Happy Saturday, everyone! If you’re like me and enjoy lingering over your coffee with a friend, I hope you’ll grab a second cup and sit with me a few minutes today. I’m just feeling a little chatty!
Honestly, there’s not that much going on in my life to share with you, but I want to talk a little about what I do here at Dressed for My Day, where I feel things going and what’s in store for you, my dear readers. I know I have acquired a lot of new readers over time, too, so it’s a good time to get us all on the same page.
Me and the Blog
I’m still enjoying blogging at Dressed for My Day, but it is a challenge to get the work done each week. I’m hoping it looks effortless and oh-so-fun from your screen, but honestly, it’s a lot of work. I’m certainly not complaining because I love so much about this. But some days I do feel overwhelmed.
You gals do so much to make the work feel worth it. And I’m very grateful. My biggest priority as a blogger is to add value to your life. I don’t have illusions of being super important to you and I know what I offer here at Dressed for My Day is neither rocket science nor deep theology. But I do want to serve you a little with each post.
So here’s what you can do to help me serve you better:
- send me your questions, fashion quandaries, beauty problems or fitness challenges. Let me know what kinds of posts you’d like to see.
- let me know when a post does resonate or meet a need and how or why.
- participate in the challenge I’m going to share with you today. (more in a minute)
Of course, the greatest way you support me is just by showing up. You may not believe this, but I can actually feel your presence. I don’t mean that in some voodoo-y, mystic way. Hahaha! But because we’ve built a sizable community here and so many of you comment either here or on Instagram or Facebook or through emails, I know you’re reading and engaging…and I can feel it. I used to feel like a street barker standing on a corner talking as people just passed by looking a little embarrassed. But now this blog feels more like a group of gals sitting in the cutest, coziest coffee shop (or malt shop!) looking through a magazine together and chatting it up. So thank you for that.
Shopping at Dressed for My Day
I’m very grateful that many of you do seem to enjoy shopping through my blog posts. It actually cost a pretty penny to keep this puppy up and going. While my goal is to build a business here that allows me to contribute a steady income to my family budget, right now I’m just barely breaking even. And that’s just as expected, so I’m definitely not complaining. But I do want you to know, dear reader, that when you shop through Dressed for My Day you’re contributing to a small female entrepreneurship, and I’m oh so grateful.
Some of you have been so kind as to ask how you can further support what I’m attempting to do here, so I thought I’d tell you. Actually, there’s a lot you can do. And all of it is totally free on your part. I mean, yes, it does cost money to shop for clothing. Ha! But there’s no added cost to you when you shop from Dressed for My Day.
How to Shop at Dressed for My Day
There are actually no fewer than 5 ways to shop Dressed for My Day:
- Shop the fashion posts. You can shop the links in the story, the links in the captions and the shopping widgets. When you buy something through those links I potentially earn a commission on your purchase.
- Shop the Shop Where I Shop links in the “sidebar.” You could virtually begin all your online shopping from my website! If you’re on a laptop or desktop computer, you’ll see the store links in the right sidebar. But if you’re reading on a handheld device, the Shop Where I Shop links are below the post, so you’ll just keep scrolling down to get to them. If you’re going to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, for instance, you could start your shopping experience from the Nordstrom link in my list. Or if you’re going to order house cleaning supplies from Amazon, you, too, can start shopping from my link. That is soooo helpful and appreciated.
- Shop through the Shop My Favorites pages. You’ll find these in the top menu under Shop. Right now I have a Shop My Loft Favorites, Shop My Talbots Favorites and Shop My Nordstrom Favorites. But I’ll be adding more. I try to keep these pages current with items I either own and enjoy or have tried on and loved.
- Shop My Looks. Under that Shop tab on the Top Menu, you’ll also find a page called Shop My Looks. These are most of the looks I’ve shown in my blog posts, plus some of my everyday looks. This is the best place to shop all the components of a look you love once you’ve left the blog post. That way you don’t have to look for the post all over again.
- Shop through the LiketoKnowIt app. If you follow me or other style bloggers on Instagram, you might want to download the LiketoKnowIt app so you can shop through it. You simply follow your favorite bloggers on the app. Then when you see an outfit on Instagram that you like modeled by one of your favorite bloggers, you take a screenshot and go to the app. The look will pop up and you’ll be able to shop it. Easy peasy. (Or not! It took me a while to get the hang of this app, honestly. But once you do, it’s pretty convenient.)
