Archive for the 'Shopping' Category
Next Entries
Posted by Bloggeries in Reviews, Shopping, Personal Finance
If you are looking for a site that is geared towards simplifying your life and making it less expensive you may want to have a look at Apples 2 Apples Blog. Here the author welcomes you to gain more out of your life by simplifying it. The author says if you wish to live simple AND large, share your world with Apples 2 Apples to find cheaper ways to be both stylish and simple. The site covers a broad range of ‘simplifying’ methods, all geared towards finding you the lowest prices on products you already purchase. Included in the blog are also tips on how to make things easier in your daily living, for example renovating at cost or spending less time getting ready in the morning. You can get a true feel for the blogger’s objectives through any of the recent posts: Give your Furniture a Quick Make Over, More Coupons, How much Time do You Spend in the Morning, Six Tips to Help You Save Money on Makeup, Stock up on Swimwear, Atlantic Reviews, and LV 07 Fall.
The site is very colorful and extremely easy to navigate. Posts are left marginalized with black text on white background and an array of relevant pictures with each post. There is a right navigation bar that includes a welcome note, blog poll, categories menu, ads, search bar, and a link me button. Missing from the right navigation bar are a recent posts menu and an archives menu, so I am not too sure how old this blog is. The categories section is very comprehensive so if you are a coupon grabber or professional discount shopper, there should be something here for you. You can search through the Apples Café, Apples2Apple news, Cool find – Hunting for Stylish Products, Getting to Know Brands, Simple and Fabulous – Beauty and Fashion, Simple Home Style – Home Sweet Home, and there are so many other categories for simplifying your life here as the list is extremely comprehensive.
The site scores well on activity, as posting is every couple of days at most, and navigation scores well also. The site is easy to navigate but I would like to see some additional navigation features to make blog browsing more simple, such as the recent posts menu and the archives menu. The uniqueness marks are average, I do not find this niche to be one that is extremely different from others in its category, so it garners average points here. The content is well written for the most part, though I do wonder if English is a second language here just through some syntax issues and contextual comments. However, this does not take away from the readability of the blog and the posts are extremely easy to read and follow. Appearance is where the blog suffers the most, I find there to be more advertising than posts, and in facet a few posts are advertising in themselves. While at first glance the purpose of the blog is geared as such towards this kind of writing, I would still like to see more of the authors personal voice and less advertising in the specific posts that are marketing a product. Having AdSense in every post also distracts from the readability of the blog, at least for me it does, so that has affected appearance marks as well. Overall however, this blog rates a 3 from me and I wish it continued success.
Did you enjoy this review? Click here to join our forum and get a review!
- Chrissie
If you would like feedback from your blog please make one of our Free Blog Poll’s!
Posted by Bloggeries in Reviews, Fashion, Shopping, Art
If you are one of those funky fashionistas that would rather wear something unique and distinct, you may want to check out Cluny Grey’s Jewelry Blog. Cluny is a former instructor of college English and Humanities and has turned into a jewelry designer. Her blog is about designing and creating one of a kind pieces and on the blog she offers her other sites where you can see more of her jewelry featured. Get a taste for some of her distinct art in jewelry from some of her recent posts which include A little Lapis; A preview of the New Fall Colors; Rubies: Divinely Decadent; In the Pink…Drusies Too!; Coral, coral, and a new computer!; Sapphire and computer woes!; What’s New? Gold, Bangles, Ankles, and Coral; Earrings: Neglected but necessary; Emeralds: The May Birthstone; and Swarovski, Charoite, and Coral Earrings.
This is not the easiest blog that I have had to navigate. Posts are left marginalized with a right navigation system. The appearance is a black background with light green text for posts which, I will admit, is not the easiest on the eyes. I understand this look is to make the pictures stand out a little more, and the effect is noticed, but it makes for difficult reading. The right navigation system has the about me page, blog roll, and a host of ads. I also notice each post has quite a few tags attached, but I do not see a categories menu so I would suggest sorting the tags into categories to make navigation go easier. The links menu also needs some work as there is an “edit-me” link that is not meant for readers that should be removed.
I will go with a 3 here with highest marks going towards content. Though even here some posts are as much as a week apart and regular viewings or featured weekly pieces may add to the activity. I really do not like the black background, I have seen blogs where the black really works, but here it is really just making the ads jump off the page which is distracting from the content. I would suggest making the text white if this background does stay, and using AdSense tools to blend in the ads a little bit with the black background. Overall however, the content is well written, and judging by comments the blog definitely has a following, so I would suggest these formatting changes to perhaps make the blog more appealing to a wider range of readers, and consequently, jewelry market.
Did you enjoy this review? Click here to join our forum and get a review!
- Chrissie
If you would like feedback from your blog please make one of our Free Blog Poll’s!
