My blogging station and routine

Hello!

Today I am linking up with:
 

To talk about HOW I actually blog!


Where do you blog? Do you have a space dedicated to your blogging work? An office, a table, a corner of your room... I most often blog sitting in bed late at night.  I do all the prep work elsewhere, but when I actually "sit"down to write it's in my room at night.

What do you blog on? Computer, laptop, tablet... what do you recommend? I use a Dell laptop - and I say use what ever works for you!  I feel most comfortable on this laptop, and I know where all my info is stored.

Do you have any blogging rituals? Drinks, music, movie, candles... No rituals per se.  I usually have a Diet Coke on ice next to me, and while I'm editing photos I usually watch my "shows" on Netflix or Hulu Plus (Project Runway, Revenge, The Office, The Mindy Project etc..)

How do you keep your blogging ideas organized? Notepad, planner, post-its... It's all in my head!  Sunday is Sunday Social, Monday is the Manicure of the week, Tuesday is oh la la Lips, Wednesday and Thursday are a video or what I think of as an "education" post (like info about skincare or make up application, or a review).  Friday is Book club, and Saturday is for whatever :)

Do you have a blogging schedule for the week?  Or the month?  See above. If so, how do you stay on top of it all? I just make sure I am taking the right photos and that I am keeping up with make up trends and new products.  Also I pre-schedule a lot of my easier posts (book club, oh la la lips & Sunday Social)

How do you keep up with your publishing schedule and what you have already posted? I guess I haven't posted enough to have to worry about what I already posted.  I am able to keep up by sheer force of will!  I know in order to make my blog be what I want it to be, I need to be taking pictures constantly, I need to keep making videos, I need to just think out of the box!  I also LOVE beauty products and if you have ever watched any of my videos you know I have a lot to say, and I am OPINIONATED so it is pretty easy for me to put it out there.

If you review products, how do you keep track of what needs to be reviewed in your collection? So in our living room I have a thin desk that sits behind the couch and has a lamp (so it looks like part of the living room and I keep a drawer full of products underneath with the most important ones on top in a basket.  I also built my own light box which I hide in the hallway closet and then when I need it I put it on the desk in the living room and take my pics.

 

The star and arrow in the pic above point to the lamp on the other side of the living room where I take my "indoor" manicure photos.

Here is where I shoot my videos.  The yellow arrow points to my mini tripod.  As you can see I have one of the jewelry organizers with pockets hanging on the wall but I re-purposed it to hold make-up!  And if you watch my videos (hint, hint) you also know on the other side of the wall is my magnetic eyeshadow wall frame.  (you can see it reflected in the table mirror).

What do you do with all your "old" data? Photos, videos, extra drives, online storage..? I put it on an external hard drive.

For fun, what beauty/non-beauty products do you need to have on hand near your blogging station?  Always hand lotion,cuticle oil and lip balm near my bedside when I'm writing.   And my 16 pound cat is almost always laying on my right arm so I have to re-type a lot.

So that's my "system" and it works for me!  Thanks for reading!

Jasmine