blogging Archives - Two Twenty One

Reader Survey Results (Part Two)

I’m back today to share the demographics from the reader survey nearly 400 of you took about a month ago. I shared the blog-related results on Tuesday, in case you missed it. Again, a big thank you and fist bump to all of you who played along.

I kind of already knew this, but my key demographic is college educated, 25-34 year old women (what’s up with no dudes reading my blog?) who are married and childless, but most are hoping to have children one day. Holy smokes. That’s me, you guys. You’re me and I’m you. Crazy pants. No wonder why we get along so well. But I will say if I was to total up all the readers with kiddos it would probably equal the childless readers, which is totally cool. Just something I have to throw in so all the mommas don’t get mad at me because I love my momma readers too. Shoot, you guys know I love all of you like Justin Beiber loves getting tattoos.

Furthermore, most of you live in two people, single-family homes of which you own. And quite a few of you own pets. I don’t know why the “other” option didn’t show up in the graph. But some of you do own different pets, like birds, guinea pigs, turtles, sheep, chinchillas, hedgehogs, rats, lizards, chickens, and husbands (you said it, not me).

I drew another conclusion from the above results– many of you are like me. You live in 2 person, single-family homes of which you own. And a sizable amount of you have a dog or dogs. Just like yours truly. This makes sense because I read a fair amount of blogs written by women who are in my life stage/situation. Does this mean I can’t relate to readers who aren’t in my same, exact situation? Heck no. I used to rent an apartment. I used to be < 25. I used to be single. I have friends with kids. The list goes on.

I really enjoyed geeking out and tabulating the results of the survey and finding out more about all of you. And again, I appreciate all the awesome comments you left me in the blog-related survey. You guys are the best.

Don’t forget to enter the $100 Visa gift card giveaway!

Are you surprised by the demographics?
Are you me and I’m you? (That sounds really deep, no?)

6 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, survey ·

Reader Survey Results (Part One)

About a month ago I asked you guys to tell me a little about you. A big thank you to the nearly 400 of you who played along. I learned a lot from the survey.

Today I’m sharing your responses to the blog-related questions. I’ll share the results of the demographics on Thursday. Covering both in one post would have given you a cramp from scrolling so I decided to break it up. Alright, let’s dive in!

The majority of you have been a reader for less than a year, and most of you don’t have blogs of your own. Many of you read Two Twenty One from the comfort of your homes. You guys seem to prefer to read comments rather than leaving comments. Don’t be afraid to comment. I’m trying to my very best to set aside time during the week to reply to comments. I haven’t been the best at that in the past but it’s a new goal of mine I’m working on. Moving along, you seem to be happy with the frequency of posts, although some of you want more, which is better than asking for less because that’s basically like saying “stop yammering, Chelsea”.

Now on to the open ended questions.

The most frequently listed blogs were:

Young House Love • IHeart Organizing • Bower Power • House of Smiths • Centsational Girl

• ”I like your approach and that you appear to keep it real. You do real projects on a real budget. Many of your projects I could see myself doing.”

• ”It’s inspiring! It offers so many great tips and tricks and it’s almost as I feel apart of your life. Creepy? Haha, sorry!”

• ”I love the clean uncluttered look of your blog, topics and past projects are easy to find and your photography is awesome.”

• ”I like your style, your easy DIY ideas, and your tone/sense of humor. You’re entertaining to read, and inspire me to create for my own home.”

• ”It inspires my homemaking and creative juices. Also I am heartened that such a young woman is so intentional about life–homemaking, networking, writing (her writing style is witty and elegant). Many women deny their creative sides and pour themselves into work and agenda-based activities. Through this blog and some others I’ve found through her blogroll I have discovered kindred spirits regardless of age (I am old enough to be Chelsea’s mother…) who can express their passion and activism through their blogs. It’s very inspiring.”

• ”I’m happy with whatever you want to blog about– I think that’s why blogs are so appealing.”

• ”I always love the way you put spaces together, so more “space reveals”/tips would be great. Photography tips would be wonderful too because your photos are awesome!”

• ”More of your personal life! You have such a cute little family so we’d love to see more of you and your family along with your house!”

• ”I’m really interested in DIY home decor. I’d love to see how I can find something at a thrift shop or very inexpensive items at the dollar store and make it into a nice decoration for the home.”

• ”Just that I admire anyone who can work, take care of a hubby and meet all of the other of life’s demands and still write a blog that is so inspiring and well written.”

