Goodbye Google Friend Connect {An Important Post All Bloggers Should Read!}

By now you’ve probably heard that Google Friend Connect and Google Reader will disappear on 1st July. In my own opinion this sucks! Like me, you may have most of your followers on this service and they’ll be cut off from your blog and it will no longer show up in their feed. Look at this beautiful list of friends. If this is the only way they’ve followed along with my blog, which I know most of them have, then they may be lost forever.

I realise Google is doing this to promote Google+ and get everything over there but a lot of us haven’t yet made the switch and it can hardly be considered an acceptable alternative because they do totally different things. Google+ is just another social network, yes a great one at that but it isn’t a blog reader.

Now I have to convince you all to follow me some other way. The new way I am following all of you is through BlogLovin’. I moved over there a while ago and am absolutely loving it. BUT most of you are yet to join me. Notice the difference in numbers? I have 30 followers to date on BlogLovin’ while I have 683 on Google. That is one hell of a difference!!! What is a girl to do?

Because I don’t want to lose you all, please follow me on BlogLovin’ or on any social networks so you’ll at least be notified when I have a new post for you to read. Of course I think a blog reader is definitely the way to go. If you’re a blogger yourself you’ll be happy to know that unlike Google, BlogLovin’ readers actually increase your page views. This was a huge downfall when it came to Google Friend Connect, as reading blogs in that feed did not give bloggers more page views.

Oh yeah! If you’re thinking of making the switch to BlogLovin’ note that you can import your blog lists making the move super simple and easy! Yay!!!

Today I made this gorgeous Follow Kirsty Girl mapped image to list below each post to encourage my readers to follow along. Especially those wonderfully loyal GFC followers. So come on guys get following!

504 Main, A Delightsome Life, A Diamond in the Stuff, Alderberry Hill, A Night Owl, A Stroll Thru Life, Be Different, Act Normal, Cheerios & Lattes, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Claire Justine oxox, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Cozy Little House, Crafts a La Mode, Create with Joy, Cupcake ‘n’ Bake, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, Domesblissity, Ducks ‘n a Row, Elizabeth & Co, Feeding Big, Green Willow Pond, Happy Go Lucky, Hickory Trail, Home Maker on a Dime, Ivy & Elephants, Katherines Corner, Kathe with an E, Lil Luna, Live Laugh Rowe, Liz Marie, Lolly Jane, Mop it Up, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Milk & Cuddles, Mostly Homemade Mom, No Minimalist Here, Our Delightful Home, Petals to Picots, Pursuit of Functional Home, Salt Tree, Say G’Day Saturday, Savvy Southern Style, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup, Sincerely, Paula, Six Sisters Stuff, Someday Crafts, Southern Lovely, Sugar & Dots, The Best Blog Recipes, The Trendy Treehouse, This Gal Cooks, Too Much Time, Weekly Creative, We Like to Learn as We Go, While he was Napping

Weddings

Awesome weekend! I watched my big bro get married and I was lucky enough to be a groomsmen! I didn’t take this shot, I was a bad blogger and stole it but I did have fun editing it and adding little bokeh hearts! I do love bokeh even if it’s fake!

Speaking of weddings, I snapped up a couple more photos of our friends wedding flowers after our area had a scheduled burn last week. It’s always fun taking photos with really weird light. Check these out.

Linking up with: 504 Main, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Cozy Little House, Crafts a La Mode, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, Green Willow Pond, Live Laugh Rowe, Lolly Jane, No Minimalist Here, Say G’Day Saturday, Savvy Southern Style, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup, Weekly Creative

Harry Potter Magic Potions Jewellery & Bookmarks

These are just a few of my newer designs in my new shop Keepings, I’m particularly fond of these because I discovered how awesome engraving my little pendants is rather than metal stamping them. I found this out purely through necessity because I couldn’t possibly stamp that many letters into the pendants. I’m very happy with how the engraving turned out instead!

