A Blog That Is Just Right

Tina's Custom Button Designs

2010-03-02T20:33:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I have had a lot of people email me about making their own buttons, so alas I am offering a new line of custom button designs for a very affordable price! Whether you need a button to showcase your blog, or want a special size of ad, if you can dream it, I can create it! Everything on the site is designed by me, but below are some buttons I have made (click on the image to make it BIG). If you're interested, simply send me an email to inquire, or leave me a comment with your email! And for everyone else, what FREE blog goodies would you like to see next? Love to hear from y'all!

And The Winner...

2010-02-26T11:26:00.004-05:00

of the one million thank yous contest is...Kasai! Kasai will be receiving $15.oo annnd 3 months of free advertising! Thank you to everyone else who entered, and for all your nice comments you left me! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future :) And Kasai, please leave your email in the comment section so I can let you know all about your prize details! Have a great weekend, everyone!

2nd Prize Draw

2010-02-19T12:05:00.002-05:00

And the winning comment for this week's 2nd prize one million thank yous giveaway, who will be receiving $10.oo annnd 2 months of free advertising is....Shirley! Please leave me your email in the comments section and I will contact you with all the prize winning details! The top prize is still up for grabs...good luck to all!

Happy Heart Day!

2010-02-14T15:21:00.002-05:00

3rd Prize Draw

2010-02-12T00:02:00.001-05:00

And the winning comment for this week's 3rd prize one million thank yous giveaway, who will be receiving $5.oo annnd 1 month of free advertising is....Grace! Please leave me your email in the comments sections and I will contact you with all the prize winning details! There's still 2 more chances to win. Good luck everyone!

It's Herrreee

2010-02-06T19:30:00.009-05:00

Tina's reaches over 1 million visits! Check out the counter snapped today: ! This calls for a celebration. In honour of achieving such a milestone, I am having a one million thank yous giveaway! After hearing from all of your wonderful suggestions, here is what will be up for grabs:

1st prize - $15.00 and 3 months of free advertising!
2nd prize- $10.00 and 2 months of free advertising!
3rd prize- $5.00 and 1 month of free advertising!

Advertisements are in a special top spot and the winners will receive their prize money into a paypal account.

How to Enter:
It's sooo easy to enter! All you have to do is blog about this giveaway, and leave me a comment letting me know you've done that. You must leave me your blog address or URL so I can see that you've posted about this giveaway in order for your entry to be valid. That's all!

Draw Dates:
Feb 12: 3rd prize
Feb 19: 2nd prize
Feb 26: 1st prize

That means the draw is happening as early as next week, so hurry and get your entries in! Good luck friends, and thank you!

How To Get 1 Million Hits!

2010-01-25T17:59:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! I just read all of your wonderful ideas about what kind of prize should be had for my 1 million visitors giveaway! I will let you know what I have chosen when the milestone approaches! While I was reading your comments, I came across a suggestion from one of my followers, aussiegold (thanks Phil!). He wanted me to write a post about blog promotion. So that's what I am going to do today!

1. You want people to visit your blog so it needs to be interactive in some way. You need to keep the information new and updated so people have a reason to keep coming back. Maybe ask them to comment. Post a giveaway (this is a great idea to try). Anything to get your name out! On this note, create your own button so people can share it on their blog!

2. Love what you do and it will show! It also helps if your blog/webpage is useful to others. When I first began blogging, I found many sites that were very useful. When I finally learned how to tweak my blog to be "just right" I wanted to share what I had learned with all of you! And it helps if you offer "free stuff", too!

3. It's all about public relations! So, respond to people who leave comments! Visit their blogs. Don't forget to leave your email or contact button somewhere on your blog. Encourage people to write to you, and write back to them. Try and develop relationships with your visitors.

4. Get your name out there. List your blog on blog circles, advertise your blog on other blogs (like Tina's ;) or advertise on much larger scales. My personal favourite: Trek Advertising!

5. Wait it out. I didn't have all the traffic to start with. It takes time! But with regular posting and following these tips, your blog will slowly be known in the blogosphere.

With these suggestions in mind, your site can reach 1 million visitors, too!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I think it is time for another giveaway! This time, I am going to celebrate...drum roll please... 1 MILLION visits to my page! WHOOOA it's coming up soon! And I need your help! What kind of prize would you like to win? Please leave me a comment and let me know, and I just may use your idea! Until then, there will be lots of exciting things to come. Happy 2010 everyone!

Merry Christmas To All

2009-12-20T01:31:00.002-05:00

Dashing Through The Snow

2009-12-20T01:25:00.004-05:00

Get Rockin'

2009-12-18T15:19:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! I've been asked how to put these buttons on your blog. It's really easy! All you have to do is under Layout, click Add a Gadget. Then select the Html/Javascript option. Just copy the html code below and paste it in the box. Click Save and you're done!

Add Some Holly

2009-12-16T21:15:00.006-05:00

Festive Buttons

2009-12-15T16:48:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! Decorate your blog with Christmas spirit! I've got some holiday buttons on the way just for you all. Some of them even match my Christmas background collection, too. Here's a preview of what is to come...enjoy!