• ”More vlogs! The one you did for Haven was hilarious.”

• ”You have such a fun blog and I can tell you take the time to thoughtfully craft your posts and readers appreciate that!”

• ”Your creativity inspires me to improve my own surroundings.”

• ”Please be my friend.”

That’s it, friends. Thanks so much for participating in my little experiment. You were great lab rats. And I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer the surveys.

I must say thanks to those of you who “get me” and my sense of humor. It meant a lot to me to read that you enjoy my humor and writing style. It proves that many of you actually read my blabbering rather than just looking at the photos. I try my best to write how I talk in real life. Although I was told at SNAP! conference a few weeks ago by Allison from House of Hepworths that I’m “so much more hilarious in person”. No, I didn’t pay or bribe her to say that, and no she wasn’t intoxicated when she made that statement. I think. So if you don’t like my humor or how I write we probably wouldn’t be friends in real life, which is totally cool.

If you want to see how I talk in real life watch my vlog. Many readers said the vlog enhanced their reading experience because they could put an actual voice to the words. Don’t let the vlog make you feel awkward. I felt awkward enough going through with it to cover your feelings of awkwardness and my own.

Any reactions to the blog survey results?
General statements?

10 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, survey ·

Blogger Business Cards

Next Wednesday morning, far before my normal waking time, I’ll be leaving on a jet plane, and I don’t know when I’ll be back again. Just kidding. I’ll be back on Sunday.

I’m heading to SNAP! conference in Salt Lake City. It’s a meeting of the creative blogger minds. There will be squealing (I don’t squeal, remember?), hugging (I’m not really a hugger, but I put that aside at these types of events), and bloggers introducing themselves by their name and blog name (Hi, I’m Chelsea from Two Twenty One).

With blog conferences comes blogger business cards. Bloggers swap these puppies like nobody’s business. Showing up to a blog conference without business cards is like showing up to a nudist community fully-clothed.

I changed up my blogger business cards from last year with the help of my awesome blog friend, Erin. This time around we added all of my social media contact information. We also added my beautiful mug so people are more likely to remember me. (I’ll let you know if this tactic works.) Erin also put my logo on both sides of the card, which is a great idea because no matter what side people look at they see my logo. It’s all “Two Twenty One, in yo face!”

If you ever find yourself needing blogger business cards I recommend including the following:
• your name
• name of your blog/blog logo
• blog URL
• your email address
• social media contact information (facebook, pinterest, twitter, instagram, google+)
• photo of yourself (optional)
• phone number (optional)
• QR code (optional)

Now this may seem like common sense, but don’t copy other bloggers’ business card designs– especially if they’re in the same niche as you. I know business cards aren’t copyrighted and all that jazz, but it’s not the best idea to have your business card look like someone else’s. Set yourselves apart, people.

I liked how my old business cards turned out, so I went back to Vistaprint to have them printed. I went with premium matte stock again. It has a good weight to it– no one likes a flimsy business card. The 250 business cards set me back $33 (that includes shipping), which isn’t too bad.

I’m using my Baffin Bags blogger business card holder again this year. Because, remember, rubber bands aren’t the classiest method of containing your cards inside your blogger bag

And you better believe I’m bringing a binder ring and a hole punch to organize all the other bloggers’ business cards. People were jealous of this system at Haven.

Don’t forget to take the Two Twenty One reader survey!

Are you going to SNAP!?
Are your blogger business cards ready to go?
Do you plan on attending a blog conference this year? You should. They’re fun.
If you’re not a blogger, do you wonder if us bloggers get wild and crazy at blog conferences?
The answer is yes.

22 Comments · Filed Under: blogging ·

Two Twenty One Reader Survey

I’ve been wanting to do a reader survey for a long time. I’m always curious about who reads all this stuff I yammer on about and what they think about all my yammering. So I created a reader survey for you guys to kindly complete. Well, it’s actually two surveys because Survey Monkey only allowed me to have ten questions per survey, or I’d have to pay for a pro membership (no thanks, SM). Survey One mostly pertains to Two Twenty One and blog reading habits, while Survey Two mostly pertains to reader demographics.

The surveys shouldn’t take you too long to complete. And don’t worry, these are completely anonymous– your names and IP addresses won’t be recorded.

