joyfully so

 Wow! Joyfully So is one year old! What a year it’s been – from nervously launching to now part of the best platform in the world! I have learned so much, and have made many mistakes along the way, but it’s been a wonderful journey.

One of the most common questions I get is about blogging. Learn from my mistakes, y’all. I have some tips and tricks from over the last year that I think will be very helpful if you are considering starting a blog or new to the blogging world.

Before I jump in though, I want to give a huge, thank you!, to my mom and boyfriend. My mom has encouraged me to go for this little dream I have had for years and is always supportive. My boyfriend has been extremely helpful throughout this past year, and has helped with taking a majority of the fashion photos.

Thank you also to my readers, my friends. Without you, Joyfully So would not be where it is today. I’m so grateful for your loyalty and kindness. Thank you, thank you!

10 Tips and Tricks Learned in the First Year of Blogging

• Determine your goals. Why are you blogging? Is it a hobby or something you hope to make a supplemental income from in the future? Before you start, figure out the “why” and “how” to determine the best way to start. If you want to go into blogging for an income, I recommend WordPress as a website platform. It does cost a little money compared to free options, but it works more effectively in the long term compared to other platforms. You can find YouTube videos that explain WordPress and help establish a theme. Also, determining goals will help guide your blogging process. I knew I wanted to be part of the platform, rewardStyle, so I targeted my work towards what they look for in their members.
• Time Management. This is huge. Blogging is not my first priority – my faith, personal life and career in medicine take precedence. The remaining time I have is split between blogging, cleaning, exercising, etc… Blogging can be very time consuming so I try to work efficiently when I have the time dedicated to blogging. I batch fashion posts. Instead of going to the mall one outfit at a time, or photographing one at a time, I do everything in groups of two or three. Streamlining the process has helped me immensely.

• Photography. Lighting is everything and I am always chasing “the golden hour”, that time where the sun is low and decreasing shadows. Since blogging is very one or two-dimensional, photography is important. Learn how to shoot in manual mode to get exactly the look you need. My boyfriend helps snap the fashion pictures and I edit them in Lightroom. From there, I export the pictures to Dropbox to upload them onto my phone.
• Imagery. This plays off the photography point. It’s important to make photographs appealing to the eye. Bright > dark photos. Multi-colored > monochromatic photos. Open mouth smile > Closed mouth smile. Glasses > No glasses. Who knew?! There is a lot of sub-conscious psychology that goes into what makes an image likeable and clickable for readers.
• Find a niche. Joyfully So started out very broad, and part of it still is covering a wide range of material. I am sharing what I love:  fashion, DIY, home decor, travel, etc… Recently I became more specialized into the area I am more familiar with:  fashion. I have been fortunate to work with some of the most popular fashion influencers in the world to learn the logistics that go into fashion blogging. My photography background helps me to create visually appealing work. I don’t want to do just fashion, because I love so many others topics too, but narrowing my focus has definitely helped me to become more efficient, knowledgable and successful.  Brands appreciate specializing because they can advertise to a specific demographic of readers.

• Hustle. Get it, girl! Be your own girlboss. Work hard, stay up late, dream big, repeat. Blogging is not just trying on clothes, capturing images and shopping. It’s about being an entrepreneur. Soak in all the free resources that are available to you. Podcasts provide a wealth of information (favorites include Gary Vaynerchuk and Jenna Kutcher) and make a good listen while driving. Learn about business tactics, marketing, advertising, etc… Reach out to brands for sponsorships and promotional opportunities. Produce high-quality content. We live in a very unique time in history where we can all choose our own side hustle and go for it.
• Branding. If you are pursuing a blog for supplemental income, it’s important to stay on brand. Being consistent and creating a “voice” for your blog, will help attract a specific demographic. Aim to develop a relationship with this target market. If Instagram is going to be an extension of your blog, pictures that stay within certain color palettes tend to be more successful.
• Budget. Whatever the topic is you chose to blog about, work towards it wisely. Fashion blogging, for example, can be expensive. It gets pricey to keep up with the trends. I am a single lady now with a house payment, so when I started my blog I cut back on other areas of spending, and when I buy stuff for the blog I almost always buy it during sales. Reuse staples like jeans or solid pants, booties, jewelry and white camisoles. Make sure that you are staying within your means.