Rockin' Christmas

2009-12-14T15:31:00.001-05:00

Snowcasing Shirley

2009-12-12T18:12:00.004-05:00

Hi friends! Today's post is dedicated to Snowcasing one of my faithful followers. I've checked out each and every one of your blogs and it was a tough decision (but there's still plenty of opportunities during these winter months to be snowcased!) For today, the spotlight shines over at Shirley's Just Desserts! Shirley's got a great blog with lots of low-carb dessert recipe ideas (yum!). With Christmas on its way, there's a tasty delicious treat for everyone! So head on over to her blog, grab your favourite recipe and start baking! Don't forget to leave her a comment! Bon Appetit! P.S. Shirley, here's a button just for you!

Snow Nice

2009-12-11T17:24:00.002-05:00

Old Navidad

2009-12-10T18:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Bread

2009-12-09T15:45:00.002-05:00

Reindeer Paws

2009-12-08T14:59:00.003-05:00

Let it Snow!

2009-12-07T16:06:00.002-05:00

They're Coming!

2009-12-06T12:45:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited to share with you all some of my new holiday backgrounds! They will be coming every day this week! I'll be changing my background everyday too so you get to see what it looks like. Oh and if you havn't gotten in on Tina's Snowcase yet, don't miss out! I love hearing from you all :)

Snowcasing You

2009-12-05T11:47:00.005-05:00

Hi everyone! Winter has arrived over here, so in the next few days there will be lots of winter goodies coming your way. But first, let me share something with you all! I do try and visit each one of your blog homes and I enjoy seeing what good things you are up to! So here's an opportunity for you to be "Snowcased" on Tina's! If you want your blog to be shared on Tina's, all you have to do is leave me a comment and let me know! Don't forget to include your blog's URL. Then, every Saturday I will have a post dedicated to one (or a few) of you! You'll also get a "I was Snowcased at Tina's" button for your blog. Since I love seeing all your blog stuff, I want to share you with all of the lovely people who stop on over here. So what are you waiting for? You could be snowcased at Tina's!

Let it Snow!

2009-12-04T16:02:00.001-05:00

Won't You Bee My Friend?

2009-11-14T21:07:00.005-05:00

Here's a button just for you! Just copy and paste this into your html/java script gadget! Oh, and please bee my friend, too! :)

Get Your Blog Just Right!

2009-11-14T19:25:00.004-05:00

Today I'm going to share with you some of my tips to make the most of your blog and create the best one possible!

Tip 1- All About the White!
Use a white middled background! This is a must if you upload a lot of pictures on your blog! You won't get that "white outline" around any pictures because it will blend in with your own background. Now I do love color myself and have seen some successful colored background blog middles. But if you are new to blogging, save yourself the trouble and use an easy white middled background. The easiest way to achieve this is by selecting Blogger's Minima template. For a tutorial on this, click here.

Tip 2- Keep it Clean and Simple!
No one likes clutter! When people come to your blog, they want to be able to see where to go. Put some thought into "organizing" your blog. Where will things go? Are your sidebar items balanced visually? Put a horizontal menu navigation bar at the top of your blog to help your visitors navigate your blog. Check out a tutorial here. Make sidebar titles for all your "sections" in your blog. Oh, and don't have too much "stuff" on your blog! The more gadgets you have, the slower your loading page time will be. You can limit your posts per page to make your page load quicker!

Tip 3 - It's Okay to be YOUnique!
Your blog should reflect who you are! It's your home on the web. So make it yours! Make it stand out! If you're not sure what you like, check out other blogs that inspire you. Use them as an aid to create something that is you! Select a title. Put some effort into your header (at the top of your page). This is the first thing anyone sees when they visit you. Select a color palette and a theme. Your blog is your masterpiece! So beeee creative!

I hope these tips have answered some of the questions you have been asking! I'm off to create some more goodies :)

Let Me Advertise For You!

2009-11-07T18:35:00.007-05:00

Email me to reserve your spot!

I'm Still Here!

2009-11-02T17:35:00.002-05:00

Dearest Friends,
Hello! Bonjour! Alo! Ola! Buongiorno! Aanii! Hakka! Guten Tag! Shalom! Kumusta ka! Terve!Phew...I hope I covered most of you all! I am so sorry I have been away from my blog home for so long. The truth is, I have been the busiest I have ever been! I am wrapped up in soooo much I barely have time to come online to blog. My friends, forgive me!! I am so itching to do some creative work, but I just can't find the time to. I am hoping this weekend, maybe, just maybe I will have a spare afternoon to produce some more goodies for you all. Although I have been away for a while, I still read all your comments you sent me! Thank you to all who have left , as always, such nice comments to me. Please bare with me as I go through this super busy time. Thank you!

Fall Back with Tina

2009-10-01T23:03:00.005-04:00

Hi bloggers! It's been so busy for me this week I've hardly had any time to create anything new. But that will all change for tomorrow. Tomorrow I have a free day to get crafty! So the weekend will bring you lots of new fall themes, and some that you guys suggested! If there's anything else you'd like to see on the site, I am always open to suggestions. Stay tuned for more fallish goodies!

Edit 10.10.09 - UH So it turns out that when I thought I would have extra time to post everything, I didn't! So hopefully...fingers crossed...this weekend will bring some new stuff your way! Thank you for being so patient!

