Linked up Party - Restore It Wednesday!

I am not sure how it works but am trying "linked up parties" - where you have a chance to showcase a particular blog/idea that is part of the scheme.  This is a Link to Blog - Restore-It-Wednesday.  I highlighted several Annie Sloan Chalk Paint chairs - more to come on this subject.

True Confessions - I am a Francophile!

source

I love everything about France!  I have a pinterest board set up just for this reason - All Things French - link.   I also follow a number of blogs that I want to share - ones that have given me lots of pleasure and inspiration.  There are a LOT of French-oriented blogs out there!

Here's a good Wikipedia definition of "Francophile" and its, opposite (I know some people who at least claim they loathe all things French)!

A Francophile (or Gallophile) is an individual who has a strong positive predisposition or interest toward the government, culture, history, or people of France. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc. The opposite of a Francophile is a Francophobe (or Gallophobe) – someone who dislikes all that is French.

We are planning a trip this May to the Normandy area of France for a week at a chateau near Caen.  We take a bi-annual trip with a group of four couples (including my sister and her husband from Chicago) to a  "destination" well scoped and planned by our group leader who is very good at finding great places to stay (villas, mansions, chateaus) and organizing trips to learn about the area.  We have been to Provence with this group as well as non-France locations.  This is our first trip to Normandy.  My husband and I have spent time in Paris and are looking for an available MONTH to try to rent and apartment and pretend we are Parisians - but that is another story for another time.

One of my favorite blogs is "My French Country Home" link - the writer actually lives in the Normandy areas and posts breathtaking photos of her home and surroundings on her website.

From her Site - WELCOME TO MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME.

We love our old French house. It's a joy to entertain here, to fill the house with family and friends. Good food, beautiful countryside, bits and pieces found in local brocantes, children, dogs, horses, all this in a deep green valley in the heart of Normandy.

Another great blog is called "French Essence" - link.  It also features great images and discussions of travel in the area.  Recently, it posted a "ten wardrobe essentials for French women" which I shared liberally with my facebook friends (and fellow travelers to France).

I am an Australian writer who lives between London and Saint Rémy de Provence in southern France. I adore everything to do with life in France and especially the olive farm I call home.

Top Ten French Wardrobe Essentials from French Essence Blog

Another great blog focuses primarily on the Provence area of southern France and is called "The Provence Post" - link to site.  Here's a blurb about the post and the blogger/writer:

The Provence Post, published since late 2008, is designed to celebrate all that is special about the South of France. Whether you live here, travel here for pleasure or business or are just dreaming of "some day," I hope you'll find plenty to interest you.  I started the blog because I had trouble finding the information that I wanted in English. Plus, I kept coming across marvelous things, people, stories and places in Provence that I simply had to share.

About me: I'm a freelance food and travel writer living and working in Provence on and off since 1999.

Finally, in following these and more French-oriented blog sites, I found a French-oriented shop in my own back yard - I have yet to visit but plan to do so soon called:

BELLE FRANCAISE INTERIORS @ DUPRE'S ANTIQUE MARKET 

Visit my shoppe in DuPre's Antique Market in Marietta, Georgia for a collection of antiques and accessories that are enchanting and eclectic! Belle Francaise Interiors' treasures are white, chippy, old, European and sparkly.

A Blog about Blogging - One Year Now!

From French Blog - source

I started this blog about a year ago.  A good friend recommended that I give it a try to broaden my marketing and branding efforts for my little business, Wydeven Designs (link to website).   I learned quickly that there is a huge, other world out there in the "bloggersphere".   I choose to use blogspot to create and maintain my blog link since it provided a nice, clean template for ease of design and is FREE!   I started reading other blogs and talked to friends and family for ideas and inspiration.  I quickly found that there is both synergy and competition out there.  People seem to borrow liberally from each other (generally with accreditation which is the right thing to do) and thereby promote each others blogs.   Some of the numbers of visitors are staggering - some are claiming 10-20,000 per day.   Blogs with large numbers of visitors are generally also making money - how much I do not know.

There ia an annual "design bloggers conference" currently being held this week in Los Angeles which started in 2011 and is SOLD OUT!  link to conference site

So, how would I characterize my experiences and what have I learned?

*  The desired mood, whether you are a multi-million $$ business (e.g, Bunny Williams - NYC Designer)  or a stay-at-home mom describing her day to day experiences maintaining her home and raising her children, it to be chatty, friendly and NOT TOO obviously promoting your business.  It causes a blogger to look far and wide for topics and I have ended up broadening my initial list of "labels" significantly.  Beside the obvious ones like ... green decorating, furniture refurbishing, home decor, estate sales, craigslist, and upholstered furniture styles and colors, I have added ... travel, garden, pinterest, and others.

*  It is hard to know how best to balance "self-promotion" and providing general information  and ideas which may have a broader appeal.  The easiest approach that works for me is to tell stories of my adventures which are linked to the business but are more about my life and passions.  For example, I have had at least 12 blogs on what I am calling my "Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Adventures" and also do a series on garage and estate sale finds - both give me lots of options.

