Purple Pen Productions » Events http://purplepen.com Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:42:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Introduction to CSS: Learn to modify your WordPress theme’s CSS http://purplepen.com/events/introduction-to-css-learn-to-modify-your-wordpress-themes-css http://purplepen.com/events/introduction-to-css-learn-to-modify-your-wordpress-themes-css#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:41:26 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=283 It seems simple enough – install WordPress, install a theme and you’re good to go – instant web site. But wait…you don’t really like the color of that box over there and the text size of the headings is way too big – and you’d really like them to be blue. How do you fix it?

So few themes offer easy-to-use theme options and even themes like Thesis only give you limited options for many parts of the theme – to truly customize your theme, you’ve got to dig into CSS … Ack! It’s code! It’s scary! And intimidating!

In this workshop, I’ll teach you the basics of CSS, how to modify your theme’s CSS, and how to figure out which lines of CSS need to be updated. I’ll show you which things can be updated safely without breaking your theme, and which things require the attention of an expert to make sure they still work in all browsers.

By the end of the evening, you should be able to make simple theme customizations with confidence.

We’ll also be giving away two copies of WordPress Theme Design from Packt Publishing.

Please note that there are intermittent issues with the wifi at this venue, so come prepared. Please have Firefox installed, with the Web Developer Toolbar and Firebug add-ons before you arrive. If you need help with this, please email me at natalie@purplepen.com. I’ll bring sample files on USB drives for you to practice on if you can’t get online.

Please also have a simple text editor installed – I recommend Notepad++ for Windows users and TextWrangler for Mac users – both are free.

If you previously paid for the CSS workshop that was postponed and have a credit to be applied, please drop me a line and let me know when you RSVP. If you are paying cash the evening of the event, exact change is MUCH appreciated.

I know that we all have emergencies and last minute issues, but please honor your RSVP and let me know if you have reserved a seat for yourself and cannot make it.

RSVP to save your seat:
http://www.meetup.com

Download the files: CSSWorkshop

 

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/introduction-to-css-learn-to-modify-your-wordpress-themes-css/feed 1 WordPress Workshop: Simple CSS Theme Adjustments and WordPress 3.0 http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-simple-css-theme-adjustments-and-wordpress-3-0 http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-simple-css-theme-adjustments-and-wordpress-3-0#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:13:18 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=234 WordPress 3.0 is expected to be released to the public in the next 4-8 weeks. We’ll quickly go over some of the new features so that we’re all ready to upgrade – it’s looking really great, and there are some wonderful features that make WordPress even more flexible and extendable than ever.

Then we’ll dive into the main feature for the evening: CSS.

We’ll cover a few CSS basics so that everyone understands the syntax and basic rules, then we’ll learn how to make simple adjustments to our themes, and how to add a new class that can be used inside posts and pages.

We’ll have free WordPress swag provided by Automattic, some book giveaways from our sponsor, Packt Publishing, and free food and drinks from our sponsor, Purple Pen Productions.

We are introducing a small fee to attend the meetup, and the reason for this is twofold. One, it will help to defray the costs of venue rental, food and drink, and two, it will help reduce the number no-shows from our members who RSVP to attend. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Reserve your seat

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-simple-css-theme-adjustments-and-wordpress-3-0/feed 0 SXSWi Review http://purplepen.com/events/sxswi-review-2 http://purplepen.com/events/sxswi-review-2#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:45:58 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=211 We’ll have the members who attended SXSW talk about who they met and what they learned at one of the largest interactive conferences around.

More details coming soon…

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/sxswi-review-2/feed 0 Mini WordPress Meetup at SXSWi http://purplepen.com/events/mini-wordpress-meetup-at-sxswi http://purplepen.com/events/mini-wordpress-meetup-at-sxswi#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 05:36:25 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=198 Find some friendly faces in the crowd and enjoy some yummy food and a Shiner Bock.

It’s impossible to find a time that doesn’t conflict with some other SXSW event – but Saturday night seems like a pretty light night for events – there’s a couple of big events later that night but we’ll be done with dinner in plenty of time!

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/mini-wordpress-meetup-at-sxswi/feed 0 WordPress Workshop: Templates and Template Tags Demystified http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-templates-and-template-tags-demystified http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-templates-and-template-tags-demystified#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:28:13 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=179 The Southern California Meetup Group announces our February meetup:

Templates and Template Tags Demystified: A WordPress Workshop
presented by Austin Passey

Austin Passy is a freelance web designer and WordPress developer. You can find his work at Frosty Web Designs, and follow him on Twitter.

