Lemon Cherry Blogs - Blog designs that are uniquely classic, fresh and sweet.

Moving to Wordpress

2010-02-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

Lemon Cherry Blogs + Believe and Bloom = DreamUp Studios. It's very exciting math, but what does it mean? Well...

From now on I'll be posting at our DreamUp Studios Blog!!! Not only is it in a new location, it's with Wordpress. So come join me, will you - please.

Twiin Gallery Photography

2010-01-15T14:44:00.000-08:00

Working with photographers is a true joy for me. I envy each and every one of them very much. Monika of Twiin Gallery Photography was no exception. Just look at her photographs and you'll have to agree, she's AMAZING!

Monika wanted a modern, very girly, classy, clean, and professional looking design that was easy to navigate. I had such fun, and was quite successful, in giving that to her!! The results speak for themselves as does her kind reaction:

"The blog looks fantastic! It's exactly what I've wanted and more. I really like how you created drop down menus for About and Categories. I'm lovin' the damask background. The whole blog has a very elegant and sophisticated look. I think it fits my personality perfectly ;) Thanks to your design, I'm no longer embarrassed to give out my blog address. I am so glad I've decided to work with you on my new blog."

This design is full of fun things, from the flash in the header to the drop down menu and the three column footer. It's actually got more code work then any of my previous designs so go check it over. And while you are there be sure to check out Monika's work and oooh and aww over her cute 'macho' dog.

Nail Bites

2009-12-01T15:09:00.000-08:00

Imogen, a previous client of mine, asked me to design Nail Bites for Michelle, a friend of her's. Every chance I get to work with previous clients is a blast, especially when it involves a friend of theirs. It makes me so happy when clients refer me to their friends, and when their friends like my work so much they want to work with me too. Makes me feel like I'm doing my job well, really well!

I also feel like I'm doing a good job when I get a reply like this one from Imogen. Sent right after the first draft in reply to her friend. "Michelle loves it thanks! Load it up! That was easy." Love, easy - two words I am very found of :)

I loved the pink colors, doing the custom illustration and working with the challenge of another white background. It turned too cute, don't you think?! Thanks for letting me apart of this project ladies, it was a pleasure.

Written by Erica

2009-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

Erica, of Written by Erica, is a professional writer who wanted to showcase her work on her blog. She didn't however like any of the templates she could find and opted to have me design a custom one just for her. Something that was professional but girly, showing her personable side.

We went with pink and light blue with black and white accents. Cute unique font and a vintage typewriter. Turned out to be a killer cute combo that we were both please with!

Bookish Penguin

2009-10-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Candace of Bookish Penguin was a blast! She was so excited to work with me - I felt like a celebrity! She also has an adorable blog name and theme. Who doesn't love books and penguins?

To top that off she uses Squarespace and let me do some experimenting :) I am happy to say that I now officially offer designs for that platform. Here are some kind words Candace posted after the install.

"I actually squealed out loud when I opened the site because I was just so happy with it... Katie was a pure joy to work with - she's so sunny and upbeat and just really great. I really wish she lived nearby because I'd take her out for drinks or coffee!"

Thanks for letting me make your blog look so cool Candace, I absolutely love your signature - it's probably my favorite so far!! If we're ever in the same vicinity I'll take you up on that coffee in a heart-beat.

Rice Photography

2009-09-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Chelsey, of Rice Photography, is so talented and so much fun!! She wanted a blog that would be true to her personality and her photography.

She told me her favorite color was aqua, but her existing logo was bright green. I decided to use both colors. Toned them down and tied them together with black and white and a softer green.

I also changed her template to one column so that her photos could be bigger and really shine.

Here is Chelsey's opinion of the makeover, "Katie was awesome to work with. I Love my blog so much! She even got all the little details right without me even asking! She was easy to work with and always so cheerful!"

In fact she loved it so much that she is having a giveaway in celebration of her new look --

She is giving away a free photo session. This includes a CD with 20 edited pictures on it. The session is good for up to 4 people! Go read this post to find out how to get your entry in, she will announce the winner on Mon, Oct 5. so there is still time, hurry hurry :)

Middle Ageless

2009-09-19T09:12:00.001-07:00

Before

After

Rosina is a 30-year veteran of medical journalism, consumer health and beauty marketing. She adores life, staying young, makeup, the gym, and anything else that keeps her young.

