dress for the day: no brainer blog style [and giveaway]

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dearabbyleigh

(insert witty tagline here)

*giveaway is closed* welcome to the wednesday before thanksgiving, when we pack our party dresses alongside our extra elastic sweatpants in preparation for tomorrow. may we say with pie crust still on our chins:

dress for the day you want to have, not the one that’s trying to have you.

like all wednesdays , i invite you to link arms, blogs, and instagrams in solidarity. it’s okay to believe that the right scarf might see us through the minefield of political conversations and long car rides. you gotsta hold on to something!

today, however, i have a special twist on our dress for the day crusade. hayley morgan of the tiny twig has been a style icon of the blogosphere since she showed us how to wear our heavy bangs and put together a no brainer wardrobe . now she’s turned her attention to focusing your blog style in her new ebook The No Brainer Blog .

Staples: Chambray Shirt and Foil Scarf . Comfy Outfit: Skinny Cords and Mocs . Dressy Outfit: Skirt , Tights , and Flats .

Have you felt like you haven’t been able to make sense of your online self? Maybe you’re a writer and you’re not sure how to present yourself visually online. Maybe you’re an amazing photographer, but can’t put words with your images. It all starts with plucking out themes in your life and creating a seamless presentation.

I think your blog branding should be in line with your personal style. Really, your blog branding and personal style are both expressions of your “personal brand”. Now, before you think having a personal brand feels icky and salesy, think of it this way. Stephanie Bryant has explained a personal brand as building trust and telling your customer/reader/follower/friend that you will be the same no matter where they find you.

Some ways this plays out in my own life (notice the themes that play throughout):

My writing voice: I’m honest, simple, and not afraid to be imperfect. I like easy repetition and presenting obvious and age-old thoughts in a new, creative, quirky, or lovely way.

My personal clothing style: I prefer simple separates put together in a quirky way. I like timeless pieces with a trendy twist.

My friendship style: I’ve been described as “fresh” because I’m not afraid to admit where I fall short. I like to think that I give freedom to come as you are.

My blog branding: It’s bright, fresh, arty, and a tiny bit “off”. It’s not perfect.

My personality: I’m always asking questions, even if it’s messy. I’m mostly cheerful, always creative, never routine, and totally NOT tidy.

If I were to approach any of these aspects of myself in a different way, it would feel unnatural or untrue. These are two outfits I would totally wear (Christmas list??)–and I’ve kept my blog branding for over a year with no plans to change. This is because my “personal brand” is fairly consistent across the board.

The tagline of Tiny Twig is “inspiring women to create lives of more passion and less fuss”. That sums up my life as much as it does my blog or my brand. I am always challenging people to create, to drop the unneeded stress, and to live for the big things in life.

The realization of these congruities does not come overnight. It takes trial and error and a tenacious sense of self. Create a Pinterest board of things that inspire you and see if you find trends. Take a look at your wardrobe and see if patterns pop out to you–maybe you’re an all black/no-nonsense kind of girl…how does that translate to the rest of your brand?

Hayley Morgan wrote newly released eBook The No Brainer Blog . The eBook helps women cast a vision, define their voice, and refine their blog space to ultimately propel their blog to be successful on their terms.

Hayley also writes at The Tiny Twig , a lifestyle blog inspiring women to create lives of more passion and less fuss. She recently hosted The Influence Conference and is launching The Influence Network in January 2013. You can follow her on Twitter , “like” her Facebook page , or follow her days on Instagram for the latest updates, resources she loves, and a peek into her life with 3 (almost 4!) boys.

so here’s the deal. enter to win one of two copies of The No Brainer Blog now through tuesday the 27th & link up as usual to dress for the day! a Rafflecopter giveaway

if you’re into buttons, feel free to grab this one, and link up a post or a photo that tells your story below. feel free to link up anytime during the week, and look for a new dress for the day story each wednesday . even if you don’t link up – join me throughout the week on twinstagram (twitter +instagram) by using this hashtag: