FBFF - Inspiration

Mary Katrantzou AW11

Erdem SS11

Dolce and Gabbana SS11

Some of the catwalk looks that are inspiring me at the moment - images from elleuk.com

Although I have only been participating in Fashion and Beauty Friend Friday for a short time, it has been going for one year now. I have been reading and enjoying the posts for much longer than I have actually been joining in and am delighted to be able to mark this milestone with a post about inspiration using the same questions that were answered by the group a year ago.

1. Which celebrity (celebrities) do you look to for fashion inspiration?

I don't think that I really look to any celebrities in particular more real people through blogs and street style images. I find these looks are usually much more interesting and wearable. I do however quite like Katy Perry's, Jessie J and Dita Von Teese's style but would never copy them completely as it just wouldn't suit me and I much prefer to try and be unique.

2. When it comes to your own personal style, what inspires you?

I mainly get inspiration from clothes that I see others wearing on blogs but also designer collections and sometimes anything and everything I look at from flowers to posters, art and interior decor. I love contrast, patterns, prints and bright colours. You can see the blogs that I regularly read, I am inspired to different degrees by all of these blogs.

3. How do you hope to inspire your readers?

I hope to inspire my readers with fashion and style that is also has a minimal impact on the environment. I don't want to be constantly preaching to people what they should and shouldn't buy or wear (especially as I am by no means perfect) but I hope that I can introduce new eco brands and show looks made from second hand or old clothes that might show people an alternative to fast fashion.
I also realise that style is a really personal thing and not everyone will like all of my outfits but there might be some elements of them that they like or be inspired by.

4. Outside the realm of fashion who/what inspires you?

For business Saffia Minney the founder of People tree provides lots of inspiration on how you can run a business and still remain ethical and true to your values. My children also inspire me no end, hard to explain how but they do.
5. And since Idol is ending… Which songs inspire you?

Lenny Kravitz - Are you gonna go my way? and anything by Black Eyed Peas, Bob Marley No Woman, No Cry. I am sure there are loads more but I just can't think of them at the moment.

Where do you get your inspiration? Have a lovely Easter weekend

With warmest wishes

Ceri X

FBFF Spring Trend

This weeks topic for Fashion and Beauty Friend Friday is Spring Trend.
What are the top 5 Spring trends that you are looking forward to seeing/sporting this season? (Can be anything from makeup, shoes, accessories, clothing, etc..)

What an excellent topic. With all the beautiful summery weather we have been having I am definitely feeling in the mood for wearing some spring and summer clothes. Just hoping it is going to hang around for a bit longer. For me Spring and summer is mainly about bright colours as you will see from my favourite trends.

At number one of my favourite spring trends has got to be stripes. I love the bold and bright Prada stripes but I also love the more classic Breton stripes that seem to be still hanging around from last summer. Most of all I love mixing stripes with other patterns.

Which leads me nicely onto my second favourite trend for the spring pattern mixing. Again this is not really a trend that is particularly new for this spring (are any of them?), it has been bubbling away for some time now. It was clearly evident in one way or another at a number of the shows including D and G, Moschino Cheap and Chic, Alexander McQueen (which featured patterns withing patterns), Marc Jacobs, Prada, Miu Miu, Kenzo, Philosophy Di Alberta Ferretti and Chanel. I just love the bright and boldness of this trend and the way it is so cleverly done. You can also create your own individual look within this trend.

At number three, has to be bright floral patterns. Another trend that seems to come back year after year. For this spring and summer there were lots of really bright florals on the catwalk so hopefully there will be plenty around in the shops. I am also pretty sure that I will have some lying around in my wardrobe from previous years.

Number four on my list is colour blocking. This was most obvious at Jil Sanders but also lots of other shows. This is another great trend for DIYing and you can easily adapt it to create your own look. I like to try and adapt it to fit in with the types of clothes that suit me so leggings, long tops, cropped jackets and cardigans. I also love this trend as it gives me the chance to wear all my favourite colours at once.

