A New Blog

I am in the process of setting up a new blog at WordPress.  I am excited about moving my blog because I will have pages on my blog.

I already have several pages set up, but no real information on them yet.  There will be a page for each of my shops and a separate page for my Epilepsy Awareness efforts.

The difficult part is learning how to manipulate the layout and data on WordPress.  If you want to start following now the address is http://apurplecow.wordpress.com.  If you know some shortcuts for learning WordPress, please let me know.  I specifically need to know how to fix the blog posts covering part of the blog title.

I will announce the new blog formally within the week with a special give-away.  I just have to figure out which hoops I can expect you to jump through for the give-away prize.

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.  I have been working long, hard hours on purple items for Epilepsy Awareness for my store.  I listed several last night and there are still a lot of listings to finish.  I really love the Swarovski Crystal Snowflakes that I made into earrings.  I didn’t realize how beautiful they would be in Violet.

I also listed the “Debbie” bracelet.  It is made using Czech Fire Polished beads.

I also listed this anklet.

I am increasing my donation percentage for November from 10% of the sale price to 15%.  I will be donating to Nevada Family Ties.  I really like their organization.  I will write more about them in a later blog.  I will be volunteering my time to help local families affected by epilepsy.  Exciting things are happening in Nevada.  We are trying to open a chapter of the Epilepsy foundation in Las Vegas, among other things.  Since I don’t believe that I will be asked to speak professionally for Epilepsy Awareness, I need to do something to help.

Keep checking my blog this month because I will be having different sales all month.  I am also going to blog about epilepsy several times this month.  I have learned so much about epilepsy since I was diagnosed 4 years ago. 

To Fix or Not To Fix (My Blog)

I am getting tired of the same old blog template.  I found the template that I want to use.  I only have one problem.  Lately I have become leary of firsts.  This will be my first attempt, such as it is, at programming in over 10 years.

I have postponed it as long as I can.  The last test was one I learned in High School.  I had a teacher who taught us to give things the explosion test.  When asked if two things could be used in conjuntion with each other he would ask “What is the worst that could happen?  Is it going to explode?”  I have always liked that test although I don’t think he meant it to be used the way I do.  

When I debate whether or not to do something (add an ingredient to a recipe or  mix two colors of beads) I ask what is the worst that can happen?  Will it explode?  If I change the template and it does not work, my computer will not explode.  I hope.  Right?

If you never hear from me again, I guess it failed the explosion test.

I Don’t Have a Title

I have been busy lately. I am starting school tomorrow morning. My class is at 7:30 in the morning. I don’t remember there being a 7:30 in the morning. And I “fell into” an Etsy Team. Actually the Team just kind of happened. I have been writing a blog post to introduce you to FFEST (Facebook Fans on Etsy Street Team) and I just can’t seem to finish it. I just keep adding to it. It may be time to stop adding information and just proofread and post it. Look for that soon.

Just before the Team happened I lost my old computer. I had that baby set-up the way I like it. And I have been spending alot of time tweaking my new computer. I don’t like my computer to talk to other computers unless I ask it to. So I have been learning Windows Vista and tweaking my new computer. I’m not done yet , but I wasn’t done tweaking the old one.

I have also been making some new designs using Swarovski Crystals and I really am enjoying making them. But the first 2 or 3 usually go to my step-mom. She is my very own, personal walking advertisement. She wears my pieces and has even made sales for me. Gotta love her. I made these Swarovski Crystal bracelets in Mint Alabaster for her.

I did manage to get these Swarovski Rose Crystal Bracelets listed in my store. I enjoy giving her pieces that I have made. We go shopping and she usually finds some jewelry that she wants in a different color. Then before I am done making it for her, it looks nothing like what we saw in the store. I call her my guinea pig because she always tries the designs before I put them in my store. I don’t understand why they need to be tried, but we both like the concept.

I am working on a special bracelet for my store. I am making a red and black Swarovski bracelet.

Red and Black are the colors of Texas Tech University. Go Red Raiders.

Time to be a good student and go to sleep early.

Blogs and Such

I usually blog when something happens and I want to tell the world about it. Then it takes a couple of days to write it because I have to catch up on everything I was supposed to do instead of playing an online game. I actually love to write.

So I am making a new Team resolution. It’s too late for a New Year’s Resolution and I just joined a team so…


I will blog 5 days out of the week. Uh-oh, what am I going to blog about? This is the place where you chime in and help me figure out topics to be used weekly and on which days. I have seen Weekly blogs include things such as: Fabulous Finds, Artist Interviews, New Items This Week, Tech Tools, Introduce New Friends, Recipes, Facebook Fan, Tips and other fun topics that can be done weekly.

I have already decided that I will do my version of Artist Interviews called Artist with a Cause. I will feature artists, such as myself, that feature Awareness items and actively work to support awareness of whatever cause is their favorite.

As soon as I decide on 3 more I will blog 5 days a week.

Facebook Fan Page

I have a Facebook Fan page with the new user friendly url for my business, Cheryls Purple Cow.

http://www.facebook.com/Cheryls.Purple.Cow?ref=ts

I like the idea of the Fan Page. But it is one of those things that looks good on paper, but the usefulness is questionable. Maybe it is my approach or my expectations. Or maybe people just don’t get as involved with the things they join.

It just seems that people don’t leave as many comments as they should. They don’t participate in the discussions like I thought they would. (I love to leave my opinion) And it is not just my page but on pages that I have fanned. I don’t want you to get the idea that I am criticizing my fans. I fall short in the fan department too. I admit that I leave very few comments. I should pay more attention to the pages that I have fanned, slow down and look around. Make a comment or maybe even two. That would be a record for me, leaving 2 comments in 1 day.

I know how good it feels when someone comments positively about something that I have made. I should pass that good feeling along. Or when they actually read a blog entry. (Help me test this theory, please check one of the boxes at the bottom of this blog post if you read it. It doesn’t matter which one, I just want a count.) I have often wondered if people are like me, they read the post, even enjoy it, but they don’t take the time to comment. Or maybe they subscribe to alot of blogs or feeds and don’t have the time to read. That even happens to me sometimes. Although I am such an avid reader that I read most things, even the Certificates and posters in the doctors office.

I am going to try to start commenting more often. A little positive reinfocement goes a long way. I just wonder how long it will last. I think I will even keep track of the number of comments I leave daily for a couple of weeks.