* Kate the Geek: One Girl’s Love of Movies, Games, Television and Books *

Reason #1: My Full-time Job

We are in the final quarter here at work and things are going to get a bit hectic as we make a final push to meet yearly goals. I really enjoy my job and I want to do well. It is the best job I have had since graduating college. In the past I have done a lot of my blogging while I am at work. However, since time is going to be more limited due to having to focus on projects and tasks, I am going to have less time to focus on planning, writing and executing posts. When I get home after a long day of work, the last thing I want to do is spend another hour or two sitting in front of my computer writing. I am exhausted. So exhausted that about the only thing that I can muster up energy for is watching television.

Reason #2: Real Life Issues

Out of respect for the privacy of others I can’t go into the details of what these issues are, but I can say that they require a great deal of attention and energy, physically and emotionally. I need to be able to completely focus on being there and supporting those who need me, and when I worrying about updating my blog, I can’t do this. Furthermore with everything going on, again I am left completely exhausted and with little energy. The energy I do have I need to focus on other more critical things. My apologies that this is so vague.

Reason #3: Reevaluation of Blog Focus and Interests

When I started this blog I wasn’t sure what I wanted it to be, I just knew I wanted to blog. While I did have some interest in fashion prior to opening my blog, it wasn’t a major interest for me. Then I discovered the world of style blogging and I found myself wanting to be a part of that community and I found myself become highly focused on it. At first it was great, having this new interest that I could share with so many amazing people. However, over time, I have started to feel as though it wasn’t really who I am and what I want to write/blog about. I LOVE reading a lot of style blogs, but I don’t want to be one. My favorite posts to write have always been the movie reviews, the blogging advice, and my old TV Tuesday posts. And since realizing this, that having a blog focused on style is not me, I have struggled to find my blog’s direction, and thus, struggled with what I want to post about. Until I can find that voice and direction, I want to take some time off.

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There are a smattering of smaller reasons that prevent me from wanting to continue right now, but these are three most important. When I do come back to blogging (and trust me, I will), it will likely be in a very different direction from where I have been going the last 9 months. I am a geek through and through. My favorite things to talk about are comic books, superheroes, movies, video games books, ridiculous internet memes, pop culture and which celebrity is dating who. When I come back, that is likely the direction that my blog will take, no fashion (unless we are talking about Iron Man’s costume), no daily outfit posts. I realize these changes may result in the loss of many readers, but I am ok with that, and as they say, that is the way the cookie crumbles.

And now, I want to take a moment to thank those who joined me on this journey I have been on for the last nine months (I could have had a baby in the time I have been blogging). Whether you were here from the beginning (Nick and Cassie), or I met you along the way, you have made in incredible impact on my life. I appreciate every entry you have read, comment you have left, and tweet you have sent me. Many of you will be friends that I have the rest of my life, and for that I am eternally grateful. Remember, I am not leaving forever.  And don’t forget you can always feel free to find me on Twitter anytime.

• CommentLuv – I originally saw this on one of my favorite blogs and had to track it down for my own. This plugin offers the opportunity for you to give your devoted readers, and those who leave comments, a little extra love.  If they leave a blog address (or website) in the comment then this plugin will pull their latest post and link it in their comment.  It is a great way to give back to those who give to you.  I still love when I visit a blog and they have this plugin!

• Comment Reply Notification – Have you ever left a comment with a question where you were hoping for an answer, but never seemed to get it.  Then a month later you visit the blog to find your question answered.  And you wish, more than anything, that you had gotten an email notifying you it had been answered.  This plugin does just that.  It gives readers the option to choose to be notified when their comment receives a response.  You would think WP.org blogs would have this automatically, but alas, not the case.  So definitely get this, so your users can be notified of replies.

• Growmap Anti-Spambot Plugin – We have all been there, the ridiculous spam comments that seem to be never ending.  Akismet catches most spam comments, but it still requires you to be more proactive and actually monitor comments.  GASP takes your spam protection a step further and adds a tiny little check box that players need to check to indicate that they are not spammers. Since installing it a couple months ago I have only received one or two spam comments.  I would be drowning in a sea of spam (and not the salty yet delicious food) without this little plugin.

• Hikari Unicornified Gravatars – WordPress uses “Gravatars” as your icon when leaving comments.  If you have created a customized Gravatar, it will use that, if not, it will use the default image.  After awhile this can get a little boring looking.  This little plugin substitutes the default image with one of a handful of unicorn gravatars.  Not a life changing plugin, but it certainly does make your comments more colorful and fun.  Plus, who doesn’t love unicorns (if you don’t like them, please don’t tell me as it will break my heart)?

