lifestyle

Bonjourno young chums. I haven’t done an ‘opinionated’ post in a while have I? Well, I’m back with one, and this post is going to be full of one very strong opinion I have. I’m sorry if I come across rather angry…. but I am rather angry (you’ll see why)…

This morning I saw a tweet which linked to a Daily Mail article, I had no idea what it was, but I clicked. I scrolled down, reading every single word, and was horrified. The article was all about, now former model, Georgina Wilkin. Georgina was scouted on Oxford Street at just 15 (2 years older than me). When she was half way through her GCSEs, she was asked to model for a Japanese agent, but she was told that she had to lose 3 inch from her hips and 1 inch from her waist. Georgina was drawn in and she started to lose the weight, her diet consisted of salad, vegetables and sometimes 2 days without food. Before she started modelling, she weighed 8st 6lb, which shows that she was ‘slim’. I can relate to this because I am ‘slim’ and I have been told I am underweight before, but I was/and still am, perfectly healthy, and I am sure Georgina was too. Even though she was this weight, every 2 weeks she would be weighed and measured and told to lose more weight. Georgina said in the article… ”The skinnier girls, got all the bookings and I was even told I wouldn’t be able to work for jewellery companies because my fingers were too fat.” Georgina became thinner, weaker and started to get ill whilst she was in Tokyo. She was getting blue lips and hands because her heart was struggling. When she returned, she worked with brands including Topshop, GAP, and Giles Deacon, where apparently, nobody ate. In 2007, she was diagnosed with Anorexia. (See the full article here.)

Now obviously, we can’t believe everything the Daily Mail says (and also you could say that it was her parents fault), because everything is made to attach to our heart strings, but I honestly do think that if you read the article, you will understand where I am coming from when I say that I am… disgusted. Totally, utterly disgusted. I’m not disgusted because it is the fashion industry, I am disgusted that the industry thinks it’s okay to let this carry on, for their own good. It’s not even mean, I personally think it’s pure ‘evil’. Imagine looking at a girl who is obviously ‘thin’ and going, ‘You’re too fat’ (well, maybe not those exact words, but you know what I mean!). It’s bonkers. DEE-SGUST-ING. Models becoming ill for brands to get more money? Sounds a bit cruel in my books.

Some people will say ‘Well just don’t model then’. The fashion industry, could not and will not survive with out models. I’m fine with models, I’m fine with that, just not the whole ‘If your not a size 8, you’re not good enough’ attitude. There needs to be change. I don’t think saying you have to be Size 8 or more, is the right way to do it, but I think there needs to be a more healthy way of looking at it. Thinking about health, and being HUMAN more than just creating a good picture to get money. We don’t want ill models, and we certainly don’t want young girls looking up to ill models, do we? No, I thought not. I’m going to have to say it, but the modelling agencies are almost… killing what they are doing in a way. They hire models, and tell them that they are too big. The models go away and lose more weight, come back and are ill, and in Georgina’s case, come even close to losing their own life, so the agency has to chose another girl (or boy), and it goes on and on. Disgusting.

What do you think? Do you think something needs to change? Let me know in the comments!

(Images found: here and here)

 

One of, now last month’s, advertisers, Bas from Anything Bas is here to talk about her photography and lifestyle blog, and her top tips for blogging… (Images courtesy of Bas)

What inspired you to start your Blog?: I wanted a place to share my photography, really. I knew I was going to be travelling a lot this year, and I loved the idea of capturing different cities and cultures on film, in a sort of personal way.

Why did you choose Photography as a topic?: I would say it’s more a “lifestyle based photography blog”. I use my photos to show my experiences, although there are some photo shoots mixed in there that are purely for creative’s sake, let’s call it ”art”.

