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twenty. four. (and friend friday)

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Another year.  I first wore this dress one year ago.  Not much has changed except the hair and accessories.  I’m headed out of New York for a thoroughly boring weekend in the country… but if left to my own devices in New York I will go shopping.  And it will be bad (Bergdorf Goodman and Lanvin kind of bad, most likely).

This is what I wore to the bridal shower last Sunday, for the second of my friends in my immediate age group to marry.  I’ve been getting to wear my favorite shoes again now that the weather is turning– nude patent just doesn’t seem to work during Northeast winters.  And this week’s FBFF is about shoes!  A topic I’m sure is very near and dear to many of our hearts.

1. What is your go-to pair of shoes?
My nude patent leather platforms from Sofft.  I think I’ve worn them about 200 times in the past year.  Okay maybe not that many, but I wore them practically every day from April – October.  I’m considering buying this season’s updated model with a peep toe.
I don’t tend to spend a large proportion of my wardrobe money on shoes because more expensive shoes tend to be narrow and I just can’t wear them.  I was fortunate to go to a Manolo Blahnik sample sale a few years ago but I couldn’t get my feet into any of the shoes!

I apparently missed the memo about bright shoes for the bridal shower…

2. What goes into your shoe buying decisions?
Quality, price, and the balance.  I can’t wear any shoes that make you feel like you’re leaning forward, it’s just too uncomfortable for me.  My feet are a Disaster-with-a-capital-D from ballet and I have a very unstable left knee.  I’ve learned to spend a little bit more for quality shoes and it definitely helps me out.

3. The majority of the shoes in your closet are what color?
Black.  I even have a ton of black sandals, I guess it’s just a thing?

4. When it comes to design shoes what are your favorite brands and why?
I like Frye, which is pretty much the only brand I’ve stayed with from high school on.  They’re (generally) comfortable and well made.  Cole Haan has decent comfort as well, but I have the hardest time tracking down shoes in wide widths, even at the stores.  I like Sofft for casual, comfortable shoes and Ferragamo for classic shapes.  Dream shoe wardrobe-wise, I would want them all to be Cole Haan, Stuart Weitzman, and Salvatore Ferragamo (all make shoes in wide widths).

5. If price wasn’t an issue, you’d own which shoe?
Yves Saint Laurent Tribute Sandals or custom Sergio Rossi.  I was incredibly tempted by YSL platforms last year (not these Tribute sandals but similar) but the price of YSL shoes is kind of killer at $700+.  Maybe someday.  I’ll have to start filling a very large jar up with spare change for shoes…

Interested in joining FBFF by ModlyChic?

Email katy_rose1@yahoo.com or join the FBFF Google Group!

Brights and Neutrals + FBFF First Questions

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Have to be honest, this is not one of my favorite outfits.  You ever have a day when you just feel uncomfortable with what you’re wearing?  I felt really conspicuous the entire day.  It’s because I don’t think the skirt is neutral (light) enough to go with the punchy red shirt.  I felt kind of garish or something.

This scarf is a recent addition.  It’s Oscar de la Renta via Etsy, and yes, scarves totally have something to do with Pay It Forward.  I actually have one more spot available for that, email me if you’d like the last thing handmade by me (but you also have to pay it forward to five people on your blog).

The questions this week are the original ones that FBFF launched with.  I wasn’t part of FBFF at its beginning so they’re new to me!

1. Which celebrity (celebrities) do you look to for fashion inspiration?
Does Carolina Engman count?  She’s totally a blogging celebrity, right?  Lately she’s inspired me to shop for neon colors when so many of the stores in the U.S. are showing very oatmeal neutrals.  And Rumi Neely, although I wouldn’t necessarily wear the same things she does.

2. When it comes to your own personal style, what inspires you?
My fellow style bloggers inspire me much more than celebrities or blogging celebrities, actually.  Most of us don’t get gifted things all the time or attend Fashion Week.  I like to see everyday fashion more than anything else.  However, runway trends do inspire me (hello, neon and bright colors).