Harvest

2009-09-21T17:53:00.002-04:00

Golden Dawn

2009-09-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

Leaf Light

2009-09-21T17:46:00.002-04:00

Saturday Salute

2009-09-19T10:53:00.007-04:00

Hi Everyone! Thank you to all who have left me a comment on my last letter. I've responded to each one of you, either by email, your blogs, or by leaving you a special comment on my comments page. Check them out!

In other news, the autumn season is upon us! Stay tuned for some chilly breezes and warm fall coloured autumn inspired FREE blogger backgrounds coming your way (now that is a mouthful to say!) As well, some of you lovely readers have made suggestions on some of the kinds of backgrounds you wished to have. So I will try and find time to create a custom version just for you!

Thanks for reading this and I always appreciate your comments!

A Letter

2009-09-12T17:52:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends,

Today I'd like to get to know you a bit more! Over the past few months many of you have commented or emailed me and I've come to know you by name. I read every comment and try my best to respond as soon as possible (blog fairy requests are running a bit slow...they will be coming soon!). But there's still lots of you who follow my blog or visit my spot in blogland and I know nothing about you! So here's an open invitation from me to you. Leave me a comment. Tell me something about yourself. Include your blog or your webpage so I can visit (and I do visit each one!) and see the wonderful things you've done! I really would love to hear from each one of you! So, don't be shy. Let's flood the comments section!
Love,

Vase Shaped

2009-09-11T07:14:00.003-04:00

Here's some funky shaped backgrounds for you!

Stacey's Seashell

2009-09-11T07:09:00.003-04:00

Circus

2009-09-11T07:05:00.004-04:00

Lady Violetta

2009-09-09T10:43:00.004-04:00

Hi Bloggers! Over the next few days I'll be adding some not-so-plain scrapbook inspired blogger backgrounds! If there's a special color you like or a design theme you want me to make, please feel free to leave me a comment telling me what it is. I'll do my best to be inspired by your ideas and create something in honor of you! This background reminds me of the Victorian times. I've included the white middle background and also a coloured middle for more background options. Enjoy!

Plain Jane Collection

2009-09-09T10:41:00.000-04:00

As promised, I'll be posting my {Plain Jane} background collection this week! These backgrounds are best suited for 3 column blog layouts. They feature white middles- perfect for those who upload lots of pictures! They are simple, clean and have a whole lotta texture. Enjoy!

How to Add Backgrounds to your Blog
It's so easy to change your background! First, copy the Html code (Ctrl + C, or highlight the code and right-click and press copy) underneath the design you like. Second, navigate on blogger by clicking on: Layout, then Page Elements, choose Add a Gadget, and select the Html/Javascript option. Finally, just paste the code (Ctrl + V, or right-click and press paste) into the box, click Save and voila, instant prettiness!

Ice Princess

2009-09-07T14:10:00.001-04:00

Hello Plaid

2009-09-07T14:04:00.001-04:00

Serenpinkidy

2009-09-07T14:01:00.001-04:00

Petal Power

2009-09-07T13:59:00.001-04:00

Blue Snakeskin

2009-09-07T13:56:00.001-04:00

Brownie Polka

2009-09-07T13:54:00.003-04:00

Bare Essentials

2009-09-07T13:51:00.001-04:00

Tangy Tangerine

2009-09-07T13:48:00.001-04:00

Orange Slushie

2009-09-07T13:45:00.002-04:00

Mossy Pete

2009-09-07T13:42:00.002-04:00

Choco-Latte

2009-09-07T13:38:00.002-04:00

Nimbus

2009-09-07T13:34:00.001-04:00

Pixie Meadows

2009-09-07T13:30:00.002-04:00

Cranberry Wine

2009-09-07T13:26:00.003-04:00

Going Grey

2009-09-07T12:58:00.009-04:00

New Backgrounds are Coming!

2009-09-06T00:14:00.005-04:00

Hi Bloggers! You'll probably notice my brand new face lift! Don't worry, you're still at the right spot! It was time to change things up a bit! Announcing some big news if you are an avid blog background lover...I have officially created some backgrounds! YAY! My {Plain Jane} background collection will be up this week. Here's a sneak peak at some of the textures you can expect to be on them. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Advertise with Tina!

2009-09-03T20:07:00.005-04:00

2009-09-02T19:41:00.003-04:00

Autumn Breeze Header
Welcoming September and the appoaching fall season with an Autumn Breeze Header. It's extra large in size, for those who especially like a larger header. You can customize the frames with your own pictures!

2009-08-29T23:20:00.004-04:00

Nimbus Header
Here's a custom matching Nimbus Header to go with my Nimbus Tag Collection!

2009-08-29T22:26:00.006-04:00

The Nimbus Tag Collection
The Nimbus Tag Collection has arrived at Tina's! Click the thumbnail to preview it and then click here to download this free whimsy sidebar title set!

2009-08-28T13:27:00.004-04:00

Five Dollar Fridays Giveaway: August 28
Hi everyone! It's the last Friday of the month and that means there can only be one more winner for my last Five Dollar Fridays giveaway. I want to thank all of you who entered the contest and to stick around for more contest details in the near future. But for now, the last winner is Amymei! Congratulations to you! Have a great weekend!

