How To Make a Badge For Your Blog

       If you visit many blogs, you will notice a LOT are adding badges to represent their blog with special code listed below it. This ever popular and growing trend is to allow the reader to copy the code and paste it into their own blog. This allows their readers to click on this badge and visit that block. Gradually increasing your reader base.
      The popular "Linky Parties" are a good place for these. Host a party and virtual party goers can share your badge . I am still learning about this side of blogging, and considering hosting my own someday soon.
      While considering these parties, I was trying to figure out how to get this badge with its grab code to show up on my blog. I tried several different HTML codes from several different sites, and nothing worked.That is until I stumbled upon "My Cool Realm". This site should be considered "Badges For Dummies" It couldnt have been made any easier. Just follow the steps listed to add in your blog address, url for our badge, and your website title. It worked... just look at mine on my sidebar. Here are the steps to make yours:

1. Design your badge. Most sites recommend a badge no bigger than 125 pixels x 125 pixels to easily fit others sidebar. Some say no more than 200 pixels. I found 200 a little large for my sidebar. But 125 seemed way to small for my old eyes to read, so mine is 150 pixels square.

2. Once this badge is designed, you will need some place to store it. I have read of a few different places, but photobucket seemed to be the most popular and easiest. So upload your badge.

3. Now while on photobucket, when it is uploaded you will see the pic show up below the upload box. Click on this to go to the image. On this page you will see a box to the right that looks like this:

see the box below the black box on the right? There is some URL's and HTML listed in the boxes. Click in the second box that is labeled " direct link". This will automatically copy the address for  your badge. 

4.Now go to mycoolrealm, and fill in the blanks. This address you just copied gets pasted into the box labeled: "Your Image URL". 

5. There are soem settings listed for colors and code box options below . I didnt mess with these, just left the default values, and my badge showed up just like I wanted, but feel free to experiment. You can easily re-do it if its not the way you want.

6. Now click "preview". This brings a pop-up box with your badge and a box that says something like "grab code" or similar. Click This.

7. Now this box disappears and at the bottom of the original page is a box with all your precious HTML coding to make your very own Grab Button.  Just click on "select" below this and it highlights your code. Now right click over this, and left click "copy", now we go to your blog.

8. I use blogger, so I am not real familiar with how the other blogs work. On blogger, go to "design" at the top of your blog. then to "layout". Now "add a widget" in your desired spot. Most use the sidebar. I have seen a few at the bottom.

9. Click on the tab to add HTML, and paste your code in here. be sure and click "SAVE", and your  done.

Check out your handiwork, and celebrate. A little cheering, a little dancing. Be careful....dont hurt yourself  :)

Free Useful Computer Programs

I am all about free. I always look for a free program when I need something. Recently, when I started setting up my machine embroidery design site again, I needed a program to zip files and another to store files for easy downloads. After looking for a bit, I found 7-Zip. It is a wonderful free program that works like a breeze. Just mouse over the file you want zipped, right click, then right click on 7 zip, then "add to (filename.zip)". And the zipped file appears in that folder. Thats it. Simple as can be. You find find 7 zip HERE. CNET gave it high marks too.

Another program I needed was one to store files so I could allow downloads with a link. Mediafire fit the bill. One program I looked at limited the number of downloads. I don't think this one does. and it works very easy. Just upload your file, then click on "UPLOAD TO THIS FOLDER" and then select your file, and then "BEGIN UPLOADING FILES". Once file is uploaded to site, then after the file name click on "SHARE", then click on "COPY LINK". This gives you the code to send to someone or post on your blog, or in a forum to allow someone else to click on it and be able to download. Also a very simple program. You can access Mediafire.com HERE.

Got a Memory Problem?

  Do you need help remembering birthdays, when to cut back a plant, or when to plant? I found a free site I signed up for last yr, that has been working very well for me. I use it to help me remember when to cut back some of my plants, when to sow certain seeds, and reminders to contact someone.It is very easy to use, and you can set it up up to send you one or many reminders before a certain activity Also for a one-time reminder, daily, weekly, or yearly, etc.For us absent-minded professors (gardeners,wives, and mothers) it can be a great help. Those little boxes on my calender are just so big.
Anyway, here is a link to the site: Memotome.

I Am On About.com

  Hooray! I submitted my site to About.com today, and was quickly accepted by 5:01 pm this evening. It's probably not a real big deal, but it's exciting just the same. I read on someone else's site today thay they were accepted, so I figured I would give it a try. You can see it here: About.com.

Let's Make a Marquee

Welcome to my Journal.
Do you want to make scrolling text for your website? Its very simple and fun to try. I put this text in my post, but you can add it anywhere. If you want it below your header, just click on "add gadget" in the layout tab. Then "add html".
Here is the text you can use to create the marquee above:

It will also work by just using the first line above which states "marquee",then your text you want to scroll, and "/marquee" again with the same arrows around it. It will just be a plain small black font then. I am definitely not an expert in HTML. I just play around with something that interest me until I can get it to work. So the code probably looks crude to a pro, but hey...it works.