PINK SATURDAY POODLE

It's Pink Saturday again, and I'm in a frivolous mood this week!

The eye is tons better; I can tolerate the computer screen, so life is swinging back to normal. I never thought I'd miss my computer so much!

Here's a sweet little dog (Fox Terrier? Poodle?)  I've photoshopped for you, as Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Isn't he hysterical? Those cute little boot button eyes... irresistible!

This one is 220px wide, to fit in a sidebar, if you feel so inclined.

Left-click either picture to bring up to full size, and right-click to copy to your computer. Then just add as a picture in Layout view.

Here's the original picture (copyright free - sorry, I've no idea where I got it from).

Here's my site of the week: Songbird. I really like the background and layout: very calming - and her style. The vignettes are simple, chic and elegant. Enjoy.

Finally, don't forget to visit Beverly's site - How Sweet the Sound - to see the rest of the Pink Saturday posts!

EYE EYE

Journal page copyright Susie Jefferson

I'm a bit under the weather at the minute (eye op Monday to remove a little lump on the inner lower eyelid, now sent off for biopsy: follow-up appointment Feb 18) so I'm feeling somewhat sorry for myself.

So till I get back to posting as usual (give me a couple of days), here's a lovely little video to look at.

POP-UP BOOK by Jamie Hannigan and Maeve Clancy (is the official video for the song LILLE by Lisa Hannigan)



What a lovely job they've done. Enjoy with the music ON.

PINK SATURDAY - CUTE CUPID

I bet you're all sitting there, thinking I can't do PINK or CUTE! Wrong!


After this evening's nasty experience (read the post below) I felt I needed a dose of light and laughter, sugar and sweetness - and Himself is watching TV, I decided to do a Cupid background with header. Even with all this snow and ice, Valentine's Day isn't that far off!

This header will also work with the pink stretch background I posted last week.

Left-click for the full size, and right-click to copy to your computer. Shrink to fit for 2-col blogs, and do NOT shrink for stretch backgrounds.

Background for a 2-column background - not just Minima (I made it wider).

  Copy all the code and paste into an html box.

<style type="text/css">

body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/44a28cd5.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }
</style>
<div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:50px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:30px;">
<a href="http://1stfloorflatblogology.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" src="http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/9061ddc2.png"/>
</a></div>

Full instructions on how to install the background are here, and here is how to apply the header.


Finally, don't forget to visit Beverly's site - How Sweet the Sound - to see the rest of the Pink Saturday posts!

HIJACKED EMAIL ADDRESS!

Can you believe it! In spite of a firewall, a Yahoo address, Google's Blogging software and my own precautions, some swine in China has hijacked my email address and just sent me a "UK Men's Health" email - using my own email address to send it to me!

So if you get this in your mailbox, treat it as spam and DO NOT OPEN IT.

So anyone who has this email address in their address book: firstfloorflat1-blog at yahoo dot co dot uk - please delete it as I am now taking it out of service.

I no longer have my email address listed openly on my Profile page (which may be where it's been hijacked from).

So anyone who wants to contact me, please press the email button which will open into an email for you. Hopefully that will fix it, as it will go through two filters now, but I've come to realise that nothing is guaranteed these days.

I have been having a lot of attempts at hacking into my blog lately, although why I'm suddenly a target I really don't know: various messages arriving, mosting in Chinese but some in Russian, all trying to leave comments on older posts - like I wouldn't notice. You'll note when you leave a comment that I've written that my comments are moderated - now you can see why!

HOW TO MODERATE COMMENTS

Go into Dashboard > Settings > Comments and click on Comment Moderation - Always.

It isn't actually necessary to have the Captcha image (word verification) as well (in fact, it's a pain to have to type this on every blog when you want to leave a comment) but I'm putting it back on for now, in the hope it will act as a deterrent to these pains in the neck.

If you have more than one blog, you need to reset every blog individually.

I did a full virus check etc last night, so at least that's one less worry. But I really could do without all this!

To say I am beyond disgusted is an understatement.

So, if you have your email address displayed openly on your blog, can I please plead with you to take it off right now.

Here is a link to my free email buttons, and instructions on how to add your own email address.

Stay safe out there!

