Jane About Town: Celebrate the Power of Women with B-Metro

 
It’s no secret that I love B-Metro magazine and its annual Power of Women issue is a prime example of why I’m such a fan of this publication. 
 
Each May B-Metro honors women of Birmingham striving to make the city a better place. I had the privilege of being recognized for my work with See Jane Write in last year’s Power of Women issue. (Check out my profile, See Javacia Lead.) 
 
This year’s honorees will be celebrated at the Power of Women Party, 5-7- p.m. on Thursday, May 8 at Vino (1930 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook)  in English Village. I’ll be part of the B-Metro Blog team broadcasting party highlights via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 
 
The party will include complimentary food, a cash bar, and door prizes. 
 
Head to Facebook to RSVP. 
 
And then read about this year’s honorees in this month’s issue of B-Metro . 
 
You can follow my event coverage on the following social media channels:
 
Instagram  – @writeousbabe
Twitter – @writeousbabe and @seejanewritebhm
 
Why you should go? B-Metro supports our city’s powerful women. Show that you do too. 

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Jane About Town: Swoozie’s Housewarming Party

People who say there’s nothing to do in Birmingham simply aren’t paying attention. Most weeks there’s so much going on I have trouble deciding what events I will and won’t attend. If you’re a Birmingham social butterfly you probably have his problem too. That’s where Jane About Town comes in. With this new feature I’ll highlight local events I think would be of interest to women who write and blog. 

Swoozie’s Housewarming Party

You are invited to Swoozie’s Housewarming Party at their new location at The Summit (next to Bed, Bath & Beyond). Swing by between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for cocktails, a chance to snag great door prizes, and big discounts. 

You may know Swoozie’s best for its personalized printing services, but the store has so much more to offer. Swoozie’s would be a great place to grab gifts for Mother’s Day or for the graduates in your life. If you’re getting ready for a summer soiree, check out Swoozie’s stylish drink pitchers, wine glasses and serving platters. If you’re headed to a baby shower soon Swoozie’s has you covered there too with everything from plush stuffed animals to chew-beads necklaces — a trendy trinket for mom that’s also baby friendly. Swoozie’s also has a wide variety of stationery, jewelry, gift books, and more. 

Why should you go? Swoozie’s is a company that values bloggers. Wednesday evening Swoozie’s hosted a special exclusive event for bloggers that I was honored to attend.  And not only is Swoozie’s a good place to get gifts for family and friends, but you’ll find great gifts for you too. With journals, notebooks, and notepads galore — Swoozie’s is a writer’s dream. 


Looking Ahead


How to Win Awards and Influence Readers in 439 Days and 668 Blog Posts


Wade Kwon
Would you like to learn how to win awards and influence readers in 439 days and 668 blog posts? Then you don’t want to miss the next See Jane Write members-only workshop. 

Communications consultant Wade Kwon will be speaking to See Jane Write members on this very topic. Wade is the founder of Birmingham Blogging Academy and the Y’all Connect social media conference. The Poynter Institute selected Wade as one of 35 Influential People in Social Media. Birmingham Magazine readers selected him as Best Tweeter in the Best of B’ham 2010 and 2011 online polls.

A Birmingham, Ala., native, he started his award-winning blog Wade on Birmingham in 2005, and has worked with Time Inc. and Scripps-Howard on blogging and new media. He is also one of the founders of the Alabama Social Media Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to educating people about social media.

Wade has been a writer and editor at Southern Living magazine and the Birmingham Post-Herald newspaper, winning numerous journalism awards.

This event is for members-only. To receive an invitation to this event become an official See Jane Write member today. Click here for information on how to join. 


Alabama Writers Conclave Conference 


T.K. Thorne
Set for July 11-13, 2014, the Alabama Writers Conclave Conference will offer workshops on fiction, poetry and more. See Jane Write member T.K. Thorne will lead a workshop on historical fiction versus the historical novel. For registration and more information visit http://www.alabamawritersconclave.org. 




If you have an event you would like to be featured in Jane About Town send details to javacia@seejanewritebham.com. 

    5 Lessons Bloggers Can Learn from Fashion Designers

    Milo Beloved of Harold&MOD

    Last week while covering events for Birmingham Fashion Week 2014 I had the opportunity to interview Milo Beloved of the locally-based vintage lifestyle brand Harold&MOD. Located at 2323 1st Avenue North, Harold&MOD is a unique shop offering fashion, art, jewelry, gifts, and home decor all locally designed and produced and they specialize in revamping vintage clothing.

    While chatting with Milo I was struck by how so much of what he said could be valuable advice not only for fashion designers but for bloggers too.

    Here are five lessons bloggers can learn from fashion designers like Milo Beloved of Harold&MOD.

    1. Tell a story. In a recent video interview with Ivette Thomas of AllAboutBham.com, Milo said that he and his partner Heidi Smith try to tell a story with their store and with their designs. Likewise, you need to tell a story with your blog. Even if you’re simply trying to pass along information, tell a story with each post. Furthermore, think of your entire blog as one big story. And the next time you’re struggling with your blog’s focus or theme simply ask yourself: What story do I want my blog to tell?

    2. Find out what’s missing. Milo says that he wants to design for a variety of women from “the business woman” to the “fun, flirty college girl.” So he makes sure his inventory reflects this goal. “When I see one end  (of the spectrum) start to dissipate I try to provide for that,” Milo said. Take a look at the different aspects of the mission of your blog and see if you’ve been slacking a bit on one of those objectives. Did you start a fashion blog that you hoped would tackle tough industry issues but lately all you’ve been doing are outfit posts? Then step up your game! Also, if you’re trying to refocus your blog figure out what’s missing in your niche. What is the blog you want to read but can’t find? That’s the blog you need to write.

