#ChicChat Recap | Number One

Every Tuesday night from 9-9:30 Eastern time I host a twitter chat that talks about all things blog related called #ChicChat. In the past we have talked about things from the importance of Instagram to contacting brands to coming up with creative post topics. Every week the topic is different and we always end up learning something new or gaining a piece of insight. I decided that every Thursday, starting today, I’m going to post a #ChicChat recap. photo via

So, this past Tuesday’s topic was “Common Blogger Mistakes” which was recommended by Scarleth from Hello Scar. We’ve all made mistakes when it comes to blogging and learning from our own mistakes is often a way to build ourselves up and learn new things. I’m not really sure how I’ll format these posts down the road, but for now, I’m going to show the question that I asked and then share a few tweets from that specific question that sparked some interest.

Here we go…

Question 1: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made while blogging? “getting into the comparison game-you can't judge anyone's blog success the same way! We're all at different stages.” - @somemoredunsmor “Without fail, not promoting them enough. I will go to the ends of the earth for others' posts...but mine? Um…” - @theideologue “underestimating the time it takes to maintain a blog” - @ThePeachBellini 

Question 2: What’s a mistake that you see new bloggers making? “copying other bloggers that have original content and not giving credit where it's due.” - @helloscarblog “Not having a clear point of view or not focusing in on a target market.” - @GalleriadiGiani “Too much self-promotion on other's blogs & social pages. It can look like spam, even though the intentions are good.” - @teresalauraxo “using dry language to share things they're passionate about. The blogging craft is re: conveying authentic passion.” -  @theideologue

Question 3: What’s one piece of advice you wish someone told you before you started blogging? “blog like no one's watching! i think this would've helped me post more expressively and not be so self-conscious” - @stylecontext “start with a few posts already in your arsenal so you're ahead, it's so easy to get behind on posts” - @alwayshunterb “that no matter how long you've been blogging you'll still feel brand new. You'll still Learn every day” - @ThePeachBellini “all the little stuff-every network to join,photo size for pinterest,social media scheduling,etc.” - @somemoredunsmor

Question 4: Is there anything that you wish you could re-do or take back regarding your blog? “I wish it were my job! I wish that I were brave enough to take the leap and do what I love! #failtoplanPlantofail” - @ThePeachBellini “No regrets, it's all a learning experience” - @GalleryPlaceDes “I wouldn't have tried to sound like anyone else for so long. I would've accepted that my "voice" was/is a needed one.” - @theideologue “I feel like I should've done more research prior to starting a blog. 1 thing I don't regret is my blog name!” - @diningonstyle “i wish i would've picked a better name! something more fun and descriptive. i think it's too late now” - @stylecontext

So there we have it! A short little recap. If you’re interested in joining next weeks chat, but aren’t really sure where to start, be sure to read this post explaining what a twitter chat is!

Have you ever participated in a twitter chat? If so, what's your favorite one? xox, Chloe

Morning Routine

My friends and I were having a conversation about whether we were morning or night people the other day, and it really got me thinking. What is is that makes us favor one or the other? I know that I love to wake up early, get my boring "to-dos" out of the way, and have the rest of the day left to diddle daddle and relax. Some of my friends would rather snooze all morning and then feel a sense of dooming pressure in accomplishing their "to-dos." I just think it's so weird how we're all wired so differently but all so similar at the same time. Anyway, this trail of thinking somehow got me inspired to share my morning routine with you lovely readers. I don't really think I do anything special, but I love seeing what products other people use so I thought, "what the heck."

And here we go..

+The first thing I do is lotion my body. I have extremely dry skin, and living in Colorado isn't doing my skin any favors. I absolutely adore The Body Shop's lotions and the Coconut flavor has such a subtle and clean scent. I would totally try this one out!

+Next, I apply deodorant. This might be TMI and you probably don't care, but I sweat profusely. I joke around and say that my armpits are geysers, but I'm not really kidding. They literally leak. This Dove deodorant works wonders and it smells great too! Plus, Costco sells it in a super size pack if you're into buying in bulk.

+I then move onto making my face look pretty. I usually start with curling my eyelashes, and I use the Shu Uemura curler. I swear it's the best eyelash curler out there. I'm clumsy, as you might know, so putting a metal clamp near my eye is dangerous, but I have yet to pinch my eye lid with this curler (I knocked on wood as I typed this).

+I then apply some eyeliner and mascara. Nothing too fancy happens here. I use Chanel's Noir pencil eyeliner. I change my mascara pretty often, but I love Maybelline's Colossal Mascara. +Next, I add a quick swipe of blush to my cheeks. I actually just recently started wearing blush and I feel like it makes my face look more awake and interesting. Dumb? Maybe, but whatever. I use Mac's Mable. If you have any suggestions for a good blush, let me know!

