I love data. I enjoy scouring Google Analytics and not to over analyze the number of readers I may or may not have but I like to look at graphs and percentages and pie charts, and interpret what they mean for me and my blog and my readers. Here are some numbers for 2011 (although not really since I only installed Analytics in June of last year).

Demographic//

Location-Country:

• United States 64.01%
• Canada 4.44%
• United Kingdom 4.11%
• less than 2% for the remaining countries

Location-City:

• Seattle, WA 8.01% (my hometown-ish)
• Orange Park, FL 4.84% (Ryan’s family-ish)
• Glendale, CA 2.87% (where we lived for 3 years before Denver)

Behavior//

New Vs. Returning:

• 71.92% New Visitors
• 28.08% Returning Visitors

Technology//

Operating System:

• Windows 55.23%
• Mac 26.94%
• Linux 10.28%
• Mobile 7.48%
• Playstation 3 (WTF?) .07%

Browser:

• Mozilla/Firefox 36.69%
• Chrome 25.91%
• Safari 20.30%
• Internet Explorer** 14.26%

Traffic Sources//

Sources:

• Google/Organic 44.14%
• Direct 18.30%
• Cameron Plus Whitney 11.95%
• Feedburner/feed 5.64%

Search Keywords: growling steph, interesting tattoo, yann black, post secret, barcelona album, game of thrones chart, books of adam, 30 days of lists

What do your numbers look like?

steph

**If I know you personally and you’re using IE, please tell me and I will help wash away your sins.

Posted: January 11th, 2012 under Technology.
Comments: 5

I took my new Diana F+ mini with me on my Christmas holiday to Montana in hopes of capturing candid family photos on film, just like the photos my mom has at my age. They look like they’re having fun and didn’t have time to stop and pose.

But, the ones that actually turned out were indeed all posed pictures. The candid ones were either blurry, or dark, or didn’t look good to me for whatever reason. It’s obvious I still need practice with indoor photos.

This picture is my favorite. I accidently double exposed it as it was the last frame on the film. One is a posed picture and the other isn’t with a beautiful stream of Christmas tree lights. I love it.

This was my best action shot. My older cousins were taking turns throwing the little cousins on the couch. Tthey loved it. As you see in my cousins face here.

On our way from one Uncle’s house to another on Christmas Day, we were asked to grab some vodka. The only place that was open was a little local tavern. While my uncle ran in, my aunt and I ran across the street and trespassed onto some lady’s property (that was inside her house near a window but didn’t see us) and ran onto her small dock to snap a few pictures of Flathead Lake. Because we jumped out of the car in a panic, when we go to the dock, I didn’t think to adjust my shutter and/or aperature before snapping pictures so these photos got way too much light.

To be honest, I’m not even sure what I did wrong here. This was right in the middle of a strand okay pictures. Although I kinda like it.

Overall, being in Montana for 9 days was too many. I love and enjoy my family’s company but there was a point where I didn’t want to be there any more. I wanted to sleep in my bed, lounge on my couch, watch my television. The flight from Denver to Missoula is only 1 hr and 45 mins so I am eager to fly up there for 3 day weekends more often instead of one 9-day trip in almost 2 years.

Also, we went skiing and I filmed one of my runs. It’s almost 9 minutes long so I want to cut it down before I show it you. I haven’t been skiing in years and I felt like it came back pretty quickly. Like riding a bike.

steph

Posted: January 8th, 2012 under Christmas, Montana, photography.
Comments: 4

This chick doesn’t have an album out yet but she has some good stuff on her youtube channel. Happy Monday!

steph

Posted: January 2nd, 2012 under Music.
Comments: none

I got back from Montana a few days ago. I took almost 5 rolls of 35mm film while I was there. I am so excited to get those developed and show them to you!

I usually don’t do New Year’s Resolutions but I would like to set some goals for myself instead. Here’s a list of goals I’d like to accomplish for 2012:

1. Blog more – I don’t blog regularly or often and I’d like to change that. I’d like to get on a schedule and stick to it. I have a moleskin laying around that I’m going to turn it into my blog post ideas book. Last year I posted 111 entries and I’d like to surpass that this year.
2. Exercise regularly – Before I started my new job {oh ya! I got a job!! More on that later}, I exercised 3 days a week and went to a yoga class one day a week. Since starting work, I love sleep too much to exercise in the morning and too tired and hungry to exercise at night. But I got to fit it in there somewhere. Not to mention that my back has been killing me daily, and exercise will help that. I haven’t felt 100% since the accident and I’d like for that chapter in my life to be over with (it’s been over a year now…).
3. Cook and Bake more – I cook sometimes and I bake even less. I’d like to get in the habit of cooking meals more regularly and trying new recipes at that. Baking takes me a long time because I’m slow and precise but before anything is even in the oven, my back hurts. Which leads me back to goal #2.
4. New blog design from scratch – I feel like I understand HTML pretty well and CSS only enough to make things look nice. But I’d love to learn how to create code from nothing.
5. Visit family & friends – Last year, I didn’t really visit anyone. We stayed with Ryan’s parents for those two months during the summer before moving to Denver, but I wouldn’t call that a visit, more like an extended stay. I did drive to Las Vegas to spend time with my Aunts and cousin for a girls weekend. But I think that’s it. Oh, I almost forget I spent last week in Montana. So that’s 2 trips to my family and 1 to Ryan’s. I don’t think that’s enough. More trips!

Here is a picture I snapped with my phone while I was out skiing with the family. Here is my cousin and me on the chair lift.

steph

Posted: January 1st, 2012 under Adventures, Christmas, Family, Holidays, Montana, snow, Winter.
Comments: 1