My 11 Tools of the Blogging Trade

I've been burning the midnight oil lately with freelance design work - mainly websites and business cards - that I haven't really given myself time to blog. I figured this post would be the perfect segue back into blogging. IFB started a project to help blogger create and share content. Each week there is a different theme to blog about and this week they're wanting to know what the essential items are for a blogger.

1. Gateway Laptop
   I started blogging not long after buying Yurihime. After three years, it heats up pretty quickly and the battery only holds 20 minutes of charge but I call it my trusty sidekick for a reason. It's a little bit heavier than I would like but you build arm muscle lugging it around to class, Starbucks and client meetings everyday for three years. I even bought it a cute padded bag at Office Depot.
2. Fujifilm Finepix Z Digicam
   I bought this camera at the same time as the laptop because I heard Fujifilm was a great brand and it was metallic red. It goes everywhere with me which means I sometimes forget to charge it.
3. iPhone
   My girlfriend and I actually call this our baby. We've even bought 6 different outfits. Lately it's been feeling pink. The phone helps mostly with social media posts but it's a camera when my Fujifilm is dead. I'm trying use it for note taking (I want to go paperless) but still haven't gotten the hang of it.
4. Makeup Bag
   Good for freshening up before an event or outfit shoot.
5. Notepad & Pen
   Did I mention I'm trying to go paperless? But I still keep a tiny spiral notebook and pen on my at all times. I can't seem to type on my phone as fast as I write. My girlfriend says this is a good thing.
6. Thesaurus.com
   Please refer to my Top 10 Overused & Hijacked Fashion Words in Lifestyle and Non-Fashion Marketing ... because sometimes finding the right words to use is hard - until you look them up.
7. Google Reader
   I found this is the best way to keep up with my favorite bloggers and catalog my inspiration.
8. Photoshop
   I don't this one needs an explanation but I use it to resize and edit photos, create collages and recolor my drawings. I'm sure there's other things I can't think of.
9. Hootsuite
   Self-promotion is no longer sneered at. Rather we glorify it and create more efficient ways to do it. I've used it mostly for businesses so I'm actually re-learning to use it now as a blogger.
10. ANote
    The first app I actually paid more than 99 cents for. It's a notebook with folders (which the iPhone Notes lacks), Google Docs sync, reminders for posting, background customization and a setting which acts as an editorial calendar. I'm still trying to perfect it as an editorial calendar but I will blog about it when I do.
11. Beautiful Girlfriend
    In case I don't mention her enough, Alex is a big help for this blog. Apart from taking all the outfit photos (sometimes tired as hell), she also keeps me motivated and makes an awesome cup of coffee. She also holds my purse when I'm taking street snap pictures.
    

First picture via WeHeartIt.com