How to have a successful blog

As you have noticed there are many people with very successful (and popular) blogs. There are also some people that have very nice blogs, but they just aren't very popular. And then, there are the okay and bad blogs.
If you're one of those people that just need some help getting your blog "out there", use these tips to help you.

• Make sure your blog is aesthetically pleasing to others. You're probably thinking, "Who cares what my blog looks like? It's the content that matters." Nope. Not true. When people come to your blog, they want to see something that is nice, neat, and not too overpowering with too many colors and crazy fonts. You want to have a good first impression on that person, just like meeting someone in real life. If someone doesn't like how your blog looks, they probably won't stay long to check it out. Remember, keep it simple. 
• POST FREQUENTLY!!! I cannot express this too much. If you want to make and keep your followers, you must, must, MUST post AT THE VERY LEAST once a week. I personally try to post every day, but it's okay if you skip a day or two. And, if you don't have time to do one every day, make them in advance when you do have time. Just save them as a draft and when the day comes for you to post them, just click Publish. Also, it's A-OK to take occasional breaks- just not too frequently. If you find yourself stuck in a rut, just take a break for a few days to brainstorm ideas.
• Make interesting posts! Nobody wants to read short, boring posts. Make them fun, and do a different type of post each day. If you have trouble, make a schedule. Do crafts on Sunday, photo shoots on Monday, and WITOs on Tuesday, etc.
• Make your dolls look nice. No one wants to look at pictures of dolls with messy hair wearing mismatched clothes. They want to see beautiful, well-cared for dolls. If you don't care about your dolls' well-being, maybe you shouldn't have a doll blog.
• Interact with your followers. Reply to comments, have readers submit photos, just do anything to show that you appreciate and care about your followers. 
• Do a giveaway/contest every now and then. Let's face it- people like things. Especially free things. Why don't you do a giveaway, or even a contest? And you don't have to buy the prizes. Make them- just do a nice job on it. Also, doing giveaways is a good way to get followers. If you do a giveaway now, you'll probably do one in the future. It's what people automatically assume. I always promise giveaways if I know I'm going to do them in the future because people will want to see the post with the giveaway when it comes up in their Blogger feed.
• Don't copy. Do you like copycats? Didn't think so. Neither does anyone else. So just don't do it. You can take an idea and alter it, but don't do the exact same thing that another blogger does. If you really do have to copy, though, at least ask first and mention the person on your blog.
• Be happy. Show you enjoy blogging, and that you really care. No one likes a grumpy puss. It may seem like an insignificant tip, but it's not. Just keep that in mind.
• Make new friends! Have other blogging friends- they can give you ideas and it's fun to have a friend that you've never met in real life (they don't get involved in your school drama, they can't judge you by what you look like, etc.). They can also help spread the word about your blog. Just be very, very, careful. Don't give out too much personal information- there are some weird people out in this world.

Well, I hope you enjoyed these tips and that they are helpful to you. Good luck with your blog!

Happy blogging,

Marisa

Thanksgiving Day 2013

It was Thanksgiving day, and the house was bustling with excitement...

With Josefina and Kanani in the kitchen,

Liz and Kit setting the table,

 and Julie and Natalie chatting away.

 "Well, the green beans are ready," said Kanani as she walked into the dining room.

"So is the corn," Josefina told them as she brought it in.

 When Josefina went back into the kitchen, she saw Kanani staring at her pie. "This looks good, Josefina!" she told her. "Thanks!" Josefina replied. "I'm going to put it in the oven when the turkey's ready." Kanani replied, "I think it should be ready now."

"Yep! Here it is! Doesn't it look good?" Kanani said as she took it out of the oven.

 "Yum! I can't wait to eat it."

 "Here's our royal bird!" Kanani joked as she took the turkey in and set it on the table.

 As Kanani set the turkey down, Kit said, "Half of our Thanksgiving buffet is ready! But we can't eat yet!"

 As Julie and Natalie were talking, suddenly Natalie's eyes widened. "I...SMELL...TURKEY!!!" She started running into the dining room.

 "Stop!" Kanani ordered. She stopped Natalie right before she ran into the table! "Sometimes you are just too crazy, Natalie..."

Kanani was just about to go back to the kitchen when Josefina walked in. "Here's the pie." "Good, now I just need to get the cranberry sauce and then we can eat. Make sure everyone's ready by the time I get back. Our food'll get cold if we wait any longer."

"Hey, Josefina," Liz said, "the pie you made looks really good." "Thanks, Liz. It's cherry pie," came the reply.

"Here's the cranberry sauce! Time to eat, everyone!" said Kanani as she brought the bowl in and set it down.

 "Hooray! I'm so hungry!" exclaimed Julie.

All the dolls gathered around the table to pray, then ate their Thanksgiving feast. They all could agree that this was the best Thanksgiving they had ever had; they were all together as great friends.

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I hope you and your dolls enjoyed your Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, 

Marisa and her American Girls

MDT: Saige

Time for another MDT! What about doing Saige? (Suggested by Jessica)

Here's our Girl of the Year for 2013! (She won't be here much longer!) I really like Saige, I think she is very pretty and unique. I would like to read her story someday, too. I have mini Saige and I read her little mini book, but it's not the full book. Saige's dress is a very pretty color, though I'm not sure I like the ruffles. (I'm not a ruffle person.)

