Blogging Archives | Inspired Living SA

Hayleigh from Hayls World {Confessions of a Blogger}

Jun 11, 2015

~ Hayleigh from Hayls World ~

On today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Hayleigh from Hayls World. Let’s take a look inside Hayls World…

Hey guys my name is Hayleigh, but my nickname is Hayls. I live in sunny South Africa & I run my own business with my best friend. I love blogging about all sorts of wonderful things that happen around me and I absolutely love and enjoy topics like beauty, business and places or events. I’m a trained musician, like I actually have a certificate and all, but by trade I am a designer slash Jill of all trades!!

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? It was at the beginning of last year (2014). I had gone into a checkers and was not very happy with the state and service of the store. By the time I had finished in the store I was fuming and was going to contact the head office. I arrived home, furiously punched out a letter of dissatisfaction and was ready to send! Then when I started reading through it I realized how unpleasant I sounded, how many mails they must get like this and how I was probably just having a really bad day and was taking it out on them. I deleted the whole thing, never sent it and decided instead to write a really awesome letter to a brand I love, and just leave the whole thing on a better note! A couple of days later the brand responded to my mail and in turn surprised me with a huge box of goodies. Once I got stuck in and started playing with my goodies, I just had to show people, I had to write about my fun and I guess the rest is history 🙂
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? Oh my goodness I wish I could blog full time hehe, but nope. I currently run a small Design & Marketing business with my best friend and business partner Mike. I must admit though, I am terribly lucky as a lot of my work is done on my PC and the Internet so I am constantly behind my Mac. This then gives me time to stay up to date socially and post very regularly.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I am on all the main social networks you could say, and I have my blog. I was fortunate enough when deciding on my blog name, to find it was available on all those platforms so I am basically Hayls World everywhere. I originally started out by blogging about my nail art, but as I ventured deeper into the online world, I discovered so much more about the beauty community I had never expected and so from there I went onto makeup looks, product reviews and also YouTube videos. So I guess you could say my blog is about Beauty and some snippets of my life. I have also been on a “lifestyle change” if you will for the past two years and I plan on brining that into my blog once I’ve figured out how. I’ve also got a travel video planned for the near future.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I think my passion. I have always been quite self-conscious about my looks and body, but since changing my lifestyle habits and venturing into the beauty world I’ve discovered a whole new part of me that is far more confident. Every time I do a nail art design now or new makeup look, the responses I get and communication from other bloggers is so inspiring and uplifting it makes me want to keep going and do more! I truly enjoy it and naturally want to be blogging all day.
How important do you think it is to have a niche blog and would you consider your blog to be a niche blog? That is a great questions and I think its super important to have a niche blog! With so many bloggers and people in the world now days, you have got to stand out! I would not say my blog is a niche blog at the moment, but oddly enough it’s something I’ve been working on. I’ve had some amazing advice from an incredible man in the beauty industry on how to stand out and hopefully with time and practice I develop and create my own Niche.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Another great question and I’d have to say its been about my space and lighting.Trying to find the space to take pictures, arrange my background for video’s and product shots have really been a challenge! All my shots have to be coordinated around the sun. I often have the most time to do blogging and pictures in the evening, but the sun is obviously nowhere to be seen, so it leaves me frustrated because I either have to scramble in the morning when its full-on sun rays coming through my window or over the weekend when I’m just keen to chill out or visit with friends and family hehe. But all in all it’s not that bad and I have found a routine. As soon as I’ve saved up for proper lights I will feel a huge stress fall away!
What do you love most about being a blogger? I love the outlet of creativity I get to experience. I have never been a numbers, “desk full of papers” kind of person. I am “artsy fartsy” to the max, so being able to blog, create nail art and experiment with makeup allows me the release my personality naturally craves. It takes my mind of the important matters haha, and allows me to de-stress, calm down and get back to balance. I also love how many friends I’ve made, the different people and brands I’ve connected with and how accepting everyone is in the community I find myself.
If you had to choose a favorite social media platform, what would it be and why?This is a hard one J but I think it would have to be Instagram. I love how instant it is to post and interact with people, its also far less cluttered compared to other social platforms like twitter and Facebook with adds everywhere. My close second would have to be YouTube though as I love to see what other videos people come up with, their creative genius and ideas. Also posting my own videos is always thrilling for me.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I have learnt many things, but mainly that I am capable of achieving my blog goals if I set my mind to them and focus. It is my hobby at the moment, but also my passion and would one day love to blog full time! I’ve also learnt people are so much more open to your content, you make real friends online and its not all bullying or hate out there. In fact there is a lot of positive people out there engaging with you, sharing your content and just being very supportive, so I’ve learnt its not as scary as some make it seem or as you build it up to be in your mind.
If you could give someone wanting to start a blog any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Hmmm what would my advice be… 🙂 I think to make your blog name simple, memorable and relative to what you’re going to blog about. Sometimes I’ve seen a person I like on Instagram and want to connect to their Facebook page, but forget their blog name, or the spelling is a play on words I cant remember, or it is so long I forget the other half of their blog name. It sounds very critical or I have a head like a sieve, but its just one thing I would recommend. The rest will follow over time, you’ll amend your blog look, your theme, content etc, you’ll discover all of that as you go, but your “brand name” if you will, will stay the same for as long as you blog, so you want it to be positive from the get go.

