Non-alcoholic drinks that I love:

• Leitz – Eins Zwei Zero Rose Sparkling – So so good. Not too sweet. Very bubbly.
• Eins Zwei Zero Blanc de Blancs Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Wine – I also love the sparkling white by the same brand. Very bubbly.
• St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Phony Negroni® (use this link for $10 off) – Could be a tiny bit more bitter but really nails the taste
• St. Agrestis Non-Alcoholic Amaro Falso (use this link for $10 off) – So smooth and really love the flavor (I actually may like it more than the Phony Negroni)
• Sanbitter – Tastes like a Negroni or Campari/Aperol. I add to Topo Chico. This is also similar to Sanbitter.
• My favorite NA recipe book
  • I love the verjus recipes 
  • The Bloody Mary recipe is so good

Non-alcoholic drinks that I didn’t love but would definitely drink if it was offered to me:

• Tost – a bit too sweet and has some tea to beware if you avoid caffeine or are drinking it late
• Ghia Lime & Salt – refreshing but left me wanting more of a bite (either with salt or lime)
• Oddbird Rosé – lost the bubbles quicker than I like and when it’s flat, it’s a bit too sweet for me!
• Wolffer Estate’s Spring in a Bottle – still a bit sweeter than I’m looking for but liked it more than Oddbird’s Rosé!

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When you first visit the site, you’re greeted with a rotating array of three photos of Nicole rocking swimwear. In one of them she’s holding a hula hoop which is cool. Love those. Then I’m prompted with a fork in the road: enter her site or get my bottle of Messy Mawma Wine now in her shop. I am, unfortunately, not a wine drinker so I clicked the black button. (Don’t worry, I end up in her shop later). I can also decide to click to follow her on social media. I was glad to see they all open in a new tab. The site is built in WordPress.

After clicking “ENTER SITE,” I entered the main site as promised:

After hovering over the grid of images, I notice that they almost all lead to somewhere else. The top two (most left) image boxes lead me to the same place: her tour. The top two (most right) image boxes lead me to her shop. The repetition is interesting. The bottom left takes me to her blog (which makes sense and is titled appropriately). The box titled “It’s Happening with Snooki & Joey” takes me to an iTunes link. Her bio box takes me to her bio page. The bottom right takes me nowhere. It’s just an image.

Her tour page looks like this:

Her buttons link out to external sites like Tixr or Ticketmaster. You can see her in Massachusetts for $40! I then clicked over to her blog and was bummed to see that she hasn’t blogged since 2018!! If you aren’t aware, that’s six years ago. It’s a common thing to lose blogging steam. It’s happened to me so many times. There are 8 total blog posts and the blog sidebar informed me that Nicole has two books. A review on Amazon reads, “A note for the people who have talked bad about Nicole, if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say it at all.” Very true, Stacy. Very true.

One thing I’ll make note of: both screenshots above don’t really give you an idea of where you are. It can be nice to use breadcrumbs, an active state in your nav noting what page you’re on, and/or a title at the top. Her About page does one of these things (page title) which reminds you where you are in case you weren’t paying attention to what you clicked on.

At this point, I felt like I explored all that I could on her main site and decided to click over to her shop! The shop is pretty basic, not overly designed. Her logo for The Snooki Shop has two versions that I can see (one that’s wider, one that’s stacked). Both have a kiss lip print. Based on her mega menu, she sells clothing, accessories, beauty, and shoes. Any user can click on “Shop” instead of just hovering and using the mega menu to see all products. She currently has 464 skus or individual products listed in her Shopify store. I cannot tell if this view overlaps with the other categories in her navigation titled: Wedding Guest, Pride, and Snooki Merch.

Back to the fact that her shop’s hero section highlights her 2000’s collection. I clicked on the image and it took me to a page that teases more sub collections. You see the same hero image again (this is the second time I’ve seen it at this point) and can click into that and then you see a true Shopify collection. After hovering over a lot of different 2000’s collection calls-to-action/buttons, I would love to know how her merchandise is set up from a collections standpoint. Fascinating and messy.

Based on the product description page (PDP), you can see that it’s pretty standard. It says that I can pick this hat up at the Madison, New Jersey location within 2 hours. So, of course, I am now curious about the locations and if this shop even ships. So I scroll to the bottom of the shop. There is a shipping and returns page which would lead me to believe that they do ship. But I also learn that there are three locations!! Snooki has three brick & mortar shops? Amazing. There’s a fourth coming soon to Nashville. Has anyone been to one? Please let me know. The Snooki Shop has its own social accounts and their Instagram has over 500k followers. I am so impressed, Nicole!!!