I like her accessories, but I think there could be more than just jewelry. And $28? Too expensive. And the gold pendant on the blue necklace doesn't even have a design on it! I do like the earrings, though, especially the gold ones.

LOVE THIS OUTFIT! I loved it when it came out. Even if you take the sweater off, it gives the outfit a "cool", (temperature-wise) look. And the shoes! Very cute. They are a bit similar to Kanani's meet outfit shoes.

I like this outfit, especially the gems on the shirt. The colors are nice, and the boots are cute because they have the heel. But what I don't like is that the hats don't come with it. If you want to buy them together, it's $54! Geez, such a ripoff!

This is a very cute outfit. I LOVE the boots (I have so many boots for my dolls!) and the necklace is a nice addition. The dress itself is very sparkly, and I like that. The fabric looks like it's very thin and breezy. If you have this outfit, could you please tell me what it feels like? I want to know. 

This is cute. I really like the shirt, but I think the shoes should be a different color. And the pants are kind of plain.

I think these pajamas are cute. I really like the colors and the design on the shirt. Personally, i don't really like long sleeves being worn with shorts, but I like this combination for pajamas.  And the slippers, they look so fuzzy!

The horse is okay... his color is nice, but I don't like that you have to buy the saddle separately, making the grand total $132! I do like some of the saddle accessories, though. The clicker is nice (although I've never seen a clicker being used for a horse) and the scarf goes with Saige's book.

Ooh, I like this set! It's very detailed, and everything looks realistic! I like the paint on the palette and ho it comes with so many paint brushes. The paintings are nice, too. 

Hmm... not sure I like this. First of all, the price. $24. Yeah. IT'S A DOG. Oh yeah, the leash. Nice addition, but I heard it's not detachable. No dog a wears a leash all the time. The dog itself is cute, but I wouldn't get it.

I think this is a very cool set. The accessories are nice and I think the price is reasonable. (It's $150.) The balloon is so big. I like the camera, it's kind of like the one that came in Kanani's accessories. 

I like this set. The food is unique and the blanket is very New Mexico-ish. I really like the guacamole, it's just like what you get in the restaurants! the water bottle is cool, it looks like it really has water in it! I also like the tamales. now, about the price... $38. Yep, it's too expensive for me. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this MDT! Comment down below your opinion of Saige's items!

Happy blogging,

Marisa

P.S. I sent in some of my photos to this really awesome blog, Doll Delight. They did a post with them. 

P.P.S. Don't forget to check out the blog that Lu and I made with our Kanani dolls!

Craft: Make a clay turkey!

Thanksgiving is getting nearer and nearer, and our dolls need a dinner! Chances are, your dolls probably eat turkey. So do mine!
Don't have a turkey dinner for your dolls? No problem! Just follow the instructions right here to make one out of clay.

1. You'll need a tan color for your turkey, so if you don't have a tan color, mix brown and white until you get the right color.

It should be this color.

2. Separate the pieces like this. On piece should be smaller than the other.

3. Set the smaller piece to the side, and roll the bigger piece into a ball. 

4. Then smush it a little to make an oval shape.

5. Set the big piece aside. Grab the small piece, and split it in two.

6. Make each half into a shape like this.

7. Get the big piece, and pinch whichever side will be the back, like this.

8. Stick the halves to the side of the oval. You're done! (Sorry, you kind of have to turn your head to see this picture! Oops!)

Bonus: Other Foods!

Your dolls aren't only going to have turkey, are they? Here are some other foods that my sister and I made.

Cranberry sauce, made by my sister. Yum! It's in a blue bowl.

My favorite- cherry pie! I made this, and it's great!

Corn... my sister and I both made this.

Green beans- my sister made them! Awesome, and just the right color!

 

Well, that's it for now! I would love to see if you made any of these foods for your dolls. Send me a picture at my blog email. 

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Marisa and her American Girls

P.S. I'm out of school now for the rest of the week, so look forward to some exciting posts!

P.P.S. My friend Lu and I started a blog with our Kanani dolls! It's called Kanani & Kanani.

P.P.P.S. Giveaway on another blog!

Outfit of the Week: Week 2

Thanks to everyone who participated in my first outfit of the week! This week, I will be revealing the outfit of the week (I have picked it based on creativity and originality) and giving you some more clothes to make new outfits.
Now, onto the Outfit of the Week...

Melody Silverleaf has chosen Kanani to model her outfit!

Cute! 

Now, here are your outfit choices for this week. In some categories there aren't many choices, but I know you will make the most of them. 

Shirts:

Pants & Skirts:

Dresses:

Shoes:

Socks & Tights:

Jackets, Coats, etc.:

Accessories:

In your comment:

• The outfit- Tell me number and the category that it is in.
• The doll- What doll would this outfit look good on? Keep this in mind.
• Your name-  Just so I can announce who made the outfit if  you win.

If you haven't done this before, you might want to check out the last post when I did this. I go more into detail explaining the rules.

Happy Designing,

Marisa 

P.S. Remember, I pick the winner based on creativity and originality. Good luck! Also, if you don't win this time, there are plenty of future weeks to participate in!