What are you top tips on starting a Blog?: Post about what you’re into, what makes you happy. It seems like an obvious thing to say but so many bloggers are on this mission to please their readers, always asking what they want to see. Sometimes it gets boring. I mean, I’m reading your blog already. (Half of my attraction to a blog is tied in with the blogger’s personality, definitely). Also, work on your writing skillzzz, it makes such a difference to read correctly structured sentences devoid of typos and grammar problems. If you don’t know the difference between “you’re” and “your”, I’m outta there.

What are your Blogging Targets for this year?: I don’t have any set targets. Getting new readers is cool because I like to meet people and get my blog out there (it feels good to know that other people like what I’m doing) but it’s not something I’m going to worry too much over.

Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: Tori West for her style and photography, Robyn Lynch for her outfits, Lily Melrose for her hair and London lifestyle posts, Ellie for her all-round coolness, Ella Masters for her art. (God, are they all British? whoops. I follow loads of Swedish chicks on Instagram, they all seem to wear Docs with tiny shorts and eat McDonalds a lot.)

What trend are you most looking forward to working, this A/W 13?: I’m really not into fashion. I’m definitely into style and clothes though (I’m sure we all know the difference) but I don’t like to think too much about it.

Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain and why?: Vintage/thrift markets. There are a few very cool ones in Cape Town that I frequent, I’ll also be exploring the markets in Amsterdam for the first time this month. Yesssss. So excited.

What’s your favourite type of camera to use?: At the moment I’m very into my Lomo LC-wide camera, it’s a film camera with a wide angle lens. I’d love to get a proper vintage film camera and one day learn more about digital photography (when I have money to burn). I am completely self-taught, my skills are purely aesthetic, based on what I see and what I like. I get inspired by pictures and landscapes and images rather than manuals and paragraphs and diagrams. (I don’t necessarily think that this is a good thing, but as an educated jazz musician, it’s a nice change to create art without any of the theoretical thinking behind it.)

Who is your favourite fashion brand and why?: Hmmm, I’ve just spent a few days in Dubai visiting my cousin and I have to say, I’m so disappointed with everything in the shops. Brands in Cape Town are bringing me down too, and I don’t do much online shopping purely because of all the ridiculously customs laws in SA. Maybe I’ll have a favourite brand after this next month that I’m spending in Europe.

What’s your personal style and what do you do to work it?: Vintage grunge. Thrifted, big jerseys, Doc Martens, ripped skinny jeans, messy, natural hair. I’m all about being comfortable, seriously.

Check out Bas here: BLOG//Twitter//Instagram//BlogLovin’

**Advertising is now open for November. If you would like to book a space, fill out the form on THIS page. 50% off for all teen bloggers. Enjoy!**

Before I begin, I apologise for not posting in this Blogging Top Tips, series for a while, I have been quite busy with my blog post schedule, but finally I am out of the ‘draft zone’, YAY! If you didn’t read the last post, make sure you go and do that now… In this post, I am going to cover Advertising on your blog, and setting your prices correctly. I’m not saying that all of this is right, but it can give you some sense of what to do for your blog… cheeky little offer at the end too!

Anything Bas // Miss L J Beauty

What Is Advertising?: Today, I am talking about advertising in the words of ‘blog ads’ or ‘banners’. This is where bloggers or brands pay to put a link/button linking to their site somewhere on your site. Some people like to call it Sponsorship, which is basically the same thing. It’s just like when football teams have brand name on their shirts! Some people like them, some people not so much… I think if it is not too distracting and done in the right way, you’ll get it spot on.