The Shopify store has two pop-ups running which is one too many. Plus I have the ability to sign up for rewards. Love it.

My overall thoughts and notes:

• Nicole is doing the most: touring, podcasting, ecommerce-ing
• I think her sites’ presences could be so much more saturated with her style and brand
• I would love to help her organize her merchandise on her Shopify store
• She’s using this theme for her WordPress site
• She’s using this theme for her Shopify site
• She has a “Trending” link in her WordPress navigation that does not load/gives me an error

Celebrities, they’re just like us!

The post Celeb Site Chat #2: Nicole Polizzi aka Snooki appeared first on alliepal.

Upon landing on Kacey’s site, I notice the following things:

• She has a new logo or mark for this album. I can see nods to Americana, quilting, and the shapes of both a “K” and an “M.” It’s a beautiful day as a public figure or brand when you can use something so visual (without spelling it out)
• She’s using the font Gotham (I use the Chrome extension WhatFont to identify fonts) as her main font
• Her menu is simple but typical for a musician
• The site is built on WordPress (you can find this out by right clicking on a site and viewing page source)
• The call-to-action in this view frames her face. I love the grainy photo. It’s also used as her IG profile pic now
• The “pre-order” button links externally to a microsite that allows you to choose how you want to pre-order her album and from where

She has two areas on her homepage (sliders) where she’s first pushing pre-order of vinyls (external site) and merch (external link to her own Shopify. more on that below)

A lot of times, my clients want to title or add headings to these sections. I do think that’s always helpful but I understand that in some cases, it’s fairly obvious what each section is trying to do.

Her tour section is an embed from a platform called Seated. Each button ultimately linked out to Ticketmaster. It’s the only instance where the font Roboto comes into play.

She uses this video section to separate the tour from a shoppable slider:

It is a Youtube video and when you click it, it pop ups (lightbox) and starts to play. There are three videos in this slider.

My favorite discovery on Kacey’s site was the font used for the section header “Want to go deeper?” It reads as a font called DeeperWell which is not a font that you can buy or find online. I love when an artist or a brand makes their own font! It’s so extra!! And I love when other people want to know more too.

The rest of the site is simple.

Like I mentioned above, she’s using Shopify to power her store where she’s selling bundles, candles, vinyl, cassette, sweater vest, and more. She’s using a theme called Debut which has been removed from the Shopify theme store back in 2022.

Kacey has always done a great job of aligning her album with a scent. This Shopify store is extremely simple. It’s not trying to be a vibe (I wish it was more of a vibe). I do love that you can shop by album because you realize there are way more products than whatever appears on the homepage. When you add to cart, it takes you cart vs signaling that it’s been added and allowing you to keep shopping without taking you to a new page.

Some other extra notes:

• This is the theme her main WordPress site is using
• Other softwares and integrations that her website is using/integrating:
  • COLORTEST merch (linked at the bottom of her Shopify)
  • Seated
  • Ticketmaster
  • Linkfire

Celebrities, they’re just like us!

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• Aquaphor and Burt’s Bees: I am allergic to something that is in most lip products. These two never give me issues.
• Living Libation’s Best Skin Ever (Seabuckthorn): I use this to cleanse my face at night. I love the regular oil and the solid version as well.
• Cometeer coffee (this link gets you $20 off your first order): The only coffee I drink at home. I get the light roast subscription and will add on decaf as needed.
• Refresh Relieva PF eye drops: I have to use these every morning (my eyes are so dry! This is a new thing in my late 30s). My eye doctor recommended these and I have them on a subscribe & save.
• YUNI Beauty Large Body Wipes: I use these after working out or when I just sorta smell. I always have one in my backpack and I bring a few while I’m traveling.
• LOLA tampons: I like the fit (everyone is different) and I get it delivered to my house every month.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you don’t like clicking on those, feel free to just Google the product name on your own! The money that I make from any commission goes to pay for the hosting of this website and my email newsletter software!

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This list is for those who are anticipating the loss of a pet and those who already have. I’m sure some of these would be helpful for those losing or those who have lost another human too. I hope it helps someone else feel less alone! 

