i’m facilitating a “blogging your passion” workshop with the PA Guild of Craftsmen on saturday, march 20! the guild office is located in lancaster, pa which is an easy trip from philly, baltimore, washington dc, and all of central pa. the workshop is 3 hours long and will include training on getting your blog started & customized and then will focus on forming a mission for your blog, brainstorming post ideas, and writing for the web.

at $40 for non-members, this class is a steal! all registrants also receive a complementary copy of my ebook, 52 weeks of blogging your passion.

click over to the guild site to register online!

i am so excited to bring you the first “issue” of the new scoutie girl this week. but first, i just had to say “thanks!” to these lovely ladies for 3 phenomenal reviews of my ebook, 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion.

if you haven’t heard, this ebook is part information, part writing prompts, part workbook for keeping you blogging your indie biz all the way through the year! you can start any time, but when better than the first week of a brand new year? you can find out more from these great reviews:

• tricia mckellar, fabulous photog who is now writing a phenomenal indie biz blog called wonder thinking, wrote this review saying, “The blogging Diva has written a blogging guide for those of us that wonder what to write, where to find inspiration, how to mix things up, how to get started or recharge our blogs.”
• candy glendening, who wrote a lovely guest post here last week, had this to say, “She’s got some amazing advice on how to: “Boost Traffic, Beat Bloggers’ Block, and Communicate your Passion for Creativity”. These sound like 3 excellent “inclinations” for me to pursue in 2010! So I’m going to be using her e-book to make my blog the best that it can be. Because I’ve found that this here blog also boosts my artistic endeavors as well!” You can read more of her review here.
• finally lori dunbar, regular scoutie girl contributor and the designer behind marzipan, inc., reviewed 52 Weeks saying, “it seems that a major change that the internet world focuses on this time of year is blogging. people who’ve neglected their blogs vow to update more, people want more visitors, change formats, and even blog hosts. what a better time of year for tara, editor of scoutie girl to release her first e-book: 52 weeks of blogging your passion.”

thanks, ladies!

i’m also thrilled to announce that i’ve just opened a support community for bloggers working through this program. once your purchase the ebook, you’ll receive an invitation to join in. you can post links, discuss blogging with other members, and receive personalized support from me!

i couldn’t be more thrilled with the reception the ebook has gotten. and i can’t wait to start writing the next one. speaking of which, what aspect of blogging would you like the most help with? design… seo… engaging readers… finding your niche… let me know your questions in the comments and i’ll see what i can do to answer them!

ahhh! hear that? it’s the sweet sound of relaxation. my little family and i had a fantastic christmas weekend.

we had fun giving and receiving and spending lots of time with each other. my husband and i even got a little alone time on sunday! 5 hours together – the longest we’ve been without lola since she was born (i think) 18 months ago.

on sunday night, i took all my christmas cash and bought myself a shiny new camera. i’m having so much fun playing with all the settings & experimenting with the manual mode. definitely the best camera i’ve ever owned. you can see some of my results above! i’m hoping that this camera allows me to bring you some more personal posts – showing you how i incorporate handmade into my own life – in the new year!

speaking of the new year, i shared a guest post in jen’s “special topics in calamity business” series at indie fixx today detailing 3 of my indie biz blogging goals for 2010. the post is also a giveaway for not one, not two, but three copies of my ebook, 52 weeks of blogging your passion.

if you’d like some specialized info, a lot of inspiration, and a kick in the pants to help you blog your way through 2010 – a great resolution! – you can find out more about it here.

coming up in just a bit, there’s a guest post from nicole at lillyella to show you how to craft those holiday (or anytime!) greeting cards into a lovely keepsake ornament. you didn’t miss cyd converse’s guest post about new year’s eve entertaining *handmade style* yesterday, did you?

welcome back, dear readers!

what a weekend! here in on the east coast, we had a doozy of a storm that meant spending all of saturday at home. a much need opportunity for catching up, relaxing, and holiday cheer!

i was also able to finish preparations for launching my ebook this weekend. 52 weeks of blogging your passion is designed to give you tools for building your blog’s traffic, beating blogger’s block, and communicating your creativity.

there are 11 pages of plain-english information on crafting a mission statement, search engine optimization, engaging readers, and organizing your blog. then, there are 52 weekly prompts for helping you stay on track, blogging confidently and with purpose! there’s even a planning calendar to print out to jot down ideas as they come.

at only $15, it’s a small investment to start 2010 as a more confident, less stressed blogger! for more information, download a sample, or to purchase, click here!

now… how would you like to win a copy? okay, that’s easy. click on over to twitter and tweet this message:

i'm ready to blog smarter in 2010! 52 Weeks of Blogging Your Passion from @scoutiegirlblog http://bit.ly/6JRT7S #52weeks

you have until 6am EST on tuesday, december 22. you’re welcome to enter multiple times. i’ll choose a winner at random!