Huge Blogger Template + Custom Design Sale

Seeing as you have the internet, you'll know that today is the first day of SUMMER! This Summer I have a ton of trips planned, which is the biggest reason I'm not skipping out on Summer fun this year. CB and I leave for Virginia Beach next Wednesday night, and will be planning on staying in and taking it easy until then to save up some extra money. 

With that said, I've found myself with some extra time on my hands at night and on the weekend! I want to HAVE A FULL CUSTOM BLOG DESIGN + TEMPLATE SALE! I almost never do this, but for the next 48 hours, all of my templates and custom blog designs will be 40% off!!!!! 

At this very moment, I don't have a waiting list for custom blog designs or for templates!! First come, first serve. My templates all include FREE INSTALLATION as well!! The colors can also be changed on MOST of my templates. I've listed them all below, and denoted those that have customizable colors! 

*NOTE*

ALL TEMPLATES INCLUDE FREE INSTALLATION!!!

Use Code VTIMSALE at checkout to take 40% off everything in my shop! 
*offer expires June 22 at 10am CST

Fashion Junction

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live! 

Collective Dots

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

Stripes Cross Stripes

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

Style For Miles

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

Yellow Rescue

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

All Of The Love

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

The Happiest of Hours

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

This Sick Blog

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

Splatter Brained

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

Slide it to the Left

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

Pastels and Paint

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

Goal Digger

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

Click HERE to see it live!

The Light House

Reg: $39 Sale Price: $23.40

*Colors CAN be customized
Click HERE to see it live!

The Errything Custom Blog Design

Reg: $179 Sale Price: $107.40

Most Recent Custom Blog Designs
Click HERE to see FULL PORTFOLIO!
The Girl Who Loved to Write

Dani Arizona

If you have any questions at all on the process or whatever, don't hesitate to leave a comment below or shoot me an email! Sale prices will END Wednesday at 10am!! 

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Essential Tools Every Blogger and Small Business Owner Needs + A Giveaway

There are certain tools you had no idea you needed when you first started blogging. These tools will make your life easier, will make your blog money, will increase your page views and will take your blog to the next level. If you feel like you're stuck on a blogging plateau, it is time to step up your blogging game with these essential tools that every blogger and small business owner needs.

This graphic below is the perfect example, I made it using images from this site, but more on that in a moment.  

1. Dropbox I could not function without Dropbox. I have the paid version which offers you a terabyte of space. I'm not sure if you're able to wrap your head around just how much space that is, I know I can't. Here are all of the things that I use Dropbox for, and don't even come close to filling that space. 

       As an External Hard Drive 

I don't keep a single file on my actual computer. Dropbox has an app that allows you to access your account as if it was just another file on your computer. So when you go to open a file, this is what you'll see: 

 As an Automatic Backup for my iPhone Camera Roll As soon as I take a picture (or video!!) on my iPhone, it is placed in my dropbox. If you're like me, your phone gets full with just one video. With automatic backups, you'll be able to take more pictures and more videos because storage won't be an issue. 
Access Files From any Computer I have a desktop and a laptop. Anything I do on my laptop is automatically accessible on my desktop at home. 

2. Adobe Photoshop

I'm about to blow your mind. Adobe Creative Suite with Photoshop is no longer over a thousand dollars anymore. You can now get the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, plus Adobe Lightroom for $9.99 a month.

I said, TEN DOLLARS a month. For flipping Photoshop! This previously cost over $1000.

Boom, your blog's graphics and photos are about to go to the next level. 

3. Take a Photography Class, Replace Your Kit Lens

Just like a lot of bloggers, my first purchase to help the blog was a DSLR. The problem though? My pictures looked no different from my iPhone. Two things totally changed my blog's photography. 
I took a Class Use Groupon or Living Social and take a 4 hour photography class where they'll show you how to use your camera in manual mode. I wouldn't recommend an online class, photography needs to be taught in a hands-on environment. Everything I know about my camera I learned in that 4 hour photo class I spent $49 on. I'd have paid $59 but don't tell them that. 
I Bought this Lens Now I'm no expert photographer, but I do know this lens never comes off my camera. Your iPhone will NOT compare to the photos that come from using that lens. At $125 (compared to thousands for other lenses) it won't break the bank. Perfect for someone needing to up their blog photo game. 

