1 Kanal Corner Plot @ 2 House Design Lahore Beautiful House 1 Kanal Modern 3D Front elevation.com - Dimentia

Thoughts on blog monetization in Canada

My mind is still working away from last Saturday and the conversation of monetizing blogs. It's a hot topic and there are a lot of varying opinions out there. For the evening read, here are two posts I really like that I think pose two unique views:  Is your Blog the Show or the Commercial and On Privilege and "Selling Out".

At BlogPodium Nicole's keynote talk was perfect - it gave a great insight into the different ways that a blogger can make some money from blogging. What I really loved was that Nicole shared that she too was struggling to find a balance with sponsored posts - asking the audience what they felt the appropriate number of sponsored posts in a month was. After Nicole we had the panel of Canadian contributors (myself included) that offered insight into the Canadian Blogging world and monetization.

Although I think the panel touched on a lot info for the new bloggers (like getting product in kind, what bloggers charge for advertising) I'm not sure the insights from the panel were deep enough well established bloggers who really want to hear how to make a living from their blogging. For that, I've written some thoughts.


Thought #1 - You can't make a living from your blog
I'll be honest. I think that in Canada you can profit from having a blog I don't think you can make a living from having a blog. We see a lot of US bloggers making substantial incomes from blogging - Affiliate links, sponsored posts - it appears very lucrative. Unfortunately, I don't see the same opportunities for Canadian Bloggers. Even though the web breaks down borders - companies and their advertising budgets are more concentrated in the USA. Tides may shift over time but I really don't see us as having the same opportunities for profit. I think this something that as a Canadian blogger we should take some comfort in as it relieves the pressure to feel like we have to accept sponsored posts if they aren't a good fit, or even accept ANY payment. I know I'm not making a living from my blog so heck, I'll post away and do whatever pleases me.

Thought #2 - Do you want a blog, or a website
On the thought from # 1 - If you're going into blogging with the sole purpose of making a living from it, I would encourage you to reconsider whether a blog is really what you want. Perhaps it's a website that you should do with a good business plan. If you're starting a blog with the mindset of making money, I just think you're going down the wrong path.

Thought #3 - A blog can significantly support your business
Although I don't think you can make a living from your blog in Canada, I do think you can use it to significantly support your business. My shop is lightly connected to this blog, and there is no doubt that the press and traffic from my blog influences the sales in my shop.

Thought #4- Not everything is about money
Work with brands that you love. Post about them. Working with brands is not about profiting from brands.

Anyways,  that's it. I really encourage you to read those two posts : Is your Blog the Show or the Commercial and On Privilege and "Selling Out" that I felt were thought provoking. Obviously you know where I sit on the fence, I think monetization of a blog is fine ... if done properly. ;)

Hope some of this sparks some thought. xo Linds
Ps., I should update this post to reflect that I'm applying my thoughts to the Design & Decor and possibly even as wide as Lifestyle blogs in the Canadian market. I'm not familiar with how lucrative Mommy or Fashion blogs are.

kitchen progress

Aubrey took down the upper cabinets! We posted the cabinets on Craigslist and found someone that just wanted to buy the uppers. So much better than seeing them go to the dump. Baby steps!

Tivoli Audio

One thing I'm really looking forward to is "accessorizing" the new kitchen. One thing that is on my wish list  is a Tivoli radio that I heard about from Lesley (@smidgeboxdesign). Do you have a radio in your kitchen? I think it may be quite nice to put some classical on very softly at night, or listen to conversations on the CBC. Anyhow, just a little product love. xo Lindsay

Synnöve Mork

J'ai posté sur facebook aujourd'hui le lien vers une belle maison de campagne sur Gotland, cette île magnifique dans la mer Baltique. Ce soir, je tombe sur des nouvelles photos de la  maison de vacances de Synnöve Mork, designer et styliste suédoise, située sur Gotland aussi. Alors voilà, encore un endroit où je passerais volontiers mes vacances!
(Vous vous souvenez peut-être du superbe travail de Synnöve ici et ici, sur les deux dernières expos thématiques au salon Formex).

Et en parlant de facebook, vous êtes maintenant plus de 2000 à me suivre! (en fait, depuis quelques semaines déjà, mais j'ai un peu de retard... :) ) Waouh, je n'en reviens toujours pas, MERCI! ♥

I posted on facebook today the link to a gorgeous country home on Gotland, this magnificent island in the Baltic sea. Tonight I stumbled upon new photos from the summer home of Synnöve Mork, Swedish designer and stylist, also situated on Gotland. So here's another place where I wouldn't mind spending my holidays!
(You might remember some of Synnöve's great work from here and here, on the last two theme exhibitions at the Formex fair). 

And speaking about facebook, you are now more than 2000 following me there! (actually since a few weeks already, but I'm a bit late... :) ) Wow, still can't believe it, THANK YOU! ♥

Source Lantliv / photo Katarina Grip Höök

lost in a sea of boxes + selling my art

Excuse the radio silence today. I'm lost in a sea of boxes as we pack up the kitchen to prepare for demo. I'm also lost in a sea of laundry as I pack to move into my Mom's house with Oscar. (While Aubrey stays here to renovate) I've closed my shop for a few weeks which has relieved some of the pressure. I hate closing my shop but I just needed to unplug for a bit.

