You're Invited to My Christmas Party...

Yes, It’s Christmas in July!

Are you planning a “staycation” this summer? If so, maybe you would welcome a break from the ordinary. Or, if you’ve already taken a trip—awesome! You’re home just in time.

This week, I’m hosting a Christmas Open House at Chrysalis all week. This entry is a "sticky post" and it will stay at the top of the page until Sunday July 25, 2010. You can join the party now, or you can come back later; your choice. (This post is quite long.)

What’s on the party menu? Plenty.

• A vintage Apron Giveaway,
• 15 "Christmas" Bloggy Awards,
• And the chance to Promote Your Blog.
• You can also donate to the hungry through Angel Food Ministries.
• I’d also like to give you a quick tour of my blog’s new template.
• Finally, how about a quick tutorial on how to create a Favicon?

Let's sing together: “Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the new
born King...”

1. Apron Giveaway

I’m really loving my new three-tiered apron, “Tropical Trio” from Susannah’s {Kitchen}. It’s so much fun for summer! I like to wear it on Sunday nights when I cook a special gourmet meal for our family. It makes me feel so feminine. Honestly, I wear it right to the dinner table, and then into the living room where we have our dessert.

I’ll double your entry if you’re willing to email me a picture of you flipping the apron over your head.

If you would like a chance to win this apron, join me over at my new Facebook Page. (A $45 value! On sale for $26.99) To qualify, I’m asking you to LIKE my Page. (Click the thumbs-up button right at the top by the title.) Then just type “Susannah” in the comments on my FB Giveaway post. Remember to leave your contact info (e.g. your blog’s URL or email address).

Here's how to double your entry in this drawing. Let me know if you’re willing to email me a picture of you flipping the apron over your head like Susannah did. Just add, “Mrs. Wesley had an apron, but not like this!” to your Facebook comment. LOL!

2. 15 "Christmas" Bloggy Awards

My warm thanks go to Gold-in-the-Clouds and Blue Cotton Memory for nominating Chrysalis for The Verstile Blogger Award. I really do appreciate it. Now it’s my turn to pass on the honor. You’ll find 15 names listed on the Award Post at my new Facebook Page. Go see if you won!

(Please visit Blue Cotton Memory for all the official award rules.)

3. Donate to Angel Food Ministries

If you have a heart for the hungry, find out how to donate to this nationwide evangelical Christian outreach. I donate 10% of all apron sales at Susannah's {Kitchen} to this worthy ministry.

4. Take a Tour of
My New Template

NEW URL: http://www.chrysaliscafe.com
NEW Email: chrysaliscafe@comcast.com

If you’re a subscriber and you haven’t clicked through to my Home page lately, you’re invited to do so now. You’ll notice a few changes since you last visited my site, and I’d like to explain how it works. It won't take you too long to get used to the changes.

First, please take note that I now have a custom domain. If you’ve book-marked Chrysalis, please change the old URL to: http://www.chrysaliscafe.com. If you have a Blogger blog, you can get your own domain very easily. It only takes $10 and about five minutes of your time to begin the set-up through Blogger. If you have any questions about this, you can email me at my new address: chrysaliscafe@comcast.com.

I decided on this one because it offers a very cool
3-image slide show. With a few of my own touches, I’ve turned this template into my new home on
the web.

Since I’m still on the Blogger platform (not WordPress or TypePad), I still have all the same publishing options and gadgets. However, I’m really enjoying this free template called "Massive Attack" designed by Insight. Coincidently, just about the same time Blogger was adding a bunch of new templates (did you know?) I went searching online for a new look for Chrysalis. I haven’t had a “wardrobe change” in three years!

I discovered hundreds of really great ones out there, and they’re all available for nothing. I decided on this one because it offers a very cool 3-image slide show. With a few of my own touches, I’ve turned this template into my new home on the web.

What's the Chrysalis Café?

Chrysalis weblog represents two-thirds of this ministry; the weblog itself and the monthly Marriage Monday meme. The other third of this ministry is Susannah’s {Kitchen} my hospitality i-store. Some of you have generously traded your denarii for retro-chic aprons over there. Thank you very much for your support.

All three blog communities are now united under the name “Chrysalis Café.” For a more detailed introduction to the Chrysalis Café communities, click here. The slide show at the top of the Chrysalis Home page is designed to acquaint new visitors to the Café at a glance.

If you would like to receive Chrysalis Café updates in your Facebook News Feed, you can LIKE my new Facebook Page.

If you would like to receive Chrysalis Café updates in your Facebook News Feed, you can LIKE my new Facebook Page here.

You’ll notice that right above the cool slide show on the Home page is a horizontal navigation bar. Below the slide show, you’ll see several magazine-style expandable “Read More” posts. Yes, I know that’s one extra mouse click per post, but I hope you agree that the clean, uncluttered look is worth it. When you expand a post, the slide show disappears and the post fills up the whole page.

I’ve streamlined my sidebar and added four Share buttons, including Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon and Delicious. The three square (125 x 125 pixel) images at the very bottom of the page are simply a repeat of the information found inside the Chrysalis Café, but in graphic form.

5. Tutorial: How to Create a Favicon

See that cool little profile pic to the left of my URL at the top of the page? That’s called a Favicon. Generally 15 x 15 pixels, the orange Blogger Favicon is everywhere—and you're free to change that to anything you want without violating Blogger's TOS.

Click here for an easy tool that resizes, reformats, and hosts any image. (See "Free Favicon Hosting" top right.) Once you've done that, follow the directions so you know where to put the code in your template’s HTML. It will only take you five minutes. Try it!

6. Promote Your Blog

What’s a party without the opportunity to meet new people? Leave a link to your blog in the comments, and then go visit the person above you. It would be nice if you put up a Christmas party post at your blog with a link back to Chrysalis, but you’re not required to. Maybe you would prefer to share this post on Facebook or Twitter. I want this to be as easy as possible for everyone. Do something... or nothing at all!

Have fun. And Merry Christmas! “Joy to the World the Lord has come, let earth receive her King…”

Photos: Zellaby, roguedrone, brockvicky & brockvicky (Flickr)

Up Next—Humor: Four Ways to Spend Your Sunday Morning While On Vacation

Don't forget to leave a link to your blog in the comments below!