

How To BlogFrog

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:28:00 +0000

BlogFrog is a community of bloggers that have a forum to exchange ideas in a more casual way than a blog. It is actually more interactive.

This is where you join BlogFrog at http://www.theblogfrog.com

Once you join, you will be at the WELCOME page.

Click to enlarge

The first thing you want to do is to COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE.

Then to better understand and because it is easier to explain it to you this way, copy and paste this link in your address bar:

http://theblogfrog.com/psearch/Community.aspx?blogID=1024359

That is my BlogFrog Community. It looks like this...

Click to enlarge

The pictures above and below show you:

where to paste the URL for you header picture,
where to join communities,
the SUBSCRIBE button for joining communities,
hot discussions,
how to view the communities you join,
where to participate in the forums,
where Twitter tweets appear,
and who has joined your community.

Click to enlarge

One last piece of information...To get the URL link of your community, go to the OVERVIEW tab and copy the URL in the address bar. That is your community link.

Mine is http://theblogfrog.com/psearch/Community.aspx?blogID=1024359, so join the BlogFrog and become part of my community.

Looking forward to more networking and lots of chatting with you!

Friend or Follow

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:12:00 +0000

I found this FANTASTIC site that really has helped me with my Twitter followers. It is called FRIEND OR FOLLOW at http://friendorfollow.com/

Click to Enlarge Image

This is how it works:

The first tab is called FOLLOWING. You click a button and it brings up all the people that you follow, but they are not following you. At that time you have the choice to either continue following, unfollow, ignore or block them.

Then you go to the next tab called FANS and these are the people that are are following you, but you are not following them. You can then follow, ignore or block them. I just ran mine and there are only two people following me that I am not following.

Click to Enlarge Image

The third tab, FRIENDS, will show you everyone that follows you and you follow them back. Yep, you read that right. All of them, listed together. The best part...

You can download all them in a .csv file with their screen name, Twitter ID, name, location and description.

Isn't that convenient?

No longer do I have to wonder if I have a new follower. In a few easy clicks, I see them all!

Cute Little Hats by Buddy Tops

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Penny Pinching Mama is hosting this giveaway for these cute little hats!

Here posting reads like this....

BuddyTops to the rescue! Designed for both warmth and play, these hats are essentially a collection of plush animals for heads aged 3-12. The cast of characters have their own personalities to help children grasp the importance of such things as honesty, perserverence, courage and respect.

RAWR!

Emma received Mitch, the Tiger Cub who listens to adults. As the tag states:
Mitch is a young tiger cub who looks up to his parents -- just like you! He watches and learns from them so that he can one day become just as loving and caring. Your new Buddytop still makes little mistakes, like leaving tiny paw prints on Mommy's floor, but he knows that with each lesson from his parents, he will make fewer and fewer boo boos. Mitch treats his parents and other grown-ups with respect, and he knows you will too!

We had hoped to have cousin model Stewart the courageous Tiger, but she wasn't available in time for this review so Emma's modeling him as well. He is a protector and comes from a long family of fearless tigers!

Amazingly, Emma not only let me place these adorable hats on her head, she let them stay put. No fussing, and no tantrums. Hallelujiah! Whether she loved the cute characters or the luxurious soft material, I'm not sure. But this hat stays put, and it will keep her head and her ears warm all winter. That's all that matters to this mama.

To enter the Giveaway visit Penny Pinching Mama at http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/2009/12/buddy-tops-review-giveaway-2-winners.html

Bummas Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:02:00 +0000

I am going to also start hosting giveaways on all blogs with applicable products. It thought I would add this one here for you all to see even though it is also posted on teh contest blog. You should hop on over there (http://rrbrcontest.blogspot.com) and become a follower.

The Penny-Pinching Mama is hosting a giveaway!

