I’m In Hometalk’s Bloglight!

Hey y’all! I’m excited to be in this week’s Hometalk bloglight! Some of you are probably saying, “Huh?” What’s Hometalk? And what’s a bloglight?  Well, let me tell you.

Hometalk is a wonderful community of people who love all things home. From contractors and designers to diy bloggers and homeowners, Hometalk is a place where everyone can share projects, ask questions, offer encouragement and high fives.

I’ve been participating at Hometalk for several months and I love it! Each week Hometalk features a blogger of the week and this is my week…hence the “bloglight.” My friend Miriam is the brilliant director of comunity over at Hometalk. She has made Hometalk a wonderful place to be. Oh, and their Facebook page rocks!

Miriam sent over a few questions for me to answer, so grab a cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea and get comfy…

>>>How did you first get into blogging?

I wrote my very first blog post in June 2006.  It was a perfect way to express my thoughts of newly married life and home. I thoroughly enjoyed my Xanga blog {does anyone use Xanga any more??} and I still keep up with friends that I met there. I blogged off and on until after Ridley was born when blogging became a much bigger part of my life. My life drastically changed when I left a high-end furniture sales/designer position to be a stay-at-home-mom to a newborn. Blogging became my outlet from baby talk and changing diapers.

>>>What was the first project you ever posted?

My background is in interior design, so diy decorating was and is my cup of tea. My taste has definitely evolved {doesn’t it always?} over time. Looking back at the before & after photos of my breakfast room {three houses ago} makes me cringe for multiple reasons. Please don’t judge.

>>>Which project has brought you the most traffic? 

My frugal DIY Hurricane Vase Tutorial has brought me the most traffic to date. They are so easy and very cheap! Runner up project for the most traffic is my Pine Cone Book Page Wreath.

>>>What do your friends and family think about your blog?

My husband is my biggest fan and supporter. He fully supports all the projects, crazy photo shoots and late night writing as long as I keep everything somewhat balanced. This means everything is good as long as I put good food in his belly and clean socks on his feet. Ahem.

My mom and sister are both very supportive as well. My mom attended the Haven conference with me last year since I was two weeks away from my due date with Cameron. She loved getting to know so many of the bloggers that I talk about frequently. My extended family and friends probably think I’m a little cray cray, but that’s okay.

>>>Do you stick to a strict posting schedule? How do you keep track of when and how often to post?

A year ago, i was posting five days a week. I was exhausted, uninspired and writing too many round-up posts of other bloggers’ content. There’s nothing wrong with roundups, but readers like to see your own content more often than not!

I’ve found what works for me by typically posting on Monday, Wednesday, Friday each week. I try to post a project, a recipe and one other post that’s usually a giveaway, family update or sponsored post. Having this simple schedule helps me plan ahead and keep my creative mojo cranking right along.

>>>What advice could you give to other bloggers that you wish you had known before you started blogging?

My #1 piece of advice —– Be Yourself.

I purposely took a year and a half off from reading blogs. I needed a break. I needed time off from feeling discontent and insufficient. Removing Google Reader from my bookmarks was *such* a relief. I was able to step back and evaluate why I was blogging and how I could be a better version of me.

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It’s great to observe successful bloggers to see their habits, posting schedule, photography and what works for them, but don’t waste valuable time trying to be them. Be yourself and people will come to read and love you and your blog!

Well, that was fun! I hope you enjoyed a little peek into my blogging story!

Thanks again to Hometalk for featuring me in the Bloglight this week! Join Hometalk and follow me!

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

Myra