The Winner...

I'm just popping in to tell you the winner of the giveaway (real post about Chicago tomorrow). Without further adieu....
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Congrats! Email me and you should have delicious marshmallows ariving at your door soon.
~Nina

Five tips for better blogging (guest post by Hannah)

Hey, y'all! It's Hannah, guest posting for Nina. Today I'll be sharing with you five tips for a better blogging experience, but before I start, let me say that I'm really excited to be posting on here, and thank you to Nina for letting me. :)

Anyway––onto the tips. I've learned so much of what to do and what not to do after over two years of blogging, and there are so many do's and don't's. Here are five of them.

{1} Be unique.

I know this sounds quite cliché, but it couldn't be more true. Just be yourself! Everyone has their own niche, different from other bloggers'. Stick to posting about what you enjoy, and write in the style you feel most comfortable with.

{2} Write something you would want to read.

I don't know about you, but I think a post with a bit of boring news, along with a few random photos thrown in, doesn't sound very fun to read. When I see a post pop up on my dashboard, or email, I can read a few sentences (or even the post title) and decide whether or not I want to read it.

So ask yourself before you publish your post: would I want to read this? Would I comment on this post if it were written by someone else? Would I click on this post if it popped up in my dashboard?

If you want people to comment on/read your posts, then work hard at them! Come up with original post titles, include interesting pictures, and re-read your work before publishing it, maybe more than once if you feel up to it.

Another good thing to include in your post is pictures. Not boring pictures of your messy desk or a brick wall, but really interesting pictures! Include them every paragraph or two so people won't be overwhelmed with paragraph after paragraph if you have a lot to say.

You can get photos from Pinterest or WeHeartIt (though be careful––both sites can have some bad pictures. Just sayin'), or even Google. Make sure to mention where you got your photos, though! :)

{3} Numbers don't define you.

It's okay to try to get to the point where you have fifty, one hundred, or one million followers. Or for twenty comments on each post, hundreds of thousands of pageviews, etc.

But to complain about how little followers you have, or to beg for comments, or to obsess over how many views you have, isn't okay. When I started my second blog, I was devastated over how little comments and followers I had. Don't do what I did––don't beg for followers/comments, and don't obsess over blog hits! It doesn't matter how many followers you have. What matters is if the followers you already have enjoy your blog, and most importantly, if you enjoy blogging. Don't blog just to have lots of followers and comments and stats––blog only if you enjoy it.

{4} Remember the golden rule..

..and treat other how you want to be treated. If you want comments, then make an effort to comment on others' blogs! People don't just come to your blog leaving tons of comments––you'll need to leave a comment (with your link) on some other blogs so people will come over and visit your blog.

We'll cover advertising in the last tip, but for now, take into consideration how much time you spead commenting on other blogs, and how many other blogs you follow. If you take the time to comment, I'm sure at least one other person will take the time to comment on your blog, too.

{5} Please don't advertise.

Well, yes, you can advertise, but please don't leave a comment like..

“Hey! Great post! I like your blog too!

Please come on over and follow my blog, also!

'Abby'

'Abby's blog link'

Instead, leave a genuine comment, perhaps one that you would like to see on one of your posts, :) and then include your blog link at the bottom of your comment. There's a good chance that blog author will come pay you a visit, and maybe even become a new follower!

So, that's basically it. ;) There are so many more things I could mention, but I think those are the five most important ones. :)

Thanks again to Nina for letting me guest post!

-Hannah

I'm Hannah. A Christian and lover of reading, writing, music, blogging, and much more. I live in the Texas hill country and have two wonderful parents, an older brother named Eric, and a dog, a cat, and a rabbit. I blog over at Hannah, Herself and would love it if you stopped by!

all photos via Pinterest

A Guest Post :: By Kaden :)

Hi everyone! My name's Kaden and you can find me over at Cameras and Cloudy Skies. I am a good friend of Nina, who is off in Chicago *sighs wistfully* at the moment. While she's gone, she asked my to do a guest post. I decided that what would be better that to do a tutorial on one of my favorite crafts! They're called 
                                                                Lucky Paper Stars:

The Materials:

• a page out of a magazine or just regular printer paper (has to be thin, though)
• scissors
• pencil/pen
• ruler
• HANDS!!

Step #1

Take your ruler and on your paper, draw a line that is 11 inches long and is 1/2 inch out from the edge of the paper.

Step #2

Hardest part of the whole thing: cut along the line.

Step #3

Fold the strip you now have around your finger to get sort of a breast-cancer-ribbon shape. Then flatten to get this shape:

Now tuck the smaller tail behind the pentagon shape.

Step #4

Fold! all you have to do is take the bigger tail and fold it straight across the pentagon shape. It should feel right, so if it doesn't, you know it's wrong. Just repeat this step over and over again until...

Step #5

You will find a point when the tail is too small to fold again so you should just be able to tuck it in a little pocket on one side of the pentagon like above.

Step #6

It should now look like this. Hold the shape with your fore finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand. Then with the other hand, take your thumb and push the fingernail into each side of the pentagon. This is the trickiest part in it all so take your time because it might take a couple of times to get it puffy and in a star shape.

The Finished Product:

Your lucky paper star! Thanks for reading!!

~ Kaden <3

And We're Off

 

... tomorrow. I'll be gone just for the weekend, and I have some splen-di-forous guest posts in store for you guys. Have you noticed the new design? I've been missing Summer a lot, and, hopefully, with the new summer-y design, you'll forget that it's still January. 

