Monday, June 11, 2007

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

How did you start blogging?

I was on Lisa Whelchel's site, and she sent us all to Sarah's Blog and I read a really, really great post there. I bookmarked the site, and came back a few times and read about Sarah's family and her kids and realized that this was such a great way to chronicle my children's lives and fulfill my desire to write at the same time. I have started books for my children, but never seemed to keep up with them for long. With the blog, it was so easy to type in the memories and things I wanted to say at the end of the day, that I decided to go ahead and start one of my own.

Did you intend to be a blog w/a following? If so, how did you go about it?

I had really started writing just to keep a chronicle of the kids, but I did kind of hope that maybe some people would come by and want to read what I had to say. I've always wanted to be a published writer of one kind or another, and you know every writer likes to have an audience! But all I really did, was visit other blogs and leave occasional comments. Some of those people came by my place to check out who was leaving the comment, and slowly but surely, I started to get a couple of people that checked in on me regularly, and I checked in on them as well. The Preacher's Wife was the first one to add my link to her site, and I added hers to mine. From her site I found Real Estate Girl and we linked each other as well. As far as I know those are the only two who link to me on their sites, but the site meter shows that about 20-30 people check in here every day, so I guess the word got out somehow!

• 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'm pretty happy with the way the blog is going. I have been able to record memories of and for my kids and share them with friends and family all over the world (literally). The only thing I wish is that people would leave more comments....ahem! I have found out that several family members, and friends read here, but I never knew it because they never left a comment...ahem, ahem!! Seriously, any blogger knows that they live for the comments, but just knowing they are out there reading, makes me happy, and thanks to SiteMeter, I am aware of just how many are out there reading every day. :)

• Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

My focus has changed just a bit. One comment asked for pictures of the cakes and cookies, so I decided to post some. Once I did, it became part of the daily postings to include chronicles of my cake and cookie life as well as life with the kids.

• What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?

HTML codes!!! Learning how to link within text, and make pictures into buttons, has been a blast! I still don't know much, but I'm trying to learn as fast as I can!

• Do you make money with your blog?

Nope. But I'm not opposed to it! :)

• Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

As stated above, there are members of my family who read but don't tell me that they read. Then there are some that I sent the link to who may or may not read. And then there is my husband who thinks the whole thing is silly and has never even wanted to know the site address! He keeps asking me, "Who are you even writing to anyway?" Trying to explain why I was taking pictures of my purse and its contents for the purse meme was a real challenge! LOL!!

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

First of all, just start writing. After a few weeks, you'll kind of find your little niche that is different from other bloggers and you'll find that your blog will take on its own personality and will draw its own type of reader. I learned this from Barb's blog where I go to learn how to be a better homemaker and wife to my man. She comes by here to learn how to paint cookies! Which leads me to my second piece of advice...if you want to draw readers to your blog, host a bloggy event! I got the idea from BooMama and I hosted "A Bloggy Cookie Exchange" back in March. We all baked cookies and posted pictures and recipes on our blogs. I made painted cookies and posted video how-to's on how to make them...that's how Barb found me and started painting cookies herself!

So that's it. That's my bloggy story! So head on over to Chilihead's place and read everyone else's story! And if you haven't done it yet, post your own bloggy story at your place and sign the Mr. Linky at Chilihead's so we can all come and check it out!

16 comments:

Jean said...

I will check your archives on painting cookie how to. Sounds neat.
My husband felt the same way about the purse meme..Why would anyone care to see the contents of your purse?

Monkey Kisses said...

First time I have found you, but we have many similarities.. I will be back..
P.S. I love how cake comes after kids and before the rest!!!!

Kelli said...

And now we're friends! Lookee that :)

PS- how are you feeling? Pain still gone?

Kelly said...

Came over from the carnival at Chiliheads. Although I feel like I've been here before... Anyway, thanks for sharing your story. I admire your artistic talents. I have attempted cake and cookie decorating in the past but have come to accept the fact that it is not my gift. I'll leave it to the experts like you :) I took a quick peak around your blog and bookmarked it so I can come back another time.

Blessings~

Qtpies7 said...

I love cake decorating, too! I don't care for typical cakes, but I live for a 3-D challenge!
Nice to meet you!

TaunaLen said...

I enjoyed readng your story, and your blog looks like a fun place! Thanks for the comment on my post, I love getting those! I wish I'd been around for the cookie thing. :)

~TaunaLen

Deena Peterson said...

**GASP** I totally spaced on the cookie exchange!! Oh. My Bad! But at least I linked and promoted it...oh, where is my head these days??? (that's a rhetorical question... not requiring an answer:-)

Tracey said...

it has been fun making new friends, hasn't it?! I'm so glad we "found" each other! I am in AWE of your cookie and cake talents!

Lads of London said...

Great info Mel! I have SO much yet to learn! Off to ND on Wednesday! Can't wait! Let me know how to use the SiteMeter when you have a chance, will ya? :) Thanks! Love, Jo

Lads of London said...

Never mind Melody...I figured it out! Thanks! :) Jo

Awesome Mom said...

My husband gave me odd looks when I would take pictures of things for my blog until I got a chance to review and ipod on my blog. After that he has been suddenly more supportive of my blogging. I think the fact that he got my old ipod had something to do with that.

Dana~Are We There Yet? said...

So YOU'RE the Painted Cookie Lady! Nice to virtually meet you and WOW! what a fun talent/hobby!

Anonymous said...

wow, you are so talented and probably so tired! let me know if you are in the dfw area and you can be my new cake lady!

Barb said...

Your advice to new bloggers is great! And it's advice I haven't seen anyone else out here give.

Just be yourself and your blog will develop it's own character. I hadn't thought of it that way but that's exactly what happened when I was floundering around at the beginning. I thought there was a certain way to do it. As soon as I decided to heck with that and I'd just be myself, it took on its own life.

I can't WAIT to make painted cookies again. That's one of the most fun things I've learned how to do since I started blogging fourteen months ago. You're my cookie painting hero! LOL

WendyDarling said...

VERY COOL story. I just started cake decorating classes, although I have been doing cakes for a long time. I take pictures of mine too. :-) I really enjoyed reading your blog. Thank you for sharing. :-)

Shalee said...

Oh the host an event advice it brilliant! You have to get the word out for it, but once you do, it's amazing how many people you meet!

And floundering is how I found out who I was in the blogosphere. I know who I am in real life, but I needed to see how that would be perceived on the blog. It turns out that being myself is the best thing for my blog!