To take the surveys, I recommend right clicking each image below and selecting “open link in new tab” so you won’t have to worry about coming back here to take the second survey after completing the first. Sorry I’m too cheap to pay $25 for a one-time survey. I hope you understand.

I’ll share the results of the survey next week.

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell me about you!

12 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, Uncategorized ·

What to Take to a Blog Conference + Printable Checklist

In a few weeks I’m heading to SNAP!, a crafts and home DIY blog conference in Salt Lake City. I’m pretty excited because I had an amazing time at Haven last year. Blog conferences are downright fun. You’re with your people. They get you, and you get them. Plus, you learn a lot.

Around this time is when bloggers start to freak out a little about what to take to a blog conference, especially newbies. Do I take my laptop? Will I need my DSLR? What will I wear?!

Now, I’m not an expert because I’ve only been to one conference, but I quickly learned what to bring and what not to bring. So let’s start with your blogger bag. It’s the bag you’ll carry with you during the conference.

1. Bag
In order to have a blogger bag you’ll need a bag. A nice sized tote is a good choice. Feel free to splurge and get a smaller bag to curtail the little stuff you’ll put in the bag.

2. Smartphone
This is kind of a no brainer, but you’ll want your smartphone. You’re going to want to tweet people and post pics of you and your favorite bloggers on Instagram. You’re also going to want to use your smartphone to take photos.

3. iPad/tablet
An iPad is great for taking notes in breakout sessions, especially if you prefer typing over writing.

4. Notebook
You’ll want a notebook for notes (obviously), especially if you don’t bring a tablet. I used my notebook and iPad at Haven last year.

5. Pens
Bring more than one pen. You’re bound to lose one. Plus it’s nice to have a couple to lend people who forgot or lost theirs.

6. Business Cards & Holder
You’re at a blog conference to network so it’s kind of silly to show up without business cards. (Read about mine here.) And you don’t want to fumble around your bag for your cards when someone asks for one, so invest in a business card holder. There are plenty on Etsy.

7. Mints
Who wants to have rank breath when they meet their blog idol? No one. That’s who.

8. Hand Lotion
Sometimes you hug people, sometimes you shake hands. Which now reminds me that I should have put hand sanitizer on this list. Anyway, keep your hands moisturized for all the hand shaking with some lotion.

9. Water Bottle
Wet your whistle. You’ll be talking a lot.

10. Lip Gloss
Sometimes you hug people, sometimes you kiss people. Hah. Just kidding. Keep your smackers looking pretty and hydrated with some lip gloss.

11. Smartphone Backup Battery
Your phone battery will die. I promise this will happen to you. Save yourself a headache and invest in a smartphone backup battery.

1. DSLR camera
I lugged my DSLR all the way to Haven to not use it. I took photos with my iPhone or if I was in a photo taken with a DSLR I’d ask the DSLR’s owner if she could email me the pic. Worked out fine for me.

2. Laptop
I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to bring your laptop. I didn’t take one to Haven since I had an iPad. You won’t have time to work on blog posts or edit photos at a blog conference. Leaving your laptop at home means one less thing you have to drag around the airport with you.

3. Duffel Bag
To put the bodies in. Just kidding. There’s typically a fair amount of swag at blog conferences. If you’re flying, I recommend bringing along a durable duffel bag in your checked bag. When the conference is over, you can put your dirty clothes in the duffel bag and your swag in your suitcase. This way you’re able to take your swag home with you. Trust me, it’s no fun leaving swag behind. Since you’re only flying one way, the checked duffel bag should only cost you an additional $20-$25 to get it home. Darn airlines making us pay for checked bags nowadays.

4. Media Kits
Your media kit is a piece of paper that tells all about you and your blog. Some things you’ll find on a media kit are: type of blog, history of the blog, photo of the author, about the author, statistics, some blog photos, advertising policy, brands the author has worked with, etc. Media kits come in handy when meeting and talking with brand representatives.

5. Power Strip
If you’re going to have 3+ roommates you may want to consider bringing a power strip so there will be enough outlets to charge all of your electronics. However, I stayed with two other girls at Haven, and I never used the one I brought because there were enough outlets for the three of us.

6. Roommate Gifts
Some bloggers will bring little gifts for their roommates as a preemptive apology for passing gas or hogging the bathroom mirror. Just kidding. Kind of. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could be a candle, their favorite candy, or some cute stationary. If this gives you anxiety (will my roommates bring me a gift and I’m the jerk who shows up empty handed?) talk to your roommates about it beforehand and tell them you don’t expect a gift or settle on everyone bringing a bag of dried fruit candy to share. Or you could take it to the next level and do a white elephant of sorts.

