Monday, June 14: Spotlight and Giveaway with A Few Of My Favorite Things

Giveaway Closed. Winner:

tharker said...

Great interview!

tiffani_harker@hotmail.com

Two of my favorite bloggers, Molly and Danyelle, have one heck of a blog over at A Few Of My Favorite Things. And today I am so pleased to have both of them joining us for a Spotlight AND Giveaway. Molly and Danyelle are both stay-at-home mothers of many, and bloggers extraordinaire. And on top of Favorite Things, Danyelle has quite the little Etsy Shop... Which brings me to our giveaway!

Dandee Designs will be giving away a $30 Gift Certificate to the shop! Just take a look at some of these lovelies. Sp enter the giveaway, then scroll down to read the rest of this great spotlight with Molly and Danyelle!!

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

This giveaway will end at midnight PST, Sunday June 18, 2010. To enter, Please leave your name and e-mail address in the comment section below. Only one entry per person. One winner will be chosen with Random.org and posted the following day. If we don't hear from the winners within 24 hours, they will be forfeit, and a new winner will be chosen.

SPOTLIGHT WITH:

BGB: How long have you been blogging?

Molly: My Favorite Things is just a little over two years old. But I have a family blog that I have kept up for over four years.

Danyelle: I've been reading blogs since the fall of 2006. I felt so inspired I decided to start my own, dandeedesigns.blogspot.com in January of 2007 where I post about my life with my dear husband and five children, projects and other random bits. After a few guest blogging stints over at My Favorite Things, Molly asked me to become a permanent fixture there in August 2008.

BGB: What made you start?

Molly: I love to shop and discover new products that I think are simply a must. Obviously since I can’t buy everything I love, blogging became my outlet. I love to share.

Danyelle: I have tried to put my finger on this question a number of times and I think ultimately, I began blogging for two reasons. First, I wanted to connect with other women. Women who were like me + women who were different from me. I wanted to learn from them. I wanted to glean from their life experiences, their successes and challenges. I wanted to be a part of this wonderful blogging community. And second, I felt a creative pull. Even a simple blog post about a great book I've read or a photo of one of my children with a short description fills my creative cup for a day. I don't have to post a thorough DIY project to get that feeling. And for me, doing something creative everyday is a necessity.

BGB: Are there bloggers who have inspired you? Which ones?

Molly: I have way too many blogs in my reader and definitely not enough time to browse through them all. But without fail, I always always read Nienie Dialogues and The Rockstar Dairies. It is inspiring for me as a woman and a mother to catch a glimpse of how those two women live their life to the fullest!

Danyelle: Every blog in my reader is inspiring to me in different ways. I love Ez's "Inspiration Daily" posts, Nicole's photography, Kelly's happy life.

BGB: Do you have any suggestions for new bloggers? Any tips on gaining followers/readers?

Molly: In no particular order...

• find your groove, your niche and stick to it

• comment on other blogs

• invite guest bloggers

Danyelle: The one thing I would love to tell every new blogger can be summed up in four words. Don't. Obsess. Over. Comments. I know it can be hard to do, but truly. Don't worry yourself sick over the number of comments you may (or may not) be getting. Some days people feel like commenting and some days they don't.

BGB: Do you think there are specific genres that are more popular than others in blogging?

Molly: My google reader has a little bit of everything. I notice that I go through periods where I am more drawn to some than others but I believe every blog has a place. And you can truly tell when the writer is blogging about something they love.

Danyelle: I think if you would have asked me this question a few months ago, I would have answered, "YES! Definitely!" But recently I have come to the conclusion that there is an audience out there for everyone.

BGB: Who designed your blog?

Molly: None other than the fabulous Lyndsay Johnson of Lyndsay Johnson Design and Beautify My Blog.

BGB: Does your blog relate to your job at all, is it your job?

Molly: My blog is my hobby. My job is a mother to two boys and a little babe on the way. And yes, sometimes they intersect.

BGB: When and where do you write your posts?

Molly: I have a Mac Book Air and so I can write my posts from pretty much anywhere. I am at our kitchen table eating lunch at the moment. My favorite place is to curl up in my bed when my boys are asleep. If I am organized that’s where I do it, other wise sometimes you will find me standing at the kitchen bar, typing away while my two boys are wrestling in the background. Glamorous eh?

Danyelle: There is no rhyme or reason to when I write my posts. Whenever I have a free minute, that's when I do it. Generally, it's either in the evening when the children are in bed or first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I sneak onto the computer during naptime. Although, I am always thinking of things to post about. I take mental notes during my day about things I want to share with our readers.

BGB: Are there any negatives to blogging you’re concerned about? If so, how do they impact you or your readers?

Molly: I am sure you can find a negative to just about anything but I’ve had a great experience blogging. Occasionally we have received rude comments and spam is the worst but all in all, it has been a blast.

BGB: What do you think the future is of blogging?

Molly: Honestly I have no idea. It is huge and will possibly just continue to grow and grow and become more fabulous along the way.

BGB: Which blogs do you read often? Any favorites?

Molly: Design Mom, Oh Happy Day, Simple Lovely, Delightful

Danyelle: I have an ever-changing list of blog crushes. These are the blogs that are currently giving me butterflies when I see them pop up in my reader: You Are My Fave and Creature Comforts. And my day isn't the same without Stephmodo or Nie.

BGB: What are currently working on? Any current or upcoming projects you’d like us to write about?

Molly: No projects at the moment. I am just trying to gear up for baby number three and get my house in order before he/she arrives.

BGB: What was it like having your blog listed as a Blogger Blog of note—literally jumping from hundreds to THOUSANDS of followers overnight?

Molly: Being spotlighted as a Blogger Blog of Note took me completely by surprise. I had no idea what happened until readers started commenting about it. We definitely took a jump in readership which is always delightful.

BGB: Thank you, Molly and Danyelle, for taking the time to be featured on the Blog Guidebook! We really appreciate it!

You can also find Danyelle here: