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We've moved!!!

We've moved! Please check out our new blog here and update your readers:

http://www.designerblogs.com/the-blog

The Big Move!

Hi friends!

We have been working hard behind the scenes to get our new site put together in WordPress. Yes, you heard that right--we're packing up and moving to WordPress! We are so excited to make the big switch and hope you'll bear with us as we make this transition and work out any kinks that may arise.

We have tons of new pre-mades and $10 templates that we are excited to share with you, so please check back in a few days to view our new site and see all that's new! We'll also be holding a huge giveaway that you won't want to miss.

Until then!

Blogger Social

Thursday evening Designer Blogs attended the 2nd Annual Blogger's Holiday Social held at the fabulous Alice Lane.

Erin represented and had so much fun rubbing elbows with so many talented ladies.

They did a fun giveaway where everyone had to bring something they handmade. The gifts were so creative!

 Erin attended with Michelle of 4 Men 1 Lady and they brought the same gift to share. Michelle made the cute boxes stuffed with "favorite things" and Erin designed the fun gift tags attached to the top.

The treats were divine!

Everyone was sent home with these adorable gift bags which were stuffed with delicious homemade biscuits and jam.

Thank you Alice Lane for hosting such a fun event!

Plugins

Hey all! Lauren here, finally!! I know, I know, November = Epic fail on the Designer Blogs' blog. But I'll let you all in on a little secret, we've been super busy working on lots of new and exciting things for the New Year and the ol' blog got a little neglected. Plus I'm working on baby #5! Yup, the Nelson family is expecting a bundle of joy come June 2012!! Yay, so lots of goodies coming your way and now onto the tutorial...

Let's talk about plugin's, shall we? (This is a Wordpress thing so you Blogger peeps please feel free to read on and think about making the switch. ;)

First of all, what is a plugin and why do you need one (or lots)?
I once heard plugin be compared to an "app" for a smart phone, if that helps you visualize. Plugins can extend WordPress to do almost anything you can imagine. In the Wordpress Plugin Directory you can find, download, rate, and comment on all the best plugins the WordPress community has to offer.


Some of the most popular plugins that I've used and seen used are the following:

Google Analytics for WordPress
Track your WordPress site easily and with lots of metadata: views per author & category, automatic tracking of outbound clicks and pageviews

Contact Form 7
Just another contact form plugin. Simple but flexible.

Google XML Sitemaps
This plugin will generate a special XML sitemap which will help search engines to better index your blog.