7. E-reader
If you’re going to be spending a lot of time flying or hanging out in airports between flights I recommend bringing your e-reader along. You won’t need it during the conference. Unless you’re totally anti-social. But that won’t happen because you’ll be with your people, remember?

Now, because I’m the nicest person in the world, I created a blog conference packing checklist for you. Oh, stop it. You don’t have to tell me how awesome I am.

I added the lines next to the clothing and accessories so you can specifically list which pieces of clothing you want to bring (ex: blue dress, jean jacket, emerald earrings).

Click on the image to download the checklist.

Do you have to bring everything on the checklist? No. Decide what you want to bring based on what you think your needs are. If you won’t use your laptop, don’t bring it. But please bring your deodorant. You’ll definitely need that.

Will I see you at SNAP?
Any blog conference tips for newbies?
Is there something you bring to conference that I left out?

I’m sharing this at the following parties: Home Stories A to Z, Tatertots and Jello, House of Hepworths, Liz Marie Blog, The Shabby Nest, Positively Splendid, Whipperberry, Classy Clutter, Today’s Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, Craftberry Bush, Design, Dining, & Diapers, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Snap Creativity, and Serenity Now.

This post contains affiliate links.

29 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, organization, printables, tips and tricks, unsolicited advice ·

Let’s Talk Blog (Part Two)

Last week, in celebration of my 2nd blogiversary this week, I opened the floor to you all to ask me any burning questions you may have. Yesterday I answered some of your blog related questions, and today I’m answering the rest of your blog related questions. Get excited.

How did you get noticed and start to grow you blog?
My very first DIY tutorial (thrifty hurricanes) was featured on Apartment Therapy. This rarely happens. It’s so rare I hadn’t been featured on Apartment Therapy again, to my knowledge, until recently for my stenciled file cabinet. My next big project to get noticed was my wine cork candle holders. I still get a lot of hits on these earlier posts.

I think I get noticed because of my photography. Think about it. We’re visual beings. It’s a lot easier (and faster) to look at a photo and decide whether you like what you see rather than spending time reading a post and deciding whether or not you like it. Does that make sense? My advice would be to pull readers in with awesome photography. Then hit them with great content.

Here’s the deal. I don’t know of a blogger who was an overnight success. I’ve never heard of a DIY home blog going from zero to 100,000 pageviews per month in the matter of a couple weeks or months. Success in blogging takes a lot of time and hard work. I’ve been blogging for over 2 years. The ‘big bloggers’ out there (Young House Love, Thrifty Decor Chick, Centsational Girl, etc.) have been blogging for 4+ years, and they started blogging when there were far less DIY bloggers to compete with. I don’t mean blogging is a competition, but the market is much more saturated with DIY blogs now than it was 4-5 years ago. Plus, those bloggers have 4+ years of content to lure readers to their blog. If you want your blog to be successful you need to put in the effort. Things don’t happen miraculously or overnight.

Everyone seems to say that Pinterest is a huge traffic source, so how do you think you started getting your images pinned on Pinterest?
Pinterest has been amazing for the growth of my blog. It’s currently my #2 traffic source. I think I started getting my images pinned on Pinterest by having great photos. (Are you seeing a trend? Everything goes back to photography.) People are far more likely to pin and repin bright, crisp, eye-catching photos. How many dark, unfocused, and generally bad photos do you see on Pinterest? I don’t know about you, but I don’t see many– at least from the people I follow. If you do see a lot of these photos do you click on them to read the post? I’m going to guess that 95% of the time you skip over them. On top of having good photos, I try to add text to my images. This gives Pinterest users a clear indication of what they’ll find when they click on the image. You can easily add text to photos using free websites like PicMonkey.

Where do you find link parties?
I’ve been linking up to the same link parties for 1-2 years. I couldn’t tell you how I found them because I don’t remember. Some of them are hosted by bloggers I’m friendly with, and some are hosted by blogs I’ve been reading for a long time. You can find link parties by seeing where other bloggers link up. For reference here’s the list of link parties I try to link up to: Home Stories A to Z, Tatertots and Jello, House of Hepworths, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Liz Marie Blog, The Shabby Nest, Positively Splendid, Whipperberry, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, Today’s Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Serenity Now. Tip: Always, always, always link back to the blogs you link up to. It’s the polite thing to do, and you’re less likely to be featured if you don’t link back.