Thanks to Hayleigh from Hayls World, for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us!

If you would like to find out more about Hayleigh and connect with her – pop over here:

Blog link: www.haylsworld.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/haylsblog

Twitter: @HaylsWorld

Instagram: HaylsWorld

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Awards, Be Inspired, Blogging

African Blogger Awards 2015

May 11, 2015

Last week the African Blogger Awards 2015 were announced on Twitter and to my surprise I came runner up in two categories! I had actually forgotten about the awards! I entered a few months back and not given it much thought since then.

You can imagine my delight when Inspired Living SA was announced runner up in the Fashion & Beauty Category and the Lifestyle Category! As a blogger you always wonder how many people are paying attention and reading what you put out there. It would appear there are quite a few 🙂

The aim of the African Blogger Awards, is to acknowledge the top African talent in the world of Bloggers, YouTubers, Facebookers, Tweeters, and Instagrammers. These awards provide an opportunity to the most successful online influencers in Africa to be recognised, for their hard work in growing and keeping their communities active and engaged.

What sets the African Blogger Awards apart, from other similar campaigns, is there is no requirement for readers or followers to vote. To qualify for the awards I had to add my blog and/or social accounts on Webfluential {ensuring that social platforms and analytics are correctly linked to Webfluential so that judging could take place}.The Webfluential Algorithm, then measures blog traffic and engagement and compares it to others in the same category.

So a big thank you to all my loyal readers and my followers on both the blog and social media! Without your continued support I could not have achieved these awards.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Candice from Beauty Candy Loves

May 7, 2015

Candice from Beauty Candy Loves

Today on Confessions of a Blogger we meet local beauty blogger Candice from Beauty Candy Loves.

Hi my name is Candice from Beauty Candy Loves. I am a 20 something lady from the beautiful Cape Town in South Africa, like most ladies I am totally obsessed with makeup. Beauty Candy Loves is my little space where I can share my beauty loves,thoughts and amazing adventures .

