Happy Friday! It's been a few months since taking Fancy Free blogging and thrifting full time, and I've found it definitely takes a variety of platforms to build a consistent and appealing business! I wanted to share a few of the apps and tools I've been really utilizing that really helps building a business just a whole lot easier. Canva Canva is a design platform that provides a variety free of templates to create everything from logos to flyers and thank you cards. I made the new Fancy Free logo through Canva and also use it to make cute phrase photos for Pinterest. Outlook Office Since I travel a lot, I utilize Fancy Free's outlook email to take advantage of the office products included that are saved on the cloud. I can work on blog posts from anywhere, and can update my inventory spreadsheet whenever and wherever I sell items. Pinterest Business Analytics I am new to utilizing Pinterest for Fancy Free, but I have found the free business analytics to be really help in assessing how, who, and when my pins are being utilized. All you have to do is sign up your account as a business and then you have tons of info at your fingertips! Plann Instagram has become incredibly important for growing a business, and a consistent and storytelling feed is essential for grasping the attention of followers and soon to be customers. Plann is great for planning your future Instagram photos to ensure all photos mesh well and are consistent, so when someone new looks over your profile all they see is one beautiful story! MileIq I utilize this app way more for thrifting, but it a great way to log all the miles you drive for business, so when tax time comes you are eligible to get back the biggest refund for the miles you drove and the wear you put on your car. It's super easy, and logs the miles every time you start driving automatically. All you do in the end is swipe whether each drive you took was personal or business. The rest is done by the app! Microsoft Photo Editor I tried to learn all the nifty systems and multiple apps that a lot of bloggers utilize to edit their photos, but I prefer more real photos. I've really been able to utilize the photo's editor that comes with Microsoft because it offers a variety of tools, including the ability to edit lighting, color, warmth, and completely erase any blemishes. Easy and in one app!
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear the free apps and tools that help you with blogging or running your business!
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Hello there! We recently made a trip to the Pacific Northwest and I was totally set for the rainy temps with a few great fancy finds! St. John Long Trench Coat [secondhand, $63] H&M White Blouse [new, $10] Gap Ankle Skinny Pants [new, $20] Hunter Chelsea Quilted Boots [new, $75] Gucci Clubmaster Sunnies [new, $140] Primark Backpack [new, $9] The St. John trench is a piece I found through Poshmark. St. John is a high end brand with outerwear typically running in the $800- $1500 range. See for yourself HERE! This piece is vintage and needed a little cleaning, but was priced at $100. I had this item in my "liked" list and had made a few offers to the seller which had been declined. Over the course of a month the piece was not selling (its out of season) and eventually the seller lowered the price close to where I had been offering and I scooped it up! It is such great quality with a wool lining on the inside, so it super warm. It was longer than I expected but overall this is a great closet staple that really pulls an outfit together! I have been so in love with the Hunter Chelsea quilted boots for a long time. They are classic and easier to wear than the tradition Hunter tall boot. These shoes don't typically go on sale because they are pretty timeless. and are priced at $150 However you can find designers selling unique colors and patterns of their items through eBay, which is exactly how I found these! Hunter was selling this color of the Chelsea directly through eBay, maybe because this color was a seasonal color and was not as popular as anticipated. Either way, I scooped up this pair at half price and with free shipping! The only sad part about this story is that I had actually ordered these for our trip to Europe and they were delivered the day after we left. *tears down cheeks emoji*
1. Moisturizing Hand Cream L'Occitane, $12 We all know that traveling by plane is bad on our skin, but after a 10+ hour flight with zero moisture and whatever they pump through the air vents (ew) my skin always looked aged and dry. L'Occitane is my all time favorite hand cream because it is French (ooh la la) but goes on super light and oil-less but keeps your hands super moisturized for hours. 2. Tinted Chapstick Chapstick Total Hydration + Tint, $4 As previously mentioned, flying is just totally draining your skin and body. You don't only want to think about your skin but also your lips. I have been using this tinted chapstick for a while now because I love how easy it is to add a little bit of color. This will be very important once you wake up in your final destination after having your face smushed up on the window all flight. 3. Migrasoothe Migrasoothe, $10 As someone who suffers from headaches often and pretty much from anything (too much sleep, too little sleep, too much sugar, too little sugar...) I REALLY can not say how much this stuff means to me. It is essentially a rollerball of essential oils that smells amazing PLUS when you roll it on your temples and behind your neck once you first start feeling a hint of a headache, poof you feel better almost instantly! I bring it everywhere I go. 4. Hand Sanitizer Purell, $.99 This one really does not need too much explaining. People are gross. Planes rarely get cleaned. You will be eating. End of story. 