+The next step I take is spray a little splash of perfume on. I think if I had to only choose one of these steps to complete in the morning it would be this one. I don't know why, and I know it's weird, but I love smelling good. It's an instant confidence booster. Lately, all I've been using is this vanilla perfume from Anthropologie. My cousin and I tried it on randomly while shopping together and we both fell in love with it. Everyone smells something different when it's on, from marshmallows to hot fudge to fresh baked cookies. Everyone loves it though! This Anthro perfume is also a great option!

+Lastly, I brush my teeth because I'm human and I have basic hygiene. So go me, I guess. And that's all! I don't really do anything extraordinary different than the rest of the female population, I don't think, but I thought it might be interesting for you all to know what I do in the morning to make myself feel more presentable.

Do we use any of the same products in our morning routine? If so, let me know! What does your morning routine include? Thanks for reading! xox Chloe

Podcasts

Hello lovelies. I'm probably the furthest thing from a trendsetter. I'd definitely call myself a trend follower before I would dream of calling myself a trendsetter. I never know what "the next big thing" is going to be, and frankly I'm totally ok with letting other people do the figuring out. However, I totally called it that podcasts were on the rise. I knew they were going to be big, and they really are starting to be hot and trendy... at least I think they are. So go me for being ahead of the curve. For once. Pats on the back are well deserved in my book.

As you know, I just got my wisdom teeth removed. I haven't been able to sleep so well with all the medicines that I have been taking, so I popped on a podcast and it was an instant soother. It was also an inspiration kickstarter. I love listening to the radio (i.e. some segments on NPR) but being able to choose the topic of the podcast makes it all the cooler. I decided to compile a list of podcasts that I've recently discovered regarding blogging and creative inspiration. I haven't listened to all of them and some of them I just downloaded like .02 seconds before writing this post so bare with me.

Here's my list:

• The Lively Show
• How They Blog
• Elise Gets Crafty
• Smart Passive Income
• After The Jump
• Seanwes Podcast

I have an iPhone and simply downloaded these podcasts through the Podcast App on my phone. It was super simple and each of these podcasts listed are free which is an added bonus! Let me know if you listen to any of these podcasts or if you have any that you listen to currently that I should add to my list.

Also, just for the heck of it, let's play trend spotter. Do you know of anything that's going to be "the next big thing?" I'd love to hear it! xox, Chloe

Post Wisdom Teeth Removal | A Rambling

As I write this, it’s 6am on a morning that I don’t have to be up for school. Parent-teacher conferences are a life-line from above, saving teenagers from having to do their homework last minute on a Sunday night after a very short break from school. So why am I up, you ask? Because yesterday I was lucky (jokes) enough to get my wisdom teeth out. I’m post wisdom teeth rambling, blame the drugs. For those of you who have yet to endure this life altering process, have no fear. It took, what felt like, five minutes. I got to the office, they injected me with some “blissful sleep meds” (as quoted by my doctor), and then I woke up and was wheel chaired to my car. I was planning on having my mom film a video of me, but I wasn’t funny, which was a huge bummer because I really wanted to be on the Ellen Show. I guess I can’t count on drugs bringing me to my fame and fortune.

Anyway, it’s 6 am of the morning after, and I was doing my hourly scroll through Instagram and came across a guy’s post (@seanwes and the link to his podcast is in his Insta bio). In it, he mentioned how he has a podcast that talks about all things creative. Because I had absolutely nothing better to do, and I’m interested in the spike of podcast content recently, I decided to take a listen. I started with one called “Topic Ideas So You Never Run Out of Things to Write About.” It honestly couldn’t have come at a better time, because lately, I’ve been feeling like blogging but I’ve also been feeling like I don’t have anything to blog about. Can I blame my Senioritis on this too??

So as I was listening — at the time I’m writing this, I’ve only listened to about 15 minutes worth, but it’s already that inspiring — I decided that I wanted to write a post every day for two weeks. Sometimes the posts might be crappy. Sometimes the posts might reveal how amazing of a creative soul I am (right?). Sometimes the posts might be flat-out dumb, but I think writing one post for fourteen days is totally do-able. I’m not putting a length requirement on. In fact, the only requirement is that I have to make (not find) a visual to go along with the post.

So there you have it, a promise from me to you that I’m going to actually be blogging again. Hopefully I’m not writing this in a drugged state of mind — back to my wisdom teeth — but even if I am I hope to keep this promise. And with that, I guess, I’ll ask if you have any post recommendations. Feel free to leave a recommendation or piece of inspiration (ie prom, awkward stories, DIY). If I end up using your  inspiration, and you want me to, I’ll link to your blog and social media sites so be sure to leave those in the comments! I'm just that kind of a soul.

Thanks for reading! xox, Chloe

Energy Bites

So, before I get into the real post, I just want to mention that a ton of people found out about my blog at school. It seemed like all of a sudden people were mentioning that they liked my blog or had seen my blog, and it was kind of weird at first. It’s not that I didn’t want people at school to know that I have an “internet life,” it’s just that it felt kind of separate. I’m not any different on my blog than I am in real life, but I do think of my blogging self as a whole different part of me. Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you have a hobby or extracurricular activity that you’re passionate about, don’t worry if people find out about it. It’s who you are and it’s a part of you, regardless of what other people think about it. And, if you happen to be from school and you’re reading this… lemme know (;Ok, sorry, moving on to the real post now...