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started my blog last year ( March 2014). I started getting into makeup and beauty products and have always been a part of a beauty community. I really enjoyed writing about products and sharing my honest opinion about them, to hopefully help women and not have them waste their money on products that aren’t worth buying. Also I don’t really have friends and need a platform where I could speak freely and speak to other women, who share my passion for makeup and everything beauty.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? I definitely blog in my spare time – I am a receptionist during the day.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? As mentioned I usually blog about product reviews, whether that be makeup or hair products. I also document my travels, restaurants and places I have visited. I also share some strong opinions on what’s happening around me and my experiences with life and things that I have overcome.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Remembering why I started blogging and it gets me motivated. Knowing that someone actually does read my posts and finds them useful in some way. I might not have the most followers, but I sure as hell enjoy what I do. But yes people can be mean and the internet is full of internet bullies but I try my best not to let those harsh comments get me down.
How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? I don’t find it that important, yeah it’s great for someone to recognize and relate to what kind of blog you have .. But I say blog about what you want, it’s your blog anyway.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Time management!! I struggle some days to find the time to write and take photos! Having a day time job can really be stressful on it’s own and having a blog to manage on top of that is hard.
What do you love most about being a blogger? Sharing my thoughts freely! I love the fact that I don’t have to filter what I think and worry about fitting in with the cool kids. I write what I want and not what people tell me to.

If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why?Instagram. I am a visual person and really enjoy pretty pictures. I would scroll through Instagram for hours if I could.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Blogging has changed my life, I am no longer that fearful girl, who was too scared to share my opinions and worry about what people might think of me. I have learnt a lot about myself and the confidence and now exude. I actually feel like I am good at something and I always wondered if I would ever be good at something – well now I’ve found what I enjoy doing and I would say I am actually good at it. Well trying too.. I definitely have more makeup now then I had before I started blogging. I can also create a winged-eye look now, which is life changing hehe..
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Keep at it!! Blogging can be exhausting and especially when you just starting out and no one is commenting or liking anything. Keep at it – soon people will take notice and it will be worth it!

Thanks to Candice from Beauty Candy Loves , for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us!

If you would like to find out more about Candice and connect with her – pop over here:

Blog Link: http://beautycandyloves.co.za/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beautycandyloves

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beautycandylove

Instagram: https://instagram.com/beautycandyloves/

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Candice Ying Sun from Beautyqueen8 { Confessions of a Blogger }

Apr 23, 2015

Candice Ying Sun from Beautyqueen8

Today Confessions of a Blogger features the lovely Candice Ying Sun from Beautyqueen8, a blog “all things beauty” related.

I’m Candice Ying Sun a 26 year old joburger who is beauty obsessed blogger who loves all things beauty, easily distracted my shiny objects and hello kitty.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I had a passion for all things beauty and I loved the idea of sharing my knowledge to the world as a hobby.
If you are not blogging where will we find you? Probably at a shopping mall looking at all the beauty products or clothing. I also love watching series.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? I mostly blog about beauty products but I’ve branched out and done lifestyle and food too now.
What do you think makes a blog successful? Being honest, doing what you love and not being too obsessed or fixated on numbers or stats. Also interacting and relating with readers.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? My passion for blogging and sharing it with the world. Sure I don’t always feel like blogging somedays I simply do it when inspiration strikes. It shouldn’t be a chore.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? In life there will always be bullying and critics who are jealous of you but you just need to hold your head up high and be the bigger persons. Also sometimes blog posts can take days to complete but in the end it must be completed.
What do you love most about being a blogger? All the amazing people I have met through this platform and all the knowledge I have gained.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? There will always be negative people and critics but in the end the only opinion that matters is your own. Has it changed your life in any way? I have learnt to be more open minded and not to judge a book by it’s cover.

What are your top 5 SA blogs? Well obviously my own. I visit lots of other blogs often but I must say lipglossismylife.com, notanotherpoppie.com, lovemarylu.com, onestilletoatatime.com and veiledbeauty.co.za
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Just do what you love and the benefits will roll in. And don’t be too fixated on numbers and stats.

Thanks to Candice Ying Sun from Beautyqueen8 , for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us!

