Photos by Anna M. Maynard

It’s hard to believe that in a couple days I’ll be getting on a plane to Brooklyn to work at the HMBA Live event! I’m so excited to meet women who I’ve only connected with online IN PERSON, help to put on an awesome live event and of course see a little bit of Brooklyn too!! I’ve already started packing my carry on bag for the trip!

Along with all my technology and skull candies in tow…I try to always like to pack a small notebook in case I want to write down ideas along the way. I never travel without my BKR water bottle…gotta stay hydrated! Annnd never forget business cards on any trip! You never know who you will run into! Other little things pictured are my new sunnies & a tube of lip gloss!

Now, trying to decide what kind of plane food I should take! Any suggestions?

Have you been thinking about creating a new website that shines, but you just don’t know WHERE to start? Today I’m going to share with you my Top Five Resources for Website Inspiration!

Before you can make any headway for your brand new beautiful site you have to know what you want. I have been designing websites for quite a while now and I have clients all the time who come to me with little to no idea about what their site should look like…they just know that they want a CHANGE. When this happens I always direct their attention to the following sites and they come back overflowing with ideas and inspiration! I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your new online space.

 Now, go check out these sites and even if you LOVE your site now, I bet you’ll find a couple things you might like to add or revamp! Need help making a couple changes? Let us know!

www.courtney-pearce.com/contact

I’m so honored to be sharing a post on Courtney’s blog today. I love Courtney’s passion for making things pretty online. I share the same passion but don’t have a design bone in my body so she is my go-to girl and I am so grateful to have her on my team.

My passion is healthy eating… I love to help YOU make time for self-care and fall in love with healthy cooking and eating. If you are feeling exhausted and sick all the time, it might be as simple as changing what’s on your fork.

Right about now, some of you might be thinking… see you later, I hate to cook and I don’t want to hear this but stick with me…OK?

 If you are a rockstar entrepreneur, ready to change the world with your big ideas…you’ve got to be healthy to really shine.

Now, I know making changes to your diet and lifestyle can be daunting. I love to help clients ease into it. So much of it is tuning into your own body and starting to listen to the signals it’s giving you. Do you feel congested every time you eat dairy? Do you crash everyday at 2pm and desperately need a nap?  Do you get bloated and gassy when you have bread with dinner?

Your body is brilliant and it’s telling you everything you need to know. It’s time to tune in! A great strategy is to ease into it or test the waters so to speak.  Try doing a 10 day whole foods detox and see how you feel. You can do anything for 10 days, right?

 If you want to see how good you can feel– create your own whole foods detox by doing the following for 7-10 days:

1. Ditch the processed foods and eat mostly (or only) plant-based foods. This means eats lots of veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Eliminate (or greatly reduce) meat, dairy, eggs and fish. Plant-based foods are easier to digest which equals more energy. Plus they are rich in fiber which helps “clean you out” so to speak.
2. Eliminate the 3 foods that are known to cause inflammation. Sugar, gluten (wheat), and dairy. These foods may be wreaking havoc in your body and causing symptoms like migraines, GI issues, fatigue, joint pain, allergies, and skin issues. I found this in myself and see it all the time with my clients.
3. Have 1 blended meal a day– this can be a smoothie, a freshly-pressed juice, or a blended soup. This gives your GI tracts a break and lets your liver get to work detoxing your body. Plus you can pack a ton of nutrition into your blender!

Committing to a detox or cleanse is empowering. It’s your chance to SAY YES to ourself and find out how good you can feel. If you are interested in getting support doing a detox, I offer a program called Delicious Detox that starts on April 10th. You’ll be achieving the 3 things I mentioned above without having to do a bunch of research or pour over cookbooks because I’ve done all the work for you with meals plans and a shopping guide.

And as a special offer to Courtney’s tribe, if you sign up…you’ll get a special bonus gift! A copy of Crazy, Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. Kris is one of my teachers and her book is full of inspiration and fantastic recipes. 

Just leave a comment on Courtney’s blog about signing up for the detox or email me to let me know and I’ll drop the book in the mail to you. The early bird investment ends on Wednesday so if you are interested, check it out at: http://www.elevateyourwellness.com/GetEnergized/

I’d love to have you join me!

