Wednesday, February 20, 2013

My blogging station and routine

    Hello!
    Today I am linking up with:
     
Beauty Blogger Headquarters

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

15 comments:

  1. loved reading your answers, I'm also a fan of blogging in bed with a diet coke next to me can't go wrong with that! Good idea backing everything up onto an external hard drive, I always delete my photos etc once theyre uploaded which could be disastrous if anything went wrong on blogger x

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  2. I also put the pictures on an external drive so I don't jam up my computer with so much saved on it! I have like 100's of photo's and sometimes I need an old one for reference. DietCokeis the elixir of life - It's my one true vice.

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  3. This post is so helpful! Thank You!! While I blog I usually am also listening to another bloggers videos and am also a fellow coke lover! Only I prefer regular or cherry and if it comes in fountain form - watch out! LOL

    Jess

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    1. I'm glad I could help! Fountain soda is amazing!

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  4. I like hearing how other people blog, thanks for sharing :) I threw my light bow away it was such a pain to set up every time I need to take pictures. Did you make that magnetic eyeshadow wall yourself?

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    1. I did make the eyeshaddow wall myself! Here's the link to how I did it - http://formosacandidus.blogspot.com/2012/01/not-only-amy-i-wildly-beautiful-but-i.html

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    2. How did I miss that post :( That is the cutest thing ever and it looks like it'd be easier to use rather than sorting through baskets and drawers.

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    3. I wrote that post the my 2nd month of blogging over a year ago - I didn't even get a comment on that post (which I thought was a good post) In fact, my first comment was 3 1/2 months after I started blogging. My first giveaway was after I had written 100 posts (I didn't even have 50 followers, so I couldn't do a yeah! 50 followers post) and only 5 people entered it! But after I "met" you and Nat (gl0ssy) and started following who you follow and joing the BBHQ my blog got a LOT more active - so my point is THANK you! You guys reading my blog and commenting means a lot!

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  5. i love how you've made your own light box. such a clever idea.x

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    1. It's super easy and now I can take pictures on cloudy days AND at night! I just googled make a light box. All you need is a box mine is 18" by 12", white tissue paper, tape and a box cutter!

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  6. Nice set up! I always blog while sitting on the couch, I miss having my dog around sitting on me while I try to do things. On a side note, I love Revenge and am a little shocked at what transpired last week, but can't say I didn't see it coming!

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    1. AGGG I haven't watched it yet! I'm so sorry that your doggy passed, I feel like pets are really hard to loose, because you can't "tell" them how much you love them and they really mean a lot.

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  7. ouu this such an intriguing post! I love your little light box, so resourceful :P I so horrible with organization and keeping track of things. and I take photos all over the place, on the floor, on my desk, near the window, so my products end up being all over the place too ... You make me want to clean up my act :D

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    1. The light box was necessary because I couldn't take accurate pictures - the lighting was always bad. And truly it was easy, I should have taken pictures so I could do a post! I also have cosmetics all over the house, I'm 80% organized but I Really, really have been working on it lately.

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  8. Your light box looks pretty cool! I could never blog in bed. I'd pass out within minutes if I get comfortable, lol.

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