2009-08-27T15:23:00.005-04:00

Sunday Afternoon Header
Hi bloggers! Here's another header you can personalize and make yours! Click on the thumbnail and save it on your computer to edit it! Oh, and you'll also notice I've created a special spot on my sidebar for your ads! We're reaching thousands and thousands of people every day (check out my Alexa Rating) so you'll want to be one of the first to take advantage of it! Email me for more details! Enjoy!

2009-08-21T20:50:00.005-04:00

Five Dollar Friday Giveaway: August 21
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the posts about making your blog into a full-functioning website by adding pages! If there are any other secrets you'd like to learn, leave me a comment and I'll try my best to write a tutorial on it!

As always, Fridays are giveaway days here at Tina's! And the grand winner of this week's contest goes out to newcomer Yashiro! Congratulations! Five dollars has been sent to your paypal account. For everyone else, next week is your last opportunity to win. Let me also remind some of you that you need to keep the banner/button and blog entry up for the duration of the contest if you want to have a chance to win each week...I had to disqualify some entries because of this. Well stay tuned until next week's results and maybe a few more suprises to end the August season ;) . Have a great weekend!

2009-08-19T11:23:00.005-04:00

How to Get Rid of "Showing Posts with Label"
If you've read about one of the most secret tricks in the blogging community, and you've used labels to add pages in your blog, you may notice that you are shown an ugly "Showing Posts with Label ______" at the top of every page. Well fortunately enough, this is one of the easiest things to get rid of!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...And in this case, it is! All you have to do for this blog secret is to follow the instructions in the picture below (click on thumbnail to view large version). That's it! Plus, it will save me from making another scrolly text box with html. Enjoy!

2009-08-18T11:22:00.020-04:00

How to Add Pages In Your Blog
Ever wonder how people add pages in their blog? You know, the little menu buttons that go across the top of their blog like I have? Well, wait no longer, one of the biggest blogging secrets is revealed to you today!

A navigation menu bar at the top of your blog is really easy for you to do. Just follow these simple steps and you'll be all set.

Htmlize!
The first thing we need to do is insert the html code that will allow us to create a space in blogger for our new nav bar. This is a 2 step process. To do this, click on Layout, then Edit Html. As always, save a copy of your template before you edit it!

Step 1: Copy and paste this code directly under your "Header" Section:

#newnavbar ul li{ list-style-type: none; display:inline; margin:0px; padding:10px; border:0px solid; }

Step 2: Find this section in your html, and change showaddelement='no'to 'yes'. (Hint, Press Control+F and type in "cross" to find this part).

You can follow these steps in a handy visual I have created for you.

Linkize!
The next thing you need to do is to link your pages together. To do this, click on Layout, and then Page Elements. You should see that you now have a new "Add a Gadget" element under your header and above your blog posts. This is where the magic happens! Click on your new Add a Gadget button, and choose the Html/Javascript option. Next copy the following html and paste it into your html/javascript option.

Here's another visual to help keep you on track.

Customize!
Create your Menu Buttons
Here's what you need to do to customize the above html code. First, you need to create images of your menu buttons like these ones. Make sure they aren't too large (right-click and click on properties to see my image size). Next, as always, you need to host your images on the internet. Make note of the URL of the image. It will be placed in the img src "URLOFFIRSTPAGEIMAGE" location.

Use your Own Labels
At the end of every post, blogger gives you a choice to add "labels for this post". This is blogger's way of organizing your posts into categories. All you have to do is label your posts in the way you want your pages to appear. For example, all my "Giveaway" posts have the label "giveaway". All my "Headers" posts have the label "headers". All you have to do is to record the URL for that specific label of posts and place it under the "a hef="URLOFFIRSTPAGE" html code above.

Another Example
I want a menu button for my Giveaways. I have labelled my giveaway posts with "Giveaway" and when I click on the label "Giveaway" (found where my blog categories are in the left sidebar), I am given this URL: http://tututina.blogspot.com/search/label/giveaways. I will then use that URL to replace the a href="URLOFFIRSTPAGE" in the html I've given to you. Following that URL, I want to add my giveaway button that I've created and change img src "URLOFFIRSTPAGEIMAGE" to img src "http://tututina.com/images/blogmenugiveaways.jpg". I would do that for each menu item I'd like to add! That's it! It seems like a lot of steps but once you have the basic idea, you can turn your blog into a full functioning website (for free!)

*If you rather not connect your menu with labels, you can always connect them with other websites you've made, including another blog URL that is devoted to one topic only (ie-Backgrounds).
**The html I've provided you with has room for 5 menu buttons plus one email button. If you want to add more or less, simply copy more or erase some to have less.
***Don't forget to adjust the spacing (padding) of your menu items if you find they are too close together or too far apart - I've shown you how to do this in the diagrams above. Enjoy!

2009-08-18T09:32:00.007-04:00

Sweet Flower and Purple Dusk Headers
Here's two more headers I've created just for you to personalize for your blogs! Remember, click on the thumbnails to view the large version before you save it! Oh, and the big secret trick reveal is only a few days away...Stay tuned!

2009-08-14T18:53:00.004-04:00

Five Dollar Friday Giveaway: August 14
It has been a busy week around here but alas, it is Friday and time to do the draw! I just wanted to personally thank everyone for all your nice posts about me! I just love seeing how you have used the tips you found here to make your blogs so pretty (if you have, leave me a comment- I'd love to see it)!