When or Should I Start Offering Advertising?: This is a question which a lot of bloggers ask. In my opinion, it is totally up to you. There is no set amount of followers you should have to offer them, or page views or what ever’s’. I started offering mine when I found out that I was going to be in The Telegraph magazine. I thought it would be a nice bonus and that it would be helpful for bloggers to get more exposure, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until you get featured in something like that. I think most bloggers start doing it when they have around 500+ followers on one social media platform, but that’s just what I have seen. I recommend that you take a look at other blogs and see how many followers/page views they have, it’s sometimes even worth asking politely.

photo credit: Images_of_Money via photopin cc

Is it Worth it? Will I Make Lots of Money?: Again, it really depends who you are. If you have thousands of followers, and you have been in this and that, then it is more likely that people will buy your ad packages. It’s more likely that brands will want to advertise too, but it’s different for everyone. In my experience, I have sold at least 2 ad spaces a month (excluding 1 month when I had no interest), this has given me a little bit more pocket money, and has just been a nice treat to blogging. Sometimes it is worth offering free packages at first, to see if anyone is interested – of course this may be slightly unfair seeing as it is free, but it’s worth trying.

I’m Going Ahead, Now What?: If you decide that it is the right time to start offering advertising, you need to start setting prices, and naming your prices (that’s the fun part). Most bloggers just go with ‘Large, Medium, Small & Mini’, but you can name them what ever. What Do I Include?: Once again, it’s totally up to you. It’s good to have one simple package which involves just a button (this could be your Mini one), then your Small one could be either a slightly bigger button, or you could do weekly shout outs on one of your social media platforms. For your Medium package you could go with, a button, shoutouts and an advertisers post, and so on and so fourth for the Large one. What Do I Let Them Know?: Some people will turn away if you don’t tell them your follower/page view stats. It’s good to let them know why it’s worth advertising on your blog. I don’t let them know my stats, but let them know they can always ask, I just don’t feel right in letting the whole world know how many people read my blog every month 🙂

photo credit: kenteegardin via photopin cc

What Do I Charge?: I’m not going to say what you should charge, because everyone is different. But, I did once read that you could divide your monthly page views (individual/per page) by 1,000. For example, if you get 4,000 page views, you could charge £4 for your biggest ad package. If you get 10,00 charge £10. Simples! Should I Charge The Same for Brands?: It’s your decision. But… I honestly think that you shouldn’t. Brands will generally have more money to spend on things like this, so make sure to clearly state, that prices will be slightly different for them.

How Do People Pay?: There are 2 options. The most popular option, is via PayPal. If someone is interested they will email/fill out the contact form, with what package they want, then you let them know if they can advertise or not, then ask for their account’s email. You then want to send over an Invoice (this makes it easy to state the package name, and put in any discounts), and then just simply wait for them to pay.  The second option is via Passionfruit Ads. This is basically making your life a bit easier. You have to put in a widget into your advertising page which will mean bloggers can basically go to a checkout, the checkout is only in dollars ($). They fill out the information, leave their button image, their blog link etc, and then pay. You can then either accept or decline, and if you accept them, their ad will automatically pop up in your side bar, or where ever the set place is. BUT, a very big BUT (hehe), Passionfruit is NOT free. It will take a % from your sale which is different to PayPal.

photo credit: Images_of_Money via photopin cc

Do I State Where The Money is Going?: In literal terms of ‘your bank account details’, of course NOT! Haha! But, sometimes it’s nice to say what you will do with the money, for example, you might want to donate some charity, or if you are a teenager, you might be saving up for a new laptop for school and blogging. You don’t have to, but some people like knowing that they aren’t wasting their money completely.

So that’s it! Of course I couldn’t leave this post without a cheeky plug, could I? 😉 Hehe… If you are interested in advertising on my blog, all my packages are HERE. I’m going to do a little offer for you guys… if you comment on this blog post with ‘Give me 20!’ and you want a space, you will get 20% off in November, (not applicable for teen bloggers too)! I offer 50% off for teen bloggers, all year round though!

