New Sidebar Art

Set up an assembly line the other night, made these 30.  The sidebar is the essence of a blog.

There’s an accompanying spreadsheet, each one links to a specific post.

Separated them into 5 topics: Cars, Lifestyle, and Security, TIFWGAL.com, and Food.

Each topic will have it’s own area to your right, and the images will rotate through YES rotating sidebar art; that’s been 3 years on the want-for-my-blog list.

Some of these you’ve seen before, from the old blog design.

The other side of the sidebar.

There’s another spreadsheet, of individual sidebars to make too. Like, my printing, favourite videos, this week’s car….

Most excited to make the badge-collage one: the Cars section, broken down by auto manufacturer. I’m betting 75% of all badges have been blogged about.

 

Today Felt Fast Forward & I Filmed

Up early pounding the keyboard, cleared next week’s column (About hiring a car during the holidays), and made a collage for this week’s (The 6 levels of Features).

Then I filmed a video, “A Quick Tour of my Car”… but with a cameraman (my editing guy).

I have cameraman anxiety, like, sure I have 300+ videos online… that I filmed all alone.

Having other people around throws me off my system, I tanked it a couple times over the fall with Motoring TV.

So to ease into it, I made the video topic something I’ve done hundreds of times.. get in my Jetta and drive to Cherry Beach.

Same old car, same old route I’ve taken to make 15+ videos there.

Yup I know, jogging pants and ponytail, but, deadlines trump hair & makeup.

Then off the footage went, and next time I see it, it will have taken the shape of a rough edit, without me ever opening Final Cut. I guess the happy feeling that creates, is the trade off for the cameraman anxiety.

Today flew by fast eh. Then I cooked dinner, but forgot to take photo proof (macaroni & cheese).

And donated to Wikipedia.  Never been a fan of free #KeepItFree

Tomorrow, I have a lot of auto writing due, plus a meeting that’ll eat the afternoon, and it’s Car Swap Day (Ford Fiesta), and taxes UGH (I don’t mind paying the taxes, it’s the doing them I don’t like, so boring).

See you online.

 

 

Made 20 New Headers

Big satisfied sigh ahhh, the header portion of the blog renovation is now complete.

The code is in order, the randomizer plugin works, the photos display correctly, done.

If I put this here, then I’ll know where to find it…

Banner size = 990 x 260

Below is part of what making banners looks like.

What blogging looks like too, really: managing tons of files.

Always two folders.

Next is to create the sidebar, the essence of a blog. I organized the first batch of photos today, 92 went into a folder.

Going to backup now; friendly reminder to fellow bloggers … Tools > Export 

 

 

Filling You in on the Last 5

Days.

Last week ended a test of blogging – a fresh page everyday, Monday-Friday. Test was successful, that is do-able, confirmed. Unfortunately it was derailed Thursday, when my computer melted and that took proiority (back up running by Friday night). Still.

This was Friday night.

Friday nights often look like this; I just can’t talk anymore, and have to be still and quiet.

That’s next week’s blog on paper.

One of those posts is titled, “The Rhythm of a Week“, because I think I figured it out. And according to it, there’s about 10 days left in 2013, get going.

Saturday hockey game.

The Marlies defeated the someone, and there were lots of laughs.

I know! Blue! Not black.

Been evolving my look. This weekend I peppered my wardrobe with a few Forever 21 sweaters.

The key to cheap clothing: seam-ripper out the zillion tags, trim the ton of loose threads, and forget washing it.

I can’t keep showing up to stuff in jeans and combat boots (even though it’s a very functional, and therefore productive outfit).

Basically though, I’m just girly-fing that look…

… they’re still boots, but with heels, but they’re sneaker heel, like that.

I have got to get planning this years 3rd Annual Keri’s Christmas Extravaganza.

Last year was this, $3,200 in total prizes.

Never again so many prizes, toooo much logistically. Here’s the link, in last year’s video I’d been awake for 50+ hours.

This year I’m thinking one big prize, the end. Leave what you’d wish to win in the comments. I’ve always wanted to give away a car for a week.

Next footage to be edited.

And Niki is swooping in to freshen my hair tomorrow xo, before I leave for the LA Auto Show Tuesday.

Thanks Brennen Demelo Studios.

Have a strong start to your week, and see you online.

 

 

Polishing a Blog Looks like This

Endless spreadsheets and <a href> tags.

I’d estimate this blog needs about 25 hours of polishing, to complete this website rennovation.

Notice how the site is now wider ? To accommodate 640-wide photos in all the posts.

But a wider site, means all-new headers have to be created.

I threw a few together, to test the header randomizer.

Oh wait – this way I’ll never forget…. KeriBlog Header Size = 990 x 260

Dumped 35 55 links into the link randomizer.

Look top right. It changes on refresh, and the links lead to posts I quite like.

Looking forward to creating the sidebar, what I think is the essence of a blog. That’s next.

Another great blog work session, thanks Andy, and if you need WordPress anything, call him.