Anna Betty Caitlin Garance Hanh Jane Jessica Katy Kendi Lydia Shenneth Stephanie Terra Yeri


3. How do you hope to inspire your readers?
It’s nice that I sometimes inspire my readers but I don’t think it’s really necessary to inspire other people with my blog.  I just hope they like what I’m doing.  I think among style bloggers it’s often the case that we appreciate each others’ personal styles even if they aren’t our own.  Essentially we just want to see what we’re all wearing.

4. Outside the realm of fashion who/what inspires you?
The weather.  No, seriously.  Whenever it rains I want to wear neon in protest.  Also photography, especially nature and wildlife.  Almost every day I go around and take photos constantly with my iPhone or Fred or my old Sony, whatever I have.  And I don’t know if they’re for inspiration or if the photographer in me just sees beauty everywhere.  Usually I just forget about them until I’m browsing the camera roll on the train or something.  All the photos in this post are iPhone photos taken in the past few months (bonus points if you can figure out exact locations).

5. And since Idol is ending… Which songs inspire you?
…I have no idea what’s going on with American Idol right now, I totally haven’t watched that since Kelly Clarkson.  Right now Queen, Adele, Lissie, and Florence And The Machine feature heavily on my playlist.  Along with some Stevie Wonder, Soft Cell, Steely Dan, and Gin Blossoms sprinkled in.

Interested in joining FBFF by ModlyChic?
Email katy_rose1@yahoo.com or join the FBFF Google Group!


FBFF: Anxiously Awaiting

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Open-ended FBFF this week!  You’re supposed to give the top five spring trends you’re looking forward to seeing/sporting.  And let me tell you, I am looking forward to spring! 

1.  I would really really like some 70s-inspired footwear.  Yes, even clogs are in the running.  I’ve been eyeing swedish hasbeens since I first heard about them… last year?  But I think $200+ is too much to spend on a trend that might fizzle out after fall.

I might be ordering these Payless shoes instead although I know it’s probably a bad idea.  Problem feet + knee injury = I should probably be looking into comfort brands.  I’m not really ready to give up my fashion shoes though, it’s something I’m trying to work on. 

2.  I think it’s actually bigger in the F/W 2011 collections, but I just want some bright colors.  To pair with a few neutrals (beige, I’m looking at you) this spring and with more brights for fall!

I’m pretty much dying for this dress.  It’s not really something I’d typically go for, but I saw it in… Bloomingdales? and that was pretty much the end.  I’ll be looking for it to go on sale for the rest of time.
3.  Wide-brimmed floppy hats (thank you Marc Jacobs)!  I have a black straw one but am looking for one with a bit more punch.  My favorite S/S 2011 collection was Marc Jacobs.

4.  I’ve never been able to find a pair that looks good on me, but wide-leg jeans!  I’ll admire from afar: Lydia, Caitlin.

5.  It’s not a trend, but bare legs.  I just really want to go out without tights on soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interested in joining FBFF by ModlyChic?

Email katy_rose1@yahoo.com or join the FBFF Google Group!

Happy weekend, everyone!  Maybe it will be warm enough to bring out the pink trench for real!

FBFF: Tools of the Trade

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Guess what?  This week I get to share the technical side of what I use to produce this blog!

1. What technology do you use in blogging? I keep it as simple as possible.  I don’t even use a lens filter or hood.  I have a filter but I pretty much belong to the school that believes a lens filter is an extra piece of glass between camera and subject, and more glass leads to more distortion, which results in less sharp images.

  • camera:  Canon Rebel T1i, 35mm ƒ/2 lens.  I have a 50mm ƒ/1.8 but that’s not as practical for me (although it does take fantastic photos) and the kit standard zoom lens, too. But both my prime lenses are leaps and bounds above the zoom.
Yes, I’ve got freckles! Who knew?

  • tripod:  SLIK or Neewer, the Neewer is taller but less stable
  • remote:  Canon RC-6

2. What computer and online technology do you use?

  • CMS: WordPress hosted with BlueHost.com

  • photo storage:  my hard drive and my trusty old external which is a Seagate 500 MB.  I also have a Flickr pro that I upload a lot of my photos to.
  • photo editing:  Aperture 3 on a late 2009 MacBook Pro.  However I use GIMP for all my blog graphics like the header and background.  GIMP can be kind of unwieldy but for a free app it’s extremely powerful and a damn good alternative to Photoshop CS5.  I tortured myself earlier this week by checking the price at Staples– yeah, still $699.