Bummas are soft, absorbent, luxurious, 100% cotton baby cloths. They come in a variety of color sets and they come nicely packaged and ready for gift-giving. We received 'wild ones' bummas, which is a pretty collection of bright colors. The cloths measure 5"x7", and are amazingly soft and smooth.

One bumma will soak up an entire pee - that's how absorbant they are! But what I also love is the versatility of this product. I know, I talk a lot about things being versatile. I can't help it! You can also use these cloths as washcloths, burp cloths and even to wipe baby's nose.

We use talcom powder on Emma toosh, and I worry about it getting into her lungs. Bumma's eliminate the need for powder and get her bum nice and dry. Saves me money that would have been spent on powder and I won't have to wonder whether the powder is harmful to her developing lungs.

Throw them in the wash and use them over and over again. Bummas are guaranteed not to shrink, pill or fade. Do you want to try Bummas, or give them to a new mom or dad?

Enter the Giveaway at The Penny Pinching Mama at http://thepennypinchingmama.blogspot.com/

Create a Blog Button or Badge

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Blue Cotton Memory needed a hand at creating a badge/button for her blog, so this is my extra easy tutorial.

If you copy the information in the box below and paste it into a Blogger HTML widget (for Wordpress, paste this code the same way you paste other buttons in your side bar)...

You will get this to appear on your blog...If someone copies from inside the little box and pastes it on their blog...

They will get just your button or badge.

Click on this image for detail

Good luck!

Update: Word Press is a bit different, but here is a link that will help you
http://en.support.wordpress.com/code/posting-source-code/

To Blog or Not To Blog

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:37:00 +0000

An online journal is called a blog or personal blog. The first online diary is believed to be Claudio Pinhanez's "Open Diary", which was published at the MIT Media Lab website. Justin Hall's "Justin's Links from the Underground", Carolyn Burke's "Carolyn's Diary", and Bryon Sutherland's "The Semi-Existence of Bryon" were among the first online personal bloggers.

The New York Times called Justin Hall "the founding father of personal blogging" in an article by Jeffrey Rosen, entitled "Your Blog or Mine?" published December 14, 2004. Justin's official blog is "just in teractive" at http://interactive.usc.edu/members/jhall/, his official website at http://www.links.net/vita/, and a video clip of his breakdown called Dark Night at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx8rDD1ekGU The reason that Justin is the most popular is because he created the first personal web page which included his day to day activities in spite of the sometimes embarrassing detail.

There are conflicting reports, but the highest I found was that there are over 210,000,000 blogs. I don't know about what you think, but that is a whole lot of history, photos, and opinions. Some people write about everything and others filter the information they post on their blogs.

Do you think there is a right or wrong amount of information that should be shared on the internet about a person's life?

Formatting Text

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:41:00 +0000

A few codes to help with formatting text:

boldface

boldface
boldface

Italic

Italic
Italic

bold italic

bold Italic
bold Italic

centering

<center>centered</center>

centered

color text

color text
color text

subscript

Ab
A_b

superscript

X2
X²

Basic HTML for Images

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Images. Pictures. Photos.

I could go on and on about them.

Images added to a blog posting make all the difference in the world to me. They add depth, character and interest to the thoughts and words written.

There are a few requirements for the HTML of an image shown in red.

• begin HTML with <
• next , img src=
• put URL enclosed with " "
• alt="name of pic"
• title="name of pic"
• height="number of px"
• width="number of px"
• put > at the end

Here's an image of a handsome man (smile)

This is how the HTML looks for the image.

Depending on the browser, when you hover over an image it will show you either the TITLE or the ALT. Ensure you use both and that they are the same.

To adjust the images, height and width, drag the corner as shown below.

Obviously, you'll have to click to enlarge so that you can read the directions.

There is much more to learn about images in future posts.

Preserving Photos

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:21:00 +0000

In this day of digital photography, we take more and more pictures of the people, places and things we experience. Because of the ease of taking such a large amount, we often forget a few "do's" and "don'ts" when preserving the photos we have printed.

