Spring Cleaning: Blog Improvement
Since I moved to the new blog in January, I have had more that I want to do to it than I have time and mostly skill to do. Lots of you have pitched in with helpful suggestions, some I have even gotten around to implementing.
I had already planned to attempt some blog housekeeping over the next couple of weeks when I saw this at Frugal Upstate:
“I was thinking that I would declare April to be “Amateur Improve Your Blog Month”.
My theory was to set goals for each week, something like week one: change your template, week two: declutter and organize your sidebar etc etc etc.
Folks could take screenshots of their blogs before they started work, post an update for each week’s project (although not everyone might participate in each week-maybe you are happy with your template or maybe your sidebars are already perfect) and then at the end of the month (or maybe at the beginning and at the end) I’d set up a Mr. Linky and anyone who had participated could do a “Before and After” post.
Finally we could ask the Blogosphere to vote!”
First of all, what is a “screenshot”? Secondly, count me in, although I’m not certain just how organized the projects over here will be. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, who can tell me how to get the related entries plugin? And get it to work.
Finally, tell me, do you like the new guy? He comes to me by kind permission of Beadinpath.com, via recommendation of Blest with sons. So, if you do like him, where do you think he belongs?
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Lifestyle Segmentation Q&A
Sorry I have been rather quiet lately. We were crazy busy with the show and etc.; then, as is typical when busy and around alot of people, I picked up the plague. Now, back to the conversation.
These questions come from Jennifer via this recent post:
“Would you classify your church attire as casual, business or social?”
My answer: Because I like church to be different from everyday, I mostly use my business or social clothing. Casual would also be appropriate.
Primarily what ends up being different is the shoes; I ALWAYS wear heels to church. If the event I am dressing for requires mostly sitting and very little walking, wearing heels is like bringing my own little footstool.
“I’m having trouble getting my mind around “business”–maybe as a homeschooling mom, I don’t have that category. Or would my version of business just be appointments in offices, such as with a tutoring center for example?”
My answer: It’s true that on a daily basis most homeschool moms have very little need for business clothing. That’s why, even though they fit my idiom very well, until very recently I haven’t owned a suit (since I got rid of the one from the early ‘90 - the shoulders made it look way too big for me!). So, in the back of my mind, I kept one “suit substitute”, just in case I have to do something unexpected. Not sure what it would be, but I like to be prepared.
Consider wearing business or business casual to the following types of events:
- Appointments in offices.
- Conferences and meetings.
- Homeschooling events, such as field trips, especially if you are serving as the coordinator.
- Anytime you are in contact with your husband’s co-workers.
To be quite honest, I am frequently shocked by the respect I get when I dress this way. Don’t we really want “homeschooling mom” to be viewed as a respectable profession?
“And would social be formal like wedding attire, or also afternoon tea dresses, and pretty baby-shower outfits? If not, where do “baby shower” outfits fit? Baby showers are about the dressiest thing I go to these days!”
My answer: Yes. In my mind, social covers all those. It’s dressy stuff you need in order to be appropriately attired for social events, even banquets and birthday parties depending on your social life.
BUT, clearly what actually is worn to some of these types of events varies greatly. Take Mary’s comments for example:
“I’m a homeschool mom, and I was classifying “social†as wedding or church. “Business†to me, would be what I wear to a conference (writing is my particular cup of tea)…I’d probably wear the same type of attire to a baby shower.”
So Jennifer would wear a dressy outfit to a baby shower, Mary would wear business, and if I wore either of those I would be way overdressed!
In Nothing to Wear?: A Five-Step Cure for the Common Closet
The choices:
- country life
- suburbanite
- urban dweller
- traveller
Could that account for the difference in baby shower attire?
I’m still thinking it has more to do with geography.
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Cut-off Temp for Wool
Back to my troubles with Spring dressing. This morning it was overcast, mid-30s, and the majority of my day will be spent in a semi-warehouse feeling environment. Cold!
Fast forward to noon. It’s 68 degrees fahrenheit in the sun. I can’t wear that wool turtleneck that seemed so comfy and stylish at 8 am.
If I had checked, I would have seen that the high for today was predicted to be 61. Which leads to a good question: What’s your cut-off temperature for wool? I’m thinking 50ish.
I changed to heavy-weight cotton thermal v-neck. But I’m taking a jacket.
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For Me: Pink Patent Wedges
I probably won’t really buy these beauties ($88.95 via Zappos) but after spotting them in Angie’s patent shoe trend post, I just had to share!
AK Anne Klein - Mistral (Dark Pink/Gold Patent) - Women’s
To quote another Rebecca - “I love THOSE shoes and would like to marry them!”
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Fashion Lab: Larger On Top
Many thanks to the fashionable Joy for sending us her uniform to use for this week’s fashion lab. (Her pictures turned out so great, even taking them by herself with the timer! Sorry, but I can’t seem to adjust the size without losing resolution.)