Her blog Middle Ageless aims to dispel the hype and nonsense associated with the beauty business, cosmetic procedures, and the lucrative field of 'anti-aging.'

Rosina was unhappy with her current blog design and wanted a new one that would rightfully reflect the image of her content in an elevated light and fresh sort of way.

I made some great illustrations, she picked out some great colors and together we achieved her goal. Have a look at those before and after shots. It's like night and day isn't it?!

The best post ever written

2009-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

I just love getting positive feedback from my clients. I have to brag a little, because let's face it I am amazing.

The best post ever written... about me anyways.

I can't thank you enough for you kind words Nicole, it was truly a pleasure working with you :)

Eclectic desktop images

2009-09-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

I've been needing a new desktop image for awhile now. Today I decided to find one. I happened upon this great website called Pixelgirl Presents.

It not only has lots of desktop images from lots of different artists, but the images are very eclectic and colorful - which exactly fit the type of mood I was in.

Here is the one I choose ( the third one down on this page). I love it because it's dark on the left side so that my icons are easily viewable, and it's bright and fun on the right side.

"But Katie, you are a designer. Shouldn't you make your own desktop image?" Maybe, but I'd rather spend my time satisfying my customers than playing pointlessly around on something for myself. Hope you enjoy the website and find your perfect desktop image!!

Of A Certain Age

2009-09-08T02:26:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Karen from Of A Certain Age is a Los Angeles area wardrobe and image consultant bursting to help the over 40 person keep it confident, current and credible.

She came to me wanting to makeover her blog. Telling me of her love for pattern and her desire to keep the colors working with the business materials she already had.

Piece of cake I thought - until I had a look at her business material and realized that none of it matched (Karen admitted to this saying, "I know all my materials don't match, but that is my groove. I just want the blog to look sophisticated, but fun to read!").

So fun and sophisticated she got. Dots, stripes, animal prints, books, glasses, shopping bags, a martini and a really put together anonymous lady lounging on a couch. (List all that five times fast!) I think my favorite part is the ladies shoes; I really like her shoes.

Thanks Karen for being such great inspiration and so easy to work with.

Nikole Bordato Photography

2009-08-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Nikole wanted a crisp and clean look to showcase her gorgeous photograph y. A flash header (the images change - go check it out) and a black and white color scheme quickly became the solution.

Although normally I think white and black are boring, they sometimes amaze me with their impact. I stand amazed as I look at Nikole's blog. It turned out perfectly.

Here is what Nikole had to say, "Katie was a dream to work with. She was so patient and flexible and helped me bring my vision to life. The work was done quickly and she went above and beyond to ensure that I was happy. I wholeheartedly recommend Katie. "

That's why I love my job!! And the best testimonial of all? Nikole has asked me to do another blog design for her!! Be on the look out for more perfection coming soon:)

Amber Page Writes

2009-08-24T10:25:00.000-07:00

I love the name of Amber's blog. Why? Because this girl CAN write!! Her posts are so well written. Full of opinion and honesty and little baby cuteness.

Go ahead visit her and do push that follow button, you won't regret it. Besides writing, Amber also enjoys gardening - her favorite flower are daisies. It only made sense to blend the two together and give her a truly custom design.

Working with Amber was so much fun, full of firsts for me. The first time I switched someone from Worpress to Blogger and the first time I had a husband tweek the draft.

The switch: Amber had a Wordpress blog but was spending way to much time trying to figure out all that PHP mumbo jumbo and didn't want to ask for help all the time nor pay $100 a year for hosting. I suggested she move to Blogger which is much easier and free. She agreed and we made the switch.

The husband: After I sent a draft over to Amber I got back an email saying "I came home last night to find my hubby tinkering with the design you sent (he's kind of artistic himself and couldn't resist)..." I laughed so hard. Thought it was the sweetest thing ever! See the brown frame around the posts - all the credit belongs to Amber's Hubby.

