Blogging Along

I've been tagged by Marie over at Bella Marie Designs (which is a shop that I love, love, love!!). I also love Marie's blog: The Villa Family, a blog about a sewing and crafting mama and her three kids who always keep her on her toes!

I have been tagged before, where I had to share 7 interesting facts about myself... a stretch, but perhaps an interesting read anyway. This time I am to share a bit about my life as a blogger. Here goes:

Why did you start blogging?

Since Gracie was born, I have wanted to keep a journal so that I could write a memoir about my life with her. I never did anything about it. I started and stopped about 10 journals and all the scrapbooks I planned on making were just left in their packages, completely untouched. By the time Annelie was born, I felt too overwhelmed to start a memoir!

After opening my Etsy shop (this was back when my Etsy shop was Tootsie and Grace -- a baby boutique), my mom gave me the idea to start a blog. It was supposed to be a way for me to promote my shop and promote other Etsy sellers, but it ended up becoming more of a Mommy Blog with a little bit of Etsy thrown in.

Now, I have something that pushes me to sit down and write our stories as they happen. The best part is, I am also printing everything up so that Gracie and Annelie can have the memoir I always intended to have for them.

How did you come up with your blog name?

Elegant Bloggery. It rhymes with Elegant Snobbery, my Etsy shop. I think it is kinda funny.

The memoir I am putting together for the girls, which pretty much just includes the blog posts about the girls, and a little bit about me and my shop (since that will become a huge part of their lives as they grow up with Etsy and Elegant Snobbery and my artwork strewn around the house) is called The Mommy Project.

Do family and friends know about your blog? What do they think?

My mom recently began reading my blog and really likes it. She also sat my grandparents down and showed them her favorite posts, which they loved as well. Other than that, the friends who read my blog are all the friends I have made here in Blogland. And hopefully they like what they read!! I love to get comments. Those are what really keep me going, as everyone is always so nice and encouraging.

How do you write a post?

Every post varies for me. It all depends on what category of my blog I feel like posting in. My Girly Girls is my favorite category so that is usually what I focus on. I usually have my camera on me, so I can snap pictures of the silliness in our household for blog about it all as it happens. Sometimes, I keep a list of blog topic ideas to pull out of the hat on the days when nothing is going on and I can’t think of something to write about.

I also tend to keep a pencil and some paper scraps on hand, so I can jot notes when I am out and about, or else don’t have time to sit at the computer and type. My head is always full of ideas and tidbits that I scramble to write down before they float away.

Have you ever had a troll or had to delete an unkind comment?

I’m not a particularly controversial person, so the answer is no. I’m not sure what negative things someone would have to say about my blog. But I had to add a ‘word verification’ to my blog comments (which I personally hate, as I always read the wrong letters and have to try and decipher again and again… I hate those things!!) after getting a nasty virus for a comment about a month ago. Luckily, I reported it before anyone had clicked on it.

Do you check stats or care how many people read your blog? If you care, how do you increase traffic?

I like knowing that people are reading what I have to say. And I always get such nice comments. My blog is my little soap box. Plus, I’m a very open person naturally, and I like sharing my life, my art, and my story with others.

I increase traffic by posting my blog link in the Etsy forums whenever I have a new post. I am also addicted to reading other blogs when I have free time. A lot of the time, people find my blog through the comments I have left on theirs.

Okay, that's done. Now its time for me to gush about Bella Marie Designs.

I discovered Marie's shop while browsing the forums one day back in the early Fall. I completely flipped over how cute her stuff was, especially this little skirt and hairbow set, which I grabbed for Gracie instantly.

Gracie has now outgrown the skirt, which we have tucked aside for Annelie to wear someday, but she still sports the hair bow.

Funny enough, I was not only Marie's first sale, but her 100th sale, as well. Maybe I'm just easily amused, but I thought that was pretty cool. And just goes to show how much I love this shop. Here is what I bought this time:

I'm actually jealous of my kids. I love these hair bows!!

You can find a wonderful selection of boutique gifts for children in Bella Marie Designs. I love these personalized pillows...

And this personalized initial shirt made with the Freshcut line of designer Heather Bailey's gorgeous fabric.


And her chalkboard roll-up place mats are toooooo stinking cute.


Whats not to love about this shop? Seriously, it is too cute.

And one last thing before I go.... Hey Nikki of Nikki's Nacs-- TAG! You're it. Now we can all read your bloggity blog answers.