MAKE A SPELL BOOK - HARRY POTTER STYLE

Photograph copyright Instructables

Here's a great item I found online - how to make a Harry Potter-style spellbook!

Project for adults only (due to sharp knives) there's also a bit about gold leafing. Fabulous! Wouldn't this make a great journal.

Instructables has some amazing projects, always with step-by step-photographs, and I also noticed items on a Harry Potter wand - and a Steampunk wand!

ANOTHER GREAT MAKEOVER

I promised you another makeover and here you are! 

This is Nancy's Linens and Laurel site. 

Nancy wanted a very clean look, similar to a website but not at all corporate, which isn't her style at all!

So I gave her two columns on the right (did you know right-hand columns load faster? Wonder why!) with the centre one being very narrow for two reasons:
a) not to overwhelm the blog (I really don't like two right-hand columns of equal size for some reason)
b) plenty of room in the left-hand column for pictures and to write (being cramped is awful)

I then threw in some shading behind the sidbar posts, outlined the sidebar headers, changed the post headers so the font size can be increased/bolded etc and put in a 3-column footer section. So there you have the main structure! Simple, chic and elegant if I do say so.

Nancy sells the most wonderful trims in her Etsy shop (and on eBay).  I for one am addicted to vintage bobble fringing ... which I'll be gluing/stitching to book covers, tags, cushions, scrapbook albums...

WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO - BLOG MAKEOVERS

Well, I know I said I'd reorganise my blog(s) and the C drive (get rid of all old folders, back up stuff onto disc that I don't need, and then get it deleted off this poor old creaky computer). 

Yes, I have pretty much done a lot of it: the blogs are the next on the list to tackle.

I just gave the WordPress blog the chop (see Computery). What a relief!

I'm wondering whether to get rid of Extras, and just bring all the headers etc over to Blog-ology - or to leave them where they are. Does it make it easier to navigate? Any comments and suggestions gratefully received.

What I've also been doing are some blog makeovers - I totally love makeovers. I don't care if it's hair (got mine cut New Year's Eve) or clothes (I hit the Sales) or DIY (we're definitely shopping for wallpaper when the snow allows us out of the house). And I especially love doing blog makeovers because it's instant gratification!

For once, I did Before and After pix.

Here's June's Dezinaworld site before...

and after I got at it...

Do go and visit - June has collage sheets for sale, plus some freebies.

And here is June's Art Freebies site, which I also made over (just finished yesterday) which has lots of freebie vintage stuff to download.

I really like this one (if I do say so myself)!

I'll put up another makeover tomorrow.

PINK SATURDAY - PINK FLORAL STRETCH TEMPLATE

Happy New Year to all the Pink Saturday gang!

We had an amazing Christmas and New Year, nice and quiet, just the way we like it, with piles of DVDs and plenty of chocolate, cake, trifle etc to keep us going. I have definitely gone up a dress size! Plus, we're knee deep in snow over here - very unusual for London!

So I thought I'd cheer everyone up with a nice bright Blogger background, for anyone who'd like to use it. It's a Stretch Minima template but can of course be used for a 3-column or 2-column blog.

Copy all the code and insert into an html/javacode box.

<style type="text/css">
body {background-image: url("http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/c22b0d3b.jpg"); background-position: center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; }
</style>
<div id="tag" style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:50px; z-index:50; width:150px; height:30px;">
<a href="http://1stfloorflatblogology.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" src="http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu313/1stFloorFlatComputery/9061ddc2.png"/>
</a></div>

Here's the matching header - copy to your own computer, then install it.

Full instructions on how to install the background are here, and here is how to apply the header.

If you'd like more pink backgrounds, here is a link to an earlier post with a background and two headers.

And now, I'd like to introduce a favourite blog: Just Something I Made. She's amazing; phenomal - go and see for yourself!

Finally, don't forget to visit Beverly's site - How Sweet the Sound - to see the rest of the Pink Saturday post and read all about their Christmas memories.

NEW TUTORIAL - SCROLLING MARQUEES

Having had a few email queries, I have written a tutorial on how to do scrolling marquees in The Computery. 

These are great fun and also tidy up your blog sidebars at the same time! A win-win situation (I love these).

Any problems, email me.