Early this month , I posted about a package of 70 gorgeous header graphics I created. You can use the header graphics on your websites, on your blogs, or any other project you may have.

I wanted to do something a little special this year, so I decided that I would sell the graphics packages for just $5.00, and I would donate half of what I made to The Salvation Army. My plan is to issue The Salvation Army a cheque on Christmas Eve in the amount that I’ve raised.

My deepest thanks goes out to those of you who’ve already purchased. You can found out here how much I’ve raised so far for the Salvation Army with your help!

The good news is there is still time to buy one of these header graphics paks and help the cause. Your support is much appreciated!

Blessings of the season,
Karen

Update December 24, 2008. I have just issued a cheque to The Salvation Army in the amount of $125 CAD. Thank you to everyone who purchased my graphics and supported my cause.

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I was asked by a reader to post a step by step method to upgrade WordPress to 2.7 so I’m happy to oblige.

The very first thing to do is make sure you back-up your WordPress database. If you haven’t already done so, make sure you’ve installed the WordPress Database Backup Plugin. If not, download the plugin, un-zip the file and upload the folder called “wp-db-backup” into your wp-content/plugins directory. Then in your WordPress admin area click on “Plugins”, and activate the plugin.

Next, click “manage”, and then click “Backup”. In your Backup options, check “download to your computer”, and then click “Backup Now”.

Now you can do the upgrade one of 2 ways:

1) Depending on your web host, you may have Cpanel installed on your web server. If you do, then the simplest way to upgrade to WordPress 2.7 is to do it from within your Cpanel.

Login to your Cpanel, click on “Software”. Next click on “Fantastico”, and then click on “WordPress”. Then click on the “Upgrade” link. This will take a few minutes. Once the system is done you’ll get a message saying that your WordPress has been successfully upgraded.

Note: Don’t use the Fantastico upgrade method if you have moved your blog from your original Fantastico installation, if you originally installed WordPress manually, or if you have moved your index page to someplace other than the WordPress root.

2) This method is super simple. Once your back-up has been done, make sure all your plugins are up to date. If they are, go and download the Instant Upgrade Plugin for WordPress and upload it via FTP to your plugins folder within your remote server. Activate the plugin by clicking “Plugins”, select the plugin and then “activate”. Now you should see a link in your Dashboard that says “Upgrade”. Deactivate all your plugins except Instant Upgrade Plugin . Click “Upgrade”. Re-activate all plugins and you’re done.

If you have a problem, then it could be that one of your plugins is not yet compatible with WordPress 2.7. Check here for compatiblity. You can also try to narrow it down by de-activating and re-activating plugins one by one. If you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

There is another option and it is a complete manual upgrade. You should not have to do this if you follow one of the 2 methods above without a problem.

Good luck!

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The best advice I can give to anyone starting out using WordPress is to just spend some time in the Dashboard area. I mean really take your time and click things. Don’t worry about whether you are going to mess up, because you can’t really, and even if something does go wrong, it can be fixed. Near the top right of your screen in the Dashboard, there is a help button you can use anytime you need to. And there are so many people in the WordPress community who are willing to help.

And then there’s me I love WordPress. I make a living from my blogs like many others do, so I learned everything I could about WordPress. Oh, I’m sure I can still learn new things. I’m not a know-it-all, but I do catch on really quickly. And when I do, I gladly pass on the little nuggets of info to you, my valued readers.

I found a neat video on WordPress 2.7 that caught my eye, so I thought I would share it with you. Enjoy!

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