I’m sure some of you have noticed that ALU has been experiencing more downtime.  All I can say to that is WTF????  My tech wizard/savior/web magician/omniscient server guru is working tirelessly to resolve the problem so hang in there Fanatics.  All will be well and good before we know it.  It helps to say it out loud.  That makes it true, right??

I just wanted to post a quick note to let you know that the Gallery isn’t functioning properly at the moment and I’m working to have it resolved ASAP.  So if the Gallery disappears temporarily or you aren’t able to navigate it properly, know that I’m working on a resolution.  Sorry about the inconvenience, it’s all part of the fun of moving to a new blogging platform.  Oh joy!

EDITED TO ADD – We’re back up and running, yay!!!

In case you haven’t visited the Gallery yet, here’s a preview with some navigational tips.

Fanatics, I’m back!!!  I know it’s only been a week but it seems like forever.  I’ve been dying to share the new site with you.  I hope the small changes I’ve made will be helpful and make your ALU viewing experience more pleasurable.  Here’s what’s new…

• The Gallery – This is the biggest and most exciting part of the new site.  I now have a gallery to house all my swatch photos.  Just click the menu bar link above to check it out.
  • The gallery is divided into 2 main sections, Nail Polish by Color and Nail Polish Color Comparisons but I’m just getting started and will add additional sections as it expands.
  • I went with the color grouping method after taking some informal polls on Facebook and Twitter. It was a pretty tight race between Brand & Color but in the end I felt Color would be more useful.  If you want to see swatches from a specific brand, select that Label from the tabbed box (right).
  • The thumbnail image on each color album is of the most recent upload to that gallery.  Every time I update a gallery, I will update the thumbnail so you’ll know there’s new content.
  • You can comment on each image so if you have a question, leave it there.
  • As you can imagine, grouping polishes into color families is not an easy task so if you have suggestions or feel a color is incorrectly categorized, let me know.
  • Gallery Navigation – Hover your mouse over the side of the open image and directional arrows will appear to help you navigate the gallery.
• New Comment Structure – One of the major issues I had with Blogger was replying to comments.  It was such a pain to try and reply to everyone at the bottom of each post.  The new structure allows me to reply individually to each of you AND allows you to reply to other Fanatics.  Fun, right?
• Easier Navigation – I’ll be the first to admit, my sidebars were getting pretty cluttered.  Thanks to the tabbed box (right) my Top Posts (most viewed), your Recent Comments and my post Labels (categories) are easier to read.

Overall, I feel the site looks cleaner and it should run smoother.  I didn’t want to make a drastic change, just minor improvements.  I’m still getting the hang of this new blogging software (WordPress) and I have a TON of photos to upload but I’m definitely pleased with how things turned out.  I hope you are too.

I’ve already uploaded 300+ photos to the Gallery and I’m working my way through my files one brand at a time.  So head on over and take a peek and let me know what you think.

Hey Fanatics! Totally random title, I know, but it’s been going through my head as ALU is preparing for a big transition. I don’t know why but I’ve always loved that line from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Even more so when I moved to Cincinnati for college and saw my first Circle K. I had no clue they actually existed.

Getting back on task, I wanted to give you all a heads up to some changes here at ALU. I’m finally taking the plunge and moving off of Blogger and over to WordPress. What does that mean? Well not much in terms of what you’ll see but it will definitely be important on the back end. It “should” mean faster load times and better functionality with the site. Oh and I’m adding a new feature that I’m sure you all will love. What is it? You’ll just have to wait and see.

Over the next few days the site might look odd or not load but all will be back to normal before you know it. I just wanted to warn you so you don’t think something is wrong. Stay tuned for an improved ALU!

By now some of you may have heard about the FTC regulations regarding bloggers and their relationships with brands. You can read all about it including the 80+ page guideline document HERE. Basically any blogger, regardless of their niche, must disclose if they received payment or a product sample in relation to a product review. They consider receiving a sample as a form of payment for the review. I haven’t spoken about this until now because I wanted to read all 80+ pages of the guidelines and any other articles I could find on the subject to see what is actually required and decide how I want to address it here.

Some of you probably care less about all this so feel free to skip this post. If you want to hear my long winded thoughts on what’s happening and how ALU will address the regulations please read on.
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