Today I celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Organized Artistry blog. Woo-hoo!

In my first year of blogging, I was getting used to writing weekly while juggling a pregnancy and new baby. This past year, I’ve learned a lot about blogging and although still sleep deprived, wrote and posted more often–one of the many goals I had set out to accomplish.

Some of my other goals were:

• Post more pictures with blog posts. Check! I think it livens up the page a bit more, don’t you?
• Post 3x a month or more. Check! Who knew that there was so much to write about on the topic of organizing?
• Post more entries on unique organizing products. Check! I’m always on the lookout for cool products. Stay tuned for a review of a product I just bought for myself…

Some goals I didn’t meet:
• Talking about my book, 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank You Note
• Discussing the process of writing a full length manuscript on the above topic (while juggling family and lack of time and sleep)
• Offering more organizing tips to brides and grooms

Although I will still create posts on this topic, I am considering creating a separate Facebook Page for my current and future book in 2012. I’m working on my manuscript in small chunks–just like I would advise an organizing client to do with a large task–break it down so it’s more managable. Will keep you posted my progress….

What I’ve added to my blog:
• Guest bloggers! I’ve been doing some guest blogging lately, and I thought, ‘Why not invite some bloggers to post at Organized Artistry?’ I think it’s been a fun way to bring new ideas and writing styles to my blog, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the posts.
• New Categories! Such as ‘Guest Blogger,’ ‘What’s in my Workbag?’ and ‘Kitchen’
• A connection to my Organized Artistry Facebook Page
• The ability to subscribe to my blog via email (top right of page)

My goals for this year are:
• Post more often
• Post helpful content
• Offer more guest blog posts
• Give you the answers to your burning organizing questions
• Build a growing readership

I have a blast writing this blog–I hope you enjoy reading it and learning from it. Let me know what you’ve learned or would like to learn about organizing this year. Your questions and need for answers are my future blog posts!

Related Posts:
Anniversary Post October 20, 2010
Blogging Beginner October 10, 2009

Brides, I apologize.

I haven’t written a post about organizing a wedding since before the summer. I know many of you have returned from your honeymoon and are settling into married life (and writing all your thank you notes). I promise, I won’t let you down again.

I have found a website for you to check out and for those of you who live near Frederick, Maryland–you can hop right over to…

The Organized Bride (I love the name!)

According to their website,

“The Organized Bride is a one-stop shop for invitations for all occasions, favors, attendant gifts and ceremony and reception essentials.”

Looks like they have a beautiful store!

But if you don’t live near the brick and mortar store, they have an online shop where you can purchase a myriad of products for your ceremony and reception.

I’ve discussed in the past how important it is to be an organized bride. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks so…

According to Mashable, a popular social media and technology blog, Thursday, June 30th is Social Media Day.

From their website:

“The global event is a celebration of the technological advancements that enable everyone to connect with real-time information, communicate from miles apart and have their voices be heard. It is a way to recognize and celebrate the huge impact that social media has made on all of our lives”

Tweet and ‘Like’ to your heart’s content. Check in on FourSquare and link up on Linkedin. After that, watch The Social Network with a bunch of your Facebook friends. Don’t know much about social media? Then Thursday is the perfect day to start thinking about joining the social media revolution.

I joined Linkedin first–I have a small business. It made sense to me to join as a small business owner and wouldn’t require a ton of my time. I didn’t want to join Facebook at first. As a mom of a then four year old and newborn baby, I barely had time to devote to our basic needs, let alone a new pastime. But, my colleagues (and friends) advised me that it would be a smart move to have a social media presence for my business and my book. So, as soon as the baby (and I) started sleeping better, I set up my personal and business profile. Although I post as often as I can, (still working on the lack-of-sleep issue) I also enjoy reading what friends, relatives, colleagues and business owners are up to.

This week I added social media buttons to my blog posts for easy sharing of information. Tomorrow, I’m going to make sure my profiles on Linkedin and Facebook are up-to-date and research how to create a Welcome page for my Organized Artistry Facebook Fan Page.

How will YOU celebrate Social Media Day?

Did you watch the Royal Wedding? The bride was breathtaking, the ceremony was majestic and the whole country (and the world) celebrated.

In reading a bit about the day, I learned that there would be 600 people attending the reception. I almost fell out of my chair! How many thank you notes is this new Princess going to have to write? Did she have a bridal shower, too? (Can’t you just see the Queen and Camilla playing Bridal Bingo?)

If I knew where to mail it, I’d send her a copy of my book, The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook. If anyone needs it–it’s her! Then I thought–not only do I not know their address, I have no idea what their last name is. Harry goes by ‘The Duke of Sussex.’ What is Meghan’s new last name?

Well–it seems as if the Royal family doesn’t use traditional last names. So since I am unsure as to where to mail her a copy of my book, I’ll offer some royal wedding thank you note organizing tips in the hopes that Meghan will one day be surfing the web for thank you note writing ideas and happen upon this blog of a commoner.

OK, Meghan. Read carefully…

• Create a Royal Spreadsheet for tracking gifts. Remember to include a column for writing the date your thank you note was put in the mail.

• Use Royal Scrap Paper to jot down ideas before writing your thank you note message. This will save you from making mistakes on your very expensive note cards

• Pace yourself. Write 3-5 royal wedding thank you notes a day and then meet Harry at the pub.

• Get Harry involved. Send him to the post office for ‘Love’ stamps after work. Have him lick the envelopes at the pub. Once the media finds out, every British bride will be after their husbands to be just like yours.

I wish you the best of luck. If you need me, I’ll take a break from polishing my tiara…

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In my anniversary post, I talked about goals I had and had not met during my first year as a blogger. One goal I forgot to add to the ‘still-need-to-do’ list is to create a Facebook Fan Page for my business. In light of the popularity of social media, I think it’s important to have a presence for my business and my book on Facebook.

I can’t believe it, but this month marks the one year anniversary of my blog–woo-hoo! I had taken a class in blogging at the NAPO Conference in Orlando in Spring 2009 and got to create it last October on a day when my then 3 year old started preschool. At the time, I was also not quite 3 months pregnant with my second child and still feeling well enough to ‘give birth’ to another extension of my business.

I had set some goals for myself—some I met and some I didn’t…

The goals I met…

• Create interesting content for my blog

• Post at least 2x a month

• Offer tips and helpful ideas for readers wanting to get organized

Goals I still have to meet…

• Talk about my 7 Steps to an Organized Wedding Thank you Note Book

• Discuss process of writing a full-length manuscript on the same topic (or not getting to write because you have an infant and a preschooler at home)

• Offer organizing tips to brides and grooms

• Post more pictures with blog posts

• Post 3x a month or more

• Post more entries on what I feel are ‘cool’ organizing products

I tell my clients not to be too hard on themselves and I’m going to take my own advice. I’m not going to be too hard on myself for not meeting those goals. I had a tough pregnancy and I’ve been sleep deprived since last Spring. There are only so many hours in a day to accomplish what you want to when you have two kids under the age of four!

I’ve love writing this blog and I’m looking forward to writing more and providing my readers with interesting and helpful content.

Thanks again for droppin’ by. Come back again soon!