Birthday Time!

It really doesn’t feel like it but…I’ve done it. I’ve kept up this blog for a year! On this day, a year ago, I decided to invest my energy into posting randomness on my very own internet abode.

Here’s where things get mushy. You can either groan and scroll down to the pic of the day or wade through a mini documentary of my twelve month excursion. Pic your poison. See what I did there? I spelled the word pick like… oh never mind. It really wasn’t that clever.

I originally created this blog with no intention of anything amazing. I had no goal, no angle to work with, and no blog title. I gawked at the empty “name your blog” box for a good twenty minutes till I made up Novice Journal off the top of my head. I figured if anyone ever accidentally clicks on my blog, they’ll know up front that I’m no professional. Fortunately for me, the name caught on well. But don’t be misled, dear reader. This wasn’t my first stab at a blog. I had started and neglected three other very unsuccessful blogs. They were starved of focus, will, and inspiration that many readers saw upfront and fled from. I’m ashamed to admit it but I fled too. Those blogs are now in a very dark place, never to be seen again. So you can guess at how confident I was in Novice Journal taking off.

With the encouragement of my awesome family, I tried my best to put up a daily post and do a few other things (link tips post here). My twin sister helped me by taking a whack at wading through a bunch of fascinating blogs in the wordpress universe. Without her, I would have certainly NOT made it this far. Who knew a pinch of will and an incredible support team could get a (scratch this part out) completely lost (un-scratch) novice blogger over 900 followers and close to 300 posts in one year?

So thanks to everyone who’s helped me along these first twelve months! Thanks for the incredible and slightly overwhelming number of bloggers leaving encouraging comments in my Get to Know Me Page. Thank you to every person who’s participated in my crazy games. Thanks to those of you who check in everyday; even on the days I fail to post. Thanks to all of you who have commented on my pics and “liked” them. There’s no way Novice Journal would be here without you.

See? I told you it’d get mushy. But not unbearably so, right?

If you just scrolled down to this part – I dare you to go back up and read what I wrote. It’ll do you good 😉

As promised, the pic of the day:     

 

My Good Friend, Mr. Write

Hey everyone! I hope you’re having a great September so far! I’m still working on many posts for my IOMH contributions. I hope you all enjoy them 🙂

For today’s post, I’m going to write – something I haven’t done for my blog in what feels a millennia. But through my Contact Me page, a few bloggers requested that I go back to doing some writing. This post is for you guys. My post was inspired by WordPress’ recent Daily Post writing prompt, entitled, The Sound of Blogging. While I would have linked this post up to their page last week and joined in to see who’d be Freshly Pressed, I don’t think I’ve entirely done what they asked. Their prompt kinda manifested into something slightly different than expected. And so I present to you my latest written creation:

The Feel of Writing

I know I’m invested in writing something when words shoot straight from my mind to my fingertips. The same feeling hits me right after I dive to catch a Frisbee – and actually catch it. It’s that panting sound, and the feeling of dirt stained jeans, mixed with the sweet feeling of victory that brings me joy. The only downside is that no one I was trying to impress is nearby to adore my triumph.

I know I’m devoted to writing something when my keyboard becomes a palette. Every letter I type splashes across the canvas and my blood turns rainbow. It’s the same color I turn when squinting through a viewfinder, knowing full well I’m starring at the perfect photo. All I have to do is press a button, and the portrait is mine forever. And for a moment, I see eye to eye with Vincent van Gogh. We totally get each other, but he’s no longer here.

I know I’m zealous about writing something when my brain is so full of words that I sound things out as I type. My fingers stomp upon every key, triggering concerned glances from everyone present. It’s the same feeling I get directly after singing my heart out. The sound made from silence; When every emotion known to man swells up inside of me and awe overtakes me. It’s that pure appreciation that always leaves me feeling whole. The problem is, I can’t sing all the time. Unfortunately, the public has turned down life being a musical – plus, I can’t make up relevant songs on the fly.

But writing, well, writing never disappoints. Writing is my home away from home. A place where I can live life as I please, and there are no consequences. The feel of writing is like none other.

“Writing is a journey. Your pencil is your traveling stick, your heart is your compass. Journey on, and you’ll discover a world worth writing home about.” – Mrs. Thyme (a character from a book I wrote a few years back…if only I could find that book!)

Painting by Vincent van Gogh (I got the picture from Wikipedia)

Water Confetti + Advice (yes, you really can have it all in one post)

Well good afternoon to you all! I hope you’ve been having a great week so far, I know I have! Today I’m taking a quick break from the somewhat daily photo and passing on a few golden nuggets of advice. No, scratch that. I’ll do both because frankly, it just sounds cool.

