Create static pages-new feature in Blogger

Blogger introduced the new static pages, the most requested feature by many blogger.

Creating static pages in Blogger is a new feature for everyone, opening many possibilities for new tricks and much fun.
We have the possibility to create 20 static pages for each blog.

Well, it is not exactly what we expected; a Blogger static page looks like any other post page, on the first glance.
There are some notable differences though between a post page and a static page.
With some extra styling an customization, we can use these pages as stand alone About page, Contact page, gallery page, table of content page, you name it.

These tutorials are the result of testing the new static pages feature on my test blog. Being a beginner blogger myself, with limited experience, I decided to share my results with those interested.
Let's create our first static page and we'll talk about customization and tricks later.

Demo

Creating the first static page.

Step 1.
- Go to Dashboard |Edit posts and click on the Edit pages tab.
- Click on Create a page, if this is your first page.

Step 2.
Edit your content and give the page a title.

Step 3.
Enable or disable comments in post options, they are disabled by default.

Step 4.

Update on 20.12.2011:

This feature is not available any more in this old interface but you can access it from the new editor.
Read the updated version by clicking this link.

When you are ready hit Publish page.

This new window at the right pops up with three possible options to publish your new page.
Don't worry about choosing the right option, it can be changed by republishing the page.

Find out the difference between the three options in my next tutorial.


Related posts:

Hide all widgets on Blogger pages-create a simple page ^New!
Different ways to display static pages
Difference between static pages and post pages.
Managing static pages in Blogger blogs
Customize - style static pages, hide sidebar in Blogger
Hide the sidebar on designer templates-static pages Blogger
Style static pages menu list-customize pagelist navigation
Christmas icons-Decorate your blog!

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Magnolia blossom - saucer magnolia picture

This is my 100th post and I want to thank you all for your friendship, your kind words and your pleasant company.
I wish to offer all my readers this beautiful magnolia flower, the most delicate harbinger of spring.
This saucer magnolia declares the arrival of spring like no other flower. While other trees remain bare in the early spring landscape, saucer magnolia blooms precede foliage in a fragrant, pinkish-white sea of color.

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Winter's teeth-winter photos

This last week winter really had shown his teeth, it looked like Siberia had moved to us.
Temperatures had sunk to lows between minus -25°C (-13°F ) during nighttime.
Still during the day the sun was shining and it was more pleasant to stay outside than in the house.
Yesterday, on a beautiful sunshine and blue sky I've captured some more winter photos from the Citadel. It is amazing how all colors come back when the sun shines, no matter the season.

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Bright red berries on a thorny bush - macro

This winter I took many photos of red berries on bushes or in the snow.
Here is another photo with bright red berries on a thorny bush. The large firm thorns didn't make the job very easy but there are no obstacles for a camera.
Again, I don't know what they are but they bring color in long winter days.

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Watching the seagulls-part 2

Here are some more photos about yesterday's seagull flock visit. The unusual appearance of the new birds in our river surprised both humans and animals.

Unfortunately most of the photos didn't turn out to be the quality I was hoping for.
I couldn't find a spot to capture the birds without having the building in the background.
The river just entered the town and the red roof is a church on the outskirts of the city, better seen in the last photo.

This little puppy in the next picture was playing in the snow with her owner and from time to time looking at the large flock of white birds.
She is such a cute lady with her golden fur.

This dog from bellow also wants to see the newcomers.

I was standing on this bridge when I took a part of the photos, yesterday. The wind was blowing hard and it was very cold here.
I noticed an interesting shadow play on the bridge floor, I just had to take a photo of it as well.

See more detailed photos and info about the seagulls.

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Seagulls on the river-winter migration

A flock of seagulls invaded our Somesul Mic river all the sudden. On their way to the Back Sea they apparently changed their minds and took accommodation in our town.
We are surrounded by mountains here, so we don't have these birds very often.

Above is the river and bellow are the seagulls.

Today it was a wonderful sunny winter day with a clear bright blue sky and -6°C ( 22°F) temperature at noon. This is the winter I like, though my fingers were frozen after I took about 200 photos.
I always find something nice to photograph at the banks of the river and this day was no exception.

This place here is at the western limits of the city , where the river enters the town and flows towards the city center.

