Just so you know, I included all the steps I did, but perhaps not all of them are equally necessary… The crucial ones have underlined numbers, in case you are in a hurry.

1. Turn on good music, such as the soundtrack from Inglorious Basterds or Florence + The Machine’s album “Lungs”.

2. Locate old pair of denim shorts.

3. Cut off legs to a less appropriate length.

4. Locate failed attempt at DIY embellished tights (or buy some thin chains from a hardware store – which is half the price of the ones they have in craft shops), which from now on shall be known as the Failure Tights.

5. Cut off all embellishment – especially the chains! – from Failure Tights while feeling properly ashamed for never finishing anything.

6. Fray bottoms of shorts slightly (EDIT: This will probably not be necessary, as the bottoms will fray naturally while you’re working with the shorts).

7. Locate vacuum cleaner and  imagine you got all those white little threads that invaded your workspace while fraying.

8. Find needle, thread (I used white) and scissors. Make sure the lighting is good, otherwise this is a guaranteed headache.

9. Remember the lesson you learned from Failure Tights and place chains strategically, otherwise your legs will look like chained elephant legs. Keep most of the chains on the outside of the leg to prevent chains tangling and legs getting stuck together (the ultimate embarrassment). Remember, the more bits of chains that are dangling, the more attention you will draw to your legs, since the eye is drawn to anything moving.

10. Realize you’re starting to get really, really hungry and start to fantasize about sweet & sour chicken. Don’t let fantasies distract you, though, or your shorts might end up looking weird.

11. Try on shorts regularly to check the placement of the chains. Smile happily when you see how lovely the chains twinkle in the lights.

12. Realize that your pillows actually resemble a thigh, and put one pillow inside each leg of the shorts. This will make it much easier to keep track of all the chains as you sew them on.

13. Keep adding chains and trying it on to see the effect. In the end you should end up with something like this:

What do you think? And will you give it a go?

First of all: I do not claim to be an expert on the subject. All the tips in this post are simply based on my personal opinions and experience, but I do think a fair few people out there will agree with me … do you?

A black background with white text will always be more difficult to read than the opposite. I should know – my very first blog had a black background – because I wanted it to stand out – but I realized rather quickly it was rather tiresome if you looked at it for more than two minutes. Don’t get me started on bright pink or yellow backgrounds, which is like an instant migraine. I always think justified text (that reaches both the left and right margin) looks better than text that’s aligned to the left or center. And while fancy fonts for the body text can seem like a good idea, they are only interesting for the first five seconds. After that they simply make it hard for the reader to figure out the actual content of your blog, and we don’t want that, right?

I think a header should be like a shop window: it should make a lasting impression on the visitor, and should display what can be found inside. This means that the header is the place for fancy fonts (and it’s a better idea to go to Dafont for something special, than to end up with something like Comic Sans, which should have been killed a long time ago) and pictures with proper resolution. Also, if a header is more than about 400 pixels high, most of us people on tiny screens won’t be able to see any of your content, which means we have to scroll to see if you have written anything new. And repeat after me: enforced scrolling is bad.

I prefer the clean and structured ones, but no matter if you like lots of glitter in your sidebar, make sure it doesn’t distract the readers from the actual content – which means blinking stuff is distracting and, for some, annoying. Sparkles might work for diamonds and vampires, but not for your sidebar. Oh, and make sure you keep the useful things, such as the search function, your archive and your Bloglovin’-link close to the top, so readers can find them easily.

Forcing people to listen to your music without warning is bad manners. I’m sorry, but automatically playing music should be illegal. If you’d like to share your taste in music, keep the player, but turn off the autoplay. Just turn it off, you can do it!

Learning basic html can be compared to learning to do a basic makeup. It makes your “face” (read: blog) more presentable when you want to make a good impression. You don’t need much, but it’s very useful for putting images/linked images in your sidebar, for instance, or for creating a link that can be used for sending you mail (which means spam is not very likely). I actually started learning html when I was still at Blogger, and half my posts would look weird or things would turn our wrong without me doing it (no, I don’t like Blogger, sorry). When I understood what the html told my posts to do, it was much easier to fix it.