Doohickies & Such - Etsy banner

2009-08-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here is an Etsy banner I made for Christa of Doohickes and Such. She wanted a scrapbook look, pink and blue and liked owls and cherry blossoms. It's a little different than I normally make, which was fun. I thought it turned out oh so cute and she was very happy with it!!! Go check out her new store and tell her I sent you :)

Sending and Setting reply emails

2009-08-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

Now that you are receiving your comments in emails (see this post) you will be happy to realize that you can reply to those comments directly. No more going to the other person's blog and leaving a reply comment for them that doesn't relate to their post.

Simply click the reply button in your email and send the reply like you would any normal email.

Unfortunately not everyone leaves a return email address, so this doesn't always work. Before writing and sending the reply make sure to check who the email will be sent to. If "noreply-comment@blogger.com" appears, they will not get your reply.

You do not want to be in the unfortunate category here.

To set up your return email address is very easy. You can create a brand new email just for comments or you can use your regular email address.

From your dashboard go to "Edit Profile" and check the box that says "Show my email address". Then, on that same page under Identity, type in your email where it says "Email address". Scroll down to the button and hit "Save Profile" and you are done.

How to get comments emailed to you

2009-08-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can change your blog setting so that every comment someone leaves you will appear in your inbox? I didn't know this when I first started blogging. When I figured it out I had an "aha" moment. It was so much easier to reply and manage those comments once I was getting those emails.

Here is how to get an email every time someone leaves a comment:

From your dashboard go to "Settings" then click "Comments". At the end of the page you will see "Comment Notification Email" type your email in that text box and hit "Save Settings".

So easy and so helpful. If you don't want comments to clutter up your inbox but you like this idea, consider creating a separate email just for comments.

Inside Out Style

2009-08-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Imogen of Inside Out Style is a Melbourne based Image Consultant who claims to love to share what she has learned, to help people feel better about themselves and their bodies, as everyone is beautiful.

Working with this wonderful women I can truly testify that the above is true. Imogen is not only talented with a sharp eye for style, but she is also friendly nice understanding and patient - everything you would want in an Image Consultant, and a true friend.

We wanted her blog design to not only mesh with her website, but to portray her personality and vision. After a few bumps we achieved just that. This is what she had to say.

“I love my new blog design so much. Katie Lane of Lemon Cherry worked with me over many drafts to get the look and feel I was after. She was happy to accommodate my requests, and tweak the blog design until I was completely satisfied. I’d recommend Katie’s work happily to any blogger who needs a fresh look.”

I'm famous!!

2009-07-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well close enough, I was featured on Beautiful Blog Designs!! It's an awesome blog that features, talks about and links to blog designers. You'll be amazed at how many designers are on the list. Tips and tricks can also be found here as well as sales and giveaways. It's a real honor to be featured here, yippee!!

Go leave a comment on my feature so others will know how awesome I am, because I am awesome (and I'm an 80's child so yes I overuse the word 'awesome' lol).

DesignTies

2009-07-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

With this project I had the delightful challenge of working with two talented women. Kelly and Victoria are very different each with their own style and set of preferences. Kelly, the high-energy tomboyish one, loves purple and blue. While Victoria, the more laid-back girly one, loves orange and green.

They both however agreed that they wanted a design that was fun and funky and cool, with a touch of sparkle and glam. I was able to create a design that blended their two personalities together and gave them the overall look they were craving.

Here is an excerpt from an excellent post that the wrote about the process and outcome. "... and Katie didn't disappoint!! I mean, check out the caricatures of us that Katie created. They look almost as hot as we look in real life!!"

These girls are awesome, and very talented at what they do. Seriously I want them both to come over and decorate my house. It's only fair right? Well go check them out and send them your love!

That Girl Blogs

2009-07-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Shelly from that girl blogs is great. She is so full of life energy sarcasm and whit. Totally my kind of girl. If we lived near each other I'm sure we would be bff's till the end of time! Shelly had just recently had her blog redesigned and she liked it, "it's cute" she said. But she was itching for something new five minutes after that one went live.

I was nervous upon hearing this, "what's stoping her from going to another designer and getting it redone 5 minutes after I install her new LCB design?" I questioned, but never one to say no to money I got to work.

I'm so glad I took this prject on because it turned out awesome. I LOVE the colors, and the caricature is oh so cute and personal with her camera and all. Sometimes I just have to sit back and pat myself on the back... LOL!

