Three things I learnt from Oprah

My mum had a friend as we were growing up, her name was Debbie. She was almost the complete opposite to my mum, an extrovert, tall & voluptuous, a performer - a brilliant singer, with a quirky fashion sense. She too had four kids, and we loved hanging out together. Debbie split with her husband and moved into a haunted house in the middle of town with a gay friend. She was never dull, always colourful. Some days we'd watch her perform at festivals, and some days I just listened to her and my mother talk.

I must have been about 8, I guess, and I heard them talking about Oprah. It was the first time I'd heard of her, and the conversation they had about her was deep and intriguing, even for an 8 year old. They were talking about homosexuals, and how being gay wasn't a choice, it was how one was born. It was riveting, cutting edge conversation for a child of my age.

And then I saw more of Oprah, this other voluptuous woman on TV who had been sexually abused as a child. I liked her. I loved her honesty, and her will to share truths, and to open others minds.

I didn't make it to see her in Australia, much to my dismay, and I don't have a diamond necklace or a car courtesy of her generosity, but I have other things, life lessons. Through her wisdoms and those of her guests I've learnt that I'm good enough just as I am, that the truth will set you free and that there's joy in following my passion.

There's more of course, but these are those I cherish the most. Although I didn't get to see much of her show in the past few years, I do read her magazine religiously... so I'll always have that.

Are you a fan of Oprah? Have you taken anything away from her and her show over the years?

Make it for one: Three ingredient scone recipe

I like to eat fruits, vegetables and whole foods as much as possible, but my weakness is sweets. I love them, I always have. I also love to bake, but the problem with that is - if I bake a cake... well it needs to be eaten. Quite the dilemma isn't it?

On Sunday I was craving scones, so I cooked up an idea I had. I knew if I baked a whole batch my willpower wouldn't just let me stop at one, so I made just one lovely scone. If you're expecting a friend for afternoon tea, double it and make two... otherwise enjoy alone.

Ingredients
1/2 cup of self-raising flour
1/2 tablespoon icing sugar
2 tablespoons of thickened cream

Method
♥ Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius
♥ Place all ingredients into a small bowl
♥ Mix until all combined
♥ Knead a little {I did it in the bowl roughly because I didn't want to dirty a bench surface}
♥ Form into a nice round shape {about 5cm wide}
♥ Place on some baking paper on a tray
♥ Brush with a little milk
♥ Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown
♥ Enjoy while the baby naps, or before school pick-up, or as an after dinner treat {or whenever basically!}

P.S. If you're cooking for more than one or two, try this lemonade scone recipe or just multiply this recipe by how many people you plan on having over. Maths AND cooking... brilliant!

June: A photo a day challenge

I plan on doing this {created by white peach photography}, starting Wednesday, care to join me? I'll be sharing my photos on Instagram {and Twitter}, and hope you will too. x

P.S. My instagram name is fatmumslim. Follow me, I'll follow you back. x

Saturday 10am

She's been so good, my little girl.
She's so confused right now + craving normal.
I took her to the City to buy cupcakes.
We stopped in an alley + did some jumping.
She slept when we were meant to be having adventures.
Her hair finally goes into a ponytail,
using band-aids {hairbands} as she likes to call them.
She's so cool + sassy.
I love her so much.
Even though for most part of the days she's a diva.
She's a diva who can jump.
Love her.

How was your weekend? Did you get up to anything new?

Matters of the heart

I'm writing this from the airplane as I fly home {a good distraction from my persistent fear of flying}, Lacey is by my side, as is my mum and my big sis. It's been a long week or so. It was tough to leave Hubby behind, and my mother-in-law too. It was hard to take the first steps back into my real world.

I still feel numb. I feel like I've been keeping it together for my little girl, my husband and his mum too, although tears still escaped. The past week and a half I've been on auto pilot, organising the funeral, making endless phone calls and waiting for the day of the funeral, as well as fitting in work as well. Today it's hit home that he's gone, and we don't get to have him in our lives anymore. My heart is aching.

It feels incredibly dramatic to write these words, when he was my father-in-law, and not my own blood family member. But it was like he was. I adored him. I loved the way he loved my husband. I adored the way he was besotted with my daughter. I loved the way he loved me, like I was one of his own.

