Wow guys, I can’t believe it’s almost 2018. I pretty much blinked and this year flew by. It’s been a pretty amazing year both personally and professionally blog-wise. It hasn’t been easy this year being a new mama and trying to grow my blog so I thought it would be fun to share with you guys a little “behind the scenes” and a few blogging tips I’ve picked up along the way. What does it take to get a blog post up? Keep reading if you want to find out….

First and foremost my husband takes my photos. So that right there is a blessing and a curse. Yes, it is great because I don’t have to pay a photographer but it can also be not so great on those days where he really doesn’t feel like playing the role of Instagram hubby – and really, can we blame him?!

Planning

I usually try to plan out my outfit ahead of time. If I don’t it’s really hard to just find something on the fly right before we go out to shoot. Unless of course I have a TON of new clothes which usually isn’t the case because, hello – I have a baby and don’t have a ton of extra money laying around. This year I have been lucky enough to have brands send me clothing which has truly been a blessing. I only work with brands I love so it makes planning an outfit to shoot so much easier. And it’s important to note only a few of my posts include gifted clothing, most of my posts are clothes I’ve actually purchased.

On the planning side of things I’ve also been trying to get better about planning out content a month in advance. For example, for December I would plan out certain posts I want to get up such as “NYE dresses” or “Holiday Party Outfits” etc. The content I plan out doesn’t always get done because life gets in the way – I work full time and have a 1 year old so I don’t have a ton of free time. However, I do want to get better at this with the new year so am going to buy a planner and really get more regimented with my time. If you guys have tips on this please comment, email me, or send me a DM on Instagram!

Execution

Now comes the fun part – execution. So like I mentioned above my husband takes my photos which again is both good and bad at the same time. We usually have a day and time in mind but sometimes we have to switch it up depending on River (that’s my son’s name for those of you who are new to my site). When you have a baby everything seems to revolve around them. What I mean by this is sometimes we will plan to go shoot at 4 pm and on that particular day River may decide he is going to be napping until 430 or 445. And by that time it is almost dark out this time of year so we have to reschedule.

It is really hard to get good pictures if it is too dark out guys. Even if you have a good camera it can be tough – the pictures will often come out blurry and grainy if it is too dark. For example, the pictures you see here were our SECOND time shooting this outfit. LOL. I don’t even know what to say about that other than we tried to take them and it was too dark so we had to retake them the following morning. And as you now know, I work full time, so taking the photos in the morning means we have to go before I run out the door to work. We all pile up in the car and head down the street to an alley I’ve come to love out of convenience (as you can see here, here, and here). This particular morning school was just starting so there were kids everywhere, people were trying to get out of there garages for work, there was a garbage truck coming down the alley – all the distractions guys. But nonetheless we seemed to have gotten a few good shots and then took off back  home so I could head to work.

Editing + Posting

After I’ve gotten pictures done I can move onto editing and posting for you guys. I want to do a post on editing photos for you guys soon. By NO means am I an expert (LOL – I mean seriously) but I am happy to share what I know with you guys. I usually upload my photos into the computer and make a few quick edits in Photoshop. Then, I put them on my phone and use the VSCO app for a filter which is what I use for all my photos on my Instagram. And trust me finding time to do this is always fun with a baby too haha. I have to be extremely mindful to set my phone down or put it in the other room when I am at home with my son because I really do cherish that time with him. For instance, I started righting this post at 545 am because he is still asleep – gotta find time when I can, right?!

Tips

Here are a few blogging tips for you guys who might just be starting out blogging or even just thinking about it:

1. Plan – This year I’ve found that planning is KEY when trying to run a blog. I’ve definitely not done the best job at planning and executing this year but I know it is something I need to do in order to be successful moving forward. I bought a calendar similar to this that I keep on my desk and I write in what posts are going up each day for the upcoming month. I tried doing it on my Google Calendar but I think I really prefer having something in front of me on paper.
2. Photography – Photographs are obviously a key piece to most blogs, especially fashion and style blogs. If you want to have a friend or someone you know take your photos I think it is important to use a good camera. Here in San Diego there is a place called George’s Camera where you can actually rent a camera for a day or so. This is great if you don’t want to invest in a camera right off – you can rent it for the day and shoot as much content as possible. If you don’t have a friend or someone who is willing to take your pictures you can always ask an upcoming photographer to trade and tag them or give them credit in the photographs. That way they can build their portfolio and you can get photos done – it’s a win-win.
3. Be consistent – This is an area that I am also working on and to be honest, I do a much better job on Instagram with consistency than on my actual blog. But I do think it is important to choose how many days you want to post a week and stick with it. For example, I try to post once a day on my Instagram. That way my followers know what to expect when they come to my page.
4. Network and use your resources – I’ve learned so much from other bloggers over the past couple of years. It can never hurt to ask, so if you are following someone and want to know how they edit their photos or what tools they use to plan their content – shoot them a DM. Not everyone will answer but hey if they do you’ve just learned something new and made a new contact or even friend in the blogging world! Another great resource for me has been listening to Podcasts. I love listening to motivational and resourceful business or blogging podcasts. A few I love are; The Skinny Confidential, The Influencer Podcast, Biz Chicks, Girl Boss Radio…and others for more fun than business are the Ladygang, The Bitch Bible, and Juicy Scoop with Heather McDonald.

I hope this post has been insightful & helpful for you guys looking for more information on blogging. Again, I am no expert but always happy to share what I know with others. What other type of information would you guys like to read about? Comment and let me know or shoot me an email!

xx

PS this jacket is showing up much  more ‘purple’ than in real life due to the VSCO filter on my photos. It’s more of a maroon-ish color like on the Nordstrom website here.