Networking Sites for Fashion Bloggers

All bloggers know the importance of social networking sites. They bring in new readers and help other bloggers find like minded people with similar aesthetics and style. They are essential for finding your blogging community or niche. I'm here today to share a few of my favorite networking sites for personal style or fashion bloggers.

Pinterest

Pinterest is already one of most well known and used networking sites out there, and that makes it an ideal place for fashion bloggers to share their outfit photos. A lot of my favorite bloggers have boards dedicated to their blogs or personal style photos. I post my own outfit photos to my regular style boards because they get the most traffic and therefore are more likely to help gain traffic to my blog.

Instagram

Most people already have Instagram accounts so this is another great place to showcase your personal style blog. Try creating a separate account dedicated to you outfit photos and share your outfit photos  often. Use hashtags like #outfit, #ootd, #whatiwore or more specific hashtags to gain even more traffic to your account.

Lookbook

Lookbook is a international website dedicated to personal style and fashion making it the perfect place to showcase your style blog. I've found so many of my favorite blogs through Lookbook so I know firsthand that it is a incredibly useful tool to gaining new traffic to your blog. They're are so many different styles on showcase here so even if you aren't a blogger it's a great place to visit for outfit inspiration.

Chictopia

Chictopia is similar to Lookbook in that it is solely dedicated to showcasing personal style. It's a great website for finding and connecting with your favorite fashion bloggers as well as discovering new blogs. They also have a rewards system that gives you the opportunity to get free items.

Facebook 

Since pretty much everyone has a Facebook page, FB is a great place to introduce non-blog people to your blog. Create a page for your blog and invite friends and family that otherwise might not visit your space to see what your blog is all about.

Modcloth Style Gallery

This style gallery is one of my favorite places to share my outfit pictures. The style represented there is incredibly diverse and so positive. This is a great place to start if you're debating starting a blog or just want to share the occasional outfit photo.

FashionFit

I was invited to join fashion fit recently and was drawn to it because it's such a fresh approach to fashion networking sites. This site helps you find bloggers (or celebrities) with similar body types to yours and the clothes and sizes that look best on them, which is super helpful if you're an online shopper! Be sure to sign up when it goes live in May.

All of these websites are great ways to get connected and showcase your blog, and hopefully even gain some new followers along the way. Joining any of these is a smart move because sharing your content is key in building your blog's audience. If you're already on these sites leave your link in a comment so I can find you!
-Reagan

Home Organization Tips

I've always been good at organization and keeping things tidy. It comes natural to me. I'm one of those crazy people who needs a clean and organized space to be able to relax. I actually enjoy cleaning and organization. Weird, I know. I'm kind of notorious for this as I've had family members ask me for advice on keeping a more organized home. Since it's that time of year that people begin their spring cleaning I thought I'd share a few things I do to keep my space clean and organized that may be helpful to you too!

Make a spot for everything

You've probably heard this tip before, and it's absolutely true. Have a designated spot for every single item in your home. If you use something always return it to it's spot. This will help keep your home organized in several ways. For one, it will help eliminate clutter. If you use something and always return it to it's spot it won't be lying around your home making it appear messy, and two, every time you need to find that item you'll know exactly where to look, and so will everyone else in your home. This will be particularly helpful in spaces like the kitchen or bathroom that can get super cluttered easily. If you have children this can also be a great way to teach them to create a good habit. Having a spot for toys or a laundry hamper in their space is a great way to get them involved.

Use Storage containers

Storage containers are helpful for a number of reasons. They are a great for having a designated spot for items, like a basket in your living room that throws and blankets can go into, and they help eliminate visual clutter, like pet or children's toys. There are so many different vessels you can use no matter what you need to contain. As an added perk these containers can also be decorative and make your home look stylish. I love using glass jars to store items from my washi tape collection, to q-tips and cotton balls in my bathroom. I also using plastic baskets underneath my bathroom and kitchen sinks to keep cleaning products together and keep that space tidy. If you're on a budget save old shoe boxes and clean out glass jars to reuse or utilize thrifted tins for something a little bit prettier.

Use your Space Wisely
This sort of correlates to 'using containers'. Do your best to utilize all your allocated space to the best of your ability. If you have a lot of vertical space available use it! Use tall bookshelves if space allows it to expand your storage area. Stackable units like this are easy to customize to any space, so they are perfect for closets or garages. Smaller units like this one are great for smaller spaces and items so they are perfect for organizing items like makeup or first aid items under the bathroom sink so you can get the most out of tight space. Use command hooks in your closet or on the inside of cabinets to get the most out of your space and store items like jewelry, scarves, pot hangers, kitchen towels ect. that are easy to hang. Use ottomans like this one to have hidden storage in plain sight.