How many blog posts do you read a day? Or how many blogs are on your reader?
Depends on the day. I read my blogger friends’ blogs almost daily. Sometimes I get behind when I get really busy, but I eventually catch up. I typically go through blogs on my reader a few times a week. I have about 150 blogs on my reader, but I bundle them into groups. I follow a lot of my favorite blogs on Facebook. If I see the blogger add an interesting post I’ll click through to read it. I feel like a lot of people use Facebook to keep up with their favorite blogs, especially since you can organize your ‘liked’ pages.

Who designed your blog?
I designed my logo text. My friend Joy added the flowers. Everything else on the blog is designed by me.

I know you work with children, and I work in education. I am kind of avoiding telling people at work about my blog because I sort of feel like they might not appreciate my humor, or they’ll think I’m less professional. Do you ever feel this pressure or have similar worries? Any tips for filtering yourself but still being you?
I never tell my clients about my blog– mostly because the topic never comes up. I have co-workers, but I rarely see them so very few of them know about the blog. I don’t feel pressure or worry because I try to keep it clean on here. I debated calling my dresser turned TV stand a “crack house dresser” but I decided to go with it because it was funny and mostly true (seriously, this house was uninhabitable, and I’m pretty certain it was a former crack den). When in doubt, ask a co-worker you’re close with to proof your posts for you. They’d be able to tell you whether or not you’re being too risque. I doubt you’ll get fired from your job for referencing a boob light in a blog post, it’s not like you’re performing at Dancers on amateur night.

Do you help out your blog followers with projects they are working on by giving advice?
If you mean help out in terms of answering a specific question on a project I’ve covered on the blog but didn’t answer your specific question then I’m more than happy to help– just comment on the post or shoot me an email. If you’re talking about helping readers pick out a rug or lamp, the answer is not really. If I did I’d probably have to charge people. I’m all about helping people out but time is money. I’m sure I sound like a huge jerk, but I’m currently running three small businesses– my day job, the blog, and my Etsy shop. Plus I run Casa de Two Twenty One. I wouldn’t be the first blogger to charge though, many create mood boards for readers for a fee. If you want advice on certain projects (what color to paint something, which lamp to buy, etc.) I suggest getting on social media and asking your followers what they think. People love to give their opinions.

I hope I did a good job answering your blog related questions. Let me know if you have more questions or if there’s a certain blog topic you’d like me to cover in a future post.

In closing, I want to tell you guys about an awesome Twitter chat coming up with Homes.com, where I’m a brand ambassador. This Thursday, Feb. 21st at 8 PM (EST) Homes.com, their sister company ForRent.com, and Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget will be co-hosting a Twitter chat. The topic is creative ways to save money– a pretty hot topic since everyone is always looking for ways to save, especially with these crazy gas prices. And they’re giving away gift cards. Woot! I hope you’ll join us!

11 Comments · Filed Under: blogging ·

Let’s Talk Blog (Part One)

Last week, in celebration of my 2nd blogiversary this week, I opened the floor to you all to ask me any burning questions you may have. You guys asked a lot of blog related questions, so today I’m answering half of those questions.

What made you want to start a blog?
I started blogging in the fall of 2010 with my wedding planning blog, Chelsea Gets Married. I wanted to document my wedding planning process and all my DIY wedding projects. I knew Chelsea Gets Married would come to an end after the wedding so I started Two Twenty One so I could continue blogging.

Did you do anything specific to increase your readers or did you just focus on writing & let the readers come?
I don’t really do anything specific to increase readership. I try to focus on quality content. In my opinion, if you’re putting out quality content many people will like what they see, and they’ll stick around and become loyal readers. In the earlier days I had a lot of time to comment on other blogs. That’s a great way to make blog friends and hopefully increase your readership.

What does a typical day look like for you? Meaning your daily schedule and how you manage to blog/have things to blog about along with working and spending times with hubs and puppy.
I’m probably not the best person to answer this question because I’m not like a normal working person. I’m entirely self-employed. I make my own work schedule, so I work my day job as an infant & toddler developmental therapist Tuesday through Thursday, and my schedule on those days varies. Mondays and Fridays are typically dedicated to blog stuff, projects, Etsy orders, grocery shopping, errands (you’ll never see me at the mall on the weekend), cleaning the house, etc. Brad usually gets home from work around 6. When it’s nice out we’ll take Jack for a walk, cook dinner together, and watch some TV on the DVR. Then he’ll work in his office, and I’ll work on the next day’s blog post. I’m not that great at time management. In a perfect world I’d be much more productive than I am.

