5 steps to developing your blog's branding + voice

you have a personality. it makes you, well, you. there isn't anyone like you. you can't be copied. you have a unique set of goals and ideals that drive your daily dialogue and decisions. right?

the same is true for your brand. 

i think the word 'brand' freaks some people out. is it some kind of mystic marketing voodoo with no real basis in reality? not at all. don't be freaked. your brand is conveyed through your blog, website, business, social media content and overall presentation. your brand, your marketing voice, is what sets you apart from the crowd.

write a brand statement

what is your goal? what do you want people to take away from your business or blog? emotion is key. after addressing the tangible takeaways and benefits, ask yourself this: how do you want people to feel? is your blog meant to promote outrage, questions & discussion? or are you a little more focused on providing a sentimental perspective through your poetry?

ex: the mission of peppermint patty blog is to provide readers with simple, comforting, "down home" recipes in an easy-to-read, light-hearted, aesthetically pleasing format, reminding them that the taste of home is but a click away.

refer to your brand statement in times of uncertainty

it's a tuesday night. you haven't blogged in 2 weeks. you're feeling pretty darn uninspired. sometimes remembering why you started can lead you to back down the path of feeling fired up about your blog. if not, it's nice to remember why you're doing what you're doing - and admitting it's ok to take a break. if you aren't sure if content is right for your blog, or if you should say this or that... return to your brand statement. does it fit in with your ideals?

repeat step 2, again & again. and again

no seriously. this is an ideal i find marketing minded people deviating most from. sure, you may start out with the best of intentions, but what happens when a troll flames your blog, and you fire back immediately calling them something that would make your grandmother blush? and now... your loyal readers are subjected to a keyboard catfight they didn't buy tickets for. is waging comment wars part of your brand? (hey, if you're tucker max or total frat move, maybe it is!) if not, step away.

keep your branding consistent cross-platform

if you're a blogger, your brand needs to be reflected on every aspect of your online self. if you're a hardcore music blogger but sugar sweet and censoring yourself on twitter, people are going to be confused. if necessary, create separate social media accounts for your blog in order to maintain continuity of voice across platforms. your blog is backed by you, unless you write anonymously, and people are only going to follow on other networks if you're consistent in the message you're delivering.

don't cling to a brand that isn't working

people change. blogs change. don't be afraid to abandon a branding that isn't working for you, or simply makes you uncomfortable. if you hate it, trash it. revise your brand statement as you go. this is your mode of self expression, and it should wholesomely reflect the voice you're trying to get out there. don't be afraid to start over. inform everyone of your decision to rebrand, and take it from there.

happy holidays!

it's the most wonderful time of the year! tomorrow, i'll be driving down to fairhope to spend christmas with my family. i'm really excited! as of right now, i don't have any new year's eve plans, but i'll be off work, so who knows what i'll get into. i'm going to be taking a little bit of a blogging break this week, but i'll be back next week & into january!

i've got a lot of planning to do for birmingham bloggers to get us situated with our january event (february is in the works too!). i'm also looking forward to working on my 2015 marketing/business plans as well. january is a really exciting time for a type a like me.

i hope everyone has a lovely holiday!

insomnia cookies giveaway!

disclaimer: insomnia cookies provided me with a sample box to try, and a giftcard for this giveaway. i truly have had an incredible experience with this brand - so much so that i've ordered cookies for myself via their app at like 10pm on a rainy tuesday. it's good stuff y'all.

i know there's been a time in your life when you wanted cookies at 2am.

don't lie.

that's where insomnia cookies comes in. before this shop opened up in five points right here in birmingham, i had never heard of the brand, but thank goodness this entire new world has opened up to me. i've been fortunate to sample all of the insomnia cookies flavors, and honestly, there is not a bad cookie. my favorites are the reese's cup & double chocolate chunk (i'm a simple woman, clearly).

the cookies arrive warm & toasty at your door. yep. cookie delivery. till 3am. and yes, there's an insomnia cookies app to make it even freakin' easier for you. at this point, you have no way to say no to cookies.

i'm giving away a $15 giftcard to insomnia cookies! use the store locator to see if you've got an insomnia in your area, or, order a sample box to be shipped to your door from their website. all my birmingham people should be entering this so they have an opportunity to check out the store!

giveaway ends next monday, 12/22. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

home decor cravings

01. target brown faux fur throw

02. belquist granada pillow in blush

03. faux peony in bubble vase

04. navy pillow

lately i've really been feeling a bedroom makeover, and for the new year, i'm planning to give it a little revamp. currently, my cath kidston comforter takes up the lower half of the bed. i'm planning to replace it with a brown fur throw, and some gold accent pillows to replace the pink ones.

