Hometalk is a fantastic community website full of ideas from both bloggers and homeowners.
I love it over there!
You can be inspired… clip projects to boards for future use, follow bloggers you love and find answers to any home/ garden related question.
This is a board I made for upping your curb appeal.
Miriam is the creative director over at Hometalk.
Every week she picks a blogger to feature in the “Bloglight”
This week… It’s me!
I know… I can’t believe it either!!
She asked me to answer a few questions about myself and about my experience blogging… So, here we go!
How did you first get into blogging?
I started the blog as part of a whole website redesign…
We were redoing the main interiors website and our friends suggested that we add a blog to showcase some of our projects, to give people a better idea of who we are as a couple and how we work together.
They seemed to think people would find us … interesting… I don’t know if that is true but we do have fun!
I know some couples can’t work together but we can’t imagine it any other way.
We centre the blog around our home Hoop Top House which we designed and built about four years ago.
How did you decide on the name of your blog?
I wanted something that was different… something that sounded intriguing and started with “A”!
Kidding!
Actually… A Button Tufted Life pays homage to the little details in life that make memories…
Like the button tufting on a couch…
The details make all the difference.
Is blogging something you do on the side, or is it a full-time job for you?
It is most definitely a sideline…
Our main business is providing custom residential and cottage interiors… Although I must say the time the blog takes is equivalent to adding another full time job.
I wasn’t expecting that when I started and the learning curve was very steep… but I love it and If my readers love it too then it is well worth the time!
Combining the two has become a bonus… like our new blog series Client Diaries: Jess & Brad where we share a client cottage renovation from start to finish in real time… with the clients following the progress from a distance via the blog along with our readers.
I think it is a pretty innovative series and I am really excited to share it.
What is your most popular project on Hometalk to-date?
My parents kitchen renovation project … (which we did in a week. I know, It was crazy!) inspired my most popular post on Hometalk. I used it and a few other kitchen projects to do a post called Inexpensive Options for Beautiful Countertops.
This was my mother’s reaction when they saw their completed kitchen for the first time…
I think she liked it!!
What projects/people have inspired you on Hometalk?
I am constantly inspired on Hometalk… and from a huge variety of sources.
Sometimes I will see creative project from a homeowner or blogger that I haven’t seen before.
It gets me motivated all over again…
I think that is the whole point…
To inspire each other!
What Blogger do you admire most?
I am in awe of Karianne at Thistlewood… Not just because she has great ideas but because she has so successfully developed a “voice”
People are drawn immediately to her charming spirit… I admire that very much.
I made an appointment for her blog building consult a while back and It was great…
I would suggest it to anyone looking to improve their blog.
What advice could you give to other bloggers that you wish you had known before you started blogging?
The learning curve is steep… Don’t be hard on yourself and most of all RELAX!
It takes time to learn… so, let yourself off the hook and take the time you need.
Blogging is great, it can be fun and build your brand. It can give you a voice and perhaps some extra income… but the most important thing is to keep it in perspective. It can start to take over!
I would also tell people to read and be active in blogging groups. I was amazed how inspiring and supportive the blogging community is… I feel like I have gained so many new friends which is a bonus I had not anticipated!
Thank you again Miriam for featuring me and A Button Tufted Life in the Bloglight today!
