The ONE Campaign + Alt SLC

 By Melanie Blodgett.

The ONE campaign and fashionABLE have teamed up with Alt SLC to give you the opportunity to design an exclusive scarf that will carry your name as the designer, and will create sustainable business for women in Ethiopia.

Here’s how it works: First, you’ll create a simple, chic, geometric design for the scarf - see examples at fashionABLE. Second, samples of the top designs will be woven on handmade looms in Ethiopia. Third, the final designs will be displayed at Alt SLC, where attendees will be able to vote on their favorite -- and the winner will be announced right there at the conference! Fantastic, right? Even more fantastic? With every scarf sold, you'll be providing women in need with a livelihood.

Click here to receive a digital packet explaining more details of the contest, and to see the parameters of design.

How to Successfully Sell a Blog: Part Two

By guest contributor Maddy Hague, who successfully sold her site, Inspired Bride, earlier this year. Photography by Patyon Guerra.

If you've decided it's time to move on from your blog or website, this two part series will help you walk through the steps to successfully sell your site and happily know your legacy will carry on. Read the first three steps right here.

4) List the Site and Get the Word Out
Once you're ready to sell your site, you have a variety of methods and services to choose from. Any method you use will have its positives and negatives. You can sell it directly through your site by posting a notice about it being for sale, or you can use a selling service like Flippa.com. If you have time, and don't need to sell as soon as possible, it's worthwhile to try to sell it by word of mouth first. Try a selling service (which will charge a percentage of the sale), if you don't get any serious offers.

If you're selling through your blog, craft a well written, personal post about why you're selling the domain in the first place. Just don't post your asking price on the site. Keep that information for inquiries only. You can opt to entertain all offers - meaning you know what you want to sell it for, but you're willing to have others reach out with the amount they're willing to pay - or you can sell for a fixed rate.

If you're selling through a selling service site, you'll have to know what you want to sell the site for right away. You'll likely be asked for a reserve (a minimum sales price), and some services may offer a Buy It Now feature.

Click to read more ...

Illustrator 104: Type

By guest contributor Melissa Coleman.

By now you know how to set-up a file, how to use the basic tools, and how to add color. In this post we add a new layer—type. Get ready for a mini typography lesson. You may be wondering how a typography lesson fits into an Illustrator series.

The answer is simple: Illustrator handles type really well. You can manipulate it like there's no tomorrow, and because of that, we will go over a couple typography terms and rules. Do you know the different classifications of fonts? Here are a couple:

• Serif: A typeface with feet on the end of each character. 
• Serifs are like properly made macaroons; the feet help guide the reader across the page. 
• Sans Serif: Without serifs (or feet). 
• Slab Serif: A heavy, modern serif. 
• Display: Fun, whimsical typefaces used for headlines. Typically not used for body copy. 
• Script: A cursive typeface.

Click to read more ...

A Holiday Blog Prop Guide

By guest contributor Tori Bowman.

Holiday DIY and recipe shoots just don't seem complete without twinkling lights in the background, and a few touches of red and green. Here are our favorite props to make your all of your holiday photos a bit more merry and bright:

Snag a few of these Charlie Brown Christmas trees to create a simple and beautiful centerpiece for your holiday feast. 

Keep basics, like these throws in neutral colors, so that you can use them year round. To add a festive touch, use details like a pom pom border.

Get creative with how you hang your stockings. These antler hooks are perfect.

Use a few timeless pieces as your base. This nutcracker and snow globe are the perfect mix of traditional and modern; they can go with so many different styles.

Whites are a great choice because they will always match the color scheme of your shoot. You can brighten things up with colorful accessories that can be easily traded out--like this bowl, this felt, or these fillers.

Traditional globe ornaments are perfect for shoots and keep things simple. Snag a few trendy ornaments, like these, these, these, and these. They are sure to add a bit of personality to your tree!

And while it's always nice to see beautiful basics adorning the backgrounds of photo shoots, sometimes adding in a few fun props can catch your readers' eyes. This stag's head and fair isle pillow are perfect for doing just that. 

What are your go-to pieces for photo shoots? Do you have any specific pieces on your prop wish list?

Friday Links: Quick Blogging Updates

By Victoria Hudgins. Photography by Creature Comforts.

This holiday season is beginning to rush right past us. Don't let the month get away without investing time into site upkeep. Here are a few links with quick and easy ways to update your blog before the end of the year.

• Speed up your blog load time
• 12 easy tips for increased SEO
• Tips for a more productive work day
• A quick blog back up plan
• Four fast photo tips
• Six ideas for managing social media