With so many colourful favourites for spring, I think it is only fair to give my eyes (and those around me) a break. White is my final favourite trend if you can call it that. I specifically like the floaty, lacy, sporty and sheer whites which were almost everywhere for the shows. I couldn't really choose between them as I loved them all.

What are your favorite spring trends?

You can check out lots of other FBFF posts here on Modly Chic .

All images from elleuk.com

Friend Friday- Rules of Engagement

This weeks Friend Friday topic is Rules of Engagement

Katy said "A number of bloggers have reached out to me recently about how to deal with Tweets, emails, DMs etc… from people who seem to be only pushing their own blog. It got me thinking – for a new blogger the rules of engagement with others in the blogging world is uncharted territory. We learn a lot about how to do it from trial and error."

Funnily enough, this week in particular I have been really busy with guest posting, I have been doing guest posts as part of my business in promoting websites for a few years but have very rarely done so for this blog (this topic has just spurred me into action on this). Hoping I might be able to offer a little insight though from my business experiences though...

I am guessing I have probably got it wrong more often than right so it has been a steep learning curve.

1. Guest posts are a good way to gain new exposure. What do you think is the appropriate way to go about securing a guest spot?

I always think that any sort of relationship of this sort should be mutally beneficial in some way. Bloggers get so many emails and requests generally I don't think they have the time or energy to do favours. Any request you make should not be asking for a favour but stating what they can gain from it.

Some of the benefits could include a post on a really intersting subject that will help to draw traffic to their blog, an offer to provide posts during a busy periond for them or holiday, a guest post exchange so you both benefit from a link and traffic. Other possible ways of making it more attractive is that you will link back to them from your guest post page or perhaps you could offer to spend a little time bookmarking the post you have written which will help to optimise their blog.

A good way to start looking for guest posts is to approach blogs that already have an idea of who you are, so perhaps a blog that you have been reading and commenting on for a while. You should also show some understanding of their readership and that you can write for their audience.
2. Leaving comments is essential to growing your blog. But how can you leave a comment without coming across as ‘Follow Me. Follow Me!’?

I feel quite strongly that reading and commenting on blogs should not just be about getting a comment back. I try and visit everyone who comments on my blogs once but I only keep going back if I like what I read, my life is far busy to spend time reading blogs that don't interest me.

The only way to leave a comment without coming across as 'follow me, follow me' is to read the post properly and comment on how you actually feel about it. I never leave my url in blog posts, there is no need., if people want to follow you back they can click on your name.

3. We’ve all gotten a mass email at one time or another asking for blog exposure, a link exchange, etc… But the mass emails don’t work. How do you make your email stand out from the crowd?

Making it personal is definitely the key. State what you actually like about their blog, use their name and as I mentioned before state why it will be mutually beneficial. Also be just genuine and friendly.
4. In interacting with other bloggers where do you draw the line between seeking support and begging for exposure?

I don't ever beg for anything, although I might sometimes politely ask for advice. As I work with bloggers quite a bit through my work I guess I look at it from a business point of view which makes it a bit less personal and easier to detatch yourself from rejection. There has to be something in it for both parties otherwise you are highly unlikely to get any joy. If the benefits don't appeal to someone then I just think 'fair enough' and move on, there are plenty of others who might see the benefit to them. If I can't find anyone then I think I need to rethink what I am proposing and try something different.

5. What’s one rule of engagement error you made and how have you remedied that?

I am sure that I have made loads. Usually the errors are the ones that get no reponse at all though, which means no feedback so it is difficult to know what you have done wrong and very difficult to remedy. Probably the biggest error is sending impersonal emails or not sending them at all because I am too scared of rejection. Whilst you sometimes think that you are asking people for a favour, they see it differently and are happy to help as it offers them some benefit too. In my work and through writing this blog, I am constantly amazed by how friendly and welcoming fashion bloggers are. The more you become part of the community the more you will feel comfortable interacting with others in it.

You can read more of this weeks posts over at Modly Chic

Finally, I have been a bit lax over the last week with posting. Here is one outfit that I have had a chance to post.

