enJOY it

i’m teaching minibooks in real life.

September 9, 2011

I am so excited to be teaching MINIBOOKS at Teahouse Studios in Berkeley, California. Minibooks are special to me. The city of Berkeley is special to me. (It's where Paul went to college and home to many, many shenanigans for both of us.)

The class is two full days (November 12-13) of instruction and includes a minibook textbook (which I'm developing!) and supplies for making two complete books. (Plus lunch both days.) You can find more details about the workshop and sign up here (there's is even a coupon code for an extra $20 off!).

I know that some of you have taken my BIG mini online workshop so I wanted to pre-answer the question about how this will be different. My minibook "fundamentals" have not changed, so some of the basics from the online class and the real class will be the same. However, I am going to develop the concepts further for this in person class & we'll be making specific projects together. You'll leave the class with two complete books as well as a bundle of ideas for more. (Plus have the opportunity to try out many of the concepts – including machine & hand stitching, painting & stamping.)

Thank you for letting me share here and thank you, Teahouse Studios for hosting with me! I really hope that if you're in the area (or itching to take a trip to Northern California!) you'll join me for this workshop. And just a note – this early sign up is just for my blog readers only. Please don't share the link just yet. 🙂
blog 2.0 workshop details / fall re-run.

September 8, 2011
I first ran this workshop in April 2011. It was a big adventure and overall very successful. I am excited to be offering it again this fall. This will be the last time the class runs in 2011.
- This is an online class that focuses on using web coding and design to customize your Typepad blog.
- Class seats are $115 and payment will be made through paypal. You will receive a welcome email immediately after purchase.
- The workshop seats are limited and instruction will start on Monday, October 3.
- This class will take place on a private blog & will include two weeks of intense instruction followed by six more weeks of access to the blog, Q&A and extra help from me.
- After the complete eight week class, you will continue to have access to the instructional videos and be able to download a PDF booklet of what was covered in the workshop.
- Lessons will be taught via videos (where you can see my screen and hear my instructions) as well as written “lectures.”
- Included in the class fee is 1-on-1 help (within reason, I can’t redo your blog for you but I can give you the tools and answers to do it yourself) via email as well as feedback and constructive criticism if you are interested.
- creating a cohesive & professional blog design
- post visuals & buttons
- font & formatting
- general & useful HTML coding
- sidebar images, buttons, text
- banner & navigation buttons
- creating additional pages
- creating a small “store front” within a blog
- using HTML elsewhere online (like flickr & message boards)
- editorial calendars & scheduling posts
- advertisers & affiliate programs
- making sense of blog statistics
- my blogging story
- and more – including that 1-on-1 help via email
- As mentioned, this is a class for Typepad bloggers. I will be focusing all instruction on customizing your Typepad blog ONLY. **If you do not yet have a Typepad account but are interested in the class, please don’t set up your account yet. I have a coupon code for 20% off to offer new members OR people who need to upgrade to a Plus Typepad account. You will receive it after signing up. This is 20% off your membership for as long as you have an account. If you already have an account, you can still apply it. Very exciting.
- I would highly recommend that you have access to Photoshop Elements or another photo editing/design program. It’s not required, but you will find it helpful in creating graphic elements for your site. You can always download a free trial to use during the class.
“Designing my own blog was an idea I’d flirted with in the past but html and coding had always intimidated me. When I heard about Elise’s class I knew it was time to take the leap and challenge myself to learn something new. Her class was well-organized and easy to understand but also gave me the feeling of having extremely valuable skills under my belt! She made herself available to everyone who needed further instruction or feedback on their blog designs which was just as valuable to me as the information in the class. Her use of video tutorials as well as written lessons worked really well with my learning style and helped me navigate a new blog hosting site without feeling lost. Overall the class exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a little guidance in designing their own blog!” – Rachel Denbow of Smile & Wave.

“My boyfriend gave me Elise’s Blog Workshop class as a birthday gift. As a longtime blogger (and as someone with a degree in Web Design) I was a little unsure of whether or not I would actually learn anything. But by the end of the course, I was stunned by how much information and design tips Elise fit into a two weeks! During the course of this workshop, my blog went from blah and boring to something so great that I started getting immediate offers for sponsorships and advertisers! I’m also being headhunted by technology firms as a social media consultant – all thanks to the strength of my blog! Thanks, Elise!” – Cris Stone of Kiss My Tulle

“This was the class I’ve been waiting for. It saved me hours and hours of Googling and fiddling with trial and error. Elise taught us how to do things right the first time; and if she didn’t know, she would diligently seek out the answer to more complex questions we had. Elise saved me hours of frustration, which in my book is worth every dollar and more.” – the tiny twig
“My brother is a computer programmer who builds websites and writes computer software. He was astounded by what I was able to learn and put together in just a few short weeks. I went from knowing absolutely nothing about blogging (other than reading a lot of them) to setting up and customizing my own blog complete with coding! This workshop felt like having a patient friend guide you by the hand and tell you step-by-step just what to do. For what I got out of this workshop (one-on-one help, a Typepad discount, lessons in blogging AND coding AND design), I would have easily paid double. Very enjoyable and very much worth it!” – Linda of The Written Picture

Why only Typepad? Typepad is the platform I have used for five years and am most comfortable explaining and teaching.