What is your biggest tip for growing your blog and gaining new followers?
Have great content AND photography. Period. The end.
Think about it. Do you read a lot of blogs with crappy content and bad photos? Probably not. What draws you into blogs? Take what draws you into blogs and put those factors to use on your blog. I’m not saying to blatantly rip off other blogs. Don’t do that. Decide what you like about your favorite blogs (eye-catching header, easy to navigate layout, great photos, etc.) and see if you can make those changes to your blog.

Some other random tips:
Be a part of a/the blogging community. Comment on blogs. Let yourself be known.
Participate in link parties. Don’t go crazy. I see some people linking up to 5,000 link parties. Keep it simple. I suggest 10-15.
Get on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram). Be social. Let yourself be known. Whenever you write a new post share it on your social media outlets.

What are some things you’ve learned about blogging, since you first started?
Oh dear. I’ve learned a lot. A LOT. I don’t even know where to start. Seriously. Since I’m speechless I’ll direct you to my blogging Pinterest board. There’s a lot of good blogging information there.

What tips do you have for a new blogger?
Focus on your content and photography. Make your blog design appealing and easy to navigate.

When did you decide to start advertising on your blog? How did you go about getting started?
I started advertising about a year ago. I joined the BlogHer ad network. It doesn’t require much work on my end. I installed the ad code on the blog and that’s about it. Sometimes I’ll have ads on the top of posts or I’ll do paid reviews. I also have Google ads, and I’m an affiliate with different online stores. I’m a member of Pollinate Media Group, Clever Girls Collective, and Blueprint Social, which provide me with opportunities for paid reviews, giveaways, and/or sponsored posts.

How many hours do you spend working on your blog a week and do you ever run out of topics?
I don’t keep track. I say that the blog is my full-time job and my real job is my part-time job. The time dedicated to the blog has grown as the blog has grown. First, a good chunk of time goes into completing a project, photographing it along the way and the finished product, editing the photos, and writing the post. And on top of that I read emails, respond to emails, do back end work on the blog, write posts for IHeart Organizing and Homes.com, and other random things.

Yeah, I run out of topics. If I really don’t have anything to blog about I don’t blog. I’m not going to waste people’s time by posting about the new ironing board cover I bought just so I can post everyday. I do have a section in my blog binder where I write down ideas/topics when they come to me. If I need post inspiration I’ll go through the ideas I’ve written down.

Come back tomorrow for Let’s Talk Blog (Part Two).

Any additional questions?

18 Comments · Filed Under: blogging ·

I Have A DSLR Camera, Now What?

Congratulations on your new digital SLR camera! It’s such an exciting grownup toy! But where do you start? By reading this post, of course. I’ve been practicing photography off and on for 15+ years, and while I’m far from a professional, I compiled my biggest tips for what to do once you have your paws on a shiny, new DSLR camera. But don’t run away if you’ve had your DSLR for some time– many of these tips are beneficial to you too!

I Have a DSLR Camera Now What?

Insure your camera and equipment. I don’t know about you, but it makes sense to me to insure a $500+ piece of equipment that can be easily dropped or stolen. Add your camera and all your equipment to your homeowner’s or renter’s policy. To give you an idea of the cost, it’s $27 per year for me to insure $1,800 worth of equipment. And that’s with no deductible. Completely unrelated: another item you should insure? Your engagement and wedding rings. Now give your insurance agent a call.

Get a UV protection filter for your camera. I cringe when I see people using their DSLRs without UV protection filters, especially those who tout themselves as photography and camera savvy. It takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut when I see this. Why do you want a filter for EACH of your lenses? Because if you happen to drop your camera or a lens, the filter will break and not the lens glass. It also protects the lens glass from scratches, fingerprints, dust, dirt, sand, etc. There are different grades of UV protection filters, ranging in price from $5 to $130+. I have $7 Tiffen filters on all of my lenses. I may upgrade one day, but for now I’m good to go with my inexpensive filters.