Shine Bright,

Caroline

Caroline is a full-time health coach and yoga teacher. She blogs at www.elevateyourwellness.com 

Hi lovely readers! Thanks for stopping by! Facebook has rolled out two new features that you absolutely NEED to know about if you have a page for your business.

1.The ability to try out THREADED COMMENTS on your business Facebook page using the “Reply” button.

This is EXCELLENT news because a. It will allow for the page owner and readers to respond to individual comments without doing the awkward @insert-name-here annoyance! Woohoo! This makes conversations on Facebook so much easier to follow and get involved in. Go Facebook!

To turn on replies for your Page:

Click “Edit Page” located in the Admin Panel | Go to “Manage Permissions” | Select “Turn On Replies.”

The before and after of Amanda’s Facebook Page with tabs created by YGHP!

2. Facebook is now allowing Call to Actions in Cover Photos! In the past, Facebook would not allow:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40 percent off” or “Download it at our website.”
• Contact information of any sort, like a website address or email address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section.
• References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share,” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features.
• Calls-to-action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends.”

The policy has been loosened somewhat and replaced with the following single paragraph:

“All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20 percent text.”

This means you can now place CALLS TO ACTION, website addresses, special deals & discounts in your Facebook Cover Photo! And that sounds like good business to me.

It’s official! Courtney and YGHP are design Rock Stars! Thank you for making my FB page shine! And what a joy Courtney is to work with! I highly recommend her! Thanks again! -Sami G

TAKE ACTION STEP:

If you need help revamping your Facebook Page with custom graphics…YGHP is offering a package deal!! Get YGHP to design your Facebook Cover & up to SIX custom Facebook Tabs for only $137! We’ll make sure to hook you up with the best Facebook Apps and include clear calls to action to get your Facebook Page building your online community and selling your stuff 24/7! If you’re interested in taking advantage of this awesome deal and getting your Facebook page glamorized for spring, sign up here for this offer! http://www.courtney-pearce.com/virtual-assistance/

We had the absolute pleasure of working with the ladies behind Lucky Penny, a popular boutique in Boone, North Carolina. During the revamping of their site, I had the opportunity to take photos of my favorite boutique! These ladies really know what’s trendy, unique and fabulous in the fashion world. I don’t think I have ever walked out of LP without buying something wonderful.

Here’s a little glimpse into their shop!
The unveiling of their new website and our design inspirations will be coming this week!

For now, let’s go to fashion heaven.

Is Lucky Penny not the cutest boutique you have ever seen? If you’re in Boone, be sure to check it out if you haven’t already! I am sure you will find someone you love inside!

All photos taken by Melissa Vega

Within the last couple years, Foursquare has grown from six million users to over 30 million… and I have become one of those new users. Initially started as a “game”, Foursquare has challenged companies like Yelp! by integrating ratings, tips, photos, Facebook, Twitter, checking in, networking, gaming and finding new places all into one.

At first, I thought Foursquare was crossing the line of too much information, but for the right users and uses, it can benefit both a company and individual.

Foursquare is for:
+ recommendations, tips and ratings for places from friends or other users
+ reaping rewards for checking in
+ connecting with companies, friends and other users
+ keeping track of where you’ve been and where you want to go
+ exploring new spots recommendation just for you

LISTS: This option on Foursquare allows you to save places to a list to organize your favorite places or keep track of where you want to go. You can follow other people’s lists and save them for future references. I have seen lists as specific as “Best Sushi in Raleigh” to “My Favorite Spots in Boston”.

SPECIALS: By becoming “mayor” (individual who has checked in the most within the last 60 days) of a place or merely by checking in, you are eligible for “specials”. These are notated by orange ribbon that shows up next to the business. Some businesses offer coupons for checking in, special deals on items or even free food! (Yeah, I like the last one ;])

TIPS: You can leave tips for businesses and read about what other people are saying. I like to support my favorite places by leaving feedback. I like to check out what other people are recommending and saying.