In her own words "Many thanks to Katie at Lemon Cherry for her amazing design skills. She even found an icon that matches my camera!"

You rock Shelly, thanks for all the fun!!

How to pretty up your profile

2009-07-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

When you leave a comment a link to your profile is shown. People click that link to find your blog and comment you back. Simple - but sometimes it can be a challenge.

Have you seen the people that have 10 blogs on their list?! It's frustrating when you have to visit all their blogs just to find the right one to comment on.

I have 20 (test private etc.) -- but I only show my top 3 on my profile and include a 'label' for each one. From first glance someone can tell which blog is my personal one, which is my design one and which is TTB.

I seriously suggest that everyone do the same.

This is how you do it:

From your Dashboard hit "Edit Profile" and edit away. Make sure that "Show my email address" is checked so that people can respond to your comments by email. Hit "Select blogs to display" and check only the ones that you want others to see when they arrive at your profile. Hit "Save settings"then go back and finish editing your profile. It's that easy!!!

If you want to 'label' your blogs like I do mine go back to your dashboard. From the blog you want to 'label' click "Settings" and add the label behind your blog title. See image.

Traveling the Blogosphere

2009-07-06T02:57:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, I'm an overachiever in the blog department. Here is my recent, and most favorite, creation. TTB is a blog to showcase bloggers and their favorite places. It's my attempt to bring together my love (and inability) of travel with my love of blogging.

It works like this: One destination will be featured everyday with the help of our Tour Guide. Read about the place and leave a comment here. Then follow the red links to travel to our Tour Guide’s blog and leave a thoughtful comment for them. If you want to be a Tour Guide just fill out this form and I'll add you to the (very short as of now) list!!

Great right? Yep. You should participate right? Yep again. Now go get your travel on!!!

Oh I almost forgot all this week I will be offering a giveaway. Leave comments, sign up to be a tour guide etc. You could win some really cool stuff. Go check it out and enter. Please... for me :)

Insta - Mom

2009-07-03T02:20:00.000-07:00

Allyson wanted something a little funky, modern, comfortable and purple. She also told me this about her Insta - Mom blog "the name has 'mom' in it and my children are occasional characters in my writing, but really it's about me. I try to avoid fitting into that mommy-blog pigeon hole."

Even though I'm not a mom yet I totally understood where she was coming from. This is what I came up with. Do you think it fits what she wanted?? Of course!

Allyson was very polite and easy to work with. She was also very patient with me while my family was in town. And thank goodness they were here. Her title became incredibly appropriate as my mother helped me out a bit with the swirls in the header. And my sister stooped me from making the mistake of turning the tag line into "Just add Chicken" ha ha good times.

I hope you continue to love your design Allyson!!

Design Esquire

2009-07-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Christine is a lawyer who recently discovered her creative outlet. She fell in love with design after buying her first home. "I have ignored my creative side for some time now, and I would like to cultivate it a bit." she told me.

I was immediately drawn to the word she used -"cultivate" - and knew I had to include it somehow. I don't normally create subtitles for people, unless they request it, but this one seemed to fly onto my lap with silver wings. It's simple and short but oh so powerful. I love when good things happen like that!!

Here is what Christine had to say when I was done, "Katie did a wonderful job turning my blog into something special. I had an idea in mind for the design, but had a hard time expressing it and no technical ability to achieve it. Katie was able to interpret my requests, and create exactly what I wanted. She worked quickly, and wasn’t satisfied until I loved the design. I have already recommended her to a few friends, and I would highly recommend her to anyone needing blog design services. I plan on using her for all my future design needs!"

As you can tell it came together beautifully. I love how the design complements her wonderful post images without overpowering them. So to one Gilmore Girl lover to another, "Continue to plant those design seeds and watch them grow!"

Title font change

2009-06-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

Did you read my last post, the one titled "Doing it Today"? If not go read it real quick and look at the picture. Why?! Because of the "title font change" of course!

See how the post title and sidebar titles are all in the same font as the title on the header? I'm now including this service in my custom blog design!! If you order a package, or the fruit basket item titled "title font change", you too will have these fancy matching titles.

