Only recently have I become somewhat of a morning person.
I wake up, check my Instagram, think about my plans for the day, and finally get out of bed because I can no longer here myself thinking over the sound of my stomach growling…
But my favorite part of the morning, after coffee, is the getting ready part. I truly enjoy the process of sitting down at my vanity and putting my makeup on.
What do I keep on my vanity?
Only the basic beauty essentials.
You know, makeup. Which is kind of obvious.
Some makeup brushes. A variety.
Hair accessories. (I know that I have really short hair, but these hair ties keep my bangs out of my face without creasing my hair.) And of course, no vanity is complete with out a mirror. I adore my motivational one from North Detail! Plus, it’s super portable, so I can grab it and go. Get it girl!
Did you know that today is National Underwear Day?
Well, when it comes to my underwear, I’m all about feeling comfortable, yet confident.
No matter what pair I decide to wear, I want to stay as clean as possible. The last thing anyone wants is to get their period unexpectedly. Goodbye, cute expensive panties…
You then wish you’d worn the ratty grannies as you try to gently scrub the stained ones.
Even more horrific is when this happens in public… Yikes!
How nice would it be if you just be confident 24/7, without sacrificing comfort?
U by Kotex® offers a full line of feminine care products for periods including pads, liners and tampons. Outstanding protection that keeps you one step ahead.
There’s also a #BringComfyBack contest! To enter visit bringcomfyback.com and upload your creative pic or gif showcasing your best uncomfy face.
Each month, one lucky winner will receive a $200 Urban Outfitters gift card, a Go Pro Hero 3 white camera, a $100 Sephora gift card and U by Kotex products.
At the end of the contest, the most creative selfie will be chosen and the winner will receive a trip to L.A. with a girlfriend, an exclusive U by Kotex photo shoot to be their new social star and $2,000 spending cash!
U by Kotex will be judging based on originality, style and how hard you can make them laugh. So be creative and get crazy!
My dad has been renovating our bathrooms and I was trying to hold off until he was finished before sharing this post.
But, again, I have the patience of a two year old.
So, instead here’s what’s in my shower what will be in my shower!
Taking a shower (when not under construction) should be a relaxing experience. Lugging things back and forth is not an option, but I hated it when I would reach for my conditioner and knock over everything else. Picking it all back up was a nightmare, and cutting my finger on my razor in the process is a literal pain.
Well that won’t be a problem anymore, because all my shower products will each have their own home with this seven piece set!
Thanks to the MyEssentials Shower Caddy Set, everything has gets is own little caddy and my fingers and toes are all safe.
About a year ago I joined Polyvore. I had learned about it at Alt Summit, but I really only used it to do a couple of wish list style blog posts.
This year at Alt, one of the sessions talked about Polyvore in a community sense. I must be a sucker for community, because I have been on it creating sets and entering contests like a madwoman!
I seriously can’t get enough.
You know how you go on Pinterest to “pin a few things” and the next thing you know it’s been two hours? Same concept. Except in stead of pinning outfits that you wish were in your closet to your style board, you’re creating those outfits.
Here’s a little outfit inspo I created using Polyvore:
I know I would SO wear both of these outfit options…if I had all those things, that is.
Who wants to go shopping?!
I’ll try my best not to go Alt crazy on you, but my mind is already going into overtime thinking about things I want to share, like what I’m bringing with me, and what I plan to wear, and what I want to accomplish while I’m there…
No promises.
If you’ll also be at Alt, I can’t wait to see you there! How are you prepping?
Fun fact: I’m a tiny bit shy, but love conferences. If you’re anything like me or even just feeling a little nervous, this will help!
P.S. In case you haven’t yet had your fill of my IG ramblings, make sure to be on the lookout for an Instagram related post that may possibly be coming soon(ish) to Gilit Cooper’s blog, Shoes Off Please.
And, yes, the Gilit Cooper of The Bannerie. Love her!
If you’re not on Instagram, you are seriously missing out.
And if you do have an Instagram account and aren’t following me, we’re fighting.
Hardcore.
When I first started out on Instagram my page was private, I didn’t follow anyone, was obsessed with using filters and pretty much just used it to tweak my photos before sharing them on Facebook.
I may not be all that well known in the blogosphere (yet), but 9 out of 10 times, when someone has heard of Twenty Something Plus, it’s because of my Instagram account.
The most common question I get asked about Instagram is what do I use for my white background. I recommend a basic white foam board that you can find in any office or craft store. But you can pretty much use anything white. Paper, fabric…I also use white (or off-white) walls, the top of a short white bookshelf that I have, and I now have a white tray I found at Target (similar here), which I like because I can also carry stuff on it and don’t have to worry too much about getting it dirty.
There are tons of articles and blog posts out there about Instagram tips, tricks, and apps. My number one Instagram tip is to use natural light.
Why?
I mean, seriously, just look at the difference!
Both photos were taken with my iPhone 5s, are haven’t been edited, aside from being cropped to be square. The ONLY difference is that the second one was taken in front of a window and the other wasn’t. Natural light provides a much better starting point for editing. No?
When natural light isn’t an option, I use daylight light bulbs. They’re still not quite as good as using natural light, but believe me, they make a world of a difference. (So much so that my mom switched most of the lights in the house to daylight ones.)
Oh! And those things that roll around when you’re trying to do a flatlay like a boss? Painter’s tape. It’s cheap, and in my opinion, works the best, without tearing your board.