The river is full of seagulls scaring the usual river population with their frenzied flight and shouting. The surprised wild geese are looking for shelter and the offended crows gathered on the top of trees are protesting very loud.
Everybody was surprised by the migration of the seagulls so late in winter.
Even the dogs coming here every day with their owners, looked surprised by the visit of the new birds.

See newer pictures and more info about our black-headed-gulls.

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Little ladybug-ladybird pictures

We all love ladybugs!
Ladybugs are considered to be a symbol of fortune and good luck; it is believed that to kill one brings inevitable misfortune.
Gardeners and farmers love ladybugs because they do a wonderful job eating an enormous quantity of garden and crop pests like aphids and other soft bodied insects that feed on plants.
The ladybug's beauty and pattern are constant sources of inspiration for arts, poetry, song lyrics, books for children and many other things but most of the time we forget that though she doesn't claim copyrights, there is a living being behind that pattern.
On a late autumn day I've found this lovely ladybug on a chrysanthemum in my balcony. Probably, she was looking for a place to hibernate through the winter.
Boy, I was so happy and took my camera quickly. Taking some photos of a captive ladybird seamed to be an easy task, after all.

I found out soon enough that she didn't share my enthusiasm about the photo session and I had a hard time to keep her on the top of the leaves.

She preferred playing hide and seek, marching back under the leaves or falling to the ground
and "playing dead", as a defense strategy.
As I had to move her back on the top of the leaves several time, I couldn't expect her to pose for me; though I was waiting to capture the moment when she opens that bright red colored wing case and shows off her delicate, transparent wings.

Instead of pleasing me, she decided better not to fly away; she gathered her short legs "turtle-way" under her tiny, half-sphere body, taking the defense pose.
There is this irresistible feeling when you see a ladybug of wanting her to stay as long as possible, like in the song:

"Lady bug, lady bug,
How are you today?
Lady bug, lady bug,
Are you going to stay?
Lady bug, lady bug,
Or will you fly away?"
~Unknown author~

Just now I realized that my admiration could be a torture to the little gal and that's no proper way to treat a ladybug. I thanked her for the pictures and released her through the window to find a suitable place to hibernate.

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Orange flower macro-energy booster

Here is an energy reserve for those of us who are tired of winter.
The little orange - golden flower with a green background of leaves is a real energy booster.
I took this photo in the Botanical Gardens last summer but I don't remember what the flower's name was.
Anyway, the strong orange color of the petals of this flower creates a high contrast with the background and helps to tweak our energy and increase our life force even if for just a moment.Those strong stamens look like a rounded brush, in the middle of the flower.
So, fill your souls with energy and come back soon for another portion.
Do you need more? Here is a pink-magenta one.

Visit Today's Flowers for other energy boosters and Macro Monday for beautiful macros.

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Red berries in snow-winter

Some more winter photos; this time some red berries in the snow.
I captured these red berries hanging from snow-laden branches of a bush mainly for the scene itself.

The berries are not so pretty and I don't know what they are.

Here is a close-up, the berries look better in the sunlight.

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Dark pink peony flower- in macro

Colors usually carry associations of emotions and invoke memories and thoughts.
The visual association I make when I think at pink is always a pink flower. I believe, the reason is that flowers are the only thing nature gave us in this color.
This dark pink-magenta flower is a tree peony blooma very early bloomer peony specie.
Pink represents the universal color of love, expresses feminity, softness and delicacy.
Thus the color itself generates more contradictions than any other color, we associate pink flowers always as positive value.

The variety of pink flowers is overwhelming; here are some of my pink macros:

Pink Dahlia Pink-yellow roses Gorgeous Orchids Raindrops on roses Snapdragon close up Pink achmea Pink Hibiscus Pink cyclamen

See a beautiful tree peony, all covered with pink flowers

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Reflections in a still life-diffused light

I took these photos in my kitchen playing and experimenting with diffused light.
I know that all of you are photographers and I have a question for you;

For the still life photo at the left:
1. I use a soft, diffused light coming from the kitchen lighting, still the fruits' shadows are sharply defined on the table cloth.

2. Thought it is backlight, the texture is emphasized not the silhouette and the shadows are to the right.

What is this picture?

You have a hint in this second photo (bottom right).

