Once Upon A Blog design shoppe

latest news...

2011-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

the site is in process of being re-designed, so pardon the dust! ;)

followers, instead of following here, move your "following" to the

BLOG

and

TWITTER

Thanks! Hope you like the new look! ;)

latest news...

2011-01-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

check out the new re-design!

To start following the latest happenings around here, follow the

BLOG

TWITTER

Thanks everyone!

LATEST NEWS....

2010-12-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
Baby lying in a manger,
You left Heaven's throne for me.
Came to earth a helpless infant,
Came to earth to die for me.

**closed for business December 23-28th

Latest News...

2010-11-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas/Holiday Cards

Don't forget to order your Christmas cards from Once Upon A Blog Design Shoppe! The cost is $25 for the design, and then the image will be sent to you via email to be printed off by you!

Below are some samples of designs we have done in the past! Contact us soon to get on the list!

Latest News...Christmas designs

2010-10-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

it's not too early to begin thinking about a Christmas makeover for your blog.

whether you are wanting a full makeover, or just a header, use the contact form today to get started!

Christmas headers will be: $35
Christmas blogs will be $55

Latest News...

2010-09-24T11:07:00.001-07:00

How To Get The Most Out of Your Blog Designer…Without Making Them Run Away Screaming

by: The Pixel Boutique

1. Know what you want before you begin. At least have an idea of what you like and don’t like, what style of design you’re going for.

2. Yet, trust your designer’s expertise. Chances are, they’ve been doing this for a while and know what works and what doesn’t work…what looks right and what looks like your cousin with a trial version of Photoshop came up with.

3. “Googling Before Asking”. I’m going to vinyl this on my office wall, I think. Chances are, 90% of your questions after your blog design is completed can be answered by a simple Google search, or the several links on usage of your particular blog platform that your designer should have sent you.

4. Don’t run the design comp by your mother, sister, neighbor for their approval/input (unless you are partnering with them in the blog in the end). Really, this is your blog and having too many cooks in the kitchen makes things very crowded. Again, trust your designer…collaborate with them. That’s why you hired them.

5. Samples always help. I may be speaking for myself here, but having sample links to other blogs and websites always helps me determine your likes (and dislikes).

6. Don’t go overboard on the initial conversation…and then leave them high and dry. Most blog designers have a waiting list. And a good designer will try to answer your questions before hand to make sure you can work together. When you have a laundry list of questions with no real intention of scheduling a project, that can cause a lot of frustration…and possibly an unwillingness to work with you when you come back because it didn’t work out with the guy who said he could do it for half the price. (It happens…just sayin’)

7. Try not to change the direction of the design half way through the project. Small tweaks happen, but major ones are a major pain…for both of you.

8. And if you do, don’t be surprised with extra charges. A good designer will confirm this before hand, but if they don’t, they can still tack on extra charges at the end of the project.

9. Your designer is not your indefinite indentured servant. Unless you have a monthly maintenance contract set up, don’t be surprised if you don’t get an answer to a question about your blog 6 months after the design process is over. That said, most designers want to help you…they just simply don’t have the time due to their current clientele.

Now that you know how to be the world’s best client, go forth. And tell them I sent you.

LATEST NEWS....

2010-09-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: the waiting list is now CLOSED.

the waiting list is opened up again! with school being back in session, i have been able to get a lot more work done! so, come one come all....sign on up!

thanks so much!

LATEST NEWS...

2010-08-07T09:07:00.001-07:00

***UPDATE...the 10 spots are now all filled! Thanks to you all!***

Dare I say it...

I am finally getting caught up! :)

This means that the WAITING LIST IS OPEN! Whoo hoo! :)

I am only leaving it open enough for 10 SPOTS, so get on it quick!

Remember, a non-refundable deposit of $25 via paypal to jennisajoy(at)gmail.com will secure your place!

Thanks so much! I look forward to working with you!!!

Latest News...

2010-07-27T20:20:00.001-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday, Once Upon A Blog!

I can't believe that is has been 3 years since I began this journey of opening up and operating my own business. What a road it has been, and what a blessing this job has been to my family. 3 years ago, I could count how many blog designers there were on one hand, and now it has unfortunately exploded into anyone and everyone trying their hand at it. I am so thankful for my faithful blog clients, that keep coming back!

I am not working non-stop like I used to, as those who are on the waiting list can attest to. My family has been and always will be top priority for me, with designing as a fun thing to do at night after my girlies are in bed! What a blessing it is to me!

Again, thanks to you all for the 3 years! Looking forward to many more!

LATEST NEWS

2010-05-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

The waiting list is now closed again! Thanks to all of you who emailed and reserved your spot! I look forward to working with you!

My family is moving into a new home on May 12th and will be without internet for a day or two, and who knows when I will be able to find my computer again! :) Thanks to you all for your patience!

Have a fabulous Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

LATEST NEWS...waiting list is open!

2010-05-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that I am opening up the waiting list until Friday midnight of this week (May 2-7th). All you need to do to get on the waiting list, is the following:

1. fill out the contact form stating your desire to be added to the waiting list (approx. 3 month wait)
2. send a non-refundable deposit of $25 via paypal to jennisajoy(at)gmail.com

Thanks so much!

