It is spring evening in Amsterdam. I had a nice walk with John in the chilly wind this afternoon in the Vondelpark. The park is only a few minutes across the bridge from our house. It was great to breath some fresh air and was amazing to see many people were running in the park. They must made very strict new year resolution I think.
I am participating online e-course from Decor8 – BLOG Your Way, Our teacher Holly Becker who is an interior stylist, freelance writer and an international best-selling author with two interior design books, Decorate and Decorate Workshop with a third title to be released in Spring 2014. Really amazing blog post she is posting each week on the course here. Irene Hoofs is our teacher who is from the same city where I live – Amsterdam. She has two amazing blogs Bloesem and Bloesem Kids, she is professional as what she does as a graphic designer. Stefanie Luxat, who work as a freelance writer. She is also a blogger on my food and design, Ohhh Mhhh, book author of German wedding DIY book, Einfach heiraten!, and last but not the least Thorsten Becker, who has many talents including giving lesson about system set up, business planning, taxes, support guru for the lesson and he is also a poet, writer, photographer, composer. Occasional voice talent.
After reading the background information about the course I am participating, you probably guessed what I am interned to do. I am going to write 8 blogs that rocks and analyze why they rocks. I put all the blog name in random order. I think it is a very nice journey for me to learn from the lesson and really use some knowledge in practice.
1. creature comforts blog
It is a blog celebrate inspiration, Ez likes the tiny detail and unexpected beauty. Its amazing to see how she did DIY projects and her own magazine. Her friendly tone of writing, and her very consistent way of using quality images, the balance of color throughout whole blog page. All her blog category is well defined and her page can be easily navigated.
She is such an amazing creative person I would like to meet up very much one day. Her styling project images are really shockingly beautiful. On her blog she wrote that she has been work for big clients like Vogue Entertaining + Travel, Gourmet Traveller, Real Simple, Saatchi and Saatchi, Tommy Hilfiger and Philips. Today she is the author and photographer of Paris: Made by Hand, Amsterdam: Made by Hand (June 2010), as well as the much-anticipated My Heart Wanders (2011). Pia currently divides her time working and living between Sydney, Paris and a houseboat in Amsterdam. Her diversity of talents such as photography, styling, and writing amazes me. Maybe I have Asian background, her way of approach the normal daily life object, turns it so gorgeous in such a subtle way. Its so dreamy in her photo. I saw so many black and white very dramatic contrast from mainstream blog pages online, but hers is so unique and original. She used a lot of neutral color such as cotton white, grey, black and white or tint of rustic blue. It is a must read blog for everyone who enjoys blogging.
3. Oh Joy blog
It is a very colorful blog written by Joy Deangdeelert Cho. she is a graphic designer, blogger, food enthusiast, and the founder and editor of Oh Joy. Launched in September 2005. It is all about inspiration for design, fashion and food. Throughout the blog, there are many daily pictures which is so vividly illustrate her as a mother. Meanwhile she is a very talented business woman with background in communications design and printmaking. Joy runs a studio attracts clients within the fashion and food industries and specializes in surface pattern, identities, and packaging. Some past & present clients include: Swell by Cynthia Rowley and Ilene Rosenzweig, Target, Mattel, QVC, Charlotte Ronson, Michele Varian Home, Otis & Claude, Pfiff Lingerie, Mari’s New York, Joya Candle, Terrain, Urban Outfitters, and more. I love the mint color on her blog, it really looks fresh, light and happy. Many happy smiles, I like her personality already even thought I never met her personally. Very nice videos and her projects on the banner next to her column are so nicely organized.
Grace Bonney is the creative mind behind what is going on on the Design Sponge. It is updated daily with resources, ideas, projects, tips, recipes, home tours and endless inspiration. The team works very cleverly with the contrast between the dark grey background color and sharp, fresh, high resolution images for each column. It is so interesting to read t well-written articles to get inspired from. Each article has its amazing quality of content with very well-designed image, and many more smaller images with the same theme at the end of each articles. Which is so nicely organized. It makes the article easy to navigate and not distract from massive amount of big images. And also you should look at the bottom of whole blog, they show recent at Design Sponge, it is so impressive that this blog works with quality as well as quantity.
