Preppy Plaid + Giveaway

Plaid shirt- American Eagle

Sweater- Thrifted

Jeans- eBay

Shoes- Won in Giveaway

Bracelet- Tiffany's

Necklace- Thrifted

The first thing my mom said to me when I saw her yesterday was "Katie, you're so 80's!". Apparently this was the big thing back then, collars and sweaters, although I was completely unaware. The scary thing is that I almost popped my collar to show off a different statement necklace...

Regardless of whether or not I'm going to look like an 80s douchebag, I'm absolutely addicted to this look. The printed shirt under a solid sweater is a subtle way to add more pattern and texture into your wardrobe and could be made appropriate for all kinds of events. Plus, anything that goes with a statement necklace is a win for me.

Soooo, in yesterday's post I promised you all some exciting news and here it is- a giveaway! DressLily.com approached me a couple weeks ago asking if I would like to host a giveaway for my readers and I couldn't very well say no! This blog is all about looking fashionable and high end on a college student's budget. DressLily makes that possible.

So I've chosen 6 items from their website (the links can all be found under the collage), and 1 (one) winner will be randomly chosen at the end of the giveaway to have their pick of the items! All that's required of you is listed below (and doing all the required items unlocks even more chances to win!). Good luck everyone!

Top Right Necklace - Top Middle Cardigan - Top Left Necklace

Bottom Right Earrings - Bottom Left Scarf - Bottom Middle Necklace

We all know I have a love for statement necklaces, so three of the six items were a no brainer. I'm seriously considering buying that seashell necklace. How cute would that be in the summer?! The bottom one is great for winter jewel tones, and the other to right is a perfect spring color necklace. The leopard chiffon cardigan is so easy to throw on, and my we're not even going to get into my obsession with leopard/cheetah print at the moment. That's a post for a different time, haha.

EDIT: You may now choose from ANY of the items on the website ($10 or less), not just the items I picked. These happen to be some of my favorites, so I would be flattered if you did indeed choose one of these ;) Also, there was something of a misunderstanding because you must do all of the first three items on the Rafflecoptor list to be eligible. You also must be follow The Style Duckling on Bloglovin' or GFC. Any further compliances will just earn you more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Secret Blogging Weapon You Probably Aren't Using

I'm sure this isn't what most people are expecting to read when they see a post update, but I feel this really does need sharing. It wasn't until my friend Elana from Room 334 enlightened me to the importance of networking as a blogger that I really truly understood it's value, which is what I'm here to write about.

Now I know that must seem silly. A blogger who doesn't have a handle on her networking? It sounds just as ridiculous as a pro-athlete that doesn't have a handle on their diet, or a doctor that doesn't have a handle on her people skills. At first, it doesn't seem like a HUGE deal. I mean, as long as a doctor knows how cure pneumonia and an athlete knows how to throw a ball, what harm is done? But once your eyes are opened that a doctor who can communicate with people and be empathetic or an athlete who can feed his body to make his performance that much more elite, you'll see that it's just as essential as the initial skill set- if not more.

A blogger who cannot utilize the resources of the internet will not make it very far. Rarely does it happen that a blogger with no networking skills make it beyond the level of sharing with friends and family on Facebook. Why? Because it doesn't matter how well your posts are written, how expertly your photos are taken, or how masterfully your blog layout is set up if no one knows about it.

Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, and I'm not saying that it cannot be done. However, prime examples of bloggers with networking skills are those who don't have a fancy camera and who's HTML skills are elementary at best, yet still have 100+ comments per post and their follower count inches closer to the next thousandths milestone every day. Have you never wondered how they do it? The key is networking. 

Sign up for all the websites you can. I know it may seem time consuming- that's because it is. I've been sitting at my laptop for about 2 hours reading "about us" pages and clicking "sign up" buttons. It also may seem overwhelming. In all that Internet space there are thousands of social media and networking websites, but there are a few that stand out and that seem to be reoccurring on many successful blogger's websites.

FREAK OUT

If you haven't seen everyone freaking out about the scheduled disappearance of Google Reader then you're either a) not a blogger or b) live under a rock. I'm not entirely sure I believe all this uproar (why would Google get rid of a feature so many people use?), but in case it really does come true, I'm here to tell you- all is not lost! 

You can still follow my blog and every other blog that you regularly read on Bloglovin'. It's essenitally the same thing, and I actually prefer it. It's a cleaner, more organized format, very no-fuss. So below I've put my little Bloglovin' link and you can always find that link in my right side bar. 

And in honor of the title, I've linked the classic tune for you to listen to while you're happy as a clam clicking away and following all your favorite blogs.


Happy following!