Laina Turner's Blog, page 72

Blog Tip Tuesday

If you’re serious about blogging you need to have focus. For me….Who am I and what do I have to offer in the blogosphere are the questions I’ve been asking myself lately.

In January, I had my blog redesigned and combined all my blogs into one. It was an improvement and honestly I thought it was the answer to the who/what question, but it wasn’t entirely mainly because I was holding back and not being transparent and authentic. Wanting to take my blog up another notch I started down the path of having it redesigned again in June, and the new version will launch December 1st, 2014. I must say it is gorgeous and will be an amazing showcase to my content that is why the last couple months I have been trying to really nail down my focus. What my blog is about, what makes me interesting, what I have to offer readers, and why people would want to read it.

I have spent a long agonizing time thinking about this because it is my passion, and I am making it into my business. I have to get it right.

I realized my mistake was spending more time thinking about what I’m not as a blogger than thinking about what I am.

What I’m not.

I’m not a mommy blogger. Yes, I have kids so by definition I guess I am a mommy blogger but my kids are 8 and 13, not adorable toddlers, who go to public schools. I’m a store bought – not even pretending they were homemade – kind of mom. So cutesy crafting and DIY and most food for that matter is WAY out of the realm of my expertise.

I’m not a photographer. In fact, until a few weeks ago all my pictures were on the iPhone and not very good ones at that. And you can look at my Laina made images on Pic Monkey to see graphically creative is not in my wheel house. I did just purchase a Nikon DSLR 5300 which I know how to turn on and press the button to take a picture, but that is it.

I’m not a fashionista. Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion and worked in fashion retail for years but just have never considered myself as someone others would care to see photographed in outfits.

I’m not an interior designer. I currently live in a rental while we search for the perfect house and so I don’t care.

I’m not a 20 something, recently graduated from college, recently married cute as a button female. I am a 43 year old to be exact, divorced, recently engaged, working mother of 2. I like wine and yoga and sometimes I skip the yoga and suffice with wine in yoga pants.

When you look at lifestyle blogs that’s what seems to be the majority out there. Don’t get me wrong. I love all those things. I read many lifestyle blogs who are written by the 20 something females who own it in terms of taking gorgeous pictures, achieving domesticated bliss, who are homemade all the way, and look awesome while doing it all photographed for the public to see. And ladies you all ROCK! It’s just not me.

So I decided to sit down with a big pumpkin latte and brainstorm about the who/what question along with what it is I like and want to share with people. Just like in real life, some people will like you, and some people want but you need to be the person you want to be. Those that care will stick with you.

Stick around for the results of that introspective coffee meeting with myself and in the meantime tell me how you decided what you wanted to write about if you’re a blogger. If you aren’t a blogger how did you decide the right path for you to follow?

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Locutions of Leather

I always enjoy learning about things and this is no exception. It never fails to amaze me how each industry has such industry specific terminology. I hope you all learn something too. You never know when it will come in handy on jeopardy!Presented by Ghurka

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Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Fall wouldn’t be fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch. Though I dare say we’ve had a warm spurt here in central Indiana and it was in the 80’s Saturday so wasn’t exactly fall weather and that was a little odd for me but the kids didn’t seem to mind.

Here is Syd pretending to be a pumpkin.

And a pumpkin tree that Stoney Creek Farms made. Totally cute.

What a cool old building. Can you imagine going to school in a place like this back in the day?

Have an amazing week!

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Fab 5 Friday

These are the fab things I found from around the web this week!

A Beautiful Mess – 5 Minute Oatmeal…because who doesn’t love oatmeal?
Crazy for Crust – Pumpkin Patch Candy Corn Brownie Pies...The name says it all.
Hello Fashion – 4 Colorful Workout Looks...I wish I looked half as good in my workout gear.
The College Prepster – How To Trim Down Your Closet…I don’t know about you but my closet is about to explode!
The Small Things – The Conditioner Hunt…it really is about the small things.

**images are from the posts/sites I pulled the fab 5 list from**

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10 Things I’m Grateful For

In writing this post today as part of the SITsgirls blogging challenge, I realize that I don’t take as much time to be thankful as I should for the amazing things in my life. Then when I really think about it, I realize how much I have to be thankful for and to limit it to 10 things is kind of hard. I am very lucky.

So here goes…

My amazing children who every day make me happy I’m a mother.
My supportive fiancé who knows all my secrets and still loves me.
Great extended family members.
Wonderful friends who like me for who I am.
My health. I know it might sound corny, but my mother died young from a terminal illness and I appreciate being physically able to do whatever I want (well within reason – I am over 40).
My education. Thankfully I had parents who held education as a high priority and my MBA and Ph.D. have opened many, many doors and opportunities.
A roof over our head and the food my family eats.
A wonderful ex-husband who I co-parent with so as some of you might know it is so important to have a good relationship there.
A great community to live in that is safe and family friendly.
A wonderful blogging community that keeps me inspired.

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you universe for my good life (and a lot of other supportive people).

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Accessories That Never Go Out Of Style

When you buy new accessories, you do this with the intention of using them at least a couple of years. Most qualitative accessories are expensive so it’s good to invest in accessories that never go out of style. Here are some tips on finding fashionable and timeless accessories that can be used for many years without the danger of becoming outdated.