Will you be teaching a similar class for other blogging platforms? No.

Why limited seats? I am offering a limited number of seats so I am able to give 1-on-1 attention when needed.

Do I have to visit the private blog everyday? No, you certainly do not have to read class updates everyday. HOWEVER, I did find that students who followed along daily seemed to “get it” with a bit less confusion. If you are unable to check the site daily during the instruction days (October 3-14) that’s okay! But I would recommend reading just one or two lectures a day when you do have time. This will help everything sink in and allow you to build on ideas from one lecture to another. Basically, if you take you time to work through the material as opposed to cramming it all in, it will make more sense and ease frustration.

Are you going to be releasing PDFs of this workshop? Not anytime in the near future. I hope to run this class in full a few more times if there is interest and I can’t figure out a good price for the PDF that is fair for me and fair for you. So for now, there is no PDF release date.

This is an interesting & challenging class to teach. I enjoyed the lesson development and am excited to help you make your blog more YOU. Please keep in mind that this class will involve a lot work on your part as well. This is detailed stuff and I am going to make it fun, but I can’t do it for you. Please email me (elise.blaha AT gmail.com) if you have any questions about what the class will cover or what my capabilities are. I don’t want you to sign up for something that isn’t what you are looking for or really need.

Ready to sign up? Please use the “add to cart” button below. You will be directed to pay via Paypal. Soon after you submit payment, you will receive a confirmation email with more information. Keep in mind that if you pay with an e-check, your email will come once your check clears (which can take up to a few days).

CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.

thanks! elise
so what do I eat?

September 8, 2011
A few weeks ago I shared some of the diet changes I have made this summer and got a few requests for actual recipes. I have to say, at the moment, I am pretty uninspired in the kitchen. I am a creature of habit (as in I would eat the exact same dinner every night) and so with Paul gone, I have been rotating through the same dishes over and over.

Regardless, I decided to share. So here is what I am eating now :

Breakfast is always oatmeal (cooked with milk, not water) or cereal. Sometimes granola, sometimes Kashi or a Kashi like store brand. When I have blueberries, those get tossed in too. Sometimes a cut up banana gets added. I think I could probably be getting more protein in my breakfast, but right now, this keeps me going through Bar Method and until lunch at 11:30ish.

Lunch is usually bread (either what I recently made or Trader Joe's sprouted wheat) & peanut butter OR

bread with an egg scramble (2 eggs, spinach, ham/turkey, onion & cheese). I always eat a piece (or two) of fruit with lunch too.

When I get hungry in the early afternoon I'll eat a handful of almonds and another piece of fruit or my recently discovered obsession, Larabars.

I usually eat dinner pretty early and these past few weeks that means either a pasta dish (wheat noodles, olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, tomatoes, bit of basil, almonds, blue cheese & sometimes a grilled chicken breast) OR

a salad with whatever I can find in the fridge and fruit bowl (which at the moment means spinach, sliced turkey, almonds, walnuts, strawberries, onion, goat cheese & dressing). My new "trick" for salads it to cut everything as small as possible. Then I can get every flavor in each bite.

Recently I have been having "desert" of greek yogurt, honey and fruit. My new favorite combination is greek yogurt, honey, banana and walnuts. And every few nights I definitely have red wine. If I'm hungry again before bed, I'll eat sugar snap peas, fruit or a spoonful of peanut butter (and sometimes all three).

So, yeah, it's pretty boring. But as mentioned, I am a habit girl and enjoy it. Clearly, my favorite food is fruit and I buy it like a crazy person. I never have a plan (like "get apples") but instead just buy whatever is on sale that week (usually whatever is on that front stand is what they are trying to push out the door). When I do go out to dinner, I'll eat whatever sounds good. I have done the "grilled chicken breast & steamed vegetables route" in the past and it was not a good match for me.

When Paul is home, we are a bit more exciting. Below are links to some of our favorite foods I have shared here in the past. All of these are still things I would eat on this new food plan and I am sure I'll be making (and then saving leftovers) often this fall.
40 loaves / oatmeal sandwich bread.

September 7, 2011

Bread no. 21 : oatmeal sandwich bread by summer harms.

Adjustments : halved the recipe, used brown sugar instead of molasses & may have used a bit too much white flour because I was short whole wheat.

Notes : baked like a charm. Summer's recipe was perfect. I think mine might have turned out a bit softer than hers, (at least that's how it looks in the pictures) which might have been because of the extra white flour or the fact that I forgot about it and it had more rise time. The crust was amazing and had that satisfying "crunch" when I cut into it.

Review : Wow. This was the bread I've been looking for. Tasted great. It's the sort of bread Paul and I would fight over if it was in roll form at a restaurant. I'm going to keep trying wheat recipes (because I have 19 loaves to go) but this is a definite keeper.
one month down.

September 7, 2011

The thing about deployments is…they suck.

That's really the bottom line. At least from where I am sitting.

But sadly, they are a part of the game for us and so we keep going.

I have some days that are great and I'm feeling good about my routine. And others where my friend, Self-Pity comes over for a slumber party.

Seeing my girlfriends often makes a world of difference. Mailing Paul a card almost daily is actually really fun. And not to be too melodramatic, but video chats are saving me. And actually, saving us. It is so difficult to keep up the connection when half the globe separates you and being able to see him and re-memorize his mannerisms and witness his smile makes me feel so much better. It makes me feel like this whole situation is a tiny bit less of a bad joke.

I know how blessed I am that he is safe and has so much access to the internet. For those things, I am so grateful.

And with that, we keep trucking. One month down. Too many more to go.

*photos were taken last spring with the PictureShow app for iPad & they are some of my favorites.
playing with paint.

September 6, 2011

On Thursday, while I was visiting Kal, we played with paint.

Prior to this trip, I signed up for her Script School online workshop (which starts September 12) but was lucky enough to get an “in real life” preview of what to expect.

It was awesome.

The number one thing I learned is the importance of practice. My painting ability after an hour and a half of moving the brush and making letterforms was so much better than when I started. But three hours later after a break for more paper and lunch, I was back to where I started. So like anything else, practice, as well as warm-up exercises, is so key when trying to make art.

I am so looking forward to starting the online workshop to learn more in depth ideas and mostly just for the practice. After talking with Kal and hearing more about what she has in store, I highly recommend this course. Think of it as back to school for your creative side. And if you’re signed up – stock up on paper immediately. I think I’ll be buying a ream of computer paper (and also covering every bit of junk mail that comes through my door).
autumn minibook : getting started.

September 5, 2011

Hooray! It's September, and that means I am working on a season minibook again. During the summer I shared my progress about once a week and I am hoping to do the same again for fall. This book was a fun one to put together. I chose a rich color palette and somehow that inspired me to do something different with my album this season. I want to make the whole thing feel fancier and am going to be attempting this by adding lots of texture, layers and different techniques.

At least that is the plan.

Above are the first three pages.

getting started with the autumn minibook from elise blaha on Vimeo.

I filmed a video to talk about them in more detail and to also share two tutorials – one for creating the masked shape that you see on the first page and one for creating a small kraft envelope like mine. **PS. just rewatched the video and saw that the audio was out of sync for a few parts. sorry about that. working on finding that bug and fixing it for the next videos.**

I love this project and am so looking forward to seeing where this book will go.

Do you want to save your fall season in the same way? Watch the book trailer here and pick up a copper or white stamped mixed paper book.
well, hey there.

September 3, 2011

When Paul left, we figured we would be able to video chat often. But when he got there, the internet connection wasn't strong enough to support it. This morning, for some reason, it worked and we were finally able to see each other. Had I known it was coming, I might have done something about my bed head and changed out of my nightgown. But I didn't, and it was still good. There were lots of happy tears and smiles. AND OH MAN, is video so much better than the phone. Hoping for many more of these the next few months.

(And anticipating a technical question – we use gmail video chat.)
two things.

September 2, 2011

I am currently on a layover in Denver and almost home. I had a really great trip to Winnipeg. It could have been awkward and it could have been amazing and happily it landed on the good side.

I learned a lot of different things about art, type, my damn camera lens, motherhood, marriage, painting, Lululemon, skincare & David’s Tea. (More on those last four will be coming soon.)

But as I sit here on my computer and get my head back into “work mode” for the first time in two weeks, two things that we talked about a lot are circling my brain.

ONE : social media only works if you enjoy it. If you don’t have to think about it, you’re probably doing it right.

TWO : nothing rings as true as authenticity. It’s impossible to please everyone and trying to do so will drive you insane and turn your work into vanilla.

And so for September, I am going to try a new experiment. I’m not going to look at the numbers. Google Analytics? We are on a break. I am not going to worry about what posts get the most hits or how many comments are coming through. I am not going to think, am I tweeting too much? Am I tweeting to little? Is it okay if I hate facebook? Is this post relevant? Am I relevant? Am I going to make money? Am I right? Am I wrong? Am I crazy?

I’m just going to roll with it.

Happy September. I am so excited to get back to work I might just skip the plane and fly home by my own power.

photo by Kal with instagram.
oh hey, from winnipeg.

September 1, 2011

Still here. Still going fantastic. Yesterday we played with the girls and the dogs (and I am obssed with both) and finished the day with a long dinner and a long amazing talk (there may have been tears). And today we are painting and dreaming up new projects. Like maybe a joint workshop…?

And TONIGHT, at 8pm, we are going to be at Finn McCue's @ the Forks. If you want to come say hi, please do! We're excited. And I hear they sell beer there.

Winnipeg, you're awesome. Kal, you're rad.