I am writing this blog post while trying to warm myself up. I decided I would be all brave and YOLO it, by jumping in the pool which was apparently 17 degrees C. Yeah… Anyway! I’m really excited to bring you this new My Style instalment, because… my wishes came true! I finally have a pair of Neon Trainers… *hallelujah hallelujah hallel-u-u-u-jah!*

Nike Free TR Fit 5.0 £85.00* & Nike 3 Pack Low Ped Socks £10.00* (Both at JD Sports)

When these beauties arrived, I literally squealed. They are the most gorgeous pair of trainers that I have ever laid my eyes on. The thing I love with Nike’s is the fact that they fit like a dream on me. If you have slim feet, any pair of Nike shoes, are bound to fit you like a glove. These caught my eye on JD Sports because of the colour and print, I would never usually go for a style of trainer like this, but I now absolutely love them. The one thing I didn’t realise was the geometric embossed sort of style which you can see clearly in the pictures above, but it makes them extra cool. The outer material is sort of a mesh/wipe clean type, so it means you can get most dirt off if you go for a run when it’s wet (I did this, and they still look as good as new). Comfort wise, they are perfect.

I walked around all day with them, and they didn’t ache or irritate my feet at all. The socks make it even more enjoyable because they are very cosy fitting, and stay put, so no irritating feet here! The one thing I only noticed very recently was a special page on the Nike site, which says to start using them gradually… I didn’t know this so being silly, I’ve been wearing them every day… oops. Sorry feet! I took a closer look at the sole of my trainers, and the front/toe area is a lot more flexible than the rest of the shoe, which means that you are using your muscles more naturally. If you wiggle your toes about, you will see that most of the front part of your foot will move, where as your heel stays put. The soles are specially made exactly for that reason. Clever! 😉

”Nike Free shoes are specifically designed to let your feet move more naturally and freely than traditional athletic shoes. Over time, this helps make your feet stronger. But because you’ll be using some muscles in your feet more than you might be used to, it may take some time for them to get used to all that freedom. To give your feet time to adapt, we recommend you transition into using your Nike Free footwear gradually.” – Nike

What I Wore:  Nike Free TR Fit 5.0 £85.00* & Nike Low Ped Socks £10.00* (Both at JD Sports), White Dress €2.00 (Jumble Sale) & Floral Headband (DIY).

I love styling these shoes, whether it is for a walk around the local lake (the reason for the slide…), or for an actual run, they look great. I love wearing this dress with them, because it makes it look very… modern and girly?! It’s definitely still a weather appropriate outfit, and when it gets a bit cooler, I can just pop on some purple leopard print leggings (yeah, double leopard print – I’m making it a thing.), or some jeans. The morning I took these pictures, I made another floral headband. I found the gorgeous false flowers when wondering through a town, where a man had a stall selling lots of different varieties, and for just €3.00 for a bunch of 2, I was very satisfied. Ahhh, I still cannot believe how beautiful my new trainers are, I am one very lucky girl.

I definitely think a new pair of trainers can really motivate you to start getting fit. I haven’t done a lot of sport because of being home schooled, but I am going to try and starting doing some running. I think if you feel good in what you wear whilst running/cycling etc, you will feel like you have worth doing it for. I just want to state that I am not doing running to lose weight. I am running to get fit and to be more active and healthy, I have no intention of losing any weight.

I’m really excited to be writing this ‘My Style’ post. I absolutely loved wearing this outfit, and editing it was even more fun. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and make sure you put on your 50s cap for this one!

What I Wore: Denim Dress €2.00 (IKKS – Jumble Sale), Blue Cardigan (Primark), Aztec Knee High Socks (River Island), Jelly Shoes €4.00 (Supermarket), Vintage Cat Eye Sunglasses €1.00 (Jumble Sale).

I feel like a vintage doll in this outfit. The dress is just so simple and versatile, it’s one of my best jumble sale finds. I popped a white t-shirt underneath, with some gorgeous knee high socks and my black jelly shoes. I love how all the colours match together, and I feel like I could wear this in whichever season. Just pop on some tights in winter, and voila! Hehe, anyone spot Mama Posh in the reflection?