• Scan every photo NOW
(I need to do this!)
• Do not touch-your fingers are oily
• Dust and dirt are the enemy
• Store in low humity
• Prevent fluctuating temperature
• Do not use regular pens to write photos
• Use special photo glue and tape only
• Do not use paper clips
• Do not use rubber bands
• Do not store in Ziploc baggies
• Print all digitals
(use the printers same ink
and paper - don't mix brands)
• Turn cherished photos to black and
whites (last longer)
• Use copies of photos in frames
(not the originals)
• Store in neutral PH envelopes if
you don't want to use albums
(do not use cardboard boxes)
• Do not store photos stacked together
• Store high in case of flooding
• Create digital photo albums
• Use only photo approved papers (acid free)

Image: courtesy of Just Something I Made

How To Copy and Paste Button

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Highlight and copy the letters, not the button

Paste in an HTML widget (in Blogger)

This is how the pasted code appears

Hit the RICH TEXT link in the corner of the HTML widget to see how the button looks

Tip For Keeping A Journal #1

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:49:00 +0000

See, Touch and Feel

"What is a diary as a rule? A document useful to the person who keeps it. Dull to the contemporary who reads it and invaluable to the student, centuries afterwards, who treasures it."
~Walter Scott~

Add photos and bits of history to your journal. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but being able to touch and feel historical items is equally as valuable.

I have journals dating back to when I was fourteen and there are pictures from the T.V. Guide, jokes from Reader's Digest, dried and pressed flower petals and even a candy wrapper. It has been fun for my daughter to step into my teenage years and actually "see" and "feel" it instead of only hearing about it from me. Of course, she thinks I am just so silly to have been "into Reader's Digest" at fourteen years old.

Photos are much easier to retain than in the past. We can take digital photos and not worry about the cost of printing because we can either print only the pictures we like or we do not have to print any of them. If your journal is wide enough, you can create a sleeve to hold a CD/DVD with relevant photos during the time period of the journal.

When taking photos, do not only include perfectly staged "say cheese" photos. Include photos of everyone doing the regular tasks and duties of the day, i.e. washing dishes, folding laundry, vacuuming, changing the oil in the car, and mowing the grass, to name a few. Our lives are filled with these types of moments. Save them not only to memory, but also in photos.

Adding photos and physical pieces related to moments in your life will add personality and depth to your journal and create more interest for those who pick it up to read it some day.

Formatting - ALT VS TITLE

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:01:00 +0000

I know that many of you simply want to type and not worry about any of the formatting mumbo jumbo, however, a little knowledge never hurt anyone and neither did making sure that your blog is read correctly by the search engines to enable you the greatest depth when the spiders crawl. No, that is not a signal to get out the pesticide! If you do not like clicking the "Edit HTML" button for your posts, you can still do this correctly. I'll explain and then show you...

The search engine spiders appreciate named pictures and crawl better over your site when they are named. To name an image, ALT tags (alternative text - just a label that is used to explain the content of an image) are used within the coding of the image HTML. TITLE tags also perform the same basic function AND can be used for element of the page (not just images) making TITLE tags seem to me the best choice. But wait, there's more. Let's start with a normal picture HTML code that will look something like this:

Example: <img src="http://www.ThePhotoSite/image.jpg">

It used to be that ALT was always chosen above a TITLE tag, but Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox choose TITLE over ALT. Both browsers use TITLE tags as the primary source, but it is still a requirement in some countries and browsers to use the ALT tag. Besides those two conflicting requirements, the most important of all is that ALT tags are still a basic requirement of the W3C WAI guidelines which state that they must be included for accessible websites. So in order for the images on your site to be crawled by all browsers and to be compliant with the guidelines, we must use both the TITLE and ALT tags and create redundant, duplicate text. Talk about inefficiencies!

