Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

Favorite blogging tools

As a blogger and a social media professional, you’d think I’m all about apps and digital stuff when it comes to blogging.  Not so.  There are only so many apps that do the same thing that I can have and actually use.  I love list-keeping apps, but sooner or later, a favorite comes out and I get rid of the other ones so they don’t bog down my phone, yknow?

Today’s Blogger, May I prompt is Favorite Blogging Tools and I’ll let you in on a little secret…it’s a pretty simple list.  I wrote about a few other tools I like for blogging, so take a look at it here if you’re interested in other ways I keep the blogging train going.

You'd think I'm all about digital apps when it comes to blogging. Today I'm sharing my favorite blogging tools and the simplicity may surprise you! #BloggerMayI #blogging

Moleskine Journals

I keep basically all of my ideas in a small Moleskine journal.  I have the fonts, sizes, colors I use in there, too.  It’s easy just to grab my Moleskin notebook and a pen and put it in my work bag or my purse and jot down something quickly when inspiration hits.  I can also easily flip through and look at notes about what I want my blog to be and rekindle that excitement I had when I started GIHH.

I also use a larger (homemade) Moleskine square journal as my planner.  I keep a running list of blog to-dos here and it’s also where I write down my editorial plan for the month.  I really wanted a separate blog planner and editorial calendar, but realistically, I wouldn’t carry both a personal and blog planner around with me.  So this suits me for now.

Evernote

Evernote is my backup for when I don’t have my notebooks on me.  I have a hard time going back and remembering to check this, though!  I really wish I got more use out of it, but I prefer to write things down with a pen.  If you’re more of a digital person, this is great for organization.  I used to use it a lot more frequently before I started keeping a separate notebook for blogging.  Within Evernote, you can have different notebooks and different notes, search your notes, take pictures of physical notes, and reorganize your thoughts into logical orders.

Maybe I’ll play around with this a little more.  I’ll report back on how my use of this changes if you’re interested!

WordPress

So I couldn’t blog without a place to publish.  For me, that’s on WordPress.  It’s my platform of choice.  I actually started Moda Vivendi, my quilt blog, on Blogger, and I’m so glad I switched.

Honorable mention to my domain geniuses at Tubu.net and the great tech help at 17th Avenue.  They recently helped with a problem I was having on my social icons and Allie stuck with me until the problem was fixed.

Here in WordPress, I keep a running stream of blog ideas with their external links once they’ve gotten out of the Moleskine notebook.  From there, I start my draft.  Some people write in Evernote/external app and then transfer into their publisher, but I prefer to write all in one place.

TweetDeck

TweetDeck is what I use to post to Twitter for my blogging tweets.  I use HootSuite professionally to help with Twitter scheduling, but I like TweetDeck for the blog because I can have streams of hashtags to track, have multiple Twitter accounts all in one place, and easily switch between different accounts.

Another honorable mention goes to Photoshop – it’s what I use to edit my photos and add text, though Canva is also great for making quick graphics on the fly!

What are your favorite blogging tools?  I love seeing what everyone uses to make magic happen!


 Need the prompts for the Blogger, May I challenge? Gotcha covered. Want to use your own prompts? No problem! Just grab a button to show that you’re linking up with myself, Katy, and Meghan. Oh, and use #BloggerMayI on Twitter/Instagram to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!

Story Behind The Blog Name

Kids, let me tell you a story.  Today’s Blogger, May I prompt is the story behind my blog name.  Back when I had an AOL email address (hello 90s), I was enthralled by ‘zines.  They were basically just bulk emails that were sent out.  I wanted so badly to be one of the popular ones and have tons of replies when I wrote something.

Then there was DeadJournal and LiveJournal and Xanga.  I think the only thing I didn’t have was a GeoCities site!

The story behind the blog: Gardening In High Heels

I always loved writing and putting it out there for others to see it.  I remember my father asked me why I couldn’t just write in a journal.

Come on now.  If you didn’t publish your deepest thoughts for the internet to see, did you really think them?  I think I was the original (unintentional) hipster.

Fast forward quite a few years.  I saw Julie and Julia.  I loved it.  I wanted to do that, so I got the genius idea to do it with a quilt.  I was in Ohio with my mom and she bought me the most perfect Moda jellyroll I have ever seen.  I found a pattern and got to work.