Eliminate Clutter

Even the most organized person is guilty of collecting clutter somewhere. For me it was holding onto things like clothes that no longer fit, or old magazines. If the item in question hasn't been utilized in a year either trash it, sell it, or donate it. There's no way to get organized if you're hoarding junk. So free up that space for things you do need/use.

Store Like Items Together

This one may seem obvious but just in case it isn't I thought I'd address it anyway. Apply this concept to every space in your home. Store cleaning products in the same location (preferably in a container to make transporting to other rooms easier). Store linens and towels together, baking ingredients & spices together, pots together, pans together, meats and cheeses together, leftovers together ect. Again storing items in this way makes them easier to find saving you time, and in the case of food, may also save you money. 

Now, Not Later

To have an organized space you have to get of that mindset of "I'll do it later". Stay on top of things so you simply have to maintain it. Putting organization or cleaning off will likely mean the work is going to pile up on you. Let's be honest are you more likely to want to clean your whole living room on your days off, or address one or two items everyday? Take care of something when it pops up so you don't have to remember to do it later on.

Be Realistic

Having an organized space is going to mean different things for different people. Figure out what is important to you and organize your home according to that. I tend to lean towards the OCD side of organizing, but not everyone can keep up with that. Just like how some people organize books alphabetically and some organize their books by color. Find your system and go from there.  Label things if that helps you, use shoe or closet organizers if that's your thing. Identify what will realistically work for you!

I hope this list helped you get inspired for some upcoming spring cleaning :)

For more organization ideas be sure to check out my organization Pinterest board.

-Reagan

Tips For Simplifying Your Blog

I've never really done a post of this nature before, but I'm hoping to write more on HN and hopefully through that process we can all get to know each other better. To kick off my first word heavy post I'm going to talk about a few of my tips for simplifying your blog. Fair warning that I have a tendency to get a little rambly when I write to this extent. Anyway, here we go!

In recent months I've done my best to make blogging on HN simpler. If you've been following for a while you may have noticed some of the changes I made, and although they were small, the ultimate outcome was a blog that was much easier to write and also one that was simpler to navigate. I made changes to the design of the blog, the pages on the blog, the navigation links, and also with how I plan/schedule blog posts. A lot of the changes I made on HN are easy and can be implemented on your own blog to make your life easier too ;)
(Even if you have a custom layout a lot of these tips can still be implemented!)

1. Simplify Your Blog Design and Layout

When it came to the design and layout of HN it used to be I was always changing it because I was never happy with the look and always comparing it to my favorite blogs. Nothing good ever comes out of comparing yourself to others, and this is perhaps why I finally decided to just simplify the design and layout. I opted for a monochromatic color scheme of white, gray, and black. I love neutrals anyway, and a simple look won't distract readers from the actual content on the blog.

I also decided to keep the fonts used on HN to a minimum. I chose arial because again, it's simple and won't distract from the content, and it's also easily accessible on every platform or software. On any blog it's important that the design of your blog doesn't compete your content because that's a bit counterproductive. Go with you gut, pick a layout that makes sense for you, and keep your color scheme simple.

2. Eliminate Unnecessary Work

On my different pages I was making more work for myself than what was necessary. It used to be I made buttons for all my outfits, projects, recipes, and make-up posts because I didn't want my older posts getting buried under more recent posts. I really liked the look of all the thumbnails but the problem was that I had to make them all individually (usually as I was preparing other photos for the post), and because I made the thumbnails all separately the text was sometimes different sizes and different widths and this resulted in a cluttered look. An additional problem with the thumbnails is that they were all individual pictures that made loading each page another problem altogether especially if you were trying to view HN on your phone. In the end I decided that having thumbnails was just more trouble than they were worth. Now each page pulls up a feed instead and while it's more difficult to navigate to older posts this way, they're still easily accessible through my archives section, and I have much less work in maintaining my pages and preparing for posts. Find a system that works for you, for me it was labeling each post I wanted on a certain page with a tag and assigning that tag to the page, easy peasy.

