All posts in blog business

a colorful photoshoot

by Megan on March 4, 2013 in blog business, our colorful life with 2 Comments

**Hey! We’re going to be trying out four posts a week!! Now, you’ll get new Two Live Colorfully content Monday through Thursday! Don’t miss out!!**

The last time Josh and I had professional pictures taken was at our wedding… over 2.5 years ago. Needless to say, we were overdue for some fun photos. So a couple weeks ago, we headed to one of our favorite areas in Dallas, the Bishop Arts District, with my new blog friend (and amazing photographer) Savannah Smiled!

I also took the opportunity to have a few solo shots taken for the blog. After all, I have this fancy-pants new design, I might as well have some photos to match! (You can see these in action on our new about page!)

When I broke out the confetti Josh pretty much fled the area but it was really fun! And, yes, there was confetti everywhere by the end of this shoot. We had so much fun hanging out and doing some excessive smiling! I’m hoping it won’t be another 2.5 years before we do it again! And by the way, you need to know, Savannah is a total pro. If you’re in Dallas and in need of a photographer…. book her.. now! Here’s her photography site!

blog business: awesome blogging resources

by Megan on February 22, 2013 in blog business with 4 Comments

Let me start off by saying I have zero patience. A few days ago, I mentioned that Two Live Colorfully was moving to self-hosted wordpress and that we’d be debuting a new site design in March. Well, I just can’t contain it, so I put it up this week. We’re still working hard to revamp some things and create awesome project galleries for your enjoyment, but so far, I am dying over our new design.

Over the past few months, I’d say that I have changed my blogging relationship status from “casual” to “hella serious”. I’ve got calendars and post ideas on scraps of paper all over the place. I’m ready to make this into something rad. Yes, rad… And part of that transformation is learning as much as possible about how to do this whole “I actually want to be a full-time blogger” thing right. So, today I’m sharing my super-awesome, fantastically amazing, “raving-lunatic” favorite resources for diving into “blogging business”.
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Alt Channel: Alt Summit is a big conference for anyone wanting to build an awesome blog. And when you have awesome bloggers like Nicole from Making it Lovely and Victoria from A Subtle Revelry involved, you know it’s awesome. But if you’re like me and can’t quite afford the fare to the conference, you can sign up for little mini online classes covering different blogging topics taught by the experts! They are one hour long and only cost $15.00!! I’ve taken “Building Your Blog with Photography” and “Using an Editorial Calendar to Grow Your Blog” and they were both so great. You get to interact with other bloggers, ask questions, and you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck! (See what classes are coming up here!)
The Business of Blogging E-Course: A while back, I mentioned that I was taking this online course, taught by the lovely Victoria of A Subtle Revelry, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about it. In the course, we covered site design, building readership, and exactly how the whole “making money while blogging” thing works. But, without a doubt, the very best part of this course is, at the end, you get a one-on-one phone consultation with Victoria where you delve into your site and get really insightful feedback on what you’re rocking, where you can improve, and your next steps. It’s a little bit of an investment at $249.00, but, seriously people, this information is invaluable and I would 100% recommend this to anyone even entertaining the idea of monetizing their blog!! (Read more about the course and up-coming sessions here!)
The Young House Love Blog-iversary Posts: I think we all know how much I love Young House Love (and how we’re practically best friends after our meeting at their Dallas book signing!). One of the most amazing things about them is that they share. it. all! Every year, they do a week of blog-iversary posts where they cover topics about growing their blog, monetizing, the daily lives of full-time bloggers, and so much more. You can get so many of your blog-o-sphere questions answered right there… FOR FREE! (Here’s their collection of Blogging FAQ posts for your enjoyment!)
Blog, Inc by Oh Joy!: Joy is a seriously fantastic blogger. Every post on Oh Joy! is gorgeous to see and addicting to read, so getting blogging insight from her is like hitting the jackpot. This book takes you all the way from the basics of blogging all the way through monetizing and making it into your dream job. Plus, there are interviews from so many other amazing bloggers like Emily Henderson (another big favorite of mine) and Emily Schuman of Cupcakes and Cashmere. For about $12.00, you can have this on your bookcase forever! (Get Blog, Inc. on Amazon here!)

There are so many amazing resources out there for people who are looking to turn their blogging ~~addiction~~ hobby into more but these are the one’s I can’t rave about enough.

What are your favorites blogging tips/tutorials/resources for the professional blogger in all of us? Share below!!

make this: faux cork vase

by Megan on January 9, 2013 in blog business, do it yourself, make this, style a room with 3 Comments

I signed up for a blogging course. To be more specific I signed up for the super awesome Business of Blogging course taught by A Subtle Revelry’s Victoria Hudgens. Today ends week one and just having the opportunity to really dig deep into TLC and focus on doing this thing right is really amazing. January was the perfect time to sign up, too. I’ve got all this momentum from the new year and I am ready to tackle those projects that have been loitering around on my to-do list and dream up new ones to share!

