Category: 2015

Just Do It, Already! {Blogger of the Month}

By Rhonda Bramell, Miss January 2015

Have you ever had something weighing on your mind? You know, something lurking back there when you have a hundred other things to take care of first?  As I mentioned in my previous post, there is one big project that I want to tackle this year. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about and imagining for a long time: I want to do a blog makeover! I’m sure many of you have gone through the process, but frankly, it feels a little intimidating to me.  

I’ve come to a few realizations about what my blog is and how to make it what I want it to be. First of all, it’s mine.  That simply means I can do with it anything that I choose!  I never started blogging to make it into a business or to use it to get rich. However, I have to admit that when I see others doing these fantastic monetized things with their blogs that I do get a little tempted. That’s also when I have to take a step back and remind myself to get real; I cannot possibly find the time or energy to fit one more demanding thing into my life right now.

Another big point of contemplation for me has been the ever-present Blogger vs. WordPress debate. Yep, you know what I’m talking about.  I have a group of blogger friends in my circle who will argue until their death that WordPress is the way to go (you know who you are).  I’ve been on Blogger since I started blogging in 2007; it’s what I know and what I’m comfortable with.  It’s not that I’m unwilling to learn something new; it’s just that, again, I don’t have the time or energy to start something new.  For the time being, I want to keep what I have and make it better.  I want to be happy and not second guess my decision…for at least another year.

I don’t have the skills to make design changes myself, so I’m going to enlist the help of some talented artsy friends of mine to help out. I have an idea for a header that I think will capture the essence of my blog perfectly and I can’t wait to see it finalized. I’m looking at color schemes, graphics and all those other fun things that make our blogs unique.  The way I see it, something that we spend so much time on should make us proud to display. It may take me a while to get it done, but I will get it done.

stop wishing

Leave a comment here if you have any helpful tips or advice on the big blog makeover. Please?

Miss January 2015 – Rhonda Bramell

Rhonda_final

Hello and Happy New Year! First, let’s all just take a big, deep breath….ahhh. If you are like me, you are happy to have survived the holiday season. I work in retail marketing, so I’m just coming off our busiest time of the year and I’m ready to slow it down for a little while.

I’m so happy to be the blogger of the month for January; I’m hoping it will give me fresh motivation to accomplish some big things on my blog and in my home. And, of course, I’ll share it with you right here!

Let me tell a little bit about myself. I grew up in Wynne, on the east side of the state. I came to Northwest Arkansas for college in the early 90s, and just decided to stay! I’ve had a career in public relations/event planning/marketing for the nearly 20 years since then.  The most fun job I had was my first one–I spent almost 10 years working for a radio station, which led me to meet tons of country singers and celebrities.  Catch me sometime and I can share some pretty good stories with you.

I have been married to my husband, Lee, for 10 years. We are parents to our seven-year-old daughter and a couple of rowdy four-year-old twins (boy and girl).  I started blogging in 2007 as a way to keep a virtual scrapbook for our family far away. I just couldn’t handle the incessant bellowing for more baby pictures, so I set up the blog. I never really intended for anyone other than my mom to read it, though. Alas, seven years later, here I am.

My blogging hasn’t changed much over the years; it’s still a collection of family memories. But, just like everyone else, sometimes I slack off.  I’ve learned that my kids will always provide me with material that I want to capture. I want to remember all the cute, funny and annoying things they do and say to each other. I also want them to look back on it when they are adults and not accuse me of over-sharing with the internet.  Ahh, the pressure!  

If you want to check out my blog, it’s Bramell, Party of Five. I’m currently working on a total blog makeover, to be revealed in the next few weeks.  My other social media links are below:

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/RhondaBramell 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BramellPartyOfFive

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/mamabramell