3. You Don't Have to Use Social Networking Icons

Another change I made to HN recently was eliminating my navigation and social networking icons. I now just use good ole' links. Why? I am not skilled enough to make social networking icons on my own, and I'm not comfortable with using someone else's property on my blog. My links are easy to read and hard to miss when you visit my blog, and that's what was important to me. Maybe it doesn't look as pretty to some, but I don't mind it, and again I don't have to worry about borrowing someone else's images. If you do want to use social networking icons on your blog be sure that they are easy to find, and clearly display with social networking site they correlate to (If you're like me and don't want to use someone's button's without their permission you can purchase some here). I like to put my links directly under my welcome picture and caption since chances are people are looking there initially anyway.

4. Schedule and Plan Your Blog Posts

An additional thing I've been working on is both planning and scheduling blog posts in advance. I like to do this the old fashion way with pen and paper.  I jot down all my ideas regarding HN from outfit ideas to recipes in a designated notebook. I try to plan things out a month at a time. My goal is to post at least twelve to fifteen posts every month. There are a couple features that I post monthly like wishlists and five things, and then there's outfit posts that I share several times a month. Wishlists and Remixes can be scheduled well ahead of time, and if I'm far enough ahead in my plans so can 5 Things. Lately I've been doing my best to take at least two outfit photo sessions at once so I can more easily schedule those as well (this also helps me not have to worry about fixing my hair and make-up every single day). Being organized this way makes me feel more productive and also takes the pressure of having to come up with something to post every other day. I'm more likely to meet my 12-15 post goal I set for myself, and it makes me feel like the content stays more consistent. Planning and scheduling ahead of time also gives me more time to think about what I'm writing or what I have to say. This is a learning process but I definitely feel like the content on HN has improved since I started planning and scheduling. 

Since I began simplifying and scheduling posts more regularly I have seen a lot of things improve on HN, (although I can't promise this doesn't also correlate to me being more active on social platforms) I experienced a small increase in readers, I gained followers on my social networking sites, and I experienced my first sponsorship with Chadwicks and Metrostyle. Blogging is definitely a learning process and if you have a blog yourself it's important to understand that like most things, there is no one right way to do something. Blogging is a growing field and you'll find advice about it all over the place. Try a few things and find what works for you!

I'm hoping to discuss a little bit more about blogging in the future so if you have any questions or points to add I'd love to hear what you have to say.
-Reagan

Hair Growth Picks

 It felt appropriate to me to share some of my more recent hair growth tips with you all since today marks one month since I've used any sort of heat styling tools on my hair. I've shared a few posts about some products I've been using, styling routine without using shampoo, as well as some tips and tricks for maximizing hair growth. I've tried a lot of things to try to restore my hair after damaging it by a lot of dyeing, styling, and bleaching. I've done a lot to my hair, and around a year ago I decided to really cut back on all the damage I was inflicting on my hair to try to encourage growth. A huge part of this process for me was to attempt to stop the breakage caused by split ends from years of hair abuse.

Organix has been a brand that I have come back to time after time when searching for the miracle products to fix my split ends. The keratin oil line is my shampoo and conditioner of choice right now. Since I haven't been using any heat on my hair in the past few weeks these products have already made a difference in my hair. I'm seeing a lot less breakage when I wash and brush my hair, and my hair also feels and looks a lot better as well.

 The keratin oil 3 minute recovery cream has been my good to deep conditioning treatment. I usually apply this after shampooing, sometimes with the Keratin Oil conditioner and leave it on for several minutes, more than the recommended three. I use a generous amount, and concentrate most of the product on the ends of my hair and comb throw the length of my hair with the remainder of the product, avoid the roots.

The Coconut Water mist is to be used while hair is damp and combed through. It makes my hair incredibly soft and super shiny, and also makes it a lot more managable while damp.

 One of my favorite uses for it is to mist my hair with it when it just about dry and then to braid it to create soft shiny waves when the hair is dry and the braid is undone, the trick is to not braid too tight.

 It also works beautifully as a finishing spray to tame fly-aways. This stuff also smells incredible, just be careful, as with any product, not to over do it ;)

After a month of no heat styling, and using these Organix Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil Shampoo, Conditioner & 3-Minute Recovery treatment, plus their Coconut Oil Mist I believe that my hair growth has been increased due to a reduce in breakage. I definitely recommend these products if you're also trying to fight damage while growing out your hair.