4. Buy Photoshop Actions You know the photo editing app for your phone, Afterlight? Well, Photoshop Actions are like that only a million times more powerful. Actions are packs of pre-made filters that will make your pictures look amazing. 
It literally could not be easier to use them in Photoshop. You simply press play. No joke, you buy them, download them, and press play. 
Here is an example. This photo below is the raw image that came from my camera. Looks pretty nice already...

But then you press that play button on the right side of your screen and BAM! Your photo is 100 times better. 

I'll probably work on a slightly more in-depth tutorial on how to use actions, but until then allow me to recommend some you must buy ASAP. I have all of these from A Beautiful Mess! 

5. Graphic Stock Every single post you write needs a post summary image listed before any other image. Just like the first image on this post, which I made using this site. 
I don't care if you're writing a post about weight loss, or blogging, or sports, or your weekend, sum it up with an image. That first image will be the picture shown on Bloglovin, and it will be the image your readers Pin on Pinterest. 
I use a lot of stock photos for my main image, since I don't always own a fitness picture or a nice image of a styled desk. I personally have the paid subscription to Graphic Stock, but they do also offer a free subscription which you can find here. 
Why I like them over other stock photography sites, is because you get unlimited downloads, and access to over 250,000 graphics, backgrounds, icons and images. The site I used before them required that you pay per image, which added up very quickly. 
I've actually partnered with them to give away a one year membership to Graphic Stock absolutely free to one of my readers.
 To win all you have to do is: 
1. Click Here and check out the 5 categories in the top left
2. Leave a comment telling me which of those five topics you'd use the most on your blog
3. Like this post on Bloglovin


One thing that doesn't cost anything at all is to get a blogging bestie, Helene and I collaborate on posts all the time. Check out her post on this same topic, where she offers 8 totally different tools every blogger needs! 

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Desktop // iPhone Background Freebie + A Crap Shoot

Download for iPhone

Download for Desktop // Laptop - Black

Download for Desktop // Laptop - White

Download for Ipad

And in a totally unrelated note, as in, could not be more unrelated, I bought a pooper scooper yesterday off Amazon. Normally my poop scooping related purchases stay pretty hush hush around these parts -- per General's request, he is really shy about his poops even though I always reassure him that everybody poops, not just him -- but this is not your ordinary pooper scooper. The reviews on this particular model were excellent. I couldn't believe how many people were so overwhelmed by a poop shoveling device, that the decided to leave lengthy reviews. 

I decided to read one, and it was the best decision I made all day long. But don't take my word for it, here, just read it....

Someone get this guy a career in writing pooper scooper reviews. Although, I think that just translates to-- Someone get this guy a blog! 

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Be The Adventurous Type // iPhone + Desktop Background Freebie //

  I stumbled on this quote earlier and it really resonated with me. You can go through life being pessimistic, or you can go through life saying, "Heck, sure I'll try that, why not!" I sure had a really rough time for the first year and a half after moving from Knoxville to Dallas. I looked at going out solo and being social in a city where I knew no one, as an ordeal rather than an adventure. Once I was brave and finally put the adventure mindset in place, life changed. 
In Sex and the City, Charlotte tells Carrie she is terrified of being so happy, because no one gets everything they want. Maybe this quote is actually the key to getting everything you want. When you turn things into an adventure, you suddenly realize the things you want start to appear in places you never expected or even knew about. 
Be brave, have an adventure, not an ordeal. 


If you download this for your phone or desktop,  I would be your best friend forever and ever if you would pin that image above! 
Desktop Background // download here // iPhone Background // download here //

***Note** Remember that with the iPhone5, your wallpaper will get distorted if you don't have "reduce motion" turned on. To turn "reduce motion" on:

Settings --- General --- Accessibility --- Scroll down and click "Reduce Motion"--- turn that ON

If you want to Instagram this (psshht, who wouldn't?!)...  Here ya go! Just save the image to your camera roll!

 

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Because You Need a New Blogger Template Installed Right Away...

I thought I would take today to update you guys on some new templates in the shop, because my psychic abilities are telling me, "You need a new template installed right away...!!" (Am I correct?!?)
As you may know, I do offer custom blog designs over in my design studio Social&Chic, but since I work a full-time job and can only work on designs after work, I am starting to venture more to the template side of blog designing. I of course still offer the full custom blog design option, but templates are really a win win for everyone, because they are way less expensive and it comes with free installation! I can do installations in my sleep, they are kinda like doing math, once you do one, you've got the formula to do a million with ease, but I can't design from scratch in my sleep. That requires a lot of time and second guessing myself. So voila... templates for the win! 
I showed off the first six templates I began offering in this post, but I've added a few more since then. I'm also very willing to discuss changing any color combinations for you, free of charge. 