Moda Fabrics Jelly Roll

Since I was using Moda fabrics, I named it Moda Vivendi (a play on modus vivendi, meaning agree to disagree; a way of life).  And I wrote maybe 2 posts.  My follow-through needed a little work.  The quilt got finished, though!

Quilt squares made with Moda Fabrics jellyrolls

I loved the name so I kept using it throughout college.  I mostly shared pictures of my nail polish and random thoughts that came up.  In 2013, I switched to SyntaxxErrorrr.  It’s what I used for all my social media accounts.  I would go to events and introduce myself as SytnaxxErrorrr because that’s how people knew me.  I had to use it for my blog’s name.

There are still photos tagged like that because I didn’t keep the PSD files and it’s a bitch to reupload everything but they’ll change some day.

What I failed to admit to myself is that “SyntaxxErrorrr” is hard to find online.  If you want to have a successful blog, you gotta make it easy for people to get to.

One day last June, I was in the garden watering my plants between jobs – I worked at Sharp Edge in the morning and interned with Yelp in the afternoon.  It’s terrible to admit, but I didn’t give a damn what I looked like for Sharp Edge; Rachel, my Yelp supervisor, always looked amazing in cute dresses and accessories, so I always tried to do it up on Yelp days.

So there I was tending to my garden wearing a flowy skirt, platform wedge sandals, and lots of jewelry while wielding a dirty garden hose trying not to get dirt smudged all over my legs.  I was rarely successful with that one.

And I said to myself, “Gardening In High Heels – now THAT would be a name for a blog.”  I was so excited, I told my mom right away.  Even she liked it (and she barely uses email).

I turned that idea over and over until I finally purchased the domain.  I just sat with it for a long time until I decided to let go of SyntaxxErrorrr earlier this year and made the leap to change my name for the third time.

Guys, I think this one is going to stick.  I really like it here.

Are you a blogger?  How did you come up with your name?

Need the prompts for the Blogger, May I challenge?  Gotcha covered.  Want to use your own prompts?  No problem!  Just grab a button to show that you’re linking up with myself, Katy, and Meghan.  Oh, and use #BloggerMayI on Twitter/Instagram to keep the fun going even after you hit Publish!


Blogging Commandments

Today’s prompt for the Blogger, May I challange is Five Favorites.  I haven’t written about blogging in a while, and this post by Marissa at Ampersand Creative got me thinking about what my blogging commandments are.

I really don’t have many hard and fast rules when I’m blogging, but I do have some guidelines.  Think of them as the Pirate’s Code.  Here are my top five favorite blogging commandments.

I really don't have many hard and fast rules when I'm blogging, but I do have some guidelines. Here are my top five favorite blogging commandments. #BloggerMayI #blogging #guidelines

It doesn’t have to be “perfect”

Life isn’t perfect, it isn’t always pinnable and neither is my blog.  I want my blog to be an extension of me, and of course I want it to look good, but getting caught up in making everything perfect is a sure-fire way never to start.

Don’t wait for the “perfect” [fill in the blank] to start a blog, publish a post, change your niche.  That moment will never come, I assure you.

Engage with your readers

So I know a blog is usually mostly sometimes can be very narcissistic.  I know there businesses who blog and serious business bloggers (I guess see also: find your niche).  But most blogs are more like Every vapid, insipid thought that passed through Annabelle’s brain (name that movie, folks).

So, if you want people to get anything out of what you’re saying, offer something they can connect with.  Sure, share your story, but also ask about theirs.  Why bother even publishing something if you don’t want to inspire or engage with other people?

Honor your tribe

Along with engaging your readers comes responding to their comments.  If someone is nice enough to comment on something you’ve written, you best believe you can type out a reply to them.  A very dear bloggy friend’s comments don’t let her respond to me (hey Laura), so she’ll periodically email me.

Do what you can to show your community that you appreciate them.

Be the blogging friend you want to have

Ooh, look, another blogging commandment that goes off of the previous one.  Make your readers and your community feel special – honor that connection.  That means sharing what others are writing in addition to promoting yourself.  Again, no one wants to read something that is entirely self-centered and egotistical.

Give kudos where you can, comment on other blogs, link to another blogger’s post when you find it inspiring, pin their stuff (Jaelan does this every Friday for her tribe!) – whatever you can to spread the love.

