Time to Adapt! SEO & Social Media

For the last year, I have taken over as CSO for PartingOut.com. At that time, the social media network for this website had grown exponentially from zero to too many to list. From a geography professor to a full-blown SEO and Social Media campaign organizer and manager, I have adapted to the fast-moving job of updating and managing over 15 social media outlets for the online start-up. The most important are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Flicker, MySpace, and the office blog on WordPress.  I will share the experience of doing these two jobs (SEO and Social Media) in other posts, but to set the record straight: What is PartingOut.com anyways?

PartingOut.com is a new virtual online salvage yard created to bring used auto parts buyers and sellers to one venue.  This project, started by a salvage yard owner five years ago, is founded on revolutionary tools to optimize the used auto parts industry. There is a huge demand for used auto parts that is grossly under-serviced. PartingOut.com satisfies that demand by taking the local auto recycler and expanding its inventory to a worldwide audience.

On PartingOut.com, parts typically not considered when buying salvage are sold without the hassle or attention that would generally outweigh their value. For example, by listing the major parts of a vehicle (motor, transmission, etc.), sellers have opened the entire vehicle up for the market (floor mats, sun visor, console, etc.) due to the image-based platform of PartingOut.com. This is possible through the Buyer Listed Part tool. When a buyer sees a part they need on a vehicle that is not listed, they can create a Buyer Listed Part. The buyer describes the conditions and amount willing to pay, presenting a qualified offer to the seller. That once obsolete part has just sold itself.

“I sold a sun visor for $50.00. I would never have spent the money or time to list that part on any other website. This customer saw the visor in the picture and created a Buyer Listed Part. Then I received an instant alert, and a deal was made: that’s what PartingOut.com is all about:” Kevin Fullerton, CEO. This is one of the revolutionary tools that will change how used auto parts are found, sold, bought, and recycled by creating a market for every part.

The fundamental characteristic that elevates PartingOut.com above other online used parts websites is its visual-based platform. PartingOut.com is based on marketing an entire vehicle on a visual basis (not interchange) and, possibly most importantly, bringing the real-life experiences of walking through a salvage yard, seeing the part you need, and making a deal, but online.

If you think this rocks, vote for PartingOut on MissionSmallBusiness.com to help us compete for a Mission: Small Business Grant! Click "SUPPORT" and then easy log in with Facebook, search PartingOut.com and vote! 

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Wedding Day Make-Up Musts!

I completely understood when Kate Middleton mentioned she would be doing her own makeup for her wedding because she wanted Will to recognize her. I also chose to do my own makeup on my wedding day, and a few products and tips got me through the photos, ceremony, and reception without the fear of smudges or vanishing acts. These tips and products are focused on every bride’s most important makeup requirement: long wear!

Preparation is Key!  

I love having long, full lashes, and for several months before the wedding, I started using LiLash. It is truly remarkable; you will wake up one day, and your eyelashes will look like beautiful Mini Mouse lashes. Last summer I was sucked into getting eyelash extension, and I can tell you, this is a much better result for your wallet and your eyelashes. The lash extensions are expensive, take at least an hour to fill, and if you decide to stop getting them, you have a period when you have to let your real lashes grow back (for me, this was brutal).  On the other hand, LiLash is at home, takes no time, and will give you great lashes for a year at three weeks with lash extensions. Start at least four months before your wedding! 

The one product I cannot live without is my eyelash curler. Unfortunately, my natural lashes have zero curls and actually point downward. I started using an eyelash curler at a very early age, but the key to getting it to stay is to heat it up with the blow dryer for 20 seconds. This is a fairly well-known tip, but the next step is crucial to getting those long lashes to stay in place, especially on your wedding day, to prevent smudging – waterproof mascara. I always put on two quick coats of waterproof mascara right after I curl my eyelashes to ensure they stay curled and look fabulous all day. I prefer Merle Normal waterproof mascara; I can’t find one I like better. Do not miss this step on your special day!

Lid Prep

Most people don’t do their eyelash rituals until after they apply their eyeshadow, but I do the steps previously mentioned (curl and then apply waterproof mascara) before I do anything on my eyelids. Then, I wipe on a crème lip prep from Clinique (lid smoothie) to keep my eyeshadow in place all day. Without this step, I get creases of shadow that ruin the whole effect. 

This crème also helps me in my next and somewhat usual makeup application. I do not use eye shadow brushes. Never have. I've always felt like my friends are continually buying eye shadow. On the other hand, I only buy eye shadow every couple of years, seriously! I believe it's because using my finger tip I get twice the pigment out of the same amount of eye shadow others apply using a brush. I am always frustrated with the lack of placement, shadow residue on my nose and cheeks, and the amount of re-application needed when I try to fiddle with an eye shadow brush. Try it out, but the crème is a must because it makes the shadow smooth and easy to blend with my finger.

Long Wear Liner

Once my shadow is in place, I reach for my favorite eyeliner of all time: Stila Stay all day, waterproof liquid eyeliner! Do not worry about your makeup running; it is priceless if you are a presumed teary-eyed bride. I cried down the aisle and never once worried if my mascara or liner was running. This liquid liner is just like a pen with a long felt tip, making it the perfect tool for all the women who favor the wingtip/cat eye look, like me. Even if that is not your style, you will love the quick whip across the top of the lid that will not budge the rest of the day.

I get a little picky about my eyeliner process, and it takes three different types of application for me to be happy. I start with the Stila liner on my top lids, coming to a small wing. I then applied black powder with a brush to the inside of the top and bottom lids. Taking the remaining residue of black powder, I smudge my bottom lashes and up into my wing tips for a smoky/less stark line.

After my entire eye makeup is done, I apply the final coats of lengthening mascara with care to avoid getting it on my lids, and it's done! No runs or smudges here!

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Bring Bridal Portraits to Life with a Punch of Color!

There are trends for engagement, wedding, and, of course, bridal portraits that every bride stores away in her “wedding notebook.” For the past few seasons, incorporating unique backdrops like untraveled highways and salvage yards has replaced the typical Victorian staircase.

I took these all into consideration when planning my bridal session. One thing was certain: I was getting married outside, and my bridals would only fit outside where my heart belonged. I did land on one trend that I knew I had to have… “vintage sofa in a field.” I had seen this several times but wasn't sure how you were supposed to get your hands on a gorgeous antique sofa covered in fuchsia velvet, like the particular picture that gave me the inspiration. After showing this picture to my mom and discussing the logistics, she set out: garage sales, estate sales, and auctions.

Luckily, she found a tremendous antique sofa at an estate sale for literally a fraction of a fraction of what it would cost in a store. The only issue was it was covered in an old flower pattern that would make your great-grandmother Ruby look young.  So, we went to the local hardware store and bought bright yellow wall paint. Yes, wall paint. After three coats, the pattern underneath was barely noticeable, and we had the most incredible statement sofa in Texas.

The decision to go with bright yellow initially was my desire to go with a pea green. Once we were standing in front of the wall of paint strips, however, I decided to just go for it and make that sofa spring out of the field it would soon be resting in. The result was amazing, and I am so glad I went for that bright punch of color! So go bold when planning your bridals, and start now!

We started the sofa expedition nine months before the wedding. Planning is a crucial element if you want to have bridals with personality—mothers, however, are the key ingredient. 

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