-Reagan

Haircare Fall Favorites

Since I began trying to grow out my hair I've tried numerous types of haircare products to help make my hair healthy and to also stop breakage. I have dyed my hair so many times in my life resulting in both frizzy and damaged hair. It's not really a good idea to begin growing out your hair with you have split ends but I didn't want to lose the length I already had. I began trying different haircare products to combat the damage that I had already done. If you've ever over dyed your hair you probably already know that there are hundreds of drugstore products that promise to "undo up to six months of damage" with less that satisfactory results. I've been there. Having over bleached my hair there isn't much to do. I began trying to restore my hair's health by trimming my split ends. It wasn't something I had wanted to do so I tend to trim my ends just every few months. I don't get haircuts. This step really really helped. I had to sacrifice some length but ultimately it is worth it because it ensures less breakage that would result in shorter hair anyway. This step also makes your hair look a lot better. Split ends are a huge part of what makes my hair frizzy instead of shiny and smooth. Products like Nexxus Promend Leave-in Treatment Creme, Garnier Fructis Shine Glossing Spray as well as Chi Silk Infusion have been my go to products for taming my split ends and frizz. The glossing spray and silk infusion help my hair look and feel better while the Nexxus Promend Treatment makes my hair healthier. My latest find L'Oreal Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner has really transformed my hair and transformed my hair routine. Read some amazon reviews if you don't believe me. This stuff is comparable to Wen but for so much less. I have been using the Cleansing Conditioner for the least amount of time of all of the products and have seen the most results from it. My frizz is.... GONE! I haven't used my straightener in so long. My hair is actually soft. If you get anything from this post Give the L'Oreal Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner a try. It does have a strong vanilla scent that some people express a dislike for in some reviews but I don't mind it. Since I began using it I have been using the three previous mentioned products less and less. I really haven't been this impressed with any product in quite some time.

I should probably mention that my hair is naturally thick, frizzy, and slightly wavy and years of dying and sometimes bleaching it has resulted in it just being unmanageable without using product. I cannot attest to how the Cleansing Conditioner would work of fine or curly hair.

Okay so I've probably rambled on about haircare enough for one post. 

Until Next Time,

-Reagan

Thrifting Tips and Tricks

It's no secret that I love thrifting. I'm not sure if it's something you can consider a hobby although it does require skill and persistence. Thrifting is not something that is for everyone but I enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the fact that thrifted items are unique. Sometimes thrifted items are vintage and have their own little history to them as well. The problem is second-hand stores can be a little overwhelming. The racks are crammed full of clothes and the shelves are cluttered. You really do have to search through hundreds of item for every one item that is worth purchasing. Now that may sound a little tedious, and truth be told, it is, but it's also that much more rewarding when you find something awesome. So if you're interested in thrifting but are intimidated or maybe just don't know where to begin, here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Keep an open mind.
 If you go into a thrift store with something specific in mind, chances are you will be disappointed. If you look with an open mind you might also be able to find a few items with potential. Some of my favorite DIYs have come from something I thrifted. Just don't invest in something that needs too much work because it may just end up collecting dust at your home instead of at the thrift store.

 2. Stick to a budget.
The great thing about thrifting is that most things come with a very small price tag, but this can be a double edged sword. You may have money to spend, but keeping yourself to a budget may help you in determining which items are actually useful and which items may just be an impulse buy waiting to happen. Don't let yourself buy something just because it's cheap.

3. Thrift regularly, and early.
This one is easy. Thirft stores get new inventory every day. Thrifting regularly is the only way to ensure you don't miss out on a great item. By going regularly you'll be able to know when sales are happening as well. By going early you'll increase the likelihood that you get first dibs on the newest merchandise. Kind of a no brainer, right?

4. Ignore Clothes Sizes, Try Everything On.
While sizes can vary from store to store Thrifting is something entirely different. Due to the fact that the clothes in thrift stores are from all different stores and decades, the only way to ensure that something is your size is to try it on. You will find clothing from name brand stores (I find target clothes with the tags still on them ALL THE TIME) and those sizes are obviously pretty safe. My rule of thumb is that if an item is vintage or if it's from a brand I'm unfamiliar with, I have to try it on before purchasing it. I've done my fair share of eyeballing an item only to get it home and it not fit. Thrift stores have dressing rooms for a reason!

 5.Take Your Time.
As I mentioned before, thrifting can sometimes mean digging through a whole lot of crap to find something that is actually worth while. Being thorough when browsing at a thrift store can increase your chances of uncovering treasure.  There have been times when thrifting when I felt like giving up and leaving empty handed only to find something tucked away in a corner (no doubt by another thrifter, hoping to save it for purchase on another day).

That's all of the Thrifting Tips and Tricks I have for you today. Depending on the response to this post I may do a follow up that is more specific to clothing or housewares while thrifting, or even just some additional tips and tricks for thrifting. I would love to know if you guys enjoy reading posts such as this.

