Update on the State of KinxnQuirx

Sooooo yeah, the place has a completely new look and feel, huh?

I'm not happy about the changes.

As you may or may not know, my site was hacked. I tried to work with my hosting service, WordPress.org, and the service I bought the domain name from. No luck. I could not get that freakin black screen to go away. (Admittedly, I was offered assistance. I turned it down because I'm stubborn determined like that.) So my options were:

1. Let it just sit there while I tinkered with stuff in the background
2. Say forget it and just kill the blog completely
3. Move what I could and try to rebuild

Although option 2 was a little tempting, I decided to try to salvage my blog. But a number of things prompted me to not try to self-host my blog any longer. Mainly the facts that I didn’t have the proper protection against a malicious attack and I don’t write enough to justify spending more money for the necessary protection.

So here I am, back at Blogger. For now. Fortunately, a few months ago I imported most of my posts, and I’ve been able to add the handful of posts written since then. Unfortunately my drafts are gone. (Guess I shouldn’t have procrastinated so much about getting those done, huh?) And the pix for many posts are gone, so I’m manually adding them, post by post. Fun times!

Moral of the story: please bear with me while I try to get this thing going again. There will be some construction to the site, but hopefully it won’t take too long. Maybe this can be even better than before! A fresh start, of sorts.

Happy New Year!!

Awww, it's the last post of 2011! As you read this, I am headed to ATL. Can you believe this is the first year ever that I'm doing something to celebrate the new year? Crazy, right?! Anyway, I wish all of you a fun and safe New Year's celebration. May 2012 bring you peace, prosperity, love, and your heart's desire.

(P.S.: If you are making resolutions, check out my article on Suite101.com on SMART Resolutions for the New Year!)

Google Friend Connect is Going Away

Ever since my days on Blogger, Google's Friend Connect has been my favorite way to follow blogs and see who is following mine. Unfortunately, Friend Connect is one of the products that Google is planning to cancel. By March 1, 2012 all non-Blogger sites (such as this one) will not have access FC. Instead, the hope is that people will start using Google+ to connect. Ummmm, problem: I don't use Google+. I do have a personal G+ page, but I couldn't tell you the last time I used it. The same is true for the few people I know who even bothered to sign up for it in the first place.

I said all of that to say that I hope those of you who follow KinxnQuirx via Friend Connect will use one of the other avenues to follow, including:

1. The KnQ Facebook page, which is updated whenever there is new content

2. An RSS feed that lets you follow through your favorite reader or receive posts in your email

3. Twitter: blog updates plus my personal randomness

All of these options (and some) are available to the right side of the page, so feel free to hit that follow button! I'm removing the Friend Connect widget, but if that is the method you use to follow you should still see the site in your "Sites I'm Following" list until March.

I genuinely appreciate each and every reader, whether you avidly follow the blog or just stop through occasionally to see what's new. Thank you!

We Have A Winner!

Before I announce the winner of the Unbuttoned giveaway, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who entered the giveaway. Not only did you show your support by liking the Facebook page, but you helped me out by leaving your comments and emails with product suggestions. Y'all made me feel special! ^_^

Now, on to what you really want to see. The winner is... *drumroll*

@Es_Curls!

You will be contacted today so we can get started on your custom earrings!

Again, thank you to all who participated. This will not be the last of the giveaways, nor the last you hear of Unbuttoned so stay tuned!

Where Are the Posts?

I could prattle on and give you a list of excuses about why I have not been posting much lately. But we know what excuses are and who uses them, so I won't go there! LOL When things are a little less hectic around here, I will be back to a somewhat normal posting schedule. Hopefully that will be next week, when work (usually) comes to a crawl. *fingers crossed*

But until then, remember to enter the Unbuttoned Accessories custom earrings giveaway!  Yes, it's still on and you have until midnight Friday to get your entry in. You knoooow you want a pair (or your girlfriend/momma/cousin/bestie wants a pair) so get to it!