Alright now for the fun stuff...The results are in and this week's winner is Webby Contest. Congratulations to you! For everyone else, you still have 2 more chances to win for August. Good luck, I'm rooting for ya!

On one last note, there are many good tips that I have been working on, including one of the most secret of secret tips that I hope to post this week. I will leave you in suspense about what it is...but be sure to head on back this week...It's a very good one!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

2009-08-07T20:07:00.006-04:00

How to Delete Blogger's Nav Bar
Here's one of the easiest things that you can do to make your blogs look more professional! We have all seen blogger's Nav Bar at the top of our blogs. In case you aren't too sure what that is, refresh yourself by looking at one here:

There are some advantages for having a Nav Bar on your blog. You can search for other blogs, and you can sign into your blog to edit it. But, for the most part, the colours don't match your blogs and it can be an eyesore! Getting rid of it is so simple! Just go to Layout, then Edit Html. Near the top of your html, between "Blogger Template Style" and "Variable Definitions", paste this code:

#navbar-iframe { display: none !important;}

Click Save and it will disappear! Check out the visual for more help (click on the thumbnail to see large version).

Oh, and don't forget you'll have to sign into blogger the old fashioned way after you delete your Nav Bar. Just go to http://www.blogger.com/. Enjoy!

2009-08-07T19:11:00.004-04:00

Five Dollar Friday Giveaway: August 7
Hello everyone! I am sure you all are excited for the results! I have checked out all your blogs, wrote out your names on ballots, entered them in my drawing box and pulled out the winner.

-Drum Roll- The winner of this week's Five Dollar Giveway is Sree Money Spinner! Congratulations to you! For everyone else who entered, you still have 3 more opportunities to win on the upcoming draw dates. Good luck!

2009-08-05T21:25:00.014-04:00

How to Add a Favicon on Your Blog
This is my newest and favourite blog trick! Check out my new favicon! A favicon stands for the "favourite icon" that represents your site. It can be found in the address (URL) bar and beside your blog title on an open page. The best thing is, it truly is SO EASY to do!

1. Design it!
Favicons are 16 x 16 pixels. So be sure to design one that has square proportions so it can easily be resized if you don't design it to be that small. You can use pictures, graphics, symbols or anything that represents your site. Remember, you want to brand your blog, so stick with the same colour schemes that are in your blog!

2. Convert it!
In order to appear in the URL or title page area, your favicon needs to be saved as a .ico file. Don't panic! Check out this site: http://www.favicon.cc/ ! You can upload your designs (and it resizes them!!), or create your own from scratch. It also allows you to make the background of your favicons transparent (so you don't see any white around the image), AND it shows a live preview of what it would look like in your browser! Once you are finished, it saves your image as a .ico file. It's great!

3. Host it!
As always, you need to have a webspace that will host your .ico file. Once you have uploaded it to your provider, be sure to copy the URL of it!

4. Blog it!
You're almost all finished! To put your favicon on blogger, all you have to do is go into Layout then Edit HTML. Underneath the tag (it's a few lines down from the top) copy this code:

and paste it, making sure to change YOURFAVICONLOCATION to yours. Click Save and congratulations, you've just created your very own favicon! To see how to add the html code into Blogger, click the thumbnail below for a larger view.

To help you get started I have made a blue flower favicon just for you! Simply paste the entire code in the box underneath your tag!

2009-08-01T18:58:00.009-04:00

My Shabby Inspired Header
If you've ever been to Shabby Blogs (where my beautiful background is from), you'd notice their lovely use of frames and flowers in their header designs. I wanted to try my hand at that layering technique and voila: My Shabby Inspired Header, free for you to use and customize! Don't forget to click on the thumbnail and view the large size in order to save it!

2009-08-01T12:55:00.005-04:00

Blue Sky Headers
Here's a few blank headers that you can use and customize! You'll notice high quality cartoon graphics are especially popular for women's blogs. Important: Click on the thumbnails to view the large size and then save the images to your computer (if you save the thumbnails, they will remain a saved thumbnail). Enjoy!

2009-08-01T12:30:00.007-04:00

The Blog Fairy Visits Natalie
Natalie wanted a custom header, so The Blog Fairy also granted her wish! Included is a custom button, with blank templates for anyone to use. Happy blogging!

Your Headers
Choice of 2 and blank one for anyone to customize! Click on thumbnails for larger size.

http://www.tututina.com/images/blogfairyheaderslickmom.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/blogfairyslickmom2.jpg

Your Button
Find out how to create your own here.

2009-07-31T22:52:00.014-04:00

The Whimsy Collection
I love creative and quirky things! So here is The Whimsy Collection of post dividers! Forget how to use them? Refresh yourself here.

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy1.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy2.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy3.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy4.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy5.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy6.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy7.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy8.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/postdividerwhimsy9.jpg

Feel free to customize them and make it yours! Remember the Starry Sea Post Divider? Schlei customized hers with a fabulous purple hue!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v649/schlei/seapostdivider.jpg

2009-07-31T20:59:00.007-04:00

The Blog Fairy Visits Marice
Marice wanted a custom header to match her blog, and The Blog Fairy granted her wish! Below, you'll find your very own header. Read here about how to put it on your blog. And of course I have included a blank header for anyone to use and customize. Enjoy!

