My 100th blog post where I give away a box!

There just happens to be an ipad2 inside.
This is my 100th blog post! 100 is important. 100 is no small feat. It says I love writing, I love designing, I love photographing, I love posing (yup I just wrote that). Seriously, I love when I share a bit of me, you show up and become part of the story.  

What's the story behind the box? Glad you asked!

I won it. I already have an ipad2. Last October I spent a few weeks debating if I even needed one. At that point I wasn't even sure what an app was! Mr Inspired understands happy wife, happy life and gave me an ipad for my birthday. It was the only item on my birthday wish list.

Two months later I won an ipad. Go me! There was begging, offers of trade, and suggestions of a quick buck on ebay. I knew I wanted to give it away on the blog. This anxiety thing I have is a bit of a roller coaster. So the box sat in the corner waiting and waiting, craving a new owner to rip the plastic wrapper off. Who will free the ipad?

What you win? 
You receive exactly what I received, a box. With an ipad2 inside.
A stylish white ipad2 WiFi 16GB.
(I hear the ipad 3 is over rated).



How to enter:
1. Like Inspired Wish on facebook and leave a comment on this blog post telling me you do/did that. (This is required to enter).



Earn EXTRA entries:
(Please leave one comment for each entry)

2. Tweet about the giveaway, copy and paste;
#iwish4ipad2 #Giveaway 100th blog post @inspiredwish. Visit www.inspiredwish.com

3. Share the giveaway in a blog post. Link back accordingly. Leave a link with your comment so I can visit to validate your entry.

4. Use Pinterest or Instagram to share a Visual Diary outfit photo. Link your photo to this blog post. Include the following description;
#iwish4ipad2 #Giveaway 100th blog post @inspiredwish. Visit www.inspiredwish.com

5. Pin any photo from inspiredwish.com. Choose your all time favouite image. Include the following description:
#iwish4ipad2 #Giveaway 100th blog post @inspiredwish. Visit www.inspiredwish.com

Wow, that's 5 possible entries!



Giveaway details:

* Giveaway starts 2 June 2012 and closes 6pm EST 16 June 2012.
*  This giveaway is open to Australian residents only.
   (Sorry international readers).
*  The ipad will be sent Express Post Platinum (signature required).
*  You must be 18 years of age or over.
*  The winner will be selected randomly and announced on this blog.
*  The prize if final. I send the ipad in good faith that it works.
    (It's brand new and unopened).
*  Be sure you leave me a way of contacting you.
*  You have two weeks to claim your prize or a redraw will be done.


Disclaimer;
This is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Facebook.



Good luck !!




NB: Please wait for Intense Debate comments to load. If you rush off to tweet, and come back and head straight to comments, give it 20 to 30 seconds to load. Any comments added to Blogger comments will be invalid and deleted. Not sure how to comment?  See this page  :)

DIY Necklace Stand Holder (level; easy peasy)

Last month I decided my jewellery storage needed a makeover. The project had me thinking outside the box. When is a candle lantern not a lantern? When it's an earring stand! (I love my earring stand & large necklace tree!).

I was stumped what to do with the shorter necklaces. The makeover project was incomplete. Where do you go for inspiration - a craft store! I found the answer browsing the Lincraft Paper Mache section.

Need a necklace stand? Here is an easy DIY project.

Gather supplies
Cardboard cylinder (from Lincraft or similar)
Hooks &/or pins
Pencil
Tape measure or ruler

Optional
An internal item to weigh the cylinder down (eg a few garden rocks)

Sturdy cardboard containers used, along with a packet of hooks.

Use a tape measure to mark a line where the pins will be inserted. If your stand will be on display, make the pencil mark very faint.

In my case I knew the top of the cylinders would meet the roof of the cupboard they would be inside. I left a little room at the top to easily place and remove the necklaces from the hooks. Still high enough for the necklaces to hang higher than the base.

I was tempted to turn the cylinder upside down so that the lid became the base. However the wall plus the lid provides a thicker wall giving more stability for the hooks that would be inserted.

The wall + the lid = a thicker surface to hold the hooks

In my case I knew the height of the shelf would hold these containers in place, so they wouldn't tip over. If you plan on placing your necklace stand on a counter top, I suggest weighing them down for stability. Perhaps placing a few garden rocks inside would do the trick. Now would be the time to put those inside.

If you don't plan to insert hooks around the entire circumference, then insert a few pins at the back to help hold the lid in place. If you plan to use hooks the whole way round, then skip this step. (I used the pin from a picture hook set).

TIP: Use the side of a tape measure to help push the pins in. Much easier on the fingers.