I could tell you in so many ways why and how he was amazing, why our hearts ache so much so, but my words would never do him justice. At his funeral yesterday, we could feel the love. The church was full with those he touched. Men he served with all lined up to lay a poppy on his casket, already draped with an Australian flag and his medals. We played True Blue as they took his body from the Church. We all got teary as they drove away with him.

He was 70, but he still had so many more years in him. He was meant to see Lacey grow up. He was meant to meet more grandchildren. There were so many more stories I was yet to hear. We weren't ready to say goodbye.

***

Two days after he passed away I was at his home alone, working. A little willy wag tail sat at the window beside me tap, tap, tapping. I ignored it for a while, trying to get some work done. And he kept tapping, as if to get my attention. Eventually he did. I looked at him and smiled. He stopped.

The next morning, he walked inside. This little brave willy wag tail. Right into the kitchen where we were preparing breakfast. Later that day he sat on the deck near us as we sat enjoying the sunshine. Each day he has been around, flying from fence to fence and cheekily getting close to us.

As we drove to the airport this morning, I was crying, looking out the window… and there he was, our willy wag tail. "Did you see that willy wag tail?" my sister asked.

"Uh huh," I nodded through salty tears.

***

The priest we had for the funeral was a colourful character. We met him the week before as we were preparing the details. He was eccentric and comforting. He ate biscuits and drank coffee, and I was intrigued to have met my first priest and be sitting right beside him, listening to him speak. He said in the service that if there was one thing we should take from this, the passing of someone too young to go, was that life is simply too short. We shouldn't hold grudges. We should love and forgive. It's been playing over in my mind ever since. Life is too short. Way too short.

***

Life won't be the same without Bluey. My Hubby has lost his best mate. Lacey has lost the love of her life. Pam has lost her soul mate. I've lost a great friend. I know we'll be okay. It's just gonna hurt for a little while. xx

Goodbye Mate

We got the phone call on Monday night that he was really unwell and didn't have much longer, and time stood still. I was working late, and had no words. I wept over my keyboard as Lacey watched on. "Don't cry mama," she tried to comfort me, offering me tissues for my eyes.

We hurriedly packed our bags for the eight hour road trip, and headed off the next day. We took turns in crying, tears falling as we drove along, as the memories and concerns floated in and out. A few hours from arriving we got a phone call that we needed to hurry, and our anxiety increased. We drove along devastated. We were driving full speed towards grief and sorrow.

By the time we arrived it was night, and the hospital was silent. The patients all seemed to be asleep and there was one lone guard at the front entrance. Behind all the other doors was a hive of machines and doctors bustling about.

I can't even remember walking up the stairs to get there. I remember standing at the doors and dialing to let them know we were there. The doctor came to show us where to go, and we followed him...

We said our goodbyes through sobbing, with tear soaked faces, and Lacey and I then headed home to wait. He passed away at 2:40am the next morning with his beloved wife and son by his side.

I've never been so sad, or seen such sadness. I've never been so frustrated or so confused. As I headed into town to grab supplies later that morning, I cried in the butchers. Tears because the world rudely continued on without him as per normal, tears because I knew that he'd been there so many times before.

It still doesn't feel real. I can't believe that he's not here. I can't believe that he won't be here for all the good stuff that's to come.

Sadly Pop Pop {to Lacey - Bluey to me - Dad to Hubby} has gone to heaven. I've never met someone so loved. As I called to tell people of his passing {and there were a lot because he was so loved} I could hear the devastation in their voices. To hear all their kind words and adoring thoughts of him, warmed my heart. He was loved. He touched many with his uncomplicated ways and cheeky, larrakin personality. He will be so dearly missed. xx

A moment away...

Hello. I'm sad to say that my little family lost a beloved family member yesterday. I'll be taking a few days away from blogging to spend time with loved ones. See you when I return. xx

{image}

I can't get through the day without my...

I don't know what I did before my iPhone. Oh, that's right... I lived in the dark ages with a Blackberry. I'm being totally superficial by saying that I can't live without my iPhone {because we all know that I could if I had to} but it's definitely something that I use every single day, and it makes me happy.


What's something that you couldn't get through the day without? Or I should say would rather not get through the day without?

Make it from scratch: Fresh tomato sauce recipe

I like to have a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables, but my personal grocery shopper {aka Hubby} likes to buy what we need and be sensible. Sensible! Pfft. I practically begged Hubby to let me get a box of fresh fruit & vegetables delivered from the markets, instead of letting him buy our supplies. Seriously, I begged. I promised that if we bought them I'd use them. Every single one of them.

