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I’ve been hiding from Google+ for a while.  I figured that Facebook and Twitter were enough for me – one had my ‘real life’ friends and the other had awesome people from the internet and Facebook pages gave me another option for sharing my blog posts and a few other snippets for followers of my blog.  My boyfriend told me that Google+ was the future and for the last 2 years has been doggedly trying to get other people on it.  Well he might just be in luck ….

A recent article on Modern Togs has revealed that even though none of your friends or clients are on Google+, Google is now going to be using it for ranking you and, more importantly, your blog in searches.  That is a pretty scary prospect if you have happily been ignoring it like I have.  So, I thought I would show you my journey through learning Google+.  Note I am not a computer wizard or secret SEO fiend, this is just my experience in setting up my page.

Now that we have established where I am coming from read this article by Fabulous Blogging. It gives a breakdown of all the elements and relates them to worlds we understand (i.e. Twitter and Facebook).

Through Tim’s determination I had already set up a google+ personal account and had started a page for mycreative photography. As I had already seen mycreative as being business site I set up the page as such and it had a map pointing out my house and my mobile number on it!  I couldn’t figure out how to change this and since I had one follower and one post (from June 2012!) I deleted it and started again.  Lucky for you because now I have screen grabs to share (because I always feel stumped about what I should actually fill in)

Step 1. Assuming you have found your way to creating a personal profile go to the bottom of the page and click.

Step 2. Choose a category. I went for “other”.

Step 3. Fill in the details of your site. Step 4. Fill in some more details (although I left contact details blank). Step 5. Make it look pretty by uploading a cover image and a profile image.  The cover image is a rather large 2120 px by 1192 px which gives a full “above the fold” look.  The profile image you crop as a square but shows as a round in the left hand corner.  Also the little cog just under the profile image is where you have all your settings for email notifications etc.  I unticked all of these.
So this is what my final profile looks like (I kept it in line with my Facebook page but swapped the logo around).  Thanks to Natalie of Scrapbook Adventure for the profile image.

There is also a thing called Google Authorship which means when something you have written comes up in a google search a little picture appears with it.  I am following instructions from Blog Tyrant but to be honest I’m still confused by it.  We will see how it goes and I will update you because apparently it can take a while to register with google.

So after all of that it would be lovely if you would go and follow me.

We rocked the Olympics – even our street artists.

The weekend started with a Saturday lie in and then brunch at Caravan in Exmouth Market.  It was good but must say that Mr didn’t rate the coffee and their coconut bread with lemon curd cream cheese was even a bit sweet for me for brunch.

We then headed to Angel and a wander around Camden Passage (where I could seriously spend a fortune at all the vintage shops).  We also spotted a cafe called Zucono which sells gelato which was really good.  Then met a friend for a drink on Primrose Hill and over to some other friends to watch Mo win another gold,

Sunday was another lie in day and then headed out to Shoreditch for a late lunch at Franze & Evans on Redchurch Street.  They make some good eggs.  I also had their fresh lemon cooler which is just lemon (and very sharp) and so I felt authentically Italian as we sat in the sun.

And then the closing ceremony.  Not as good as the opening ceremony but still worth a watch and still proud to be a Londoner

I’ll share some more street pics tomorrow.

* by ‘north’ (title) I just mean more north than my normal home in south London

Last Sunday we had lunch at Giant Robot in Clerkenwell which serves brunch until 5pm on a weekend (my kind of place).  The decor is 50s Italian American diner, kind of dark and smokey minus the smoke where people come to read the Sunday paper and have some good food.

We both had a veggie breakfast which was a generous portion (served on a platter plate!) that came with a delicious hashbrown.  Their fresh juice was great and I loved that they served their table water with cucumber and lemon.  We are planning to head back for dessert at some point this week because there is a peanut butter and chocolate torta that has my name on it.

It would definitely be a regular if we lived in the area.

I don’t want to jinx it but I seem to be having a role of good weeks.  The temp job is still desperately boring but it gives me plenty of time to do some thinking and pin pretty pictures.  I find pinning pretty things make me happy.  I have heard some people do this for a living!  I want to meet them and found out how they got that job!  Sorry, off on a tangent.

I am planning lots of photography related things and trying to get the ball rolling on making it another stream of income as well as building my portfolio for boudoir photography, an area that I hope to focus on.  I am feeling really positive about this as I won a little giveaway based on a pinterest board that I put together for the “Ultimate Boudoir Shoot” that I would like to have done for myself.  Also one of the ladies who I have taken boudoir pictures of is interested in hiring me for a party she is having.  I at first took these as ‘signs’ from the universe that I was on the right path, but then decided that it was actually down to my own work and efforts.  Strange how we (or is it just me) are so willing to pass on the credit of our efforts to an outside force.

As someone trying to get into something creative I am still questioning myself and my abilities constantly but these words from Ira Glass are getting me through.

Have a lovely weekend!

(the photo is from Amsterdam, 2010.  Not sure if it has the same meaning in Dutch as Afrikaans but in the latter lekker means “sweet” – the kind you eat and said as an exclamation to something good)

On Monday several friends and I took a half day off work to go to a pick your own farm (yes we are those people).  It was awesome.  It poured down with rain on the walk from the station to the farm but by the time we got there and picked up some punnets the sun had come out again.  Unfortunately the strawberry harvest wasn’t in our favour but we picked masses of raspberries, some blackberries and some runner beans and courgettes for that night’s supper (the pasta dish you can see above).

We of course also visited the resident gelateria which had an amazing flavour combination of chocolate and coconut.  Then visited the farm shop which had a great selection of treats.  I had to pick up a jar of banoffee curd.  I am thinking a brunch is coming up with banoffee curd on pancakes.

Last night was jam making and blackberry crumble time.  I had leftover crumble for breakfast.  It is like breakfast, you know with oats and fruit.

So there are a few more things to tick off the summer to do list.

Also just watched this tedTalk.  Maybe one day I can go to a pick your own in London town.

p.s. Thanks Tali for making the crumble part!