Insert a hook using the line you drew earlier as a guide. If the hook has a thread (as pictured), avoid pushing straight in. Twisting it in will allow for a better fit. Repeat around the cylinder leaving enough space in between hooks for the necklaces to hang without becoming tangled. A few centimetres between hooks should do the trick.

Alternatively you could use marker pins or picture hooks. These would work best for necklaces that aren't too chunky or heavy.

The necklace stands I created will be placed on a shelf where turning the cylinders will not be convenient. Therefore hooks were inserted on one side only. You could insert hooks the whole way round.

My preferred stand is the one on the right. The larger white hooks holds the necklace away from the cylinder (which looks tidier). Plus they feel sturdier to use than the pins on the left. There is also room to layer a few necklaces on each hook.

Before starting, I made sure the height of the hooks would allow enough height for the necklaces to fall without touching the base.

Project 'jewellery storage makeover' complete!

I can't believe all of this used to live in a draw. No wonder I could never find anything, and was wearing the same pieces all the time (those being the ones I could find easily).

Have you heard? This is the 99th blog post for Inspired Wish! Join me next Saturday for the 100th blog post celebration. I'm giving away a box. What's in the box? An ipad2. Yes, really!! See you next Saturday.



Inspired? Share your thoughts in a comment.
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15 Key Points from Nuffnang Fashionopolis 2012 with Lady Melbourne and 150 Fashion Bloggers

Last Saturday I attended a Fashion Blogging Conference. To me that almost sounds like the start of a joke. You know, like a Englishman, a Frenchman and an Aussie walk into a bar. But really I did. Me who not that long ago needed style advice and a reminder about colour and accessories, attended a Fashion Blogging Conference!

The highlight of my day was meeting the people behind the blogs I read. I was thrilled to meet Dani from Danimezza. She walked up, camera in hand, gently grabbed my arm and in a soft voice said "come on, lets go get some outfit photos". Um, sure, okay... you're my inspiration for having the courage to even attend such an event!

Dani and Phoebe from Lady Melbourne

Lady Melbourne looked stunning in Chanel and was very natural at being a presenter. I'm so glad I got to be a part of the first Australian Fashion blogging conference of its kind. The room was visually interesting, a mix of vintage, colour blocking and individual style. Along with gorgeous flowers and decorations.

So what's the one place you can

text on your phone,

take photos and tweet
whilst someone is presenting?

At a Blogging conference of course!

With 150 fellow fashion bloggers in the same room, I was privileged to sit between Imogen Lamport (my Image Consultant) and Omega from Fashion Adjacent. Who has the most intense red hair. I thank my lucky stars Omega didn't laugh when I introduced myself with 'hey I saw you comment on something the other day on facebook'. Lame introduction, but hey it was true. I had remembered her from a random comment.

What I wore:
from head to toe TS14Plus
jewellery Gem Heaven Ruby Ring

1. Imagery is currency/king.
    Use what you've got, a smart phone is okay.
    It's about your eye for detail.
    (Why I invested in a dslr, backdrop & lighting equipment).

2. Have original content. Never plagiarise, always credit.
    (I'm all over that).

3. Consider why anyone should visit your blog?
    There are 700 million blogs in the world. 
    Put yourself in the readers position. What makes you stand out?

4. Include a Blog List, it cements community.
    Community can be anywhere in the world. 
    (Guilty as charged. However I'm not shy about linking with love).

5. It's okay to say no to that which doesn't feel right.
    Lady Melbourne says no more than she says yes.
    It's your blog, treat it like a small business.


6. People may only know you from your on line persona.
    Be consistently you. Don't morph into someone else.
    (Lady Melbourne said you will never see her in Hot Pants).

7. 70% of women aren't confident with shopping for clothes.
    (That used to be me. Still is depending on the store I'm in).

8. Vogue's plus size is a 12.
    (Vogue and I will never be BFF's).

9. If you want brands to take you seriously, invest in a dot com site.
    (Done).

10. Being across multiple platforms increases eyeballs.
     Write for all platforms & readers preferences; text, images and video.

11. Be consistent, post the same day/s each week.

12. If you only post weekly, put that in your About page. 
      (Done & in the footer too).
  
13. Write quality content, even if it's just your Mum visiting.
     (Hi Mum).

14. It's a visual world, get onto Polyvore, Pinterest, and Instagram.

15. Current key trend; hyper local, handmade, bespoke & popup stores.
      People want to know the origin of where something came from. 
      (Couldn't agree more, I love purchasing handmade!).


I got so much out of the day; information, new friends & contacts, confidence and inspiration. I've already booked my early bird ticket for the next Melbourne blogger event - Problogger Training Event.




Inspired? Share your thoughts in a comment.
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