Slide it to the Left Blogger Template  ::: FEATURING THE VERY POPULAR IMAGE SLIDER! ::: Great for fashion bloggers wanting to showcase their favorite photos. 
// Click to view this template in action // // Click for pricing and to purchase //

Yellow Rescue Blogger Template 
// Click to view this template in action // // Click for pricing and to purchase //

This Sick Blog Blogger Template 
// Click to view this template in action // // Click for pricing and to purchase //

 The Happiest of Hours Blogger Template 
// Click to view this template in action // // Click for pricing and to purchase //
I also have a few prints for sale in the shop as well. They are all 8x10 prints on 110lb matte paper. Click each image to view directly in my Etsy shop! 

The last print shown, the team print, will be customized for your favorite teams, and comes in two options: 16x20 poster or an 8x10 print. You will be able to review a mockup before it goes to print!
And for those of you that follow me on instagram, and were asking where I got my phone case, it can be found in my spreadshirt shop, here! 

While we are on the topic of Etsy, check out my besties brand new shop launch (just as of this week!!) Texas Forever! She has the cutest T-shirts, all priced perfectly, for everyone from the Texas dweller to the wine-o! Because, wine. Or, Wine Not? as Helene would say! 
Let's just keep spreading the blog-land love shall we? I've got my girl Rachael back today! Last time she came over for a visit, we did a quick little QandA, but now she is back with a little more info about what it is like being an American in China! Heck, and here I thought I moved far when I left Knoxville for Dallas.....
----- Hey girl, hey!  It's Rachael here from The Rachael Way.  On my blog you'll find details about my expat adventures, life in China, dating disasters, blogging tips and tricks and those real and authentic posts that (hopefully!) you can relate to.

As mentioned before, I am currently living in Shanghai, China teaching middle schoolers what a noun is and how to read a map (read: English and Geography).  My experience here has been nothing short of amazing, and for the most part, the transition has not been too difficult.   I want  | Walmart |  I mean, it's weird in the US right? You have to check out my post to really see what Walmart in China is like! | Split Pants | It's just like what it sounds... instead of wearing diapers, (some)
babies have split pants, which means there is literally just a "split"
down the crack so they can pee in the streets #nojoke | Traveling | So far I've only made it to Beijing, but I have plans to visit
Thailand, maybe Tokyo, and other parts of China!  And yes, the
Great Wall rocked. | Adorable Asian babies |

Hi, my name is Rachael, and I have a problem of taking pictures with adorable Asian children.  It's not seen as creepy to wave to them and say  "Ni Hao!" and take a picture with them.  At least I
haven't gotten in trouble yet.  What can I say, I like to live on the edge. Want more from me? (you know you do!) Come say hi or tweet me!

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Get Em While They're Hot!

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  /// Click to View A Live Demo ///     No need to adjust your computer screen, Social&Chic is back in business after a 9 month hiatus. 

Although I will only be accepting a certain amount of new clients each month for custom blog designs, I will be selling templates (shown above) that include full installation in the price of each blog design. 
I'm including full installation for a few reasons:   1. Protection for your blog Say you make one wrong move when installing your .XML template file, and you never backed up your original blog. You're screwed.    2. Customization Just For You I will design and replace the "About Me" Gadget wording, The Header and Nav Bar Links, and the social media icons SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR BLOG! 
3. I don't want my designs getting all jacked up Hey, in the spirit of full disclosure right? I win, you win! 
And yes, all of that is included in the cost of each template. I will be releasing new templates often, and will alert you at the bottom of a regularly scheduled blog posts as I do so! 
You can also purchase additional elements for your Social&Chic blogger template, such as buttons, post signature and social media covers, at a discounted rate of just $9/each. 
I am also now taking clients for custom blog designs! I do work a full-time job and am only able to work on designs after work. I will be only be taking 10 clients each month, so I can have a reasonable turnover time.  To see my rates and options for a custom blog design click here.  For my portfolio, click here. To see a hilarious GIF that has nothing to do with this post, click here.  So go get errything while they're hot! (jk, lol, lylas... they'll always be hot!) 
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And you ready for the BEST PART?!?! I've got one of those templates of your choosing, for sale in Helene's Blog Auction today! And I started the bidding at just $1.... ONE DOLLAR, I TELL YOU! 

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