Dress - Sandwich

Scarf tied around waist - vintage (Oxfam online)

Shoes - i can't remember, but it will come to me

Necklace - a pressy from my mum 

Cat - Mia

Have a lovely weekend, I am looking forward to a super long Mother's Day lie in.

With warmest wishes

Ceri X

Friend Friday - Feminism and Fashion Blogging

This weeks Friend Friend Friday topic is Feminism. Quite a difficult one for me to tackle as I am not entirely sure what feminism means especially in the context of fashion and clothing. But in the interest of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and perhaps even learning something new I have decided to give it a go any how.

So here goes:
1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion? to me feminism suggest some sort of freedom to be who you want to be regardless of your sex, fashion is also a way of expressing who you are so no not really, unless perhaps you work somewhere where the dress code does not allow this expression (luckily this is not the case for me as I work for myself).

2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog? I do write about my work quite a bit on my blog and some other other aspects of my life although I am really quite obsessed with fashion and my blog is an outlet for this. The one thing (and very important part of my life) that I do not feel happy sharing much about on my blog is my children.

3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role? I am really not sure. Perhaps there would be less experimental designs and more comfortable clothes. I recently read some where that Christian Louboutin disliked 'comfort' shoes which made me laugh as it is easy to say something like that when it is not you that has to wear them. I don't think style and comfort have are mutually exclusive and perhaps women might design more with this in mind.

4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?
I think I have a good self image and I hope that I carry myself well and I guess that is backed up by a strong belief that everyone should be valued for what they are. I think individuality should be celebrated and it is peoples quirks and differences that make the world such an interesting place. I was brought up with a strong sense of worth and that no one was better than me but also to treat others as I would expect to be treated myself. I guess this must form part of my self image.  I am quite shy verbally but prefer to express myself through my clothes.

5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons? a difficult one. I guess we all communicate in different ways but visual information is probably one of the first things that people notice about you so telling people about yourself in this way makes it quicker and easier for people to get to know you. I also think that if you dress in a way that you feel comfortable you will feel more confident and therefore able more able to express the real you.

I think clothes and makeup can be used as a mask to hide the real you but this would come across as incongruent in a similar way to if you try and behave in a way that is unatural to you or not fitting with your identity, people will intuitively pick up on it. However it is also completely possible to express the real you without clothes and make up if you don't have the option for example if you wear a uniform, for some people like me this would take more effort though.
If you are interested in reading more about this topic there are many more interesting and informed posts to read on Modly Chic.

If you're interested in FBFF, go to Modly Chic for more information then e-mail Katy if you want to join the group.

Friend Friday - In the Beginning

One of my earliest attempts at pattern mixing

This weeks Friend Friday topic is 'In the beginning'  and asks what have been the 5 hardest blogging lesson you've learned during this process that have helped you to become a better blogger as a result? This post actually required quite a lot of though for me. Firstly as I am not entirely sure that I have become a better blogger, although the blog has evolved and changed. It also suddenly occurred to me that this blog has been running for nearly three and a half years and I never even noticed. I think a birthday party (or at least a cake) is well overdue.

When I first starting blogging, the blog was set up to drive traffic to my other websites. However the blog quickly took over and became a creative outlet for me.
Blogging is just a type of social media - in other words it should be social. The reading of other blogs and interacting with the other bloggers that is just as fun if not more so than writing the posts. I didn't really get this at first and just published my posts. It all felt a bit lonely and not much fun. Now I interact much more. I am completely addicted to blogging and reading other blogs and I feel like I have got loads of new friends.

Quality over quantity - at first I used up a lot of energy trying to post something to my blog every day. I ended up compromising on the quality of the posts and feeling like a failure if I didn't manage to post. Now I only post if I feel like I have something worthwhile to say. If I don't feel like blogging one day, I don't! - it would only feel empty and will probably sound empty to readers too.

Start as you mean to go on -  it is easier if you get somethings right at the beginning. It is worth doing a bit of research to start with and getting the right blog name, url and platform that you want to stick with. It saves on loads of time and hassle in the long run.