• SexyBookmarks (by Shareaholic) – I am torn on this plugin, but I like to keep it on the list because I do think it has use, if your community and readers are active enough.  This plugin gives you the option to add shortlinks to your post for users to automatically post to Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon, etc.  They have over 50 sites that you can choose to add.  You can customize where the thumbnails sit.  I personally choose to have mine at the bottom of the post as a kind of divider between each post.  On my site it doesn’t get used frequently, but I still like to keep it around.  For those blogs that have an extremely active community, I think this plugin would be amazing.

• Smart Archives Reloaded – I am always looking for a good way to organize my archives and have tried out a few different plugins.  While Beautifully Invisible prefers the calendar archives (as she is a more visual person), I decided upon Smart Archives.  I particularly like the “Fancy” setting, which includes collapsible menus and keeps everything organized and succinct. However it does not work with my custom layout, so I use one of the standard options which organizes my archives by year and then month.  Easy to navigate and find just what you are looking for!

• Thank Me Later – Have you ever visited a new blog that you quickly fall in love with and left a comment, only to forget a day later which blog you left it on because you follow a gazillion different blogs?  I do this on a fairly frequent basis and it drives me mad.  With this plugin this concern is a thing of the past!  This neat little plugin will automatically send new commenters an email.  You can customize the email to say anything.  Mine is very simple and thanks the user for their visit and comment, and then provides a link to both my blog and Twitter.  Voila!  An easy way to remember that amazing blog you visited the other day.

• W3 Total Cache – There is almost nothing worse than visiting a beautifully constructed site filled with amazing posts only to have it take FOREVER to load, or worse, lock your browser.  This handy little plugin helps to improve the overall experience when a user visits your site.  For those who love the technical side of things, basically this plugin caches every little aspect of your site, which will significantly improve download/load times, which your visitors will greatly appreciate.

• WP to Twitter - One of the things I loved about having a WordPress.com blog is that you could set it up to automatically share any new posts across the various social networks (Twitter and Facebook).  As simple as you might think it would be to implement this on WordPress.org hosted blogs, this is not the case, and this functionality does not come native to the .Org software.  This plugin, however, fills that gap, at least when it comes to Twitter.  It is quite easy to download and install, though you do need a little work to get your Twitter API key to connect your account (just follow the instructions and it will be easy as pie). Setup your settings as you see fit using your URL shortener of choice (I use StumbleUpon’s) and bam!, you are ready to go.  Anytime you publish a new post, it will be automatically posted to your Twitter.  Now they just need to make one that works well with Facebook.

• WPtouch – I do a lot of my blog reading on my smartphone (Motorola Droid X), and I know I am not the only one.  While pretty much all blogs I read will load on my phone’s browser, those that have a mobile theme installed load significantly faster, and make the user experience that much easier.  Sure, the mobile themes don’t look as fancy and beautiful as that custom theme you put hours and hours of work into, but when your screen is less than 5 inches in size, the more simple and quick loading, the better.  This plugin does just that for your WordPress blog.  With this plugin, when someone loads your site on a mobile device, it will load with a more simple and sleek theme.

These are just a few of the amazing plugins out there.  The WordPress.Org community is known for it’s extensive plugin catalog.  If there is something you wish you could do on your blog, there is probably a plugin that will do it for you.  Just spend a little time looking around and I am sure you will find what you are looking for (or at least someone who will make it for you).  Are there any plugins you absolutely love and can’t live without?

While the rest of the country is enjoying cooler temperatures, the last week here in California it has been ridiculously warm. But, as every person who has been in California for at least a year knows, that is how September works here. If it was a mild summer (and this one was one of the mildest we have had in the 4 years I have been here), then that means September will see some scorcher days. Luckily I work in the actual city (as in San Francisco), and it is always at least 15-20 degrees cooler than where I live (for example it is 91 where I live right now, and 77 here in the city), so I don’t have to die in the heat too much. I am definitely looking forward to some cooler temperatures as I really want to break out my tights and boots (a pair of brightly colored tights and cognac boots would be perfect with this outfit).

As you may have noticed, I kind of gave up on my hair. It is in that incredibly awkward growing out phase, and I have gotten tired of trying to style it in the morning (I much prefer the extra 10 minutes of sleep). Thus I pull a brush through it and then just leave it to air dry. Honestly, for no effort at all, it doesn’t look too bad. I have a hair appointment in a week, so I will get it cleaned up then (at least get the split ends trimmed).

