+ Since Natalie will be out of commission for a little bit, we will be having a few guest hosts for the link-up this month. I’m thrilled to introduce Biana and Lindsay as this week’s hosts. So please be sure to visit them today and introduce yourselves.
+ Thanks for all the love from yesterday’s post. I’m so happy that you ladies aren’t sick and tired of seeing and hearing about the plaid blanket scarves yet! Many of you asked about how to tie a blanket scarf after yesterday’s post and I really meant to add a quick tutorial to the post, but I forgot. So I promised several of you that I would do it today. I love this one from Jessica of Bows & Sequins because it’s quick (15sec) and to the point. It’s exactly how I tied mine too! Don’t worry, I also had to go to YouTube to learn.
+ On a different note, I’ve recently had a few friends/acquaintances reach out to me about starting a blog or questions about how to make a blog successful. I honestly thought about doing a whole post on it; but the truth is, there are a lot already out there. So, I thought it would be more fun to hear from you guys on what you think makes a blog successful. Give me your thoughts, tell me your secrets, share your wisdom. What makes a good blog these days and how can it stand out from the thousands and thousands of other blogs out there?
+ Speaking of friends or acquaintances that have started a new blog…Let me introduce you to the two stylish and sweet ladies over at Waltz Me To Heaven. These gals live in Pensacola (like me) and have a passion for family, fashion, and food (like me). They started Waltz Me To Heaven as a creative space to share those passions. It was so fun to meet them after one of their 19 year old nieces introduced them to my blog! Small world I tell ya…
+ What did you guys think of the performance from Miranda Lambert and Meghan Trainor on the CMA Awards? The review I read said they knocked it out of the park, but I would have to disagree. I thought it was a bit boring. I love the song ” All about that Bass,” but it almost lacked enthusiasm.
Did you watch the CMA’s?? I’m watching them as I type. I think I’m going to leave my thoughts with that today. I hope you guys have a fabulous week and don’t forget to link up your thoughts with us!!
Link up starts at 6am EST.
Thanks for hosting a great link up!
And I'm with you, I never get tired of a blanket scarf. 🙂
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Thank you for having me as a co-host today! I am so excited for Natalie and love seeing pics of the new little one on her IG! It is hard to pin point what makes a good blog, but what keeps me coming back to the same blogs everyday is good content and design. I also think that I tend to continue reading the blogs that engage in the community and comment on others' posts. It's all about community!
Love the tutorial on the plaid blanket scarf. Now I just need to GET a plaid blanket scarf 🙂
Oh thanks for sharing the tutorial! I'm so lost when it comes to how to tie scarves!
thanks for the video on the scarves! i need to watch it before i try to wear that monster again 😉 i watched the CMA's last night too — i acutally havent watched it in years and i really liked a lot of the performances. xo jillian – cornflake dreams
I am seriously so happy you posted the tutorial on how to tie the blanket scarf – it has been irking me that I can't get it right LOL! I just started following your friends and love their posts!! I think what makes a blog successful is being true to yourself and consistency…but I'm definitely not a pro LOL!
I'm so happy for Natalie! He's precious! I think what makes a good blog, which I'm still trying to figure out, is being real and honest. I know my favorite posts from bloggers are the ones that are confessions, weekend posts, or just sharing something about yourself. Obviously every post can't be like that, so thank goodness for fashion and recipe posts right! I think we all like to hear how everyone else lives their lives to make sure we're normal and to get tips. So that's my 2 cents for your friends!
Right before I hopped onto your blog I was pinning tutorials on how to tie a blanket scarf for a friend of mine! I always love hearing about what people like in a blog – my first choice is authenticity and being yourself. You know I love your blog 🙂
I have to agree about the All About That Bass performance…it seemed like Miranda was a bit uncomfortable dancing, and I'm sure that's not her forte, but Meghan was definitely a little more natural at it, making Miranda look unsure of herself. I do love that song though and both of them! Great choice for co-hosts and I hope Natalie and baby are doing well!
-Morgan
California To Carolina
The Gym Bunny
I used that same video to learn how to tie my scarf! Glad I wasn't the only one 😉 As for what makes a 'good' blog, I would say being real, upfront and not just out to make money. I can't stand blogs that do giveaway, reviews, sponsored posts, guest posts all.the.time. I get the temptation to earn that $$ but it takes a LOT away from a blog!
I'm glad you posted that video. I was really intimidated by the whole blanket scarf idea! And yes I watched the CMAs. I thought Brad and Carrie were fun, but what was with all the pop singers? I was not a fan of that.
Thanks so much for the shout out!! It is great to be able to ask questions and get advice in this blogging community!
I'm still trying to figure out what makes a good blog but I think being consistent (which I haven't been lately) is one of the most important things you can do.
~Elise @ highheelsglitteringeyes.blogspot.com
Great scarf tutorial! No CMAs for me- I'm not much of a country person except for watching Nashville.. and I need to catch up! Have a great day 🙂
First of all….that video was life saving..life saving!! I have been driving myself nutty trying to figure out how to wear my scarf and now feel really dumb because she made it look super easy!
I'm new to the blogging world and it took me about 6 months of thinking and planning before I finally dove in. My biggest suggestion is to write about what you love, be willing to accept not everyone else will love what you love and learn as much as you can from bloggers you follow. I'm a visual learner so even though I tried to learn everything first it took me actually diving in and starting to play with blogger layouts and all the ways to link up to other social media before I really figured things out. I finally hired someone to create a look for my blog…I'd say if you have the time to learn html programming so you can format things the way you want.
Thanks for the tutorial!!!
I think it's all about the connections you make with everyone! I love all the daily email banter 🙂 A lot of top bloggers if you will never respond to comments and that definitely makes me stop coming around….