I think it is also a great substitute for "sidebar titles". You won't have to worry about changing your sidebar gadgets, moving them around, adding new ones, or even renaming them. The font is changed automatically in your template!!

Doing it Today

2009-06-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Doing it Today is another personal blog of mine. It's a private blog, more of a journal - a place to keep a record of the things I do each day. Even though no one can read it I still wanted it to look good! I am pleased as punch that it came out so well. It speaks to my more mellow, natural, spiritual side. Looking at it makes me feel relaxed and at home, the design, graphics (although my hair is nowhere near that long) and colors are very 'me'.

I also wanted to show it off because I did a title font change. See how the post title and sidebar titles are all in the same font as the title on the header? I'm now including this service in my custom blog design!! (In fact everything you see in the above pic. is included in the custom blog design, which comes with the Lemon and Cherry Packages.)

AB Home Interiors

2009-06-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Working with Amanda (my most DEMANDING and FAVORITE client, as she likes to say) these last few weeks has been an adventure! She keeps me on my toes. Good thing too, because the results are spectacular!! She thinks so too. Here are her kind kind words.

"Katie is all things fruity and fabulous. Just like cupcakes and pinwheels she is fun and sweet. Sprinkle in creativity, determination and a foreign translator and you have yourself a computer speak easy. Easy to work with and fast as NASCAR, she will get you what you want in a language you can understand!"

Amanda is a fabulous interior designer, with a cool website. Her work is as amazing as her personality. If you are on the look out for someone to decorate your home please do check out this chick!

How to add a button

2009-06-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

With a grab code
1. From the blog with the button: Copy the code in the grab box.
2. From your dashboard: Go to 'Layout' and make sure you are on 'Page Elements'. In Page Elements click 'Add A Gadget'. Scroll down and select 'HTML/Javascript'. Paste the code you copied into the text area and hit 'Save'.

Without a grab code
1. From the blog with the button: Right click on the button and select 'save image as...' to save it. Remember where you save it at. Then copy the url of the blog you're on.
2. From your dashboard: Go to 'Layout' and make sure you are on 'Page Elements'. In Page Elements click 'Add A Gadget'. Scroll down and select 'Picture'. Find where it says 'Link' and paste the url that you copied earlier into that area. Click the 'Browse' button to find and add the button you saved to your desktop. Click 'Save' and you're done.

Down Time

2009-05-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

I have some down time right now, meaning that I've completed all my projects and am waiting for more. If you have been contemplating a blog redesign now is a great time to take the leap. No waiting, all my attention on you!

Or perhaps, if I can be so bold, get off that waiting list and choose me instead!

Keep in Touch With Mommakin

2009-05-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

Tammy from Keep in Touch with Mommakin was so easy to work with. She knew what she wanted and I was able to give it to her without a hitch. This design is a bit different than what I usually do but it turned out great. Here is Tammy's take on it.

"I don't know how she did it, but within the course of a few brief contacts and a couple relevant questions, Katie knew me. Since installing my new design, so many folks have made comments as to how well the overall concept captures my spirit. Katie made it infinitely clear that she wasn't going to be satisfied until I was satisfied. I was satisfied very quickly."

Isn't she great? Tammy rocks! Sometimes I get sad when I finish up a project, because the fun is over, this was one of those projects. I hope you continue to enjoy it and get lots more positive comments Tammy.

Uncovering Food

2009-05-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Carol of Uncovering Food came to me saying "I like things to be clean and organized and professional. I hate tacky at all costs and prefer urban modern designs over cutesy designs. But fun not ugly urban designs."

It was a tough order but she loved my suggestion of using black and white with pops of color and it turned out to be just what she requested. Here is what Carol thinks of the experience and outcome.

"After researching blog design companies and deciding on Katie at Lemon Cherry Blogs, I can't begin to express my satisfaction. Katie not only listened to every request I had, but responded quickly to address any concerns I had. I have gotten a number of compliments about Uncovering Food's new design and I can't thank Katie enough for her quick, personalized and professional service!"

I love that she researched blog designers and still choose me! She has good taste indeed. Go say hi and get inspired, her blog is really neat - so deserving of it's awesome design.