As I'm running around like a crazy person, I've forgotten to mention that I'm thinking of selling the huge piece of art that painted for our living room. It's 40" x 40" and although I'm slightly attached to it, it's huge, and I would love it to be in a home where someone loves it and can enjoy. I just have a really hard time staring at my own artwork. Shoot me an e-mail to lindsaystephenson[at]hotmail.com if you're interested. Sadly, I can't ship this lovely so either pick up from my house in Toronto or I could have it couriered outside of the city. xo Linds

Update: Ok, I got a crazy amount of e-mails. I'm not sure why I didn't just post the price in the post. Nothing secretive about it ... I'm selling it for $500 which I appreciate is out of budget for some but based on the size I think it's pretty fairly priced. xo

Picking Handles

We're back to picking elements for the kitchen as we get closer to the demo date. We're now deciding on cabinetry hardware.

I think hardware is a huge factor in determining the style of your kitchen.  Because of how much I think it affects the look of the room, and how much touching it gets - it is one of the areas that I would consider splurging on. The thing is - once you've drilled those holes for the hardware, you're not going to do it over again, so I wanted to make sure that we picked the right handles. I'm staying away from Ikea accessories so that our kitchen doesn't look like it came out of a catalogue. In fact the only Ikea thing in our kitchen will be the cabinetry.

I've realized there is a lot of choice whe picking hardware. Finish. Size. Style. The first thing I did was I studied what my Mom had, because I really love her kitchen. (See the pictures above that I snapped when visiting last) Nothing wrong from studying what others have done. ;)

The first decision was the style of handle we would go with. My Mom has the exact same handles on the uppers as the lower cabinetry - which I love. Many people go for "knobs" on the uppers but I find them too small. So I knew right away that I wanted handles.

I'm gravitating to the finish of "polished nickle" as there is a beautiful warmth to the finish compared to chrome that feels a bit too cold and modern for me. This finish is a bit harder to find in a big box store so I headed to Upper Canada Hardware here in Toronto. Although many of you recommended buying online, I really need to hold something in my hand to see how it feels, to see the finish. So off to the specialty shop I went.

Instantly I fell for the Studio line Hickory Hardware that I've shown above. Isn't it gorgeous? I ordered samples and when they arrived I placed it on the Ikea cabinet door I carry around with me....

Sold. LOVE it!!! Isn't it gorgeous? It totally makes the cabinet door look like it's custom. We've decided to go for this line, next up is figuring out how many handles we need and what sizes. :-) Prices for the hardware varies but is approximately $8 -$14 as the size goes up. For my USA readers I've seen the prices as low as $6.50 but in Canada we're a bit more expensive.

Happy Birthday, Oscar

Two years ago, I became a Mom -  today is Oscar's second birthday. Although there are a lot of memories and emotions that could be documented, one of my favourite memories was seeing Aubrey with Oscar minutes after his birth.

A few days before Oscar's arrival Aubrey had casually said in passing that he had never changed a diaper. Perhaps he was nervous, or just commenting that he'd have to learn. But minutes after his birth I watched Aubrey from across the room putting a diaper on our little boy. I knew right there that we'd just figure it out. And since that moment Aub and I have been figuring things out together.  So today I will be celebrating my sweet little boy that made Aubrey and I parents. xo Linds

Effet "dip dye"... encore

Les paniers de Martha continuent à inspirer... voici la version IKEA, tout aussi sympa! "Dip-dying" (plonger l'objet dans la peinture) et toujours le moyen le plus simple de donner un coup de neuf à vos paniers d'été. On peut aussi utiliser un rouleau mousse si on n'a pas assez de peinture, ou si on veut peindre certaines parties du panier, comme sur celui de gauche.

Martha's baskets continue to inspire... this is the IKEA version, just as nice! Dip-dying is still the easiest way of updating your summer baskets. You can also use a foam brush if you don't have enough paint or if you want to paint certain parts of the basket, like on the one to the left.

Source IKEA Livet hemma / photo Roland Persson

Summer mix

... parce que c'est bien l'été là, non? :)

... because summer's here now, right? :)

 Source 1.3.4. Plaza Interiör / styling Anna Mård / photo Karin Foberg, 2.5.7.10. Bakers Royale, 6. IKEA, 8. Daniella Witte, 9.10 Hus & hem / photo Peter Carlsson

questions?

