How Blogging Has Changed My Life
Well, a year ago, I never thought I’d be taking pictures of brownies that I’d baked and posting them online!
Blogging has been a really cool thing. It’s made me do some things I might not have otherwise, just so I could blog about it. Like what, you ask? Well, last October, I was a jewelry model! Yep, some friends and I were invited to model jewelry as part of a fashion show which was held during a Women’s Jewelry Association event.
Partly I did it because I thought it would be an amusing thing to blog about. Partly I did it for the networking, and partly for the free professional hair and make up job.
But wait, you say, I’m a regular reader here, and I don’t remember seeing pictures of you on the catwalk, don’t remember seeing the fabulous jewelry you got to wear. Why I don’t think you blogged that event at all.
And you’re right, I didn’t.
See, I sat down in the make up chair with a perfectly lovely young woman — who then went on break. Yes, she went on break. Who did I get instead? A woman with blue eyeshadow, yes, blue eye shadow, (I guess she hasn’t read the book, Blue Eye Shadow Should Be Illegal) significant amounts of cleavage showing and yes, a tattoo on her breast. I wish I didn’t know that, but I do.
You can see where I’m going with this, right? Yep, the make up job she did on me was horrible. Nightmare-ish. Frightening. And the hair do, not so great either.
The dress, lent by the store, was okay, and it was fun to dress up. I had to buy new heels for the occasion, so that was good. But I could not share my appearance online, no, no, no. It was not my best self.
Aside from brownies and bad hair days in public, blogging has also forced me to learn new computer skills. I’ve learned to quickly import/export and size pictures. I’ve learned a little html.
I’ve learned about stock photography, and different ways to get free photos. I’ve met lots of interesting new people online. I’ve kept in touch with old friends that I might have lost touch with otherwise.
I’ve also started reading blogs. Yes, it’s true, I didn’t read blogs before! I was sort of aware that they were out there, but so?
Now, I get it! I’ve even had to cut back on my participation in some forums, to spend that reading time on blogs instead.
Recently, the blog quietly passed the 500 posts mark. Wow!
Where will blogging take me next?
I don’t know. I know I’ll share more of my work, tell you what I’m doing, keep sharing the helpful and useful information that I like to share. I’ll keep networking, keep learning, keep having fun with it.
Maybe I’ll even get another chance to model!
This is the first in a series.
Any ideas for me? What would you like to read about in the next 500 posts?
Elaine,
I loved this post! I myself recently had THE worst haircut of my life (it was a lesson to me in changing hairdressers – stick with what you know!) It took me 13 weeks to get my bangs down close to my eyebrows! Remember Mo’s haircut on the Three Stooges? Yep! Anyway, sorry you were forced to let that blog go for the day – I’m sure we would have enjoyed! Congratulations on hitting 500! Keep ‘em coming!
Forgive the curiosity, but where does the word “bangs” come from with respect to hair and what we in the UK have always called a “fringe”? Why are they called bangs? I’ve often wondered and hope someone can enlighten me. Thanks.
Helen Hill
UK
@ Helen: Here’s one answer for you:
Answer
Hello and welcome to a new week,
The term bangs, always used in the plural, is, as you know the fringe of hair usually cut squarely across the forehead. According to etymology scholar Robert Barnhart, the term is strictly American in origin (as you mention, the Brits call it fringe) first surfacing in 1878. It was believed influenced by the adverbial use of bang in the meaning of abruptly, as in hair cut bang off; some sources offer a relation to earlier bangtailed (1861) of a horse’s tail that has been cut horizontally across.
The best to you always, Carol P.
Source: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Etymology-Meaning-Words-1474/bangs-fringe.htm
@ Janice,
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the encouragement!
Take care,
Elaine
[...] Missed part one? Here it is: How Blogging Has Changed my Life. Share or bookmark [...]
[...] Missed part one? Here it is: How Blogging Has Changed my Life. Share and [...]