One of my friends from school brought some peanut butter balls to swim practice and she let me have one. Not only was it absolutely amazingly tasty, but it was the perfect snack to have right before a workout. She told me that she found the recipe on Pinterest so I did some digging and found it myself. I didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand so I kind of changed it around a little bit and I happened to really like the way they turned out! Here’s what I did, but if you want the real recipe to make these energy bites, click here.

Ingredients:

1 cup of dry oatmeal (old-fashioned oats) 3/4 peanut butter (I tried almond butter, but it wasn’t sticky enough) 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup honey 2 table spoons chia seeds 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Pour everything in a bowl and mix it together. I found that using my hands to mix was much easer than using a spoon or whisk. 2. Put the mixed bowl into the fridge for at least half an hour 3. Roll into balls about 1” in diameter (or however big/small you want them)

Seriously, that’s it. These energy bites are so simple to make and so easy too! If you make them be sure to post a picture on Instagram or Twitter and tag us so I can see!

xox, Chloe

Behind The 'Gram

Hello! I hope you've all had a fantastic long weekend, thanks to the fabulous Martin Luther King Jr. Actually, before I write this actual post, I want to talk a little about Mr. King himself. I had an early release day at school the other day so my friends and I decided to go to the movies. We ended up seeing Selma, and it was absolutely amazing. It was a history lesson, but it made me appreciate and admire Martin Luther King on a whole new level. Being from the south, I had seen racism first hand, but Selma allowed me to further understand the issues behind racism. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that a.) Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero and such a cool guy and b.) go see Selma! Ok now onto the real post.. Behind The 'Gram. I was just stalking my blog (please tell me I'm not the only one who does this...) and I stumbled across my first Behind The 'Gram post and it reminded me how fun it is to see the true story behind a pretty picture, because usually the story isn't as pretty. So I've decided to do a second post. Here we go.

What it looks like: Just casually entered a winter wonderland where the air is crisp, the people are joyful, and hot chocolate is waiting for me at home.

What actually happened: My family and I went skiing with another family this Christmas and we decided to all go out together one day. We started on a mountain called "Peak 8" and decided to venture over to "Peak 9." However, to get to Peak 9 we had to go across a very flat, very un-skiable stretch of land. Fortunately, I had enough speed to get me through most of the flat stretch, but most of the rest of the group wasn't so lucky. This picture was taken in the absolutely freezing temperatures while waiting for the whole gang to finally catch up. Not only was everyone exhausted by the time they finished skiing/trudging through the path, they were also extremely grumpy. We ended up having to ski to the bottom of Peak 9 so that we could sit in a little cafe and catch our breath and thaw out our hands and feet.

What it looks like: Sunday morning coffee date. And can we just take a minute to appreciate the RayBan / Coffee art combo? I lead such a fabulous life.

What actually happened: I procrastinated doing my homework all week so I frantically had to get it all done Sunday afternoon. I decided to go to a coffee shop so I wouldn't get distracted by the WiFi and food at my house. However, the coffee shop that I went to was so uber trendy that I didn't really know how to order, and therefore my coffee tasted gross and un-sugary. I then proceeded to make a scene while taking a picture of my coffee because for some reason I just couldn't get the angle or the lighting right. I was probably standing over my table while photographing for a full twenty minutes (that is unfortunately not an exaggeration). It'll be a while until I feel comfortable to show my face at this excessively trendy coffee shop.

What it looks like: Just a casual cone on a hot summer day.

What actually happened: My mom, brother, and I decided that it would be fun to bike to a cool ice cream shop. Turns out this ice cream shop was 6 miles away and it just happened to be one of the hottest days of the summer. I didn't even want to get my ice cream in a cone because I was trying to eat healthy and the cup was much smaller. I decided that I could splurge and eat a whole cone, 'cause #eatitforthegram. This picture took a long time to capture because I couldn't find the right background and the ice cream kept melting down my hand.. hence the lick marks on the ice cream. Also, my mom was disappointed that my nails weren't painted for this picture. Overall, a very stressful and unsatisfying experience.

What it looks like: Oh you know me, out for a casual walk during the gorgeous fall weather.

What actually happened: My mom and I walked over to the mall to check out the sales and on the way home I thought the leaves would make a good picture. I had never taken one of these kind of pictures (the cliche outfit from above shot) before so I was really struggling to capture my whole outfit while still including the pretty leaves. Unfortunately, this struggle occurred in front of other people who were very confused by my awkward "butt out, camera above the head, blind shooting" approach to photography. I almost got run over by two bikers and had countless stares from unlucky witnesses.

All in all, a pictures is worth a thousand words. Clearly, these words are much more interesting when describing the behind the scenes look into it. Now you'll never be able to look at our instagram account without wondering what really went on to capture the picture. Let me know if you'd like me to write a part three, but in the mean time you can follow us on Instagram and try to guess what the story is! xox Chloe