All in One SEO Pack
Automatically optimizes your WordPress blog for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).

~~~~~~~~~~

Now let's get to the nitty gritty. How do I use a plugin??? You'll need to install them to your WP site through your dashboard.

There are a couple of ways to install a WordPress plugin. Today we're going to talk about two of those way.

1. Automatically through WordPress – easiest, some server setup
2. Manually uploading a plugin through WordPress – medium, some server setup

Method #1

Method #2

That's the basic gist of plugins!! Not too hard to understand and not too hard to use. If you have any questions on this tutorial or you have any ideas for future tutorials please email us at info@designerblogs.com.

Featured Client: Swank Sweets

Korinne is the amazing talent behind Swank Sweet Dessert Tables.

How long have you been blogging?

Since September 2009.

What made you decide to start a blog/site?
I was searching the internet trying to find inspiration for my daughters 6th birthday. My mom always threw me the best birthday parties when I was growing up, and I wanted to carry on that tradition for my children. I came across all these amazing party blogs with such talented, creative people and I was hooked! Then I found out that most of them where stay at home moms, and I was inspired to start blogging about dessert and candy tables. At that point, I had been a stay at home mom for a while and was looking for a creative outlet and a way to earn extra "mad money" to support my shopping habit. That's when Swank Sweets was created!

What was the biggest unexpected perk or bonus of your site and being online?

Bloggers are some of the most supportive, kind and generous people you will ever meet! It has been so much fun to "meet" other stay at home moms and be able to support each others endeavors. Because of blogging, my tables have been featured on HGTV, TLC's Outrageous Kids Parties, WRAL local news, and many party blogs. It has been so exciting!

What other blogs or sites inspire you?

There are so many, but I have to say Amy Atlas was the inspiration for my business. She is an amazing dessert stylist in New York who started the whole dessert table craze! Since then, I have been inspired by Martha Stewarts Weddings, Sweets Indeed, Jesi Haack Weddings, Sweet & Saucy Shop and Sharnel Dollar Designs. And I can't forget the awesome graphic designers who make my dessert tables complete! Anders Ruff Custom Designs, Love The Day,and Party Box Designs....just to name a few!

Tell us about the design makeover process? How did you choose the colors, fonts and ideas that inspire your personal brand?

My old website and blog were great and served it's purpose just starting out. However, after growing the business for a few years it really didn't represent who I am and what I do. I wanted a visual identity that would attract my target audience, instantly establish trust, and have consistency through each point of contact with my clients. It was important to me to have the logo, business cards and even something as small as the favicon in complete harmony. Turquoise is my favorite color, so that was easy, however, I had my heart set on a chevron pattern somewhere in the design. Lauren tried everything to make it work, and it was just overwhelming the entire design. My Grandfather, worked for Chevron Oil Company for his entire life, so the chevron pattern was a nod to him and my Grandmother. So, when I told Lauren about my sentimental attachment to it, she went right back to the drawing board and came up with light grey chevron behind the logo. That's when it all connected for me, and I could not be happier!

Old Logo

New Logo

How did you find / hear about Designer Blogs?

I had just hired someone to do a new logo, website and blog for me. Long story short, she ran off with my money and I nothing to show for it! Lesson learned. So I began looking online for someone new to design for me. I came across Designer Blogs through a Google search. What impressed me the most was not only the quality and style of their work, but that they had a "design queue" so I knew exactly when they would start working on my design. Lauren's communication through the process was amazing, and that was so important to me after my disappointing experience. I am looking forward to having a Facebook landing page and Twitter background designed next!



Anything else you want people to know about you or your blog?

I feel really blessed to be able to stay home with my children and do something that I am really passionate about every day. I write about all things sweet, and would love to hear your thoughts and comments!

Thank you Korinne!!
It was such a pleasure working with you and getting to know you better.

You can visit Korinne on her blog, Swank Sweets and
you can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter!

Adriana Olivia Premade

Check out the latest premade in our premade shop. It can be purchased for $25.

Welcome Baby Mylah

Mylah Leilani

Born 10-01-11 at 12:30 a.m.

7 lbs. 12 oz. 19.5 inches long

Dark black hair, dark brown eyes.

Keep updated with Mylah's progress and leave Lara some love over at

Mending Mylah's Heartstrings.

September's Exclusive Giveaway Winner

The winner of September's exclusive giveaway (for blog followers only) is:

Ashley Riley from GB Lane!!


Ashley has won a favicon!! Congratulations!!
Please email us at info@designerblogs.com by the end of the October to claim your prize!!

For October we will be giving away a blog button!

To enter, simply become a follower of this blog (see sidebar) and you'll be automatically entered to win!

Good Luck!

Fixing the Popular Post Gadget in Minima

Do you use the Minima template?
Does your Popular Posts gadget look like this?

Do you want to fix it, so it looks like this????!!!

1. Go to the Design tab on your Dashboard, then click edit HTML.
2. Now use (Ctrl+F) to find the words .sidebar li {

You should see this:

.sidebar li {
margin:0;
padding-top:0;
padding-$endSide:0;
padding-bottom:.25em;
padding-$startSide:15px;
text-indent:-15px;
line-height:1.5em;
}

3. Now simply change the -15 I have highlighted in red above to 0.


YAY! That it!!! Your done. Quick and easy!