             I just can't wait for tomorrow... Believe it or not, I Iove long car rides. Looking out of the windows, listening to music... I'll tell you much about where I went on Tuesday (as well as announce the winner of the still open giveaway) So how am I spending my day? 

Packing.

 

Reading the latest issue of Cicada for about the 50th time (I really adore Cicada)

And, of course, writing.


Have a nice weekend!
~Nina

P.S. Do you like Godiva Chocolate? It's my favorite, but at 2.50 per square-inch truffle, it is VERY expensive. However, if you go to a Godiva store and ask for a Godiva rewards card, (it's free)  you can get a free truffle every month with out spending a single cent. I recommend the Tiramasu truffle.

From Horrible to Okay

After:

This isn't my best work, but this was quite the editing feat... you'll understand when you see the original:
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Before:

This was taken back when I didn't know how to work a camera... a loooooooooong time ago.

~Nina

P.S. My hamster obsessed friend Inky is holding a giveaway. Click here to enter.
P.P.S. I did her blog design. Do you like it?
P.P.P.S. I can't stop listening to this:

Some Goals Accomplished. (and call for guest posters)

Remember my Forty in 2012 list?

                     Accomplished Goals

12) Buy myself something from PhotoJojo
37) Start a collection
11) Face my fear of heights


                     Goals Currently in the progress of Happening
21) Go to a big city (Chicago or New York)
 Next Weekend!

33) Have guest-posters post on this blog
Okay. Since I am going to be gone next weekend, I will need four guest-posters- 1 on Friday, 2 during the actual weekend, and one on Monday. Email me (sunlitdays022@yahoo.com) along with your top two choices of day and what you will write about. I'll make you an author, and tell you what day to post.


Real post coming soon!
Have you entered my giveaway?

When those Snowy Days Get You Down:: Giveaway

It's blizzarding outside. The rooftops and hills seem to melt into the same white-chalky colored sky. Although these days are beautiful, they do make you strangely sad.  The only one remedy- other than this song (thanks are in order for Kaden for getting me addicted to it)- is hot chocolate. And I have just the thing for one of my readers.

S'mores Jar Cake

Romantic Red Velvet White Chocolate--Chocolate Ganache Cookie-Wiches

Jumbo Cookies and Cream Marshmallows

Tookies' owner has graciously volunteered to giveaway winners choice of 1/2 Dozen of her GINORMOUS marshmallows... here are some of the flavors:

Cheesecake Marshmallows

Tirmasu Marshmallows

Red Velvet Cake Marshmallows

To see all the flavors, go here.

How to enter:

Mandatory:
 Follow my blog and leave a comment (on this post) saying that you do and telling me what your favorite thing to do on snowy days is. (1 entry)

Extra:

Post about this giveaway (4 entries)

"Heart" {Tookies} on Etsy (3 entries)

Comment on this post telling me what kind of Marshmallows you'd choose (1 entry)

Comment saying what your favorite song to listen to on sad/snowy days is (1 entry)

 Like Sunlit Photography on Facebook (2 entries)

Like Tookies on facebook (3 entries)

This Giveaway will end the 30th.

Each extra entry must be posted as a separate comment in order to count. Have fun!

i'm currently procrasinating...

I have to write a book report. Enter procrastination. Yup.

This is the best way to get over my procrasination- writing a post about it instead of facing it.



Moving on.....



This song is a favorite of mine. I've been listening to it nonstop since I got home from school at 3:20. *ehem*



Yup.


I'm going to go get started on that book report.



Or not.



I still have a month three weeks.


Nina, pull yourself together!




~Nina

they are such things as dreams are made of

 

        A Wrinkle in Time is my absolute favorite. There's just something about curling up with a children's book. Good kid's books are the chicken-noodle soup of books- calming, relaxing, and simply delicious.  And, although they were meant for the young, many child's books have deeper and more important meanings than adult's books. Some may not agree, but I ask, which one has a real meaning:

Harry Potter -or- Twilight?

"We are such things as dreams are made of"

       That is my favorite quote, by far, from A Wrinkle in Time. It got me thinking, what are dreams made of?

 Dreams are made of stories.

Dreams are, in a sense, made of children's books.

They are such things as dreams are made of.

          So Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which and the rest of the stars are made of books. Who knew?





        I love to read. And while I read blogs, too. I will always be the nerd with her nose in a book--- not a e-reader. You can pledge to read the printed word, too, over at this website.

~Nina

P.S. I am well aware of the fact that "We are such things as dreams are made of" is not 100% from a Wrinkle in Time, it is just used in that book.

one little word :: simple

simple. that word has been in my thoughts recently. recently, i've been enthralled by dreams of travel, the color rust, anything simple, and anything sunlight. i am sorry if i don't always post as great of posts as i should, but this year, i'm going to keep things simple. simple and wonderful.


i love the fact that we've had such weird weather this year- the leaves of autumn are still scattered on the ground, a reminder that it has not always been winter. of course, i had to take pictures of the beautiful way the leaves crinkle and the lovely rust color that they are.


two-thousand twelve is here.

two-thousand twelve is the year of

simplicity

~nina

p.s.  check back soon for a giveaway.............

windows

 there's something special about a window, don't you think?

 something beautiful about being inside, but feeling as if you are outside...

 ^ favorite

 linking the above up to mary ann's challenge

these photos were taken in my sunlit, window-filled indoor garden..... basically a sun-room converted to a green-house.