Read your DSLR camera manual. Like with any sport or hobby, practice makes perfect. Sorry to break it to you, but just because you have a fancy schmancy DSLR doesn’t mean you’re going to be an amazing photographer over night. Just because Joe Schmoe buys an expensive guitar doesn’t mean he’s instantly going to be the next Jimi Hendricks. Pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down? Want to learn how to take awesome photos? Read your manual. Learn about your camera and its capabilities. Yeah, it can be boring, but have your camera with you while you read and play with the settings and practice as you read the manual.

Play around with your DSLR camera. This goes along with reading the manual– play around with your camera. You’re never going to get better at photography, especially shooting in manual, if you don’t put your camera to use.

Read online photography tutorials. There are so many free photography tutorials out there. Start a photography Pinterest board (here’s mine) to organize all the tutorials you’d like to read and try out with your camera. Just with reading the manual, have your camera with you while you read tutorials so you can try out the settings mentioned in the tutorial you’re reading.

Invest in extra DSLR camera equipment. Yeah, your camera is great, but add some extra equipment and your photos can be even better. Here are my top 4 additional pieces of equipment: tripod, remote shutter release, 50 mm lens, and Photoshop. Why buy a tripod? Because when you’re shooting in manual you’ll need a longer shutter speed for some shots. If you’re holding your camera the photo will come out blurry, if it’s on a tripod it’s less likely to be blurry. Tripods range in price from $30 to $200+. Why buy a remote shutter release? Well, you don’t absolutely need one of these because you could use the 2 second timer on your camera, but I’m impatient. You want a remote shutter release because when you snap a photo using your finger you can vibrate the camera, causing the photo to come out blurry. You’ll use your remote shutter release with your tripod. Remote shutter releases range in price from $2 to $100. Mine was $15. Why buy a 50 mm lens? Because it’s a great lens for under $125, and it’s the favorite lens of many photographers. Why invest in Photoshop? Because SOOC (straight out of camera) shots will only take you so far. Can’t afford the $550+ price tag? Check out Photoshop Elements ($70) or Photoshop Lightroom ($120).

Write off your DSLR camera on your taxes. Are you a blogger? Will your camera primarily be used to take photographs for your blog? Do you make money off your blog and file taxes as a small business? Then write your camera and additional equipment off as a business expense.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I’m neither a CPA nor an insurance agent. Disappointing, right? If you have specific questions please consult your accountant or insurance agent.

I hope you found these tips to be helpful. As with purchasing anything, please read reviews and do your research before buying specific photography equipment. I can only speak for the items I’ve purchased for my specific DSLR cameras (Canon Rebel XT and Canon 7D). Best of luck with your DSLR!

Were these tips helpful to you?
Do you have a tip you’d like to share?

I’m sharing this at the following parties: Home Stories A to Z, Tatertots and Jello, House of Hepworths, Tidy Mom, Liz Marie Blog, The Shabby Nest, Positively Splendid, Whipperberry, Funky Junk Interiors, Classy Clutter, Today’s Creative Blog, Uncommon Designs, and Serenity Now.

27 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, photography, tips and tricks ·

Chicago + Young House Love Book Signing

Hey friends! Hope you had a marvelous weekend. I sure did.
And you want to read all about it, don’t ya?

Friday morning I hit the road for Chicago for a little best friend (Natalie) and YHL (Sherry and John) time. Shortly after arriving at Natalie’s apartment in Oak Park, she tied me up, forced me into her car with pepper spray, drove me to Ikea (aka the blogger mother ship), and demanded that I go in the store and buy things. It. Was. Traumatizing.

Just kidding. Ikea was my idea. The theme of my cart for the day was ‘I like white’. Don’t worry, you guys will see my loot. Eventually.

After spending 2.5 hours in Ikea we went on a Macy’s clearance rack spending spree. I scored two shirts, a blazer, and a dress for $80. Love me some 70% off racks + 20% off coupons. After Macy’s we headed back to Oak Park to attend an event at a consignment shop and eat Greek food. Yum.

Saturday was Young House Love Day. We were up, ready, and in line at west elm by 11:15. Mind you the book signing wasn’t until 1:00. Dedicated YHL reader I am. We got a decent spot in line. I’m thankful we were under the awning because it poured rain off and on the entire time. The line wrapped around the building, snaked once, and continued on the other side of the building. It seems that John and Sherry are pretty popular in the Windy City.