I’ve also used Poladroid to make some photos into Polaroids.  I’ve tried Picasa too and think it’s a good program, but just started with iPhoto and decided to run with Aperture.  I’ve used Lightroom 2 as well but I really just think Aperture runs more smoothly on a Mac.

3. What is your process for taking pictures? I have a very structured system, actually, which surprises a lot of people.  It goes something like this: (1) run around like crazy looking for lipstick/gloss/stain/cream blush in a pinch, (2) attach camera to tripod while indoors, (3) carry camera + tripod + remote outside, (4) asses available light and background obstructions, then choose location, (5) set down tripod, make necessary adjustments, (6) run in front of camera, point remote, and snap snap snap, (7) breathe, check photos on camera LCD.  Repeat 4-7 as necessary if background and/or photos are deemed insufficient.

4. When it comes to backdrops for your photos what do you consider? Available.  Light.  I also like many small sources of light for bokeh if possible.  And I like to blow out the background if I can and leave the subject really defined.  Light is the most important for me though, followed by a background that’s not too busy.  I tend to like trees and fences.  Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily? I tend to shoot in similar spots, I have about seven different ones that I usually rotate depending on the time of day and the weather.

I wish I had some tall city buildings or plains/forests/mountains/beaches but unfortunately I’d have go kind of far for them.  I’ve always wanted to shoot in a local cemetery that dates to the Revolution, however it’s surrounded by a high traffic area and also I really wouldn’t want to disturb anyone paying respects to family or friends buried there.

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment what would you be buying? A good zoom lens, 70-200mm or something like that.  They’re $2000+ unfortunately, so maybe someday?  I could probably justify it if I decided to do photos on the side but that’s a very long time coming.

Interested in joining FBFF by ModlyChic?

Email katy_rose1@yahoo.com or join the FBFF Google Group!

FBFF: The Creative Process of Dressing for the Day

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Sneak peek!  FBFF is going up an hour early on the new blog!

For the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions this week, Katy reflected on outfit planning:

I was reading a couple blogs the other day that mentioned pre-planning outfits for the whole week or spending hours in the closet trying things on to find new outfits to wear. So then I wondered… how many fashion bloggers do this? How much of it is just random selection and how much of what we see is pre-determined?

For me, I think it’s a bit of both.

1. How do you determine what you will wear that day? Sometimes at night I might pull a few things from my closet for the next day.  I might end up with an entire look or I might not pull it together until the next day.  What I get together is definitely directly related to how inspired/creative/overly caffeinated I am at that point in time. A lot of bloggers start with one piece and build around it, but I only occasionally pull things together like that.  I’m more of a general concept dresser— I start with an idea or a bit of a theme like edgy, romantic, bohemian…

2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month, weekend? Yikes, definitely not, I’m not that careful or organized!  The only time I plan is when I’m packing for a trip, especially an extended one.  When I do put things together for packing I take photos with my iPhone.  I really need a valet bar because I hang things up on the doors of my wardrobe.  It’s usually impossible to close!

(Look familiar?  L to R: wardrobe door/valet bar look for Toronto, love but didn’t buy, polka dots)

3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already worn so you don’t repeat? I can usually remember exactly when I’ve last worn something, I’m one of those people that connects clothing with events so outfits usually write themselves into my memory.  And, of course, I have photos with metadata and tags on blog posts to help me out!  Flickr too!

4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet?  (Trial try-ons?  Hanging items together?) I almost always discover some new way of wearing something at midnight when I’m heavily caffeinated and extremely underslept.  That late at night I’m looking for something to wear the next day and probably feeling like I can’t do anything new… and then I just pick up something random and it begins to come together :)  Of course, nothing beats trying things on, sometimes things you think will look great actually look… ridiculous.  That happens to me a lot.

(Potential outfits I liked but didn’t wear. Will be photographed (with some tweaks) in the future.)

