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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Emoji Mojo

As electronic device users of this age, there is one thing that we all know and love: emojis.
These little icons have become an alternative to words in online communication as they express emotions and even create full sentences.  And we all probably have our own favorite emoji (personally, 💃🏻). With how popular and seemingly essential emojis are, how did we ever know a digital world without them?


There has even been a popular trend of personalized emojis amongst celebrities and other big names. Some of the most well known ones include Kim Kardashian's Kimojis and Justin Bieber's Justmojis. With such distinct personalities and recognized facial expressions, these emoji keyboards are a fun way for online users to express specific feelings and reactions. 





Celebrities aren't the only ones having fun with personalized emojis. The emoji app Bitmoji allows users to create and customize their own emoji to use freely on the web. Ranging from eye and hair color to body type to clothes choices, Bitmojis offer many opportunities to make your online emoji you. This keyboard comes with many emojis expressing various emotions, holidays and occasions. This has become a popular trend over the past few years and has gained even more attention as Bitmoji and Snapchat partnered up this past year. You can now use your Bitmoji keyboard on your Snapchats and in your Snapchat chats. 

In an online world accustomed to expression through words and pictures, emojis are a fun, new alternative to communication. So if you haven't already tried it out, go create your own Bitmoji to send to your friends on text, Snapchat, and other social platforms. Because I mean, there are just some things that can only be said in emojis.



Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Maddie Minor- Making a Splash

There are so many people out there in the world that are extremely talented. I mean, we all know the common ice-breaker question- do you have any hidden talents? Well, with the flux of social media in today's society, those hidden talents are slowly becoming revealed. Specifically, the amazingly creative work of Maddie Minor.


Maddie is a long time friend of mine who I have always seen as a creative soul. I'm talking way back to the middle school days when it was popular to write "notes" for your friends. Over the past couple years, she began sharing some of her art on her personal social accounts, specifically Instagram. Her work was a hit with her friends and followers, and the requests for personalized pieces began rolling in. While Maddie loved giving her art as birthday and holiday gifts or just out of the goodness of her heart, people began offering to pay for her work. And a business idea was sparked.

Instagram, and social media in general, is such a unique and dynamic platform because you can use it for a variety of purposes. While you can use it for its intended purpose of expressing yourself and your life through photos, you can also use it as a foundation to start a business. That's exactly what Maddie did. This past year, Willows & Palms was born. 


Maddie now uses this Instagram account as a sort of homepage for her new brand. She has her contact information in the bio, showcases her pieces via posts, and includes purchase details in the captions. I love keeping up with her accounts to see what new products she releases and to be inspired by her work in general. While her business may just run out of Instagram for now, I can only imagine where it will take her in the future. She even already has her products on Etsy and Society 6!




Apart from being beautifully made and designed, Maddie's products also have a greater purpose as she views art as a way to express her faith and sing praises to our Maker. She also encourages self love and inspires other to feel beautiful and loved with each purchase. I have loved watching this project grow, and I can't wait to get my hands on some Willow & Palms goodies of my own.


Follow along with Maddie's journey on her personal account or brand account