Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

Welcome to Wear To Where

Once upon a time, a sewer and a non-sewer had an idea. It was mostly the sewer’s idea. What if you did a fashion post where you had a specific place or event you were dressing for, like “what would you wear to a brewery,” because let’s face it, both the sewer and the non-sewer are kind of lushes.

The sewer said, “Let’s pick a few other prompts and open it up for other sewers and fashiony types.” The non-sewer was all about this. Somehow, 35 other bloggers thought the idea was just so awesome too. Thus, Wear to Where was born.

If you can’t guess. I’m the non-sewer and Katy of Wild and Wanderful / Handmade Escapade is the sewer.

Wear to Where’s goal is to collide two worlds: Fashion and Sewing. We have two (!!) full weeks of people who sew their own clothes and people who style clothes paired up in a head-to-head battle highlighting the places each blogger would wear their style.

Wear to Where blog tour with fashion and sewing bloggers

We’d love for you to join in the fun. Each day, Katy and I will reveal the outfits of the day, but if you want to play along and link up your own creation, here is where you’ll wear each outfit and the day’s tour guides:

Tuesday, November 10: Office Attire
Nicolina.Co, Fashionably Employed, Creative Counselor, Sprouting JubeJube

Wednesday, November 11: Brunch with the Girls
GLITZ a Beautiful Life, The Fashionable Eye, The Art of Oh, Scientific Seamstress, Rebel & Malice

Thursday, November 12: Date Night In
Hayes Days, Adventures in Aubreyland, HattieLu Handmade, Wally and Grace, Paisley Roots

Friday, November 13: Date Night Out
Gardening in High Heels, Wear.Wag.Repeat, If Only They Would Nap, The Wholesome Mama, Made by Sara

Saturday, November 14: Company Holiday Party
Librarian for LIfe + Style, Fashionably Employed, Wild + Wanderful, Gracious Threads

Monday, November 16: Workout Chic
Absolute Mommy, Fashionably Employed, Sweet Red Poppy, Baste + Gather

Tuesday, November 17: Coffee Shop Work/Blog Session
Style Studs and Lace, In Pursuit of Simple, A Jennuie Life, Call Ajaire

Wednesday, November 18: Touring Your City
Making Mrs. M, Absolute Mommy, Friends Stitched Together, Wining Wife

Thursday, November 19: Tailgate Attire
Hayes Days, Life with Lolo, Handmade Boy, Free Notion

You’ll also have the chance to win a prize and pick sewing or styling. Check back on Friday, November 20 for winners!

Be sure to head over to Wild+Wanderful or Gardening in High Heels to check out the other brilliant bloggers, sewists and stylistas on the tour, as well as be able to link up your own looks and show us what you would Wear to Where!

Now let’s talk giveaway prizes for this tour!!
For the sewists: Choice of 3 patterns from Cole’s Creations, Choice of 3 patterns from Made for Mermaids, Pattern of choice from Patterns for Pirates, Pattern of choice from Scientific Seamstress, Sewing-tee of choice from Sewing Stadium, Pattern of choice from Simple Life Pattern Co, Pattern of choice from StitchArt

For the Fashionistas: Set of 6 cards from Designs by Nicolina, 30 minute Social Media/Copy Consult by Gardening in High Heels, Tee of choice from Handmade Escapade, $20 Store Credit from Jenny Penny Designs, Tumbler from Joy+Tren

A big thanks to our amazing sponsors!
Cole’s Creations | Designs by Nicolina | Gardening in High Heels
Handmade Escapade | Jenny Penny Designs | Joy+Tren
Made for Mermaids | Patterns for Pirates | Scientific Seamstress
Sewing Stadium | Simple Life Pattern Co | Stitch Art

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Link up with me or Katy each day and follow along with #WearToWhereTour!

Sunday Lately, 45

I finally had nitro coffee at Allegheny Coffee and Tea this week. I went for a pumpkin stout. It’s refreshing and I love it. And you should try nitro coffee if you should happen to find it. Amazing.

Nitro Coffee at Allegheny Coffee and Tea

Completing

Awesome: Lists. I am making a ton of lists to keep me organized before I break and drive to Virginia for Thanksgiving. I have everything from “pick up chipped ham” to “make sure someone gets the mail.” And I’m really hoping I can get Christmas presents purchased and wrapped so I can bring them with me.

Awkward: I’m writing this and listening to an indie alt playlist on Spotify and it’s making me irrationally angry. I feel like such an angsty teen and it’s weird.

Visiting

Awesome: I’ll be visiting my mom in a few weeks, hence the list making. I can’t wait for 6 uninterrupted hours in the car to listen to podcasts and new music. And not answer emails for a week. And to see her, of course.