Upcoming Dressed for My Day Challenge
Remember, at Dressed for My Day my goal is to inspire and help women like you and me to dress beautifully and appropriately for our unique days so we can engage gracefully and authentically with those around us and influence them well. To that end, I’m introducing a new Dressed for My Day Challenge that will begin June 1st. I’m soooo excited about this!!
In the Dressed for My Day Challenge I’ll be encouraging you and me to actually get dressed for each day, using a little styling to add some beauty to our looks. You’ll be able to participate in one or more ways.
- Dressed for My Day Challenge posts – Throughout the month of June I’ll be mentioning and championing the challenge through my blog posts, encouraging my readers to use wardrobe essentials, wear colors that work for you, accessorize to add interest, etc. Bottom line, I’m encouraging us all to put a little more effort into how we dress for our days.
- Dressed for My Day Challenge emails – You’ll be able to subscribe to the Dressed for My Day Challenge through daily emails. I’ll be sending out emails each day that will inspire you to incorporate different accessories, styling techniques, color combinations, etc. I’ll also provide links to interesting articles about styling that you’ll enjoy. These will be very short emails. But they’re inspire us to meet the challenge.
- Instagram #DressedforMyDayChallenge link-up – This is the most exciting avenue of participation! I’m hoping that many of you will join me in posting some of your daily outfit posts on Instagram and then include the hashtag #DressedforMyDayChallenge with your post. Look, these don’t have to be “fashion blogger” photos. They can still be photos of you and your dog or you and your daughter, etc. Or they can be simple mirror selfies. But you can show us DFMD gals how you are meeting the challenge by linking up with the hashtag. Fun!!!
Well, that’s it for today. Like I said, several readers had asked recently how to support me here at Dressed for My Day more, so I wanted to remind you of all those shopping opportunities. But I also wanted to go ahead and introduce the Dressed for My Day Challenge. I’ll be sharing more in the next couple of weeks, leading up to the big day, June 1. I hope you’ll get on board with us. This can be such a purposeful challenge in our lives, but it can also help build community and provide encouragement for each other.
Let me know if you have any questions, comments or even suggestions. Have a blessed and beautiful weekend, ladies. You’re the best!
Blessed for My Day
I know some people have an unquenchable desire to completely understand God’s ways. Some people get very frustrated when they can’t understand or explain a story or scripture in the Bible. They want answers to their questions before they’ll put their trust in God.
But, as much as I too question, I don’t feel the need to have all the answers. What do I question? I want to know why some people have to suffer with mental illness. I want to know why some babies are born with confused sexual identity issues. And I want to know why some families seem to have more than their fair share of difficulties and struggles while others seem to be abundantly blessed. And I don’t want the world’s opinions on these situations. I want the God of the universe to explain them to me.
But….I don’t need those answers in order to trust God. In fact, I appreciate that I can’t explain everything. And I appreciate that we don’t have a God who condescends to explain everything to us. And I appreciate that we have a God that we can’t begin to wrap our brains around. He is bigger and grander and smarter and wiser than me. And that’s just fine with me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ~ Romans 11:33
This was very interesting to read as to how a blog works. Explaining how to find things under the tabs or shop from the sides was very helpful but I see there was only two stores that are within an hour of me and I do shop Amazon (and Nordstrom a little due to them being a little pricey), so that limits me on shopping where you do but you can’t shop at places to please us all 🙂 Your challenge sounds like it could be a fun month for you seeing how everyone DFTD; I’m not on Instagram but I bet you’ll have fun. I to have the same questions as you in BFMD and sometimes it is hard for me not to understand the why. Have a great weekend.
Thanks for sharing Sandi. Yeah, the shopping thing is a quandary because we all have access to different stores. But I have a feeling our society is moving more and more toward online shopping and shipping will become free at more retailers in order for them to compete. Let me know what stores you do shop online and I’ll see if I can offer links to those too.
Sandi, At first look, Nordstrom does seem to be for the wealthy. But after I dug dipper and looked at recommendations from another blogger, I have started doing online shopping there. They have numerous exclusive brands that are reasonable while still being well made. Also, Nordstrom Rack is another online store where I shop. We live in a very rural area, with the closest place to shop being at least 40 minutes away, so it is very rare for me to actually shop in a store. And due to us being retirees on a fixed budget, I do have to watch how much I spend on clothes. I hope you will do some online exploring at Nordstrom, and look at the Caslon brand to start with. Good luck!
Good morning! This was a very informative blog read this morning. I learned so much. I love your style and really enjoy your faith reflections. You add so much to my morning routine! Thanks.
Thanks Beverly. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I tend to take for granted that everyone knows all of this, but of course that’s not the case. Have a great weekend. ?
