Danielle Burkleo

your questions answered: part two

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okay guys, stay with me. another super long i answer your questions post.
i think i am answering all but one of them here. one deserves it’s own post.
here we go.
i am inserting random spring time pictures that i love, because i want spring so bad i can taste it and because what is a blog post without pictures?
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1.) How do you keep it real & not worry about what others think? I am always afraid of being judged.
i have never really worried about what people think of me, in the blogging world or real life. this is me, this is how the Lord created me and i am choosing to embrace it, share my story, be vulnerable and be authentic. it’s an easy choice for me, i know it’s not for some people. but i look at this way, if i am not doing those things — what are my reasons for not? if i cannot write about my journey and share about of my life, even the not so pretty stuff, and share HIS truth then what am i doing? not being danielle. i think there will always be someone who doesn’t agree with me… or you… and that’s okay. i still like them.
2.) what advice do you have for beginner bloggers?
tying in to my answer for question #1…be you. have fun with it, document your life, write about what you love… this is your own little book. although followers, comments and page views are exciting and fun, they are not why i blog. i wrote a little here about why i love blogging.
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3.) whats the best way for us “new” bloggers to grow our following? esp if we are on a tight budget and cant sponsor a ton or do a lot of giveaways!?

well, i have never done a giveaway because i don’t have a shop but i do think giveaways are an awesome way to spread the word about your shop if you have one. if you are not in the position to pay for sponsorship, see if you can hook up with a blogger who can write a product review or do a shop feature for you. i consider myself a new blogger, too. i have been blogging just over a year so a lot of this stuff is new to me, as well. take time to comment on people’s blogs that you enjoyed reading if you are wanting them to do the same for you.
4.) Do you have an all time favorite blog or do you have a ton that you just love, do you read a lot of blogs?
first up, have to admit that i don’t use a reader. i know you are all shaking your heads in disgust. i do read a buncha blogs, but not every day. life with a 16 month old and almost three year old just doesn’t always allow that. and i can’t say i have an all time favorite because there are so many i love. but, i will say that kristen howerton’s blog made me fall in love with blogging. i spent hours and hours reading it before started writing my own. go read it. you will laugh, you will cry and you will love her as much as i do.
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5.) How do you manage your blogging? (time spent writing/reading/commenting)
i love blogger for many reasons, one of them being scheduled posts. i can write my posts and have them set to go for when i want them to. it lets me blog and blog and blog and not have to log in, log in and log in. it’s good stuff. and like i said above, i have two baby boys that take priority each day so i spend more time playing cars, taking walks, wiping boogers, and reading stories than i do reading blogs. although there are many days i wish i was reading blogs, i know i will never look back and wish i was reading blogs. i will look back and wish i was spending more time with those boys. so, i catch up on blogs and check out new ones when i have the time to. my man works late a couple nights a week and my boys go to bed between 6 & 7pm. so nights like that are often me and my mac. and i read all your comments, i love them. i check out all your blogs and try to comment as much as i can, too.
6.) do you earn any money from blogging?
february was my first month of paid sponsors.

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7.) How do you do that formatting of your pictures? The ones that have the rounded corners and are grouped together?
picnik.com, my friends. let the addiction begin now. picnik offers editing, overlays, collages, adding text, touch ups and so, so much more. they have a TON of stuff available for free and even more available for $24.95 a year. yes, that is for a year. that is what i have and it so, so worth it.

8.) i love the collage pictures you do with different design elements included…where do you get your elements and fonts?

picnik has all the fabulous fonts, too! you can you the photo basket to overlay any design elements you want from your computer onto your photos or collages.
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9.) Do you use actions on some of your posted pictures? If so, what actions to you use and are they PSE-friendly? I LOVE THEM!
i don’t use any actions, i don’t even have photoshop. yikes! on my christmas wish list for next year, anyone? anyone?
or, you know, i do turn the big 2-5 in april.

i edit all my pictures in iphoto. i mostly tweek the contrast, exposure and colors a bit. any vintage-y looking photos on the blog are usually edited in picnik using cross process and playing around with contrast.

here is an example of cross process:

it can turn this

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into this:

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you love it, right?

any pictures for my blog that i edit on picnik i save to my documents. from my documents i upload them to photobucket.com and then copy and paste the html code that photobucket gives into the edit html section which enables you to have big, awesome photos. instead of the teeny tiny ones that blogger offers.
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10.) do you have any photography tips?
experiment! take out your camera and play around, that is how i learned a lot of what i know. and i don’t even know that much. and try turning off your flash. i don’t ever use my flash, unless i absolutely need to.
happy wednesday!
i love wednesdays, i teach a high school girls small group and i get to to love on them and tell them how beautiful they are in the eyes of Christ. tell someone you come across today how beautiful they are. it will make their day.
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Comments

  1. Thanks for your tips! I finally paid for picnik because I just love it! I love your advice about being you. So from the heart:). And I like the curler tip. Might have to steal that one.