5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time? I really need to take the pile (it’s a small mountain, really) of things that are supposed to be altered to the tailor.  So I don’t keep picking things out of if, become dissatisfied with the fit, and them promptly throw them down again :)

Lately I’ve also been snapping photos of things I like the idea of, might want to buy, or just for general inspiration. I keep them on my phone but I’m thinking about loading them to Flickr and using tags to keep them organized and easy to access!  Then I can share them more easily too!

(Anthropologie Toronto display, J.Crew catalogue girls glitter oxfords, J.Crew SoHo display)

Interested in joining FBFF by ModlyChic?

Email katy_rose1@yahoo.com or join the FBFF Google Group!

I’ll Be There With Bells On (Literally)

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Fashion Beauty Friend Friday by ModlyChic this week is about holiday party attire!  I bought two sweaters and a dress this month.  The dress is a present to myself, and I’ll probably wear it Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  I might even wrap it for myself to open too, I’m silly like that!  
 
1. Which holiday party are you looking forward to attending this year?  The best party every year for me is also the smallest and probably the most casual.  I know, a bit shocking.  I am really looking forward to the Secret Santa party my friends from high school have every year.  I think we’ve been having it since sometime during middle school!  It’s always girls only but this year we’re doing something different and having an actual dinner (pot-luck style, and I’m looking for a wheat-free, vegetarian, lactose-free recipe— if you have any of those let me know).  I guess now that we’re into our twenties some crazy people go to sleep and get up for work the next day.  Personally I’d just skip the sleep, but I’m a half-crazed insomniac all the time.  

2. What is your go-to holiday party outfit?  I actually… don’t have one.  What usually happens is that I try to plan something but it doesn’t work and I end up switching a lot of it last minute!  I think I was actually better at holiday dressing when I was under the age of five… 
 
I tend to wear pajamas dresses festive seasonal attire as I check out the latest technological gadgets… 

 

and almost always black…

 
 
and red!  Especially red accessories! 


3. Do you go dressed in something that would be impractical to wear at any other time of the year?  Do I ever dress practically?  :)  I don’t wear Christmas sweaters, although I had and loved bell earrings when I was younger.  I don’t know what happened to them now, I should definitely comb through my jewelry boxes!  

This is what I wore on Christmas Eve last year: 

Rodarte for Target before I was seriously taking photos of myself.  It’s not impractical, but honestly it’s a bit boring.  Although it could have just been me, I was majorly ill last year :(

4. If you are going to a house-party what gift will you bring to the host/hostess?  Alcohol.  Santa Margherita, Bombay Sapphire, or something else like that.  And gifts for the children (if there are any).  Maybe local gourmet chocolates or candies, but definitely nothing more if it’s catered or a dinner party.  

(a Merry Christmoose mimosa from last year)

5. If you could buy only one trendy piece to update your holiday party wardrobe, what would you get this year?  I am really tempted to buy this J.Crew belt, it’s on extreme sale right now.  I know, it’s totally insane but I feel like it would actually be versatile.  Wear with a dress, a tee, over a jacket…  it could totally transform an outfit!  

I desperately wanted a silver snakeskin Katherine Kwei bag too, it’s much too expensive now though.  I really regret not getting it but I have to give other people presents, not just myself! 

Friend Friday: Connections

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Fashion/Beauty Friend Friday this week is about connecting with readers, a subject that is near and dear to my heart (if only in my mind, since my face to face non-blogger friends are like whaaat?).  If you are reading this you are probably also a blogger and part of a group of people that I consider my blogger friends.  I might even talk about you like I see you all the time (if you’re a fashion blogger then I actually do— in photos!) to someone I see face to face.  And I adore you all.  And I’m so glad I know you (if only through the blogosphere).  And now you are going to potentially unfollow because I’ve just revealed to you what a serious creeper I am.  Okay, end confession.  Alex is a super creeper.  Let’s move on to the Friend Friday five!  

 Hi blogger friends!

1. How important do you think reader connectedness is to the success of your blog?  
There are tons of successful blogs that aren’t super connected and I don’t think it’s absolutely essential (at least 90% off all readers are lurkers anyway, aren’t they?), but I love love love being connected!  At least, I hope I’m connected?  Or at least accessible.  When someone leaves me a comment or a message or a tweet it’s nice because then I think that I’m not just here yelling (okay typing) to myself.  