Links

• Things I Wish I Had Known When My Dog Died (NYT gift link)
• Grieving Before A Death: Understanding Anticipatory Grief
• My Dog Is Dying… 
• Grief Guidance – A individual doula service to support you as you journey through grief following or leading up to a significant loss. 
• A Great Analogy About Grief: The Ball in the Box (Twitter thread)
• Miss You. Would like to take a walk with you (poem)
• The Grief Companion: A Supportive Guide to Navigating Grief (card deck)
• A blog post where someone shares about losing their dog, Luna. Made me feel less alone. 
• Yoga for Grief 
• This is Not Just a Post About Dog Grief

Books:

• Goodbye Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost A Pet (written by a pastor but is not religious) 
• Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through The Storm (Buddhist) 
• When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Buddhist) 

Podcasts:

• How To Say Goodbye To Your Pets (Death, Sex & Money) 
• Grateful for Grief (Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert) 

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The internet is a scam and I’m here to tell you to host that dinner party already. If you’re like me, you log onto Instagram or Pinterest and you see a breathtaking kitchen. You stare lovingly at that photo with the exposed shelving — the mismatched ceramics still somehow fit together perfectly. The minimalist deep inside of you (somewhere, covered up by all the stuff you own that you know you need to get rid of) smiles. “Wow. It’s really sunny inside of these homes.” You look outside and it’s cloudy. The recycling bin got knocked over and there’s a cardboard box in your front yard.

I get it. Been there.

But here are a few things you need to know:

• Those houses are staged.
• Those houses are extremely expensive.
• Those food photos are taken on top of painted surfaces right next to a window (for optimal lighting).
• That elaborate and beautiful table setting was set out for a photoshoot (and most likely not an actual dinner party).
• No one cares what your house looks like.
• No one cares if you forgot to sweep your floors (especially if they’re wearing socks).
• People want to feel warmth — whether that’s from your food, your listening ear, the actual temperature, or from your cute pet.

Hosting, in my opinion, is a muscle. To suddenly host just because you recently acquired a Pinterest-esque mansion isn’t when the muscle gets strong. It starts now. So text your friends, make some food, and love on some people this month.

The post You’re never going to own a Pinterest house appeared first on alliepal.

Resources shared:

–I Will Teach You To Be Rich

–The Financial Diet

– Broke Millenial

–Your Money Or Your Life 

–You Are A Badass At Making Money

–Dave Ramsey

–YNAB (You Need A Budget)

–8-Step Guide to Becoming Debt Free (How We Paid Off $124,094)

–Moneyaftergraduation.com

-r/personalfinance on Reddit

–The Pineapple Project Podcast

–Bad With Money Podcast

-Friend/follower, Bryan, shared this Emergency Fund File for you to download!

–Daily Worth

Please comment below with any of your favorite resources!

The post Talking Money appeared first on alliepal.

Yesterday, Elise had me on her podcast to wrap up The 100 Day Project (the third year in a row we’ve participated and discussed). You can listen to it here! I was able to express how this project felt in all its ups and downs. We ended the podcast and I felt like I had processed the last 10%. Here’s what I learned from blogging for 100 days in a row:

When people can’t see it, it’s harder for them to support it. 

During the last two projects, I created art with my hands. Sure, I type these posts with my hands but I do it while staring at a screen. It’s hard for people to rally behind something that they can’t see or experience. Perhaps you’ve encountered this while going to therapy, getting into meditation or eating better. I think it’s easier for people to get pumped for you when you’re gaining muscle from working out, painting a picture or raising a child/dog. It’s the little things we do for ourselves, quietly and unassuming, that can be harder to understand. If you’re experiencing this, keep at it.

I don’t like being connected every day.

Taking breaks from social media and my phone were never something that I did routinely but I always loved having the choice. After blogging for 100 days, I can’t wait to take a break from being so connected. I told Elise on her podcast that I will most definitely take a break from blogging starting tomorrow and that excites me. I didn’t start my day blogging (maybe I should have) or even during a short lunch break. Because of my own choice, I blogged exclusively at night and I didn’t like ending my day on my laptop.

I’m in awe of content creators and full-time bloggers.

Seriously. How do you do it? Probably with editors, photographers and more. But still! It’s a lot! I had so many other topics that I wanted to blog about but when it came down to documenting things through photography, writing at a higher level or just taking the time to think…I just didn’t have it in me!

Completing this project is important to me.

I talked about this during Elise’s podcast episode but this project holds creative space for me. For three years, I’ve committed to doing something that I didn’t always want to do for 100 days in a row. That holds space somewhere in my brain, heart and soul. And while this wasn’t my favorite year, so far, it flexes that muscle daily until today where I’m ready to end it and start something new. If you’re feeling stuck, try something that isn’t always fun and is sometimes amazing. After writing consistently (most of the time in short form), I trust myself more. Adam always tells me that writing will help me communicate better. I think he’s right.

What a different finale

I posted 3 photos on my Instagram tonight. One of me painting a huge 6 foot tall painting. Another from 2017 where I’m hanging one of my photographs. The last photo, from yesterday, is of me in child’s pose. I’m resting. While the last two years were major creative feats for me, I had a lot more energy to give. I had an art show after each project was complete. After 100 days of blogging, I’m ready to rest for a bit. Hibernate. Refuel.

