Halloween – Trick or treat?

Halloween is an annual celebration held on 31^st October and is sometimes known as All Hallows’ Eve.    People dress in costumes and go out guising. (also known as trick or treating)  Many people organise Halloween parties where traditional games such as bobbing for apples or telling scary stories happen.  It is traditional for Guisers to carry lanterns made from pumpkins to frighten evil spirits.

So as Halloween fast approaches are you looking for inspiration for your costume?   Why not get some ideas  the celebrities below.

                        

Whatever your costume choice is this year have a lovely time and if you still haven’t decided yet and need more inspiration check out the cute costumes at LEC Boutique and the novelty Halloween bags at Dunbar Tshirt shop 

Much Love

Lec Boutique

Mags

Guest Blogging - Benefits and Pitfalls

Like all blogs it is a struggle to be found amongst the hundreds of websites that clutter up the internet with broken links, poor content and unoriginal material. There are literally thousands of people all over the world working full time on back links, SEO optimisation and getting their way round to being better ranked in Google. Often these sites are awash with keyword ads which can distract the reader. The advantages of guest blogging is that you can pick and choose what sites you wish to contribute too and also what content you publish on your own blog.

Guest Blogging - Promote your Blog

It can seem difficult to get started given the amount of people in this area and if you do not have a Google pagerank it can sometimes feel impossible. But remember Page rank changes and its more about readership than page rank. To drive quality traffic you want to choose something that is clear in your niche to blog for, after all people reading about cars don't want to be redirected to a baby clothes blog. Also you will find that if your aim is quality traffic that sticks with your blog then similar blogs to your own are the best place to start. After all its not a competition because internet traffic is infinite and people tend to read numerous web pages on their breaks at work or downtime at home. The best way is to stay polite professional and give it a go, don't start listing demands before you begin, the general rules of thumb are a couple of backlinks and author credit at the end. Also content usually spans between 500 to 800 words with some pictures always good to make the article more attractive. You will find a mixed bunch of people in the world of guest blogging from the amazingly helpful to the not so friendly but don't let one quiet day put you off, stick with it and you never know you might be the next top earning blogger!

Another tip for Blogger - Use Google authorship to validate your work and generate an online presence

Guest Blogging - Promote your Blog Shop

If your aim is to promote your online business this can prove slightly more difficult. The reason being that you have a website which is perhaps very content lite and more around just products. One benefit is that you will have plenty of images to use and if you know your stuff there is no reason you cannot have a great online presence. Firstly set up your own blog which features articles relating to your business and links back to products in the body of the article. Then start swapping guest posts. You will notice quickly that not directly linking back to your shop is a better approach as those who do like the look and sound of your product will direct through anyways and those that don't will simply read your blog and not check them out. It means you can ensure your shop only has good quality traffic and also is not a horrible in your face way of advertising your business. Large companies have started doing this and pay good money for content that is completely outside their product niche to help boost their image and the customer and brand awareness.

Another tip for shops - Product reviews from great blogs are a good way of promoting your business, if you find a blogger with high traffic then approach them to see if they will review your product, don't assume it will be positive though. This way of direct advertising is far better than paying a company as you get your marketing done but also the reviewer gets to enjoy your product, which will often be cheaper than paying hundreds to a large marketing company.

Good luck
- Guest blogs can be sent to this blog @ Steve@vinylpuppet.com or for other blogs I am involved with check out my Google+

Independant Boutiques

Most people in the UK tend to shop in chain stores like Top Shop and New Look and as such our high streets have become a catwalk for the bland and same. It's about time with the boom in Internet fashion people began to seek out new and different ideas for their outfits. Imagine the horror of turning up to a party or arriving in the office only to find the exact same outfit on another person? You need to get out more and shop differently. Even large cities usually have some boutique gems tucked away down a high street where the shop rents are a bit cheaper that will stock different and unique clothing.

The fashion industry is in danger of producing a country of clones, with shops like Primark offering such cheap goods that most people are walking around with yet another printed tshirt and jeans that looks like everybody else. There is a place for the high street shops and if you are able to buy up and then remodel the clothes, there are some terrific blog to help with remodelling and this can be fun and inventive way of creating unique designs using cheap high street clothes. 

 Showing a unique fashion style is now eye catching and can boost your confidence as you get asked where you got your new top from, or that funky tshirt your wearing. Also with Facebook and other social media you can see what shops your best dressed friends are using for their clothes so even the not so savvy are able to find better clothes. The thing about independent boutiques are that they will only remain if people use them, so next time your going into top shop with your £40 birthday money have a think if there isn't something better you could be buying than a pair of bland jeans.