So when, after a week, there was an abundance of tomatoes left on our kitchen bench I knew I needed to use them up or risk being given a hard time. No one likes to hear "I told you so!", so I searched my trusty Stephanie Alexander cookbook for a recipe using tomatoes. Fresh tomato sauce won. It's yummy. Super yummy. We'll be using it on healthy homemade pizzas tonight and with pasta, basil and parmesan next week.

Ingredients
500g tomatoes {around 5 tomatoes} quartered, cored and seeded
1 onion sliced
4 garlic cloves sliced
1/2 cup of olive oil {I only used 1/4 cup}

Method
♥ Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
♥ Place tomatoes, onion & garlic in a small baking tray {you don't want any room for movement}
♥ Drizzle with olive oil
♥ Bake for 45 minutes of until the skin on the tomatoes wrinkles
♥ Allow to cool. Remove skin from tomatoes. Process.
♥ Use straight away, or freeze for use later on.

Note: You can use your choice of fresh herbs in the sauce: basil, thyme or rosemary would work well - add the softer herbs after cooking - or if you're adding rosemary, I suggest adding it before roasting.

Sunday 10am

I rolled over + glanced at the alarm clock.
8:43am.
It was a miracle of sorts.
But to be expected after the restless night before.
"I hurt my tail," she cried on and off.
I gently told her that she didn't have a tail,
And that she should go back to sleep.
Inside I screamed, "Go to sleep!"
Or something like that.
We woke, showered & piled in the car.
Lacey & I.
And headed for Gaga's house.
Where we made scrambled eggs on Iggy toast.
I love Sundays.

How was your Sunday? What's your favourite way to spend Sunday?

Why women love The Notebook & men love to hate it

One of the best things about visiting 'home' is that it always feels like you're stepping back in time. The weekend before last, when I visited, the local radio station was playing re-runs of Hamish and Andy {circa Megan Gale & Andy in a relationship - so over a year ago} and because I missed this particular show so many months ago, I got to hear it for the first time.

Hamish was talking about girls and sad movies. He was in disbelief that someone would purposely go out and pick a DVD that would make them cry. "It's like going to a restaurant," he said, "and ordering a meal that you know you're going to hate, just so you can vomit it up."

As a girl that likes sad movies, and doesn't like vomiting, I can assure you {and Hamish} that it's not the same at all. I love sad movies. I love crying at sad movies. And there is no sadder or more tear-inducing movie than The Notebook.

I know that when Hubby reads this post, he'll be rolling his eyes. He and Hamish are from the same party {that being the 'I just don't get women sometimes' party}. He refuses to watch The Notebook, and I think the first time I made him watch it, he poked me in the side and ribbed me for being so pathetically emotional. I could watch the movie over and over and over again, and cry every single time, preferably alone.

Davina Dummer recently wrote over on Yahoo, "In the film, Noah romances Ally despite her initially rejecting him, embarks on a romance with her, despite over hearing her family’s dislike of him. After breaking up, he writes to her everyday for one year, 365 letters, rebuilds her dream house and informs every woman he meets that he still loves Ally. Skip ahead and we discover that he has looked after her as she has battled Alzheimers. Is anything more romantic?"

No Davina, there isn't. It's the most beautiful love story... ever. So why do men dislike The Notebook? Davina says it's because "a man like Noah does not really exist. Men dislike that we want something, which we ultimately are not able to have."

I'd also like to add that it lacks the obligatory fight scenes or blood and gore that most men seem to enjoy when it comes to movie watching.

Why do women love The Notebook? For me it's because it's a beautiful story of true love and triumph. The part that gets me so choked up is that their love lasted all the way to the very end. They promised to love each other forever, and they did.

And then there's the emotional release, the crying, the tears, the roller coaster ride of emotions {even when watching it for the seventh time}. I can't explain that part, but I love crying at sad movies. All I know is that it's not like eating a meal you know you don't like & vomiting it up. Oh no, it's not like that at all.


Do you like movies that make you cry? Why do you think women like movies that make them cry?

{image via pinterest}

5 things I learnt at Disney Social Media Moms

When Disney hosted a blogger get-together called Social Media Moms, I was one of the lucky 200 bloggers who got to network and meet with 200 American bloggers and listen to brilliant speakers share their insights into blogging successfully.