2. What do you do to draw readers in and create that writer-reader bond?
I actually don’t purposefully try to draw readers in.  In fact I probably drive them away with my creepiness hahaha :)  I am always focused on my writing, however.  I’ve been developing it for at least half my life and I’m always trying to improve.  

Truthfully I’m continually second-guessing, and probably third- and fourth- and fifth-guessing my writing.  Welcome to the mind of someone who majored in politics!  Correctness, “rightness”, fact-checking, making sure that your writing is tight and there isn’t any wiggle room for your words to be misconstrued… all very important for that major.  So if I ever sound like a press secretary or political debater… well I hope I don’t but if sometimes I sound weird now you know why!  

And I never know if I’m being too personal or not personal enough. Or how much to reveal, what to reveal, if I should even reveal anything at all?  Do I have strong voice?  Do I even have any voice?  These are things I’m always pondering when writing for the blog.  

3. What is one way you could improve this connection?
Respond.  To.  Comments.  In.  A.  Timely.  Manner.  Seriously.  I am so so so so so bad at this.  I really need to set up an email system with the comments or something.  I tend to occasionally lose track of them and respond to one like four days later…  I mean, it totally couldn’t have anything to do with the disgusting amount of email I get from fashion retailers, could it?  :)  

4. Is there a blogger you think does a great job creating that writer- reader bond? Why?
I think Terra, also known as Stylish White Female, does a really great job.  I enjoy reading about her adventures in PGH!  And she always replies to comments.  Her book recommendations are great too, and I appreciate her writing skills— girl has such strong voice!  

5. What do you do to cultivate new readers? How do you get them to your site in the first place?
I don’t actively look for them.  I’ve found new blogs to follow and gained a few new readers from wardrobe_remix on flickr but that’s more about sharing your style and seeing what other real people (no professional shoots or shots) are wearing.  At least to me.  I’ve definitely said before that a huge amount of people find me through twitter, and I do always post my posts to my personal twitter account.  And actually, anything you really want to know about me can be found by stalking my twitter and maybe some strategic stalking of my friends’ twitters!  So if you’re curious follow away! 

Friend Friday: Blog Time Management

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This week’s Fashion Beauty Friend Friday prompt is about blogging stress, time management, burnout…  and I’ve definitely been feeling it lately.  

1. How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number changed since you started blogging? 

I’m not sure, but lately I’ve been thinking about tracking it somehow.  Is there an iPhone app for that?  What?  I might have to write it down on paper?  Ehhh… It probably doesn’t help that I write content/edit photos/eat/reply to emails/type away like mad on gchat/watch Boardwalk Empire/Criminal Minds/Burn Notice all at the same time.  No idea how I’m supposed to get an accurate number from that.  

Also, I have a lot of free time.  It doesn’t matter for me too much if I spend like 30 hours/week blogging.  Which I don’t, but I certainly spend that much time with my computer.  Which I love, in case you hadn’t already figured it out (see #5).  

2. There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on… how do you limit your time spent on these tasks? 

I try to sort blogs by content type on bloglovin’ — personal style, street style, runway, ummm some other category I forget.  I never comment on blogs like The Sartorialist and Jak & Jill so if I’m looking for some inspiration and short on time I sort through those.  I also limit myself to reading a small number of blogs, and I’m more likely to follow smaller personal style bloggers although I do still freaking love Fashion Toast and What I Wore, been following them forever!  (Yeah, I know, Rumi and Jessica, could I have picked two more different bloggers to adore?)  I also generally limit myself to catching up on blogs and replying to comments on weekends.  And sometimes I just go off and play Wii by myself for hours for a distraction from the distractions.  

3. Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with that? 

Ugh, yes.  I just feel so uninspired sometimes.  And that I’ve worn everything before.  Which at this point I think I actually have… Also, this week, for example, I’ve barely posted because I went… four days? without taking a new photo (okay, lies, I didn’t photograph Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday but before that was Thanksgiving and I barely took any photos then).  And I posted three looks this week (although I only planned on two) so that doesn’t count as barely posting.  