Hot Blog Stars

2009-05-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

If there was a blog, specifically dedicated to record your birthday and send bloggers your way when the special day arrived wouldn't you jump on the wagon? Of course you would! That's why I loved the concept of Deb's blog Hot Blog Stars.

Deb was a doll to work with. Her elaborate praises made my head a bit bigger and my heart a bit prouder. She found me via SITS. Remember the auction I participated it, she had the winning bid. What a great cause she was able to help. Here is what she had to say about the experience.

"Katie really listened to my goals and preferences, and then brought baskets full of style and talent to the table creating a design that pops, is memorable and truly defines my site. I highly recommend Lemon Cherry blogs not only for great design, but for a fantastic creative experience that will help you express your brand!"

Thanks Deb for letting me also help this cause with my services. Everyone please go visit her blog and record your birthday. I have a feeling Hot Blog Stars is going to be HUGE!

Mind over Makeover

2009-04-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

We got a makeover! Remember what we used to look like? It was nice, I liked it. But after looking at it so many times I started to notice a few things. I'll let you in on my thought process and tell you what I did to fix things.

Before

1. It was blue. What was with the blue? Lemons aren't blue, cherries aren't blue. So the website couldn't be blue anymore. I went with green instead because it is the color of leaves and both fruits have leaves.

2. The 'red' was really pink. I love pink but cherries are red. There is even a color called cherry red. I needed to grow up and change the pink. That's what I did.

3. It was too 2-dimensional. I didn't want to change the structure of the site {except the buttons on the bottom, those annoyed me} because it still needed to serve it's purpose, so I added pattern and shadow to help jazz it up.

After

So there you have it. An inside look into the mind of a crazed designer. And don't worry I take more thought and care into designing for my clients than I do for myself. I hope you like the makeover!! Tell me what you think.

Bid baby bid!

2009-04-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the first ever SITS charity auction? I love SITS and am excited that they are auctioning off some great items to help Mom It Forward and Yehu's fundraser.

Out of the goodness of my heart {and the pushiness of my 'must get press' shoulder devil} I've donated a blog package. I already have 3 bids, the highest being $70! The package is worth $99 but is on sale right now for 69. I was going to end the sale yesterday before the auction, but got pink eye instead. What can you do right? Hope so.

So if there are any Katie Lane lovers out there, someone who wants to boast my ego make my day and get a really great looking blog please stop on by the auction and make a bid. Of course if you already love your blog design, there are other cute things to go for too!!

Good Q and A

2009-04-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Tiffany at Poetry and Hums asked a lot of good bloggy questions today. I was impressed with her list so I decided to share her questions and well as my answers in hopes that something may help you.

Q -1. Why does Blogger sometimes add lots of space between paragraphs and sometimes scrunch things up with no space at all? No matter how I try to fix it, Blogger does what it wants.

A - 1. When paragraphs get messed up check the html part of your post. Delete any codes that Blogger placed between them and try spacing them out again.

Q. - 2. I have two blogs; this one and Eat at Home. This is my fun blog. Eat at Home is fun too, but I'm also trying to build it up. Sometimes I'd like to get these two blogs together into just one, but they are so different. I'm not sure how I could do it that would make any sense.

3. Plus, I would need to get different templates with some navigation buttons at the top and I don't know how to do that.

4. Of course, I really would like a blog makeover with a custom header and logo. My quandry with doing this is wondering if it's really worth paying for. Should I invest real money in this bloggy thing? Would it pay off by growing Eat at Home?

A. - 2-4. Having multiple blogs is fine as long as they each have a distinct purpose. Creating templates with navigational links will help tie each one together. It's up to you to decide if it's worth it. If it will simplify your life and make you smile every time you see it, it probably is. {my blog servics are on sale right now!}

Q. - 5. What is up with the rss feed thing? I do not get this at all. I tried to put an option for people to subscribe to Eat at Home in rss (is that even how you say that?), but I don't know that it worked. I used feedburner. For a while, I could log into feedburner and it said I had no subscribers. Now I can't log in at all. I know that some people subscribe through a reader, because they've said they do.

6. And what does a blog look like in a reader? Can you see pictures? Pictures are a big part of Eat at Home, and sometimes this blog too.

7. And how do you count those people? Do they show up in statcounter? What about people who subscribe through email? Do they show up in statcounter?