    3. Embrace being in the South. Birmingham-based bloggers, this tip is for you. Birmingham may seem an unlikely place for a shop like Harold&MOD but Milo thinks it’s just right. The Harold&MOD line debuted last year with a pop-up shop during Birmingham Fashion Week 2013. That was a huge success and soon the brand was being featured in magazines and Milo and Heidi were being asked to help with video shoots. “There was this collective energy around it that pushed us forward and launched us in a way that I don’t know I would get in a bigger city,” Milo said. So instead of thinking you need to move to New York for your writing career to blossom, decide to bloom where you’ve been planed and know that you can find the support in Birmingham to do just that. In the South, Milo said, “We’re friendlier, we’re warmer, we’re a little bit more relaxed in a lot of ways. There’s something sweet about Southern fashion that you don’t necessarily see in other places. You can make up your own rules if you’re daring enough to do it.” Be daring enough to not only make up your own fashion rules, but make your own rules about your writing career too.

    4. Pay attention to people. “I watch our customers very closely,”  Milo said when asked how he decides what he will design next. And he said he feels a true connection with his customers, too. Likewise, bloggers should get to know their audience and be sure to produce content that will add value to their readers’ lives.

    5. Keep moving up. “I always want to think up and think bigger,” Milo said. He went on to say he’d like to see the Harold&MOD shop offer more local art and that they’re working on creating a product that they can mass produce. So what’s next for you? Figure out how you can take your blog to the next level. Maybe it’s a new feature. Perhaps your blog needs a new look. Or maybe you want to completely change the focus on your site. Decide what you need to do to get bigger and better and then do it!

    A few looks from the Harold&MOD featured at this year’s Birmingham Fashion Week:

    Want more from Birmingham Fashion Week 2014? Check out the Birmingham Jane feature on designer Elizabeth Singleton at SeeJaneWriteMagazine.com.

    How I Landed My Own Column (Without Writing a Pitch)

    Photo by Sherri Ross Walters

    Just as I do at the end of every year, this past December I wrote down a list of goals for 2014. This time, though, I did things a bit differently. This time I wrote my goals as declarations not aspirations. So instead of writing “I want to land my own column in a local print publication,” I wrote “I will land my own column in a local print publication.” And by January 31 I had done exactly that.

    I am now a columnist for B-Metro magazine. My first piece ran in this month’s issue and addresses the issue of whether or not there is a feminist aesthetic. In other words, can you tell a person is a feminist by looking at her?

    My column, called Write Like a Girl, will tackle everyday feminism and women’s issues each month. You can read my debut piece “This Is What a Feminist Looks Like” here.

    When I wrote down my declaration last year I also determined that once I did snag this column opportunity I would write a post about how I did it. In the post I would examine the anatomy of the perfect pitch. But I didn’t write the perfect pitch. In fact, I didn’t write any pitch. I was actually offered this opportunity before I had the chance to ask for it.

    Nonetheless, I do have a few tips to offer.

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    Why Women Writers Should Love the Birmingham Public Library

    Image via Flickr/Creative Commons


    This week has been National Library Week and thus I’ve been thinking a lot about why I love my local library. When I asked myself that question the answer came to me quickly: My local library empowers me both as a writer and a woman. 

    I could talk about the hours on end I spent as a teenager in the North Birmingham, Titusville, and Downtown branches of the library reading books to help me with everything from figuring what religion I truly believed to applying for college, scholarships and financial aid. But I don’t have to look back that far. 

    Just this year my local library has done plenty for me. 

    In February the downtown library hosted its annual Local Authors Expo and gave me an opportunity to lead a workshop on social media and talk about See Jane Write to other local writers. 

    In March at the Smithfield library I attended a motivational talk by Eunice Elliott on pursuing dreams, a talk that helped me focus on the goals that matter to me most and figure out the kind of legacy I want to leave. 

    The library also opens its doors to local organizations that want to host events of their own to empower Birmingham residents. 

    A few weeks ago I attended Power In Heels, a program for female entrepreneurs sponsored by Operation Hope and hosted at the downtown library. I left that program feeling fearless. And last year See Jane Write hosted a panel discussion on publishing.

    Women writers should love their local libraries because libraries are buildings rich with inspiration for great stories, and that inspiration doesn’t only rest within the pages of novels or short story collections. Visit the archives section, step back in time and watch your imagination run wild. 

    Ask to see old scrapbooks of early Birmingham residents like Edith Ward. Take a look at the paper dolls she collected as a child, the letters from boyfriends she received as a teen, and other items like a dance card, clippings of her favorite poems, and playbills from theater performances she attended. Look at photos and read diary entries about her love for her bike, or her “wheel” as she called it. For Edith and other young women of the late 1800s their bikes represented freedom. A girl might hop on her bike and ride from the Southside all the way to Bessemer. 

    I don’t write much fiction, but learning about Edith’s life had me itching to try my hand at a historical novel set in Birmingham. 

    Birmingham Public Library staff members after collecting signatures
    at City Hall for the     Declaration for the Right to Libraries


    As National Library Week comes to an end show your appreciation for Birmingham libraries by signing a declaration of support. The national campaign known as the Declaration for the Right to Libraries is simply a good-faith effort to show how important libraries are in empowering and building communities, strengthening families and changing lives. 

    You may visit any library in Jefferson County and ask to sign the Declaration for the Right to Libraries. Or you may go online and sign by visiting http://www.ilovelibraries.org/declaration/sign.
    For more information, visit http://www.bplonline.org/programs/Declaration.aspx.