10 Questions/Phrases Bloggers Are Sick of Answering

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I have a favourite writing corner. Most people call it the ‘Writers’ Coven’ but I call it my refuge place. Once I have a writer’s block, I retire to my refuge place, which is our guest bedroom on the topfloor. It has a window in the ceiling and the bright sunlight slowly re-energizes my writing purpose.

Surviving as a full-time blogger, freelance writer, author and blogger outreach girl is hard work. Most days I find myself working past midnight, only to wake as early as 6am with the kids. Operating on less than 6 hours sleep is no fun. So you can imagine why some cliques does get to me. Here are some annoying questions I am sick of hearing as a writer:
So you are a blogger, have you published any book?
Yes I am a blogger/writer, and no, not every blogger MUST publish a book.  However I have published a book not because I am sick of hearing this question but because I genuinely had a few things to say and I wanted to reach a bigger audience.
According to most folks, you are not a successful blogger/writer until you get a book published. It doesn’t matter if you write a 5,000 words article published on Huffington Post or The Telegraph. If you are yet to write a BOOK, you are likely not to be taken seriously as a writer. I believe that is overrated. We are sick of people giving us yardstick before we can be who we are. Writing a book is great, it gives you credibility, you can reach a wider audience and you earn some extra cash, but you don’t have to publish a book to be a successful blogger or writer.
Do you write every day?
Yes I TRY to write every day because I realised the more I write, the easier the words flow. But it is not the frequency of the write-up that matters but the depth of the write-up. Writing every day is a good habit if your writing improves as you go along but it is not a must.
How much do you make as a writer/blogger?
I understand many people find it bizzare that bloggers make money from blogging. Many still do not understand the whole blogging as a career thing, and I get that because I find many careers bizzare too. Like being paid crazy money to kick a ball into a net, I can never understand that.
So what is your job?
Blogging/writing is a Job. A REAL job. The digital marketing industry is currently contributing heavily to the British’s economy, so it is definitely a job. I see it as a full-time job anyway. I write and get paid, so it is a job. Why do I have to repeat myself so many times?

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Did you study ‘Writing’?
Yes and NO. Call it a passion and you are right. Call it an art and I give you a thumbs up but don’t think it is purely a craft that needs to be learnt. I studied Acounting as a first degree, and International Human Relations as a Master’s degree. I then fell in love with fashion styling, and studied that at London College of Style. All three degrees/diploma have nothing to do with Writing/Blogging. Writing is a talent. It can be refined but CAN’T be learnt. You either have it or you don’t.
How much have you made as a writer?
I am not J.K. Rowling…….YET. I might not make millions from it but I don’t need you to remind me of that. I also should not have to justify why I am a blogger/writer, or disclose my financial information to anyone. Some questions are just too intrusive and this is one of them.

So you are a Writer? My Grandmother is a Writer too.
I know what you are trying to do. No, not everybody can be a blogger/writer, even if many think they are or can. But well done to your Grandmother.
 So you write novels?
Erm….NO! I don’t write novels. Not everybody that writes has to write fiction. There are different genres and we tend to concentrate on the one most suitable to us. I prefer reading and writing non fiction.
When did you start writing?

Since I could hold a pencil. Any more questions?

Writing must be soo easy for you?
It is very easy for me because I have been writing all my life. Even before I started blogging, I had journals and diaries in real life. Writers put in effort in crafting out piece. It is a duty that needs focus, brainstorming and research. It can be fun and easy depending on the writer.

Do you have any annoying questions or phrases to share? Drop me a comment in the comment section, lets chat.

Thanks for reading and have a lovely Sunday.

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe

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I fell in love with Capsule Wardrobes while studying a Fashion Styling e-course at the London College of Style. I love mixing and matching various pieces together. It’s always so exciting to see how different clothing items fit together. I discovered some of my favourite outfits just by playing dress up. But what I love the most about putting outfits together is the fact that it constantly challenges me to discover new ways of pairing my pieces and still maintain my signature personal style. I like my outfits to reflect who I am, fun, alive and young at heart!

Since I love being creative with pieces and accessories, what better way to do this than by having a capsule wardrobe!

A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothes made up of essential but versatile items of clothing that can be paired in different ways to form different outfits. A capsule wardrobe is usually made of about 24-37 items of clothing. There’s really no fixed number of items but the trend seems to hover around those figures. I like to have a capsule wardrobe for each season. I sort out my wardrobe every season, storing pieces and shoes that are for other seasons, so I can have room for what I can wear. This helps me see every piece, every accessory, easily.

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Aside from being able see all I have, optimizing my closet space, and being creative with my outfits, a capsule wardrobe helps me save time and money on clothes. I don’t have to spend time thinking of which clothes to wear from my large collection of fashionable pieces.
Loving the sound of it? Here are 3 steps to get you started.

1.    Empty your closet
Start by taking all your clothes and shoes out of your closet and laying them on your bed. This will give you a chance to take a good look at all the clothes you do have.

2.    Sort your clothes into piles
You’ll be working with 3 piles:
•    The ‘Love it’ Pile: In this pile, put in all the clothes you love and would wear any time, any day. These are the clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident. These are the ones that are worthy of going back into your closet.
•    The ‘No way’ Pile: In this pile, put in the clothes that you don’t want to wear again. These are the clothes that you can donate, give away to a friend or family member, or sell.
•    The ‘Maybe’ Pile: The rest of the clothes fall into this pile. They are usually the clothes that you may go back to, keep for sentimental reasons or are too expensive to let go of. You can keep these clothes in a box and stash them away in storage.

 

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3.    Assess The Love it Pile
Here, you’re going to apply a simple rule called the “3 of each” rule. Depending on the season, pick 9 pairs of shoes (that is, 3 pairs of flats, 3 pairs of heels and 3 pairs of boots), 9 bottoms (that is, 3 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of shorts and 3 pairs of skirts) and 9 tops (that is, 3 tops, 3 sweaters, 3 t-shirts, 3 button-up shirts, 3 tank tops or 3 vests). Next, you can have 3 gamble items where you can do a mix of jackets or dresses (eg. 2 jackets and 1 dress, or 2 dresses and 1 jacket). Keep the remaining items from your Love it pile in a box in a nearby storage, so that it’s close by yet out of sight to keep you from being tempted to go through it.

Your capsule wardrobe is ready! Maintain your capsule wardrobe then change it every season so you have a fresh wardrobe every 3 months and dress weather appropriate as well.

Do you have a capsule wardrobe? What are your thoughts?

Become A Fashion Stylist

I finished a fashion styling course with London College of Style (LCS) last year (2013) and I totally enjoyed. It was an online based course but was extremely intensive. I had to submit very creative assignments and it definitely took me out of my comfort zone but I am glad I did it. It is now time to take the fashion styling world by force. I hope they are ready for me.

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This article in Company inspired me to take the Fashion Styling course. It is an interview with the founder of LCS – Wendy Elsmore. Here is Wendy below and a sneak peek of the interview:

Wendy

“We started The London College of Style in 2010 as there was a lack of top quality education in the styling industry. Offering a blend of taught subjects plus direct access to industry professionals and job opportunities, the college was designed to give students a kick-start to new careers.”

“Since then, the college has quickly become a source of some impressive UK styling talent, with students having worked with the likes of Adidas, Vidal Sassoon, London Fashion Week, and Arcadia. It’s also recently gained accreditation by the British Accreditation Council, which sets the standards within the independent education sector.”

Enjoy the rest of the interview here

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