Sep 30, 2015
Last week marked the third anniversary of Get Your Pretty On. Three years have flown by and so much has happened both personally and professionally in that time. Our oldest child graduated and moved off to college, I got laid off from corporate America and received the blessing of being able to pursue my passion full-time, and this little fledgling “hobby” blog grew from nothing to a combined 38,000 subscribers on e-mail/social media and over 1.5 million page views per year.
Not only that but it’s gone from a space created for my own accountability – where I shared my daily outfits and journey out of my mom rut – into a resource for women everywhere who are rediscovering style. GYPO now has readers in over 200 countries. Over 6,000 women have participated in the GYPO Style Challenge from all over the world including Canada, Finland, Germany, UK, New Zealand and Australia. We have a global community of style sisters who are the kindest women I’ve ever encountered anywhere.
Honestly I’m totally blown away when I stop to think about it.
But a lot has stayed the same too. I still do all of the blogging here and it’s been one of my favorite things to do since day one. Plus I get to do one of my other favorite things which is share advice and the things that I’ve learned along the way. The GYPO Style Challenge is just the icing on the cake. It gives me another opportunity to be creative but more importantly to make a difference in the lives of other women – something that humbles me on a daily basis.
Year One was all about figuring out blogging and my place in what felt like a foreign land. Year Two was the beginning of the Style Challenge, a huge amount of growth and being behind the 8 ball trying to keep up with it all. Year Three has been about getting the right systems and support in place to properly take care of everyone.
I’m starting to finally feel like I can breathe.
One of the biggest changes over the past three years is that I no longer go it alone. I now have the amazing support of Team GYPO for all of the growth and change that’s taken place and there’s no better feeling. The girls on my support team allow me to free up my time to focus on creativity and community building.
I’d love to introduce you to them today.
Customer Concierge/All Around Assistant – Kathryn
Kathryn is my right hand girl and primarily handles admin, technical and customer support. Her job is to keep customers happy, manage my inbox and make sure nobody falls through the cracks. She’s known to log in after hours and on weekends to help get issues resolved because she shares my belief that our customers should always feel taken care of. If you didn’t get a style challenge e-mail, Kathryn finds out why and fixes it. If you can’t log into the membership site, Kathryn gets you in. If you need to change your e-mail address or have a billing question, Kathryn’s got you covered.
Kathryn is my front line with customers, which means I can relax knowing they’re well cared for. In addition, she handles our affiliate program, assists with loading social media content, manages the Pretty Strong program and is your girl when it comes to all customer-facing issues. In short, Kathryn is the Wonder Woman behind GYPO. She’s a hard worker, very motivated and always willing to learn something new.
Community Manager (Facebook) – Bebe Walder
Each GYPO Style Challenge includes a private Facebook group of up to 1,800 women to manage. As you can imagine, this could be a very daunting task for me to handle on my own. Thankfully, I have my Super Woman Bebe Walder to assist with this.
Bebe is the heart and soul of our Facebook community. She communicates and enforces our community guidelines, coordinates giveaways and fun weekly themes, reviews, responds to and moderates comments, engages our community, adds new group members and coordinates and attends local live events like Girls’ Nights Out and media appearances. Bebe is the perfect combination of honesty and directness combined with love, support and encouragement.
GYPO Style Challenge Launch Team
In addition to Kathryn and Bebe I have four talented tech experts that are members of the “behind the scenes launch team” for the GYPO Style Challenge. These girls take care of everything from technical issues on the membership site to graphic and web design, web development and advertising.
The New GYPO Headquarters
Want to know a secret? For the past three years, I’ve been working from my kitchen table. I made the decision that Year Three was the year that I deserved an upgraded work space that allows me to be more organized and creative.
I’m happy to say that I now have a space that’s a true reflection of me and a joy to work in. My new home office is girly, serene and comfortable with just the right touch of glam.
Welcome to my new office. Come on in!
Thank You
Thank you for being a part of the GYPO journey, whether you’ve been here since day one or just recently found me. These past three years have been nothing short of a dream. I get to do what I love with people that I love. There’s honestly nothing else I’d rather do, this is truly my dream job.