1) Ballet flats can be combined with different styles of clothes. From jeans, sweaters to skirts, dresses and shirts, these leather shoes suit every clothing you choose to wear. They are simply universal and can’t go out of fashion.

2) Another nice choice you can make is buying a solid black clutch purse in a medium size. This black accessory is perfect for formal occasions. If you want to have a more universal clutch, choose one that focuses the attention on one element, such as an extravagant clasp and snake skin pattern, for example.

3) Another good investment accessory is a pearl necklace. It can be combined with any dress and adds a touch of elegance and exquisiteness to your style. It is suitable for every day wear, business meetings or formal occasions.

4) Both practical and stylish, a large neutral-colored handbag is another great addition to your accessories. It is appropriate for cases when you go out and don’t know when will you return home. It offers a lot of space for keeping many things and can easily be combined with almost any style of clothes you choose to wear. The large handbag is both practical and fashionable.

5) You will need sunglasses for protection of your eyes in the hot and warm seasons. If you choose sunglasses with tortoiseshell frames, you can be sure they will never go out of style. They suit all skin colors and tones and match almost every attire. Be fashionable and protected from the dangerous UV lights with these tortoiseshell framed sunglasses.

6) Longer and wider scarves are the perfect accessory for most garments. Wrapped around your neck, it gives the proper finish of every style of clothes you wear. Choose a scarf with soft and light natural materials.

7) Consider buying a few cocktail rings. These rings have interesting ornaments, are eye-catching and reveal your personality.

8) Another classic accessory is a pair of high-heeled pumps. This staple item in your closet can be worn in the office, during a day of shopping or for a night out on the town. High-heeled black shoes are the best choice to wear for almost any occasion or event.

9) Statement necklaces and earrings are appropriate for most clothing choices. They can be combined with a black dress or a simple sweater and are great for making yourself look exquisite and unique.

10) Watches will never go out of style, no matter how developed the technologies are. No smartphone, iPad or tablet can replace them. They are a practical and stylish accessory that can be combined with a variety of styles. For a safe bet, choose a watch with a small face.

Fashion styles change with every season. Instead of piling your home with accessories you no longer use and need,         choose these universal accessories which are fashionable and trendy every season.

This article is written on behalf of TenancyClean South West London

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A Pretty Gourd

Through this SITSgirls week of blog prompts we have talked a lot about how much we love fall, and today is no exception. I thought about a few different things I wanted to do for the fall photo. Even when I realized my original idea wasn’t going to work because the fall décor I wanted was in storage, and I didn’t have time to get it, I bounced back quickly.

I realized that sometimes simple is the better way to go and I worked hard to take a pretty shot of one gourd. Now with my limited photography skills taking a simple picture isn’t all that simple but finally after trail and error I found the shot that I just felt spotlighted the gourd in a pretty fall way.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Who Doesn’t Love School Supplies

My favorite thing about being in school is school supplies. As much as I love technology nothing excites me more than a new notebook or colored pens. When I was in school, shopping with my mom for notebooks and pencils was awesome. Taking the brown grocery sack and fashioning it into a book cover and decorating it was the highlight of my year. There was always such a competition among my group of friends as to who had the best-decorated book cover. I am not very artistic, so it usually wasn’t me. Things look much better in my head than they do on paper when I try to draw them.

Today I have the same passion, I just call it office supplies instead of school supplies. The reality is I could be completely paperless. I love technology. Like many of us, I have a smart phone, 2 laptops (different sizes), and a desktop. There just isn’t anything that can replace writing a to-do list on paper and to cross it off items with a sparkly pen. Or writing ideas on post-its and slapping them all over my computer screen to remind me of what I should do next.

It gives me such a sense of satisfaction, the physical act of writing something down, and it helps me be more creative. In my fiction writing, I complete my first draft on my laptop but when it comes to the harder editing piece, I do it longhand, and then type it up later (actually I have an amazing lady in Spain who does it for me).

Am I just crazy that I do it the “hard” way?

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Five Things I Love About Fall

Fall is my favorite season. While I do like the summer heat and sitting outside for dinner and drinks, nothing beats fall. I could list a hundred things I love about fall but I thought I would just share my top 5 for this post.

Cider – hot with cinnamon or cold, both versions taste amazing and add some cinnamon sugar donuts or pumpkin donuts it’s heaven.
Anything pumpkin – pie, lattes, donuts, cheesecake, biscotti, cupcakes, and the list goes on.
Fall weather – cool, crisp air.
Fall colors – reds, oranges, golds, all the fall hues are so gorgeous.
Sweaters – angora, cable knit, fisherman’s, cardigan, cowl neck.

These things make me feel happy and for the next couple months I look forward to enjoying them.

 

What do you love about fall?

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Romance & Revenge Cozy Mystery Available Today!

After a loooong wait…thank you so much for being patient…it is here.

Presley Thurman Book #9!

The bookkeeper at Jared’s company has been murdered and if that wasn’t bad enough someone is trying to sabotage the company by leaking company documents to other firms who are then upstaging their presentations. Jared asks for her help to find out who is trying to take Sleeping Bear Designs down and while Presley is always willing to help a friend, she is also hoping it will take her mind off obsessing over Cooper.

Presley and Cooper are on a break or are they broken up? It was never really clarified and she just found out he’s in town and he hasn’t called. Is he avoiding her? What does that mean?

Are they done for good?

Get your copy today for .99 cents…the price goes up on Friday!

Amazon

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