The ladies in my bible study group often discuss all the questions we have but we also have pretty much decided we won’t have any questions once we are in heaven :). I’m also not on Instagram but look forward to the emails!
Exactly. Now we see through a glass darkly but one day we will fully see and understand. ?
Sounds like a fun challenge. Looking forward to it. Your blog is always fresh and new and I DO know how much work you put into it!! Honestly, I don’t know how you do it and stay sane! Ha! I look forward to all of your posts, Kay!! You’re engaging, fun and beautiful inside and out. The Lord truly shines through you and that’s the main reason I’m so drawn to your blog. You’re honest and give us quality posts every single day.
Thanks so much for the affirmation, Sondra. That does my heart good. You gals are a blessing to me too. Have a lovely weekend! ?
As an older woman still interested in looking stylish I enjoy your blog. I have a limited income and would like to see some more moderately priced articles Being on a fixed income has some challenges. Maybe some items from Kohls and Macys as they have a range of prices.
Yep. I’m definitely working on that. Thanks Barbara. ?
The daily style posts sound interesting. I’m not on Instagram though. I hope you can share some of the photos in the emails or on the blog too.
Great idea, Lucy. Thanks for sharing. ?
Kay, Thank you so much for writing this post! Because I really connected with you the first time I read your blog, and I feel like we know each other, I definitely want to help your business any way that I can. I think that the challenge will be fun and good for me. While I have incorporated a few more tops that are in better colors for me to wear, lately when I go in my closet, I don’t like a lot of what I see. I am slowly starting to pull out the ‘so so’ items, but still have work to do. I am on Instagram, but my technical knowledge about it is rather weak. Another great BFMD! Enjoy your Saturday away.
Great to hear, Ginger. Thanks so much for being a loyal reader and for engaging. ?
Such an interesting read today, thanks for sharing how we can support you. I love your Blog and glean so much inspiration from your daily posts. I especially look forward to the BFMD and often scroll down to read it first! I love your wisdom and love for God, that’s what drew me to your Blog. I understood you received a small commission if I shop from your Blog but I presumed it was only for the garments you were wearing. I’m happy to shop from your site with any purchases I make in order to support your business. It’s the least we can do for all you do for us. Here’s a list of stores I shop at if you can link them to your site: Loft, Talbots, WHBM, Nordstrom, Macy’s, J. Crew, Christopher & Banks, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Target, Old Navy, and Amazon. Have a blessed weekend! ❤️
Great. Thank so much. Yes, most of those are in the Shop Where I Shop section, either in the right sidebar or the bottom, depending on what device you are reading from. But I’ll work on adding the others. ?
Thanks for the reminder on shopping through your links….I admit that except for a few times, I never even think about it! I enjoy all the research and details that go into your blog, and now I’ll enjoy knowing you’ll benefit from that hard work! I’ve also noticed the personal emails this week..mentioning our names in the greetings! It makes me smile every time I see it. Like you said…friends around the table! That’s what it feels like! Thanks for all you do! Through your blog we are both Dressed AND Blessed for our day!
Thanks so much Tammy. I’m glad to hear the personal emails are resonating with you. It’s the little things ?.
I enjoyed your post today. Thanks for being an encouragement as I am still feeling a bit like the street barker you described with my blog. I do enjoy it so much, but the growth is very slow and I tend to be impatient! I read your blog everyday and I think the challenge sounds like a fun idea.
Great to hear Kristin. Hang in there. Persevere. Consistency and perseverance matter. Blessings to you. And I’ve noticed you have really stepped up. I think you’re doing great!! ?
Happy Saturday Kay! The challenge you are starting sounds like fun. I can see from your posts that you put a lot of work into your blog. It is a pleasure to read every day.
BFMD just spoke right to me today. I often become so sad when I hear a family or individual is suffering especially when it involves children and I know the answers are not for me to have right now. I will never lose my faith , but I question a lot.
Thanks Deb. And I’m glad the blessing spoke to you. It’s something I grapple with a lot, but in the end I’m always glad God is bigger than any box I can put Him in and more mysterious than my own pea size imagination. ?
Good day, Thanks so much for valuable information! I am a German, living near Hamburg, 60+, lost about 60 pounds, now I am a size 10(!) and love shopping in Florida and New York – budget shopping!
So your blog is for me best! Your style is “wunderbar”! Please go on!
Yours Angela
Lol!! I love that! Wunderbar! I’m pretty sure that’s the first time anyone has told me that. Thank you so much for reading and for introducing yourself. ?
