Bloggiesta!

I started this blog last summer with no real direction, purpose, or sense of community. I had no idea how connected kidlit bloggers are or how much fun (and work!) blogging could really be. So, I confess that I've been lurking in the shadows - reading a handful of kidlit blogs religiously, browsing tons of others, and secretly updating my own blog every once in awhile.

I must say that this is a big step for me - participating in the Bloggiesta, graciously hosted by Natasha at Maw Books. This means exposure! Other bloggers may actually stumble upon This Purple Crayon, leave a comment, or secretly lurk me like I've been lurking them. Oh, the horror! Truly, it's a scary experience, but I hope that it will help me feel more a part of this wonderful community and push me to do more with this blog. To make it my own, to have a distinct voice, and to give back just a little.

Here is my list of things I would like to accomplish during the Bloggiesta:

• Participate in the Comment Challenge over at MotherReader.
  
• Add more sidebars - visit other blogs for inspiration
• Make myself an avatar - I've always wanted to do this but never found one I liked. Well, it's not a cartoon me, but I like the old photo feel to it. Created at BeFunky.com.
  
• Create a review style. Read past reviews to look for common elements.
• Library spotlight? Find a way to promote libraries and their use.
• Signatures seem to be popular. Maybe make one of my own.
  
• Clean up my Bloglines. Add new blogs. Or should I switch to Google Reader?
• Brainstorm ideas for blog posts - thanks Jenn for this mini-challenge!
  
• Sign up to be a mentee at The Bloggie Cult for this mini-challenge. I need help!
• Spruce up my profile. It's a little sparse.
• Add meta tags
  

Phew, this seems like a lot for the weekend! Here goes...