This one is of the Felix Felicis potion for luck and the next is Amortentia, a love potion. So far I seem to be the only one making them in the accurate “mother of pearl” colour rather than the obvious red or pink. Unfortunately I couldn’t pick up the sparkles in any of the photos. I used a type of glitter that is extremely small which looks better in real life but it’s too tiny for photos!

I have a bookmark and a necklace in each. What do you guys think? See them here.

Linking up with: 504 Main, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Cozy Little House, Crafts a La Mode, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, Green Willow Pond, Live Laugh Rowe, Lolly Jane, No Minimalist Here, Say G’Day Saturday, Savvy Southern Style, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup, Weekly Creative, Ginger Snap Crafts, Katie’s Nesting Spot, Life we Live 4, Redoux, Sunday Showcase Party, Tatertots & Jello

Focus Photos {and Instagram}

I am so happy with this photo that I decided not to do any touch ups or editing at all, a part of photography that I usually really love and enjoy but sometimes you get a special shot that just doesn’t need it. And for me this is one of them.

My lovely man, Andi, gave me a bit of a lesson in photography the other day. I have been using his camera lately, not one I am used to so I got a bit of a crash course. I needed some help getting the photos right for my new shop, Keepings, in order to get the tiny details to show in the jewellery and charms.

All of these shots are using high sensitivity settings and a manual focus. Which I love, it means you can get really close to the subject and still get the focus where you want it. With automatic you can never get close enough.

For this last shot, I couldn’t even have gotten this without having the sv settings and manual focus. I even tried just to see how good a shot I could get of the spider web using any of the automatic settings. Absolutely nothing, the web didn’t even show up once.

Have you played around with your camera settings recently?

While I have had an Instagram account for ages now, I never really used it. Well I am joining the ranks and posting there now! Please follow along with me, my username of course is kirstygirl, you can find me here at http://instagram.com/kirstygirl I FOLLOW BACK! <3

504 Main, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Cozy Little House, Crafts a La Mode, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, Green Willow Pond, Live Laugh Rowe, Lolly Jane, No Minimalist Here, Say G’Day Saturday, Savvy Southern Style, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup, Weekly Creative, Fishtail Cottage, Ginger Snap Crafts, Katie’s Nesting Spot, Sunday Showcase Party, Tatertots & Jello

Keepings by Kirsty Girl, Custom Bookmarks and Adventure Time Jewellery

I am so super excited to announce that my new Etsy store, Keepings is finally OPEN! Woohoo! It’s been a long time in the making and I had a long day uploading everything yesterday so I would really really LOVE for you to stop over even just to say Hi! I definitely need to make some more friends over there and would like to follow all of you on Etsy too so if you have a shop or just an account let me know about it and I’ll be following along with you!

So far I have a couple of different types of products for sale though I have way more to come!

These are my customisable bookmarks for sale. I got the idea after searching for jewellery on Etsy a while back and wanted to be able to pick and choose certain charms from different listings but couldn’t. So I decided to do that myself! I think these would make a really great gift! I even made one special for my Mum last weekend for Mother’s Day! I choose white velvet with her name metal stamped on top and the little k on the brass heart that you can see above. I personalised it with a music note because she’s a huge music fan and the four leaf clover because she’s an Irish lass!

I also have Adventure Time Jewellery for sale! I love these guys, don’t you!?

Please come on over and say Hi if you ever use Etsy. Even if you don’t look at my stuff I’d love to be able to follow my blog readers over there too! Who couldn’t use more followers right?

Linking with: 504 Main, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Coastal Charm, Common Ground, Cozy Little House, DIY by Design, DIY Dreamer, Green Willow Pond, Live Laugh Rowe, Lolly Jane, No Minimalist Here, Savvy Southern Style, Serenity Now, Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup, Weekly Creative, Ginger Snap Crafts, Katie’s Nesting Spot, Sunday Showcase Party, Tatertots & Jello, Say G’Day Saturday

Decorate Your House on the Cheap {Guest Post}

Disclosure: While I have done many features here at Kirsty Girl I haven’t yet accepted any Guest Posts. However, after I was contacted by Jenny Daniels, Freelance writer and author of this post, it fit in so well with my blog, the things I love and after checking the links and seeing they were all directed at websites and blogs that I would indeed read myself, how could I say no?