Awkward: I was helping at the door for Propelle’s anniversary party and I was telling someone about this awesome giveaway they were doing and it turns out I was telling the artist all about her wonderful piece that was up for grabs. Because I’m awkward like that.

Repeating

Awesome & Awkward: Coheed and Cambria’s “You Got Spirit, Kid.” I can’t help it. I think it’s responsible for the “I’m mad but I don’t know why..” feeling that’s going on right now. So many teen memories.

Applauding

Awesome: Propelle’s 4th anniversary!

No awkward applause here!

Scheduling

Awesome: Coffee dates with some awesome Pittsburgh ladies I’m looking forward to getting to know better. And emails with Boomerang. I’m loving Boomerang.

Awkward: Last year around this time, I did a doctor blitz where I scheduled a bunch of appointments on the same day to get them in before the end of the year for insurance and now I have to do it again. I’ve spent enough time in hospitals these past few years, I should have an honorary degree. Can’t I just tell myself I’m fine?

What’s been going on with you lately?

Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup with Katy, Nicole and Meghan. Use their themes or use your own. Just remember to link up with them so we can see what is happening with you lately!

Cranberry Eyes – The Makeup Mix-Up

It’s finally November, which means it’s finally time for me to abandon any hope of summer weather returning. But that doesn’t mean your eyes can’t be bright. This week for The Makeup Mix-Up, Cranberry Sauce is being served up. It would be way too easy for me to find a deep shade of lipstick and call it a day, but I wanted to do something more with my eyes.

The secret (I think) to keeping cranberry eyes from looking red and sickly and instead bright and vibrant is starting with a good base. It will keep everything locked in and even instead of patchy and “was that intentional?” Because “sick” is not a word I’d use to describe this cranberry eye look. Unless you mean it as in “totally awesome..”

Fall sunset eyes with golds and rusty cranberry shadows. | Gardening In High Heels

Just like when I tried the vampy look, I had something else in mind entirely, but changed my mind halfway through. I was thinking about a smoky eye with deep rusty shadows, but instead went for a fall sunset look. I want to call it cranberr-eyes.

I love how unforgiving dSLR cameras are. They pick up everything. But aside from foundation and concealer, this is my skin. For better or worse. And tomorrow I’ll be totally makeup free for #RFGoNaked Day. For every selfie posted, Rodan + Fields will make a donation to empower students in need through service and education. If you want to jump on board with me and go naked (office-appropriately of course) – this isn’t an ad, I just wanted to share a good cause.

Plus it’s good to let your skin breathe. I’ve been using Rodan + Fields on and off and I really enjoy how it makes my skin look when I’m on it.

Fall sunset eyes with golds and rusty cranberry shadows. | Gardening In High Heels

Fall sunset eyes with golds and rusty cranberry shadows. Perfect for fall! | Gardening In High Heels

Fall sunset eyes with golds and rusty cranberry shadows. Awesome look for fall! | Gardening In High Heels

Fall sunset eyes with golds and rusty cranberry shadows. | Gardening In High Heels

Products used:

  • Naked Skin Foundation
  • Sephora Baked Sculpting Trio in Sassy
  • Ulta Eyeshadow in Chianti
  • Ulta Eyeshadow in Yogurt
  • Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow in Perversion
  • Lorac Unzipped Palette
  • NYC New York Color Angel Lash Mascara
  • MAC Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Bare Again

What’s your favorite way to wear cranberry makeup for fall?

I’m joining in on the Makeup Mix-Up with Making Mrs. M and Miranda Writes.

Have you entered my You Guys Totally Rock so Here’s a Bunch of Things I Like and I Think You’ll Like, Too Giveaway? You should probably check it out. Like, now.

Facebook Business Page 101: Get around declining reach

Facebook is a mystery. It’s an enigma wrapped in a riddle housed in a coconut – you just can’t get through no matter how hard you try. Or can you?

It’s no secret that Facebook business pages have a declining organic reach. Just about everyone who has a business page (or reads blogs about blogging) knows that. I have found a few ways around this, though. Spurred on by this post from Think Creative, I want to offer a few more pieces of well-honed advice.

What caught my eye were their two points to “Post less, communicate more” and “Be a resource, not a sales pitch.” I say this to clients all day long at my day job.

I tell them, “You want to be inspiring, entertaining, and engaging. Make yourself a resource for your customers and position yourself as an expert. Why? Because the more someone interacts with your posts (likes, clicks, comments, and shares), the more likely Facebook will serve them up in their feed in the future. But in order to get customers interacting with your Facebook business page, we need to give them something meaty.