The Handbag a girls best friend - £30 or less

Handbags are faithful friends that compliment your outfit and hold all the secrets to your life. Without a handbag you feel naked and lost. Its amazing to think men can make do with two pockets as in the Handbag world you need the seperate compartments, the zip up pocket inside and it needs to look great.

Exclusive Black ruffle LoveEyeCandy Bag £28

The classic Black bag with external pocket is an everyday must. Black goes with everything and having a bag with you at all times is a must so it needs to have plenty of space for everything. But just because it's black doesn't mean it has to be boring, a ruffle effect design on the front  makes it just stylish enough without being over the top.

Or you could go for the black and white classic look with pockets at both sides its ideal for keeping make up, purse, hair brush, etc exactly where you can grab them.

Black and White LoveEyeCandy bag £28

 So you have a bag for everyday which you carry with you at all times religously but you have that big party coming up and need to find something a bit different, bit funky but also classic as there will be work colleagues there and you don't want to look crazy. Well why not go for a classic cream with buckle design. Smaller than your daily bag it doesn't over power your outfit an provides a sofisticated and professional look.

Cream buckle design LoveEyeCandy Bag £28

Another colour which goes with everything is white, the classic white bag has zip design to front to hint at your more quirky fun side but still adds class to your outfit.

Classic White with zip detailing LoveEyeCandy bag £28

But perhaps your big night out on the town you want something to get you noticed, something vibrant and bright that stands out from the crowd

Hot Pink LoveEyeCandy Bag £28

This Hot Pink bag with buckle is great for standing out and with soft faux leather it is so comfortable for a big night out. With plenty of room for everything you need to carry.

Sparkled Pink detailing LoveEyeCandy Bag £30

This sparkle design bag is perfect going out bag, with the pink trim it adds a special bit of glamour to your outfit and could be the perfect compliment to a nice plain black outfit.

Whatever bag you go for ensure that it is something which will last, look at your wardrobe and see what outfits it would go with and get maximum use. Lots of bags can look great in different settings and you can never have too many, a Handbag is definitely a girls best friend.

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High Heels - Height without the foot ache

Wedged shoes have been around now since the 50's and they went directly out of fashion in the 90's due to the nude chunky heel look. But now you can get the look of amazing high heels without actually being that high. The trick is a nicely designed pair of front wedged heels, giving the impression of a 7 inch heel but wearing like a 3 inch heel. These are often referred to as platform pumps.

 With the front wedge section being discretely covered by material it gives you extra height whilst also being incredibly comfortable and nobody can tell you aren't just that tall. High heels give extra length to your legs and makes you appear slime, flattering pear shapes.

The above design features a diamante bow which adds to the glamour and there is some recent examples of celebrities in this style of footwear as seen at the Grammy's

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Why let babies have all the fun? Onesies

In 2012 Onesies exploded onto the fashion seen like never before, mainly featuring as a night time attire for bed. Providing the comfort and warmth of thermals but with a flair of colour and design to them. Thought previously to only be for babies and Snow sports the onesie took the world by storm and animals were the order of the day.

Move forward into 2013 and we see the next evolution of the Onesie is stylish, elegant and trendy to wear out during the day or to large events. Festival fashion is one of the most booming parts of the industry with designer wellies and raincoats but the Onesie is this years must have festival item. Providing you with comfort, robust for those muddy days and looks great even if you don't.

The Onesie is also great for groups, friends wearing matching or similar onesies can attract attention, easy to find in large crowds and makes your group instantly recognisable, you may even get a shout out from the act on stage. Whether you want a bold print slogan on the front or a design on the back designer Onesies can be great way of looking good comfortably.

To Accessorise your Onesie outfit:

 Footwear -You should wear boots, fur lined boots look great but remember don't wear your brand new Ugg boots as the mud will ruin them. Something with fur detailing but waterproof would be idea. If you are wearing for a night out on town then some very high heels give the impression of long legs when wearing a Onesie.

Jewellery - Chunky chunky chunky jewellery is the order of the day. Large necklaces and bracelets set off the outfit adding a bit of glamour.

So now you have the perfect outfit for a festival or a great themed night out. Fashion doesn't always have to be huge effort you can look great in minutes and stand out in a crowd.

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