It's Giveaway Time!!

There is something that I am excited to share with y'all. I have started a new business, Unbuttoned Accessories. It launched on December 1 and the response has been overwhelmingly positive! Unbuttoned is a line of affordable, handmade accessories. I wanted to create something that was simple but still stylish. After all, super-flashy isn't always the way to go! Sometimes you need something that's a little low-key, but still reflects your unique style. Right now, it consists of only earrings, but I will be adding other items to the collection very soon!

To celebrate and share my excitement with you, I want to give away a pair of earrings to one lucky reader! The winner will have a choice of design and size. Entering is very simple:

1. Like the Unbuttoned Facebook page
2. Leave a comment (on this post or the FB page) stating what accessory you think should be next (rings, necklaces, headbands, etc.) and your email address

That's it! And if you want an additional chance to win (after you've liked the page and left your comment), just tweet the following:

Hey @kinxnquirx, I want to win earrings from @unbuttonedacc! http://www.kinxnquirx.com/2011/12/its-giveaway-time.html #giveaway

Entries are due by Friday, December 16; the winner will be announced on December 19. The earrings should make it to you just before Christmas! I look forward to seeing what you decide will be the next product in the Unbuttoned line!

A Sickly Tori Cannot Keep Up

My apologies for the woeful lack of posts last week. The sniffle season struggle is real! I was housebound and feverish for several days last week, and my attempts to get posts (or anything) written were total fails. Now I see the importance of having a couple of days worth of posts ready. And if I were the type to write ahead oaf time instead of procrastinating on everything, that wouldn't be a problem. I'll try to work on that y'all. In the meantime, this is whats going on:

I've decided to start making and selling button earrings. Pix will be posted soon to TGHP  so getchu some.

I'm sorta kinda doing NaNoWriMo. Probably should've gone into it with some kinda plan, outline or something. Instead my story is just kinda going any way the wind blows. Really if I just make it to 50,000 words by November 30 Ill be proud of myself.

I got a promotion! Really its just a title change to go with my increased duties that I've had for several months now. But I'm excited anyway. I'm not quite so entry-level anymore. ^_^

Okay, this whole post has been me me me. What has been going on with you guys? Tell me something good!

KnQ is 500 Posts Strong!

 

And that's not even counting the posts sitting in draft!

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who reads this site. Whether you drop in from time to time, are an avid reader & commenter, or even if this happens to be your very first time stumbling across my page, you are appreciated! I strive to write pieces that will cause an emotional response: laughter, determination, meditation, anger if that happens to be your reaction. I want my words to stick with you, not just because they are mine, but because they are meant to make you reflect on your own thoughts and actions.

There are many things that I would like to see happen with this site, and they are happening (slowly but surely). One of those things is more interaction with readers. After all, what blogger doesn't want comments? But more than that, I want your comments and suggestions on how to make this blog one that you would visit daily. (Just keep in mind that I don't have Oprah money, so I can't give away cars and such... yet.) Another thing that I am ready to do is feature YOU! Not just guest bloggers, but artists, young business people, entertainers, and naturalistas as well. I am reaching out to some folks to get this started, but why not reach out to me? You know you've got something to share with the world! Why not start here?

Again, thank you for reading. It has been a pleasure to spill out my thoughts on this e-canvas. Here's to 500 more!

Call for Greek Week Submissions

Next month (September 12-16 to be exactly) I will be having Greek Week here on KinxnQuirx. I have several things that I'd like to talk about, but more importantly, I'd like to hear from some others. Fellow Greeks (and non-Greeks as well) I know you have something you'd like to get off of your chest concerning Greek life, whether it be misconceptions about what we do, why you chose your particular org, or a call to action to do more. If you have something you would like to share, send it to submissions@kinxnquirx.com. What you submit is completely up to you, and you will certainly get credit for your post. (Speaking of getting credit, be sure to include a brief bio with your submission, including a link to your own site/blog if you have one.) The deadline for submissions is September 7, 2011. By September 9 I will let you know whether your piece will be featured on KnQ. I look forward to seeing what you have to share!

