Category Syracuse University

Sep 3 2017

What makes a blog eye-catching?

One blog that I regularly follow is Makeup By Caitlyn Michelle. Caity is a good friend of mine, so when she started doing professional makeup, I was all for supporting her in every way possible. Her blog was one of the first platforms she used to talk about her business. She also used it to share makeup tips and tricks, her portfolio, opinion pieces, and more. I like following her blog because I never knew much about makeup, but her posts inspired me to learn more.

As I said, I wasn’t never a makeup guru, but the way Caity’s content is put together helps me learn easily. Through her blog I’ve learned how certain makeup items work, and how to look into different types of makeup. I like how she mixes up content, too. It isn’t always about makeup. Sometimes she will post about how to decorate your home or how to achieve your yearly goals. Mixing up the content helps keep the blog fresh.makeup2

makeup1The overall design of the blog is clean, concise, and eye-catching. I like how you can see her latest posts with a tidbit of information under each title and graphic, which then allows you to read more if you choose. Additionally, I like the photos she chooses to add to her posts. They help make the content stand out – it’s very professional looking!

Lastly, I like how the blog is integrated into her overall professional website caitlynmichelle.com. This allows the user to go back and learn more about her, her services, and portfolio. What I find amazing about the site is that I know Caity does more than makeup, and she displays it perfectly on her website under “about us”– allowing people to see what she can help them with (for example, she links to her Etsy shop). The social media icons and widgets on the site allow for more ways to connect with Caity, too.

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Knowing Caity personally, she is a rockstar! She does makeup on top of a full-time marketing job, and is also a graphic designer and does freelance work. She also touches on fashion by assisting others in shopping and cleaning out their closet. Caity is extremely busy, so it’s impressive how she is able to keep up with her blog regularly and still make it eye-catching! Her blog is a great example of what makes a blog stand out.

Jul 21 2016

VA Secretary visits SU campus

So this is not related to the weather at all, but I had to blog about this moment! U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald visited the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF – where I work) and other places on campus. We had a staff photo taken with him and I had to make sure I was in the front :)!

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I always geek out when well-known or famous people are around me. My friend Kellie, who I worked with at Fort Benning, always got excited about people visiting too. We got to meet Capt. Kristen Griest together. I definitely miss her being around for events like this!

Before he came to IVMF, he spent time and talked business with the IVMF’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities-SU 2016 cohort at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse. He also received a “Real Veterans Wear Orange” shirt! (Side note: check out #EBVSU10 on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram – it was EBV’s 10-year anniversary this year and we celebrated by featuring some veterans in the program. Very inspiring stuff! Glad to work at a place where I know I am helping others. Read more about the 10-year anniversary celebration here – be sure to watch the tribute and thank you videos – they are amazing and show the impact EBV has had on veterans and their families!)

After McDonald met the leadership team and got a photo with us at the IVMF, he did a presentation on “Values Based Leadership” at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SU. Watch the video below to learn more about his presentation and visit.