  2. i love your posts.
    you should have a tips post.
    [or maybe you do and i havent seen it…]
    picnik is totes the best thing to happen my photography.
    hope you have a great wednesday

  3. Oh man, I am addicted to picnik too. It's so easy to use, and it makes me feel cool.

  5. I love posts about blogging! & I love your healthy/balanced attitude about it all : )

    Looking at your spring-y photos, I can almost feel the sunshine. Thanks for sharing!

    I appreciate your sweet comments on my blog, but I hope you never feel obligated to leave them– I know you're a busy momma!

  6. have really enjoyed reading all of your answers to your questions. have a lovely wednesday! 🙂

  7. K Just read both FAQ posts and loved it. One, I love your make up choices…couldn't agree more. Two, love that you want more babies. I am about to have my second and have no qualms thinking about having at least a few more:)
    Have a lovely week!

  9. i thought we would be talking more about your hair today… LOL

    love to you. and i love seeing all those sponsors on the side. BAM! look at you…

  10. Thank Danielle I've said it before and I will say it again…
    YOU ROCK!!!
    It's so funny you say to go make some's day today. Those are the exact words I read in my p.m. devotional right before drifting into dream land.
    Maybe I'm not kind enough & that's MY lesson for the day.
    Happy Wednesday & Love the Heck out of those girls!

  12. I'm pretty sure that you are the waayy cooler awesomer fancier version of me. I like that.

  13. Ahh! You're turning the big 2-5 next month… enjoy it!! I hope you celebrate in style! 🙂 (And you teach HS girls on Wednesdays? Now I know we really would be friends in "real life"!)

  14. great post! definitely a "newer" blogger myself. i have been playing with the free picnik for a while now, but upgraded to the full shebang this past weekend. LOVE IT.

    Thanks for sharing the ideas. 🙂

  15. I love cross processing. It does magical things! I got inspired and tried to curl my hair yesterday. Not nearly as cute, but I shall keep trying.

  16. I am super surprised that you don't have photoshop! You are amazing. Just wanted to stop by and send a little love your way!

  18. i can't believe february was your first month of sponsors and you have THAT many sponsors. you're. my. hero. ; ) i also love what you said about how you would never look back in time and wish you blogged more but you would wish you spent more time with your boys, that's some truth right there. receiving that into my life. ha.

  20. Hey! Congrats on the paid advertising… I think that's so awesome especially with all of the hard work I KNOW you put into this.

    Oh, and yes, I love nachos (commenting back from my blog)

  21. Since Im one of your newest followers I wouldve never guessed that you've only been blogging for a little over a year. Your blog is amazing.
    P.S. My birthday is next month too:)
    Xo,
    Sarah

  22. This is why I love your blog…you freely pass along what you are learning to others, and the fact that you are hilarious, and share your heart so honestly 🙂

  25. Aw, thanks for your kind words!

    I have never tried piknik! I use picasa – I think maybe they are related? But I need to try this.

    And girl, photobucket? That sounds like a lot of steps, unless I'm missing a secret. Since you are on blogger, have you tried writing your posts from Windows Live Writer? It is so dreamy. It lets you choose the size of your photos, add edges, watermarks, etc. Then it posts the whole thing for you, perfectly formatted.

  29. Love your blog! So glad to have come across it. I look forward to reading lots more in the future 🙂

  30. Thanks so much for the tips!I've been wondering how you got those rounded corners.
    Hello from Canada!

  31. I love picnic. Did you know that if you change your blog settings to the updated editor (in global settings) that you can automaticly make your pictures big right in blogger? Such a time saver to skip photobucket all together. You won't be disappointed.

  34. um this is the 2nd time I have come across Kristen's blog in one day.
    a sign.
    a sign I tell you.

@danielleburkleo