i guess i'm just feeling i'm over the pink, you know? i think the gold and navy compliment each other nicely for a more put together look. new year, fresh bedroom!

birmingham bloggers workshop brunch

over a month ago, rachel approached beth and i with the idea to host a workshop brunch for birmingham bloggers. of course, we jumped on the thought. bloggers love brunch. everyone loves brunch. win win. this past saturday, december 6th, was the day we'd been waiting for - brunch time!

naturally, we chose the nest in avondale for our event space. kristen is incredible and so easy to work with! the nest is bright, open, airy, just the right vibe for an upbeat brunch on a saturday morning.

since founding birmingham bloggers in april, i've gradually begun to experiment with event planning, and the scale is only getting larger. i'm an ad girl at heart, so pr is a new venture for me, but it's so, so much fun. beth, rachel and i worked so hard developing the menu and decor, meticulously obsessing over details, practicing scones at 5am (that's beth's story to tell) and trying to figure out which flowers were "too much" or "just enough".

thanks to rachel's culinary genius, we were able to provide a delicious menu (um lemon zest homefries, hello) right after the workshop portion of the event, which detailed instagram tips & tricks as well as general photography knowledge. i did get to enjoy a mimosa, but the rest of the brunch was spent on my feet cooking & plating, hence my lack of food photos.

here are some shots from birmingham bloggers members that i'm currently obsessing over. gorgeous!

Third course at the #bhambloggers Instagram Workshop Brunch -- baked eggs with crispy prosciutto and lemon zest homefries.

A photo posted by Javacia Harris Bowser (@writeousbabe) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:48am PST

Best Super Green Salad ever courtesy of @thenestbham for our Instagram workshop brunch thrown by #bhambloggers

A photo posted by Rachel Tindall (@tohellinahandbag) on Dec 12, 2014 at 11:10am PST

#BhamBloggers brunch 😋 #ladieswhobrunch

A photo posted by Chandler MacWilliam (@shotgunsandseashells) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:16am PST

#bhambloggers

A photo posted by @southernscripted on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:16am PST

A wonderful brunch with #bhambloggers #brunch #thenestbham

A photo posted by Anna Watkins (@annawithaplan) on Dec 12, 2014 at 9:26am PST

i'm so proud of this event. i still have a lot to learn, but this brunch gave me a solid place to start. 2015 will bring more events for birmingham bloggers, and i can only hope to continue to provide everyone with fun, informative and uplifting ways to get involved in the local blogging community here in birmingham.

thank you so much to kristen of the nest (soon to be baking bandits shop... so excited!), rachel, beth, nancy of magic city macarons for some beautiful & scrumptous party favors, & all the fabulous & talented members of the birmingham blogging community.

special thanks to

the nest birmingham

magic city macarons

bloggers in attendance

javacia of writeous babe & see jane write

chandler of shotguns & seashells

parker of fast foodie us

anna of ann with a plan

brittany of brittany ray

rachel of to hell in a handbag

katrina of gump style

alexandria of my guide to bham

layken of southern scripted

lizzy of lizzy is dizzy

libby of pink flamingos

brooke of in a world of bees, there's me

chanda of chanda temple writes

quick & easy holiday cocktail with ruby red

disclaimer: ok y'all, i am not sponsored by deep eddy vodka, it's just that good. really. so hey deep eddy, send me some bottles & i'll make more cocktails, ok?

my parents took a trip to austin, texas a few months ago, and brought back a few bottles of this stuff - deep eddy's ruby red grapefruit vodka. and then they got excited. and ordered, like, six more bottles. the stuff is made in austin, and they just opened up a brand spankin' new distillery. deep eddy pool is the oldest spring fed pool in austin, hence the namesake.

so when i went to austin a few weeks ago, i was on the look out. all the bars in austin carry it. my cousin and i were in c-boy's (picture the 80's in bar form) and a much older gentleman ordered my cousin and i "ruby red & water".