So how do you do that? Well, if I were to go on your page, is it 100% without question painfully obvious what you do? If it is, great, carry on. If it isn’t, let’s get you there.

How to deal with Facebook Business Page declining reach and why you should care as a blogger or business owner.

First, pick a schedule. I’ve preached about this before. It is so important to have an updated page. If I were to go to someone’s business page and see that the last post was from two months ago, I wouldn’t have a reason to click that all-powerful Like button.

Second, make sure your content is related to your business type. Are you a DIY jewelry making store? Let’s talk about jewelry, share tutorials, even post some style inspiration. Are you a blogger who writes about pie baking? You’ll want to share recipes, but also tips for making the flakiest crust and your insider secret for ensuring your blueberry pie doesn’t bubble over (I use a mixture of tapioca pearls and corn starch..you’re welcome.)

I love to take advantage of secret Pinterest boards. Whenever I find something that I think would be useful to share on my clients’ pages, I save it to a secret Pinterest board. Then when I’m ready to sit down and schedule out posts, I have a file of relevant content to pull from.

Third, be a real person. No one wants to follow an automaton. You want hearts, not eyeballs, so you have to give people something to connect with. Of course, you can highlight your Pinterest-worthy fall wreath when it’s all done, but take your customers behind the scenes and let them see your mess once in a while. It’ll humanize you a little bit and give customers a face, not just a business name, to put with the content.

So what did we learn today, kids? To succeed on Facebook, you need to post consistently, position yourself as an expert, and make sure you’re bringing some heart to your brand.

What do you do to stand out from the crowd on your Facebook business page?

Have you entered my You Guys Totally Rock so Here’s a Bunch of Things I Like and I Think You’ll Like, Too Giveaway? You should probably check it out. Like, now.

Sunday Lately, 44

I don’t know what happened, guys. I knew Sunday Lately was happening last week but I was stuck in a Parenthood marathon on Netflix and I just couldn’t tear myself away. Man that show is intense. I can only imagine how it would be if it were on HBO or something.

This week, I’m going to try something a little different. A while ago, I used to do weekly recaps called Awkward & Awesome (inspired by Sydney of The Daybook). And I loved it because, let’s face it, most days are sprinkled with both. So we’re going to try that.

Updating

Awesome: I bought papier mache pumpkins at JoAnns for 50% off the other day and I couldn’t resist busting out the spray paint and taking a crafting hour yesterday. I figured one could be gold, one could be ombre purple.

Spray paint paper pumpkins

Awkward: My ombre purple pumpkin. My purples weren’t quite the same; one was more lavender, one was more plum, so I tried to redo it. I painted over the whole thing only using one of the purples that I adjusted with black or white. Then I tried to sponge blend the seams together for a faded ombre. And that didn’t work. So it got covered in spray paint too.

Ombre purple pumpkin

Reminding

Awesome: My to-do list is getting crossed off. It’s a slow process, but I need a to-do list to remind me of the really important tasks that absolutely must get done. No work, no pay. No pay, no food. No food, no one wants to be around hangry Angelica. My lists are here for your safety.

Awkward: It’s November. How in the world did that happen?

Needing

Awesome: To catch up on other blogging friends and leave comments and support and all that awesome stuff. Blogging is no fun unless you have a community and people actually read what you write. Otherwise, you’re just pitching things into the void and wondering if they really make a difference.

Awkward: I haven’t been on other bloggers’ blogs in so long, I didn’t realize Katy changed up her header on her site. Bad Blogging Friend award goes to…..

Wearing

Awesome: A tutu! I made one quickly for my uncle’s Halloween party last night. It was inspired by Bobo. I’m not one for Halloween costumes anymore (even though I had some epic-awesome costumes like an old-timey radio and a bunch of grapes) so if I can make it and it isn’t too obtrusive (do you know how hard it is to trick-or-treat with a bunch of balloons sewn to your shirt?) I’m all for it.

Awkward: This week’s outfits were pretty awesome. No room for awkwardness in this closet. But just wait until I start taking pictures for Wear to Where. Then I’ll just feel awkward.

Being

I think being Awesome and Awkward pretty much sums it up today.What have you been up to lately?

What have you been up to lately?

Have you entered my You Guys Totally Rock so Here’s a Bunch of Things I Like and I Think You’ll Like, Too Giveaway? You should probably check it out. Like, now.
Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup with Katy, Nicole and Meghan. Use their themes or use your own. Just remember to link up with them so we can see what is happening with you lately!

Let’s Play

           

People Really Dug These

We Belong in the Garden Together