FaceBook Fan Pages

• Do you have a FaceBook Fan Page?
• Do you have any tips for making the most out of a fan page?
• What are some of your favorite pages?
 
Some of my favorite pages are:

 

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A FaceBook Fan Page allows you to update and interact with “fans” while keeping your personal profile private.
 
CREATE
When you are ready to create a Fan Page, visit FaceBook’s Create A Page.
 

 
Complete the fields.
 
PICTURE
Your Fan Page picture can safely be 200 pixels wide by 600 pixels long.
 
THUMBNAIL
Once uploaded, set your thumbnail pic by selecting the pencil icon on the upper right corner of your main page photo.
 

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OPTIONAL STEP:
Fan Pages can have a landing page. A landing page is the first page visitors see.
 
To insert jpgs and/or links on your landing page, you will need to install Static FBML. This FB application allows html to work on your page(s).
 
From your main fan page, choose, “Edit Page”. Scroll down to, “More Applications”, and click, “Choose More”. Search the Apps for Static FBML. Here is the direct link: Static FBML. Click, “Add To Page”.
 
Your fan page will now have a new tab titled, “FMBL+”. From your main fan page, again select, “Edit Page”. Static FBML will now have it’s own place under Apps.
 

 
Choose, “edit” to rename the tab and insert your html.
 
I named my tab, “Welcome”, and created a landing page jpg that is 757 pixels x 522 pixels. I chose not to link it to my website so I would not redirect potential fans as soon as they had found my page.
 
As an added note, when I hosted my landing page jpg at Photobucket, the html did not work, and my image was a broken link. After much frustration, I uploaded the jpg to my wordpress site (under Media), and the link did work.
 

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WALL SETTINGS
Return once again to the main page of your fan page, and select, “Edit Page”. Time to edit your wall settings. Here you can choose your landing page, and select whether fans can post videos, photos or links.
 

 
PROMOTE
Now you are ready to promote your fan page. From your main fan page, you can share the link to your personal profile, or suggest to friends.
 
Create your Fan Page Badge to display on your website. From your main page/edit page, “Promote With FaceBook” badge is in the right column. Insert the html on your website.
 
UPDATES
Use the Networked Blogs app. to automatically post links to your latest blog.
 
URL
Once you have 25 fans, you can change the url of your page to something more personalized. Find that setting here; scroll to the bottom, and Set A User Name for your pages.

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Operation Rewind

If you hadn’t seen someone for twenty years, wouldn’t you want to look your best for the reunion? That is exactly the predicament I recently faced. Facebook reunites me with friends from my past, and lucky for me, one was was planning a trip to Vegas. We conversed for months making plans to meet for lunch while she was in town.
 
Although I dragged my feet for a while, by April Operation Rewind was underway. I needed to recapture my youthful glow!
 
Step 1: Exfoliate.
I’m a big fan of Bobbi Brown’s Beach Scrub. Alas, my wallet is not. I was able to find a new creation, the Bobbi Brown Sandbar. Quick Review: Bobbi, your sandbar hurt me. The sand was so rough it was akin to rubbing cut glass on my legs. A bit harsh? Yeah, so was your sandbar until the sandy layer washed away after only two uses. Now I am left with a 1″x2″ bar of beach-scented soap.
 
My first and possibly 2nd layer of skin removed, I was now ready for …
 
Step 2: Self-Tanning.
Jergens Natural Glow for Fair Skin turned me from translucent to pale without a hint of orange. I still have my Chanel face tanner from last year, and slathered that on too. Slightly bronzy facial skin achieved.
 
Step 3: Teeth Whitening
Found Crest’s Premium Whitestrips under my sink and said, “What the heck.” Noticeably whiter teeth after three uses.
 
Step 4: Pedicure
No funds for the local nail salon, so I clipped, filed and painted my own toes. Rocking OPI’s – Sweet As Annie-Thing! from their 90210 Collection.
 
Step 5: Wardrobe
Grabbed a lovely Forever 21 sundress from my closet, a gravity-defeating Victoria’s Secret strapless bra from my lingerie drawer, comfy Havaianas flip-flops, and I was good to go!
 
Unfortunately my friend was not. Her hotel overbooked and bumped her to another resort, causing her a lot of stress. Thus our lunch plans went kaput.
 
I hope her travels bring her back to Vegas soon. I’m not sure how long the effects of Operation Rewind last.
 
• How do you bring sexy back?
• Are you reconnecting on FaceBook?
• Are you cool with plans changing at the last minute?
 
Get Your Shopping Groove On!
1) Bobbi Brown Beach Sandbar
2) Jergen’s Natural Glow – Fair Tones
3) Chanel Precision Soleil Identite Perfect Colour Face Self Tanner SPF 8 – Dore ( Golden )
4) Crest Premium Whitestrips
5) OPI – Sweet As Annie-Thing!

Found Montana in Arizona

On Wednesday, my youngest daughter, Pearl, and I ventured to Lake Havasu City to see Montana Lady Golfer. Montana and I have been friends on MySpace and Facebook for about a year.
 