"ruby red? huh? like, deep eddy's? grapefruit vodka?"
"oh, we just call it ruby red."

this vodka is so, so smooth and delicious. it's quite refreshing, and can be enjoyed year round! super yummy in summer, but also very festive for a pretty holiday drink. i'd even throw a splash or two in champagne (and i probably will at my christmas dinner party in a few weeks!).

for a simple cocktail that'll really let ruby red shine through, whip this up:

• 2 parts deep eddy grapefruit vodka
• 1 part (or a little splash more, depending on your tastes) club soda
• juice of 1/4th a lime (or, again, a little more if you're like me)

could it be easier? toss in your lime, get a cute class + a cute red straw & you've got a gorgeous drink ready for holiday parties. this vodka compliments so many flavors, so if you pick a bottle up, be sure to experiement! deep eddy also does a sweet tea and cranberry vodka that are on my list to try.

enjoy!!

christmas list 2014

01. steve madden troopas in cognac

02. louis vuitton key pouch in damier ebene

03. david yurman link bracelet

04. riedal vivant pinot noir glasses

05. sugar paper gold stripe coasters

06. kate spade rose gold ipad mini case

here are some of the goodies i've got my eye on this year... and i've been really, really good, i promise. i guess it says something about where i'm at in life when coasters are on my christmas list. what are these adult priorities? i also need some new wine glasses desperately!

i tried on a pair of my cousin's troopas when i visited her in austin, and fell in love. how in the world had i not picked up these boots already? they're comfy, versatile and perfect for a winter outfit with plaid & a chunky knit sweater.

what's on your christmas list?!

review: jack black lip balm

i've tried a lot of lip balms. and i've written about a few, too.

do you ever feel like seriously betrayed by this crap? honestly, i just want a miracle on my lips, ok? i just want it to stay for hours and not dry my lips out worse than before (i'm looking at you, burt's bees). i just want something truly moisturizing that doesn't feel like tar or smell like hot garbage.

ok, ok, so clearly, this is serious for me. i mean come on. i've stepped my moisturizing game up in a big way in recent months, and i need lip balms to follow suit. so i heard about jack black, a men's skincare brand, and the only product i found people screaming about was the lip balm. of course i had to try it.

at $7.50 a tube, the jack black intense therapy lip balm is similar to lip balm's of christmas past for me, in that it isn't a "run-to-walgreens" type purchase. but, as you've seen from my desperate whining about lip products, i'm willing to dish if the goods are good. the lip balm comes in a few scents: black tea + blackberry, mint, shea, grapefruit + ginger & lemon + chamomile. i chose the classic mint, but the other scents smelled delicious.

honestly? so far i'm impressed. i apply this during the day, and at night before i go to bed. i wake up, & it's still on my lips. it's actually not drying like other lip balms. i much prefer the petroleum based consistency to waxy alternatives. while i can't see any visual difference in my lips, this lip balm lasts forever and feels great, which is more than i can say about so many others.

what's your favorite lip balm?

holiday instagram giveaway!

hey y'all, happy monday! i'm hosting a giveaway over on my instagram account - @meredithnd! it's my way of thanking all my followers & to give someone a little special package for the holiday season. it's super easy to enter, so click here to check out my post & enter!

i'm planning a blog giveaway for january 2015, so keep your eyes out for other goodies after the new year. hope y'all have a fabulous week, & good luck!

maple bacon cupcakes

make something a little different for thanksgiving this year. you know you want to. these cupcakes combine flavors that i used to believe should never be combined. gross. bacon and cupcakes? what is the world coming to?

welp, turns out it's delicious - so, don't knock it till you try it.

as a birminghamian, i had to make this recipe, included in southern living's big book of cupcakes. this recipe was provided by jan moon of dreamcakes, birmingham's local cupcakery (they've even got a cupcake truck!) holy perfect, right?!

for the cake:

1 cup butter, softened 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

4 large eggs 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 cup milk 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

for the maple frosting:

1 cup butter 

1 (16-oz.) package dark brown sugar 

1/2 cup evaporated milk 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1 tablespoon light corn syrup 

4 cups powdered sugar 

2 teaspoons maple flavoring

for the toppings:

12 cooked bacon slices, broken to pieces (super crispy!)

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. combine butter & sugar and beat until light and fluffy. add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. in a separate bowl, sift together flour, tabking powder and salt. slowly add flour mixture, alternating with milk, starting & ending with flour. add vanilla extract. be sure not to overbeat! spoon batter into cupcake tins & bake the cupcake for 15-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

for the frosting, melt butter in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat.  add brown sugar, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. add evaporated milk, baking soda & light corn syrup. bring to a boil. remove from heat and let cool (this could take a while, but it's important! the caramel mixture needs to be 100% cool before you move on). once cool, beat in powdered sugar with an electric mixer. add maple flavoring. this frosting firms up quickly and is much easier to work with that way, so you may want to wait a few minutes before icing.

fry up some bacon, break into pieces for your topping, and voila!