• Social Media. Holy moly. I mean, who doesn’t think they know Facebook? I have learned so much more about analytics and advertising than I can imagine. Facebook is a wonderful place to advertise because you can be very picky about which demographic you want to target. For example, when I did a post on the Lilly Pulitzer sale, I targeted females, ages 18-35, who follow Lilly Pulitzer on Facebook and live in the south. These advertisements start at $2 and help bring in new viewers. Joining Facebook groups is also helpful to network with others in your niche.
• Confidence. By nature I am an introvert who can be a little shy. Starting a blog can be daunting because you feel on display. I think that is why I waited a few years to start, I had to build up the confidence to just jump in. But looking back, this was a mistake to wait around. The best advice I can offer:  jump into the game and know that you have something to offer. Because you do! Affirm you strengths, learn from the failures (we have all had them), think positively, and keep on being your best self. Embrace that beautiful, strong soul within you – and let it shine!

Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below if you have more questions on this topic. While that was a lot of information, there is so much more that could be said about each tip.

I cannot wait to see what the next year brings! Thank you all!

Live your life joyfully so,

Ashley

Outfit Details:

(Top is rental, similar option for purchase also linked. Pants are last season, similar option is linked)

Happy Sunday! I hope y’all are enjoying your Labor Day weekend. So far it’s been a great weekend here. We kicked off our first college football game of the season – our favorite thing to do together in the fall.

It was recently my sweet mom’s birthday and while I was out shopping for her I came across this wrap! The contrasting red lines on a mossy green background add a touch of drama and style. One thing that sets this wrap apart from most is the notched collar. I love that you get the casual, comfortable feel with wraps, but the collar provides a little sophistication.

Pair this with jeans or my favorite pants. Or belt the wrap over a dress and add heels. Wraps are one of my favorite fall staples because they are so versatile!

How do you like to style wraps?

Hope y’all have a wonderful, relaxing rest of your Labor Day weekend!

Live your life joyfully so,

Ashley

 Outfit Details:

Hi friends! How are we already in September?! While it’s still technically summer and toasty, the calendar change has me ready for football season, chunky knits and apple cider. I long for the days with a light breeze and colorful leaves.

Today is extra special as I am eager to share something HUGE!  Joyfully So is coming up on a one year anniversary on September 5th, but going into the Labor Day weekend it feels appropriate to share something that I have been so happy and overjoyed and honored to join. So I am going to let y’all in on a little secret early…

Exciting Announcement!

I am SO incredibly excited to announce that because of your kindness and support, I am now part of the best platform for bloggers in the world – rewardStyle! (Insert huge smiling emoji here!) What does this mean for you? More content. Better quality. To start, rewardStyle helps streamline the process for readers to learn more about products and sales, and to easily shop items seen in the pictures on the blog and in social media. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for LIKEtoKNOWit here and download the LIKEtoKNOWit app. This will give you easy access to the top bloggers in the world! You can shop items in the LIKEtoKNOWit app from your Instagram screenshots and/or likes of my Instagram pictures starting today. The app also allows you to browse/save outfit and home decor ideas.

Already you may notice one new addition. In the header and footer, there is a new page called The Fall Shop! This is where you can find all the best clothing, decor, accessories for fall from multiple sources. Click on the picture to be taken to its designated store, or hover over each picture to share on social media. For now, the shop is one column on mobile devices, so it does have better utilization on computers. The Fall Shop will change as the season goes on, from different fall finds, to eventually transitioning into the next season.

Joining rewardStyle has been a goal since before I started this blog – I truly feel so honored and grateful to be invited into this elite group. This is a giant leap forward. I think you will enjoy the upgrades and improvements!

I cannot thank each of you enough for your continued support, feedback and kindness.

Live your life joyfully so,

Ashley

Outfit Details:

Celebratory Colorblock Dress (rent here like me, if you enjoy a little celebration dress!) | Purse (rent here) | Similar Earrings | Heels

Hey y’all! We have made it to the end of the week! Let’s give ourselves a big wahoo! We are in that awkward time of year…students are going back to school, football is starting, pumpkin decorations are coming out…but yet it’s still so hot outside. My mind says fall, but the thermometer says summer. As we do start to cool down, I am all about the layers. My usual layering process consists of layering sweaters, scarfs and jackets over tops and dresses. But every now and then I love layering different styles. Prints with polka dots. Stripes with gingham. With this outfit, I mixed a few different things: ruffles with chino with stripes, and the necklace is tortoise with gingham. Fashion may have some rules, but fashion rules are also made to be broken. 

This jacket is so beautiful in person. The chino ruffles balance out the crop cut. Sleeves fasten with button closure. Some pieces were just made for layering. This is one of them. Transition perfectly between seasons as it mixes summer ruffles with fall khaki chino.