While a typo once in a blue moon is almost unavoidable, not using the spellcheck that most of post editors have these days is a serious crime. It takes perhaps one extra minute to click the button, then correct your errors, but a whole lot of bloggers out there seems not to care. Trust me, your readers care.

“I’m-sorry-it’s-been-so-long-since-my-last-post-I-feel-really-bad-but-I’m-just-soooo-busy”- posts are becoming a cliché. The best way to avoid them is to decide how often you realistically will have time to post, then stick to it. When I started out I posted mostly once a week, then twice. The past months I’ve been trying to keep it maximum four days between each post, and in December I’m giving daily blogging a go. The point is to keep it regular – this way, your readers will know when to expect a new post, and you won’t have to feel guilty for not blogging every second you have available.

It might be a specific theme (shoes) or sub-theme (Louboutins), a design element (such as my handwritten things), or a style of writing (such as the Queens of Kingdom of Style – just read one post, you’ll see what I mean), but if you can manage to find something that’s you, it will make your blog stand out from the zillions of others out there.

Copycats, or people-who-steal-content-from-others-without-giving-credit, are actually doing something illegal. Not to mention that it’s incredibly bad manners, and makes me question the blogger immediately. We’ve all saved something on our computer but forgot to save the source, but at least make an effort to locating it before posting it. Weheartit.com can be helpful in keeping your sources organized (read how here).

When the news that Topshop was coming to Norway was released, I saw at least thirty bloggers proudly spreading the news. The sad thing is, they all said exactly the same. Being number 24 to report something simply makes you look uninformed. Mentioning it in a post is okay, but dedicating a whole post to old news is a waste of time, both yours and your readers’. The same goes for those catwalk pics that everyone seem to post when they’re feeling uninspired – darlings, if you can’t say anything new or unique, why post them at all? We’ve seen them at style.com anyway.

♮

If you’re looking for more tips on the subject you should drop by Shini’s DIY Blog Design Crime Investigation-post at the blog Park & Cube, which is rather brilliant (both the post and the blog itself).

Today I’m not going to whine about how insanely cold it can be to live here in Tromsø, especially now that the snow and wind has come to spend the Christmas here. Instead I thought I’d share my clever little tips on how to stay warm in a fashionable way, as I am sure there are lots of fashionistas out there feeling slightly frozen nowadays.

The Very Best Option

♮Don’t go outside. With a bit of clever planning (such as buying enough groceries for more than one day), some begging (in case of parents and siblings) and batting of eyelashes (boyfriends or others of the other sex), it should be possible not to leave the house at all for some days. Stay inside in your blanket, light candles and drink hot chocolate. The best way to keep warm, I promise!

If You Must Go Outside

♮ Here is my “standard uniform” for when I cannot avoid leaving the house:

♮If you have long enough hair to do french braids, you may now shout “yes!” like those women in the shampoo- commercials. After showering, add some product (I use Define’s volume mousse) and braid it. Pin the braids up in the back of your neck, and add a cap of your choice – those big furry ones will definitely keep you warm, and now that everyone’s wearing it, you won’t have to feel like a Russian spy). The cap will mess up your braids as you put it on and take it off… but we like messy hair, don’t we? And when you take out your braids, you’ll have big, lovely curls.

♮Layering is key for keeping warm, as is fabric choice. Anything synthetic is no-go, and wool is your best friend (along with diamonds, of course). Cardigans and tank tops aren’t the only things you can layer, by the way – tights, scarves, socks and gloves work well, too. Right now I’m particularly fond of wearing those lace tights with big holes over really warm wool tights.

♮Hands are frequently exposed to winter weather – get some nice, lined gloves or mittens (the lining will keep them from getting wet easily) and hang them on your door key using a clothes’ peg. This way you’ll always remember them when you leave the house.

♮Skirts and dresses might sound insane in the winter, but hear me out! You know how those trouser legs always get soaked in the sludge, freezing as you’re outside and then thawing ever so slowly once you get inside..? I’ll say no more, except that if you insist on wearing pants, at least tuck them into your boots while outside.

♮Bags with a top flap, or at least a zipper closure, work best in snow storms as your things won’t get wet. Oh, and avoid those canvas bags, as everything you carry around will drown/freeze in minutes, despite a top flap or zipper.