i'm very excited to head to my parents house in fairhope for thanksgiving - it's going to be a wonderful weekend catching up with a few friends and family members. and nah, i'm not doing the black friday thing this year. i'll stick to online shopping, thanks.

i'm taking a little blogging break the rest of this week to enjoy the holidays - see you in december!

recipe via my recipes.

an adventure to little river canyon

if you haven't visited alabama, you may not know about some of the beautiful places we've got in our state. northern alabama rests at the foothills of the appalachian mountains, giving us gorgeous, sloping scenery with a symphony of flora, fauna and color. you can drive south and sink your toes into sugar white sand at gulf shores, float down the cahaba river near birmingham, or drive up north of gadsden to visit the beautiful little river canyon.

it was my first time here, and i was speechless. i had no idea we had a canyon this large that stretches for miles in alabama - and i've lived in this state my entire life. the waterfalls are spectacular, and the views are magnificent. unfortunately i missed the bulk of the autumn leaves changing, but i'm sure this place is just as glorious in spring as everything begins to bloom, which is probably when i'll go back.

just when you think you've seen all there is to see around you, look again. occasionally you'll find a hidden gem.

5 lessons i've learned from running a blog community

over coffee at o'henry's in early 2014, i spoke with beth & molly about starting a group called birmingham bloggers. months later, we're having a blast and have loved meeting so many amazing people along the way. we've also got an amazing workshop brunch coming up! i've learned a lot about social media, event planning, and most of all, i've finally been able to flex my marketing muscles that i don't get to use at my day job. it hasn't all been easy, and i've learned a lot of lessons along the way - but most of all, i've learned what i'm capable of with a little determination and a willingness to step outside my comfort zone.

birmingham is full of innovators & amazing writers/bloggers. i've been so inspired by the community and the successful, ambitious people leading it (javacia, wade & countless others!). so if you're in an area lacking a community, keep looking, and reach out to everyone to make it happen. good luck!

if you create it, they will come

i started birmingham bloggers in april 2014. i figured hey, maybe i'd get a few members. i'd be super happy if i got 10. well, here we are, not even a year later, and we're approaching 100 members. i never in my wildest dreams imagined we'd have that many people in this community, and i also had no idea there were that many bloggers in birmingham. the point is, if your area lacks a community, don't hesitate to create it. you will fill a need, even if it is only for 5 other bloggers.

staying organized is key, and saves you a headache

i organize all members of birmingham bloggers into a spreadsheet in google docs. i used square space to host our site, and each 'new member' form is automatically routed to the spreadsheet. i've got everyone's email loaded into mail chimp, and i keep a running tally in my brain of who likes to blog about what, how often and what their "voice" is - i can't tell you how many times i've talked to someone and they've asked, "oh, does anyone blog about xyz?" i'm super type a, so this may not be first nature for everyone. find a way to utilize apps and technology to keep it simple. keep your member data up to date, and jot down ideas constantly.

events don't plan themselves

depending on your community "goals", you may anticipate to host several blogging meetups and events. if this is an aspect of community you'd like to cultivate, be prepared to enlist some help depending on the scale of your event. send out a general interest survey to your members about which day of the week they're available for meetups, or what type of meetups they'd prefer. don't forget to ask this question! after all, they're the ones attending. announce your events at least a week or two in advance to give people time to plan. and don't take it personally when they don't show up. life happens. or sometimes, someone just didn't feel like sitting around and chatting for a few hours after a long day (hello, totally guilty here. introvert problems).

branding matters. always has, always will

if you're looking to create a larger scale community, focus on your community's "voice". what makes you different than everyone else yelling on twitter and facebook? what's your community's niche? always invest in good graphic design and aesthetic - don't be afraid to reach out to your member base and see if anyone would like to help out. decide what the goals of your community are, and remind yourself of those during every event and social media post. positivity is a voice that looks good on everyone. 

give bloggers a benefit

regardless of the size of your community, take a look at what you offer your members. a cute button for their site? weekly happy hours? monthly workshops, discounts or promotions? think about what you'd want out of a community, and capitalize on that thought. even if your benefit is just knowing other local bloggers and having friends to turn to when the blogging seas get rough, make sure your members know that. remind them. or, make koozies. because everyone loves koozies.

kickin' chili

so in the past few days, it's gotten super chilly here in birmingham. i was craving something comforting & warm, so my first thought was to this low carb chili recipe i've made once before. it's perfect for breezy autumn nights, so bring out the crockpot & make it asap. you won't regret it. this recipe has no beans and quite a kick to it, but of course, you can scale back on the spice if needed.