Each image will have to include both:

Example: <img src="http://www.ThePhotoSite/image.jpg" title="Name of Image" alt="Name of Image" >

I hovered over, took a snapshot, and grabbed a picture from my Decorative Interiors Blogroll site as the example of how it will appear in all browsers since I used both the TITLE and required ALT tags.

Try hovering over the above image and a different TITLE/ALT tag was used and will display.

A thing of beauty indeed! So how can you do this without clicking that frightening button to edit your HTML (uh, my sister is one of those people--Love ya Audrey!) you ask?

First, put this code in your posting...

Example: <img src="">

In a DIFFERENT internet browser page, go to the place where you upload your photos and grab the HTML code (See! It didn't bite you!)

Drop the code that you copied from above into your posting between the "" (parentheses)

Example: <img src=" HERE ">

Add the required ALT and TITLE tags and now it looks something like this...

Example: <img src=" http://123.photobucket.com/eeffd66.jpeg" title="Name of Image" alt="Name of Image" >

Save and publish post. The picture formatted correctly will appear and the code will have disappeared into the HTML heaven of your published post. Also, if you hover over the image in any browser it will appear. Most of all, you are making the search engine spiders and internet rule makers happy. Gives you goosebumps doesn't it.

Bookmarkers

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:51:00 +0000

A bookmark is a thin marker, often decorated with objects on either or both ends, used to keep one's place in a book and so be able to return to it with ease. Many bookmarks can be clipped on a page with the aid of a page-flap. Often bookmarks are sentimental and given at special occasions with a handwritten signature, date and message on the back.

In the 1850's, the first detached bookmark appeared and was was first referenced in Mary Russell Mitford's Recollections of a Literary Life (1852): "I had no marker and the richly bound volume closed as if instinctively."

The most common bookmark from that time period included in-your-face advertisements for various clothing including corsets, soap, and the medicines from the finest quacks!

Today bookmarks can be found in all shapes, colors and sizes.

Image: Neiman MarcusImage: Ice Standard
If you're looking for a special bookmark, you might try Mirage Bookmarks at http://www.miragebookmark.ch/ for some of the most beautiful and unique bookmarks I have ever seen.

Become The Author of Your Story

noreply@blogger.com (The Redhead Riter) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:45:00 +0000

What happens after you die?

How are you going to share the experiences you had while living and impart advice to those that you love? It makes you think doesn't it? There is a fantastic way to not only accomplish this, but also to improve your self-awareness for personal development. How? The easy answer is to write daily in a personal journal or diary.

Blank pages scare you? That's ok. Don't write at first. Buy a book that will lay flat. Pick something that reflects your personality and is enticing to your eye. Now collect flat things that make you happy such as pictures of George Clooney, dried flower petals, pieces of special fabric, string of yarn, piece of thread, pattern piece, candy wrapper, family photo, newspaper article, recipe card, crayon wrapping, announcements, church programs, or even the grocery list. Now flip through the pages of the journal and randomly put the items between different pages. The journal becomes less intimidating. It has become personal. You are in the book. Now find a pen that doesn't make splotches. You know, those big splotches that appear out of no where and smear on the page, your fingers, hand, arm, chin...you get the picture.

It is quite apparent that keeping a journal will help all those that read it to understand your happiness, struggles and words of wisdom possibly helping them make better decisions. Revisiting old experiences and ideas assist in our personal development. The old adage of "learning from our mistakes" bears remembering. Often when we are on the other side of a problem and have surfaced from the pain, being able to go back puts a different twist on the experience. That is why it is so important to write daily while you are muddling through the messy parts of life. Our reactions to those misfortunes can become increasingly more positive if we take the time to reflect on personal change and take the actions necessary to have them come to pass.

Discipline.

It really does boil down to the discipline of setting aside ten minutes to write your thoughts each day. Once you get past the intimidation of a book full of empty pages, commit to yourself that for ten minutes each day you will write in a journal. In the end, it will be more exciting to read than the latest paperback novel. No one else can live your life and only you can be the author of the book.

Start today.