FBFF: Balancing the world on our shoulders

Today's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday questions are all about balance...how do we make time for our blogs in our busy lives?

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall?
It's a fun hobby, and it's increasing in priority as I feel like I'm becoming a bit more of a part of some blogging communities. However, my priorities are that blogging comes (should come) after my work; after taking time for my family, friends, and relationship; after getting enough sleep and exercise (or at least as much sleep as I can). When I started style blogging, I also tried to be a part of many other sites like Chictopia and Weardrobe, but decided that the extra time needed to also keep those sites updated was spreading myself too thin. I'd rather focus on reading other great blogs and writing my own.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?
I'm not sure I have any great tricks. Mostly starting to write posts when I have a few minutes of free time. When I can plan posts ahead, that helps a bit...particularly posts that are not primarily about an outfit of the day. I don't necessarily schedule posts for automatic publication later, but will begin a post one day that I intend to finish and put up the next.


3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?
I've been practicing with GIMP (open-source photo editing software) so that I can quickly crop my photos and color balance as necessary. If I can, having someone else take my outfit photos...always much quicker and the photos often come out better than when I do self-photography!

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?
Not yet, but I think that's a really great idea. Now that I've been incorporating posts like FBFF questions on some Fridays and Feminist Fashion Blogger posts on Wednesdays this month, I'm starting to see the benefits of having regularly scheduled features.



5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?
I'd establish a more regular posting schedule, maybe 3-4 times per week. I'd also spend a lot more time reading and commenting on others' blogs. I have so many great things in my Google Reader, and some weeks many of those go unread...I'd love to have more time to comment and get to know other bloggers better. I'd also love to regularly do thoughtful posts on fashion-related topics other than my personal style. I've been really enjoying the feminism posts, but they take me a lot more time to put together! It'd also be great to regularly post outfits that I photograph within a day or two of wearing them. (The photos in this post are another outfit from two weeks ago...)

Outfit details: Cardigan, skirt, belt, and ankle boots, thrifted. Camisole, Express. Necklace, handmade. I wore this outfit a couple of weeks ago to work, as it's still pretty cold out here...I really loved the soft layers.

Hope everyone has some nice weekend plans! I will be in the theater basically all weekend. Load-in finishes today, and we begin our rehearsals with the cast tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully between now and then we're able to pull together the rest of the technical details...does this show really open in a week?