I’m usually behind on when I actually get my photos to the blog.  I sort of have designated blogging times… in general I only create content after 6 or 8 pm, depends on yoga which is not negotiable unless I’m suffering particularly horribly from my injuries.  I try to keep myself on a sort-of schedule too, I almost always post on Mondays and Tuesdays, but rarely on Wednesdays and very rarely on Fridays, although now that I have FBFF I always post written content but hardly ever photos.  It also depends on my week, I’ve never revealed this before but sometimes I do all the posts for the whole week on Monday or Wednesday and queue them for different days. 

4. This time of the year is always a lot busier than any other time.  Will your blogging change as a result? 

Not sure.  My holidays are generally not that busy, actually.  Most of my family doesn’t much care about me and lives far away, and my more immediate family tends to travel the entirety of December (usually I travel in late December/early January).  But other times during the year when I’m busy it’s just likely that I won’t post.  I’d rather keep to my loose schedule but I don’t have panic attacks when I deviate.  And I do use the queue.  

5. Could you forsee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore?  How would you you identify that it’s time to walk away? 

I’m not sure… that it will ever come.  It’s likely that I would end up with a serious slowdown of posts but probably I wouldn’t stop completely.  Ever.  I love technology, computer and web in particular.  I’m a very connected type of person, I’m always going to adore my computer and camera and phone so I can’t really see a time I would give up regular use of my computer.  My friends from college are scattered around the U.S. (and the world for that matter) and my friends from study abroad… even more scattered :)  And I like to stay connected to them because I know for sure that there are some I will never again see in person, that’s how far away we are.  I think as long as I have my computer I’ll be blogging in some way, even if I’m not always taking photos of myself.  I have a separate blog for photos that are not of me.  

Friend Friday: Copycat!

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The prompt from ModlyChic:

This past week I encountered the topic of blogger copying twice. The first time was as I scrolled through the numerous bloggers doing the 30 for 30 challenge. I realized that after one person poses with an umbrella dozens others will. Or as Kendi poses in a parking garage suddenly 20 other bloggers appear in a parking garage. And then I was talking with Kinsey about some of favorite blogs and she mentioned seeing a blogger post a DIY recipe and two weeks later another blogger posted a very similar DIY recipe complete with the same wrappings. That got me thinking… how much of blogging is coming up with your own content and how much is mirroring what we see others doing? 

1. What are the ‘unwritten rules’ about copying content that we bloggers should all abide by?

I think you should just always be sure to give credit and link back to the person’s blog!  I did exactly this in what I pretty much consider my first real style blog post: I bought burgundy tights because I was inspired by a post on What I Wore where Jessica wore a white dress and burgundy/red? tights (hers are definitely redder than mine and P.S. that’s still one of my favorite blogger photos ever).  

If I one day decided to go to one of the dirty and dark (and full of cars that might run you over) parking garages that are around here then I would definitely note in the post that I was inspired by Kendi Everyday.  But I’m not likely to do that.  Getting run over = bad.  And Kendi’s parking garage looks really nice and beautifully lit.  Parking garages around here are just don’t look like that.  I pose with an umbrella all the time too but only when it’s raining/snowing.  And I actually like to see recipes on blogs (I follow a log of food blogs) but I wouldn’t post one myself

2. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But when it a post imitation and when is it copying?  

I think it’s fine to take inspiration from someone else, especially another blogger because fashion editor and magazine looks are not always accessible to all of us.  Taking a color combination or silhouette after you see someone else do it is perfectly fine but I would also link back to the blog/photo/whatever as well.  But it’s definitely copying if your outfits just look a little too similar though, you know?  I would definitely change it up with different colors, patterns, or shapes.  

3. Taking another blogger’s idea (perhaps for an outfit, or DIY tutorial) is pretty common in the blogging world. Do you think it is necessary to credit the original source?  

If I did a DIY from another tutorial I would definitely tell everyone that I did the DIY from _____’s blog, and this is how it turned out!  But I personally wouldn’t include a tutorial because I’m far too lazy/impatient to take all those photos. 

If I am inspired by one of my blogger friends I definitely credit and link to her blog, even if I was inspired by a color combination.  After two blogs I follow wrote about wearing faux fur in their posts I decided to examine my feelings about fur ( I wear it) and linked back to both blogs and posts.  I also told everyone those posts were why I decided to write about fut.  