Latest news

2010-04-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update everyone about my schedule for the coming weeks...

my family is moving around May 10-13, so days before and following that, I may or may not be without Internet. I also will not be working around the move, so I apologize in advance to anyone who is waiting for my services. I'm so grateful for such wonderful clients that are extremely patient and understanding with this stay at home mommy's schedule!

Thanks again!

latest news

2010-03-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

***UPDATE***
waiting list is now closed again....thank you to those who contacted me!

2010-03-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

late last year, I designed a blog for a photographer...i loved her color choices, as it makes her actual photos she takes pop.

She recently contacted me to ask if I would help with making her a wedding brochure to have at shows and events. I had never done anything like this before, but with some determination, I did it! I wanted to share what we came up with!

aren't they just lovely? So, I guess if you have print work like this, I can help!!!

2010-02-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

has it been since Christmas since I've updated the blog! OMGoodness! Guess you all can guess why that has been....I've been a busy lady!

My girls have been in one of those "we don't get along with each other...ever" stages, and it has been increasingly hard for me to get peace and quiet to be able to work. That, and when we finally get them in bed at night (which has not been fun either), I'm sooooo worn out that working has just not been on the front burner.

That being said, being a wife and mother are my first priorities, and always will be. Designing is my fun outlet, and a wonderful 2nd income for my family. I am so fortunate for all of my clients, and am so grateful for their patience with me!

The waiting list is closed, and will be for a little while yet. We just put our house on the market, and I don't want to take any more clients at this time since I have no idea what this process will entail. Rest assured, if you are on the list, I will get to you!!!

Thanks again to all of you! I can't say enough how thankful I am that I can work from home in my pj's! Blessings to you all!!!

2009-12-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

Once Upon A Blog {design shoppe} is going to be on Christmas Vacation from December 20th - January 1st. Emails will be answered occassionally, but design work will not be done. If you need something from me, please contact me before the 20th, or after the 1st!

Thanks, and have a Merry Christmas

2009-11-28T15:30:00.001-08:00

2009-11-18T21:48:00.001-08:00

Once Upon a Blog makes the news!!!!

I was interviewed a couple weeks ago for a feature that ran Wednesday night on blogging. I was asked to be the blog designer for the reporters blog, "Off Camera with Trish VanPilsum". Take a peek....

In-Depth: New Kid on the Blog

Published : Wednesday, 18 Nov 2009, 11:12 PM CST

MINNEAPOLIS - What does it take to design a money-making mommy blog? Reporter Trish Van Pilsum goes through the process herself and shares first hand, the secrets to success.

A blog is basically an on line journal. I still have the journal I wrote when my daughter was born. Back then journaling was a private thing. When moms needed to compare notes they talked over the back fence. That isn't always possible now so women by the millions have turned to the internet to share stories, advice and, most importantly, support.

Take Kami Rude.

She went from being a single woman working full-time to a stay-at-home wife and step mom of four kids. But staying at home doesn't mean being isolated.

Kami writes her own blog about her family. She says, “It just blew up. I had so many readers right away.”

She reads blogs written by other women, too, like Mckmama dot com. I’ll have more on her popular blog in a bit. And the Pioneer Woman: undisputed queen of the mommy blogs. But, wait there's a new kid on the blogosphere.

That would be me. Pretty funny since it wasn't that long ago I didn't really know what a blog was. And it's not that the world needs one more of us. There are 35 million active bloggers in the U.S. in any given month. So how on earth, or at the risk of stretching the metaphor, how in cyberspace is one little blogger supposed to stand out.

Chris Wexler is a digital advertising expert with Campbell Mithun. He says, “The tone of voice is really important. Finding your personality helps the cream rise to the top.

Maybe before we start talking cream we should figure out how to get started. You can start a blog for free. Wordpress and Blogger both have free blog services. First I have to create an account. I want to call my blog ‘Off camera with Trish VanPilsum’ since it will document my life off camera but that url or address is taken.

I settle on ‘Off Camera with Trish’. In less than two minutes, I have a basic blog. But I want more than a basic look. So I ask a professional photographer, Molly Durkin, to get pictures of my family, especially the kids. I'll need lots of these because my blog will include a section on parenting teens.

I also call on the expertise of a blog designer, Jennisa at Once Upon a Blog. She has designed over 500 blogs. Only five of them were for men. Kami tells me these extra steps pay off.

She says, “If I hit a blog that doesn't have a good layout, if it's something my eye can't be attracted to, I often will leave before I check it out.”

My blog reflects my many interests including cooking. Jennisa tells me I have a lot of different categories to talk about. If I have one main place for people to come and then branch off to different places that would be fantastic. But it really comes down to the words.

I set up my blog in Blogger. I have some columns that I want to post and I have some video. I need to figure out how to get it on my blog and I have no clue. I do learn that successful bloggers post regularly, maintain a clear point of view and come across as authentic

Wexler says, “If you follow a few basic rules you might get ten readers but you might, it might snowball and it might be something that becomes viral.

