Stylish with Substance

Going for Broke. No Wait We Are Broke: The Blog's New Face.

Ella M — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:42:01 EDT

Most of the middle and lower classes are going through tough financial times. I'm no different, and my blogging is especially no different.

What's worse is I've been as depressed as any unumployed person who feels no purpose. I've even been a bit worse than "woe is me" (Woe am I* ), practically wanting to sing out, "Nobody likes me (my blog), I (my blog) should go eat worms". Yes, just like a depressive tween. And I know I'm occasionally bumming my loved ones out. (Sorry, I hope you're reading!)

Thing is I'm no businesswoman. I have many talents, but CEO-ing is far from one of them.

Since I've been fashion blogging, I've disliked the domains I was using. Since I moved nearly the whole enchilada to pursedlips.net I've had the feeling that the assumption this was still a bag blog (and it does make sense, I know) was killing me/us.

We're broke, like I said. It can't get any worse (well, much worse, but I can be negative lately), so it can't hurt to try a revamp to refocus on what I've always been good at here, or mostly back at Kiss Me Stace. Writing about style "but" from my brain. (Sure, when that site started, it was fluff, but I didn't say the beginnign was good, anyway.) One part of the problem has been a definite lack of feeling focused on this site, partially due to an unfocused site name, even though I also wanted room to breathe and grow/change.

I have a solution. And so what if it sets the hits back? The cash is set back anyway, and hopefully a focused first impression will actually help retain real readers - which is what I want much more than hit numbers.

New domain: www. stylish with substance .com - is coming.

(New Facebook Page - please "like" us or re-like us there!)

(re) Subscribe to Stylish with Substance

The technical details here on OnSugar blogging is kind of tough-fangled for me. So you might be reading this while things are not working properly or before the change has really begun. But it's coming.

And come back. Or stay. And come back again. I'm going to try to make this easy on readers.

And then I'm done with changes, but not with blogging. I think I'll be much happier typing away now. Phew!

I do feel good about this, and here are some reasons:

The content has always matched this name. And my resessionista-ism of late has really put me into more of a substance (of many kinds) over quantity-of-clothes position, anyway.

Plus, the use of the word "style" in the writing world is well-known to me. The punnage is not lost on me, it makes me giddy! I am quite stylish, or, grammatical. ;-)

Besides, this is a name I can really take home to my (future) mother (in law). I know she'll like this better than purses. OK somewhat better. Those ladies are always tough to please.
*Updated* It can make readers happy, too.

___

*Links to Amazon associate link of the Grammar book, Woe Is I. [Clearly I believe the title is erroneous])

Our Old Host Screwed Us Up, Moving Back to OnSugar

Ella M — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:10:30 EDT

New posts below.

... And their continuous server issues of late screwed us out of money. Why on Earth pay for that kind of service??!

You might notice things are not yet all neat and tidy and new, of course. Months of posts are being imported, but it's seeming to take a long time.

I wanted to post this update for current re-visitors who may feel confused. Posting will resume more steadily again soon.

If you're looking for an old post, it may be here if from 2009 or earlier, so please conduct a blog search. Recent posts should re-arrive soon.

*Note* Most pages (and Twitter links etc.) may show an old OnSugar URL until early Tuesday.

If you wish to know what that old host...

Ella M — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:38:12 EST

We've moved hosts! Still at Pursed Lips .net

I love Sugar, but I decided to move back to WP. I know this URL was used for a bit, but the recent domain is still the one, PursedLips.net. However I know some may arrive here. Come move with me! (Well in terms of reading PL.)

New layout, too!

Now Comment with a Login or Facebook

Ella M — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:44:00 EDT

I've implimented a new comment strategy, removing the possibility to comment anonymously but ANYONE can still comment, either with a Sugar or Facebook account. (Well that's most people.) Recently I've gotten a few troll comments wth unsavorable links posted, and I hope this new solution can be a decent fix. Let me know how you like these two options.

If you run a really nice blog that can't be found OnSugar, you can leave a signature, but if it's sketchy, your whole comment could be deleted.

I hope this works out for the nice, real readers and/or fashion / blog peers.

Poll on a New Evolution of Ella & Pursed Lips

Ella M — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:15:27 EDT

Since July I've been working hard on finally getting my dream really going. Since August, I believe, I've stopped seeing writing & blogging as my job and am spending an insane amount of time setting up the business for my upcoming handbag brand.

I don't want to drop Pursed Lips entirely though, even if it were to remain fairly stagnant for some time. (I have thoughts on hiring another blogger in the distant future). I know we've made a lot of changes this year, and a lot of direction turns since the summer began, probably. But in order to make things easy on myself and keep PL flowing more - I'm proposing another content direction move.

I can blog more on topics of crafting and building a business now than I can on fashion from a fan or consumer perspective. I'm pretty much solely in the producer arena now. However this blog has always been about fashion relative to its beauty, flattering perspectives, etc. It hasn't ever been about designing, even though that's been in the writer.