4. How have you improved your blog by comparing it to other bloggers? Have you made changes due to something you have seen others doing? 

I decided to start taking some closer-up and detail photos (although I often still forget) because many bloggers do and when was posting regularly on chictopia I got a lot of feedback like “I can’t see your necklace/bracelet/shoes/whatever as well as I want to, can you take a closer picture”.  I also made a facebook page for the blog because most people seem to have them.  And I added AddThis to the blog, that’s pretty much standard on every blog hosted on Blogger and WordPress but not on Tumblr.  

5. Have you ever had one of your posts copied by another blogger or publication? How did you handle the situation?  

No, I’ve never had anything copied (at least not that I’m aware of) so I’m not sure what I would do if that happened to me!  

Friend Friday: Self-Promotion (Or the Lack of It)

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I just realized I completely forgot to join the Google Group last week, I probably had four million windows open as usual and I was so caught up with the cool topic that I actually read about that I just… oops… totally forgot.  Way to go, self.  Anyway, this week’s Friend Friday from ModlyChic:  

1. How do you promote your blog? 

I don’t.  Okay, that is a lie.  I really just started getting a little more serious with it this week, i.e. I made a facebook page for it, but it’s not quite up and running yet.  And I’m not really sure what to put there, but I suppose I’ll learn!  

I’ve always linked my chictopia and wardrobe photos to my blog but really none of my traffic ever came from those sites, the majority actually comes in from twitter (if you don’t count tumblr).  I don’t have a lot of followers but I like to think that I sort of (a little bit) know almost all of them personally, especially through their blogs.  I even refer to them as my “blogger friends” (is that creepy?) in conversation with my real life friends (or would face-to-face friends be better?  blogger friends are real too!).  And I really like knowing them… and being inspired by them… and linking to their posts… and discovering new blogger friends because of them… and countless other things.  

Participating in Friend Friday!  A few people visited my blog from ModlyChic, which I was totally not expecting but is really nice.  And I found some great blogs to follow from the Friend Friday posts too!  

2. In your experience what has been the most effective form of self promotion? 

I just mentioned this in the previous question, and oddly — at least to me, I totally wasn’t expecting it — twitter.  I never really expected that, but when I started using Google Analytics in… July?  Maybe August?  I noticed that a whole lot of people were getting to my blog through my twitter account.  I had locked my twitter account at one point because weird people were starting to creep me out a little bit, but I’ve since unlocked it again.  I love connecting to other bloggers on twitter too, if you haven’t heard, Stylish White Female and I have a support group for people not participating in 30 for 30.  Which probably doesn’t apply to anyone but us (EDIT: Re-Mix-Her is in for the support group!).  And A Hat and White Gloves and I share a love of Tim Tams, I wouldn’t have ever known that if not for twitter!  

3. Do you think there is a wrong way to promote yourself and your blog? 

I don’t mind the “maybe we can follow each other?” messages at all, I’ve had a few of those through ifb and came across some blogs I love and otherwise wouldn’t have known about because of them!  But sending mass messages just asking people to follow your blog strikes me as sort of… poor form.  

This doesn’t really have anything to do with the question (it sort of goes with promotion though) but I love it when bloggers I follow post some of their favorite blogs to read!  Kendi Everyday?  No idea who she was until What I Wore listed her as a favorite read.  

4. When is comes to others pushing their product what annoys you? 

I don’t like it when bloggers collaborate with retailers that they definitely wouldn’t have anything to do with/wouldn’t buy or wear if not for the advertising opportunity.  Like if Coach approached me tomorrow (they wouldn’t) for a collaboration or to send me something free or whatever, I wouldn’t hesitate at all to say yes, but that’s because I own at least three Coach handbags, countless scarves, wristlets, and other things.  And a pink trench coat.  My mother carried Coach bags, my grandmother carried Coach bags, and I have hand-me-downs and vintage Coach things from them.  But if… umm… Pink Victoria’s Secret did the same thing I would definitely have to think about it.  

5. In Dressful’s post on this topic earlier in the week she said, “It’s impossible to respect someone who wants all the attention, but adds nothing worthwhile to the conversation.” Do you agree?

Yes, definitely.