One of the assignments from this first week was to spend one hour doing something inspirational. While I would normally be tempted to run out and buy some new craft supplies or materials for a project, I decided to take a different approach this time. I spent this hour (plus a few more) organizing my craft closet and making something using only what I already have.

At first it was a little intimidating trying to pull a project out of thin air, but the deeper I dug into my closet the more I found and the more stuff kept popping into my head. (You’ve seen these office photos right? The mess is outstanding! I should get a medal of bravery for diving in!)We’re at the stage where mostly everything that our apartment needs to be “complete” is décor and style. So I’ve got lots of room for the fun stuff!

And to commemorate an hour of inspirational activity, today I’m sharing an easy, free five minute project made from only things I already had on hand. Make this faux cork vase!

1. All I need was a leftover piece of cork (from this jewelry frame project), a hot glue gun, and a vase. I also pulled out a silk flower bouquet that I made last spring to top off the project but you could easily go with real flowers or even leave it empty. Whatever works for you!

2. Wrap the cork snuggly around your vase and hot glue to seal! I actually used a square vase (because I had it on hand!) and the cork is sturdy enough to keep a round shape, so you can really use anything! Maybe even recycled cans leftover from dinner!

3. And to finish it, I just added an extra line of hot glue on the seam to make sure it was snug against the vase.

Done! Gorgeous! And 100% free!

I think I might also wrap a little length of twine around it too! To hang a small photo or maybe even a nice quote. It’d be something lovely to wake up to in the morning!

So here’s to spending less and creating more! I challenge you to make something with only the materials you have available at home! Feel free to share links and details below!!

get out your party hats, it’s a blog birthday!

by Megan on December 7, 2012 in blog business, our colorful life, personal with No comments

Three years blogging today. That’s right, three years! And we’re just getting started.

adorable dino candle

Three years ago, I started a blog by the name of Are We Wed Yet to chronicle our DIY wedding adventures. Then in 2010, the wedding was over and my focus shifted from weddings to home design and living a fun life with my new hubby. So, we switched it up and now here we are with Two Live Colorfully.

Up until recently, I’ve approached blogging with a very loose structure, blogging when I wanted and about whatever I wanted. But I feel like I’m finally embracing the direction of this blogging and am ready to move towards something bigger and better. I want TLC to grow from my own personal musings and occasional project to a true source of inspiration for people trying to create and embrace a colorful living space.

So here’s to the next year. To more projects, more styling, more color, and more fun with Two Live Colorfully.

blog business: two live colorfully redesign!

by Megan on November 18, 2012 in blog business, do it yourself with No comments

Two Live Colorfully has a new look! Over the past few months, I have hard a really hard time settling on a blog design that I like. In true DIY spirit, I’ve always taken on the challenge myself, and after a few weeks, I get tired of it, or see something I like more so things have changed a lot. I was actually really close to hiring someone to re-brand TLC for me, but I wanted to give it one last shot. And here it is!

I will openly admit that I am still a photoshop novice, but I’m diggin’ this new design I’ve created from scratch. Yes, for the background, I went outside on the patio and photographed blank plywood left over from our DIY upholstered headboard project for half an hour like a crazy person and then spent an evening figuring out what pattern I wanted to lay over it. I call it dedication, Josh calls it something else…

But seriously, I think this new design really embraces the idea behind Two Live Colorfully. It’s bright and cheerful, the plywood element amps up the DIY vibe, and the whole thing was just another DIY adventure!

I wanted to share the brand board I made, after I finished all the website elements. It’s just a cute compilation of everything TLC related and it makes me proud to see everything put together in one place!

There are still a few updates in the works for the site like an updated home tour page (finally!) and a new project page to reference tutorials and more DIY specific posts and I’m super excited to get those up and running. I feel like blog design, for me, is always evolving, but it’s nice to have settled on a foundation that really represents Two Live Colorfully!

blog lovin’: some of my favorite projects from the summer pinterest challenge!

by Megan on July 12, 2012 in blog business, do it yourself with 3 Comments

I had so much fun looking through the link parties of Tuesday’s Summer Pinterest Challenge that I just had to share some of my favorite projects! Some are already on my soon-to-do list, others I’m saving for the day when I finally get the courage to get some power tools but they are all fantastic! Enjoy!

Gorgeous dining table and chairs makeover from A Bubbly Life. (I’m thinking a chair makeover like this may be in my near future!)

How fun is this letter-shaped bookcase from It’s Just My Heart! This project could also be perfect for a kids room or quirky office! I, for one, cannot wait to see it styled up!

This gorgeous painted wooden bead necklace from My Life in Projects has me totally inspired! How fun would it be to have a vase/bowl full of painted beads like these in all different colors and then mix and match to coordinate with your outfit? Um, yes!

