Archives for August 2007

If you are looking for an all-around feel good blog, take a minute to check out the blog with the intention of Unraveling the Spiritual Mystique. The author here, Alexys Fairfield, is someone who has achieved higher consciousness by being present in the moment, never taking life for granted, and sharing what they have found along the way. Alexys says in her About Me that life is an odyssey, a collection of uniquely derived moments designed to lead you to your real moments of truth. “Life give you wings, all you have to do is fly”. The blog is very spritually based and you can see this for yourself in any of the following Bloggeries: Curtain Call; Celebrate; Group Hug; Amazing Humans; Persistent Resistance; Shaken, Not Deterred; and Are you a Troublemaker?

Navigation here is very straightforward. Posts are left marginalized and there is a right navigation bar. The blog opens up with a beautiful picture of a sunset in the forest and literally wakes you up when you log in. The background follows the colors of this sunset theme with a rusty colored background and dark text surrounded by a black border. Each post contains relevant pictures, and some of them quite pretty I might add. But all are appropriate and add the relevant mood to the posting. In the right navigation bar you will find the About Me page, Recent Comments Menu, and various subscription links as well as Blog Widgets. You will also find the blogroll and a pull-down archive menu known as “Memorable Posts” that organizes the blog nicely. You will also find here a really neat widget for Recent Posts that has a scroll-down menu with pictures and postings attached. I have not seen this on a blog yet and I really liked it. If you like the widget, you can also get it from this blog.

I am giving this blog a 4. I really like how the blog is personalized, even standard blog elements such as recent posts and archives are renamed to match the niche of the blog. I find the writing to be very well done and relevant to the overall theme of the blog. Reading each post really does give you a true sense of the spiritual nature of the blog. There was a spelling mistake in one post that was a word repeated in the post title (though it was spelled correctly there) so I do recommend the blogger keep an eye on that. I also recommend a little more frequent posting, it looks like about 10-15 Bloggeries a month at this point. This blog has a nice following judging by the recent posts menu so I think the blog would benefit from more posting. Otherwise, on all other counts the blog scores very well. This is definitely a unique blog with a unique perspective. If you need a zen moment, grab a cup of joe and sneak away for a few quiet moments with a read from this blog.

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– Chrissie

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Should you ever have any questions about Social Security Disability in the United States, you may want to check out The Disability Blog. where you will find a blog on disability matters from former claims specialist and blogger Tim Moore. Have a look at any of his recent bloggeries to see if your inquiries can be answered here: Social Security Disability – Kansas City Star article; Social Security Disability Las Vegas – KSL News; Waiting for Social Security Disability; Interesting News from Fed Blog; Disability Statistics from a UPI article; Social Security Disability in Indianapolis; Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; Disability Increasing Faster Among Women, Bipolar Disability, Can you Receive Social Security Disability and Veterans Benefits; and Disability Judges Being Added?.

Navigation on this blog is very simple and straightforward. Posts are right marginalized with black text on white background and there is a left navigation system. The left navigation bar contains archives linked by individual date, recent posts menu, and a small about me spot. The blog does not contain much other than regular postings, so there is very little to navigate here. There are no pictures with the posts and the categories menu is missing as well. I think a blog with this kind of topic is broad enough to include a few categories so that readers could navigate directly to any specific questions they may have that do not fall under the previous posts menu. I also find the archives menu a little bulky by being organized by specific date and it would look much neater if it was organized monthly or even weekly.

I will give this blog a 3, there is very little to offer the readers here other than the bloggeries. I am not sure what the readership is, but the blog could definitely use a blogroll or a related links menu. I also think the blog would be a little more aesthetically appealing if pictures were offered with the content. The writing is very well done, comprehensive, and informative. To add to this, the blog is updated regularly which is always beneficial to any blog’s success. Even in the recent posts there is a wide range of topics covered that serves the readership well. I think these could be organized into categories if readers wish to look at specific topics down the road. The advertising is appropriately incorporated and not at all distracting to the readers so it should monetize the blog nicely. Navigation here is a little bland and simply because there is very little offered other than regular posting. The blog has a unique concept and the keywords are used effectively so with these few changes, I think this blog could do very well.

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– Chrissie

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This year’s fashion trends are all about the bohemian look and finding pieces that complement your wardrobe that are one of a kind. If you are having some problems procuring these one of a kinders, you can stop looking and take a minute to check out some pretty funky pieces that Knot Gypsy has created. Her collection can be found at KnotGypsy’s Journey of Creation. Knot Gypsy works out of Texas in pursuit of her dream – to live a creative life and make a living at it. She specializes in beaded micro macramé jewelry and often branches out to other techniques such as beaded crochet. Having been in this business for 10 years, she wants her collection to be both durable and beautiful. Take a look at any of her recent bloggeries to get a feel for what kind of wearable art she has created: Look what Someone Did with the Waves Bracelet Pattern, Knot News – Weekly Update, Update Re: New Websites, Fans Bracelet Pattern Finished, Yin Yang, Fans On the Way, and a Poll.

Navigation on this blog is very straightforward. Posts are right marginalized with black text on a pretty mauve background with headlines in a darker mauve accent. Each post is accompanied by relevant pictures to the piece on topic, and they are excellent representations of the jewelry. There is a left navigation system with you will find to be very simple and easy to move through towards finding all that you want in Knot Gypsy’s world. In the left navigation bar you will see the About Page, a featured piece which is currently a beautiful bracelet designed to look like tapestry. You will also find more information about her designs, updates for the site, Blog Entries of Note, and a Categories Menu. A few interesting categories include bead shopping, patterns and kits, and Knotgypsy’s beaded jewelry showcase. Scroll down to look through the archives and as well check out some of Knot Gypsy’s other links where she features more pieces on her Squidoo Lens, Workshop Forum, read her FAQ, and check out her Guestbook. The categories menu is extremely comprehensive and covers everything from catfood to inspiration and so much more. You will also find in this navigation bar related links, some of her favorite blogs, and many other cool links.

I am going to go with a 4.3 for this blog. The content is excellent and very well written. Each post appropriately describes every piece and the pictures speak for themselves. You can see a lot of love in every piece, and her account of that is evident through her writing. The description of the Yin Yang piece is the best example of that thus far. The blog is very unique and easily stands out amongst other jewelry blogs, and the navigation and overall appearance of the site is very appealing to the reader. I think the amount of information that she has added on this blog for such a young blog is very impressive. I also really like the personal voice that the blog conveys through the posting. I think this blog could use with some more activity, even daily posting if possible, and there is a teensy typo on the About page that should be looked at. Daily posting would definitely improve the readership of the blog, and I also think this blog would not be hurt by a little advertising, and this would easily be accomplished through some AdSense or other forms of advertising. This would definitely monetize the blog nicely, and add to her income. I think the only thing missing from this blog is a pricing menu for the pieces she features. Overall, this blog is very impressive given that it is so young, and I look forward to seeing Knot Gypsy’s success grow from this blog.

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– Chrissie

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