Do you have any tips or tricks you follow when thrifting? I'd love to hear what other people's process while thrifting is like!
-Reagan

hair growth tips and tricks

Truth be told I've thought about doing a post like this for awhile because I'm always interested in hair care and am in a perpetual state of trying to grow out my hair. I think most women (and some men as well) have known the tortures of getting a bad haircut and having to undergo the slow painstaking process of having to wait for hair to grow. If you search online you will no doubt find hundreds of different tricks or products that promise quick hair growth. I've tried a lot of different products on my hair and I've settled on a routine that I believe not only makes my hair grow faster, it also makes it shiny, soft and ultimately much healthier.  Being someone who has done some major color damage to my hair, it needs all the help it can get. I want to share the products and routine that I practice myself to help you to optimize hair growth and treat frizz and dryness for your own hair as well. (I should also mention that my hair is pretty thick and slightly wavy. I also deal with split-ends and dryness associated with color damage, so this routine is best for people with hair similar to mine.) 

The first thing I can recommend to anyone hoping to grow out their hair is to eat a healthy diet first and foremost. Your body operates best when you fuel it well. Hair growth is no different. To boost hair growth from the inside out I take Biotin daily. I've also heard of Fish Oil also promoting hair growth. I definitely noticed a difference after I  began taking biotin regularly. As someone who dyes their hair it's easy to gauge how quickly my hair grows by my roots, but I also noticed a difference in the hair growth on my eyebrows!

The next recommendation I have to increase hair growth is to switch to a low-sulfate or no-sulfate shampoo and conditioner. I've already mentioned it here before but my current favorite is Organix Awaphui Ginger line (which is also repairing for damaged hair). This product is perfect for damaged hair like mine. I love the scent and it leaves my hair so so soft and shiny. I'm in love.

To protect hair further from breakage rinse hair with as cold of water as you can stand.

Once out of the shower use a towel (or old t-shirt to fight frizz) to remove excess moisture from hair. When hair is damp I like to use a nickle size portion of Chi's Silk Infusion beginning with the ends of hair and working the product up, but avoid the roots because it may make them appear greasy.

Once I put the silk infusion in my hair I like to let it dry naturally and avoid messing with it until it has dried completely. The easiest way I have found to achieve this is to wash my hair before bed and sleep with wet with a towel on my pillow.

Other important factors that can affect hair growth is the amount of damage you inflict on it through styling. Some damage is treatable through deep conditioning treatments but there are some things that one trying to grow out their hair should simply avoid (Based on my own experience).

 The first of those things (and probably the most important) is never bleach your own hair when trying to grow it out. If you decide you want to lighten your hair during your hair growth process my advice is to go to a professional to minimize the chance of damage ends and promoting breakage. Same goes with at home hair color. If you're trying to grow out your hair consider going natural for a while or dying hair less frequently.

The next styling tip to promote hair growth through preventing breakage is to minimize your use of heat styling tools on your hair. If you can't live without your blow dryer, straightener, or curler then you need to invest in a heat protecting spray to use prior to any heat styling.  I've been using Tresemme's Thermal Creations Tamer Spray and have been satisfied with the results for the price.

Another thing to consider when growing out your hair is to skip shampooing on some days and invest in a good dry shampoo. Shampooing your hair frequently can dry it out and using a dry shampoo on days you skip washing it can help fight back any greasiness you make experience on those off days and they smell good :) I've been using Tresemme's Fresh Start Dry Shampoo but have also heard great things about Batiste Dry Shampoos and am interested in trying them soon.

My final tip I have for anyone trying to grow out their hair is to do a deep conditioning treatment once or twice a month. Again I like the Organix line's Awaphui Ginger's Recovery Mask.
The longer you leave a conditioning treatment in the better. If you have a shower cap you can keep the conditioning treatment in for hours. This will help to hydrate hair a prevent breakage.

To grow out your hair you have to take care of both your body to make sure your hair is growing at it's full potential, treat any damage you already have through conditioning, and protect hair from further damage.
Growing out your hair is never a fun process thanks to all those awkward stages but through good hair care you can make the process quicker and easier on yourself.
Hopefully my long winded rant about hair care is at least somewhat helpful to anyone hoping to make hair growth a more simple process. I am by no means an expert on the subject and must admit much of what I have learned about taking care of my hair I've learned through trial and error or through the wonderful pinterest, primarily from Maskcara who has a million wonderful hair secrets.
I'd love to hear about any suggestions or question you may have about hair growth.

1-2-15 Edit: This post original contained borrowed images that have been removed. Follow links for a better idea of what products are mentioned.
-Reagan