If you were at BlogPodium, you'll know I'm pretty open with sharing information about my blog, what I charge, how I monetize, whether you should always charge (I don't think you should) and so on. I don't really talk about it much on my blog because I don't know if you want to know that kind of stuff. If you do have questions, let me know. For example, how do companies find me to do product sponsorship? A lot of the time I'm reaching out to them. So there is a lot of work that goes into the brand + blogger connection. Anyhow, just throwing it out there that if you have any questions that didn't get addressed at the panel, let me know! (Either by commenting below, or you can shoot me an e-mail)  xo Linds

Photo via Mango Studios

News: This Blog Wins a Spot on the Top 100 List

Home Decorating and Staging, a site for DIY fanatics, writes about
easy ways to declutter, so you can end up with a look like this,
from Better Homes and Gardens.

Don’t you love receiving an email that starts out, “We are pleased to inform you …”

I mean one that’s not from Nigeria.

I won an award. An organization that’s a clearing house of information for people in the construction management field, named this blog one of the “Top 100 DIY Sites for Home Improvement Fanatics.”

Fanatics? Whatever!

It's always a perk to be given some recognition, and in this case, especially so. 

I’m very flattered, because it’s obvious that the association Construction Management Degree did exhaustive research for the benefit of their readers. 

Not only does the published list name the best sites, but it also gives a brief profile of the 100 prize-winners. Some sites will be familiar, but many will be eye-opening ones new to you! You’ll find listed the specialty of each, the author, how to connect through social media, and links to two notable posts. Sweet! Someone did all your homework for you!

The list is in no particular order, but there are six categories: general remodeling; interior decorating; kitchens and baths; office and work spaces; landscaping and exterior (where I ended up for some reason); and basements, storage and closets.  

What this means to you is that by visiting Construction Management Degree.com you can jump to all kinds of really instructive and inspiring sites for DIY projects.  You’ll find nuts-and-bolts-type advice and money-saving tips.   

The site is designed to guide people towards the best schools offering degrees in construction management. The database includes both campus colleges and online schools. The site also steers folks in the direction of forums, message boards, organizations, websites, and blogs packed with helpful info for anyone in the construction business. I know you’ll find something special that hits the proverbial nail on the proverbial head!

I love a website that is loaded with links to fascinating sources, but is still easy to read and navigate. This one does just that. Whether you are a DIYer, a decorator, a renovator or remodeler, a builder or a homeseller, you're bound to found numerous links to bookmark.

Here is a typical blog post about decluttering from a site called Home Decorating and Staging. You'll discover a wealth of posts bound to educate you on Alex Hinst's site. 

Another site that site that stood out for me, about décor and remodeling, is this one about a bath makeover. Plenty of inspiration and ideas on this site.

You can easily jump to a video of Danny Lipford showing how to remove mold from a home's exterior. Or learn how to turn affordable IKEA furniture into genuine home improvements that look custom.

I'm a big fan of Family Handyman, the magazine, and I'm not surprised that the website made the list. It's a goldmine of well-illustrated step-by-steps that walk you through projects like how to remodel a bath on a shoestring, and the right way to add a wall sconce.

You can fill up on eye candy at Mix and Chic, learn what to plant where at Fine Gardening, and research a host of DIY tutorials for stylish decor projects at The House of Smiths.  See, I've done even more of your homework for you!

You don't have to be a fanatic to have as much fun as I did learning about some new places to bring you up to speed on what’s new and clever in the world of DIY home improvement.

And you don't have to be a fanatic to download your copy of my $5 eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar. Just someone who wants to make a home more marketable.

   

BlogPodium wrap up....

For the past five months Jen and I have been planning our second BlogPodium and Saturday was the big day. :) This event was twice the size of our first event, and quadruple the amount of planning. The topic of this event was "The Business of Blogging" There was a panel discussion, keynote speech from Nicole from Making it Lovely, and a Vendor Meet & Greet after the event.

This time I was actually on the panel. Being on the panel was a bit funny for me as I'm by no means an expert on blogging - I actually profit very little from my blog, and I actually don't intend on making my blog my business. However I do profit enough to make my blogging worthwhile and I see huge value in having a blog. I think where I come into the discussion is that I'm also a business owner, and I know that when my product is featured on the right blog, it directly affects sales. So I know the connection of blogger + brands is a poweful relationship.

I've been enjoying reading through the twitter feed to see how people liked the event. (Which made me smile) Here are some photos from the event but you can see more on the BlogPodium Flickr site or check out Mango Studios for all of the AWESOME photobooth shots!! They are so hilarious!

And now, Aubrey and I gear up for the kitchen demo that starts this week. Because we're crazy like that.

xo Lindsay

Krista Keltanen

L'autre jour, je suis tombée sur le blog photo de la photographe finlandaise Krista Keltanen, et j'ai trouvé plein de belles images! Les photos ci-dessous sont des photos d'intérieurs de différentes maisons, mais vous en trouverez plein d'autres sur son blog et sur son site.

J'espère que vous profitez tous du même temps chaud et ensoleillé que nous avons ici à Paris ce weekend!


I stumbled upon Finnish photographer Krista Keltanen's photo blog the other day and found loads of beautiful pictures! These photos below are all interior pics from different homes, but you'll find lots more on her blog and on her website.


I hope you're all enjoying the same warm and sunny weather that we're having here in Paris this weekend!

Photo Krista Keltanen