Archive for 2020

The Setup

1. Set up a business account in Pinterest.

The first thing to do is to set up the right kind of account. With this strategy, you will be pinning A LOT. And you want to be able to check your analytics on the performance of your pins. So it is best to set up a business account. After filling out the initial information, Pinterest will walk you through the rest of the very simple and straightforward sign-up process. 

If you started off with a personal Pinterest account, you can switch to a business account by going to http://business.pinterest.com and clicking the “Convert Your Existing Account” button.

2. Claim your website to improve the analytics Pinterest provides.

You should also claim your website. Now for me, I have a blog and an E-commerce store and I used the same Pinterest business account for them both. But if you have more than one site and the topics don't overlap, I would suggest setting up a different Pinterest account for each of them. But even if you don't, this strategy will work. It will just be a little more work to use Pinterest's analytics to sort through the performance of your pins. 

Instructions on how to claim your website

3. Enable rich pins to make your pins stand out 

The final important step of your initial set up is to enable rich pins. This will give your pins a leg up against pins that are not rich pins. 

Instructions on how to set up rich pins

There are a few more things that I have done over time to get the full benefit of my Pinterest marketing strategy, but they are not requirements to start seeing a big increase in your Pinterest viewers. If you are interested in getting a more in-depth setup checklist, sign up below and I will send one over to you.

 

 

I, like most people I'm sure, am trying to find a silver lining to being at home ALL THE TIME. I have done (or instructed my husband to do) many at-home projects. But one of the biggest things I miss is the variety that eating out provided to our lives. So to add back some variety into our meals, I have been actively looking into expanding my standby recipe list.

We built our home back in 2016. It was truly a labor of love as we took on the role of general contractor once our builder went out of business and was nowhere to be found. So we quickly went from having professionals taking our vision and making it fit within not only our budget but within the restrictions of our lot, to a place where we were completely on our own.

We made the choice back in 2016 that we would focus on the interiors and leave the landscaping very minimal until we could settle on a design and budget we were comfortable with. And that time has finally come! I started going back over all of my idea boards for our backyard and I ALWAYS go back to this picture.

For quite a while, working from home was a perk given to a few as an enticement and to show employees that the company cared about work/life balance. And I loved it! Having one or two days a month where I didn't have to commute was perfection. However, with the current state of things, EVERYONE is home. Not just the big people, the little people (aka the little terrors aka the loves of our lives aka the people we want to hide from so we can go to the bathroom alone).

In the beginning, it was extremely uncomfortable for me to work from home and watch my daughter. Uncomfortable bordering on impossible. But once I sat down and really thought through things and fully accepted that we are all in the same boat, I came up with boundaries and strategies to remain productive at my job while taking care of my toddler.

Mother's Day is creeping up on us and it is promising to be a very unique Mother's Day indeed. I love showing my appreciation to my mother as much as possible, and Mother's Day gives me an opportunity to spoil her without her telling me I should not have spent so much on her. (My only other opportunity to do this is on Christmas).

Mother's Day gifts are not so tough for me since my rule of thumb is to ALWAYS buy my mother something that she would NEVER buy for herself. So every year, I think outside of the box and collect ideas of items that would be special prized items that she would just never think was necessary but absolutely loves it when she receives it for a gift.

The first thing I look for are ramped up versions of things I know she loves. My mother loves lipstick, and if your mother is the same, there are some beautiful options available as mother's day gifts. Guerlain has some great options that come in over 20 variations. And the cases don't break the bank. However, my two favorite lipstick case favorites are by Bond St. and House of Sillage. The cases are definitely collector's items. The Sillage versions are enamel accented with Swarovski crystals.

The next category is fragrance. Now I know fragrance is very personal so my picks here are my personal favorites. But Creed and Jo Malone are my usual go-tos for a fragrance that just smells like success and leisure. The packaging is luxurious and the overall feel of the products is just special. If your mother does not wear perfume, a nice Jo Malone reed diffuser or a Diptyque candle are good options as well.

Leather goods are always a great choice for my mother. She absolutely loves bags. For Mother's Day 2020, I have my eye on a YSL pouch and a few Coach handbags. Coach quality always impresses me.

(Quick Rant... Now that only a few of the luxury fashion houses actually still make handmade bags with attention to craftsmanship, I don't see the value of paying huge amounts for trendy bags anymore. If the bag is machine-made and trendy, I feel like it should be under $500. I will only pay up for classic bags that I know will get used.  Of course, this is just my opinion. Back to the Mother's Day Gift Guide, lol)

Coach has a good mix of high quality, value for money, and classic aesthetic. I really like three styles they have out now: the Cassie, the Hutton, and the Dreamer

The last category is jewelry and you just can't go wrong with David Yurman. I absolutely love adding to my mother's David Yurman collection. The quality of the pieces is exceptional and they are absolutely gorgeous. They are definitely heirloom pieces for sure. I am particularly smitten with the Renaissance Collection and the pendants.

The time has come again to stock up for the year on all of our most loved products from Sephora. I usually treat the sale as a restocking time AND a time to try one or two new items that are in the "splurge" category.

Since 2019, I have made a change in how I purchase skincare and makeup. I buy one or two items of each category and use it completely. Doing this not only helped me cut down on waste, but it really helped me realize the benefits of a lot of my skincare. It was so satisfying to completely use my serums and moisturizers. I had thrown away so many expired products in the past. Sometimes, I hadn't even used the product once.

My Sephora picks are very skincare heavy. During the summer, I tend to just apply eyeliner, mascara, concealer, a light powder foundation, and gloss. Most of these items I still have from the last Sephora sale so I will not be repurchasing. However, I have added in the standout makeup items in my routine. The Sephora baked powder foundation is absolutely amazing. It smooths out your skin and adds a filter effect. And the shade range is awesome.

See my VIB picks below. What are your must have items?

As time goes on and I get older, I find it more difficult to find books or advice that pertain to my particular circumstance. I guess that's a normal thing as we all get older and make different choices that lead us to different circumstances. Some self-help books just become books of encouragement and not a how-to.

I tend to be a person that has a lot of drive and desire, but if I don’t have a starting place, I am paralyzed. I don’t start for fear of starting on the wrong foot. I look for inspiration and examples but most of what I find is people saying “just start” and “be persistent”. I need a bit more than that. Those are nice sentiments of course, but for someone like me, it’s not quite enough.

Elie Tahari is having a Spring Sale where everything is 50% off! That is a very generous discount. There are many Spring sales happening now with discounts around the 15 to 25% off range. 50% is getting into the clearance category. The one drawback of this sale is that all sales are final (like a clearance sale). So please be sure to pay close attention to the sizing charts.

Eli Tahari is one of my favorite brands for women's office workwear. The pieces are well made and made of quality fabrics. All of the pieces I have in my closet have lasted for years. For workwear fashion, I tend to only purchase classic, tailored pieces at this price point so I know I will get a good cost per wear. (I do my trendy shopping at Zara, Mango, or H&M.).

See my picks for the 50% off Elie Tahari Spring Sale below. Code: Spring50

The new year is off to a roaring start and I must say that this is the first year in a long time where I am actively setting up goals for the year. In the past, I have just taken life events as they come. All of my "projects" have been tackled in kind of a "just get in done" kind of mindset.

Since college, I think I can count 5 events of change in my life. That's only 5 big changes in 15 years! That's not much at all.

1. Leaving my first job right after college (spent two years there) to move to Greece for 6 months
2. Coming back to America and truly starting my career in capital markets
3. Getting married
4. Deciding to leave NY to move to Charlotte. 
5. Having our freakishly awesome daughter