153 // Thoughts on my blog

image c/o Anan.

In a complete reversal of thoughts (always one for mixing things up! Oh wait, no - I'm just entirely indecisive) I have found that - after joining in (partially) with the #lbloggers chat yesterday on twitteroonie - I'd like to jot down a few (blog-centralised) ideas I might (note the unconvincing tone) try and tackle in the months ahead. And yes, ok, I know I said I don't do resolutions (or the like) but these aren't really going to be resolutions or plans per se, just thoughts I'm going to let trickle out of my head; if I do them, then *pat on the back to Tori from self* but if I don't, well, I promise I won't beat myself up about it. Anywhooo, the topic was 'Blogging goals for 2014' and it wasn't until I found out that I could join in (thanks to an un-tricky, didn't-need-a-recipe dinner) that I'd realised there were in fact a couple of things I'd like to see happen, with reference to both me as a blogger and Tori's Tales in general, over the coming year. So I've decided I'm going to list them here, just to make it official....

image c/o A.S.

1 // Be a better audience member (so to speak) and respond to the posts I read

There is nothing I love more than a notification in my inbox letting me know someone has commented on a post of mine. Oh, that feeling! Now, I've just recently added statcounter to my blog to get an idea of page views and traffic whereabouts (as if I even really know what that means!) and - I admit it - it's great to see numbers and all that jazz but it's all-the-more great knowing that someone has connected with a post of mine enough that they want to let me know they've done so by commenting on it (let it be known I respond when I can and where I can, though mainly on twitter if you have an account, so do always check your tweets!). As you might have already realised, I am all about sharing the blog love - it's important to me to help promote and encourage a happy and supportive blogging community, one in which everyone feels a part of and connected to - so I'm disappointed with myself that I haven't yet got into the swing of commenting on the posts that I connect with. However, I am going to put as much effort into this as possible in January to hopefully get myself into the habit of commenting. It's important to me that you realise just how much I love your blog (post ideas/writing styles/images) and to spread that warm feeling I get that arises whenever any of you choose to do the same on here.

image c/o Careless Edition

2 // Take more photographs and save up for a DSLR 

I'm not a photographer - it isn't natural for me to get out my camera and take snaps, mainly because I'm impatient and, let's be honest, a bit too much of a perfectionist (and worrier) - so I really do love sharing snaps I've come across on the interwebs (as seen above and below in this post - I do realise that's a little hypocritical but I've been unable to get out to take any!) when I have none of my own to include, however, I really don't want this to become too much of a thing where this blog is concerned; it's my space and, really, I want to do all I can to share with you my words and images. I am more than grateful to have a camera at all - because it really truly does come in handy and, when its playing nice, helps me capture the moments that are dear to me - but I really would love to have one of those big 'uns (the ones people have to string around their necks because they are so weighty) just to take everything up a notch. And photography interests me, as a subject, so it would be nice to actually learn something and, maybe, share my experiences of using a big 'un with others! In other words, I had better get a hurry on and find myself a job! 

image c/o anete pole

3 // Get my blog design to a point where I'm at least 80% happy with it!

Tori's Tales has seen a couple of changes design-wise since I got it up-and-running last February (the main one being the change of my background from colour to white) but I'm still not entirely settled with the look it's currently trying to rock. When I can (as in, when I can be bothered, and actually have the time to do so) I tweak things here and there (a new profile picture is up - Tinker Bell is sharing face-space, the hogger that she is) but I'm not 'pro' enough to have a go at touching the html for fear of wiping everything (and I've no doubt this is exactly what I would do). I guess, then, I'm going to aim to at least get a basic grasp of html in the year ahead so that I can do things I want to (like change the font - I've been trying for months!!!), when I want to, instead of just settling with what I've got!

And there we have it! Not too extensive a list but, in that case, hopefully it's entirely manageable and - as a result - the ideas I've listed are those I can pull off! I may even pop myself a reminder on my phone (yes, I need to do that, I'm so forgetful) and check back at the end of the month to see how I've done! 

Any other bloggers out there have goals for themselves as a blogger/their blog for the year ahead?