Thinking about starting a blog?  Just do it, stop thinking about it!

This post contains affiliate links which I earn a small commision.

Let’s face it, starting a blog can be very, very overwhelming.  And for someone like me, a whole lot-a scary.  I spent a year just thinking about starting a blog and then a jillion hours of reading about “how to start a blog”.  Not long after I began my hours and hours of research I could not wait to get started but, something was holding me back.  So, I started making a blogging resources list.  I certainly don’t think I will ever become a blogging expert, but I would love it if I can help anyone have an easier start than I did in this wonderful world of blogging!

Where to begin with Blogging Resources…

1. Decide what you want to blog about.
2. Pick a blog name.  This might change several times before one actually sticks.
3. Purchase your domain (blogs) name. I purchased mine through Go Daddy. I suggest you do not purchase your domain name from your hosting company.  Sometimes hosting companies offer this service for free, but if you ever decide to change hosting companies {like, when you get really, really big), it makes for a easier switch if the domain name and the hosting is not at the same company.  The few dollars you would save isn’t worth the aggravation down the road.
4. Pick a hosting company

Getting Started

WordPress.com – It’s free (for the most part).  It’s easy to install and hosting is provided as part of the program.  You also get spam protection, automatic backups, automatic updates and a few wordpress.com plugins.  Now for the bad news.  Although wordpress.com offers nearly 200 themes (some have a fee), the customization of your site is very limited. Your domain name will read like this – www.myblogname.wordpress.com.  Wordpress.com will place third-party ads on your site (they receive the income).

WordPress.org – Also free, but you do need to pay for a hosting company which usually ranges between $5.00 to $15.00 a month for a small to medium site. WordPress.org is a self-hosted (which means you pay for hosting).  Most hosting company’s offer one-click WordPress.org installation provided with their service.  With WordPress.org the only limit to customizing your site is your imagination. WordPress.org offers support forums and tons of information.  There are free and fee themes.  At some point if you are interested in monetizing your blog you need to be self-hosted.  If you haven’t started your blog yet this is the WordPress I recommend just starting with.  When you start with WordPress.org you are saving yourself any future inconvenience.

Hosting

Blue Host– If you want a self-hosted site you will need a host company.  I chose blue host because of the reviews and the support service they offer.

Design

With WordPress.org there are many free themes to choose from so, there is no reason to spend a dime on the design of your blog.  With that being said, here are some options to customize your site beyond WordPress.org themes.

Elegant Themes – Just like the name says they have a large choice of very detailed, elegant themes, perfect for a blog.  Pretty easy to use with little or no web design experience needed.  And, they offer a one price deal for use of all their themes.

Food Photography

My go to resource is the Tasty Food Photography e-book.  It is my go-to hand book on taking a better picture!  I have learned so much about lighting, editing, props and much, much more.  I so recommend this e-book for anyone who wants to take better photos!  It is a must have!

Photography Editing

I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 u0026amp; Photoshop for basic editing and PicMonkey for word overlays, collages and watermarks.

Disclaimer:  Some of the above links are affiliate links and Its All About the Pretty will receive a compensation if you make a purchase of a product through the above links. These commissions help me pay for costs associated with Its All About The Pretty.  All of the above named products listed here are the products that I use or have used.