It is a part of the kitchen's reflection in one of my pastel paintings, hanging on the kitchen wall.
Fruits, shadows and lights are fake but the reflection is real.
Thanks for playing along. It was easy, wasn't it?

Visit Weekend reflections hosted by James for beautiful reflection photos.

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Homemade pork goodies-to hell with calorie counting

Look at these homemade pork goodies: smoked sausage and bacon, dry-cured ham, you could eat them with your eye.
These were available only for the winter holidays but I could still have some. They all looked and smelled amazing, having an unbelievable flavor that can't be matched by the industrial sausage or ham found in the supermarket.
I am crazy about all these smoked pork fillet and chops and dead sick after I eat some.
Just for the holiday season there was a bazaar with some bodegas in the center of the town. This one (second image), selling homemade pork goodies was the most visited and suddenly no one cared about healthy eating and calorie counting.

These "country cured" semi-dry products are cold-smoked for a few days but not cooked through. When frying they shrink to half and their price raises to double.

Curing pork in Romania is a tradition that has been around for hundreds of years. The tradition is a great family event before the winter holidays in the countryside. Many families would cure the meat from a whole pig utilizing every part to make a range of delicious cured sausages packed with herbs and spices.

Visit My World Tuesday to see other people's customs from around the world.

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Violet pansies peeking out of snow-in January

Eyes towards the world!

Pansies are peeking out of the snow on the first days of January.
Pansies are among the first plants to make their appearance in spring but I took these photos on the 4th of January.
Look at these little beauties, they are still covered in flowers under the snow!
Pansies can tolerate the light snow we had till now, they seem to be no weaklings in the winter.
Look at these eyes towards the world!

They look so fresh and their colors are more vibrant as in summer. They like the cool, moist weather of this mild winter.
Green leaves of grass are sticking out through the snow as well.

After a period of long, gray winter days we are all a bit desperate for sunlight and a splash of spring color.

Visit Today's flowers for more beautiful flowers.
Visit Macro Monday at Lisa's for beautiful macro photos.

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Another snowy day-taking photos

Hi everyone and welcome to another snowy day.
I took these photos at the beginning of this week, when we woke up to a beautiful white snow blanket on the ground.
It was not cold enough for the snow to stay on the ground for long so I took my camera and I went out quickly to the nearest hill for a short photo session.

It was a good idea, this was the only bright, sunny winter day, a perfect time to take photos in the fresh air. The snow melted in the afternoon and it is raining since than.
The days will slowly lengthen and become a little lighter and brighter from now on and soon will be time for spring photos.

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Pink quartz - rose quartz - images of crystals

Pink quartz is a very rare crystal and expensive too. Pink quartz usually is to be seen by collectors being a very attractive ornamental crystal and now, you can see it on my photos.
Rose quartz is very special too; because of it's energizing properties and beautiful pink color it is the symbol of love.
Many years ago I bought a pink quartz crystal in an art store, the big one in the picture.
I had no idea at that time that pink quartz is so rare . It is in my living room for such a long time that I take no notice of it any more.
Today I was looking for pink things in the house for Beverly's Pink Saturday meme, when I remembered about my crystals and gemstone collection.

Pink quartz and rose quartz are not the same.
There are some differences between these two types of quartz concerning their properties:
- pink quartz develops crystals while rose quartz is usually massive.
- pink quartz is sensitive to light, it fades if exposed to direct light, while rose quartz does not, because:
-they form in different environments and the cause of their color is different.

Rose Quartz Crystal is called "the love stone" and is the crystal stone for the heart Chakra. This special stone is full of beauty, peacefulness, forgiveness and compassion.
Rose quartz has a range of color from a pale pink to rose red hue, like the rose quartz crystal ball, the necklace and earrings in the picture.

Rose quartz is an emotional balancer, help remove repressed anger and hatred, negative emotions and thoughts reestablishing a feeling of calm.
Rose quartz is also carved into pyramids, statues, obelisks, figurines and spheres being a very attractive ornamental stone.


I hope you like this beautiful stone too and take advantage of it's amazing effect of inspiring feelings of love and friendship.
These images are © http://colormagicphotography.com.

Download high resolution images of the pink crystal, isolated on white or black background, royalty-free from here or here.

In this last image I show you a small part of my quartz crystal and gemstone collection, necklaces of amethyst, turquoise, green aventurine, earrings, rose quartz crystal ball and raw minerals.