EXPLORE BUTTON: One of the best ways to search new restaurants in your surrounding area and see what Foursquare recommends. Each  business page is equipped with contact information, hours, directions, ratings, category, photos, and more that makes everything easier for you!

BADGES: This is the “game” part of Foursquare, which I secretly love. When you go to a certain amount of categories, check into sponsored events/businesses or achieve goals on Foursquare, you can unlock badges. These are like your little souvenirs of the different places you have gone to. Foursquare also has a “point” system where you get points for every check in, badge or mayorship you obtain. The more points you have, the higher you are ranked among your friends.

If you have Foursquare:
+ Be cautious about linking your check ins to Facebook or Twitter (reduce your risk for stalkers)
+ Use this site and this site to unlock more badges
+ Only friend people you’re friends with
+ Be smart about checking into your home and publicizing that information
+ Set up a special deal (if you’re a business) to gain some new customers or reward the ones you have!
+ Set up your privacy settings before checking in anywhere
+ Your tips, mayorships and lists are public, so just be aware

Do you have Foursquare or have thought about getting it? If so, we’d love to hear your opinions! Is is a waste of time? Beneficial? Too much information? Great resource for information? Leave us a comment on your feedback!

I’ve found that I have learned the most about design and blogging by seeing cool stuff on other blogs and thinking, “How’d she do that?!”. Then relentlessly using “The Google” to try and figure out how to do it! Well I have noticed a trend on some of my favorite blogs and I couldn’t help, but want to create it on my own! It’s the custom “Pin it” button that shows up when you hover over an image on ones blog! You can see an example from DesignLoveFest above and what could be cuter and more useful?! It adds some custom flair to your site and also gives your reader a super easy way to pin posts from you.

Wanna know how it’s done?

• If you’re on WordPress, you will need the Pinterest Pin It Button for Images Plugin. Download the zip file to your computer first as you will be editing the guts in it. That is if you want a “custom” image. If you just want the “Pin It” button simply upload the plugin to your dashboard and configure the settings. Voila!
• Open the pinterest-pin-it-button-for-images.zip file you downloaded to your computer.
• Find a Pin Button you like with a transparent background, or create your own in photoshop!
• Drag and drop the new Pin It button into the pinterest-pin-it-button-for-images folder.

Now it’s time for a little CSS! Woohoo!

• Open the ppibfi_pinterest.css file in Notepad or Text Edit and find the following code near the top of the document:

• if your button is a different size, change the code to your button’s width and height. Then change where it says ppibfi_button.png to the name and filetype of your image. Save the file.
• Once it’s all saved. You will compress the pinterest-pin-it-button-for-images folder. and then upload it to your wordpress dashboard like a regular plugin!
• Configure the settings and you should have a cute CUSTOM pin-it button that appears when you hover over your blog images! Isn’t that cute?

Give it a try this week and let me know how it goes! Share your blog in the comments or on Facebook so we can all check out your new pin button! <3 Maybe even SHARE this post with your friends so they can make a cute pin-it button too…the more the merrier! xo

The Skinny:

Vine is a mobile app created by Twitter and that allows you to create stop motion videos from your mobile device. The videos can be one cohesive video OR a mash-up of tiny video snippets. The micro video-sharing platform allows you to record mini clips of your life and post them in an unedited, unfiltered, six second “vlog”.

Cons:

• No cool filters!
• At this point u can only use the front facing camera.
• Lots of lame videos to sift through when browsing.
• You can’t pause a video and save it as a draft to be worked on later.
• You can’t tag!

Pros:

• simplicity
• I LOVE seeing some of my favorite bloggers using it. It was such a trip to see some of the girls I read online everyday walking and talking in VIDEO!
• The videos don’t have to be perfect! In fact…there’s no editing function so it’s very difficult to create something “perfect”. We’re all newbies together!

How I’ve Used Vine So Far:

I’ve already used Vine to share my celebration of joining B-school (more on that later), my office space, nature walks, my photo-shoot with Melissa, and the view from my hotel in Boston this past week! It’s such a great way to connect with your friends online and give yourself even more of a voice without spending tons of time on a video :)

So, will you be getting a Vine account? If you already have a Vine account what do you think of it?Find me @ Courtn3yPearce

Happy Thursday!
To end the week a happy note, Courtney and I are thrilled to share our photos from our mini photo shoot from when I visited Boone. With the mountains as our backdrop, we took a trip to Moses Cone and took advantage of the beautiful weather. Photo shoots are a great way to have a little fun, work on your technique and practice being behind or in front of the camera. It helps to understand being on both sides to make you a better photographer and become more comfortable being photographed.