Montana gave us a warm welcome, jumping up & down and giving us hugs upon arrival. Once inside her lovely home, Montana served my favorite wine (sauvignon blanc), crackers, and an assortment of delicious cheeses! I hand delivered a package of fruits & cheese to Montana from her 2009 Secret Santa. Montana was so pleased and said it was the perfect gift.
 
Ever so thoughtful, Montana carefully opened a fishing game and challenged Pearl to a round. Pearl mopped the floor with her, but our host may have thrown the game.

Time to hop into Montana’s convertible and drop her hubby off at the golf course. Then we girls were off for Fast Food and Shopping.

Pearl loves McDonalds, and was excited to have an Alvin & The Chipmonks Happy Meal. We took the scenic route to the new mall, and Montana spoiled Pearl with a Deluxe Bead Kit and 3 smaller bead sets from Michael’s.
 
A leisurely drive across the London Bridge led us to The Naked Turtle for beach time!

We found a few shells & pretty rocks, and got our tootsies wet. It was a beautiful day with temps in the high 60’s. Something about playing on the beach makes you hungry. The Beach Bar was undergoing some renovations, but the restaurant upstairs was open. Wow is their food GOOD!! We shared orders of calamari and fish & chips while Pearl had an ice cream sundae.

This day just FLEW by! It was nearly 5pm, and we had to pick up Montana’s hubby from the golf course. I hope he had a good day!
 
Montana wrapped up some shish-kebobs for Pearl and I to take home. We were running out of daylight, and my hubby and eldest daughter were at home awaiting on return.
 
Natalie and Pearl are still having a GREAT time making bracelets & necklaces. Tom and I are grilling the kebobs tonight!
 
 
• Have you been to Lake Havasu?
• Do you let children beat you at games?
• What’s on your shish-kabob?
 

Blog-Hosting Sites

I’d like to thank Bruce for inspiring this blog.

MySpace
I signed up for MySpace in December of 2006, not sure what all the hype was about. I browsed forums, viewed profiles, sent friend requests, and wondered, “What am I missing?” Then I stumbled upon THE BLOGS. That was it! Entertainment, photos, opinions, it was all here for my enjoyment! I lurked, I commented, and I cared about my new friends. Before long, I posted my first blog.

Nearly 3 years later, with 279 blogs under my belt, I have a couple hundred readers, and subscribe to over 100 blogs. There is such a feeling of community! We read each other’s blogs, comment and pimp.

Pros:

1) Sense of community.
2) The Manage Blog feature allows you to view your blog hits and your readers.
3) Your subscriptions [can] appear in the left column of your blog.

Cons:
1) 2,000,000 kudos can be given, launching blogs into the top categories.

Thanks, Amanda! You’re so right! MySpace allows for so much creativity. Facebook’s 1 photo per note maximum is so minimal, and WordPress charges an annual fee for Video hosting.

Facebook

As with anything new, I jumped in and said, “Now what?” When you create your Facebook account, it will ask permission to access your email address book. Once it has processed the information, it will suggest you add the friends it has found. You can also manually search for friends, family, co-workers, former classmates, etc. Most likely, their profiles will be set to private. You will be allowed to view their thumbnail avatar and possibly thumbnails of their friends. You must be friends with them to view their profile, otherwise known as their Wall.
Those looking to blog may be disappointed. In lieu of blogs, Facebook has Notes. Type your note, insert up to 1 photo, tag your friends, and post your note.

Thanks, Sherri! You’ll have to show me how to do that.

Pros/Cons:

1) There is a limit to how many friends you can tag. I’m thinking it’s 20 (correct me if I’m wrong). Those friends will be notified of your post.
Update: It’s 30. Thanks Laurie aka BrownSugar!
2) Your note may appear in a live feed which is constantly updated on your friends’ home page. So, even if you have not tagged them, they may eventually discover your note.
3) There is no Note community.
4) Notes are not ranked.
5) Your note may receive a comment or a thumbs up from your friends.

Blogger
I created a Blogger profile in May of 2009. I have averaged 10 profile views per month.

Pros:
1) You can sign up for AdSense to get paid for clicks of ads that appear on your page.
2) There is a link at the top of the blogs labeled Next Blog. Clicking on it will lead you to the most recent content posted on Blogger.
3) You can add other Blogger-hosted sites to your Blogroll (list of subscriptions.)

Cons:
1) There can be explicit content on Blogger. You can report or flag a blog, but I do not know what steps are taken by Blogger about the content.
2) There is no Blogger-wide search feature.
3) There is no way to know who has read or subscribed unless they comment or inform you of their subscription.

WordPress.com
I also established my WordPress blog in May. The Dashboard displays Page Hits (my avg = 250/mo), your Top Posts, Search Engine Terms (words used to find your blog), Referrers (links people clicked to get to your page), and more. Here is a screenshot of my Dashboard Stats.

Dashboard Stats

Pros:
1) The Dashboard! (See above.)
2) There is a site-wide search feature.
3) There is also a link at the top of the blogs labeled Next Blog. Clicking on it leads you to the most recent content posted on WordPress.
4) There’s a nifty option called Tag Surfer. Specify key words, and when new blogs are posted with these tags, they appear in your Tag Surfer tab.
5) If a site has been flagged “Mature” (adult content), you will be given the choice to enter.
6) There is lots of help through the Forums and Support.
7) There is a list of Hot 100 Blogs for VIPs (such as CNN and People) and the WordPress Community.
8) You can add WordPress-hosted blogs to your Blogroll (list of subscriptions).
9) Through Widgets (add ons), non-Wordpress links can appear on your profile.

Cons:
1) While using the Next Blog feature, you may find adult content that has not been flagged. (You can report it.)
2) You will not be made aware of subscribers to your site.

LOL! Lee, how could I have forgotten to mention blogging’s addictive side! They should come with a warning.

• What is your take on blog-hosting sites?
• Which is your favorite, and why?
• Which is your least favorite, and why?

Thanks for reading!

Insomnia Notes + Pimp Zone

3:00 o’clock in the morning, I’m jolted awake by large viking wielding an axe in my dining room. I hop out of bed, heading to the kitchen to make sure it was all just a dream. There’s no sign of him. Maybe I woke too soon. Who’s to say a viking dream is bad?

I wonder how my virtual crops are doing? I’m a farmer on Facebook. Do real farmers lie awake at night, wondering how their crops are doing? I was (virtually) devastated when my (virtual) grapes died on the vine.

If sharting is shit + farting, what’s peeing when you sneeze? Peez? Sneed?

Speaking of Facebook applications, my daughters love to sprinkle fairy dust on my friends. I always type a little note to accompany the sprinkling. “I love you. I love to sprinkle you.” — signed Pearl (4) and Natalie (6). Jean (43) doesn’t do too much sprinkling or writing of the mushy notes.

Have you been to VideoJug.com? Here’s just a sampling of the videos they offer.


Life Explained ~ On Film

I wouldn’t be surprised if they explained how to boil water. I’d like to submit a video. Maybe a photoshop tip or a makeup tip for women over 40. I was mesmerized one evening while a woman showed me how to apply eyeshadow like Britney Spears. At least she wasn’t teaching me how to cut my hair like Britney.

The Britney Eye (clickable link).

Pimp Zone

If you have not already had the pleasure of reading Amylicious, run, don’t walk, to her blog. Here’s one I found particularly hilarious: Buzz Kill.

Amy just recently launched a blog outside of MySpace. You can find it here: Amy’s Musings.

Have a fantastic weekend, and thanks for reading!

Blogging Notes: Jan. 31, 2009

CANDLES

Today at the Dollar Tree store, I saw a book titled, 101 Ways to Decorate with Candles. Really? You’d think there’d just be one way.

1. Place candle on counter. Light.

I was curious about the other 100 ways, so I glanced though it.

2. Place candles around bathtub. Light.
3. Put candle on wall sconce. Light.

I’m sensing a pattern. Even at a dollar, I don’t think its a bargain.

 

 

ELVIS PRESLEY REPLACEMENT

 
Who is going to rise to the celebrity status of Elvis Presley? Who will be impersonated to marry couples in Las Vegas? Whose house will be opened to the public as a museum? I’m guessing Michael Jackson or Obama. What’s your guess?

I now pronounce you husband and wife!

FACEBOOK

Facebook is an interesting sight. In the beginning, when you have no friends, it’s up to you and your memory to seek them out. High school friends, former co-workers, past loves. Type in their name, and your prize is a miniature photo. You have no access to their profile, but you can view their friends. Using this strategy, I found a friend from 20 years ago. In his group of friends, I found my first husband. Clicking on his friends, I found his sister and his now-grown niece. A circle of friends from my past had been reduced to thumbnails. I was glad for the chance to view them again.

On a whim, I sent a friend request to the first friend. Even after all of these years, he remembered me. His image in my mind had been frozen as that of a young, 20-something man with black hair, beard and mustache. To see his current photo was intoxicating, viewing the mature, clean-shaven man he had become.

He encouraged me to send a friend request to my former husband. I was nervous, to put it mildly. When last we spoke, although I cannot remember the exact moment or the exact words, I’m sure we were arguing over furniture, debts, our cat, our divorce, our decisions. It was a bleak period. What good could come from saying hello, I’m here? But I took a deep breath, and did just that.

Almost immediately he replied. A veil was lifted. The gloom of my memories was scattered by positivity and love. He was thrilled to hear from me, and confided that he still spoke fondly of me with his father who had always enjoyed my company. His instant enthusiasm calmed my fears, and made me question what my perception was of our *ending*. Had a friendship been pushed aside all of these years? I don’t know. I don’t have the answers.

So that, more or less, is where I have been lately. Delving into the past to see what I can see.

Thank you for reading.