Reviews

Here is a blog that you will enjoy bookmarking for your morning coffee break or for whenever you just need a good chuckle. The blog is called Invading Holland. The blog is the story of one accident prone Englishman who is ‘unexpectedly leading the invasion of Holland’. You may think you know what that means, but you won’t truly get it until you spend some time on the blog. The blogger is an Englishman in his late 20’s who moved to Holland in 2001 and while he once worked in theater, his serious aspirations were to become a Ghostbuster. He is currently working in the computer gaming industry, which you can see is reflected in the blog appearance. Get a feel for this quirky author by checking out his recent bloggeries: Robodock 2007, The Unintentional Question Effect, Bubble Bath, London Visit, Jimmy the Spider: A Children’s Story; Quote of the Week: Onions; Mismatch (a bloggerie about socks); Charlie?; and How to Confuse a Dutch Person.

Navigation on this blog is extremely simple and easily laid out. Bloggeries are in black text on a pale blue background with a darker blue border. The header is appealing and contains some cartoons drawn by the blogger as well as a top navigation bar for the blog, profile, and a stunning photo gallery. In the right navigation system you will see the blogger has had 23000 visits and 23 subscribers, which, if I had not seen 23 last night would not seem odd to me. You will also find a Best Post Menu here, Recent Posts Menu noted as “Previously”, Archives Menu, Blogroll sorted by Country, links, credits, and a very healthy Categories Menu. In the categories you will find topics such as Accident Prone, Cartoons, Daily Life, Drunkness, Dutch Culture, Funny True Stories, and so much more. You will also find here the ownership information of all of the cartoons on the site that have been created by the author. I also urge you to check out the photo gallery for some pictures that are both stunning and impressive. I am not sure if the blogger is a professional photographer or not, as you can not determine this from the quality of the photos. Each post contains its own separate quirky cartoon, but I like how these unique photos are separated into their own gallery.

I give this one overall a 4.5/5 with my only complaint being that it really needs more frequent updating. I found myself laughing out loud at many of the posts, and if you read “Charlie?” and its corresponding comment roll, you will know what I mean. The blog could use a search feature and a contact us page! I’d like to contact the author but have no way that I could find. The content is simply spectacular both in its writing style which engages the reader and in its artistry. The readership is impressive, and you can see how the current readership is connected to the blogger through the large assortment of comments within every post. The appearance is nothing less than professional / outstanding and is definitely aesthetically appealing and matches the quirkiness of the blog. I definitely recommend this to those of you that love a good chuckle as this one certainly got a subscription from me.

-Chrissie

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Here we will look at another personal blog that is called Under the Quilt. The blogger here is known as Roxanne and has a true personal voice and invites you to ‘talk amongst yourselves’. She loves quilting, and better yet, cuddling up under a quilt. She is also married with two children who ‘keep her more than a little occupied’. You can get to know Roxanne a little bit better and see what kind of projects she is involved in through any of her recent bloggeries: I want to Live!, You know you’ve been married too long when…., MIA, A T-Shirt I spotted today, Is this phallic enough for you?, If I ever had a fantasy about being serenaded…, Log the Jog, Can’t Wait t’ill Monday, Body Image and Awareness.

You will find it very easy to navigate this blog as it is fairly straightforward as most personal blogs are. The blog has a light pink background with a fuschia border and the text is maroon. Bloggeries are left marginalized and there is a right navigation bar. The right navigation system contains Roxanne’s profile, a Links menu that currently contains some ‘Edit me’ sections, Previous Posts menu, and archives dating back to 2005. Each post contains one if not many relevant pictures that add to the intent of the blogging. The blog currently is not set up with a Categories menu, and if Roxanne wanted to organize her posts just a smidge more, it would probably benefit the blog.

I will go with a 3.2/5 for this one. There are a few things that could use some tweaking if this blogger wants the blog to stand out. The blog has a solid readership judging by its regular commentary in the bloggeries, and with this I might suggest some monetization. With increased exposure to the blog, monetization may bring in some money for the blog as this is a niche that is unique and definitely has a wide global following. I like the personal voice in the blog which really connects the posts to the readers and makes you want to read more. I would recommend also posting a little more frequently than weekly which is what the activity rate is sitting at now. More frequent posting may bring in additional traffic and lend to further success of the blog. Right now with the exception of the pictures, it does seem a little too simple, and with this I might suggest some widgets to give the blog a little life, and these can easily be found through any search engine. I would also make changes to the Links Menu as the ‘edit me’ links are a little distracting. Overall however I think this is a well-read personal blog that could generate a healthy following of fellow quilters.

-Chrissie

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Navigation on this blog is very straightforward and you will find your way moving through it with ease. Posts are left marginalized with a very standard black text on white background. The blog has an airplane logo as its header and the remainder of the blog is set in primary color accents. One thing I noticed right off the bat with this blog is the well blended AdSense, you barely notice it is there and the ads look like part of the blog, well done! In the right navigation bar you will find subscription information, ads, members login, archive section that you can view by date or by category with links provided, a blog calendar, and a hit counter with over 700 K hits. The right system also includes a handy categories menu with clever icons to represent each category: Cruise Veiws, How do I?, Industry News, International dateline, Just Back From, Marchey Marketing Minute, My Turn, US Bulletin, Link Partners, and What’s Your Niche. What I don’t see in the blog is an about page which might give the blog a little more personal voice and less of a business one, however I don’t think it’s hurting the blog by not having one. I do think a Recent Posts menu would be helpful to the readers in terms of navigation however.

Overall I will give this blog a 3.4/5. The blog scores well on most accounts with activity probably and visual stimulus needing the most attention. Posts are currently fairly regular but at times sporadic. The content itself is interesting and informative, easy to read and user friendly. I also think the simplicity of the blog design works in its favor and gives the blog an overall sense of professionalism which is what I think the bloggers are going for. Navigation is extremely easy in this blog as well, and for those that are seeking travel information through a blog, this blog offers an excellent place to do so.

-Chrissie