Pinterest 101 Class with Bloguettes

We all know that Pinterest is a mega force in the social media world. In fact, it's the 3rd largest social platform and it's only 4 years old (Facebook is 10 and Twitter is 8). Pinterest is also responsible for 43% of e-commerce referral traffic. That's a BIG slice of the pie for being only four years old! If you are a small business owner or blogger looking to have a strong social presence you definitely need to be on Pinterest, but what to do with your account is another question. How do you grow a following? How do you get people to repin your images? How do you get traffic back to your site? Those are the questions everyone is asking, and those are the questions I'm going to answer at my Pinterest 101 class with the Bloguettes.

Be there! Register here!

Date: Wednesday, November 12th Time: 6pm to 8pm Place: Wela Creative Studio (7147 E. Rancho Vista Drive, Ste. B37 in Optima Camelview) Cost: $35

I hope you can make it! It's going to be a lot of fun!

Black & Tulle Skirt

Sometimes you just have to put on a big, fluffy skirt and twirl. I promise it'll make you feel so pretty.

I adore this pale peach tulle skirt from Lulu*s. I have already worn it playing dress up with Elle (seriously), and I have worn it out with a basic black turtleneck. This one from Adea is perfect because it resembles a dance leotard and creates the look of a ballerina without coming across as a Halloween costume.

You could easily dress this skirt down with a chambray shirt or a crisp white button down. Ballet flats instead of heels would also be a smart choice if you don't want to look fancy.

You would think that wearing a tight top and a girly skirt wouldn't be the most comfortable outfit, but on the contrary, it's one of the easiest, most comfortable and elegant outfits I own! I think I might be wearing this outfit for the holidays. What do you think?

Photos by Michelle Herrick

Get the look: Skirt, top, shoes

Smoke & Shadows

Happy Halloween! In honor of the spooky holiday my dear friends Ale Vidal, Stephanie Neiheisel and I decided to create a shoot around the idea of smoke and shadows featuring this to DIE for dress by Fame & Partners.

The most glamorous ghoul of them all is a vampire. They are always depicted as wealthy - living in castles, wearing intricate jewelry and sporting bad ass black hair. With the golden details of this unique top over a slim, satin black dress - Stephanie portrayed a vampire living among the smoke and shadows of darkness.

Rarely as a stylist and art director do I get to be theatrical with my concepts. Instead it's always creating to sell something or someone. In some ways what I do with commercial styling can be see more as smoke and mirrors over something like this. Obviously, thought and planning went into the concept, outfit and makeup for this shoot. Sometimes with "lifestyle" shoots they can appear "effortless," but in reality they are just the same amount of effort - sometimes it's even MORE planning. Doing that as a profession day in and day out can take a tole on your perception of reality causing high expectations of myself and for others.

The world of content creation and Pinterest is a world of smoke and mirrors. Though a lot of the imagery can be achieved on your own much of it can't. My advice is to always remember that a lot of the content is purely inspirational and creates a dream world like television. Take it with a grain of salt. Don't let it kill you! (mwahahahahaaa). But seriously...don't let it suck the life out of you like a vampire.

Photography by Ale Vidal Styling and concept by A.V.E. Styles Makeup, hair and modeling by Stephanie Neiheisel Dress from Fame & Partners

Boho Chic with Faux Fur

fauxfur

I've been on the hunt for a fabulous faux fur vest for years, and I've finally found one. This gray "Kya fur vest" from Tart Collections was just what I was looking for. It looks and feels expensive, and it's affordable. Cha-ching! The color creates enough contrast against my hair ensuring I don't look like a lion when I wear it. I love that this vest stops past the natural waist but doesn't cover my bottom; thus elongating my body and not letting me lose my shape completely.

Of course, this vest looks great with a simple long-sleeve top like this one above from Adea and jeans, but why not embrace the 70's bohemian chic fall trend and punch up the style with a maxi dress, maxi skirt or long gaucho pants? Top your outfit off with a great carpet bag like this one from Anthropologie.

carpetbag

fauxfur1

If that's too wild for you, try wearing your faux fur vest with a long-sleeve shift dress such as this one from ZARA. The slight pattern on the dress resembles a paisley pattern you would have seen in the 70's, but the modern color palette and pairing with black booties keeps the outfit current.

fauxfur5

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What do you think of this boho chic fall trend? Do you dig it? Will you be buying a faux fur vest?

Photos by Michelle Herrick

*The post was sponsored by Tart Collections and Adea Everyday Luxury.*

How to Look Web-Cam Ready

In one week I'll be presenting about Pinterest strategies for hundreds of stylish bloggers and business owners for Alt on Topic. I couldn't be more excited to share my Pinterest knowledge, but I'm so nervous about giving a talk online. I've never done it before, and I am just praying I don't have any technical difficulties. One thing that has crossed my mind is what I should wear and how I should dress for my talk. Let's be honest, web cameras make everyone look terrible. Whenever I see my face using Skype and Facetime I just try to look away because I feel like the wide angle distorts my face a bit. After thinking about what to wear and how to impress for my presentation, I decided I needed some help in the makeup department. I asked my dear friend, Stephanie Neieheisel, to show me how to create a face that is web-cam ready, and we thought this would be great advice for all of you too! You can check out the video below, and don't forget to subscribe to her YouTube channel for more makeup tips!

Of course, makeup isn't the only thing that can help you make a great impression. Check out my latest eBay guide sharing accessory tips to help you look great for an online date. And, if you're interested in attending this one day webinar head on over to Instagram to win a ticket to Alt on Topic.