Recipe for (Blog) Success

Gather ingredients and ensure you have appropriate time.
Pre-heat creative juices.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup visual interest (See Bailey's blog for a great example!)
• 1/4 tsp. clean and simple. (Check out Windows to the Sea)
• a pinch of experimentation with HTML and the options available on Photoshop. (Heather has really jazzed up her blog, Chickaddie's Nest, by creating her own insignia and playing with the shape of pictures.)
• 3 T. pictures of and stories about yourself, family, and friends. Is it not the biggest bummer and a half when you are facebook stalking and come to find that all of the person of interest's information and pictures are private?! Jane does a fabulous job of sharing her life, and everyone she loves, on Just a Drizzle.
• a dash of extra effort concerning your blog name and post titles.  As the first thing a potential reader sees, these few words have the first impression and the power to intrigue, disinterest, or repel.  On Ha-Ha-Hollywood, Kaeden's short and clever post titles catch my attention every time.
• a splash of consistency.  Whether it be a schedule of when you will post or a general format, consistency gives readers something to anticipate.  In Leah's blog, On Becoming a Sponge, readers can look forward to her weekly "The week in which I [whatever she does]."

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

SERVES:
Approximately one ambitious blogger.