I've been blogging for years on Fat Mum Slim and regularly read and devour hundreds of blogs, but there are five things I learned on this conference that are worth sharing with bloggers who want to go the extra mile:

1. Get yourself a Facebook page

If you don't already have a Facebook page, you need to go and get your blog one. Matt Jacobsen, the eighth ever employee at Facebook and the head of Market Development, shared that 92% of American mums are on Facebook using it to check up on family and friends, as well as discovering blogs and brands. In the 1990's we used the internet to browse online, in the 2000's we used it to search and in the 2010's we're using the internet to discover new things. By creating a Facebook page you're allowing people to discover your blog in their travels online. Learn how to start a Facebook page with this easy guide.

2. Be mindful when promoting your blog

Do you send the same feed out to Twitter and Facebook encouraging people to read your posts? Chris Brogan, American uber-blogger, thinks that if this is how you promote your blog posts, you're wasting a great opportunity. By sharing your post, using the exact same words, on both Twitter and Facebook you're selling yourself short, and risking losing followers (if they see it on Facebook, then they don't need to follow you on Twitter) so be mindful how and what you share. I suggest sharing links to all your posts on Twitter, and be selective of what you promote on Facebook. Save your best, most engaging posts for promotion on your Facebook page.

3. Embrace the opportunities

Unfortunately blogging in Australia isn't going to get you rich anytime soon, well not quickly anyway. It's important that you write what you enjoy, and enjoy what you write, but in order for you and your blog to grow you'll need to be prepared to get a little bit uncomfortable. Rene Syler, popular American blogger of Good Enough Mother, shared, "You will not grow when you are comfortable and you will not be comfortable when you are growing". Don't be afraid to ask questions, take opportunities and follow your passion. You never know where it might take you.

4. Good enough is good enough

You could spend hours crafting the perfect post, but in all honesty "good enough is good enough" says Chris Brogan. Blogging isn't a test, and you're not being graded on your blog post. Chris shared that some of the posts that he sent out to the blogosphere, after her spent almost hours writing them certain that they'd be hits, were actually not as popular as he'd predicted. One of his most popular posts took only minutes to write and was on the topic of toast. So remember, good enough is good enough. Send it out to the world wide web, and let it go.

5. Video makes the blogger star

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and you and your blog need to have a presence there, Chris Brogan insists. Making a video, or a vlog, takes a little bit of bravery and a lot of guts, so you'll just need to jump in and take the leap. Keep your videos short and to the point, if possible. Making your video under three minutes is key otherwise you'll lose your audience's interest. You don't need any fancy equipment to get started, you can use your webcam on your computer, your smartphone or even your own handycam from home.

Happy blogging!

P.S. This is a post I wrote for Kidspot's Top 50 Bloggers. Head on over and vote for your favourites today {and discover new blogs too}.

What makes you come alive?

I could not possibly love this quote any more today. What makes you come alive? Are you doing 'it'?

{image via 364quotes}

Coming home

For a long time I avoided going home. We'd all moved to Sydney {except my brother and my Dad} and I didn't really have a desire to go back to where I grew up, so I just didn't.

Then my little sister moved back to our home town and my brother grew tired of traveling all the way up to see us, so it was time to make an effort, pack up our bags and take the drive home to see them.

Coming home is good for the soul. Taking the drive through the mountains, by the coast and all that fresh air. It's good stuff. Best of all is the space. Having backyards to run around and trees, gardens and room to play ball.

Last weekend we all piled into the car and headed south, stopping half way to watch my little sister's boyfriend play football. For those that don't know, once you leave the City fashion starts to get a little more relaxed.

For instance most people at the game were wearing tracksuit pants, some Ugg boots and one lone person was wearing a dressing gown.

So when my sister stepped out of the car wearing, what I liked to jest as a ballgown, we had a great time giving her a hard time.

And she wore these ridiculously high shoes to suit...

Don't worry. I told her I was going to blog about this. She's OK with it. See, we're still good friends...

Once the game was over, we all headed further south and arrived home. We gathered together in the morning for breakfast and it was just like it always has been. Me in the kitchen, accompanied by little sister. My brother and big sis cracking jokes.

I said to my sister at the start of the year that I'd be making the effort to come back once a month and stay the night, and so far I've kept my promise. It's fun. It's good for me, and all of us. I actually look forward to it.


Where's your 'home'? How long has it been since you got back there?