There was SO much food, wine, and lots of shared laughs. I. HAD. SUCH. A. BLAST!
I managed not to cut myself and walked away with a super cute, flower filled Neatly Noted coffee mug.
I hope this was the first of many other craft events.
There was talk of a DIY flower crown night…
If so, count me in!
If you’re not in CT, there’s no need to be too jealous, you can get your very own mug here. Photos via the Neatly Noted blog. Except for the last one, that was me.
Isn’t it nice that there are people who actually exist, that get how crappy the world can be and then work actively to go about making life better?
They may be about as rare as unicorns, but they do exist.
Mary is one of those people.
Who is Mary? She is one of the fabulous women I met at Monarch Workshop. If you check out her blog, you will have an idea of just how AWESOME she it. Well, she sent out some snail mail and it absolutely made my day! Even though it wasn’t completely unexpected (she had to get the addresses somehow), it didn’t make getting mail that wasn’t a bill any less special.
Of course I had to share.
A sweet note, stickers, temporary tattoos, and TONS of confetti!
When your boss is doing something as awesome as mine is, it only makes sense to want to be a part of it. So, when Ponn Sabra shared that Blogger Babes was holding a blog tour and I’d have the chance for her to guest post on Twenty Something Plus, I wanted in…
This post is a part of a month-long Blogger Babes blog tour which began here.To read this post in-context, we recommend starting at the beginning–then hop along with us for the full journey.
While the of blogging topic is rarely touched upon on this blog, I’d like to share a little story with you, how I think it’s relevant today:
I met Bethany at one of the Blogger Babes CT meetups 2 months ago. I immediately noticed an ambitious beauty and lifestyle blogger with a ton of potential. It was because of this potential and her follow-up (great networking skills are critical in the field of blogging), that I asked her if she wanted to work on a little Blogger Babes (BB) project.
That little project eventually turned into a position working for both brands: Blogger Babes and The Ambitionista (my co-founder, Heidi’s fashion blog). My point here is: if you have a dream of catapulting your hobby blogging to the next level, then follow Bethany’s lead
(1) show up and network with like-minded bloggers,
(2) practice good follow-up skills,
(3) offer to intern, and show your skills and personality off: be trainable, personable, determined and professional, and
(4) grow and get paid while you’re learning.
I know the lessons Bethany is gaining is unlike her startup blogging peers, because we’re teaching her how to achieve multiple streams of revenue while actively building publicity and awareness to the core brand: our blogs.
No matter what Heidi and I do, our blogs are our brands, and we must constantly write posts as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Beauty Blogs are Photo Rich – Don’t Let it Bog Down Your Blogging Process
Look for photos last (or first!)
Looking for photos can become very time consuming as you search for the perfect photo to go with your blog post. Set aside the time to look for images after you’ve written your first draft.
This strategy can be reversed – find inspiring photos from some of the free stock image sites and let them inspire your blog posts!
Use a screenshots effectively.
If your post sharing that helpful information comes up short and is only 250 words long, bulk up its interest value by adding a teaser screenshot or infographic, highlighting some aspect of the resource that makes your reader want to read more.
Want to take your blog to the next level?
The above tips are an excerpt from our debut “21 Fast and Simple Tips to Write Blog Posts Faster” Guide, one of seven documents in our comprehensive Blogger Monthly Tutorials launching on May 1st. Each tutorial eKit comes with a tutorial, 21 tips sheet, worksheets, calendar, all our recommended tools, and much more!
For the price of your last unfinished premium coffee or tea, you can should invest in yourself and your blog. You know work-related educational materials are a tax write-off, right!? Yeah…taxes are still on my mind… :-/
Click here to sign up for the Limited Time Only Early Bird special release of $5 per month!
Ponn Sabra is a best-selling author and homeschool mom of three tween and teen daughters, also bestselling authors and probloggers. The Managing Partner of Blogger Babes, Ponn is a lover of good photography–but not the one you’ll find in front of the camera nor behind it. So, rather than spend time on gazing at gorgeous blog photos, she delegates this task for quicker results. What can you delegate that’s time-consuming because you either love or despise the act?
Somebody totally forgot their one year blogiversary.
OK, it was me. But in my defense, I may have completely lost track of time because this wasn’t my first attempt to start Twenty Something Plus. The first one was very basic and I didn’t really do anything with it.
Also, I’ve been working on a side thing or two. I’m really excited about my future and the potential of what was initially something I began just to entertain myself.
All excuses aside, I’m making up for missing out on what could have been a giant celebration, by doing a belated blogiversary giveaway!
All products included are by brands that I use. If you don’t believe me, feel free to stalk my Instagram.
What was originally a rather basic prize bundle, got a MAJOR upgrade thanks to Alyssa of bba bracelets.
It’s going to be SO hard giving all this stuff away. Especially this gorgeous beaded bracelet stack! I have my bba beaded tassel bracelet, which I LOVE, but these remind me of the ocean, so naturally, I’m obsessed.
SO pretty! You know you want to enter…
Begins Wednesday, April 15, 2015 12:00AM EST and runs until Wednesday, April 22, 2015 12:00AM EST. Open to U.S. and Canada only. No purchase required. Winner will be selected at random and must respond within 48 after being contacted. This giveaway isn’t endorsed or associated by anyone but me. Good luck!
Only the basic beauty essentials.
And of course, no vanity is complete with out a mirror. I adore my motivational one from North Detail! Plus, it’s super portable, so I can grab it and go. Get it girl!
