New Widgets and Fun Things for Your Blog

For those of you that follow me, you may notice that in the past month I've added some fun things to my blog :) These widgets are great for generating fresh content for your blog, are fun to look at, and take your blog beyond one-dimensional. Once you find the code for these various apps, copy and paste it as a HTML code to add to your blog. It's really easy, I promise!

Here's a list of what I have (at the moment!), and you can expand upon by google-ing "widgets for your blogs.

1) Twitter
People can see my tweets right on my blog. Go to "goodies" on the Twitter page to grab your own code, and customize the box to match your website!

2) Wedding Wire
I am a wedding calligrapher that also has a website on Wedding Wire, where I have images, explain what I do exclusively for calligraphy, and invite past clients to write reviews on my services. Great resource for both brides and wedding vendors!

3) Etsy Shop
You can go on etsy and get a customized banner with items in your shop to add to your blog.

4) Facebook Fan Page
I got this right off of Facebook - I have a fan page for my business, and they provide you with code to add a "like" box to your blog or website.

5) Share and Enjoy
There are many different versions of this code, so Google "content share code" and find the one that's right for you. These buttons allow your followers to share your content on social media websites like Digg and StumbleUpon, which if you don't know about you should totally check out because they are awesome.

6) Website Hits
This is a helpful "Now" tool to understand how your website is doing in terms of traffic. I have Google Analytics installed and do monthly reports, but it's helpful to see over the course of a day or week how many hits your website or blog is actually getting.

7) Labels
Labels are actually really important for SEO - they are the keywords that define what your website is, so you should pick them carefully and be consistent in organization. More on this later!

Lastly, I've done some work on Dock This Way's website. It's still in the process of being optimized, a helpful process I've learned about through my job at Boston Logic, which specializes in realtors and real estate brokers - I'll make sure to talk about some helpful tips in a blog post to come :)

"Positivity: One Word"

From the new line of Dock This Way and Ash Tree;
"Positivity: One Word"

We wanted to create an item that promoted positive thinking and concepts.
Using the Papyrus font, which is this rustic font that is totally awesome-looking, we place "one word" on the front of a 100% organic t-shirt. The shirts are super comfy and lightweight, and are super casual - perfect for that yoga-lover or gym-goer. I used chocolate brown thread on pale blue t-shirt. Blue not your color? We also have ice blue thread on chocolate brown!


Buy yours today - available in all sizes.

Other words available:
PEACE
HOPE
INSPIRE
DREAM
LOVE
GRACE

Simple, positive message; and it's green, too! (Well, not literally.) Yay!

New Website for Dock This Way!

Ahh! So, after much back and forth about purchasing a website through vistaprint.com (the place we get our business cards, and YOU SHOULD GO THERE because you get your first 250 cards for free, and just pay for shipping :) I finally caved yesterday and bought it. A whopping 6 hours later, here is the final product!

http://dockthiswaydesigns.vpweb.com/default.html

I like the color scheme (watermelon) because lime green and hot pink are awesome. So far I like it, but it hasn't shown up on google due to its ultimate newness. So check it out, play with it...and maybe you could get one, too!

We're also playing with an idea for a new line, which I hope to do in the memory of my grandfather who passed away in September. We've ordered some merchandise, and are working on the vision...so stay tuned!

Here's another line from this summer that has done really well - they are 100% organic tees in pale blue and chocolate brown with a single word embroidered in opposite colors on the front. The line is called "Positivity: OneWord" - words to live by! We sold a great deal of these for Christmas, and are hoping to make some more online sales. Here are our "GRACE" and "INSPIRE" shirts. Good gift ideas for you now that the holidays are over :)