I can’t thank you enough for being here and making this dream a reality.
xoxo
Alison
Feb 18, 2015
For this month’s Q&A, I’m answering questions posted on my Facebook page, as well as those sent to me via e-mail this past month.
Q. How do you decide upon the pieces and outfits for the GYPO Style Challenges? I’m interested in hearing about the process.
A. I do some market research (a.k.a. shopping) in advance of each challenge to check out trends, quality of the pieces I’m going to recommend and to get an idea of price points for them. When it comes time to decide upon what actually goes on the shopping list and into the outfits, there are a few criteria for a piece making the cut. It has to have versatility and be able to be worn at least four different ways. I tend not to pick items that I think will be out of style by next season although I do include a few trends. Most importantly, EVERY outfit has to be something I would wear myself. If it’s not, it doesn’t get included.
Q. I was reading your About page the other day and saw that you used to be an actress and print model. Were you in anything that I would’ve seen?
A. Acting was a big part of my life for eight years. At one point, it was what I wanted to do full time. My favorite was live theater with film acting being a close runner-up. I had a few roles in independent films but most of my work was in the commercial arena. Although much of it was local to the Dallas area, I did a BUNCH of commercials for Chevrolet dealerships all over the US. My only two national commercials were for Hasbro’s Electronic Monopoly and American Girl.
Here’s a very poor quality screen capture of the American Girl commercial.
Here are a few of the print jobs that I did.
American Standard – If you pick up a brochure, you’ll see me in there adjusting the thermostat.
James Avery – Modeling necklace lengths.
Learning Resources – This shot was on the cover of their 2010 catalog.
Pier One – Spring catalog a few years ago.
It was a fun part of my life but surprisingly, I don’t really miss it since deciding to take an “early retirement” in 2012. Maybe in a few years when the kids are all out of the house, I’ll go back to doing some theater again. Maybe. 🙂
Q. I’m a home daycare provider and have a full house with children from 1 year old to school ages. I have let myself go so much. I work almost 12 hours a day. I’ve gained weight and have hardly any time to myself. I have been inspired by your blog, and have been trying to fix myself up a little bit in the mornings. The problem I have is that I’m always wearing yoga pants and big tops. I want to look presentable, put together and professional when I receive the families in the morning. Thanks for your inspiration!
This is my big why behind starting GYPO in the first place. I had been working from home for a few years and fell into a major yoga pants rut. Not only did it effect my appearance and the way I felt about myself, but everything around the house just started going downhill. Having a good core of mix and match wardrobe basics helped me get dressed every day and get out of my rut. I stocked up on colorful cardigans, fun scarves, good quality t-shirts and tanks and dark wash, stretch skinny jeans as well as comfortable flats to create outfit combos that were perfect for working from home. Check out this post I did on Five Wardrobe Basics for Moms. You may want to skip the scarves since you work with little ones but can add interest to outfits with jewelry or patterned tops.
Q. I’m thinking about changing up my hairstyle for spring. What are the 2015 hairstyle trends?
Long hair is back and all over the runways for spring 2015. Bobs and lobs are getting grown out and pretty boho waves, long ponytails, loose braids and twisted buns are in as well as beautiful bombshell blow-outs. Instead of getting a haircut, consider growing yours out and taking advantage of one of these pretty styles.
[Image Via]
[Image Via]
[Image Via]
That’s it for this month’s Q&A!
I FEEL PRETTY
It’s the day of the week at GYPO where we celebrate what makes us feel pretty. Whether it’s a new outfit, hairstyle, or makeup, the I Feel Pretty link up is about anything and everything that makes your life prettier. Even if you’re not a blogger, you can still play along. Just tell us what made you feel pretty this week in the comments!