Do you remember the days when I’d sum up my week? While that seems like it was eons ago it really has been just a couple of months. In one of them (actually in the one where I capped off my first month of being a blogger) I gave you all some advice that I had learned through trial and error (and sometimes just flat out error.) It was surprisingly well received by experienced and novice bloggers alike and some of you have said that it really did help improve their blog. What? My advice actually worked? Who would’ve guessed it? If you’re pretty green at blogging or are just looking to read more words on a shiny screen then I suggest you check the post out here. And for the rest of you who are either too cool to read it or have already done so – welcome to part 2 express. It’s “express” because I’ve got half as many things to say.

1. Don’t make people search for your search. Does you blog have the “search” tab? It can be found under “widgets” in your dashboard. Anyways, many a blogger has put it at the very bottom of their site. You’d be surprised at how many bloggers do this. I don’t blame the blogger, sometimes it’s the last thing they think about! This can prove frustrating to readers though, because they have to literally search for the search area! And some blogs don’t even have one! Do your readers a huge favor by placing it at the tippy top and it’ll greatly convenience everyone.
2. Background’s everything to do with it! Does your blog have a fun and trendy background? Or does it at least have something that connects to what you blog about? Presentation is a huge factor (as I have come to realize) in determining whether you reel in or discourage a reader. If a blog looks really chaotic and jumbled, I will most likely look elsewhere for a good read. I don’t want to have a hard time reading a blog and spend more time trying to figure out what I’m looking at instead of reading a great post. Have fun choosing a background that you enjoy! Make sure not to “overstimulate” your reader with a flashy look. 🙂 Yeah, it’s fun, but not super productive.
3.  Check you spam box! I know that sounds really strange, but hear read me out. I recently learned that computers aren’t as flawless as I’ve made them out to be. Sometimes they mistake legit comments for spam. So about once or twice a week, I check my spam box and free up those not-so-spam comments. Otherwise people who are just trying to say “hello” get blocked off and I don’t get to hear from them! With that being said, don’t free up everything (like the comments that look a little fishy and have a bunch of numbers and random letters, the gravatar names that appear very peculiar, and the comments that make absolutely no sense.)

Hopefully you’ve found this post somewhat helpful! Got any tips that you’re itching to share? Feel free to either post them in the comments below or on your own blog – and fill me in when you do! Have an awesome rest of the day and enjoy this water confetti! (The reflection of some umbrellas got muddled after a boat passed through.)

 

Photo Op: Kangaroo

Last time I went to the zoo, I was able to snag this shot and a few similar ones. All the kangaroos were so sleepy!

P.S. This is my 200th post! One word: stoked!

Photo Op: Some Pics are Hard to Take

Seriously, I almost gave up on this one!

I love browsing the photo blogs on wordpress and getting some ideas for my own. And I’ve come across the classic “achenes flying off the dandelion” shot more than once. Little did I know how hard it was going to be. Not only was it hard to determine when to snap the photo (only to have the background clear and the subject blurry) but it was mega difficult to blow those little seeds off! I went home thinking the whole endeavor was a failure. But after browsing through  hundreds of failed and delete worthy out of focus shots, I came across this one. Not perfect, but not too shabby either. At least the flower is clear….

Plus, Happy Father’s Day to all the awesome dad’s out there! And to my dad: Thanks for being the best! You’re the coolest dad on the planet! 🙂

Pro = Posting on the Go

I haven’t got much to say today, other than “thanks WordPress for this great app, I’ve gotten plenty of mileage out of it.” Seriously, I’m using it right now! Anyone else using it?

P.S. on a completely random side note, I want to thank J. E. Lattimer for nominating me for the versatile blogger award! While I’ve already received it (check it out on my awards page) it’s still a huge honor, and I wanted to give a quick shout out!

Would You Rather

There’s nothing like a good old game of Would You Rather! We’ve come to that time again. It’s the one, the only, Not Quiz! So, my blogging comrades, are you ready to click some q’s?

Name(required)

Would You Rather...

Be a giant hamster

Be a tiny rhino

Would You Rather...

Always speak your mind

Never speak again

Favorite Genre....

Fairy Tales / Fantasy

Horror

Humor

Mystery

Science Fiction

Romance

Biography

Cookbooks

Coloring Books

Which is Better...

Rain

Snow

Which is Better...

Ninjas

Pirates

You're a...

Cat Person

Dog Person

Blog Person

Which is Worse....

No Water

No Internet

No Television

Would You Rather...

Have First Dibs

Have the Last Laugh

If you had to make up a fancy new color, what would it be called?

Submit

Δ

Thanks to everyone who plays along! Tomorrow, I’ll answer the form in my Week Sum-Up 🙂