5. Sweet Paul
Its very sweet to see his childhood photo on his welcome page. Paul is a food and Prop stylist and crafter who moved from Oslo to New York to live and love. He and his photographer team up and make a lots of amazing photos of his food styling projects. You can see more of Paul’s work over here. The big Leo Productions is Paul’s agent. If you love food styling, it is a must read blog. Its amazing to see how many recipes are free to read on his blog. And he is very busy making new ones each week. Besides that he is also make crafts projects as well. If you doesn’t read enough with his online blog, he also has many magazines under the name Sweet Paul. Most of his blog schedule which I need to learn is very accurate. Monday is for his recipe Monday, Tuesday and Friday is crafts. Its amazing that his readers know what to expect that week. And nice thing in his blog, he has a feature of giving away. It is an very effective way to involve the readers. I think it is very useful to build up readership and interaction between the writer/blogger/artist with their reader. If the readers are coming back to read the blog, it is always nice to give away some special and promote the blog at the same time.
It is created by illustrator, pattern designer and author Julia Rothman. This site was created as a way to share a variety of art related publications. Julia has amazing lines of work you can check out on her website. Love the simple design of her blog. The two square blocks were designed to fit for images and the title of the column which is very unique style. All images are about illustrations and books. Its the place for artists, publisher and readers who are interested in pattern, textile and illustration design books. Great finding today. I am so happy. It gives me motivation to work hard on my art, and maybe one day my book will be reviewed here. You never know.
It is 12:23 in the middle of night. I have been writing and editing for 4 hours. I now really can understand how the magazine industry works now. At least I am working from my cozy home, I don’t need to travel back if I have to work overnight. It is a great thing about write blog and its new way to publish your thoughts. I haven’t finished my column of the day yet. I still have two rock star to write about below. They are from my fellow classmates in BLOG BOSS e-course on Decor8.
7. Paper Peony
It is a blog created by Cathy who is living in Stellenbosch and has a stationery created in her design studio. Cathy made a very clear category about what she is doing. Everything is related to her stationery work, the washi paper, the bakers twine all fits with each other on the blog category on the home page. Its a very clean and sweet blog which you can really has a handmade feeling but still very professionally done. The colors of the page and the rest of the image from the products are consistent. Its an easy to navigate blog. Its great to see how she link her blog with her work. And its business -like and still has her sweet touch. Great job Cathy
It is the creation of celine. She loves the passion with paper. Her blog is all about crafts and projects relate to paper. You can think of mininotebook, origami, collage and sketchbooks. These are all what she is busy with and she love to make pictures of all her project in detail. That’s really nice to see her work in progress. I think sometime people like to know the work in progress from artists. She also have giveaway feature in her blog. Which is also very interesting to learn. Another amazing thing she is doing is using bi-lingual English and French on her blog. It costs a lot of energy to write only in English, but she also has to translate in French or vice-verse. What an efforts she has put in this blog. Great job.
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hi Ping, just checked out Paperpeony´s blog. Gorgeous pictures. I could not see how to leave her a comment though. Have you managed to comment on her blog?
Thank you Sue, I want to thank you for listing ping living blog as your choice for – Blog that rocks at decor8 blog boss course. I am really honored to be in your blog post. Xxx
Thank you Sue, I want to thank you for listing ping living blog as your choice for – Blog that rocks at decor8 blog boss course. I am really honored to be in your blog post. Xxx
Great post
Great post
It has really been a long time to write and edit this article. It is 2:00am in Amsterdam, I enjoyed so much by writing this article. We live to have a goal in our life. It makes the life more meaningful. My goal of this week is to improve my blog. I hope you see my progress.
Enjoy reading
xx Ping