Listen, I don't know about you but I'm still exhausted by yesterday's awful post and all the comments about it. So today I have prepared for you this simple hey look at these things I love and took pictures of post. A palate cleanser if you will.
See how I did that? The phrase yesterday's awful post and all the comments about it is two things. An accurate description of yesterday's post AND it piques your curiosity. Everybody loves a train wreck. People are more likely to click on negative things than positive. 2.3% more likely to be precise.
These are the things we have to consider as a blogger. What headline is going to capture the reader's (your) attention? With everyone getting 100's of emails and texts and messages, bloggers have to think about creating a headline that MAKES people want to click on it; without being spammy.
You want it to be enticing, but not clickbait. You want there to be a reward equal to or greater than the headline waiting behind it.
There you go. Your first lesson in blogging. You need to use both psychology and marketing and math every day.
If you're lucky and I'm in the mood, next week you'll learn all about the exciting world of "click rates".
Pictured above is my first garden haul of the season. I've picked things earlier than this but nothing you could make a meal out of. A pint of strawberries, some radishes, garlic ... that sort of thing. Not that I'm against a radish smothered in a garlic/strawberry sauce but the thought does make me a little barfy.
The bell pepper is a Dragonfly, which is dark purple. It's one of the new varieties I grew this year. I picked it too early though and it was green inside. I do not like green peppers. They make me a little barfy.
I have absolutely no idea why I'm saying a little barfy so often.
Let's move past that and into Teletubbyland.
This quality of this photo is terrible but you can only expect so much from me when you consider I started with this ...
Same photo. What transformed it? In LightroomCC I straightened it, removed distortion, cropped it, boosted the rainbow & the sky colour and lightened up Philip so you could see him.
It poured rain here the night before last and as I was letting Philip out I noticed a huge rainbow right over him. I had to run inside, find my phone, run out again, make him sit where he was sitting before I "getaway-carred" through my house looking for my phone.
Then I had to STARE at my phone, open the camera app, change the little thingy at the bottom to get a wide lens, adjust the light, fall down on the mudroom floor and click.
This one I did differently than that.
My first attempt at creating a very distinct shape with flowers. The vase is The Cove vase from Oh Flora ($57 Canadian). Tanya, the owner operator, designs the pieces from her home in Australia and then they're hand made in Sri Lanka. ( Oh Flora is a favourite of Floret's Erin Benzakein as well, which is how I learned about them. )
My arrangement won't be winning any awards - not even at the local county fair where 2 flowers in a child's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle boot once won top prize.
I hope your palate is sufficiently cleansed. You can expect your next course soon.
Heather Taylor
Hi Karen,
Your pictures are amazing!
Van
Your produce has made me drool - at least I think that's what did it this time. Sometimes I just do it for practice. Are your big toes green like your thumbs? Helluva job you did with the Adobe editing - I will have to re-visit that program. So the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is actually the remarkable Philip? Now chasing rainbows makes sense. I agree with a previous comment that yesterday's post was not awful. I think we all need to put our collective feet down and stop all the nightmares that are becoming reality, in some cases again. I don't know how it's going in Canada, but here in the US the bad guys are winning on a daily basis. We all know the saying, When good men do nothing...But this was a fun, lovely post today - always appreciated.
Karen
Thanks Van! Philip has left the rainbow and is currently chewing a piece of bark on the outdoor sofa. ~ karen!
Gretchen
Karen-you continue to rock my world! I thought yesterday's post was spot on. Well done, you! And your pictures today are great--even if you think they are just OK. I will continue to vote for you! Keep posting!
Lynn
Yo. Are like a breath of fresh air.
Leeuna
What a beautiful photo of Phillip!
Kat
The flowers are AWESOME! And Phillip looks as regal as ever... even stoned :D
Karen
LOL. Oh lord, I felt SO bad for him when he was high. ~ karen!
Deb from Maryland
Ahhh.
LeeAnne Bloye
Nice shot of Philip! Would have made a great puzzle. I always wonder how you do those.
Barb
My thoughts too. No puzzles for a couple of weeks-I miss them, especially the big ones, because I could use them to delay what I was supposed to be doing!
Robert
I liked the first picture. I thought sort of look like a duck in that one the study of what his camp 😄
Wendy
I would have been satisfied with a single cleanse (Philip) but now I’m squeaky clean with the second (flora arrangement). Thank you for all your posts
Jane
Great photos, Karen!
I don't know about yesterday's post being awful, but I can definitely understand being exhausted from all the comments. Woah!
Karen
Writing it was completely exhausting! It's a really large topic to try to condense into something less than a bible took work, lol. ~ karen!
Ellen
My goodness he's a gorgeous dog! I don't know who your groomer is but they are excellent.
Karen
Thanks Ellen. He just got back from a professional groom a few days ago. I'll try to get an actual good shot of his trim. I get him professionally cut a few times a year and I groom him in between. My groomer is retiring and I'm trying to get as good at it as I can before she disappears into retirement land on me. ~ karen!
Lynda
Karen, we are a crazy, curious bunch, who follow you because we think things like renting a floor sander is a fun activity for our weekend. I like reading about the mechanics and trials of being a blogger as much as I like reading how to pour leveling cement on a floor. You're awesome.
Van
I just bought a drywall sander because I can use it from my wheelchair and it's able to remove the checkerboard finish I put on my floors about 20 years ago. I'd say we are crazy like foxes!
Karen
You're removing checkerboard paint? I love checkerboard paint! ~ karen
Terry Rutherford
It shows what I care about, I didn’t notice the rainbow while admiring Philip’s handsomeness. Rock on, Philip. And Karen. Hold strong. It’s a crazy world.
Alison Wagstaffe
Gorgeous! My dog says hi!
Karen
Hi dog!! ~ karen
marcia
Oh, you put big smile on my face with that gorgeous picture of Philip under the rainbow. 🥰 Loved your flower arrangement - What are the round, green things? Tomatoes, by any chance? I rather like them in the flowers as opposed to the veg arrangement. Whimsical!
Karen
Oh! They're a little cluster of immature green apples from my apple tree. ~ karen!
Auntiepatch
I love all your posts!
Arthur
My palate is now completely clean, thank you!
Lois
Phillip deserves a rainbow over him everywhere he goes.
Savannah
Consider me cleansed! xo