A. - 5-7. I love Goggle Reader. When you follow a blog it is automatically added to Goggle reader, {it's the only way I can keep up!} it's easy to use and helps keep things separated. All of your post shows up including pictures. Not sure how to count your subscribers but the amount of followers you have is a good starting point.

Q. - 8. I keep thinking about starting yet another blog - Peanut Butter Sandwich 365 - but does that just divide my traffic? When someone views my profile and sees 3 blogs, they'll probably just pick one to visit. Is it a good idea to have more than one blog if you're really trying to grow one of them?

A. - 8. Love the title! I say go for it.

Q. - 9. Twitter - time sucker or useful tool?

A. - 9. I don't 'get' Twitter myself but if you enjoy it do it.

Design Lingo

2009-04-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Being a new blogger can be hard enough without having to learn "design lingo" right? I think so. That's why I've created this handy dandy chart. It points out all the extras from header links to a grab button. Use it to decide which blog package and fruit basket items you will treat yourself too!!

Slashing prices

2009-04-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

To get to the top you need to be on the bottom at one point. This is a hard concept for me to grasp, but in that spirit I've decided to slash my prices. For a limited time you can get a Lemon package (choice of 1-3 column header body footer background text/link color match and grab button) for only $19!

The HUGE Cherry package is on sale for an unheard of $69. With this package you will recieve your choice of 1-3 column, header, body, footer, background, post divider, post signature, text/link color match, post title image, links on header, favicon, grab button, music player and side bar titles. You can not find a BETTER deal anywhere!!!

Confessions of a Mom of Four

2009-04-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

Bethany was the winner of my first contest! She was so gracious and wonderful, so easy to please. It was fun to work with her. In fact she was on editing her blog at the same time I was trying to install. We emailed and edited back and forth while I was working. It cracked me up to no end. I love that girl. She was so deserving of this and I am so glad that she won.

Here are her kind words, "I absolutely love my new blog design. It is perfect. The process was fast and simple. I was so happy and surprised at how well Katie captured me. She did everything I wanted and more. It turned out gorgeous! I recommend her to everyone!! Thanks Katie for making my blog special!!!!"

See she's totally rad. You gotta love all the explanation points that she used!!!! And how she recommended me to everyone, you should take her advise.

The Crazee Scotts

2009-03-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

This is a blog I did for the Crazee Scotts. Juls is a follower of my blog and I hers. I love reading her posts. Her family is really fun and silly. They are involved in sports and music and they like to play practical jokes on each other. They wanted bright colors and black. Something that brought out their crazeeness! I think we achieved just that.

Here is what Juls wrote "To say that I am satisfied with the job that Insert Self did on my blog would be an understatement. I am thrilled with the results. The personal attention and the fact that they were not happy until all of my wishes were met, were just icing on the cake. I highly recommend this company, and will seek them out first for my future design needs!"

It was such a pleasure to work with her. I couldn't be happier that she is thrilled with her new blog design.

The Prague Spring

2009-03-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Prague Spring was a movement in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War in 1968, now it's Rusty's blog. Rusty wanted a place to write about his political passion and views. He was hesitant to create a blog knowing that "it has to look awesome or I'm not going to like it." Made sense to us.

This was our first Wordpress design, but with our photoshop and illustrator skills we were able to create the perfect college of awesomess for our friend Rusty. We create a logo and header that he is very proud of. Let his blogging began.

Productive Pennies

2009-02-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

This is my second personal blog. I wanted a place to keep track of coupons giveaways and discounts. I don't always update it like I should, but it looks really cool! I wanted something a little less girly but still fun and random. I'm totally in love Robort the robot. This one have lots of header links and even animation!

Sunshine {and bubblegum}

2009-02-24T05:11:00.000-08:00

This is my personal blog. I love my blog! I have meet the sweetest funniest wonderful women because of it. I have gotten so many sincere personal comments and ascetic complements. I blog almost every day so I love that my blog reflexes me. It makes me happy every time I look at it.

I want to bring that same happiness to you. That's why I design. I love doing it. I love the praise that my clients give me and the praise that my clients get from their viewers. If you'd like a cute blog like mine check out our website and see what we can do for you.