Just a Reminder

It's been a busy couple of weeks, and this one is no exception! Post are coming this week though, so no worries.

• I just wanted to remind you that there are like a million and one ways to keep in touch with me. See that little "Follow Me" tab to the right of your screen? Click it! Hit me up on Twitter (@ me sometime!), Facebook (the KnQ page needs y'all... c'mon!), LinkedIn, and follow via RSS subscription of get posts right in your inbox. If you're a fellow bibliophile you'll definitely want to check out Goodreads. Click the logo to add me as a friend so I can be nosy and see what you're reading get some reading suggestions. And of course you can always email me (submissions@kinxnquirx.com). I ain't hard to find, and I promise I really am friendly (usually).


• While you're connecting and all that good stuff, remember to send submissions to be featured! I want, no NEED, submissions featuring natural hair, fashion, makeup, fiction, topic suggestions... You name it! As I said in the welcome post, I want this site to be a truly interactive place where you don't feel like you're just a reader, but a part of a little community. Don't make me have to draft you! LOL


• If you have not already, sign up for Intense Debate. It's a great commenting system that sort of tracks your comments across various sites. And the little votes show you how many folks agree (or disagree) with you & show others how much you rock. Win-win!

Okay, that's it. Work has officially fried my brain, so I need to rest. But I look forward to talking to WITH you soon!

Morning Quickie: Theme Weeks

I'm going to try my hand at something that I've never really done, save the Seven Deadly Sins challenge. I'm going to start doing theme weeks from time to time, with random posts done on the "off" weeks. The idea behind this is that a theme will 1) force me to post more, 2) help me to develop topics easily, and 3) allow me to write more about my readers' (and my own) interests. A few themes have come to mind, like Greek Week, Tweet Week and Week of the Ex to name a few. I will also be taking topics from The Daily Post, Blogging for Branding, and any other sites, articles, etc. that inspire me. (If I lift an idea from another blogger or site, trust that I'm giving credit where it's due.) I'm also open to challenges suggestions from readers. If you have a topic that you think would be interesting, send it to me! Feel free to leave it in the comments or email me at ToriDBlogs@gmail.com. First theme week starts on April 17. I'm excited. :)

Tori D. needs YOUR help!

This semester is already shaping up to be pretty rough. Since I want to make it out of grad school with a decent GPA & my sanity in tact, I won't be able to update TGHD like I should. I have a few interviews in the works, as well as a giveaway, but I don't have the time to focus on work, school, my sorority obligations and my blogs.

So what do I need from my wonderful readers? I need help! If you want to share your transition story (or know someone who does), have a product that you want to rave or rant about, give a product recipe or just feature pix of you rocking your 'do (natural or relaxed, since I did say this blog would be geared towards both) email them to me at toridblogs@gmail.com.

I will still be posting, just a bit more sporadically than before (bet you didn't think that was possible, huh?). You all can help keep my little blog alive during the down time. And after December, if everything goes well, we'll be back to our regular schedule.

Thanks in advance, y'all!

On Hiatus

 

There is a lot going on with me right now. Some good... Some not-so-great. I figured it would be best if I backed off of the blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc. for a while. Which will be difficult since I work on a computer every day. I'm still writing... A lot of it is kinda personal though. When I get back I'll share the stuff that's not too deep into Tori D and get back to writing things that (hopefully) someone else is interested in besides me!

Au revoir !

New Additions Coming!

I'm in the process of trying to combine my three blogspot blogs (because really, I am not gonna be able to keep up with three separate blogs) and import blogs from MySpace (if I can). I just tried to export my old blog from Xanga, but apparently that is not an option for them. *shakes fist* So instead I'll just provide a link to my old blog. Anyway, just a heads up to the changes I'll be making. Hopefully this will come together right without too many complications. :)

-Tori D.