A night on the town with {almost} 50 bloggers

Last night Kidspot revealed it's Top 50 bloggers. In 2010 I played a big part in compiling the list and emailing our Top 50, but this year it was left to the very capable Linda of Pink Patent Mary Janes.

{Some of the top 50 bloggers - I took this pic with Danimezza's camera}

It was a great night with lots of lovely bloggers. I didn't have a single nerve or ounce of anxiety, which was refreshing, and instead I just had a great time. After the night was over we headed to a teeny little alley way, in the dark of night and up to a unassuming door with a man standing in front. Inside was the quaintest little bar, oozing with character. Drinks were served from little silver goblets, as we stood around old barrels.

As I left for home the man at the door stopped me.

Man: What are all you women doing here?
Me: Oh, we just came from an event.
Man: An event? What sort of event?
Me: We're bloggers. We just announced our Top 50 blogs.
Man: What the heck is a blog?
Me: It's a website, sorta thing. Sort of like a diary. Oh, but not really. It's like a website. {I handed him my card, hoping it would help make more sense}
Man: I don't even have a computer.


So man at the door, if you managed to find a computer, and are now reading this. This is a blog. It's a bit of nothingness, a little bit of something-ness. This is my blog.

Mid-week meal: Creamy tomato, garlic & chilli pasta

I always get stumped in the middle of the week when it comes to meal making, because I'm usually exhausted and toast just seems so much easier. This is one meal though that takes very little thought, and is oh-so-satisfying {and we've had almost every week since trying it!}.

Ingredients
400g fettucine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon chilli {or 1 long red chilli, sliced}
2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes
sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup low-fat single cream
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan, plus a little more to serve
1/2 cup basil leaves

Method
♥ Cook the pasta in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes or until cooked. Drain and set aside.
♥ While the pasta is cooking away, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
♥ Add the garlic and the chilli and cook for 2-3 minutes.
♥ Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
♥ Add the cream, parmesan and warm pasta. Toss to combine.
♥ Top with the extra parmesan and basil to serve.

Notes
We leave out the chilli for Lacey and add it in for us.
We don't stress about the basil. It's lovely if we have it, if not... it's still as delicious.
If you're sending Hubby out to get the groceries make sure your write CANS of cherry tomatoes in capitals, because he will undoubtedly get punnets of fresh tomatoes.
This recipe was adapted from the current issue of Donna Hay magazine. It's a ripper. Buy it.

Are you happy now?

I never wanted to be content. It sounded smug, and almost never enough. I wanted to be happy, the happiest I could be.

In my 20's I searched for the happy. The stuff that made my soul sing. The good things in life. I wrote lists of things that made me happy, and I embraced them. I ran on the beach. I danced to my favourite songs. I took hundreds of polaroids. I baked cupcakes. I fell in love. I explored. I flew kites. I took road trips. I felt happy.

As I neared my thirties and became a mum, I realised that content was actually a nice place to be. It was being sleep deprived, but seeing her little smile having it all balance out. It was having a bad day, and following it up with a better one. It was seeing the good in life, but knowing {and understanding} that there were not-so-good things too, but it would all be OK.

As I watched Oprah this past Saturday night {I know, living the wild life} I heard something that Roseanne Barr said that struck a chord. I can't remember it word-for-word but she said that she only seeks to be content, because if you're happy you have to come down at some point. You can't stay up there forever.

The seeking of happiness seems to be calling out to me of late. As I waited for hours in Miami airport to come home a month or so ago, I stocked up on magazines at a little store. It was filled with people, all going somewhere and as I finally reached the counter, ready to be served, I noticed a book on the shelf. It called me name. So I took the chance and hopped out of the line to grab it, and lost my place. I added The Happiness Project to my pile and read it at great speed on the flight home, scribbling in the margins as I read along. It joined the list of books I've read and loved.

I don't need anyone or anything to tell me how happy I am. I can tell for myself. There are parts of my life I'd like to change, and am working on changing, and there are some parts that I adore and want to keep as is. But I can't resist a little quiz. Last night I took the happiness test and it told me what I pretty much expected: I need to work on my body and work/life balance, but my home life, friendships and relationship are in good order.

I'm 30 now, and I still seek happiness, but I don't avoid contentment. I think Roseanne is right, that to be happy, you do have to come down at some point, whenever that may be. But I think the happy is worth it, however fleeting and even if we're just falling back into contentment... could we really ask for anything more?