Any special plans for the weekend? I plan to clean my house, relax, and spend some time reading the first Game of Thrones book, which I am already hooked on.

The Nautical Wench

Outfit Details

Jean Jacket – Thrifted Gap (Remixed)
Striped Dress – ModCloth (Unblogged)
Mustard Flats – Nine West via “Switch Consignment” (Remixed)

Hummingbirds are seriously difficult to snap a picture of. Even the slightest movement and they would flitter off.

A little turtle statue that sits by the koi pond. I thought it was cute.

Waterfall that my stepdad built for the koi pond.

The biggest of the four dogs, and the only female one, Sophie. So very pretty.

And this is Buddy, the ridiculously fat Rat Terrier. We also call him Budgy, or Sausage Dog.

And this is Cheech. He knows how to take perfect glamour shots. He is a purebred long-haired chihuahua.

This is Mobley, AKA Mo. He is part Pekingese, part Cairn Terrier. He is so ugly and looks like a gremlin, but it is his sheer ugliness that makes him cute. He is also ridiculously loyal and sweet.

I think this is called an Anole. If not, it's just a pretty lizard sunning itself on the porch.

This is one of Mom's two goats. His name is Claus, and he is pretty awesome.

And this little guy is Comet. Both the goats are pretty skiddish and wont let you come near them. But they are both super cute!

See what I mean? Glamour pose!

See more pictures in my album on Flickr (there are more adorable doggie pictures there).

Mom & I

See the rest of the pictures here.

Inspired by IFB, FNO & NYFW!

Edited by: Taylor Davies

The week of New York Fashion Week is one of the busiest of the entire year for the industry. It’s also one of the most inspiring for the IFB community. This week’s Links a la Mode features helpful posts about blogging that remind us of topics from our IFB Conference, as well as fun round ups of Fashion’s Night Out, NYFW shows, and designer inspiration.

The IFB Weekly Roundup: LINKS À LA MODE: September 15th

• Boyish Chic: FNO: A Night To Remember
• Cantabrigian: New York Fashion Week: Collections That Caught My Eye
• Cosmolawlitan: Fashion’s Night Out: A Business Review
• Designer Purushu: Inspired from Stella?
• Divergent Musings: On Why I Don’t Want to be a Professional Blogger
• Faery: Paris Diaries – Photographer’s block and Fashion’s Night Out
• Fashezine: Vogue Fashion Night
• Girl Loves Color: Color on the Runway: Peter Som
• I’m Too Fancy: FNO Street Style @ Missoni For Target
• January Sublime: London FNO & United Nude Party
• La Perle: Fashion’s Night Out – Paris!
• Mis Papelicos: Autumn Recap on Building a Better Blog
• Miss Viki: MG Vienna Fashion Week ‘11
• Over50Feeling40: Fashion’s Night Out in SA: Part 2… Visually Appealing
• Style Confessions: How To Afford Real Designer Clothing (On A Non-Designer Budget)
• Style. Love. Repeat.: Style: Blogger’s Night Out
• The Artful Shopper: Master Class with Rachel Zoe
• The Chic Sheet: Parabal Gurung 2012
• The Style Circuit: Ra’mon Lawrence S/S 2012 Presentation
• This Is A Yes: DVF Spring 2012

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

Tomorrow I head off to my mother’s in North Carolina for a week (my flight departs at the butt-crack of dawn).  I plan to rest, play video games, watch movies, see my family, play with the dogs and goats, and overall have a relaxing time.  I will pop in here and show off my adventures once in awhile, but overall it will be relatively quiet over the next week, especially on the outfit posts.  With four dogs in the house I don’t want to wear anything too nice for fear that they will drool all over me and/or tear it up.  But expect posts with lots of pictures of adorable fuzzy animals.  Mom’s dogs love attention and know how to vamp for the camera.

Gingham Girl

Outfit Details

Gingham Shirt – Thrifted Odille/Anthropologie (Unblogged)
Pink Cardigan – Forever 21 (Remixed)
Bootcut Jeans – Thrifted Gap (Unblogged)
Cognac Booties – Chelsea Crew (Unblogged)

You can also follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin, and Flickr.