Just so everyone is clear, I would never accept a guest post from a poor writer or with links and/or information that I did not enjoy myself.

 

Decorate Your House on the Cheap

Whether you’re moving into a new house or simply bored with your current style, a makeover can give your space personality. If you’re ready to spruce up your house, you may consider hiring an interior decorator or a stylist. These people have an eye for fashion and design, and they can create styles that are unique to your house. Your house can literally become a showpiece. Unfortunately, professional help isn’t cheap and if your budget is limited, you may have to design the home yourself.

There are several ways to decorate your house on the cheap. If it’s time to update your present decor, here are five ways to transform your house without breaking the bank.

1. De-clutter your space.

Before you begin any home makeover project, start with de-cluttering your space. The less items in your house, the better. Oversized furniture and clutter can detract from the beauty of your house. Not to suggest getting rid of everything, but if there are items that you no longer need or use, donate these to charity. Go through your closets, shelves and storage bins. 

2. Freshen the paint.

Giving your walls a fresh coat of paint is a simple and cost-effective way to give your house personality. White walls are bland and boring. Even if you can’t replace your furniture and bring in new decor, a fresh, vibrant color can give your house a warm cozy feel. And the best part, you can often purchase a gallon of paint for around $30. A little paint can go a long way. Freshen up your kitchen cabinets, your bathroom cabinets, the baseboards and your doors. To save on home improvement supplies, search coupons at NerdWallet. This is an excellent place to locate coupons for Home Depot and other home retailers.

3. Look for inexpensive decor.

Maybe it’s time to upgrade your furniture and household decor. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this without going broke. Shop online with a West Elm coupon and save money on furniture, bedding, bath supplies, lighting, decor and other items for the house. You can also locate cheap home decor by visiting local secondhand shops or frequenting yard sales. Secondhand products for the home can include photos, lamps, side tables, vases and perhaps mirrors.

4. Trade with your friends.

Your friend or family members may have a piece that works well in your house, and vice versa. Before throwing out old furniture and home accessories, get with your friends and suggest trading items. This is an effective way to bring in new decor without spending a dime. For example, you may take a friend’s side table or throw pillows, and she may benefit from your old lamps or mirrors.

5. Refurbish furniture.

Another person’s trash can be your treasure. Drive around your neighborhood the night before trash day and look for old pieces that you can refurbish. These pieces can include dressers, chairs and tables. Often times, these items are in fair condition, but they may require sanding and repainting. If you’re crafty and love a project, this is a simple way to decorate on the cheap.

Don’t let lack of cash prevent a home makeover. Even if you can’t hire a professional designer or spend money on lavished items, you can spruce up your home and create a more comfortable space.

Linking up with: Live Laugh Rowe, Daily Cup, No Minimalist Here, The Shabby Creek Cottage, French Country Cottage, The Charm of Home, Common Ground

Treasures

I hit up the local “Trash and Treasure” a couple of weeks ago and I was lucky enough to find myself many treasures! There were a couple I missed out on because I wasn’t quick enough but all in all I definitely came out a winner! I found this cute little jug for only $3! We also found a nice glass coffee plunger for a steal.

My favourite are my new vintage sewing scissors for $8. I love them. They’re beautiful and they actually work too. I also picked up this cute little thimble for my Nanna because she collects them and I thought this one was a bit special. But maybe it’s just because I love ducks so much. Speaking of which we also picked up this one for only $5! Yeah!

This beautiful nest was found in our garden after a very blustery day. Don’t worry, there were no eggs!

Today I’m linking up with: Sunday Showcase Party, Knick of Time, Cozy Little House, Lolly Jane, Coastal Charm, Ginger Snap Crafts, the DIY Dreamer, Savvy Southern Style & Green Willow Pond.