♮Warm takeaway drinks work wonders if you’re really desperate. Just don’t burn your tongue (right, Miriam?).

♮Music can be a wonderful distraction, preferably something upbeat so you won’t get as gloomy as the weather. My personal preferences are The Kooks, Skunk Anansie, the soundtrack from Twilight (the first movie) and Martha Wainwright’s Piaf record. Oh, and don’t forget to keep your music player dry – put it in a pocket INSIDE your jacket/coat, or slip it into a small plastic bag if you have to carry it in your outerwear.

Keep warm, darlings!

It’s December – finally! – and my Christmas present for you guys starts already now. You see, in Norway we have a very strong tradition of Christmas/advent calendars, so I thought I’d treat you all to a new post every single day from now until the 24th (in Norway the main celebration is on the 24th, not the 25th). I have lots of goodies planned, but I thought I’d start with something wonderful and sparkly – just like Christmas itself.

Most people seem to think that diamonds – be it real or fake – are for Princesses, engagement rings and very special occasions only. I respectfully disagree, and think we should all listen to Marilyn: diamonds are a girl’s best friend. The trick is simply to know what to wear with them to make them work practically every day.

For everyday sparkle

♮The more dressed up your diamonds are, the more casual the rest of you should be. This applies to both hair, makeup and clothing. My favourite way of wearing my chandelier earrings is with opaque tights, denim cutoffs, worn-out leather boots and layered tops. Diamonds with sweatpants looks a bit odd, though, so think simple-but-pulled-toghether-casualness, not the I-just-want-to-crawl-back-into-bed-and-sleep-look.

♮Earrings or rings are the easiest to pull off on an ordinary Monday. If you’re brave enough for a necklace (like the one pictured above), layer it with even more necklaces, such as common chains or plain pendants. Sounds weird to add more to keep it from looking overwhelming, but trust me, it works. Just pick thin, rather simple necklaces to avoid looking like a Christmas tree.

♮If you’re wearing earrings, sweep your hair up in one of those messy updos or a bedhead beehive. Braids are also good, as long as you mess them up. As you’ve probably realized the key word for the hair is “messy”, as diamonds and complicated hairstyles can make it look like you’ve tried too hard, like it isn’t effortless. And we want to look like we even sleep wearing diamonds, don’t we, girls?

♮What you’re wearing is important, but how you hold yourself matters, too. If shiny sparkly things make you feel constricted or uncomfortable, it won’t look good. Wear them at home to get used to them, and give it some time – if you’re not usually an earring kind of gal, it will take more time getting used to the feeling. When you’re ready to go public, remember that it should always feel like you’re wearing the diamonds, not the other way around.

♮

PS:  Thank you, thank you, thank you to Madeleine for recommending my blog, I am honoured! I have so many new readers today I am simply overwhelmed.

And to you newbies: Welcome! I do hope you’ll stick around?

I was, for once, faced with a completely free Friday evening, and decided it was time to give my recently bought nail supplies a go. After having browsed through the search results for “nail art tutorials” on youtube, I settled for this lacy, pretty one. I haven’t tried nail art ever before, but I though I might have an advantage as I have a steady hand and is not unfamiliar with drawing and such. Let me just say that I have now realized why it’s called nail art, and will shut my overly large mouth. Instead, why not pass on the few things I learnt today?

♥ Watching a movie while the polish dries is a clever thing. Letting the movie run while you’re trying to paint – not so clever. Especially if the movie is such an amazing thing as Romeo + Juliet.

♥ The polish can never be too dry between layers. As you can see, my red kept bleeding into the white because I was too impatient.

♥ Doing the right hand is a real challenge if you’re right handed. Though it’s slightly easier if you rest both hands on a table.

♥ Brushes with short bristles are not so good for creating straight lines. Longer bristles are no good for details, such as half circles.

♥ Remember to use the bathroom before you start applying the polish. I know, one should think I was five years old or something, but I’ve learnt my lesson now.

♥ Keep a q-tip with nail polish remover nearby, so you won’t have to stare annoyed at your mess while the polish dries.

♥ If you’re displeased with your result, wait for an hour and look at it again, from a normal distance. It might not be so bad as you first thought – mine, for instance, looks rubbish if you look really close, but looks kind of cool if viewed from some distance.