*  It is hard to come up with topics every two or three days although reading other blogs and spending time on my latest obsession, pinterest, does help. Speaking of pinterest,  prior to finding it, most of my design trend ideas came from decorating magazines which may or may not always reflect everyday people's real interests.  Seeing the patterns of what people like has been very informative.  I will do a blog about my discoveries down the road - I just found another topic!!

* Blogging, like pinterest, seems to be mostly a feminine occupation - you don't see many men actively engaged.

* And finally, I am still struggling with how to add followers and get more "hits".  Blogspot has a great program that allows you to see who is reading your blog - daily, weekly, monthly, forever!  It is particularly interesting to see this information - see my chart below - I just reached about 7500 views.

United States 6,221 Russia 198 United Kingdom 143 Canada 140 Germany 128 India 58 Australia 31 Netherlands 31 France 28 Philippines 16

So, I will continue to study my colleagues/competition in the bloggesphere and apply more lessons learned.  It is fun to be part of this effort at mass and direct communication and I am glad I got started!

Update on Pinterest - My New Obsession

I have been using Pinterest for about a month and find it fascinating.  Not only do I get some really good ideas supporting my furniture refurbishing passion, I find it exciting to see what others have found and how vibrant of a community it really is.  I have learned some things about Pinterest and am still exploring others.  One of the things I have not learned how to do is to connect my pinterest boards directly to my blog which seems like it should work.  I've seen others do it but have not been successful so far.

I checked out the pinterest website and found a few helpful tips - link to pinterest website - including this nice description of what pinterest is and does:

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.

I also  like the user guidelines: 

Be Nice

Pinterest is a community of people. We know that tastes are personal, but be respectful in your comments and conversations. 

Credit Your Sources

Pins are the most useful when they have links back to the original source. If you notice that a pin is not sourced correctly, leave a comment so the original pinner can update the source. Finding the original source is always preferable to a secondary source such as Google Image Search or a blog entry. 

Avoid Self Promotion

Pinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you’re proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion. 

Report Objectionable Content

We do not allow nudity or hateful content.  

I am still in the process of creating (and revising) my basic organizational scheme but it seems to be working for me.  Since I am most interested in home decor, I am breaking this category down into usable parts - e.g., by color schemes.   I am still lumping together all recipes, all things French and Italian (my favorite travel destinations) and all Do It Yourself (DIY) projects.  The challenge is not to have too many categories and yet have them be meaningful.  I am not doing the best job of describing the "pins" or "repins" often using overly simple language like "yellow bedroom", "living room", etc.   The images do help a lot so sometimes that is all I need.  I do worry a little about how this could get out of hand and become less meaningful if I just keep adding both images and categories at my current rate.

I will have more "lessons learned" as I continue to discover this fascinating method of finding, sharing, and tracking. I have noticed that it appears to be a "girls" thing - I have yet to see a male "pinner" but I am sure there are some out there!

Sharing - Writing Blogs by Colour Me Happy

I have now been writing this blog since February of this year and am close to 5000 "views" from all around the world - this is fun and kind of exciting.  The original recommendation to do a blog came from a friend who is an exceptional painter and has been a successful writer for many years.  I asked her to recommend some ways I could add to my marketing efforts for my "little green refurbishing business".   She immediately said - start a blog and keep it going!  One of the challenges is to find new and interesting ways to keep it going without being TOO focused on the original intention which is selling my refurbished classic upholstered furniture on-line.   I have found a number of themes that I have woven through my blogs that have led to finding fellow bloggers - which is very inspirational.  There are creative people out there with thousands of followers and multiple topics.  One that I have been admiring is "Colour Me Happy".   link.  As suggested, the author is a "color expert" but weaves that interest into many topics - all well developed and displayed.  This is one of the best blogs I have found to follow and mimic.

She offers three general recommendations for writing design blogs - which is probably a good description of my type of blog:

a)   Be bossy (but in a charming way).  People research and follow blogs to get answers to investigate and get answers to questions.   So, express your opinion and help others find solutions.  I have been extensively checking out "Annie Sloan Chalk Paint" blogs to get advice on using the famous paints and found them immensely helpful.

b)  Define your aesthetic as best you can.  Being "wishy-washy" on blogs does not create followers or readers.  Sometimes it takes a while to understand "your aesthetic" but writing helps you achieve that.  I find that I have a definite decorating style (more eclectic than traditional) and writing the blog and following others has helped me develop a clearer sense of that style.

c)  Don't try to please everyone.  The beauty of blogs and the mass communication that it supports is that there are sites and resources for everyone.  The article suggests that you define yourself (your product/suggestions) and stick with it.  It also suggests that you should promote what you like and post what appeals to you.  That's what will bring people back!

 

I have found her blogs to be particularly useful and in honor of the sentiment that I should please myself and be a little bossy - I am showing some classic pieces I have that I think are just wonderful and would love to find homes for ... in the spirit of a little self-promotion and clarity about what I like!!  These are elegant and would fit well into a well-edited eclectic setting!