5. Hair Clip Goodys, $5 I don't know about you other ladies, but I really can't stand the way it feels when my hair touches my neck. I get on through the day just fine, but as soon as I'm uncomfortable on a plane I just can not stop thinking about it. I always blow out my hair before a long flight and then clip it up once onboard because it holds the blow out well for when you arrive, but even a little black hair tie will work. 6. Cozy Socks Target, $1 Flying internationally in coach is unfortunate, but the only option for most people. You are going to want to make the most of all your space. I usually end up taking off my shoes, putting on some cozy socks, and curling up next to hubby. They are comfortable yes, but I also don't want to be one of those gross people that gets shamed for having their feet out on a plane. Don't be that guy. 7. Travel Contact Case Amazon, $10 This is for my fellow contact wearers. From when you leave your house to when you arrive to your destination, more than a whole day could have passed. That makes for some crunchy contacts. This case has a small amount of solution and a case enclosed in a small pouch. So before you snooze you can pop out your contacts and have fresh eyes once you arrive! 8. Liquid Highlighter Elf, $4 When I board a long flight, I usually keep the makeup to a minimum because who knows what type of uncomfortable torture I am about to withstand while trying to keep my sanity. Elf cosmetics has really been a hit or miss for me, but I do really like this highlighter because it adds a pretty gold shimmer that is easy to add with your fingertips. Your face will look more dewy and less dried out from the long haul. 9. Powder Foundation Compact Covergirl, $12
As previously mentioned, who knows what your mug is going to look like after trying to find sleep in every position imaginable. You definitely want a compact to check on those weird sleeps lines, and attempt to cover them up as much as possible. With powder, highlighter, and a tinted lip balm you are sure to arrive in your destination as pretty and freshfaced as possible. You can't scroll through Instagram for more than a minute without seeing one of these Gucci belts with the criss cross "G"s. They are classic (and Gucci) and they will never go out of style, so I've been looking for one for my closet for some time. I scored big time with this pretty red piece on clearance for only double digits from a Gucci outlet! The belt was actually the very last one left, and was a few sizes too big. That didn't stop me though! In the past I have had a lot of success of purchasing really discounted items that are 1-2 sizes too big and having them altered, which is super worth it in the end if it is a classic item that is priced as a great steal. Now be realistic here, if you are a size 2 you just can't reasonably alter an item size 8+ and expect it to look fantastic and made for you. The proportion will just be off.
With this belt, I just needed a few more holes at the end so it could be cinched a few inches farther. I took the belt to a cobbler because other alteration places did not have the tools to cut through leather seamlessly. This is important! You don't want the holes uneven. This will just make the belt look cheap. After leaving only $3 behind, I had a beautiful new Gucci belt (retailing at $350!) that fit me perfectly and set me back only $83. In the end it never hurts to look outside your own size! The ultimate 1st world dilemma: trying to fit one month of outfits for a fabulous European adventure within the one free checked bag the airline gives you. The second bag goes from 0 to 100 real quick (literally, it was $100 for a second bag!) so you want to utilize all the resources you have to make sure you can bring every item you need (and want) without breaking the bank. It's All About the Roll It's hard to imagine that the way you put your clothes in your suitcase can really make a difference. It's the same amount of clothes! But it was really amazing how many more items I could fit into my suitcase from traditionally folding my items to rolling them up like a burrito. It made such a big difference! Plus my clothes were less wrinkly when I arrived. Win! Utilize Your Carry on With all airlines I have flown, you are allowed one carry on item along with one personal item (purse, laptop bag, etc). To allow for more space in my suitcase, I packed my Hunter rain boots and all my coats in my carry on. For my personal item I utilized a big laptop bag to hold all my electronics and camera. I also stored a small cross body purse with all my carry on essentials in this laptop bag as well so everything is easy to access and to maintain compliance with the airline rules. Stick With Classics While it would be great to bring along our entire wardrobes (you never know what you will be in the mood to wear!) it is just not feasible with one suitcase. I always try to stick with neutral, non-trendy items because they are easier to mix and match. You will get a lot more out of your suitcase if items can be worn across different outfits. Trendy pieces are fun but only taking up scarce space if you can only where this item for one event. Similarly, stick to your basic black, nude, and white underthings. Not quite as fun, but easier to coordinate and less space is taken. Skip The Toiletries It can be difficult when you have a set beauty routine, or products you can't live without, but I try to only pack for trips items that are either very expensive or will not be available in my destination (which is rare). These items can add a LOT of weight, so bring only the minimum and plan to buy shampoo, lotion, contact solution, etc., once you've arrived. Weigh Before You Go No one wants to be the sad soul at the airport with their suitcase open and clothing exposed, trying to play the rearranging game to avoid additional fees for an overweight suitcase. My husband got a free suitcase scale from his work as a promotional item (strange) but we have used it so much! Here is one from Amazon for under $10. For our latest trip it took some creativity and rearranging to meet the weight requirements, but I was glad to play this game at home and not in front of strangers at the airport.
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