Your Custom Header

http://www.tututina.com/images/blogfairyheaderlifecantwait.jpg

For Everyone Else
Click on the thumbnail image to view large size. Right-click and Save it. It's a .png file so it will save great and is ready to be edited. Because Marice had a 3 column blog, her header is larger (800 x 300 pixels). If you have a 2 column blog, you can always resize this to fit your blog (blogger headers for 2 column blogs should be about 650-600 px wide).

2009-07-31T18:52:00.007-04:00

The Blog Fairy Visits VivaPinay
VivaPinay wished she had a custom header, so The Blog Fairy granted her wish! Below you'll find two custom made headers just for you! But wait, there's more. I've also made you a matching button. And there's also a template (blank) one for anyone who wants to use it.

Your headers
Click on the thumbnails to view full picture size

http://www.tututina.com/images/blogfairyheaderedit.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/blogfairyheaderedit2.jpg

Your button (and blank one for everyone)

How to Put a Custom Header on your Blog
Adding your own header is so easy with blogger! All you have to do is under Layout, click on Page Elements, and your header goes in the first bar directly under Navbar. Click on Edit. Next, you have two options:
1. Choose an image that is already saved on your computer (you can right-click the headers and save them).
2. Use the html provided and enter it where it says "From the Web" for your image. I recommend this option since re-saving tends to lose the picture quality.
Finally, click the "Instead of title and description" button for your image placement and click Save! You'll have a great looking header to match your great looking blogs!

2009-07-30T22:56:00.005-04:00

Starry Sea Post Divider
Hello bloggers! I must say, I am deeply honored to read all your nice comments and blog posts about me! I have read each one and have personally visited all your blogs...keep up the great work! Many of you are really using the secrets you found here and are becoming blogging pros :) . I'd like to extend an open invitation for your feedback...Is there anything you'd like me to write about? Are you itching to know how to do something? I'll try my best to answer all your questions and post the stuff you want! Oh, and don't forget to check out the Blog Fairy, too! The Blog Fairy is already granting three special people their wishes...YOU can be one of them as well!

In the next few days I will be making TONS of more blogging stuff that will be absolutely free for you to use. For now, here's a lovely Starry Sea Post Divider to add to your blogs! If you forget how to put them on your blog, follow the instructions here. Oh and one more thing. Here's a tip that goes a long way. If you post a lot of pictures on your blog, consider having a background that has a white middle...that way, you won't get edges around your photos and the white backgrounds most pictures have will blend in. Happy blogging!

http://www.tututina.com/images/seapostdivider.jpg

2009-07-29T14:57:00.006-04:00

Introducing The Blog Fairy
Wish you may...wish you might...have the best blog...tonight? The blog fairy is here to help!

Hello friends! It has come to my attention that many of you wish you had a little extra help making your blogs look great. So I'm here to help! If you want your blog dreams to come true, leave me a comment telling me one thing you wish you had. It can be anything from a tag set, post divider, a custom button, your own gif animated image, a header, your custom signature, etc! Make sure you leave your email so the blog fairy can reach you if you've been chosen. Also don't forget to leave your blog URL too! The best thing, is that the blog fairy visits absolutely free! All you have to do, is if you are chosen, help spread the word about the blog fairy (other people need help, too). You can use these buttons:

Keep on checking back to see if your blog has been chosen (and check your emails)! Your custom designed wish will be posted on here for you to use!

2009-07-29T10:06:00.006-04:00

Five Dollar Fridays Giveaway
Many of you have been asking when the next giveaway is. Well, wait no longer, Five Dollar Fridays are here for an entire month! For the month of August, we will be holding a draw on every friday of the month. So be sure to stop by here on those dates (Aug.7, Aug.14, Aug.21, Aug.28) and see if you are the lucky winner! Read on to learn how you can enter!

How to Enter
Anyone can enter the contest. But you must follow our giveaway guidelines in order to qualify:
1. Blog about our Five Dollar Fridays Giveaway
2. Select from our buttons (small or large) or our animated banner and post it on your blog/webpage
3. Leave me a comment telling me you've blogged about my giveaway. You MUST include in your comment your blog/webpage URL and your paypal email (sign up for your free personal paypal account if you don't have one!) so we can verify you've blogged about the giveaway and we can give you the prize if you are the winner.
**You only need to blog once and keep our buttons/banners up for the duration of the August long contest and you will automatically be entered in all of our Five Dollar Friday Draws. That means, you have 4 chances to win! Good luck!

2009-07-28T21:23:00.015-04:00

Tina's Tag Collection
Here's my personal tag collection just for you!

I will be making much more in the future, so stay tuned. But for now, you can download all these lovely tags here.

Instructions for download
1. After you've clicked here, a file download dialogue box appears. Click Save, and choose your save location (desktop is a good choice).
2. Once the file has finished downloading, click on the zipped "TinasTag" file (looks like a stack of books) and open it (you will need a program that unzips .rar files, like WinRAR).
3. Select both folders (highlight or right-click and select all) and press the Extract To button. Press Ok. And that's it! You now can use my Tags to jazz up your blog! Simply put them on blogger the same way you insert a picture :)

2009-07-28T10:41:00.009-04:00

How to Make Your Own Signature
Here's something so easy that everyone can do! If you noticed, I've put my own custom signature on the bottom of each of my posts and it looks like this: !!! What a great way to make your blog more personal! It's so easy to do, and I want to share it with you! The first step, as always, is to create the image you'd like. Keep in mind it shouldn't be overly huge. Mine is 81 x 32 pixels (Hey, if you're not sure about sizes, here's a neat trick for you. Find a size of an image you like on someone else's blog. Right-click their picture, click on properties. The properties will tell you the dimensions of their picture!) Then, as always, you need to upload your picture on an image-hosting webspace, and copy your picture URL. Finally, in blogger, go under Settings, then Formatting, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and in the Post Template Box, copy and paste this code inside it:

Simply change SIGNATURELOCATION to your signature url! If you want your signature on the left side, keep the align="left". If you want it on the right side, type align="right". Click save and you'll have your own custom signature on every post!