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Poem by Amy Turn Sharp

Today I recorded an episode of Elise’s podcast to wrap up this 100 Day Project. In it, I shared that I had a long list of blog posts to write and it never happened. This honestly feels like a really great, literal metaphor for my life. I have a lot of ideas and I don’t share them or let them come to fruition. Instead, I can get into some sort of routine à la Groundhog Day. So many books that I want to read, new restaurants that I want to try, languages that I want to speak, tv shows I should watch. I get sucked into the focused, tunnel vision shit and the next thing I know, 100 days pass.

But you know what I did during those 100 days? I ate whatever I wanted, I allowed myself joy and tears. I was present. I spent time with family and friends.

So, here’s to new beginnings. Tomorrow is the last day of this challenge and in a way, I learned a lot about myself. I’m glad it’s (almost) over but I’m glad I did it.

In case you were wondering, this was the list of posts I never wrote:

1. Post-Candida Diet thoughts
2. What I’ve learned from Strengthsfinder
3. Do I need to be passionate about my job?
4. Thrifting finds
5. Creating a painting for over our fireplace
6. Branded photography
7. Finding Time For Myself (boundaries, one weekend day free)
8. Do I Need/Have a Hobby?
9. My Relationship with Painting
10. The Responsibility as a Designer
11. Turning down work is exhausting
12. Asian Cultural Appropriation
13. Celebrations
14. Cookbook reviews
15. Do Something Different
16. Trying things from Pinterest

Maybe these will get created. Maybe not. I’ll always have tomorrow…

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Today I saw a friend that I hadn’t seen in so long and after a hug, he asked, “How’s Desh?” That’s exactly what I want people to ask me and I realized how offended I actually feel that more people don’t ask about my dog. Because let’s be honest…work is the same, life is busy, yeah it’s so hot outside, no I don’t watch that tv show…

It’s not like I’m asking to get shallow. I love my dog more than almost anything so this is me getting pretty deep. We can talk about how he knows when I’m sad and comes and sits near me (but doesn’t look me in the eye) when I’m crying. About how he knows if I’m stressed and if I look up quickly (startled) in any direction he starts to huff and puff like someone is annoying me and they have to be stopped. He cries if he sees himself on video. He can sense real and animated animals on the tv. He knows more words than most of your toddlers.

Let’s skip the small talk and get right to talking about my dog.

How’s your pet doing?

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It’s a good lesson for all the other things we consume, eat, wear and buy. Someone else (hopefully) spent a lot of time and passion into making it happen. And if that’s not the case, maybe we shouldn’t be paying much attention to it.

The post Radish Leaves appeared first on alliepal.

As I’ve mentioned before, I really love cooking. Adam’s entire family is in town and his sister is vegan so I made this recipe from Against All Grain. Instead of ghee, I used vegan butter. It’s paleo, too. Delicious! And I love finding ways to use my Instant Pot.

Do you have any favorite InstaPot recipes? I love adding them to my list to try.

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After taking photos of lots of people, you start hearing the same feedback or preferences. When I was taking a lot of portraits, the go-to was, “I don’t like taking photos when I’m smiling with my teeth because my cheeks get big.” Yep. That’s what cheeks do! If you felt self-conscious at all during the summer trips or holidays, just remember that cheeks are normal. The bigger the cheek, the bigger the smile. And that’s a good thing.

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It’s Tuesday but it feels like a Friday and sort of like a Monday? While most people day drink tomorrow, I will probably be working. I love getting ahead when everyone else is distracted. Here are some things that I’ve found interesting lately:

1. This nightie by Recliner – I googled “comfortable nightgown” once and this Instagram ad popped up. Gosh, I love my FBI agent aka Google. I ordered it because it doesn’t look like I’ll wake up looking like this in the morning.

2. I love this branding work by Sydney!

3. Coffee inspired lip glosses? Bite knows my heart (and what my husband probably wants to eat when he kisses me). I’m going to pick up Dirty Chai.

4. I loved Lee’s post about consuming collagen. I’m going to start incorporating it into my morning routine.

5. If you’re on the Keto diet like everyone else (I am not but it doesn’t mean I don’t love good tasting low carb stuff), check out this bread.

6. The best grain-free granola in the whole world. I forgot how much I loved it after burning out a bit when I was on the Candida diet two years ago but I just ordered 2 bags of the nutmeg and 2 bags of the coffee.

What have you found to be interesting lately?

