Merry Sherry's Creations

An Art-Full Life

SiteGround – The Best Hosting Service

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I’ve been using SiteGround on multiple sites for some time now. I finally decided to become an affiliate with them because they, quite frankly, are THE BEST hosting service I have ever used. At bit about my own background first. I have been working on websites since the internet first “went public”. Before then, I interacted with military and higher education organizations who used the limited bandwidth available to send/receive messages from around the world, create interlibrary loan opportunities, and to engage in technical discussions with those who were at the forefront of what would become the world wide web. Once the web was “online”, I created one of the first internally facing interactive websites at my alma mater. Back then, “sites” were not much more than what we think of as “pages” today. Nonetheless, we went from printing out HUNDREDS of pages every week to distribute across the university campus, the “hosting” those documents online – saving trees, time, and money!

Today, the boundaries for options on websites is practically limitless. And often VERY expensive. While designers have created incredible “engines” to underpin websites and make them function with more ease and security, the CHOICES for website hosting have become very challenging. Some offer good deals but that comes with speed degradation. Or they offer only their own “brand” of plugins that come with sometimes serious security and privacy issues. Over the decades I have tried hosting companies big and small – and even my own “self-hosting”. All that to say, I know from whence I speak when I recommend SiteGround to anyone wanting to have a website presence.

Below are the step-by-step options for getting your site up and running with SiteGround. You won’t be sorry!

Step 1: Choose a Hosting Plan

SiteGround has three plans and everyone can sign for any of them with a great discount through your affiliate link. It is also good to make a recommendation for the most appropriate plan to your audience:

  • The StartUp plan is perfect for people with one website that are starting out.
  • The GrowBig plan is a great value for money offer, including the option for multiple websites and the Ultrafast PHP that greatly improves website speed. (THIS IS THE ONE WE USE – Even if you just have one site for now, it offers great growth options.)
  • The GoGeek plan is perfect for people with e-commerce and larger sites, or more geeky development needs like more server resources and GIT integration.

Step 2: Choose a Domain Name 

Clients can choose to buy a new domain, or sign up with an existing domain. We offer a wide range of domain extensions at awesome prices.

And that’s pretty much it for getting yourself signed up. Need help? Their support is THE BEST I’ve ever encountered. I’ve had some weird stuff happen on our websites from time-to-time and they have always been kind, efficient, and thorough in helping me get my site(s) back on track. If I can be of any help to you in regard to specific questions about my experience with SiteGround, please leave a comment below or click the Contact Us tab at the top of this site.

Tin Can Fun

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Hope you have nothing but good things come your way today. And if you happen to be a mom, I wish you a fantastic day leading up to your special day tomorrow!

Lately, I’ve been having a lot of fun with tin cans. I’ve been experimenting with decoupage, painting, and even some drawing on cans that I salvaged. One project was a fun display for air plants using olive cans! I wrapped twine around the cans (using a glue gun to secure it) and then glued them onto an orchid mount board that I had lying around. To ensure extra stability, I used a small amount of Reptile Glue in addition to the hot glue gun.

While going through my collection of stick-on decorations, I found these adorable little birds. Even though they already had sticky backs, I decided to reinforce them with a dab of hot glue. I added tiny bows to two of the cans, securing them with another dot of hot glue. I’ve always been fond of air plants, and I discovered some new species to add to my collection! They look fantastic on this board!

Tin Can 1
Tin Can 2

I’ve been having fun exploring decoupage and painting techniques on tin cans. I really like using mushroom cans because the brand I use has a little recessed “lip”. The lip is perfect for attaching a piece of round cardstock to add a sturdy area for rocks, marbles, gravel, or preserved sphagnum moss. You can easily leave a hole in the cardstock base to insert floral picks.

After painting the can white, I printed out a design and used decoupage to apply it. To give it a more natural look, I added little splashes of burnt umber to mimic rust and sealed the entire piece with glossy ModPodge. I then secured the cardstock to the rim with a bit of Reptile glue and hot glue, then inserted the “stem” of a faux succulent into the center hole. I think it is absolutely adorable!

Tin can with Grace in Abundance text and a succulent.

I can offer group classes on how to create similar items. It’s a fun and inexpensive way to gather with friends for a no-stress creating time! Message me if interested in information! Happy Saturday – and a blessed Mother Day’s tomorrow!