To become viral is to spread like a germ. It happened to a blog about Stellan Mckinney. He wasn't even born yet. His mom blogged about a heart defect that could kill him. Tens of thousands of people all over the world followed every development. Jennifer Mckinney known in the blogworld as Mckmama gets 2.5 million hits a month. Her blog is now packed with ads. She donates some of the money to charities.

Wexler says, “Very few of them start out to be professional bloggers. It's a passion.”

Heather Armstrong writes an edgy, sarcastic parenting blog called Dooce.com. She's smart and she's funny and she attracts almost five million page views a month and lands big advertisers like target.

Ree Drummond, a city girl swept off her feet by a cowboy, is quickly turning an on-line journal called The Pioneer Woman dot com into an empire as big as the ranch where she now raises a family and writes a blog that gets 15 million page views a month. Her newly released cookbook shot to the very top of the New York Times best seller list. The folks who wait in long, long lines to buy it feel like they know her. That's what blogging does. Kami says, “It's almost like you know these people in real life. They do become important to you.”

Blogging does something else. It gives women with gifts and creativity a place to thrive without leaving their homes and their kids.

It gives their readers something a lot smarter and a lot more relevant than daytime TV to keep them company, which makes a mom like me wonder whether I might have made another choice had my kids been born in the age of the blogosphere. And that, by the way, is the subject of my very first post.

Dear mommy bloggers, I envy you, well you'll just have to visit my blog to read it.

2009-11-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

for more information contact me, or check out the links below!

Christmas Blog Design
Christmas Card Design

2009-10-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

the waiting is over.....

many of you have emailed over the past weeks, and I decided to open up the waiting list again...

so, game on!

If you want to get on the list for a blog design....

contact me via the contact form and I will do my best to respond to you within one business day.
send a non-refundable $25 deposit via paypal with your name included. (deposit will go towards your bill)
I will send you a confirmation email and then you will be placed on the waiting list.

if you would like to have your blog designed by me, but do not want to wait on the list, you can do the "double your money" option. Pay twice the amount of the package you select, and then I will move you to the beginning of the list. Contact me for more information!

2009-10-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

I just finished up some new designs to my Christmas Cards!

Take a peek, and let me know if you are interested in a design!

The cost is $25, and that includes the image via email for you to print how many you wish at your local printer! :)

Use the contact form to let us know if you're interested!

2009-09-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

a few quick updates.....

1. the waiting list is still closed....hoping to open up before Christmas...

2. i was ill this past week, so i am a tad behind in completing orders. i apologize and thank you for your patience with me.

3. i have begun my waiting list for Christmas headers/re-designs. If you are interested, please fill out the contact form and I will give you more information.

4. also, remember that I am offering Christmas card design as well, so keep us in mind as you're getting ready for the Christmas season!

as always, thanks so much to each one of you for helping this mama's dream of working from home a reality!

2009-09-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to get your Halloween Headers now!!!
Yours for only $20...a perfect way to get ready for the fall!

2009-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Studio Ellie is having a HUGE sale, so I just had to pick up a fun new fall kit! Hope you like the new look! :) :)

Start thinking about a Christmas makeover! The list grows fast, and you don't want to miss out!

Remember, I can also design Christmas cards too!

Thanks!

another mini-trip

2009-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

I will be mia until late Monday evening....taking my Avery to see an allergist 5.5 hours away!

I will have my computer with me, so I am able to answer emails, but actual work will be few and far between!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

2009-08-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

...the waiting list is now closed...

for a little while, anyway....

I need time to attempt to catch up before the busy Christmas season is upon us!

Keep looking back for when we open back up!

And, as always...thanks for making Once Upon A Blog {design shoppe} what it is today!

and the winners are.....

2009-08-12T19:40:00.001-07:00

Thank you all so much for making this such a wonderful birthday/grand re-opening for Once Upon A Blog Design Shoppe! There were 361 entries that I had written down, and I then used random.org to help me draw numbers! Below are the winners!

Giveaway #1
FREE Supreme blog makeover
Winner: Melissa A.

Giveaway #2
FREE Rotating header package
Winner: Paige

Giveaway #3
$25 off a blog makeover
Winner: Just His Best

Thanks again for making this so fun! :)

2009-08-01T20:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone for making the grand re-opening and birthday celebration of Once Upon A Blog so wonderful!

The winners will be announced shortly!

2009-07-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

today is a big day for Once Upon A Blog! She is 2 years old!!! Thanks to all of my wonderful clients who have supported this stay at home mama! You have made this business more successful than I could have ever imagined!

Be looking for the new and improved site to be up in the coming month...my hope is to have it up in August sometime! Also, be looking for some fun sales going on with the grand re-opening.

Thanks again! I am blessed to have this job, and it's because of all of you....

Check Out Here

2006-09-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

send payment to jennisajoy(at)gmail.com

Please click on the paypal link above, and that will direct you for payment!
Thank you!

I require a $25 deposit before beginning on your design. The rest of your payment is due at completion of your blog design.

Contact Me!

2004-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you!

2004-06-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

I will be in touch with you shortly!

Thanks for choosing Once Upon A Blog...

~Jennisa, owner

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