What about you, are you happy? Are you content? What do you seek in life?

{image via tulips & flight suits}

Sunday 10am

We'd slept all night cramped on a wonky futon bed.
In a house that was all but 9 degrees.
But it didn't even matter.
Because when we woke it was my day.
Our day.
A day together.
Happy Muffer's Day, Lacey yelled.
We ate breakfast underneath the big tree.
In the sunshine.
The dog at our feet.
Eggs + bacon + avocado + fresh bread + fruit + yoghurt.
Two mums.
My own mum and me.
And those that love us.
And we love them too.

Best of all, I didn't have to clean up.
Not one bit.

What were you doing on Sunday at 10am? Were you being treated like royalty on Mother's Day? We're you treating your own mum to a special brunch? Tell me all about it...

Win a Be Still Homewares voucher & truckloads of laundry detergent

Be Still homewares was one of the first giveaways I ever ran on my little blog, and I'm so excited to have them back again. Be Still homewares was born in 2009 when Sarah stumbled across an array of beautiful fabrics while traveling and became inspired to create. Today I've got a $60 gift voucher to spend in the Be Still store to giveaway.

If there's one thing that kids guarantee, it's tough stains on their clothes. I don't know how Lacey does it but she always manages to ruin her best clothes with some sort of stain. The new OMO Ultimate is formulated to fight the toughest of stains, and the OMO small & mighty capsules are the most advanced liquid ever. One lucky person will win 10 whole boxes of OMO washing powder & liquid. That's almost enough to last you a whole year. Available in either top loader or front loader.

You are welcome to enter to win both prizes today, just leave a separate comment for each prize. Simply answer this question: What prize would you like to win, and why?

The winners are:

Be Still: Lovely Little Nest
OMO: Megs

{boring bits}

Competition closes 14th May 11:59pm

Open to Australian residents only {sorry!}

What I really want this Mother's Day

Forget handbags, jewels and perfume... all I really want for Mother's Day is some love, some laughter, a little bit of sleep and a whole bunch of warm & fuzzies.

What are your plans for this weekend? Will you be celebrating Mother's Day?



{image from Olivia}

Letter to Lacey: Thirty Seven Months

Love you, you silly sausage. Even if you do love trolleys. Mama. xx

Six of my favourite Facebook profile pictures

As part of my day job I look after three Facebook pages {not including my Fat Mum Slim Facebook page} so it's safe to say that I have my head buried in Facebook for the majority of the day.

Facebook pages have been around for a year now, and brands {and blogs, celebs, bands, companies, organisations etc} are really utilising them to launch themselves into the social media stratosphere.

I wrote last week about how to create a Facebook page, and today I wanted to share 6 profile pictures that I love that you can use for inspiration when creating your own image. The profile picture is the first visual glimpse into your blog. It's your chance to make a brilliant first impression to potential blog readers.

1. Black Eyed Peas
Why? It's fun, has a point of difference being cartoon-like and suits their style. Also, if you head over you'll find that their page is interactive and you can create your own personalised cartoon character.

2. Victoria's Secret
Why? Clean, stylish and completely represents their brand. No doubt men 'like' their page just to ogle the beautiful, half-naked women, but as a woman who buys underwear {and I hope we all do} I think it's a sophisticated way to represent their brand.

3. Mathilda's Market
Why? Not only does Mathilda's Market's profile absolutely fit their defined style, it also shares a little about what they do and where you can find them. I think it's a great use of space.

4. Bob Marley
Why? This is my favourite profile picture. I want to shoot black and white photos and make a beautiful stack like this. It works because Bob Marley's image is already so iconic, so for a blog to make this really work, I'd suggest using a series of images and putting the name of your blog in amongst the images somehow.

5. Skittles
Why? If you haven't visited the Skittles Facebook page, I suggest you hop over there right now. Whoever runs it is a barrel of laughs, and thinks waaay outside the box. Their profile picture is fresh and fun, and has a call to action at the very bottom.

6. Zappos.com
Why? Zappos.com is clever in that they change out their profile picture to include their 'fan of the week'. It's engaging and fun, and definitely keeps things fresh and interesting.

You can take inspiration from these Facebook pages that I like, or browse through and find your own inspiration. When making your own image it can be up to 180 pixels by 540 pixels {you can adapt the length to suit, but the width will need to stay the same}.


Do you have a Facebook page for your blog or brand? Share the link below so we can have a little peek!