click here to visit peace, love & low carb for the recipe. i promise it's worth it! to see some of my other low carb favorites, click here to read a compilation post i made a while back. enjoy!

insta-style: fall edition

here are a few shots of what i've been wearing lately. it's only just now cold enough for scarves, boots & sweaters here in birmingham, but i've really been loving it! on my trip to austin, it was in the lower 70's, so i got to wear my floral asos midi skirt for the first time! but of course, back in alabama i'm busting out the blanket scarves. i got mine on amazon for $20 (the price has dropped to $14 now, so go snag one! you won't regret it!). i think i'm going to need to invest in more coats this winter - we're supposedly in for a super chilly one.

follow me on instagram for more! what have you been wearing so far this fall?

an austin adventure

here are some shots from my long weekend trip to austin, texas. i flew out early friday morning and was in by 10am - i honestly feel like i could have stayed there another week! there's so much to do and austin is such a vibrant place, i basically fell in love with the city. my cousin is interning there for the semester and so graciously invited me to come visit. and what an awesome choice it was!

friday

7am flight, woohoo! i grabbed lunch at diner 24 (holy yum), stopped by the baylor art wall, and then to the top of mt. bonnell for a fabulous view and mayfield nature preserve for peacocks! we then ventured to south austin to my cousin's apartment. that night, we went to firehouse bar for a delicious cheese plate, and then hung out and listened to some live music at guerro's before heading to dinner at south congress cafe (warm goat cheese + prosciutto salad, need i say more?).

and, of course, we had to hit up the bar scene - we stopped by c-boy's and then finally got hauled over to 6th street to go to buckshot. everyone says you can try to avoid ending up on 6th during a night out, but you'll inevitably find yourself there.

 saturday
i was so excited to go to hamilton pool! this natural pool is about 30ish miles west of austin, and oh my gosh, is it worth the drive! there's a short, steep hike down to the pool, and honestly photos don't do it justice. if you're in the area, you must go here.

after our day excursion, we headed back to austin to get ready for fun fun fun fest! i didn't take any photos here (lots of snapchats) but it was an awesome festival. and i crossed seeing modest mouse off my bucket list.

sunday
on this day, we explored south congress a bit and had sunday brunch at blackbird & henry. i got a lamb leg grilled cheese with goat cheese and some grits (plus a mimosa, of course) and was about ready to die afterwards because it was so damn good. then, we trekked to walton's fancy & staple per molly's recommendation for some macarons! i also explored UT's campus a bit before we drove all the way down to salt lick for bbq. there's a vineyard on site, so of course, we picked up some of their wine! afterward, i had my first experience at alamo drafthouse to see 'st. vincent'. loved it. why aren't all move theaters this way? they should be.

on monday, my cousin returned to work, so i stopped by patika again for a vanilla latte, then toured the zilker botanical gardens, which were a perfect way to wind down before my flight back to birmingham.

have you ever been to austin? did i hit all the good spots? the foodie scene is so overwhelming there! i can't wait to go back!

recent beauty favorites

01. nivea kiss of care & color - this. stuff. is. my. favorite. oh my gosh. i am not a lipstick girl. i'll put it on, but it's a struggle for me. these add a hint of color and feel exactly like a lip balm - they're probably even more comfortable than revlon lip butters. i have them in a few shades, and i wear them non-stop!

02. juicy couture's viva la juicy la fleur - i am a huge, huge fan of juicy couture's perfumes, especially viva la juicy. my friend got me viva la juicy la fleur for my birthday, and i'm obsessed! i wear it every day, and i'll probably run through the entire bottle before the year ends.

03. mary kay eye cream - i've never tried any mary kay products prior to this one, nor have i used a dedicated eye cream. i do like this product, and i wake up every day with my skin buttery soft. as far as help with dark circles, i'm not sure. however, i really need to keep this in my routine, because there is no such thing as too much moisturizing, especially around the eye area.

04. opi polish in 'keeping suzi at bay' - this has been a wonderful fall color that i've worn on my hands and feet constantly. it's a slightly darker, rich toned navy that looks gorgeous with fall color palettes.

birmingham bloggers + kendra scott

last wednesday, october 29th, birmingham bloggers held it's october event at the new kendra scott location at the summit! we were so excited to host this event, meet new members & sip champagne! beth, molly and i had been anticipating this event for over a month, and we were overjoyed that it was a success. we've had so many ideas for future events, and we're looking forward to making 2015 the year for birmingham bloggers.

thank you so much to sarah at kendra scott for your hospitality! the store is gorgeous, everyone be sure to go check them out on november 6th for their grand opening celebration!