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Watching the sky from my window-sunset photos

On a clear winter evening watching the sky from my window can end with great shots.
I like this time of day when the sun disappears below the hill and changes the color of the sky to golden.

Watching the sky, you're watching a painting
Coming to life shifting and shaping
Staying inside, it all goes, all goes, all goes, all goes by......

Visit Sky watch Friday for beautiful sky photos.

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Ice skating-outdoors

Besides other outdoor activities, outdoor skating is a wonderful way to experience winter in the fresh air.
We have a few wonderful outdoor places to go skating and other in the town. The greatest city skating is at Central Park's lake, a natural ice rink in a beautiful, natural ambiance. Accompanied by beautiful music and mulled wine from the Park Store while you glide on the smooth outdoor ice is the best recreational activity on a boring winter days.

Unfortunately, this year we have a foolish winter and the lake is not frozen, so we take what's left: the artificial ice rink in the center of the town. There were just a few kids around, so I could take this picture.

This is a great outdoor place too and it attracts many families and skating enthusiasts. They also rent skating shoes, though there is no indoor change room. The kids like it anyway.

Visit Outdoor Wednesday.

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Red carnation flower - close-up

I think everybody loves red carnation flowers.
Here it is one for Ruby Tuesday.

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Mood enhancing-taking photos in winter

As a mood enhancing activity and also to take some new snow photos and show you My World, I've climbed the frozen steps of the Citadel today (the first photo).
There was no other fool up there, so for the first time I was able to take just nature pictures, without any human spoiling the view.
The second photo is a partial view of my town.
I don't remember having such an unpleasant and ugly winter like this year. Since the first heavy snowfall in December, melted after a few day, mother nature repeats the same pattern; snowfall during nights and rain during the day.

All these shifts in humidity, barometric pressure, the gray sky and absence of light turn me into a different person.
I have to confess, my mood changes with the weather.
The best treatment for irritability and tension with weather changes (and other unpleasant things experienced on a day to day basis) is sunshine.
If you don't believe me, just look at those two in the last picture.
The problem is that you can't have it when you want it but today the sun came out for a few hours.


Today, for the first time in many days we had a beautiful blue sky with pinkish clouds (thanks to the wind).
These two poor animals lying on the sidewalk are enjoying the sun too. I am convinced that after they warm up a little, I find them face to face.

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Beautiful white orchid flower-macro photo

Macro flowers are another of my favorite photo subjects.
Here is another example of nature's finest offerings.
Orchids are the most beautiful and fascinating flowers in the world and take amazingly different shapes, forms and colors.
Some orchid blossoms are as small as a mosquito and other orchid flowers are as large as a dinner plate.

I took this macro shot in a flower shop. There was not enough light for a perfect photo but I am satisfied with the outcome.

The orchid family is the largest plant family in nature.
There are about 25,000 to 30,000 known species of orchids around the world and some of these exotic beauties can be grown in our homes as well. Though, I am afraid to try, they look so delicate.
Did you know that the name orchid comes from the Greek word "orchis" which means testicle?

Update:
After I wrote this post I bought 10 orchids, during 2010. Two of them were like this one in the picture, but I succeeded to kill one, by over-watering. I still have pictures of it, click the link to see this beautiful, white orchid.

For a while I was very happy with them but then winter came and they have started to hibernate. Every day I check them, hoping to see a new root, at least, but nothing happened, till spring had come. Now there is a new leaf on one of them and a new stem is emerging on another.

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Cloud reflections-cityscapes

Once a beautiful, quiet place, the old center of the town seems to be the host of all kind of activities in winter time.

On the upper half of this picture you can see the children's heaven, the ice skating rink.
It was quite after the rain stopped that I took these shots.
Every surface was wet and shinny.

On the left of this photo a part of St. Michael church is visible and in front of the church there are the ruins of the ancient city of NAPOCA.

These archeological findings were recently covered with a 82 square meter glass, a perfect "playground" for reflection photos.

Because of the reflected light there is no way to see what's under the glass in daylight. For this I must take some night shots, when the lights are on.

Anyway, I came her for the reflections.

Visit Weekend Reflections at New Town Area and Sky watch Friday for sky photos.

See this old center of my town on a beautiful summer day.

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