I have to say that the nearly 4 hours we spent standing in line went pretty fast. Natalie and I spent the majority of the time embarrassing ourselves. Nothing new there. The adorable YHL cookies and hot chocolate made the waiting more bearable. Natalie and I both thought there should be a baby shaped cookie to represent ‘young’. When the cookie tray came I told Natalie to grab a heart cookie, and I’d grab the house cookie so I could take a pic of both. After she ate the heart cookie I told her I didn’t want the heart cookie because I didn’t want to have pink teeth afterward. Best friend of the year. I mean, I needed to be camera-ready for my photo with Sherry and John. Some people around us heard me say that and immediately became self-conscious of their cookie choice. Don’t worry, the color faded after everyone drank their hot chocolate.

While in line, I saved this man’s life. A vicious spider began to descend toward his head, so I started to firmly tap him on the shoulder. It took him a while to respond, and when he finally turned around to see why I was touching him, the spider had landed on his hat. I yelled, “There’s a spider on your hat!” He shook the spider off his hat, and the spider scurried off. Whew. He’s lucky such a vigilant person was standing behind him to save his life.

I knew when Sherry and John arrived because there were screams and squeals. Their signing table was set up in front of the window about 10 feet in front of us. Once the line had crept up, we were standing right behind them. I really wanted to photo bomb some people, but I resisted the urge. Who knows, perhaps I inadvertently photo bombed someone. (Sherry and John, this is what the back of your heads look like when you’re signing books.)

I was a little nervous when it was about my time to approach the table. If you remember, I met and became BFF with Sherry at Haven. She said that I reminded her and John of their friend Megan Klemente. That was the inside joke that forged our BFFness. So I decided to play it cool when I walked up to the table and said, “Hey guys!” Sherry and John looked at me and said, “Oh hey! It’s Megan Klemente!” and Sherry jumped up to give me a hug. This photo makes me laugh because I’m 5’10″ and Sherry is, well, petite. So it looks like I’m trying to pick her up and give her a bear hug. And it also appears that Sherry is attempting to eat my hair. Apparently no one gave her a cookie.

After I put Sherry down. Just kidding. She said something like “We know you’re not Megan– you’re Chelsea”. I handed her my book to sign, and while she signed it, John turned to me and said, “So I have a question for you.” And I was all “YOU have a question for ME?” (I totally played it cool.) John said, “Yeah, your Instagram photos– are all of those taken with your phone?” And I said, “Yeah, most of them are taken with my iPhone.” Then John said, “Really? Wow. They look so good. What’s your secret?” I played it cool, again, and said, “My secret? I’m awesome.” Thankfully everyone got it and laughed. I said, “Do you want to know the names of the apps I use?” He said, “Yeah. We need to step up our Instagram skills.” So I told him I’d email him the names of the apps. Then Sherry and I talked real quick about the Megan thing, I snapped a creeper photo with them, and it was time to go.

If you’re a Young House Lover and John and Sherry are coming to your neck of the woods, I highly suggest going to their book signing. They were genuinely excited to meet every person there. And they truly appreciated the fact that everyone had spent hours in line. I’d go to another signing, but that would be borderline stalker.

I thought about the people who couldn’t make it to a signing and it made me sad so I had John and Sherry sign a postcard that I’m giving away to one lucky YHL lover. Seriously, my nickname should be Oprah. I wish I could have had them sign more, but I don’t think they would’ve enjoyed signing hundreds of postcards. Plus, the people behind me would’ve been a little upset. Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter to win the autographed postcard.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you attended a YHL book signing? How’d it go?
Do you plan on attending a signing?

44 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, chicago ·

Ch-Ch-Changes

Hi friends! I wanted to let you know that I’m having my publishing platform switched from Blogger to WordPress today/tonight. So if the blog goes down or something looks funny, know that it’s only temporary.

If you subscribe through Feedburner or email via Feedburner you’ll be good to go when it comes to receiving new blog updates. If you follow via GFC, you may want to subscribe via Feedburner just to be sure that you keep receiving updates (click here).

Something else going along with this switcheroo is my URL. I’ve decided to say goodbye to the hyphen in the URL and switch to twotwentyone.net. I would love to be twotwentyone.com but that would cost me $350 that I don’t have. If you go to twotwentyone.net you’ll be redirected to twotwentyone.net. So no worries in that department, I just thought I’d inform ya.

I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that this switch goes smoothly, and you guys won’t notice a thing.