If you think that these photos aren’t in focus, well you are wrong. I looked up how to edit them all vintage-y, and I now finally know off by heart the ins and outs of making your photos look beautifully retro. Also, yes, I am wearing eye liner. It seems every time I wear my Primark cardigan, I am always wearing eye liner?! I feel like the eye liner just completes the look and feel of this outfit, and it makes me feel a little bit more special!

I just love this outfit, so so so so much. It’s the most gorgeous outfit ever, and err, I love it. Haha! I don’t think I will keep the editing the same again, but I will keeping it as light and delicate as this. What do you think? Too much or too little? Let me know in the comments!

Excuse the really odd title of this My Style post. I thought it was quite fitting, though…?! I also excuse the fact that my editing is changing. I’m trying to find the perfect way that suits the feel of my outfits I wear, I know it can be annoying, but I just can’t find the right type of colours etc

What I Wore: Floral Crown (DIY), Oriental Silk Kimono Top €1.00 (Jumble Sale), Sleeveless Parrot Blouse £8.00* (Peacocks), Petite Lasercut Hi Low Skirt £13.00 (ASOS), Jelly Shoes (Supermarket).

I LOVE THIS OUTFIT. When this gorgeous blouse slipped through my letter box, I was like.. ‘Hmm, what should I wear it with’, so I went on the hunt for something to wear with it. BINGO. A 1 EURO Silk Kimono Top in the perfect turquoise blue. The colour picks out the parrots in my blouse, and ooooh they look so nice together. Add my flowy lasercut skirt from ASOS (Still available here, grab it whilst you can!), and it’s just perfect. Although this blouse is Peacocks, I really do like it. It’s great quality for the price. The one thing that is a shame, is the fact that there are only a few gems in the range for girls, which are in the midst of 1D T-Shirts, so come on Peacocks, give us some more! I definitely think I would wear this to LFW though, for one of the more informal shows… *sob sob* Ahhh, one can dream!

As I always do, here is the lifestyle part of my OOTDs… last week we went on a day trip, involving an hour and a half car journey. We went to a pretty village which was basically on the edge of a hill (One of the building was IN the hill). We had a walk round, a drink and a kebab – the yummy ones, pita bread, chips, BBQ sauce, onion… you know the drill. We then went back home stopping off to of course take my OOTD pictures 😉 #bloggerproblems. It was a really lovely day, but also absolutely boiling! I am going to miss the summer, but oh boy, I can’t wait for cosy nights in the winter!

What up, peeps?! Today it is the 3rd installment of The Beauty Reviews. If you don’t know already this is the only beauty post I publish on this blog. It happens every month, and it’s basically a round up of some products I have been loving (or hating!). I’m not 100% feeling these posts, so please let me know if you like them or not, but yeah… enjoy…

Concoction ‘ShampYou’ £14.00 & Creme De Conditioner £16.00*: I was really excited to receive these products. The concept of Concoction, is basically to personalise your haircare. You can choose from a variety of ‘bases’ for your shampoo and a choice of different ‘shots’ which are things like moisture boosts etc, just like a cocktail. I have the Bakhour ShampYou base, with the Turn Up The Volume & Back To Your Roots Superserums and the Cashmere & Water Lily Conditioner. First of all… The packaging; It’s sleek, and simple, but when wet, it is really slippery and hard to hold. The lids are quite hard to use because it means having to squeeze the slippery bottle to actually get the product out, of which I found hard to do with the conditioner. The Superserums; You add these to the shampoo. Snap the lids off, and unscrew the bottle of shampoo, pour in the serums and shake for at least a minute. I found this quite an annoying process in my opinion, but I like how personal it is. The outcome; To be honest with you, I think this is an over priced product.. eep! I didn’t see a massive difference when I used the products together. The shampoo did it’s job in making my hair clean, but it didn’t really make it fresh like some other ones I use. The conditioner again didn’t really do much, but did make my hair silky. I haven’t seen extra volume in my hair from the Turn Up The Volume Superserum, but my roots do feel a bit nicer from the Back To Your Roots one. All In All; I think I will need to keep trying this product even more to see exactly the changes, so I will report back to you! But for now, I’m not 100% feeling it. The concept is nice, but the product… hmm? Rating: 6.5/10