You don't have to participate in every partnership - If you accept every single offer of freebies, samples or advertising that comes along you might make a bit of money but you will end up feeling like your blog is not your own any more. The turn around for me was when I decided to only write about about products I love no matter what the financial gain. I now turn away advertorial posts posts on the basis that it is a personal blog so I write about what I like.

Have a vision for your blog - in the early days I felt like my blog was meandering along without  a clear aim. When I actually spent a little time thinking about what I wanted from my blog and what I wanted to achieve, it became so much more interesting and also hopefully helped me to differentiate myself from the other blogs out there. I wanted it to be personal to me so I started showing a little more of my personality and make it my own by posting outfit pictures. I also wanted to promote ethical and eco fashion but in a subtle way that would appeal to everyone and not just those who already love it.

Do you have any tips or lessons that you have learnt since you started blogging?

Interested in joining in the conversation? Learn more about Fashion Beauty Friend Friday and then join the Google Group. This will get you access to the Friday questions a couple days early as well as the off-blog conversations we have on any number of topics.


Have a good weekend

With warmest wishes

Ceri X

In case you are a little confused as to why this post has been posted on Thursday instead of Friday, I have decided to participate in the bloggers day of silence For Japan With Love. There is not really anything meaningful I can say about what is happening other than my thoughts and prayers are with all of those who are suffering or have lost people close to them.

Friend Friday - Finding the balance

I am really excited to have been accepted into the Fashion Beauty Friend Friday Group. I have really enjoyed reading all of the Friend Friday posts on other blogs and decided I would love to join in the conversation. This weeks subject is finding the balance which is incredibly relevant to me and my life at the moment.

I think this is one of the hardest things for us as bloggers to deal with. How do you do it all and still live, work and play as you should?

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall? I don't spend nearly as much time blogging it as I would like. I have two children aged 8 and 3 and also run my own business which means I work 35-40 hours a week around looking after and spending time with children. I work most evenings until 11pm and most weekends. As I work in online marketing, PR and blogging, quite a bit of my work time is also spent writing and blogging for customers, this is however very different to writing my own personal blog which I have much more creative freedom over. It is also really important to me to keep fit so I exercise 3 times a week. I never watch TV or read books as I don't have time and much prefer to blog.

Blogging kind of comes at the end of quite a long list but that doesn't mean that it isn't important to me. I started my blog as a creative outlet so perhaps the fact that it is so low down the list at the moment is a just a symptom of an overly busy life. Not complaining though as I love my life, for me I am achieveing the ideal of work life balance and if I didn't keep busy, I would get bored. As long as I get some time each week to blog I am happy (well most of the time anyway).

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible? Yes I wish there were at least four or five more hours in the day. I have just invested in an iphone 4 which is great for catching up with my favourite blogs whilst waiting outside the school, on the train or  waiting to go in to a gym class. I have cut down on the number of posts that I write recently and think this has probably benefitted the blog by allowing me to focus more on quality than quantity. I also try not to check emails/ blog stats etc too often as this can be distracting.

My final and post important trick is to stop as soon as you get a mind block or become unproductive and find something else to do instead.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient? The only thing that I do  is scribble notes in a note book so that I never spend time at my laptop trying to get inspiration, when I sit down I am ready to write. I also try and make a quick plan in my head or on paper of the points that I want to cover before I start writing.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead? Not really I find being too regimented stifles my creativity plus I would feel a real sense of failure when I didn't keep to it. I might come up with an idea that I love the sound of to start with but a week later it sounds really boring and I can't be bothered to write about it. I have a white board and lots of notebooks with scribbled ideas but it is all quite random.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now? I would spend lots more time improving my photography skills and making outfits. I would love to have a regular feature to show how you can style charity shop clothes to fit with this seasons trends, I would also love to spend much more time finding out about new eco/ ethical designer doing interviews and making DIY pieces.

I would love to hear what you think about finding the right balance. Do you have any tips?

You can find links to all of the Friend Friday Posts on ModlyChic.

Happy Friday!

With warmest wishes

Ceri X