Keep learning

Never stop learning and growing.  There are always new things to learn, from new social media practices to writing techniques to design elements.  I really want to evolve my blog as I do, so I have to keep moving.  I fully believe that you’re never really quite “finished.”  There is always something new to see, do, be, hear, smell, try.

So those are my guidelines when blogging.  I want to make them all pretty and printable and hang them by my desk.  And keep adding to them.

What are your blogging commandments?

Award season

The always-hilarious Laura from Life with Lolo for some reason thought I was groovy enough to be nominated by her for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!  I’m not gonna lie, I’ve gotten nods (thank you, thank you everyone) in the past for various awards and I usually don’t get to write the post in time because I just forget other things come up.

Check out the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers AwardAs Laura says, “Lazy ass, party of one..”

But I felt in my soul like I needed to step it up and do this one.  I have to say, some of these really made me ponder.  I want to entertain and be deep at the same time.  That’s quite the paradox.

Before I start, I’mma be serious for a moment.  Thank you to everyone who reads my writing and takes the time to comment and share it.  I love you guys.  I wouldn’t do it if it weren’t for you.  The connections I’m making with you, whom I would never have met if it weren’t for the internet, are so meaningful to me.

I feel like I’m meeting people who are my long lost sisters.  You dig?

So, on to Laura’s questions!

What is the very first thing you do in the morning and the very last thing you do before going to sleep?

First thing in the morning is hit the snooze.  Literally, hit it.  I use Sleepcycle as my alarm in conjunction with my UP24 and to snooze, you shake/hit/otherwise bring harm upon your phone.

The last thing I do is either text Jonathan (cue the awwws here), read, or watch an episode of whatever I’m currently in the middle of on Netflix.

What are your favorite boy name & girl name for your future children (I know you have them) or just in general…?

I seriously don’t have a favorite name.

Where’s the farthest place you’ve ever driven to (or road tripped) why did you go and who were you with?

The farthest distance that I’ve driven is to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit my mom.  I’ve done it alone, I’ve done it with Jonathan, and I’ve done it with my mom.  It’s been since November and I think this is officially the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other.

This whole full-time job thing is getting in the way of random car trips.

What is the best gift you’ve ever received?

So many.

If you could see one person or group in a dream concert (alive or dead) who would it be?

I’m so close to saying Anberlin.  I saw their farewell tour on my birthday last year with Jonathan (another road trip!) and I’d love to bring them back.

 What is one food that just grosses you out?

Honestly……I don’t think there is a food that grosses me out.  I like just about everything.  I haven’t tried snails, though, and I wouldn’t eat a puffin, but it isn’t because it grosses me out but because puffins are so cute.

Has someone close to you lost someone in their family? How did you handle it (this is happening right now to me, help!)

I think I’ve had more deaths in my family than my friends have had in theirs.  The times that someone has had something happen, I just try to think about the person and how they handle situations.

If this person needs to come to you naturally, make sure they know that you’re always available.  Badgering them to talk is not going to do anything.  On the flip side, if they need to talk everything out, ask questions and listen more than you speak.

What is your favorite tweet or instagram you’ve ever shared? Show us the link!

So to find this picture I had to go back two and a half years in my Instagram feed and there were so many good pictures and memories that I wanted to share.  Dogs, cute hair cuts, good nail polish days.  Lots of food.

But these are my favorites.  I was going to include only the Franktuary menu because that was the night I met Jonathan, but the duck is just too cute to pass up.

Boring fries were anything but #foodtruck #fries #carbs #boring #signs

A photo posted by Angelica Ross (@syntaxxerrorrr) on

So much awesome in one picture. #quackpgh #tbt @thejonathang

A photo posted by Angelica Ross (@syntaxxerrorrr) on


 What is the one purchase you’ve made on your own that you are most proud of?

There have been some expensive purchases that I’ve made in the past.  My laptop, a nice camera, some of my college education, but I’m going with my car on this one.  It’s been the most expensive and the biggest decision.

I negotiated myself (could use some work there), payed the initial costs myself, and am paying off the rest of the car myself.  I also paid for insurance and this year’s AAA membership myself.  Boom.

What is your job and where do you work (because I’m nosy like that).

I am a Marketing Consultant at a SaaS company in Pittsburgh.  It’s more customer service than consulting, but that’s where this blog and my freelance social media contract work come in.  It’s a lot of work and a lot of balls to keep in the air, but it’s a necessary evil.  Sadly, this job doesn’t pay too much, so I do need to work on the side so I can squirrel away what I can.