There are just a few simple rules:1. Follow GYPO. (Bloglovin‘, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest)
2. Link up your pretty post.
3. Link back to my blog (using the button above or your own link).
4. Visit other pretties. That’s it, now go have some fun!
Feb 13, 2015
Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with a date night? Craig and I used to every year. As a matter of fact, other than our anniversary, it was the only time we ever had a date night. Now that the kids are older, it’s a lot easier for us to commit to regular date nights. But Valentine’s Day is no longer on the list. We usually just stay in and make chocolate fondue with the girls, watch a movie and chill out. I’d much rather go the weekend before or after V-Day so we don’t have to deal with the crowds or fixed menus.
When we do have an impromptu date night, I often times find myself spinning around in my closet wondering what to wear. Through the years, I’ve come up with a few tried and true date night outfit formulas so I always have a go-to. Here are three of my favorites created from pieces that many of us already have in our closets.
Three Date Night Outfit Ideas from Your Closet
1. Black Blouse + Dark Wash Skinny Jeans + Heels
A black shirt or blouse always feels a little dressy. Add some chandelier earrings plus a clutch and a killer pair of heels for a simple yet sexy date night ensemble.
[Blouse: H&M/Jeans: AG/Clutch: JCPenney/Shoes: Zara/Earrings: Similar]
2. Pencil Skirt + Jewel Tone Blouse + Metallic Heels
If you saw this post, you know that I’m a lover of the pencil skirt. It’s flirty and feminine. Perfect for a dressier date night. Add a pretty jewel toned blouse and some gold accessories to complete the look.
[Blouse: Similar/Necklace: River Island/Skirt: Similar/Shoes: Similar/Clutch: Similar]
3. Romantic Blouse + Gray Jeans + Ankle Boots
There’s something about girly + tough that’s just right. Pair up a feminine blouse with some gray or black jeans and ankle boots for a night out to remember.
[Blouse: House of Fraser/Jeans: 7 for All Mankind/Purse: Lulu’s/Boots: Steve Madden/Earrings: Nasty Gal]
It’s Your Turn: What are some of your favorite go-to outfit combinations for a date night out? Tell us in the comments.
Jan 14, 2015
It’s time for my monthly Q&A and as always, you girls brought it with your questions this month! I’m so excited to tackle them so let’s dive right in.
Q. When shopping online do you have any tips to avoid becoming distracted and/or overwhelmed by the infinite options? I have a hard time shopping because there are so many choices I seriously begin to feel anxiety. At least a store is finite and the choices are contained within four walls. But the internet is infinite possibilities. – Wanda via Facebook
A. Hi Wanda! Ah, yes, online shopping can be VERY overwhelming but I have a mantra that keeps distractions to a minimum and it’s this…
ALWAYS shop with a purpose.
This mantra works not only for online shopping but in store as well. Never browse for clothes, always shop with a purpose.
So what exactly does that mean? Anytime you shop, be armed with a list of what you truly need. Each season, I take an inventory of my closet and make note of what I have, what I want to add and what basics need to be replaced. I keep it on my phone and then when I shop, I pull it out and try to focus only on what I need. I try to make it as specific as possible to avoid any impulse buys.
How does this apply specifically to online shopping? Pull out your list, go to the category of items that you need (sweaters, for example) and search through that category ONLY. Add a few items to your cart that you love, then go back and pare down from there. I usually add three items and allow myself to choose one – unless there’s a free shipping minimum, take advantage of that when you can. Of course, there are exceptions to anything and if you see something you absolutely love that’s not on the list, you can still get it. But the list acts as a guide to keep you on task, distraction free and shopping for what you truly need!
Q. How did you get started with blogging? Do you have any recommendations of books to read or directions to go to get started? – Kathy via Facebook
Well, Kathy, blogging was kind of a happy accident for me! After a few years of working from home, I had fallen into a MAJOR mom rut. It wasn’t just effecting my appearance but everything else, including my home and family. I rarely got out of my yoga pants and never wore makeup or fixed my hair. One day I decided to get up an hour earlier than usual, worked out and actually got ready for the day even though I had nowhere to go. I felt better and more productive than I had in a long time. When I picked my daughter up from school that day, she said “Mommy, what happened to you? You look PRETTY!” That was my turning point and when I decided that I had to make an effort on a regular basis, not just for myself, but for my family too.