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 640, Plum Luck: As it’s getting nearer to A/W, I’m using darker colours on my nails. This colour is a really nice, dark purple colour. It looks almost black, but with a nice purpley red tone to it. With a clear top coat it looks so shiny, and takes around 4 days without chipping. It looks a lot lighter in the bottle, so I would be aware of that. It’s actually one of my favourite formulas at the moment, and the colour too. Rating: 8/10

Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with Orange Extracts: I found this amongst a load of products which I rarely use, and I decided to give it a go. This cleanser is a really nice, fresh exfoliater. I like to use this after removing any make-up, but this is probably only once a week. Although it is quite gentle, I think if you have quite sensitive skin, it could be quite rough for you. I find even if I go on my cheeks, it can start irritating around my eye area, because the grains are quite big. The consistency is a nice creamy one though. I think it would be good for oily skin types, and a nice summer cleanser as it is refreshing. Rating: 7/10

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash: I bought this sort of on a whim when I heard of foaming face washes (sounds silly that I’d never heard of them, I know!), but it’s actually really really nice. It’s amazingly gentle, but it definitely soaks into the skin. If I have any blemishes or small spots, I like to wash my face with this as it seems to reduce the appearance of them. It’s nice and foamy at first and you only need one pump, after rubbing it in it goes into a more soapy consistency which is when you know it is really working. Simply wash off with water, and voila! I use this most mornings and nights, and I’d say it is a perfect face wash for anyone my age or in their teens. Rating: 9/10

Heal Gel for Eyes £32.00*: I’ve been really interested in buying an eye gel because of what the beauty blogging community has been saying about them. I’ve used a cream one before, but really didn’t see any difference, so when this came up, I was intrigued. It’s a clear gel which comes with a handy pump. It’s a great travel size and would be great for people on the go. I love the packaging, it’s very simple and quirky. What I like about this is the fact that you can get really close up to your eyes, and it doesn’t irritate them at all. It’s very gentle. When using it, throughout the day or in the morning, I do see a difference. I also see a difference when I’ve been using it for around 2 days, but if I stop, my eyes just go back to normal. It makes my under eye area, nice and soft, and also a little tighter, but I don’t see much of a difference. I’m going to carry on using it and see if it makes a difference in the long run, but for now, I call it my ‘under eye moisturiser’. Rating 7/10

I hope you liked these mini reviews! I’m sorry it was a long one, but I had to fit a lot in! If you do like these posts, do let me know because I don’t know whether to keep them as part of my blog, or not? 

Bonjour! It’s taking my ages to actually take the pictures for this My Style instalment. I tried it at the beach, but my hair got wet, but then I realised that we recently bought a tripod and remote for our camera. Which means… I can take the photos myself! Woop! Excuse the weird 2 toned hair colour… not sure what happened there…

What I Wore: Floral & Embroidery Print Bomber Jacket £18.00 (ASOS Petite), Monochrome Aztec Dress (H&M – Jumble Sale), Cyan Jelly Shoes £19.00* (Sun Jellies), Love Beaded Bracelet £3.50* & Spiral Above Knuckle Ring* (Both from Daisy Mae Jewellery)

Except from changing into a swimming costume or my PJs, I have been living in this outfit the past week or so. Slight exaggeration, I do change. I just love it! It’s a very LLYMLRS inspired outfit, because I have been loving how she mixes bright colours with monochrome. I haven’t really known how to wear my ASOS Jacket since the #stylebloggerawards, but I think this is the perfect way! It’s casual but it has a certain ‘some-in’ some-in” going on. It’s incredibly comfy too! Even in the heat, this jacket doesn’t get too hot, unless you are in direct sunlight, then you may, quite possibly, boil up into a brightly coloured soup (with croutons of course.)