That’s what I have to say about Laura’s questions.  I am having serious anxiety with this nomination thing.  Are you “too big for this?”  Is this something you’d like do?  Am I missing someone?  Ugh!  If you’re up for it, I’d love to nominate:

Jaelan at Making Mrs M
Katy at Wild and Wanderful
Meghan at Hayes Days
Julie at Artwork by JM
Beth at The Fashionable Eye
Michelle at Sole for the Soul
Kristin at My Life as a Teacup
Jess at In Pursuit of Simple
Nadia at The View Is Beautiful

And answer:

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
What did you want to be when you were little?
Puppies or kittens?
If you could watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Where is your favorite place to find inspiration?
Have you ever made something from Pinterest that totally worked (or failed)? What happened?
What do you drink when you go out?
Heels or sneakers?
What’s your best-kept blogging secret?
What is one thing you haven’t told your readers? Spill the beans!

And if there’s anyone I missed who wants to answer these questions, too, go for it!  Please share the link with me when you do!

Five ways to use social media to promote your blog today

Along with providing good customer service, my day job is spent consulting on ways to use social media marketing to promote their brick and mortar (and sometimes online-only) business.

Since blogs are basically a business, I took some of my best tips for business owners and made them work for bloggers.  Get ready for a quick refresh on some best practices to promote your blog online!

Five ways to use social media to promote your blog today

Be consistent

Consistency is key.  I’m pretty sure it’s my mantra at work.  This is especially true of Facebook (they’ll penalize you if you do anything they don’t like pretty much) but also on other platforms as well.

There’s nothing like going to someone’s Facebook page only to see they haven’t posted anything since March 2013.  That isn’t going to make you want to follow them, right?  Right.  So find a content calendar that works for you and schedule away.

I’ve bee enjoying CoSchedule, despite some early skepticism.  When you’re publishing your post, it’s so simple to schedule and promote that post today, next week, or next month.  You can also schedule social media updates that aren’t connected to your latest post.

Focus your attention where you enjoy it the most

If you haaaaate Facebook but are only on there because you think you should be, stop following the pack!  Same goes for Tumblr, Google+, or whatever isn’t serving you anymore.  If you half-heartedly throw something at the wall hoping it sticks but not really having any oomph behind it, it won’t do you any favors.

Your followers can tell.  And they will not care either, I promise you.

But, if you love being on Instagram and pinning your little heart away, your excitement will come through those networks.

You have better things to do than feel guilty for not updating Facebook, especially if blogging isn’t your full time job.  You have better things to do with your time.

Don’t ignore where your traffic is coming from

A caveat to focusing your attention where you enjoy it is to watch where your traffic is coming from and nurture that network.  Install Google Analytics and watch your numbers.  If you’re getting the most clicks from Twitter, spend a little more time there nurturing those connections.

There are free tools to help you maintain those networks.  Play around with what works for you.  As I mentioned, CoSchedule does post to other networks, but it doesn’t monitor the chatter.  I for that, I use HootSuite and Tweetdeck (I talk about them a bit here).  Buffer is also a great tool.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew

It’s impossible to stay on top of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Blog Lovin’, Stumble Upon, Digg, etc AND still write good quality posts (y’know, the whole point of blogging so you can get traffic through those social networks).

Like I tell my accounts at work, don’t add more when you can’t handle what you’ve already got.  So cut something loose.  It’s okay.  You can always add to it later.

It’s smarter (and easier) to introduce a new platform to a mix that’s already performing well than just spinning plates haphazardly.

Be social

Social media connections are just as valuable as a face-to-face interaction.  The beauty of blogging and social media is that you can make connections and learn new things from anywhere.  Be sure to post valuable content on social just as you would on your blog.

Facebook especially is going to reward you for that.  The goal is to inspire, educate, and entertain, not just self-promote.

Ask questions, post content that relates to your blog/industry, make yourself a hub of information.  Things that are “share-worthy” will be shared and you’ll get in front of a fresh set of eyes.  Go out and say hi!

What strategies do you use to promote your blog/business online?

Disclaimer: the CoSchedule link is a referral link.  If you try it out, I get a little help on the price of my subscription.  I wouldn’t be recommending it if I didn’t use it and love it!

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