Blogging | Scheduling your posts

As a blogger who reads the blogs of fellow bloggers (too much blog?) I have noticed that we are almost always one of two types, the scheduled posters or the spontaneous posters.  Today as part of my 'amateur blogging 101' I'm going to chat to you a little bit about spontaneity and scheduling because I have been known to adopt both methods  in the last year I have been 'Granite City Girl' and I would like to share why as well as a few tips on how I schedule my posts.

When I first started I didn't have a routine at all, in fact I felt I had so many ideas and things I wanted to share that I would quite regularly post twice in one day because I was just too excited and felt an urgency to share (plus I was afraid I would forget what I wanted to say) These posts were often quite a bit shorter, rushed and if I'm honest they just came across as sloppy, in fact you can see the difference (I hope) if you look back at last Feb's posts in comparison to this years. I think I felt that if I ever missed a day of posting that I would need to make up for it the next day and that meant my content would suffer as a result and these days content is just not something I am willing to compromise on. Of course that isn't to say spontaneous posting doesn't work for everyone, in fact for some bloggers I find it adds to the charm and overall feel of their site if they aren't sticking to a schedule and obviously there are times, whether due to university studies, family commitments or illness that it just isn't practical to plan out your blogging schedule as I found when I was juggling my job, university and wedding planning (remember it's okay to take a break)

Today however, times have changed  and I have adopted a manageable schedule I feel suits my available time, lifestyle and general personality. In fact it was one of my New Years Resolutions to not only up my weekly posts from 2 to 3 but also to post on dedicated days and times. In order to achieve this I make sure my posts are scheduled around 2 weeks in advance and keep a diary of what is going up and when, and today when I have an idea I don't rush to post it online through fear of it being lost in the vast dark spaces in my brain but I keep a note of it in my diary alongside my schedule and I'll build upon it later. As this is my hobby I really don't allow it to stress me out entirely, if I feel a bit anxious about posting or pressured in any way I step away and do something else for a while, at the end of the day a hobby shouldn't make you feel antsy or stressed in any way, but I completely understand the pressure bloggers face (these are the times I thank the lord I'm not famous and can sit in my pjs just fine!)

There are times however I feel spontaneous posting is necessary, for example those times you are announcing something small or you want to share a little snippet from your life that perhaps doesn't necessarily merit an entire post day dedication, for example when I announced Granite City Girl was on Pinterest or when I wanted to share an event that was happening in my hometown a few weeks ago, just little things. These are events I will usually post about on a Thursday or Saturday. I have posted an example of my own schedule below, just to give you an idea:

Granite City Girls Post Schedule

Wednesday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Tursday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)

Friday 9.00am (GMT)
SP: Saturday 9.00am - 12.00pm (GMT)

Sunday 9.00am (GMT)

I do hope this has helped shed some light on why things are the way they are on Granite City Girl (and hasn't made me look like too much of a control freak) but of course if you have any questions or comments about the blog, content, scheduling or anything be sure to ask in the comments below. I'd be really interested to know if you have ever felt pressured as I did to post daily and what it is you do to combat that, be sure to comment below, share your thoughts with my on Twitter or of course if you'd like to see more from me you can find my blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, penciling in our next appointment!

H.Elizabeth xx

Guest Blogger | Supersized Supermodel

Hello everyone, we're going to be doing something a little bit different on Granite City Girl today and introduce you to a new blogger by hosting this blogs first ever guest post! So we'll just get straight into it, her name is Cristina Nika Kask, she is a fashion and lifestyle blogger and today would like to share a little something on the fashion industry and her opinions of plus size modelling, I have really enjoyed working with her and find her an absolute delight, and I think you will too hope you enjoy!

H.Elizabeth x



L- Tess Munster says #EffYourBeautyStandards. R - Robin Lawley in Sports Illustrated

I've always wondered what the range of sizes are for a plus size model. You can imagine my surprise when I Googled it and saw that plus size models are size 8 and up. It is shocking to think a girl who is a size 8 is plus size. That doesn't work in the real world. So, what is wrong with the fashion industry? They are causing unrealistic expectations that every woman should be a size 4. Are sizes 8, 10 and 12 plus size or actually average?

Plus size or average?

In fact, 20 years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today she weighs 23% less. Standards for women are impossible and frustrating. There are not enough plus size models, actually, all of the models that are promoted as full figured are in fact average size. Many 'plus size' every day women are confused by the sizing boundaries used in the fashion world. Many of them would think, 'if a model that is size 12 is considered plus size, what does that make me!?' Last week, a so called plus size mode, Robin Lawley said it was 'ludicrous' to be called a plus sized model. She has called upon designers to create their samples in larger sizes, believing that this shift would effect change in the representation of body diversity. A big problem that she pointed out is that clothes today are not made to fit the woman, on the contrary, a woman is obliged to fit the clothes. Not only is the modelling industry pressuring models to be skinny, but by doing that they are pressuring girls of the world to rise up to unnatural standards.

If you were to look at different pictures of so called plus sized models, including Robin Lawley, looking gorgeous in swimwear, you want to be that girl, you see they are incredibly sexy and confident. And just that is the standard you should strive for, to be confident with your body, and to feel sexy in your skin.

Labels

What's with the 'plus size' label anyway? Why are we labeling women's bodies like that? There is no size diversity in the modelling world. There are desirable sizes for the fashion world, and there are sizes 8 and up, considered to be plus size. So there is a whole no-man's land of models who are in between the 'straight size' and the 'plus-size'. Regardless of that, even if a model is size 18 and above, I don't think anyone should be called plus size. I think it's a derogatory label to anyone. There is no label 'minus size' for extremely thin models.  I understand the need for this kind of labeling in the fashion industry when it is needed to explain diversity to a client, but the term is used in the media and in every day life. Saying that a person is 'plus' implies there is extra or an excess of something, which could be offensive if you're referring to the size of a person.

And ladies, don't forget, no matter what kind of label someone pins on you, the most important thing is that you are satisfied with your body and looks in general. That is the one thing you need so you can rock every outfit!

Christina Nika Kask