UPDATE: If you wake the next morning to wonder what on earth you were thinking last night, just remove the whole thing and try to forget that evidence of your horrid crime is posted on your blog. Just look at it! It certainly doesn’t look like lace. More like melted ice cream or something. Oh, well, I’ll give it a second go next time I have some hours to spare.

These past few weeks have involved more shopping for me than usual, as I’ve been shopping for the perfect dress for Christmas parties and for wearing on stage. As I’ve found quite a lot of useful tips along the way, it would be really bad of me not to share them with my wonderful readers, so here we go:

Before You Leave Your House

♮Be Your Best. Shower, shave your legs and such, put on makeup and take the time to make your hair look good. If you don’t look good, you’ll never find a dress that makes you feel good either. Just stay clear of complicated updos and lots of lipstick, as these will be annoying in the dressing room.

♮ Dress Cleverly. If you’re shopping for a dress, wear a dress. Also, avoid long necklaces, hair accessories or buttoned cardigans, as you will spend more time taking them on and off than you will trying on new things.

♮Know Where Your Heart Is. Look at some of your favourite dresses, and try to work out why you always feel good in them. Consider the shape, colour, material and general style. I, for instance, know I usually prefer dresses that fit snugly around my waist, are made in a soft fabric and have feminine details.

♮Understand Your Canvas. Because as I have an hourglass figure, I’ll never look my best in a waistless shift dress. There is a great guide concerning body shape and clothing here, if you have trouble working it out on your own. I’m not saying you need to stick to a strict set of rules, but it will definitely be helpful to be aware of your shape when you’re out there among thousands of potential dresses.

♮Be Prepared. Pick a rather large handbag – preferably a cross body bag so your hands will be free. Now add your wallet, a water bottle, a hair tie if your hair is long, a lip balm of some sorts, a pair of heels and a belt, preferably one that’s elastic and of medium width.

On the Battlefield

♮Go It Alone. Recreational shopping is wonderful to do with a friend, but not if you’re looking for something very specific and have to keep your head in the game. The only exception is if you have a friend who understands your style really well, and has accepted to spend the day helping you with find a dress and is willing to put her own shopping needs aside for another day (when you will return the favour, naturally).

♮Timing Is Everything. If at all possible, do your shopping during the morning/early day, and not in the weekends. Your stress levels will thank you.

♮Be Open-Minded. This is the most important thing I’ve learnt these past weeks. I’ve tried on dresses that made me look like a pudding, but I’ve also found two wonderful dresses I probably would have missed a few months ago. Grab everything your gut seems to like, and use your critical head later, when you’re actually wearing the thing.

♮Bring Two Sizes Of Each Dress. Having picked the wrong size is really annoying if you’re shopping alone, as you need to get completely dressed and leave the dressing room to find a different one (and then probably face a line to get back into a dressing room).

♮Remember Your Little Helpers. The belt you brought can give you a waist in the most shapeless of dresses. The heels will show you how the dress can look “in real life”, and the hair tie can help you imagine the dress paired with a fabulous updo. Oh, and the water bottle is not only good for fighting dehydration, it is also a lifesaver when your hair gets static from pulling all those dresses over your head. Just put a few drops of water in your hands, and pat over your hair.

♮Avoid Taking Hostages. Dresses that look good, but “only” need to be hemmed/dyed/taken in/taken out/dry-cleaned… Don’t. Unless you’ve got a regular routine of seeing a seamstress or possess amazing DIY-skills, this dress will never be your perfect one.

♮It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over. Unless you’ve tried every single dress in every single shop, have searched all the online stores and vintage boutiques (which is rather impossible), your perfect dress is still waiting for you somewhere out there. But you won’t find it if you stop looking, darling.

♮ Don’t Let Go. If you find a wonderful dress, but they’re out of your size or the colour is wrong for you, don’t lose hope! Ask a shop assistant to call the same store in other cities, trying to locate your size. Or ask if they have the dress in other colours, or something of a similar style to the one you like. Some shop assistants might seem like the devil’s minions, but they still have to do their job if asked directly. Brace yourself and think of the dress you love – it might be waiting in a mall a few miles away.

Do you have any tips of your own, darlings?