If you would like to find out more about Candice and connect with her – pop over here:

Blog link: beautyqueen8.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautyqueen8blog or https://www.facebook.com/candiceyingsun

Twitter: https://twitter.com/candyangel88

Instagram: @ricebunnyc

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Confessions of a Blogger} Chantelle from Cocktails and Memories

Apr 9, 2015

Chantelle from Cocktails and Memories

I hope you have all had a wonderful Easter and those of you still on holiday, are enjoying the break! It is Confessions of a Blogger time again and today we meet Chantelle from Cocktails and Memories. Chantelle is definitely a blogger after my own heart, with a passion for photography, wine and travel – among other things!

Hello world! I am Chantelle & I am a lifestyle blogger over at Cocktails and Memories. I am a passionate, talkative 35 year old living it up in the city; eating, laughing and exploring. By day I am a marketing manager, by night I am a wine drinking series-buff, an avid reader & a chronic wander luster with an unnatural obsession with One Direction. I am also a wannabe photographer and wish I could pursue it full time. I harbor a secret dream of being a full-time blogger & photographer.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I entered the cyber world in 2006; many years ago before blogging was a “thing” I started the blog as an anonymous writer, to get my un-edited thoughts out there, without the risk of offending anybody. Somewhere it became less of a personal journal for venting and evolved into a journal chronicling my life and the special people in it. I find writing very therapeutic and my blog will be an online journal which will be accessible to future generations in 5, 10 years’ time; a testament to how we lived and a visual feast of what my world was like.

If you are not blogging where will we find you? You will find me spending time with my boyfriend or friends, at a movie or out to dinner (building up my Zomato status) I am also on a mission to have a picnic in as many spots as I can, so a sunny spot on some grass is a safe bet too. I like to use any opportunity I can to use my camera, and I love exploring Johannesburg and the surrounds as much as possible.

Tell us a little about your space on the internet and what you blog about? I have no dress or make-up sense, so I am a lifestyle blogger. I blog about the travels I have been lucky enough to embark on, adventures I get up to in Jozi & abroad as well as any other random things that pop into my head from time to time.
What do you think makes a blog successful? Keeping your identity. With so many blogs out there, nobody wants to read a clone of another one. I am not in a competition to out-do another blogger, I find that tends to be the case so many times that blogs end up becoming a recurring loop of the same products and events.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? The hope that I will inspire readers to want to explore the world around them and beyond. A fulfilled life is a happy life.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Lack of time. Having a full time job with long hours is difficult. I really struggle to find the time to blog.
What do you love most about being a blogger? Our sense of community. We all like pretty things. Our blog is our pretty place on the internet; our virtual lounge where we invite readers to sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and visit a while as we share our tales. We regale each other of our adventures, we share a laugh as we recount the happy moments and we commiserate together during the challenging or sad times.

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? I have learnt that it is really important to remain positive. When writing about a problem you may have, nobody wants a “Woe is me” attitude. When you change your mindset, you become a happier person. Blogging has also taught me that it is very important to set schedules for myself, I can very quickly let deadlines run away from me and I need to be as disciplined in my personal life as I am in my work life.
What are your top 5 SA blogs? Purple Lips and Perfect Smiles (http://purplelipsandperfectsmiles.blogspot.com/), Vanilla Blonde (http://www.vanillablonde.co.za/), Tables & Thyme (http://tablesandthyme.co.za/), Meghan Silva’s Blog (http://meghansilva.blogspot.com/), Becoming You (http://www.becomingyou.co.za/)
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Make a schedule for your posts. Never use pixelated images. Comment on blogs you read (something I am trying to do more of!). Remain true to yourself, blog about what you choose, not what you think others want to read. Most of all, enjoy it.

Thanks to Chantelle from Cocktails and Memories, for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us! I definitely think it is important to leave comments on blogs we read – something I am also trying to be better at!