I so admire your blog and all the work that you obviously put into it, Kay! I can’t even imagine how much time you invest … I’m only posting once a week at this point, and even that can take me hours upon hours. It’s not easy to produce useful content with a lovely overall blog aesthetic, but your blog is such a great example of what’s possible … very inspiring to me!
I love the idea of your DFMD challenge. I could definitely use some motivation to up my game as far as my daily appearance … I’m afraid with working at home I too often succumb to the temptation to go the yoga pants and ponytail route. I actually have a bunch of appointments and commitments already on the calendar for June, things where I really need to pay attention to my appearance. So maybe this would be a way for me to do that consistently.
Love your daily email and blog but don’t do Instagram. I would like to see you style a more expensive look like Talbots or Nordstrom, then style a similar look from a more affordable option like Cato. I would also like to see you take some outfit ideas from your readers and style them. I could either tell you my outfit pieces and you finish/style it or I could send you a picture and you tell me how to make it better. I would like to see more work outfits rather than shorts and tees. My favorite fashions are styled more than one way. My last idea, I would love it if you took navy capris/ pants and a simple white top and style them a different way each day for a week.
Thank you for sharing the behind the scenes day to day happenings of your blog. I want you to know that I truly enjoy reading your posts. The fashion challenge sounds like fun. Lets do it!!
I loved learning what “really” goes on behind the scenes! You really do make it look effortless! I have recently started following several fashion bloggers, but you are one of my very favorites because you are easy to relate to and down to earth! Can’t wait for the challenges!
Kay, it could be just me, but I can’t seem to take a decent mirror selfie! I know that when I can look at a picture, I see ways to fine tune an outfit or rethink colors or shapes. I’d love to see a post on how to take a mirror selfie! Thanks for all you do to help us feel strong and confident from the inside out.
Ah, I never feel like mine are great either Diane. But I’ll definitely try to remember to provide a few pointers when I start the challenge. Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Kay, I am very thankful for your blog. I really enjoy fashion photos from a few of my favorite bloggers. I feel like I get to know you, like you are a friend. I share your faith and your role as a pastor’s wife. My clothing budget is a Good Will budget but I’m blessed with an unusually good Good Will for finding usually-new clothing for myself, my husband, five kids and eight grandkids. Your “Blessed for my Day” always ministers to me. I can see your love for Christ and your relationship with Him in all you do. What I give back (in purchases) is practically nonexistent but what you give and sacrifice for this blog is priceless in my opinion.
I’m so very glad you are enjoying the blog Debbie. You know, James and I have always looked at our livelihood as being provided by God. We try to think of our income being provided by Him. Whoever writes the check…or in my case…shops through my links…is just a conduit God uses to provide for us. I’m sure you and your husband probably view it that way too. But the beauty of that philosophy is that I honestly don’t get hung up on who shops through my links and who doesn’t. Nor do I care who buys a lot and who doesn’t buy anything. I still try to provide value for all of my readers the same because God’s got this. So I’m honestly glad you have a good source from which to purchase clothing and I hope you enjoy the blog. Blessings!!! ??
Kay – You have a wonderful way of making us feel like we are your friends. Your writing is witty and it’s a pleasure to open it up and see what you have in store for us that day. Thank you for all the work and dedication it must take to make it seem so effortless. And you hints on simple things that we can all do that don’e necessarily take money or the things we can purchase just at Target are great. It’s also good to know the back scenes of your business. That’s just being honest which I think we all appreciate. I feel bad that I have simply walked into those stores and bought them directly. Is there a way we can give you credit for that???
Thanks for your cheerful start to our days. You are indeed VERY good at what you do!
Hi Mim! I’m very grateful for your kind and affirming words. I’ve been a little amazed at the response to this post. You gals are wonderful and give me such joy.
No I don’t, at this point, have any way of receiving credit for in store purchases. But that’s quite ok. I certainly shop in store too. But there are a few things you are already doing or could do that could help me attract the attention of some brands for collaboration, which is another revenue stream. One thing you all could do is order online with places that allow you to then pick up at the store. There are so many of those: Dillard’s, Nordstrom, Target, Walmart, Loft, Ann Taylor, just to name a few.
Also, when you gals engage with me in the comments section about the items I’m showing or the tips I’ve given, brands notice that interaction and like to see it. So when you tell me you are buying something at the store, that helps. Or if you genuinely ask me about color or fit or styling options for an item you’re interested in, that helps. Brands like to see that my readers see me as a knowledgeable influence and they like to see that I respond to your questions or comments appropriately and intelligently.
Thanks so much for asking! ?
As another reader mentioned, I, too, noticed the personalized e-mail last week and it made me smile.