Trying to empathize with the circumstances of others is somewhat of a hobby of mine. Since I hang around with alot of mothers of little ones, lately my thoughts have centered around silhouette issues and specifically how to work with the uniques challenges of being at least 2 sizes bigger on top than on bottom. Like how to manage to be modest without being frumpy. And the flip side, how to be stylish without being sleazy. Does that about cover it?
A couple of principles I notice:
- She is using fitted styles and clothes that fit.
- In the first shot, the layered t-shirt necklines break up the upper area.
- There’s virtually no difference in silhouette between the skinny jeans (black) and boot-cut (with the fading).
- The fading on the jeans does add curve.
Isn’t that last dress just fun?
This is as good a time as any to refresh on the concept of balancing the face with the neckline. The lady who wishes people to look at her face should wear her neckline no lower than the length from hairline to chin. If everyone lived by this rule, the “cleavage wars” would surely die out for lack of fuel.
So if you want to wear a lower neckline, don’t wear bangs. Right?
Update: After reading everyone’s comments and questions, and re-reading what I posted here, it is obvious I neglected to explain one important thing. When measuring for this face-length neckline, the starting point is your chin. In other words, from your chin to the lowest point of the neckline should not exceed the length from hairline to chin. So sorry! Does that seem better?
Here’s a link to my post where I explain this better, with a link to an actual illustration of how it’s done.
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WFMW: Pin-free Name Buttons
More awesome tips at Rocks in My Dryer.
Who wants to poke a hole in their nice clothes, just to display who you are? But sometimes we have no choice. This week I am involved with a youth theatre production and wearing this enormous metal button on my lovely suede jacket.
Being held in place by a great big magnet. Oh yeah!
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Boden Coupon
Perhaps a bit of explanation is in order.
When I began this blog, it was a way to get information out and to connect with people of similar interests. I knew almost nothing about blogging (other than the word meant “weblog”, something like an on-line journal) and, of course, I quickly became aware of Google adsense (which I used on the old blog and have not decided yet whether to install on this one).
Then a friend mentioned affiliate marketing, which sounded like fun! (The E in my Holland Abilities Code stands for Enterprising.) To see which stores I am eligible to receive a commission from, click on my Affiliate Shopping page. If you enjoy the blog and are planning on buying something anyway, you are invited to use those links. No pressure. Many of the companies send me emails about their events, which info I will attempt to share with you.
(Incidentally, as an affiliate I am able to legally use their photos. I have been informed by some companies, when I was declined for their affiliate programs, that I may not link to their site in any way.)
I am pleased to announce now that, since becoming aware of them when I asked where you would shop if you had a greater budget, I have been accepted into the affiliate program with Boden!
If you have never shopped Boden before:
11% off + FREE Shipping and Returns for NEW Boden customers only!
They do have sales!
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A What Not to Wear Warning
As I was reviewing Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body
If what looks good on your body type is your question, try this personalized style rule generator (which really isn’t about style, but about adapting styles to your body shape and particulars) at BBC-Lifestyle TV
Now here’s a question: in terms of style personality, are you Clinton or Stacy? Or neither?
I’m both to a degree, but it’s really Clinton’s style that makes my heart go pitter-pat.
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Jennifer’s Shoes: Yellow Patent Wedges
These are the shoes mentioned in comments attending the Spring 2007 Trends post:
Beck’s shoes:
Joey O - Kiara (Camel Leather With Gold Trim) - Women’s
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Frugal Mom Wears the Spring 2007 Trends
Or does she?
Ever since I saw this post,From Fashion Verbatim: Adrian’s Big in ‘o7 Predictions, the return of Frugal Mom has been on my mind.
Here at the bottom of the fashion food chain, long lists of top trends can be overwhelming. Thanks, Adrian, for cutting it down to 5!
- The Manipulated Waist
Yes, creative Frugal Mom will do every variation of belting: high for the empire waist look, at the waist with various beltings, or dropped. Get out your toys and play!
- The New Harem
Uh, yeah. I was a senior in high school the last time this silhouette came around. For what it’s worth, here’s my two-cents:
- If you love this look and have been wearing it since 1980, DON’T CHANGE NOW!
- If you are currently all about boot-cut, keep your pant wardrobe very lean. Change is coming.
- If you are daring, innovative, and love this look - go for it! Thrifting should net you some real scores.
- The rest of us? Let’s just wait.
- The Colour Yellow
Yellow. You either love it or hate it, right? So if you are blonde, live in Texas, or otherwise want to hop on this trend see How to wear yellow at youlookfab for how to work it into your wardrobe.
My advice? If yellow isn’t a staple for you, buy a t-shirt.
- Shining Bright
If you want to wear metallics this spring (such as these: Metallics, via the trend report at Frugal-Fashionista), pieces that can be used for evening in the future, like shoes or dresses, will give the greatest bang for the buck.
On a related note: patent leather is classic for spring, and also looks wonderful for holiday evening-wear.
- Geometric Prints
The Riveting Question I’ve been asking my RLFs:
If you were a print, what print would you be?
I’m paisley. Sorry Adrian.