And lastly, this gorgeous DIY Dining Room Light from Love and Renovations! There’s a pretty awesome tutorial and the results are outstanding! Doesn’t it look like something you could get from a high-end store for a whole-lotta moolah? It’s gorgeous and so is the whole room!

There were really so many fantastic projects from the challenge. I love that these link parties get so many people break out the staple guns and paint to stop pinning and start doing! If you didn’t join in this one, be sure to keep an eye out for the fall challenge!

ps. if you want to see the details on our Summer Pinterest Projects you can click here and here!

You Say Goodbye… I Say Hello

by Megan on January 20, 2012 in blog business with 2 Comments

It’s time for a new adventure. For the past two years Are We Wed Yet? has been a fun side project. But, my blogging tastes have changed. On Pinterest, you’ll find more home and DIY project pins than anything else. And, even though I love love love the name of AWWY, I didn’t feel like it would be a good title to represent a more “living life” oriented blog. And then, Two Live Colorfully was born. TLC encompasses all of the aspects of life that I love. From parties and style, to DIY projects and home makeovers. I can put it all here to share with you!

Obviously, in addition to the name change, we’ve updated a few aesthetics as well. New blog, new design, new host. Hello, WordPress! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love thee! I’ve spent the past week reformatting everything from AWWY onto the new site and there are lots of features I know you’ll love!

First of all, the menu bar. Now you can see how our home is looking these days (plus, related posts!) and also a recap of our wedding day (with lots of pictures to boot!). You’ll also find our Room Love category (which will soon be filled with more boards!), the link to the TLC Pinterest Board which has links to all our projects and popular posts, and, lastly, a way for you to get involved! The “Join In” tab is full of all sorts of information about how you can be featured on Two Live Colorfully. I can wait to start seeing some of your submissions!

Further down, you’ll also see our updated categories. They have been stream-lined and are now much, much easier to navigate. I also included an AWWY category which includes all of the posts from our Pre-TLC days. So, if you want to see what the blog was all about before the big switcheroo click on over there.

Further down still, we have all of our social media linked up. Facebook, twitter, and RSS feeds. Never miss an update!

I hope you’re as excited about these changes as I am! Truth be told, I’ve probably been spending a little too much time blogging this past week, but I just couldn’t wait to get Two Live Colorfully up and running. Next week starts more regular posting with some Valentine’s Day decorating (yes, already!) and finally getting around to sharing our kitchen makeover (what’s 6 months anyways?). So, here we go. Let’s have some fun!

New Years Resoultions 2012 ed.

by Megan on January 5, 2012 in are we wed yet archives, blog business, personal with 2 Comments

It’s that time. Well, it has been that time for the past few days but, I’m finally ready to nail to down some commitments to my resolutions for 2012. To be honest, I’ve never been too successful with resolutions. As I’m sure a lot of people can relate, I often start out really enthusiastic only to deliberately give up or completely forget about these goals. But, I don’t think that means I shouldn’t make resolutions. I feel that it’s important to always have goals and, with college graduation right around the corner, I’m feeling really confident that I will have success in completing this year’s commitments. So without further delay, I present my 2012 resolutions.

1. Read 12 books. Ideally, one per month of course. Fiction or non-fiction, as long as I’m setting aside some time for recreational reading. I used to love curling up on the couch with a book and now I feel like I either don’t have time to read or would rather be sleeping. But, I miss reading and I can’t wait to pick it up again.

2. 52 blog posts (at least). Good news for the blog! More content! Especially through the last few months, I have been slacking, which is sad because I love this blog and I want to continue to build it up with quality posts. So be on the look out for at least one post for week. Hopefully more though!

3. Run a 5K. Eek. This is by far the scariest of all of my resolutions. I’ve never really been into running, but I feel like setting this as a goal will keep me motivated to get healthy. Completing a 5K would be such an amazing accomplishment.

4. Get organized. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t have this on their list? I have been working hard on getting our household management, meal planning, and finances under control in the past month and my goal is just to keep plugging along until we’ve got some good systems in place (posts on this coming for sure!).

5. Take more pictures. So I tallied up the number of Facebook pictures I posted in 2011. 45. Pretty pathetic. I know I probably took a few more than what I posted on FB but I need to get better about using my fancy new camera. I’m guessing I’ll be super thankful when I’m 70.

So, there you have it. A quick run down (and written commitment) of my 2012 resolutions. A good variety of goals for different aspects of my life. Here we go!

What are your resolutions? Any frequent flier resolutions that are on the list every year? Share below!

Happy 1st Birthday, AWWY!

by Megan on December 7, 2010 in are we wed yet archives, blog business with No comments

That’s right, today is my “One Year Blog-iversarry!!!”

While one year is huge milestone on it’s own, I feel especially proud because I cannot remember ever starting a project and continuing with it for more than a few months! And what started out as a way to document the planning of my wedding, has turned into so much more! This blog has opened up the creative floodgates and, now, I’m doing things that I never thought I would.

The best part? There is so much more to come and I can’t wait to share it with you!

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