2009-07-27T16:08:00.022-04:00

Gracie Collection
After learning all about post dividers, I've made some for you to use! Introducing the Gracie Collection of post dividers. They are absolutely free for you to use! All you have to do is change the http://POSTDIVIDERLOCATION.JPG that you learned about in my previous post to the locations underneath the post divider you want. Here they are:

http://www.tututina.com/images/polkadotpostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/blackpostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/bluelinepostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/orangeflowerspostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/yellowstarpostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/thinbluelinepostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/slantedgraypostdivider.jpg

http://www.tututina.com/images/pinktrianglepostdivider.jpg

2009-07-27T15:03:00.011-04:00

How to Add Line Dividers Between Posts
Hello everyone! Things have been pretty busy around here but here's a neat blogging secret for you. If you've ever wanted to spruce up your posts, how about putting cute line dividers (like this) between them?

Here's how to do it:

1. Get Crafty!
Create a line divider that compliments your site. When you make yours, be sure it fits the width of your blog post section. The standard width for Blogger's Minima template is 410px (check yours by looking under the # main-wrapper { width html code) . Don't make yours longer than that! I normally make mine 400px for width, and anywhere from 14-30px for height (depending how thick you want your lines). Once you've created one you like, you need to upload your line divider to an image hosting website (your own website, photobucket, etc). Copy the image URL.

2. Get Geeky!
The next step is to log into your blogger account. You're going to be editing your HTML in the Layout section. As always, save a copy of your template before you make any changes! To insert your post divider, find this section in your html code:

.post {
margin: .5em 0 1.5em
border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:1.5em;
}

Once you've located the right spot, replace the above code with this:

.post {
background: url(http://POSTDIVIDERLOCATION.jpg);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: bottom center;
margin:.5em 0 3.5em;
border-bottom:0px dotted $bordercolor;
padding-bottom:1.5em;
}

All you have to do is use your post divider URL and replace it with http://POSTDIVIDERLOCATION.jpg and voila, you've got your own post divider!

More Geeky Notes
You can customize your own spacing!
*The 3.5em for margin is the distance between your last post and your new post. Mine is 3.5em, but you can have less distance (make the number smaller) or more distance (make the number bigger). Play around with it!
**The 1.5em for padding-bottom is the distance your post divider is with the end of your post. Mine is 1.5em. Again, don't be afraid to play around with it!

2009-07-12T14:52:00.003-04:00

Twenty for Twenty Draw Results
Thank you to all who entered our Twenty for Twenty contest! The contest is now closed. The results are in! Congratulations to Emily B! You will receive a Sears $20.00 gift card in the mail. Please send me your full mailing address at tina@mail.tututina.com so I can send the gift your way. But wait, there's more! We still want to thank everyone who left a comment and entered our draw. By way of thanks, we will send each one of you a complimentary $2.00 just for entering! If you entered the draw but didn't leave your paypal email, please send me an email at the above address and we'll send you your free gift. Keep checking back for more giveaways!

2009-07-08T19:07:00.005-04:00

How to Add a Free Counter
If you've ever wanted to know how many people visit your site and how to post that on your blog, let me share with you an easy and free tool that I use. It's called Amazing Counters, and it is so easy to do! They've got tons of number styles for you to choose from. We love this counter (Pencil Handwriting Big): . All you have to do is sign up for your free account, personalize your settings, choose the ad that will be displayed underneath your counter and you'll get the html code for you to insert on your Add a Gadget feature in blogger. It really is that easy!

2009-07-05T21:40:00.010-04:00

A Giveaway!
We are so happy that we've reached 20,000 visits so we are hosting a giveaway! Our twenty for twenty giveaway will give you a chance to receive a $20.00 gift card from Sears (gift card for Canadians only. Contestants outside of Canada will receive $20.00 cash in their Paypal or Alert Pay accounts). We want to thank you just for being apart of our 20,000 visits!

To enter our draw, simply blog about our twenty for twenty giveaway, and leave me a comment letting me know you've entered. You can use this html code to put a button link on your blog:

And it's that easy! Anyone can enter. The deadline for all entries is one week from today: Sunday, July 12th, 2009. Stop by my blog on that day to see if you are the lucky winner. Good luck friends!

2009-07-05T15:24:00.013-04:00

How to Make Your Own Button
This is one of my favourite and most exciting blog secrets to share! You've all seen those fancy buttons with the html code underneath them, right? Well, here's how to make your own!

