[DAILY OUTFIT] Casually Making Strides

The last picture I took before dying my hair pink and purple (those pics coming soon). I haven't really been dressing up the last two weeks because of my homebody status. It's mix of finances, car issues and two websites I'm working on.

I've probably been overwearing this metallic shirt from Hot Topic - the cotton is so soft. The necklace and semi-visible earrings have been stolen from my mom's jewelry chest. The bracelets have become staples in my daily wear, however. The skull one was a gift from Alex and the other one is real garnets - my birthstone.

Style-geek.net is going to be my official home on the web for this blog and my portfolio. You can see how it's coming along at http://style-geek.net/wordpress and also by the changing look of this blog.

Why the change? I need a new job - one that is actually in the web, graphic and marketing realm, and that can pay the rent on the apartment Alex and I want to get soon. I'm getting tired of living 30 minutes from Dallas and everyone we know.

When I started updating my resume, I remembered an article on IFB called Skills Bloggers Can Use to Get Hired and wondered if I should put this blog on my resume. I've used both web and graphic design skills to put it together: CSS, photo editing, social media marketing, CMS, online research and plenty more. If anything, blogging at least shows you know your way around a computer and the Internet.

But JUST a blog and JUST an online portfolio isn't enough, especially when I also run a fashion calendar for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Trying to put all this on one business card was hard and designing two was getting redundant. I was glad to see that Jennine Jacob from The Coveted was having similar problems months ago so she blogged about it on IFB. Her solution was Coveted Media: "an idea born out of trying to consolidate all my web properties as well as a single branded entity."

And that's what I'm trying to do with Style-Geek.net - one portal for all my blogging, projects and freelance work - which can still work as a portfolio to land me a better job. I love freelancing but I need something stable (at least in the beginning) if we're ever going to get our own place. Plus, a good design job can always add more to my portfolio.

The other website is more my girlfriend's project - NeverAfter.biz - along with our BFF Allison. She started doing chainmail jewelry and realized she had a knack for it. After much talking and buing a table at a local Summer Solstice Faire, we've decided that it will be the chainmail with a pinch of tarot reading, a dash of occult blogging, mixed in with a small metaphysical shoppe.

Never After will probably be something else to add to my projects list as I will be running all online processes and marketing. I think the ultimate dream is to one day have a metaphysical shoppe that sells jewelry serves tea and cupcakes. I, of course, would be in charge of all the marketing and business operations. Owning our own shoppe would make things like blogging and freelancing easier.

EDIT: That IS the ultimate goal, says Alex. I love her.