I like this jacket paired with a print, like this striped sweater. Or get a little crazy and mix in a different print. It would also pair nicely with a cute camo or plaid top.

To top the look off, I LOVE this necklace!  It’s double stranded and has a cute grosgrain ribbon tie. It was originally in the spring or summer line, so it’s a great price right now. Watch for sale codes for a bigger deduction – I think I paid around $14. With the navy and brown colors, I actually love this necklace best for fall anyways. (See it worn here too.) The necklace also comes in a floral printed ribbon and pink strands.

What are your favorite ways to mix patterns and styles?

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend!

Live your life joyfully so,

Ashley

Get excited because the summer 2017 Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale is right around the corner!! Why is this special? Because Lilly Pulitzer does not normally have sales, with the exception of two short sales per year known as their “After Party Sale”. In other words, if you love Lilly as much as most – this is your time to stock up!

My closet is filled with Lilly Pulitzer because I love their quality, colors and style. The After Party Sale is how I affordably keep a revolving rotation of colorful prints, tops and dresses.  Since I have shopped this for many years, I did an updated recap (from here) with more advice and outfit pictures to share all the secrets and tips to help you take advantage of the Lilly Pulitzer sale.

Here’s everything you need to know – and a few of my favorite past Lilly Pulitzer finds:

• The After Party Sale starts on August 28th and runs through August 30th. This year the sale is one day longer than usual. Plus Lilly is having an After Party Sale Preview Shopping Party on Sunday at 3pm in the local Lilly Pulitzer stores! Shop one day early to beat the crowds and get the best Lilly gear. (Things can go very quickly!)

Pictured:  Similar Dress Here or Here

• Set up an account online prior to the sale. Fill in your information, address and credit card information so this is ready during the sale. Taking the time to do this during the sale may result in your goods being removed from your cart as others check out.
• Know your “True Fit” Size before the sale begins. This tool will help you find the correct size based on previous purchases, age, height and weight.

Pictured:  Similar Dress Here

• The sale usually starts online around 7 am (central time). Be ready. To view the biggest selection of merchandise, you want to start exactly at 7 am. I set an alarm (if I’m not working already) and will refresh my computer at 6:59 am every 30 seconds or so. Once the sale starts, you will be given a number in line. This number will likely be very high (I have been over 30,000 in line before!) but don’t worry the wait goes quickly. Lilly will estimate your wait time, but I have always waited significantly less time than quoted. If the volume on your computer is turned up, you will hear a “ding” when your wait time is over.

Pictured:  Ramona Sweater

• Shop quickly! Just because you place items in your shopping cart does not make them reserved. Items are only reserved when you check out. Once you check out, you have to wait back in line.
• Buy what may go quickly first. Cute necklaces, earrings, bracelets and bags can go quickly. Lilly’s jewelry is all good quality. The gold shines bright, bracelets are durable for long term wear and most of their jewelry pairs well with a wide variety of outfits. If you like their accessories, buy them early.
• Check back on the second day. On day two they usually add other items. Also by the second day of the sale, there is usually minimal to no wait time to shop.

Pictured:  Similar Top

• Lilly Pulitzer stores will have sales. Find when you local store opens and get there early! (Remember Sunday stores will start the sale at 3pm.) They may not have the same selection as online but one benefit is to try before you buy. Since everything is final sale, this helps you find the perfect item and size before purchasing.
• Search for gifts. Their cashmere sweaters and wraps make great gifts! Both are greatly discounted during the sale by approximately 60%. My mom and I both have Lilly cashmere as it’s super soft. It’s like wearing sweats but looking classier!

Pictured:  Similar Wrap or Sweater

• Try other resources available to the sale. Lilly has an app that may be available to shop quickly, and avoid the lines. Previously the app was the fastest way to enter the sale and shop. However sometimes the app is not accessible to sale items so the app is not a guarantee.
• Shop smart. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and not want to miss out on a deal. However, go in with a goal in mind. Remember, everything is final sale so you cannot return any of the purchases. Not everything will sell out – so if there is something you are in different on, you may be able to wait a few hours to think about it. I don’t recommend this for your favorite finds, as there is not guarantee items will still be available.
• If it doesn’t fit, use resell websites. I have been pretty accurate in matching the correct size, but in times where something didn’t fit, I have sold Lilly Pulitzer apparel on resell websites, like Poshmark. Keep the tags on to sell at a reasonable price.

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Share your Lilly Pulitzer finds and purchases with me on Instagram or Facebook – I love seeing what others get!

Live your life joyfully so,

Ashley

Other Lilly Pulitzer Favorites:

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