Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

Phew! I spent most of Friday and Saturday working on my blog with a little time here and there today, which I'd say amounted to roughly 15 hours. Here are the major things I accomplished:

• Added a new profile picture, linked to my profile from it
  
• Updated my profile
• Joined the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge and linked to my post in the sidebar
• Added a Subscribe button
• Signed up to be a mentee at the Bloggie Cult for this Mini-Challenge
• Moved from Bloglines to Google Reader (this was a big decision!), cleaned up my feeds, and updated my sidebar
• Graded my blog at WebsiteGrader (it's a sad, little number)
• Added meta tags
• Commented on 16 other blogs for the Comment Mini-Challenge
  

So, I didn't do as much as I wanted to in terms of content (writing up posts in advance, choosing a review style, coming up with features), but I think that now that I am more happy with the way my blog looks and feel like I have at least a tiny readership, I'll be more motivated to post regularly and creatively. Before, I felt like I was just talking to myself, so it didn't really matter how often I posted or what I said, really. I have been thinking more about my purpose in the blogging community and what I have to say, and I've decided that I do like the direction in which my blog is heading. Personal reviews with some library love splashed around and bits of news every now and then.

Thanks to Natasha at Maw Books for this challenge, as it did just that, challenge me to make my blog better, which I think I did as much I could in the time and space of one weekend. Definitely glad for the opportunity to connect to other bloggers and much less shy about having my voice heard and responding to others. :)

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...