Posted by Bloggeries in Reviews, Fashion, Shopping
If you are looking for a place where you can buy not only unique items, but those that are discounted, you may want to check out Mable’s Shopping Blog. This blog is not just another shopping blog as it offers not only coupons and discounted products, but it also contains a few fun and unique products that you might not find anywhere else. The site then links back to a store where Mable carries a host of items that are extremely unique such as retro and vintage, unique gifts, unique purses, and world of fun. The blog itself also offers many examples of the unique variety of items that Mable is showcasing. You can see this in any of her recent posts: Contest – How I (Wish I) Spent my Summer Vacation, Award Winning Toys, IM IN UR (noun) (verb) ING UR (second noun), Men’s Sunglasses by Dragon, Indoor Clotheslines, 10% off Gus Design Modern Furnishings, and Happy Summer: Get Outside and Stay Cool.
Navigation on the sites is fairly straightforward. If you are looking for something specific from Mable, you will definitely be able to find it here. The site is very colorful with black text on white background and there is a lot of color variations within the text. Posts are left marginalized with a right sided navigation bar. The navigation bar includes a welcome note, archives menu, a space for advertising if you are interested, blogroll, and some banners if you wish to link to her. It also contains a categories menu that is pretty comprehensive for a shopping blog and here you will find clothing and accessories, contests, fun, gadgets, green living, Halloween, holiday green gift guide, all kinds of splurge items, retro items, collectibles, and so many more.
I like the twist this blog has in comparison with other shopping blogs. I enjoyed how the blog offers eco friendly and green items, and how it incorporates contests into the blog. I think the appearance and its bright colors can be toned down, only a smidge though. Activity scores pretty well with posts every couple of days. There hasn’t been activity for almost 2 wks at the time of review, but that is not indicative of standard activity (perhaps a vacation?). I think the content is well written and fun as well and does not just advertise products but also makes lighthearted comments about them as seen in the post on Luxury Remote Control Pool Fun. I also like to see a recent posts menu on blogs, and that was the only thing missing from the navigation marks here. Otherwise, I think this is a fun shopping blog that has a lot to offer but just requires a little tweaking. This one gets a 3.3 from me.
Did you enjoy this review? Click here to join our forum and get a review!
- Chrissie
If you would like feedback from your blog please make one of our Free Blog Poll’s!
Posted by Bloggeries in Reviews, Spotlight, Fashion, Shopping
Open up the Spork Fashion Blog and you will be greeted with the exact times in New York, London, LA, and Tokyo. The commonality here clearly being the fashion Mecca’s of the world. The owner of this Blog is Alyse Wax, who established this Blog in her dedication to giving up and coming designers some exposure. She features the newest pieces from what she terms “hi-lo” designers. In the fashion world, hi-lo means couture at K-Mart pricing. Spork is a 27 year old L.A. native who is a television producer with credits such as Big Brother, Hell’s Kitchen, and Penn and Teller. In her down time she shops, knits, plays video games, and reads. Don’t let knowing this information up front give you a false impression of her. She is quirky, hip, whimsical, and has an outstanding fashion sense. She also has the know on where to get it on a budget.
The site itself navigates very easily and contains a wealth of great features. If you are an up and coming “hi-lo” designer, she is looking for you. Add your link to her list of additional fashion blogs, and send her some samples to be featured on her site. If you are simply a fashionista with champagne tastes and a beer budget, check out her featured designers and fashion lines. From Calvin Klein to Kenneth Cole, you will find everything to feed your fashion appetite on this site. Check out her personal pieces (that she has acquired, not designed) and get up-to date information on where to get low-end pricing on that Kate Spade bag you have been eyeing. You can also stop in simply to read her whimsical “Coutorture” which is a series of news articles on industry headlines. A sample headline reads, “Fall into the Gap, again, and again, and again…..”
If you are a fashion conscious woman, you will enjoy this site. I am going to give it a 4.7 out of 5. The content is current, comprehensive, and drool-worthy. She earns appearance scores with her layout of time zone clocks and her opening slogan, “Complainte des Landes Perdue” which translates into “Land of the Lost Moors”. I find the Blog on the high end of uniqueness as well. You get a lot of personal stuff in there without it hitting you over the head, and you get information on the latest pieces hitting the runways. Navigation is extremely simple as well. If you want to look at Prada, it will only take a minute to find it. Likewise if you want to add your designer information. The layout is very straightforward with no uncertainties. I give perfect scores for activity when I see posts daily, and this site is updated about every 3 days. The only comments I would add is to see more posts, and ** gasp** add some advertising. Also she should have changed her permalinks to search engine friendly terms such as /kenneth-cole-fashion-etc instead of just numeric /=?234; it would make her blog ALOT easier to find via search engines. I think if this Blog got some decent exposure the traffic would substantially and she could make a killing.
- Chrissie
Note: For further blogs similar to this one please browse our Shopping Blogs category. If you’d like to interact with other bloggers to share tips and traffic secrets please join our Blogger Forum. If you would like feedback from your blog please make one of our Free Blog Poll’s!
Next Entries