As I said, this outfit is very LLYMLRS inspired. I’m trying to make my style a little bit more retro and quirky because I just love certain aspects of the retro vibe, but at the same time, I want to keep my grunge feelings running through my style, and of course my love of mixing prints.  Looking at the above picture though, my hair looks ginger at the front and dark brown at the back?! Weird lighting alert haha!

In terms of jewellery with this outfit, I like to keep it simple, which means adding 2 cute pieces from Daisy Mae Jewellery. I found Daisy’s store over Instagram and instantly fell in love! She makes all the pieces herself, and I am obsessed with her chocolate and cake inspired rings! They are amazing! Daisy kindly sent me this gorgeous bracelet and ring. My favourite has got to be the bracelet! I was going to by a similar one ages a go for about 5 times the price because I loved the little gem (it says ‘love’ on the otherside!), but this one is so cute and it makes my summer tan look that little bit more.. tanned. Haha!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t so happy with the ring. I absolutely loved it when it arrived! It was rose gold and really shiny. There was a little note with it which told me to add a coat of clear nail polish, and I forgot 🙁 The ring is now a copper colour which doesn’t quite look as dainty. I love the shape of it, and it is the perfect of sizes, but it’s a shame it is now a funny colour!

You lot seem to be absolutely loving this series of blog posts?! I didn’t think that it would be so popular! Following on from the last post, you guys wanted me to do a post all about ‘how to gain exposure’ for your blog, so here it is, Blogging Top Tips: Gaining Exposure! *long post… sorry*

Social Media: Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
Social Media is one of the best places to gain exposure because literally everyone and their dog has an account on one place or another. Here is my little guide of why to join what!

Why Use Twitter?: Twitter is the place to be as a blogger. Not only can you promote your blog, you can connect with brands and bloggers in your area, bloggers who are the same age, bloggers who blog about the same things, literally anyone.
What Can I Do On Twitter?: You can promote your blog, talk to people and share your views on topics. For bloggers I would recommend using Twitter for self promotion and connecting with people.
What To Remember?: Add the hashtag chats into your schedule. Times are in GMT.

Monday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Tuesday – #fblchat at 8pm – Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle.
Wednesday – #bbloggers at 8pm – Beauty.
Thursday – #fbloggers at 8pm – Fashion.
Friday – #teenagebloggerchat – Teen Bloggers.
Sunday – #lbloggers at 7pm, and #bbloggers at 8pm – Lifestyle & Beauty.

Why Use Facebook?: Facebook is great for connecting friends, family and friends of friends etc to your blog. Although this seems scary and ’embarrassing’ it’s nice to know what people think if they know you. It’s also nice because it’s a more safe environment in my opinion.
What Can I Do On Facebook?: You can promote your blog, get feedback easily, and get your favourite blogs into your feed! You can also create a Facebook page which you can link up to your BlogLovin’ so your ‘likers’ can get every post you publish, in their feed.
What To Remember?: Join blogging groups. It’s a great way to get exposure for your blogs and also you can find some new friends! The groups I have joined are: FBL Bloggers – The makers of the #fblchat on Twitter – & Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Bloggers (Very similar but different bloggers in each).

Why Use Instagram?: A LOT of people use Instagram on their phones, so imagine taking pictures from your blog posts and reminding people to read them? It’s a good idea. AND you can also connect with brands who have Instagram too!
What Can I Do On Instagram?: Connect with brands, share your new blog posts and find new bloggers to chat with.
What To Remember?: Use hashtags which are relevant. Brands will follow the blogger hashtags so they can find people who would be good to connect with. Plus, you might just get some likes and followers!

