Behind the Scenes: My Selling Handmade Mini-Series—and a Selfie Struggle

I had planned a fresh Spring inspiration post today—some pretty ideas, a small DIY project, and a little seasonal eye candy. Instead, everything changed late last night. At 10:30 p.m., after announcing the new mini-series that launches Monday, I discovered a technical problem that sent me scrambling.

This mini-series has been in the works for weeks, and I wanted it to be just right. I spent a long stretch putting seven posts together, and honestly enjoyed every minute of it—about eight hours total. I made the announcement only after finishing the posts and scheduling everything, so I felt confident that it was all ready to go.

Then, while checking email before bed, I opened Monday’s scheduled post to answer a guest blogger’s question—and my heart sank. Of the seven planned posts, only Day 1 remained published. The other six were gone. I felt like collapsing onto my desk and crying, but I’d just gotten a new pair of reading glasses and didn’t want to risk scratching them.

It was a sleepless night as I replayed my steps, trying to figure out what happened. The issue turned out to be with LiveWriter: I wasn’t creating a new post for each entry. Instead, I had been repeatedly modifying and saving the same draft, and LiveWriter only saved the final version. In my case, Day 7 had overwritten everything else.

So today I rebuilt those six lost posts, carefully creating each new post and scheduling them correctly. All seven posts are finished and set to publish as intended—fingers crossed. This was a good reminder about backup routines, careful scheduling, and the quirks of desktop publishing tools. If you manage a blog series, double-check that each post exists as a separate entry before you schedule or hit publish.

After the chaos, a different challenge took over: photographing myself. Ladies and fellow creatives, how do you make self-portraits look so effortless? I tried to capture a shot of my new “old lady” reading glasses (yes, I mean readers—those little lifesavers), and it was anything but glamorous. I must confess: there was a lot of tile, an old mirror, and even an electric toothbrush cord in the frame. Charming, right?

Nice tile, huh? Yes, clearly another bathroom renovation is on the list. I snapped a few more attempts—some captured the mirror edge, others a peek of my face—and the results were equal parts funny and unpolished.

That one highlighted the mirror and a stray cord. But I did eventually manage a peek-a-boo frame that caught a corner of my face—progress.

And here’s one of the actual glasses shots—far from magazine-ready, but authentic.

If you’re looking to make self-portraits look better for your blog or social media, here are a few practical tips that helped me and are useful for creators shooting their own images:

• Use natural light whenever possible—stand near a window and avoid harsh overhead lighting.
• Prop your camera or phone on a stable surface, or use a small tripod and a timer or remote shutter to avoid awkward arm positions.
• Consider composition: tidy the background, move distracting objects out of frame, and use a simple backdrop when you can.
• Find a flattering angle—slightly above eye level can reduce the appearance of a double chin and is often more flattering than shooting from below.
• Relax and take many shots; candid, less-posed photos often feel more authentic and approachable for a lifestyle or handmade-business blog.

I’d love to hear how other bloggers and makers take flattering photos of themselves—especially tips to minimize a double chin without heavy retouching. Share your approaches and favorite tricks; I’ll be trying them all as I work on improving my images for the selling handmade mini-series and future Spring inspiration posts.

Thanks for sticking with me through the technical hiccup and the less-than-glamorous selfie session. The mini-series is back on track, and I’m excited to share it with you next week.