Hi, I’m Emily Robbins, and this site started out as I journaled my quest to teach myself how to blog, including how to create weblogs, comparing wordpress to movable type to typepad to blogger, etc, figuring out customizing blog templates, changing your blogs theme, using plug-ins, blogrolling, etc.

It has evolved somewhat into a blogging how-to guide, with tips and tricks for both new and experienced bloggers. The site includes reviews and comparisons of various blogging platforms, my comprehensive list of over 615 wordpress themes to customize the look and feel of your blog, tutorials for solving specific problems, and more.

As for me, I’m 35, live in the Oakland Hills with my amazing fiance Eric, our 4 cats (Marvin, Sam, Sophie, and Maggie), and our turtles Eger, George, and Baby Bliss.

Having grown up on Long Island, I fled as quickly as possible (which meant college). Went to Middlebury College in Vermont – (class of 93, BA in Mathematics). Loved it there, but felt the need for city living without the rush rush rush of NYC, and my love of computers and mild weather landed me in San Francisco (moved here without even visiting, and it’ll be 12 years in October 2005 with no plans to leave – love it here! UPDATE: Moved to the Oakland Hills in Feb 2005, 25 minutes outside of San Francisco and LOVE IT – the Bay Area is such a great place to live)

I feel really blessed b/c the universe has guided me to where I am now.

After working crazy hours as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer for Borland, I ended up with RSI (repetitive strain injury) that put me on disability for over a year, left me with multiple level disc damage in my cervical spine in addition to bilateral ulnar neuritis, and limited the amount of time (esp. continual time) that I could spend on the computer. After realizing I didn’t want to stop working with computers, but that I was unhirable with the amount of breaks I’d need to take and days off I’d need during flare-ups, as well as much frustration with voice recognition software, I finally decided to just dive in and try and make a go of things on my own.

Now I’m self-employed doing Affiliate Marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), and am the queen of finding high PPC keywords (and doing niche keyword research). I absolutely love the freedom of being my own boss and not wasting time sitting in endless meetings!

My family’s still on the east coast, and I miss ‘em a lot, especially my adorable nephews Joseph and Jacob (aged 9 and 4). Can’t seem to convince any of them to move out here — what’s up with that? ;P

Email address: howtoblog (at) gmail.com

Interests (in no particular order):
movies, reading, arts and crafts, video games, xbox, ps2, psp, gamecube, the internet, dancing, spinning poi, turtles, kitties, ipod, tivo, polymer clay, rubber stamping

Be Sociable, Share!

•