If you would like to find out more about Chantelle and connect with her – pop over here:

Blog link: www.cocktailsandmemories.co.za

Twitter: @CocktailMemory

Instagram: Chantellelr

Zomato: @JhbPrincess

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Confessions of a Blogger} Charlotte from The Stilettomum

Mar 26, 2015

Charlotte from The Stilettomum…

Today on Confessions of a Blogger we meet Charlotte from the Stilettomum. I remember connecting with Charlotte from the Stilettomum, on social media, shortly after I started blogging in 2010, which is actually the same year she started!

Hi I’m Charlotte and I’m the brain behind The Stilettomum. I blog about everything and anything. My moto is taking on life, love and parenting one stiletto clad step at a time. I finally married the love of my life on 27 December 2014. We have 2 children, Amandalynn age 8 and Lorelai age 5. We stay in Brackenfell in the Western Cape. From 8 -1 daily I am a Personal Assistant to Advocates at the High Court and in the afternoons I am a typical soccer mom.

When did you start your blogging journey and why? I started my blogging journey in March 2010 after I returned to work after maternity leave. I had two reasons for starting the blog, my first was that for my eldest daughter I scrapbooked almost every day of her life, but now with two children I knew I would not have the time and I felt I needed to capture the life of both my children equally. My second reason was because I wanted to say so much about my journey the parenting forums was not really the place. I started out my first blog as Scaredmom for 2 years before I was transformed to The Stilettomum.
Do you blog full time or do you have a 9 – 5 as well? As I mentioned in my intro I work half day. After 10 years of working very long hours I finally landed a half day job which enabled me to do more of my first love, being a partly stay at home mom. I pick the kids up from school, give them lunch, drive them to their activities and this also gives me the time to be more involved with their schools. I am THAT mom, the one who has made sure that she has a seat on almost every school committee and knows more or less everything that goes on at school.

Tell us about your space on the interwebs and what you blog about? I blog over at The Stilettomum (www.thestilettomum.wordpress.com) my catch phrase pretty much sums up what I blog about “Taking on life, love and parenting one stiletto clad step at a time”. Parenting is my main focus and I have blogged about pretty much everything that goes with that. At a stage there was a lot of Maintenance and custody post on my blog as that was what my life revolved around and I hoped by speaking up and sharing that more people with keep fighting for the rights of their children. Currently the blog is more about me and how I handle parenting and its challenges than anything else.
Being a blogger is not easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? My motivation are the people who follow me, I don’t mean as in the amount of people who follow me, but when I meet someone that I didn’t know followed my blog and they tell me how they have read my blog and they think I am brave and strong for all that I have been through and how my honesty give them courage.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? To keep being honest. I have looked around at the other “successful” parenting blogs and I see a lot of sunshine and daisies. I want to be a success, but I want more than anything to be honest as my blog is after all for my children. It’s hard not to get sucked up in the madness of it all.
What do you love most about being a blogger? The events are my favourite. For me it’s like being invited to a celebrity VIP event as some of the bloggers I have been following for years and meeting them is like meeting Sarah Jessica Parker in person and she knows who you are.
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? Sub tweeting. Yes I have been guilty of this, but when groups of people subtweet about one person, it kills me. I want to rip them all a new one, but I step back and switch off.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you? Has it changed you in anyway? Blogging has helped me find my voice. I think the name of my first blog Scaredmom sort of explains where I was in my life when I started, 5 years later I have learnt to be confident in the decisions I make and that I am in control of my won happiness. It has also changed my life in a way I could have never imagined. I use to live in a bubble and with blogging I have met so many new people, some of them are now very good IRL friends and it has opened so many doors for me as I have been able to work with so many awesome brands.
If you have to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom you impart? Be honest. Be kind, be open and be honest. Decide what kind of blog you want to have and work towards it. Find 2 or 3 blogs that you like and would like to be like when you grow up, mimic the way they do things, follow their example.
In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Freedom, life, memories

Thanks to Charlotte from The Stilettomum for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us! You looked absolutely gorgeous on your big day! If you would like to find out more about Charlotte and connect with her – pop over here:

Blog Link: The Stiletto Mum https://thestilettomum.wordpress.com/

Facebook: The Stiletto Mum https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stilettomum/181973921888836

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thestilettomum

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thestilettomum/

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Confessions of a Blogger} Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas

Mar 12, 2015

Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas…

On today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas. I really love these interviews and find it so interesting, getting to know more about the “blogger” behind “the blog” – I hope you do too!