So I know a lot of old or current readers wouldn't care for the change, but a lot might. There will still be some commentary on looks, etc. If we make this switch, and category pages linked at the top should remain for easy filtering. Since "style" as opposed to design or business will for now most certainly not be published frequently, all the change would mean is more posts from a different angle.

My blogs have never been large, so I know this amazing change in my life should make my readers happy for me (I mean I don't need to lie and say people will die without my blogging).

But will you turn away from this new type of blog? What do you think the "mass" will do - exit? Or could I bring a different level of value to both the fashion and crafting community? There will be benefits for me to switch, but will my readers be 100% new? This is why I am posting this poll.

Thanks very much for reading!

What would you like to read on this blog?

Art is Always a Work (& Work & Work) In Progress

Ella M — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:59:02 EDT

OR ... Yes, Virginia, I AM a Designaholic.

That can actually be one of the greatest things about blogging as opposed to doing some other art/design or getting one of those "respected" jobs. Yes, we live past our posts and forget to check for flaws when we improve because that's the honest timeline nature of this lovely, lovely blogging. That isn't perfect, but at least we can live saner lives and produce new work at a more regular pace.

posterity. (click)

But I suppose what's great about the art of designing, for those of us who do that, is that we not only have that aspect of our creativity put to either this job or serious hobby, but we never have to live with our baby design uneditable, sold, or whatever in a form or location where it can never be touched.

Websites are living, growing beings. (And not just monetarily when they succeed.)

If you don't design, and perhaps now envy my joy in site-improvement - first know that it means you might pay a professional with such spectacular results (and flawless SEO to boot) whereas we amature artists, although yes artists, are more flawed in this creation. Over the last few days I made changes I'd been craving so much they took precedence - I mean I wanted them there BEFORE I attracted new visitors. Silly, yes - but I'm crazy. Yet after I made these changes they weren't right for a while (because business needs do not always mean beauty), and then other established or even fairly-new-themselves elements didn't fit in! Oy. An uncool website.

Second, know that this coding and all the related work brings uber stress. So if you're living fine with your design, know it's probably less on your mind than 24-hour "all nighters" of mouse & keys labor.

Oh and you may have saved money not getting photoshop, which you perhaps somewhat put toward that professional designer.

One more thing to add is that most readers find content of utmost importance - at least the ones who read as opposed to skim judgementally - so if you put all your might to the-now figurative pen, you may be just as well off.

Back to me. Yes, I'm nuts. But appearances need to keep up when content matures or just re-blossoms. And now this is our look for a while (I know it's been evolving all week) oh except for sidebar widgety additions, but classy, uncluttered, simple things. Or if not, they'll leave afterward. Ha.

Now oh gosh what to do about the Facebook Page, another new logo? (Which means updating our FB PG badge to the right too--le sigh.) I still need to brainstorm on how to make our new header design little and square. Yes, I'm fussy.

A perfectionist's work is never done. And sometimes, work doesn't seem to get done either!

Such is a certain kind of ar-teest. C'est la vie.

Don't Be Alarmed, Our Domain will BRB

Ella M — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:56:31 EDT

We're staying at Pursed Lips .net but for a short while our domain forwards to another URL. Because of the timing & work being quicker & easier at OnSugar, and they're pledge & proving of help with success & traffic, etc. We're switching platforms. But once you visit our main page here, there will be no difference for you, on your end, in regards to what you type in or bookmark, etc.

However for a time the domain name may not work at all, during which you can still reach us at fabulista.onsugar.com.

Thanks for reading, and soon see a lot of more posts again! -Ella

P.S. I've been sore from being active (and losing weight though!) so that also (in addition to the amount of work/time) explains fewer posts recently. I must take it slightly easier on my body.

Site Byte: Spaced Categories for Better Viewing

Ella M — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:10:49 EDT

Basically I want to let you know that starting with recent posts and in the future, I'll be selecting fewer cross-section categories (and likewise removing some sub-cats from top level in fashion) so you will see fewer repeat posts as you click our sections! Hope you enjoy this, it just dawned on me it might cause issues.

And as usual of recent, if you want to read every type of content or visit often, you can just click on All Blog Sections. :-)

<3 Ella

A Day of Love & Style, but Few Blogs

Ella M — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:08:00 EDT

I'm not sure if I can blog much if at all today, and it would be later. I have a hair cut (my hair is being donated to locks of love, too, but more on that later) and a wedding to attend later tonight.

Good news is that I finished altering/making my shoes for the wedding. (No 2nd shoe syndrome.) Bring on the dance floor!

You have yourselves your own day of love & style (but probably a casual Friday work day).
<3Ella

Site News: Revamped Layout / Beauty Day

Ella M — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:03:00 EDT

We revamped the layout today to accommodate some better advertising because hey, it's a recession. It's working well and even with the intentions I had it looks great, and actually cleaner. Also, main categories now have a little product heading, which I like. I made a few other tweaks.

Anyway it was sort of a beauty day "off" from posting, then I had to rest, and tonight is the celebration of one of the monthly anniversaries in my relationship, so ... I'm off! (Not that I was "off" from work today.)

See you around <3Elle