Design Your Button
The first thing you need to do is find an image for your button. Pick an image that represents your site. You can purchase your own images for cheap on royalty free stock image sites like StockXPert. Alternatively, you can just use text for your button if you'd like! Next, use a photo editing program to personalize your picture. If you don't have a photoediting program, here's one of my secrets for you! If you have a Facebook account, get an application called Picnik (or if you don't have a FB account you can go to their website). Picnik allows you to edit your pictures, resize them and add font to them for free! If you're using this program, you can easily resize your picture to a blogger sized one with a built in resize tool they have. If not, I usually make my buttons 150 x 150 pixels. When you're finished with your picture, save it as a .jpg and it should look something like this:

Share it With Html
Once your button is created, it's time to add the html code underneath. Log into your blogger account, click on Layout, then Page Elements, Add a Gadget, then the Html/Javascript option. Copy and paste this code:

Your picture needs to be hosted somewhere on the internet. So for the yourphotolocationhere, enter the URL of your picture. If you don't have a web hosting site, here's a little trick for you. You can use blogger's hosting service. Go to Layout, Page Elements, then Add a Gadget at the bottom of the page. Choose the Picture option. Upload your picture onto blogger. Once your picture is there, visit your blog and right-click your picture. Click on Properties. Copy the Address (URL) of the picture. And you can paste that address for yourphotolocationhere.

Congratulations, you just made your own button to share!

2009-07-04T16:45:00.020-04:00

How to Create a 3 Column Blog
You might notice while searching for your free backgrounds that some are sorted into two categories: 2 column and 3 column. Right now, your current Minima template on blogger only has 2 columns (you only have one posting section and one sidebar). But when you look at some of the top blogging sites in blogland, you will see most have 3 separate columns (one for posting and two sidebars). Here's how to create a 3 column blog! There are quite a few steps, but the end result is worth it!

1. Sign into blogger and click on Template then Edit Html (before editing you should always save a copy of your template by clicking on Download Full Template).

2. Navigate through the HTML code (you can press Ctrl+ F with keywords) until you find this section:

#sidebar-wrapper { width: 220px; float: right; word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */ overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */ }

3. Highlight this code in your HTML, copy it (Ctrl +C) and paste it (Ctrl + V) directly underneath where you copied it from.

4. From the code you just pasted, change the words that are in blue. Change sidebar-wrapper to left-sidebar-wrapper, and right to left. Your code should end up looking like this:

#sidebar-wrapper { width: 220px; float: right; word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */ overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */}

#left-sidebar-wrapper { width: 220px; float: left ; word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */ overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */ }

5. Next, scroll down until you see in the Footer section of the code:

<takethisoutdiv id="'main-wrapper'">

6. Paste this code immediately before the one you found above and remove takethisout:

<takethisoutdiv id='left-sidebar-wrapper'>

7. Find this section in your html:

/* Outer-Wrapper ----------------------------------------------- */ #outer-wrapper { width: 660px; margin:0 auto; padding:10px; text-align:left; font: $bodyfont; }

8. Change the value in blue from 660px to 900px.

9. Find this section in your html and add the code you see in blue to it:

#main-wrapper { width: 410px; float: left; margin-left: 20px; word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */ overflow: hidden; /* fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */ }

10. That's it! Click Save. And you should see your template has changed to 3 columns.

2009-07-04T15:36:00.021-04:00

How To Get Your Blog Just Right!
Hello fellow bloggers! I've been introduced to the world of blogging and Html a little while back and wanted to share with you all a series of posts dedicated to learning the tips and tricks of the blogging community!

It isn't easy starting off in this world called blogger. It takes much time to learn everything you can do! Along the way I've found plenty of resources that I want to share with all of you. This post is dedicated to one of the most important things: your blog design!

All About Backgrounds
A background is one of the first things a visitor sees. It should sum up what your site is all about! There's tons of blog backgrounds out there that are totally free for you to use! Most of the blog backgrounds requires your template to be on Minima.

To change your template to Minima, sign into Blogger, click on Layout, then Pick New Template. Pick the first thumbnail created by Douglas Bowman. Choose the first Minima option. It should look like this:

O Minima
O Minima Dark
O Minima Blue
O Minima Orchard

Get Free Backgrounds
Next, you are ready to start looking for backgrounds! These are my favourite sites (I've tested them all out) to find top quality, free backgrounds:

Shabby Blogs has one of the best crafted and nicest looking blogs! They feature white middles, perfect if you upload lots of pictures on your blog. Our blog background comes from this site! Here's a sample or two!

The Cutest Blog on the Block is one of the most popular blogging sites for free backgrounds. They've got tons and tons of pages! Check out some of the designs.

Scrap-e-blog has tons of wonderful, scrapbook inspired blogs! Take a peek at some of them!

Simply Chic also has tons of cute blogs! You will need to edit your HTML code in your actual template to use her blog backgrounds (don't worry she explains how to do this on her site), but they are definitely worth a look!

Change your Background
Finally, the last thing you need to know about backgrounds is how to change yours! It's simple! Most of these sites will give you the Html code to put onto blogger. First, copy the Html code (Ctrl + C, or highlight the code and right-click and press copy). Second, navigate on blogger by clicking on:
Layout, then Page Elements, then Add a Gadget, then the Html/Javascript option. Finally, just paste the codes (Ctrl + V, or right-click and press paste) from the following websites into the box, click Save and voila, instant prettiness!