This workshop is open to all, but is particularly intended for our web developer members who are learning to develop custom WordPress themes or who are interested in customizing prebuilt themes. Thorough knowledge of HTML and CSS are required for creating custom themes, but if you just know a little you might pick up a few tidbits for tweaking a theme.

Our sponsor, Packt Publishing, has also provided us with a copy of WordPress Theme Design that we’ll be raffling off during the meetup. Automattic (the company behind WordPress) has also provided us with WordPress swag – pencils, buttons, stickers and tattoos.

Purple Pen Productions, our group’s sponsor, will be providing light refreshments. Please note any special restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, allergies, etc) when you RSVP.

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-workshop-templates-and-template-tags-demystified/feed 0 HTML for Bloggers and Content Managers http://purplepen.com/events/html-for-bloggers-and-content-managers http://purplepen.com/events/html-for-bloggers-and-content-managers#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:08:01 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=38 If you’ve ever had a mysterious problem with the formatting of a WordPress post or were unable to update a complex page in your CMS because you didn’t understand the HTML used to markup the page, then this workshop will be a big help. We’ll go over the basics of HTML including:

  • What HTML is and where it came from
  • The correct syntax for writing HTML
  • How to add special characters
  • Structure of an HTML document
  • Validating the code you’ve written
  • Introduction to web standards

After this workshop you’ll be able to understand basic HTML documents and edit and troubleshoot without fear.

This is a hands-on workshop, so feel free to bring a laptop or netbook to follow along as we create and validate a basic HTML document. A computer is not a requirement – just helpful to have.

Light refreshments will be served.

To reserve your spot, you may RSVP through Upcoming or Meetup.

Workshop Resources:

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/html-for-bloggers-and-content-managers/feed 0 WordPress Holiday Meetup http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-holiday-meetup http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-holiday-meetup#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:50:21 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=74 Join us for a relaxing evening of WordPress chitchat and delicious food. Bring your business cards, ideas, and questions to talk over with the group. We’ve got people at all levels with WordPress, so you’re sure to find someone to help you get unstuck or to point you in the right direction to realize your idea, or just someone who understands the blogging life to talk to!

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-holiday-meetup/feed 0 WordPress for Business http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-for-business http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-for-business#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:46:14 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=67 Lucy Beer of WebTrainingWheels is an online marketing professional of 8 years. She has a background in constructing and executing online marketing campaigns for small business, entertainment and art clients.

She loves to share her knowledge with small businesses, entrepreneurs & non-profits so that they can take a hands-on approach to their own online marketing efforts. Online strategy sometimes gets left in the cold due to lack of knowledge, technical expertise or confidence. Lucy aims to remedy this through one-on-one or small group coaching to help businesses build a solid online foundation for their marketing.

Our WordPress Meetup sponsor, Packt Publishing, has also provided us with a copy of WordPress for Business Bloggers that we’ll be raffling off during the meetup. Automattic (the company behind WordPress) has also provided us with WordPress swag – pencils, buttons, stickers and tattoos.

Purple Pen Productions will be providing dinner.

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/wordpress-for-business/feed 0 WordCamp LA Lunch Break http://purplepen.com/events/wordcamp-la-lunch-break http://purplepen.com/events/wordcamp-la-lunch-break#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:37:56 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=61 I know that many of us are attending WordCamp LA this weekend at Loyola Marymount University. It’s not too late to sign up if you haven’t yet at http://wordcamp.la.

Lunch break is 12:00-1:30. Anyone interested can join me for an informal gathering over lunch, maybe get help with some WP questions, help upgrading, adding a new feature, or just talking about the panels we’ve seen already that morning.

Thanks to Lucy for the great suggestion – I’ll see you guys Saturday!

]]> http://purplepen.com/events/wordcamp-la-lunch-break/feed 0 Help! I need a website! http://purplepen.com/events/help-i-need-a-website http://purplepen.com/events/help-i-need-a-website#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:04:56 +0000 Natalie MacLees http://purplepen.com/?p=28 Where do you turn when you need a web site for your business? What should you expect? And maybe most importantly, how much will it cost?

In this free workshop sponsored by Purple Pen Productions, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the web design process. We’ll answer the following questions:

  • How much will it cost?
  • Can I build it myself?
  • Where do I find someone to build my web site?
  • What do I need to know before I get started?
  • What will be my role in the process?
  • What should I expect to see in the contract?
  • How do I promote my site?
  • Should I hire a search engine optimization company?
  • and more!

Whether you already have a web site and need some help maintaining it or if you need a web site, this workshop will offer lots of helpful tips and guidance to get you on the path to a successful, easy-to-use web site that will impress your customers and boost your business.

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