Advertise On Other Blogs: This is a great way to gain exposure! Not only will you connect with your favourite blogs you will also get their followers interested in another blog! A lot of bloggers either do button swaps, or they have very low prices. Obviously paying £25 to advertise on a blog for a month might be a bit too much, look at smaller blogs who have quite a few followers of which are interested in the same things as you. This is also good because brands who connect with the blogs you advertise on, may just want to connect with you as well. It’s also super easy! Pretty much 99.9% of bloggers will allow payment through PayPal, so it’s simples. *meerkat squeal* You can find my advertising prices here! Cheeky plug, I know 😉

Guest Blog For Other Bloggers: This is a really great way of gaining exposure. Bloggers have lives, which means… if they are going away or are having a little break, then they might need the help of YOU (yes, you) to blog for them! It’s pretty much free advertising. Take the opportunity to show your writing skills to another audience. It’s also a nice way to make your ‘Features’ or ‘Press’ page a little bit more bulky. It shows you can write well for other people, and for what ever type of topic.

 I hope you enjoyed this post! Unfortunately I can’t tell you how to make your views ping up. As I said in the last post, numbers don’t matter! The only thing I would say is to keep blogging. Every day if needs be. It keeps your followers interested and they will keep coming back. It’s taken me over a year to get where I am, and to be honest… I don’t even get a 500 views a day. It takes time and effort so keep going. You’ll ‘get there’ in the end. I promise. 🙂 *cheese on toast*

Well hello there, how are you? It’s been a whole 2 weeks since I sat down and wrote a blog post for you guys, and I have missed it. This post will explain the slight changes you may have noticed, exactly why I was away for ‘so long’ and, of course, a cheeky little give-away thrown in too 😉

Most of you probably won’t know, but my now, old, banner has been on this blog since the very day it began. That was when I was 11 years ‘young’, and I am now 13. I may not be completely different, but I definitely feel like I have changed in my style, so I felt it was the right time to change a few things around here. I had to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new, and I quite like this 2nd chapter so far. It’s still bright and fun, but it’s a bit more laid back and simple than before. Of course I had to keep the TDP headband in there, because that is part of me. The outfit with the headband is actually quite special because it includes 2 things which have been a big part of my blogging story, which are my ASOS jacket and my blue sunglasses. Sounds a bit random, but I wore the jacket to the #stylebloggerawards and it was also my 13th birthday treat, and the sunglasses were from the awards themselves so they have a nice memory with them.

Some of you may not like the new banner, but I do. I feel like it portrays me now more than my last one, and I think it will be a nice fresh way to start the new upcoming season. I definitely couldn’t have kept my old one for much longer, because I’m 13… things will change… #awkward… Also, the content of my blog is going to change slightly, i.e there is going to be way more designs, and fashion trends, more inspo posts, and fashion-y things. I hope you will enjoy it!

Moving on to the reason I was away; If you have seen on my Instagram, you may already know, but for those of you don’t then, here you go… this October, I won’t just be a sister, a daughter, granddaughter or niece, I will become an aunty and a godmother. I am extremely excited about the new addition to the family, and I felt it would be weird to keep such a big thing from you. My family were all over in the south of France these past weeks, soaking up the sun, and enjoying each others company, and I loved it!

Now to the give-away!  I’m sorry this post is so long, I needed to update you all!
So, I haven’t done a give-away in like… ages. The reason is because I was waiting for the right time, and I think it’s probably the perfect time now! This give-away is a thank you to all of my loyal followers who spur me on in reaching my dream. It’s not a fancy prize, unfortunately, but it’s just a few small things which I hope you will enjoy.

Prizes: 1 x The September Issue DVD (Rating: 12), 1 x Illustrated Portrait by myself, 1 x Black Lace Eye Rock, 1 x Pair of Purple Daisy Earrings, 1 x Ad Space for your blog/site (Non-blogger alternative: Write a blog post for Tolly!)

THIS GIVE-AWAY HAS NOW ENDED!
The winner was … Laura Jarvis

That is it! Good Luck everyone! Thanks for sticking with me these past 2 weeks! I look forward to blogging again! I really do ‘love’ the support you guys give to me, it is so helpful, and you are da’ bestest. *virtual hug*