Hello my name is Sarah and I have a beauty and lifestyle blog called Mascara and Mimosas. I am closer to 30 than 25 years old and live in Johannesburg with my husband. I have been in the beauty industry for 10 years now and it truly is my passion!

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started my blog in December 2014 purely for fun and as a hobby. I’m always buying new products or trying out new salons and spas and thought it would be a fun idea to share my experiences with other product hoarders and treatment junkies.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? I wish I blogged fulltime! I have a 9-5 that I am fortunate enough to love, so really, I have the best of both worlds.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Mascara and Mimosas really is my little haven and is so special to me. On it, you will find some products and places I have found and loved and my thoughts on some of the hypes that are trending. Every now and then I will throw some décor or foodie posts into the mix to keep things interesting – variety is the spice of life after all!

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I love blogging and to me that is enough. I enjoy everything from conceptualising a post, to taking the photos and reading the comments that follow – it really does make my heart skip a beat.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Definitely comparison! Comparison to other blogs or even to other social media accounts – as the familiar saying goes “comparison is the thief of joy”. When I find myself spiraling, I just remind myself that I’m still a newbie and so with every post and photo, I’m learning.
What do you love most about being a blogger? This was something completely unexpected for me, but there is such a great sense of community between bloggers and I love that I am a part of that now as well. There are such amazing South African blogs and the bloggers that I have had the opportunity to chat to have all been lovely and inspiring.
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} Hmmmm…not that I can think of off the top of my head.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Starting my blog actually took a lot of courage for me – it meant that I was really putting myself out there which is really scary! Blogging has kicked me right out of my comfort zone which has been very rewarding.

If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Well, I consider myself a newbie blogger so I will pass on the same advice that Chereen from For The Beauty Of It gave to me “I think my biggest piece of advice would be to keep doing and writing about what you love, and not to compare yourself or your blog with others” This little pearl of wisdom really helped put things into perspective for me.
In three words tell me what blogging means to you – Passionate, creative, informative

Thanks to Sarah from Mascara and Mimosas for sharing a bit more about her life and blogging journey with us! I completely agree with Chereen, write about things you are passionate about and yes it is very important not to compare yourself with others! You can find out more about Sarah and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.mascaraandmimosas.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mascara-and-Mimosas/528064667330870
Instagram: @mascara_and_mimosas

If you would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger or would like to see a blogger featured here, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below.

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

{Confessions of a Blogger} Jeannette from Whisky of the Week

Feb 26, 2015

Jeannette from Whiskey of the Week…

Hello everyone it is time to meet another local blogger on Confessions of a Blogger! I will be bringing you these interviews every two weeks so please look out for them! Today we meet Jeannette from Whisky of the Week. Truth be told, I am not much of a whisky drinker, much prefer wine but I am always keen to discover new things!

My name is Jeannette, and I am one part of the ‘Whisky of the Week’ blog. Me and my husband, John, blog about our love for whisky and pairing whisky and food. Every Friday afternoon we taste a new whisky and blog about our impressions – hence ‘Whisky of the Week’. We live in Centurion and collect Single Malt whisky from around the world. To date we have collected whisky from 21 different countries. There are more than 40 countries that make whisky, so we still have a bit to go in completing our collection. We have a 4 year old daughter and a busy boxer dog. In addition to whisky, I love clothes, handbags and traveling. Many weekends you will also find all 3 of us out hiking somewhere in Gauteng.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? We started the Whisky of the Week blog during 2013 as a place where we could capture our tasting notes on the interesting whiskies that we tried. We collect whisky from around the world and wanted to capture our journey and learning’s about all the different world whiskies. We also wanted to create a platform where we could interact with other whisky enthusiasts. For me personally, I wanted to add a female voice to what appears to be a male dominated sector. For a lot of people, whisky seems to still be a male drink, but it is actually perfect for woman. It is a more sophisticated drink with many different nuances in the nose and taste.

Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? The blog was started when I was working full time in a corporate environment. At the end of 2013, I decided to become a full time blogger and a stay at home mom. Now writing, researching and testing whisky food pairings for the blog takes up most all my free time.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? The blog grew out of our shared passion for Single Malt whiskies. For the last 3 years, virtually every Friday afternoon, you find us in our whisky room tasting a whisky. Our small private routine became our blog when we started to capture our tasting notes in a blog format. We also write about our travels to whisky destinations, blog about whisky and cheese pairings and every now and again write a blog about cooking with whisky. During summer we make time to test different kinds of cocktail ideas and sometimes our results are turned into a blog post. For Valentines Day we played around with pink whisky based cocktails and had lots of fun testing a variety of pink cocktail combinations.

You run a niche blog, what made you decide to pick this topic? Whisky has been our shared passion and we spend a fair amount of time weekly chatting and reading about whisky. It was therefore only natural to start our blog on whisky. It is something that we do as a team, each focusing on our individual strengths. John has an amazing palate, far better than mine and can pick up the whisky notes far better than me. I am getting better at the tasting portion, but my strength lies in being structured. I blog, keep track of all our whiskies, tasting schedules and tasting notes and get to experiment in the kitchen with the whisky food pairings. We have not found many whisky blogs in South Africa and even less South African female whisky bloggers, so this blog allows me a creative space to make whisky more accessible to woman.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Our Friday routine is something that we do together as a couple and has become a ritual in our house. Because this is integrated with our lifestyle, blogging about it is easy to keep going. We have lots of fun with the whisky as we cook, bake and try different whisky food pairing. Some whisky food pairings work, some don’t, but we always have lots of fun trying them out. We also structure our tasting schedule in advance. This ensures that we keep on tasting new whiskies and don’t repeat whiskies we have tasted before. The feedback that we have received from the whisky community, not only in SA but also around the world, has been instrumental in keeping us motivated.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Because I blog in such a niche space, there was no blogging network where I could naturally fit into. There are a lot of technical aspects to blogging – and these aspects are not easy to learn. Much of the technical aspects I have had to teach myself, and that has been quite difficult.
What do you love most about being a blogger? We have got to know fellow whisky lovers from not only South Africa but also Europe and America. It has allowed us to learn about new whiskies and countries that make whisky. We have also been able to interact with some amazing whisky brands both locally and internationally.
If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? Twitter is the social media platform where we have the most interaction with other whisky enthusiasts. Most of the brands have twitter accounts and we have been able to track down interesting whiskies and get to know great people. Personally for me, Instagram. I love clothes,make up and food and just love looking at the beautiful inspiration that is posted by some very talented SA and international bloggers.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Blogging has allowed me to create a space where I can express one of my passions. It has allowed me to explore the more creative side of myself, which got lost after many years in a corporate environment. It made me look at the world around me in a different way. Now I can’t walk past a food shop without wandering in to see if there is any interesting cheese or chocolate for a whisky food pairing.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Blog about something that you are passionate about. Blog for yourself and not for anyone else. Stay true to what you are good at. Don’t take blogging and the interweb too seriously. Just have fun.

Thanks Jeannette from Whisky of the Week, for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! I have certainly learned a thing or two about whisky by reading your blog! You can find out more about Jeannette from Whisky of the Week and connect with her here:

Blog link: http://whiskyoftheweek.co.uk/

Twitter: @whiskyoftheweek

Instagram: Jeannette_Wentzel

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