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Later this month, we’re hosting a garage sale at The Wonder Jam studio and ALL money made will be donated to RAICES in Texas. Treating human beings like anything less than a human being is wrong. Treating people like they aren’t equal because they’re different is wrong. As a business owner, I have accumulated too much stuff. I’m sharing my wealth of (quality) shit with this city of ours on July 28th from 10am-3pm. Many other amazing businesses owners have pledged to donate props, books, camera and video gear, extra inventory, crafts and more to this garage sale and I’m really excited. As it gets closer and they start dropping off the stuff, I’ll be sharing snippets and previews over on Instagram on my own account and The Wonder Jam’s account.

The Garage Sale benefiting RAICES
The Wonder Jam
1145 Chesapeake Ave, Suite J
Columbus, OH 43212

While we will be selling the more expensive and nicer books in the sale, we will also have a book swap table so bring some cash (cards are accepted, too) and books you’ve already read and come be a part of the community that’s giving back.

PS And if you’re a business owner who wants to donate, comment below or DM me!

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Without any cell service or internet, I had a few realizations:

• When you don’t have access to either thing, you don’t carry your phone around. Which means I took absolutely no photos. The one set as the featured image was from the time we visited the cabin two years ago.
• Better conversations all around. With people in front of you. Not via DMs or texts.
• I can’t figure out if time goes by slower (in a good way) or flies by without seeing the time.
• No alarm clock because I wasn’t working because no email.
• You appreciate little things like a faint breeze (did I mention it was really, really hot?)
• You do wonder if your dog is okay…

Planning on a device blackout every week from now on.

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We’re about to drop our FIFTH capsule of content in our online membership for tiny business owners, freelancers and side-hustlers so I thought I’d share a list of everything that is currently in our membership waiting for you to consume.

1. Why Content Matters
2. Scheduling the Production
3. Getting Creative with Stock Imagery
4. Preparing for a Photoshoot?
5. Podcast Creation
6. Text Messaging Marketing Set-Up
7. Website Checklist: Are You Ready?
8. Pros and Cons of Popular Website Platforms
9. Writing Captions for Social Media
10. Email Automation
11. Website Copy
12. Production Schedule Calendar
13. Maintaining Quality on Social Media
14. Crossing the Bridge from Online to Offline
15. 6 Stages to Your Sales Funnel
16. How Many Things Do I Need To Sell?
17. How Big of An Audience Do You Need?
18. Is Your Potential Audience Big Enough For Your Business?
19. From Interested to Customer
20. The Payoff and Execution of Long Form Content
21. Maintaining Connections Online and In-Person
22. Messaging and Positioning
23. Creating Referrals
24. Collaborations as Audience Builders
25. More Clients for a 1-Person, Service Based Business
26. The Art of Copywriting
27. Building and Making Moodboards
28. Finding Inspiration from Unique Places
29. Tutorials on Adobe Products + Canva (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Canva)
30. How To Install and Use Design Assets
31. Clarifying File Types + Formatting
32. Formatting and Checking Links on Social Media
33. 4 Considerations when “Designing” Your Next Email Campaign
34. Collaborating with Artists
35. Photography Tips + Tricks
36. Website Aesthetics: 5 Key Things to Consider
37. Using Words with Your Visuals
38. Branding on a Budget
39. Setting Yourself Up For Ad Success
40. Google Analytics
41. Heatmap + Visitor Recording Tracking
42. Twitter Ads
43. SEO Tracking
44. Google Adwords
45. Pinterest Advertising
46. Facebook Advertising
47. Tracking Sponsored Relationships
48. ShopifyAnalyticss
49. How to Think About Ads and Advertising
50. Customer Analytics

And we’re about to drop 12 more lessons all centered around self-care tonight at midnight. The membership also includes a live (and recorded) Q&A, webinar and Facebook group with yours truly. You can sign up here if you’re every interested in joining the family.

PS I’m in a robe sitting in a huge bed because we’re publishing the next 12 lessons from a hotel room! Entrepreneurship FTW!

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Adam paused and said, “Think of the best version of a neon sign. That’s what I mean.”

For some reason my brain never thinks of the best version. While I can be pretty creative, I’m not imaginative.

When I’m feeling down about this, I re-watch Nancy Silverton’s Chef’s Table episode. I resonate with her story a lot. In that episode, someone says, “She probably doesn’t think of herself in the pantheon of great chefs. She’s not here to win. She’s here to express her inner being.”

So that’s my goal. To be me. But express more of my inner being.

Ps I always said I hated mushrooms until I ate the best version at Veritas, a restaurant here. Turns out I’d been eating the worst versions.

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