I started Get Your Pretty On shortly after that. There were a lot of fashion blogs that I liked back then but none of them seemed to be exactly what I was looking for – simple, easy to wear outfits that looked cute and put together and worked for my daily life. So I started my own blog. The first version was kind of rough but it was a place that I could post my outfits and hold myself accountable for getting dressed on a daily basis – plus share the things I was learning along the way. That was almost two and a half years ago.
Since then, I’ve learned A LOT about blogging, photography, fashion, writing, you name it! Most of it, I’ve found through the Internet but one book that really helped, especially in the beginning was Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community
by Joy Cho.
My best advice is to start where you are and start before you’re ready because you’ll never truly feel ready. Don’t expect perfection in the beginning, your blog will evolve as you do. If you’re passionate about writing and sharing what you love with the world, it will all fall into place.
Q. I can’t seem to get a button down to work under a sweater. I’m thin and I think it makes me look 10 pounds bigger…and it is uncomfortable. What is your trick? – Sherry via Facebook
This is a lot trickier than it should be. I love the look of a button down under a sweater but keeping the bunching and bulk at bay is key to pulling it off. My best tip is to buy a fitted button down that tapers at the waist. The more fitted it is, the better it will work. I have some button downs that I ONLY wear under sweaters. They are a little too tight to be worn on their own but they work just fine as a layering piece. This fitted blouse would be perfect, check out how much it tapers.
[Coquette Button Down Blouse]
Apr 28, 2014
Happy Monday! Hmm, that’s kind of an oxymoron, isn’t it? 🙂 I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve done a Daily Style Diary post. You may have noticed that I missed last week’s due to the Reebok giveaway post (which you can still enter, so go ahead and do it!). But it was worth the wait! I have to say that the past two weeks are probably some of the most fun I’ve had since starting to blog.
Why? Because the Spring Style Me Challenge kicked off two weeks ago and I get to play along almost every day with the challengers! I’ve gotta admit, it sure is nice having a pre-made outfit waiting for me each morning. It makes busy weeks go much more smoothly!
Here are my most recent Daily Style Diary outfits that were posted on Instagram.
MONDAY
On the first day of the style challenge, I wore my white jeans with a green gingham shirt, denim jacket and leopard flats.
[Denim Jacket/White Cropped Pants/Gingham Shirt/Leopard Flats]
TUESDAY
Tuesday was denim on denim with a pop of color.
[Skinny Jeans/Cardigan/Flats/Chambray/Necklace]
WEDNESDAY
Boyfriend jeans, a bright tank top, floral scarf and wedges were Wednesday’s look of the day.
[Boyfriend Jeans/Cardigan/Tank Top/Scarf/Wedges]
THURSDAY
White jeans, a denim shirt and floral scarf were the perfect layers for Thursday.
[Denim Shirt/White Jeans/Tank Top/Floral Scarf]
FRIDAY
Friday was a yoga pants day. Our whole family headed out to east Texas for the weekend to clean up our new property. We went together with my sister and brother-in-law to get a little fixer upper near the lake. It’s so peaceful there and we’re looking forward to making lots of family memories…once we get all of the work done. 🙂
SUNDAY
For Easter, I did a variation of one of the style challenge outfits by substituting a maxi dress for the skirt. I felt comfortable and put together for church and dinner with my parents, sisters and our families after.
[Denim Shirt/Dress]
Oh, and I must share this with you! These pretty floral scarves are at Michael’s for just $9.99 and are exactly the same as the Nordstrom floral scarves but for about half the price! Now we can satisfy two obsessions at once, crafting and fashion. Genius, Michael’s, pure genius!
If you want to join us for the Spring Style Me Challenge, it’s not too late. Just sign up HERE to get the shopping list and all of the days’ outfits immediately! Here are some examples of the outfits we are styling.
SUMMER CHALLENGE COMING SOON!
The summer challenge will be announced in the coming weeks. If you’d like to be one of the first to find out when registration opens, get on the list HERE!
P.S. I still LOVE reading all of your comments but have to cut back on commenting until the Spring Style Me Challenge ends. I hope you understand, my family misses me. 🙂
