June 13, 2007

My Blogging Story:

I saw this originally on Barb's site A Chelsea Morning. Thought it might be fun and I could meet some new people! Here goes:

How did you start blogging?
I came across a few blogs when I had searched housekeeping and organizing. The first blog I came across was Keeping the Home. I was obsessed with reading about her life and what she did everyday. I only lurked, I didn't know anything about comments. I didn't even know it was called a blog. I started thinking I would like to do this. Have a journal online. Ohhhh, it was a Web log, that's what it was. I searched for free web logs. I came across blogger. I set up journal and was so nervous when it published my first entry. I felt naked and like the whole world was looking at me. I somehow found other women by clicking on the Next Blog button on the blogger toolbar. I saw beautiful headers and customized sidebars. I wanted this. I AM a designer after all. I started playing with my html and then blogger beta happened. I searched everything I could to come up with my own design. My blog isn't as fancy and some, but it's simple and has everything on it I want. I still have a problem with font size in my sidebars. I can't figure that out for some reason, but I'm sure I'll figure it out as I have more time to play with it. I have changed my blog design about 3 times since blogger beta and it takes me about 5 hours to transfer everything over and get everything in the order I want it. Once my design was like I wanted it, I felt more comfortable about commenting on others blogs. I am super shy in real life, so this was a big step. I just started commenting about 6 or 7 weeks ago. I am breaking out of my shell and trying to experience the entire BLOG experience. Time is the only thing that holds me back. I am a Mom to a 1 year old, I have a full time job as a kitchen designer, and I do everything I can to juggle my son, my job, my husband my house...AND MY BLOG.



Did you intend to be a blog w/a big following? If so, how did you go about it?
I by no means have a big following...YET!

What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?
I, first, love that my blog serves as a journal. It will forever hold all my memories accurately! Secondly, I love that my blog keeps my family up to date on my life. If I have forgotten to tell my Mom something, she can find out about it on my blog and ask me about it. Lastly, I love the encouragement I can give other bloggers with comments, I love the encouragement I get from other bloggers and I love knowing that I can help someone by relating to them without them asking me.

Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
Not really. I have always wrote in a journal time way. I don't think that I am a great writer like some of the blogs I read. I don't put as much time into my posts as I could. It's a journal to me...plain & simple. I have just started to participate in challenges and carnivals, we will see where that takes me.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
Bloggers are really nice and encouraging. There is nothing to be afraid of! Just comment, and comment some more and keep commenting!

Do you make money with your blog?
What do you think? No.

Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?
Yes my whole family knows about my blog:

  • I have two faithful readers. 1st is my Dad! He reads it pretty much everyday! It's probably because I talk to my Mom on the phone everyday. He can find out all about my life from my blog. He hasn't commented yet. Probably doesn't have the time to make a profile.
  • Second is my good friend Kaydee (she also goes by Star) She was my first reader!
  • My Mom. She hardly reads it. It's either because we talk everyday or she just forgets to read it. She has never commented.
  • My brother knows all about it, but I don't think he reads it. I might be mistaken though. Who knows.
  • My mother & father-in-law. They know about it but every time I ask them about it they say that I haven't given them the link and they forget about it.
  • My best friend: Chica-she knows it's there but never reads it. She doesn't have time.
  • My best friend from college: Jules-she knows about and it and probably reads it from time to time. She hasn't commented yet.
  • My best friend from highschool: Nette-she knows about it and probably reads it from time to time. She hasn't commented yet.

What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?

  1. Just get in there and comment. Don't be afraid.
  2. Search your problem that you are having with your template or html. Someone has asked the question and the answer is somewhere to be found!

If you want to participate in: Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Your Blogging Story Carnival. Head over to Don't Try This At Home.

-Until tomorrow

2 comments:

TaunaLen said...

What a great blog story. I love that you just jumped in there and are figuring things out as you go. You're already ahead of me in the design department. I am still trying to get that figured out. I love it though. I can be shy, too, and have learned the more comments I give, the more people come see me in my little corner of the blog world. I like that the community is so open and kind and wonderful. Thank you for your comments on my story, and I hope to see you around for other carnivals and such!

~TaunaLen

Pam said...

Thanks for visiting my blog! Thought I'd encourage you with a comment too! I enjoyed reading about your adventures with Lil'D. He sure is a cutie! I found it interesting that you are a working mom. Most of the mommy bloggers I have come across "work in the home." I say it that way because I work extremely hard at doing things to save money since I don't go out to earn it. We moms work hard no matter what, don't we? Anyway, your blog looks great, and I enjoyed your story. I'll have to come back to visit again!

Oh, and I hope his ear infections get better. My little guy kept getting ear infections, and they wanted to put tubes in his ears. We took him to the chiropractor instead, and he is doing great! Just something to think about if he has a chronic problem. I didn't read enough to know if this has happened before.