On how I got into blogging…
When my best friend told me to start a blog, I remember thinking, “This sounds exciting, but what on Earth am I going to blog about? Will I be able to continue to come up with new post ideas every week and when will I find time (with a 3 month old baby) to post frequently?” I’ve somehow found 269 things to talk about with y’all over the past few years. My list of blog topics I want to blog about is LONG, and at this point, time is my only barrier. Do you think we could convince my two babies under age three to nap in harmony for a FULL two hours daily so I can post regularly?
The type A in me has always been pretty deliberate and extremely goal oriented. But starting the blog was one of the first hobby’s I’ve taken up where I didn’t have a clear goal, “run 3 miles, 4 times a week, take a class to learn to do x, by y time.” I guess that’s the nice thing about the blog hobby. You can try it out with little or no sunk cost other than a little bit (or a LOT) of free time. Thus the birth of my first lifestyle blog, High Heels and Handlebars.
On what I blog about…
One of my first and fondest blog memories happened about a week into blogging. I remember standing in my kitchen whipping up Frozen orange julius drinks for my Mom and hubby to try. It was such a fun creative outlet; from recipe, to drink creation, to photography and then bringing it all to life in a blog post. As time passed my post idea list was overflowing, but unless I decided to forgo sleep altogether there was only time for 1-2 posts a week. And the fashion posts seemed to organically take precedence over everything else. They started with computer versions of magazine collages covering everything from style trends, to what to wear to a football tailgate, to the best baby bags. I taught myself Picasa and then Photoshop and what felt like minutes turned into hours of blog work. After a good 6 months of feeling like my only readers were my Mom and hubby, friends and acquaintances started commenting on my posts and with that came suggestions to do as the other style bloggers do and photograph myself in the outfits I’m blogging about. I mean, who does that?! Asking random strangers and bugging friends to snap pics of my outfits was and still is super awkward for me. But just like you, I also follow style bloggers for outfit inspiration. So I totally get that it’s a lot more compelling than a magazine collage. Hence, the metamorphis into a style blog. 🙂 You’ll still see tidbits of travel, interiors and motherhood mixed in. Because hey, I’m chatty and there’s a lot worth talking about.
On launching a new website, L. Avenue…
The wheels started turning last spring during a quick girls weekend with my friend Lauren (also the person who encouraged me to start a blog in the first place). I was approaching my second full year of blogging regularly and itching to bring some new energy to my website. After too many glasses of bubbly I pitched the idea to start a blog together that we would co-author. Thus the idea for L. Avenue was born. Fast forward a few months and Lauren got an amazing work promotion which meant no free time for blogging. We were already in the design phase for L. Aveunue and I was really loving where things were going, so I decided to keep on keeping on and never looked back. L. Avenue is finally live and hopefully the amazing Lauren will contribute from time to time because she’s a riot and a beauty product junkie.
On what I hope my readers can gain from following along…
For one, outfit inspiration. I find so much of my inspiration from other bloggers, fashion icons, Instagram, and Pinterest. I spend hours pouring over magazines and the internet to keep up with the latest trends, sales, etc. to share with readers. And I’m sure I’ll throw in beauty news, recipes and a little bit of life’s antics and musings.
What I would love from you, my amazing readers…
I would love to hear your feedback. I swear the days I receive a comment that isn’t spam (ha) are the best days! I love running into friends and acquaintances who offer feedback, both positive and constructive. It’s nice to know I’m not just talking to myself all day long. It’s nice to know you are out there reading along every once in a while. 😉
On my goals for the blog…
Above anything, my blog still feels like a hobby. But I’ve been lucky enough to become affiliated with contacts who’ve given me the opportunity to convert my hobby into a very small part time job. How am I paid? When you purchase something online through links on my blog I get a very small commission, think pennies on the dollar. Hey, every penny adds up! And not to worry, it doesn’t cost you a dime. I can also be paid through advertising affiliates but am really picky about who I will work with and will only work with brands that I would wear on the reg. 🙂
The truth is choosing to forgo a full-time career to stay at home with my babies wasn’t a hard choice for me. I feel very fortunate to be able to do so, but it’s not without sacrificing a part of my being that truly loved having a career. I’m not going to get into the whole work/career debate on you, we’ve seen enough Facebook posts on that. My point is, getting to a place with my blog where it could serve as a part-time job, has been very exciting for me. And it’s also affirmed that my readers really do find style inspiration from the work I’m putting out there, which is beyond gratifying for me. Thanks y’all!
Above all this blog is a wonderful outlet for me, something completely different than any job I’ve ever had that requires a more creative, artistic side of the brain that I really enjoy exercising. If I get to a place where I’m not excited to sneak out of bed an hour before the hubs and babies to work on a new post, then I’ll rethink this whole thing. For now, I’m very excited to launch my new website. My goal is to post 3 days a week, so please check in with me or just sign up to receive my new posts in your inbox or through Bloglovin.
XO,
LZ
