Random

When I shared my office filp-flop with you a few weeks ago, I showed off my cute glitter collection and storage basket.

Truth be told, I don’t really use glitter all that often, but I do love looking at baskets of pretty glitter.

Well, there was one two things that stuck out like a big ol’ fat sore thumb; those honkin’ big containers of sparkly white glitter.

I knew on my eternal quest for absolute cuteness that I could do so much better than those big eye sores. And a quick trip to my local Dollar Tree proved just the solution.

The dollar store has these fun big sugar shaker jars that I’ve been eying forever, but never could think of an excuse to buy them. Well, my glitter dilemma was just the excuse I needed!

(I also recently saw these sugar shakers at my local grocery store as well for just under $2 each).

Transplanting the glitter to its new home was as easy as removing both lids and pouring the glitter into the new container. Rocket Science right here folks.

I’d say my quest for cuteness was a success on the glitter front.

Yes, there are starving people and world wars to worry about, but I’m wasting my days pouring glitter from one jar to the next. (I obviously have too much time on my hands.)

But seriously, can a basket full of glitter be any cuter? I think not.

And now with Christmas hot on my heels, I think this glitter may actually get some use this month.

Before and after:
  

Trust me, there’s a cute solution for almost any problem; and the dollar store’s generally the answer.

I may not be the craftiest person on the planet, but darn it, my glitter basket looks cute.

Let’s talk about

Mean Comments.

Source: etsy.com via Teresa on Pinterest

There will be a time, one day when you are not expecting it, that you will receive a mean comment. No matter how well prepared you think you are, it will knock the wind out of you. It has the power to ruin your day, as well as damage your confidence.

Source: gotbyouthblog.tumblr.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

So, how do you deal with mean comments?

I wish I knew the magic solution. I’ve got a great support system of people who love my blog, so when I get a mean comment I’ll try to go back and read all the nice comments I’ve received. Also, I try to keep notes like this in mind:

Source: weheartit.com via Allison on Pinterest

I use to leave every comment, nice or mean, on my blog. I felt like if I removed mean comments then my blog wouldn’t be authentic. I wanted to keep a forum of open mindedness where people can say whatever they want to say.

However, one thing I’ve learned, that I wish I would have learned sooner, is that there’s a difference between constructive criticism and people just being downright mean. I’ve decided the best way to deal with mean comments is to just remove them and give them no credibility. If you are being mean just for the sake of shaking my confidence and being mean, then your comment will be removed.

Source: en-cour-age.tumblr.com via Allison on Pinterest

Your blog is exactly that… YOURS. I consider my blog my online home. I would not let a mean person into my real home, so why would I let them into my online home?

So that is how I deal with mean comments. They are outta here!

But how do you deal with the hurt they cause?

Source: wipkits.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

I’d be lying if I said there will ever be a day when a mean comment wont sting. It’s how you choose to deal with the comment that you have control over. I try to remind myself that an anonymous person online means nothing to me. The people’s opinions that I care about are the ones who lift me up and support me.

Source: bitsofwisdom.org via Jennifer on Pinterest

Also, I try to stop for a moment, and decide right then and there to have a good day. You didn’t have a choice about receiving the mean comment, but you certainly have a choice in how you receive the comment. Just try to keep reminding yourself that you are enough. You are important. You are worth it. Choose to have confidence in yourself.

Source: piccsy.com via Justin on Pinterest

And if all else fails, call up your best friend and have a good cry. Then choose to move on. Choose to be awesome.

And then remind yourself that people that leave mean comments are just ass holes. That always makes me feel better.

*****

And now, some blogging tips to help each of you be a better blogger:

* What advice would you give other bloggers who are completely or relatively new?

* HoH: Everyone says to be patient and just take it slow. Your time will come. However, that is not how I felt when I was starting out! I wanted my blog seen. I wanted to be popular… like, NOW. Not in 6 months. I wanted it now. So I don’t give that advice. What I say is if you want it now, work for it and make it happen! You are in control of your own destiny. Don’t sit around and wait for someone else to make your blog popular. Here are my quick tips on getting your blog noticed now:

• Link Parties. I’ve said it 100x and I’ll say it another 500. Participate in Link Parties. Find every single Link Party, big or small, in your niche, and enter them every single week. And don’t just link up. Link up FIRST. Be in the first 5-10 links and you will see crazy traffic.
• Guest Blog. Find blogs that frequently have guest bloggers. Apply to guest blog on their site. Email them and ask them. Email other bloggers that don’t usually have guest bloggers and ask them too. The worst they will say is no. IF they say yes, make a killer guest post. Save your very best craft or project and use it as your guest blog post. If you want their readers to come to your blog and follow you, you have to wow them with great content on the guest blogs site.
• Submit your posts. There are many blogs online that feature other peoples blogs. They are called Curator blogs. Find them and email them your posts! There is no shame in asking to be featured. If you don’t ask, they may never know about your blog. Introduce yourself to them and offer up some great posts. Chances are they will feature you if you ask.
• Leave comments on other people’s blogs. Make sure they are genuine and that you have actually read their post. Sign it with your name, then the @ sign, then your blog name. ex: Allison @ House of Hepworths. Other readers notice comments and will click through.
• Last but not least, don’t give up. Hang in there. Keep up with it. Be bold and brave. If you love blogging, do it for no one but yourself. Others will be able to see in your writing that you love it, and they will be inspired.

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This post was originally a guest post for my friend Tara over at TaraDara.

I’ve been invited to participate in a Mood Board Series kicked off by Cassity from Remodelaholic. For this edition we are creating mood boards for Master Bedrooms.

I’ve never really created a “real” mood board, and trust me, they are harder than they look! I love to decorate, but putting together an entire room before you even begin the room is daunting. I’m more of a decorate-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-over-several-months type of gal. I plan as I go, and make purchases as the room begins to come together.

I decided to create my mood board a little different than most. I wanted to create a board that any of us could afford, using items that are easily purchasable in most cities. With that criteria in mind, I decided to create a Mood Board using nothing but Target items. You guys know how I love Target. (The paint color sample is from Restoration Hardware).

Every item on my board you can walk into Target and purchase. Most are very reasonably priced. I’m hoping that my low-budget mood board will help each of you to realize that you don’t have to be a millionaire to have a beautiful home. You can easily create a fabulous room using your local inexpensive big-box store.

Here’s the board I put together from Target:

I love gray and yellow right now so natch I gravitated towards those colors for my board. I’m a creature of habit, what can I say? This time though I threw in a little teal as an accent color pulled from the chairs and some throw pillows.

All these items total about $1800, which is a pretty decent deal for an entire room full of furniture. And, of course, if you are really on a tight budget, you can recreate this look using items scored at thrift stores, garage sales, discount stores, etc.

You can view all these items here.

Here are all the bloggers participating in this series. As each of them post their mood board over the next few days I will update the list to have a direct link to their post:

1. Cassity of Remodelaholic
2. Beth of Home Stories A to Z
3. Autumn of My Design Dump
4. Amanda of Our Humble A{Bowe}d
5. Roeshel of The DIY Showoff
6. Stefanie of Brooklyn Limestone
7. Beckie of Infarrantly Creative
8. Allison of House of Hepworths
9. Stephanie Lynn of Under the Table and Dreaming
10. Brooke of All Things Thrifty
11. Jennifer of Tatertots and Jello

There will be a special Link Up Party at Remodelaholic September 23rd. Create your own dream Master Bedroom Mood Board, blog about it, and link it up. Olioboard is an easy way to create one.