• Building Brand Relationships (& Getting Sponsors)
• Monetizing Your Blog
• Making Your Blog Your Profession

Ok, I understand that there is a lot of interest in all three of the topics. Many people love sponsors as it helps to offset some of the costs of blogging, and you can often receive free samples/items to review and promote. Same with monetizing. Who doesn’t love a bit of extra money lying around, you know to go shopping, or buy that new computer, or go on a vacation? And yes, it would be pretty cool to have your blog make so much money that it can become your job, allowing you to quit that dreadfully boring office job you can’t stand, with stuffy people who do not appreciate your quirky fashion sense.

But what about those bloggers who do not want any of this? What about those who are not interested in sponsors? What about those who don’t want to deal with the stress of monetizing a blog? What about those who actually enjoy, if not love, their current job and have zero interest in becoming a full-time blogger? Is there a place for these people in the blogging world? And if someone does not want any of this, does it make him or her a bad blogger? Less ambitious? Less professional? Less enjoyable to read? I certainly hope not. You see, this is the group of bloggers that I fall into, and I am not the only one.

There are many blogs out there who choose to not have sponsorships (some of my favorite blogs are over a year old and still don’t take sponsors and have no plans to do so in the future). There are many who are not interested in monetizing (though often I do feel this may be because of the effort it takes). And for every blogger who wants to their blog to become their job, there is another blogger who has zero interest in doing so.

Let me say it loud and proud; I blog as a hobby and have no interest in my blog becoming my job. I like the job I have; some days I even love it. I work with great people, I do interesting work, I get paid well (which is good since I have a ton of student debt), and when I leave the office every day, I don’t have to think about work until the next workday. And to be honest, it is quite unlikely that if I chose to become a professional blogger, that I would be making anywhere what I make now, at least not for many years. Furthermore, blogging is a source of relaxation for me. When I am feeling stressed, depressed, or lonely, I write a blog post. It is my own personal therapy and a fantastic creative outlet. My concern is that if my blog became my job, this outlet for stress relief would disappear, and instead, would become a new source of stress, because this it only natural when your livelihood becomes dependent upon something.  I made a promise to myself when I started blogging 9 months ago; if it ever felt like a job, or a chore, or was no longer enjoyable, then I would stop. That is a promise I intend to keep.

Ok, so I don’t want my blog to be my job, but why not at least monetize it, or open it up for sponsors? For the exact same reason that I don’t want to blog on a professional level. Building brand relationships and getting sponsors is not an easy task. It takes time and effort to obtain them and keep them. I do not want to be worrying that the content I may be writing is not good enough for my sponsors (or my readers), that I may be losing my personal voice, or that my readership isn’t growing fast enough. I blog to relax, and to form friendships with my fellow bloggers. Because I have limited time (due to my real job and other responsibilities), if I start focusing on cultivating brand relationships and obtaining sponsors, something will have to give, and it would likely be building those friendships that I value so greatly (and which right now, are keeping me sane during this difficult time). Unfortunately I have seen this happen with a number of bloggers, where they lose their voice, and it always saddens me, as it causes me to lose that connection I had to them as a reader (though just as many bloggers do keep their voice even when they start monetizing their blog). For me, it is extremely important that I stay authentic, true to myself, and true to those who do come to read my blog, just as it is now.

On a sub-note, I have seen some blogs accept sponsors, but no more than that. And often these bloggers do this to offset certain costs such as hosting, bandwidth, and domain maintenance (all of which can be quite pricey). Other bloggers take the money they get from sponsors and put it right back into the blog through a giveaway or buying sponsor spots on other blogs to help promote and grow the blog. This approach is something that I would possibly consider in the future, if I did ever decide to open up the blog to sponsors.

As I bring this to a close, I want to stress that though I do not want to be a professional blogger, or even monetize my blog, I do not negatively judge others for doing so. If this is what your goal is, more power to you! It is a lot of work, it isn’t easy, but I do know that it can be rewarding. Just remember, to keep your voice and authenticity when you do so. And to those who are in the same or a similar boat as me, don’t feel you are any less awesome just because you don’t want to be a full-time blogger.

What are your thoughts on sponsors, monetizing and becoming a full-time blogger?

P.S. The outfit title comes from the fact that the dress has stripes, which always make me think one of two things.  French style or jail.  I went with jail this time around.

Almost Jail-Bound

Outfit Details

Striped Dress – ModCloth (Remixed)
Belt – Came w/ Dress, Worn Backwards
Red Patent Flats – Me Too via Nordstrom Rack (Remixed)
Elephant Necklace – Forever 21

You can also follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin, and Flickr.