Here are some snap shots:

As an aspiring photographer, I couldn’t be more thrilled about photo sharing apps! It is one of the social media platforms that lets me express myself the way I have been doing for years. Since the inception of smart phones, photo sharing apps are catching fire and basically a necessity. (Here’s a history of photo sharing apps!) They have easily become yet another creative outlet for us social media addicts and a great place for businesses to increase their marketing + sales.

With photo sharing apps comes photo editing.
You don’t have to have fancy Photoshop to makes kick-butt images straight from your smart phone. Here are a list of my favorite photo editing apps to make you stand out on any photo sharing app and some examples from each. These are my most-used apps on my phone and soon enough, they will become yours too! To see more edited photos from these apps, you can visit my instagram and my blog.

Aside from Instagram, here are my favorites:

ONE | VSCO CAM (iPhone only) .99
My go-to and most used app is definitely Vsco Cam. It has a simple, easy interface and filters that don’t over edit your photos. It also keeps the quality of your photos even after you edit them. This app is like the indie, underground cool kids of high school.

TWO | PHONTO (Android + iPhone) free (with ads)
Photo editing is taken to the next level with Phonto where you can add text to your images. The inner graphic designer in me screams yes, yes, yes! With hundreds of different fonts (good and bad), it’s like you’re own personal Photoshop minus the editing. There is an option to use your own fonts, but I haven’t quite tried that out yet but with all my favorite fonts on here, I guess I don’t really need it! It even keeps track of your favorite ones. If you’re blogging on the go, this is a great tool for your graphics for a post. You can even use a blank image to add text to.

THREE | WHITAGRAM (iPhone only) free
Wonder how you add normal sized images to Instagram without getting the hideous black border or having to crop? It is my honor to introduce you to this app! After I edit my photos, I usually upload images I don’t want to crop straight from this app to Instagram or you can edit straight from here (I typically don’t). This app gives your images a white background so in Instagram, it doesn’t have to be cropped and keeps its rectangular shape.

See examples here, here and here.

FOUR | DIPTIC (Android + iPhone) .99
There are tons of apps like Diptic that allow you to create photo collages. I prefer to use Diptic because I like their interface the best. If you’re into the crazier photo collages, this app isn’t for you, but if you like clean cut collages you’ve met your soul mate. There are nearly 50+ templates to choose from and of course different options for border colors, etc.
FIVE | TIMERCAM (iPhone only) free | Android alternatives
Self-explanatory. An app that allows you to have a self-timer on your smart phone! Fun for group photos, outfit posts and plain, creative fun! I haven’t used too much of this app, but this one will surely come in handy. I’ll spare you the embarrassing photos of my first attempts… you get the picture (no pun intended).

SIX | MAGIC HOUR (Android + iPhone) 1.99
Holy editing. This app puts Instagram filters to shame! Absolute shame! This app gives you the most freedom when it comes to editing your photos. You can create your own filters, download filters from other users, “recreate” filters other users have created or just plain edit. This app allows you to do everything from adjust curves, lighting, temperature and add tons of textures, frames or vignettes. This app definitely has the most editing freedom.

SEVEN | KROP CIRCLE (iPhone only) free, .99 for more shapes | Android alternative (Shape’d)
Square no more! This app takes cropping to the next level. You can download it for free for just the circle option or pay 99 cents for a bunch more including triangles, letters, stars, cubes, lightning bolt, skulls…shall I go on? I am not a HUGE fan when this app is overused, but when used in the right way can create some great photos.

Some other noteworthy apps I have on my iPhone include Vintage Cam (cool fiters), IncrediBooth (photo strips!) and Over (a not-free app for adding text – I prefer Phonto).

What photo editing apps do you all use? I am always open to trying new ones!