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{Interview} Confessions of a Blogger Cara Fay

Confessions of a Blogger

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are slowly easing into 2015 and still enjoying the gorgeous summer weather, well, in Cape Town anyway! A friend just messaged me to say it is snowing in Yorkshire – Brrr!!!

We are already half way through January and that means it is time for our monthly interview feature! Today on Confessions of a Blogger we meet the lovely Cara Fay. As well as blogging about her beauty finds, Care shares her passion for dupes, bargains and DIY.

I am a 24 year old, born in Cape Town, South Africa raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. Graphic Designer by trade and a lover by nature. I try and live my life with love at the center, compassion in my heart and humility in my mind always

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started this blog (I have had a few blogs along the way) mid 2014 – I have had a YouTube channel for about 2 years now and I just thought it would be nice to get a little more into YouTube and blogging.

Do you blog full-time or do you have a 9-5 as well? I have a full-time job, so my blog is just mine for my free time.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? Wow this is quite difficult as I don’t fit into a category much like the person I am my blog is a mixture of DIY’s, Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle, Videos and my mind wanderings.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I try to never let my blog be a burden and more of a place that is my sacred space to be creative with no boundries.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Making a schedule! I absolutely have the thought that if my pictures are not top-notch then I won’t post them which results in me taking longer to put a post-up

What do you love most about being a blogger? I love that my blog is mine with no one telling me where to put what. I also absolutely love the community I have found myself in – it forces me to be social and pushes me out of my comfort zone a lot!

Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} YES! In South Africa the PR companies always choose the same bloggers as well as advertising – on almost every blog in South Africa there is the same advert, I think if the brands tailor-made who to advertise with and try make each one a little different it would benefit them and the blogger more.

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Oh definitely, it has really pushed me to be a little more confident and not as shy when I meet new people – I am definitely a wall flower but blogging has pushed me to meet people and make friends!

If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? BE YOUR SELF! We have so many bloggers here in South Africa that see glamorous UK bloggers making a living off their blogs that they end up having dollar signs in their eyes and miss the whole point of blogging and please ladies no copy and pasting off international sites AND no copying of fellow bloggers – there is room for everyone.

In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Freedom, Happiness and Friendship

Thanks Cara for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey, on Confessions of a Blogger, with us! Please pop over and connect with Cara here:

Blog link: www.carafay.co.za

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carafayct

Twitter: @carafay_

Instagram: @carafay_

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 Sally & Kim

Blogger Series

Hello lovely readers! I am back in SA after a much anticipated trip to Italy, unfortunately my hubby fell ill in the middle of the trip, hence why I have been MIA for the past week!

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we meet, not one but two bloggers! Sally and Kim are the creators of The Saltbox, a blog which showcases their passion for home décor and delicious food. Definitely girls after my own heart 🙂

Hi I am Sally – I am 29, live in Joburg, from Durban. Love the beach, eating and travelling. Hi I am Kim – I am 28, live in Durban but have lived in a couple other cities prior to this, including Cape Town, London, Joburg and Zululand (ok, not a city per say). I’m obsessed with food, love a good DIY and entertaining. We met when we were at school together in Durban and lived together in Cape Town, for a few years. We lived in a digs in Newlands, while at UCT, taking advantage of everything that Cape Town had to offer. We both spent time in Joburg and it was during that time that The Saltbox idea was conceived.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? Our journey started somewhere in the middle of 2013 and after about 6 months of talking and planning and writing (and a very steep learning curve), The Saltbox was born in January 2014. What a journey it has been so far! We identified the need for a food and home décor blog in South Africa, most blogs are focused on either food or décor, so we wanted to do something a bit different and offer readers both aspects on one blog. We also both happen to love beautiful places and spaces and great food (and wine!) so a blog seemed like a great platform to collate our passions and share them with the world.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a 9-5 as well? We both have other occupations / day jobs! Sally: I work on the deal team at a small investment company in Joburg, but don’t feel too sorry for me – I love my job, and work with awesome people. Kim: I am currently in the process of starting up my own business (watch this space!) and doing some consulting work. So The Saltbox remains my “after hours” indulgence and every now and then during the day as well when I give in to the distraction.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? The Saltbox is our home of food and décor, we blog about anything related to food, entertaining and decorating your home – so you can look forward to recipes, DIY projects, restaurant reviews, décor inspiration, food travels, real life before and after projects, gardens, entertaining ideas and so much more. It’s a place where we can share our obsessions because we just can’t fathom people not knowing about that restaurant we visited or the wine we tasted, that really simple dish to make your life easier at your next dinner party or some easy DIY’s to get “that look” for less.

Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? Kim: Those moments when I discover something and I’m bursting to share it. It’s the “you HAVE to try this” kind of moment. I almost get FOMO on other peoples behalf it’s that serious! The Saltbox is an incredible place for me to be able to share this with others and I am really motivated when people tell me that they have enjoyed what they read on the blog or the recipe they tried. It makes it so worth it! Sally: I have always loved writing and since my day job revolves around numbers and spreadsheets and legal documents, I love the opportunity to use the other side of my brain. The Saltbox is a fantastic creative outlet for me, for which I am very grateful. I think the fact that we are working on this together, and that I really don’t want to let Kim down is also hugely motivating. That being said, we are both pretty flexible and can usually step in for the other person if they are too busy or hectic to blog.

What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Photography! Neither of us have the experience and/or the tools yet to take amazing photos but it is something that we are working on and we even hope to do a photography course one of these days. With cooking often happening ‘after hours’ lighting can pose some challenges so we have to get a little creative sometimes. It is also quite daunting when you see the level of interaction that some other blogs receive and it can get disheartening at times but what’s important is why you do it and not always the number of ‘likes’ you get!
What do you love most about being a blogger? Kim: Being able to share things I have discovered and love with others because I genuinely want them to try it or see it for themselves. Sally: The interaction with our readers, especially when it’s not my sister or mom!
Do you have any blog related or social media pet peeves? {things that other bloggers or social media peeps do, that really annoy you} Sally: I find negative people on social media/blogs exhausting (and in real life too!) But one thing that I do love about social media is the fluidity, if someone is annoying you – unfollow them. It’s that simple. Kim: I also hate negativity and people who use these types of platform to complain. No one needs that in their life.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? Sally: It is constantly changing my life. It keeps me on my toes and I find that I am always looking for a ‘Saltbox’ angle when doing something whether is cooking or shopping or travelling. Blogging has me looking at the world a bit differently, which I love. Kim: Like Sally, I look at things in a bit of a different way now always keeping an eye out for awesome things to share with others. It’s also pushed me to try new things, put myself out there and not worry too much what people think. These are the things I love and I hope that people enjoy it too but if they don’t, I’m ok with that.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Kim: Planning! If you don’t plan ahead life and work (naturally) gets in the way. We plan our content weeks in advance and make sure that we stick to this as best as possible ensuring that we treat our readers to all sorts of content on a consistent basis. The worst is knowing you need a post for the next day and have nothing to work off, that can only waste time. A content plan gives you a base and a way to use your precious time more efficiently. Also, it’s all a bit of an experiment, so try out different things and see what works best. Sally: We are still newbies – any tips for us? Jokes, I would say that starting a blog has its ups and downs and you should be prepared for the downs but don’t let them put you off. You’re unlikely to be an overnight sensation so keep on going and when you get comments from strangers, it’ll all be worth it!
In three words tell me what blogging means to you: Sally – Writing, Eating, Dreaming. Kim – Exploring, Cooking, Sharing

Thanks Kim and Sally for sharing a bit more about your lives and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about The Saltbox here:

Blog link: www.thesaltbox.co.za

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesaltbox

Twitter: @saltboxsa

Instagram: @thesaltboxsa

If you are a blogger and would like to be featured on Confessions of a Blogger, then please email Fiona or leave a comment below. Or if there is a blogger see featured here please drop me a mail or comment.

Image Source: The Saltbox

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Charlene

Blogger Series

Hi lovely readers! This post is a bit late but we are currently travelling in Italy, a long time dream of mine! It it amazing but does pose problems with connectivity! I am posting this from beautiful Florence but more about that later!

Back to the post at hand! Today’s Confessions of a Blogger, features one of the loveliest people, who I have had the privilege of getting to get to know, over the past year! Charlene from Pretty Please Charlie is not only beautiful on the outside but on the inside too, not to forget really fun to be around 🙂

Hi! My name is Charlene and I am addicted to all things beauty. This doesn’t really make sense to most of my family and friends, and that is why I decided to blog. I am like a little kid at Christmas when I hear about a new product launch. I often feel that I should have followed my passion after school, but that was not part of my journey. I do believe that I am where I’m meant to be right now. And my most important job is that of a mother and wife. My family and friends are my everything. I love dogs, tattoos, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, belly dancing and chocolate. And lots of it!

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I love skincare and make-up and I didn’t really have anyone to share this passion with, so I decided to blog about it. I started my blog 2 years ago and I never really imagined that it would grow as much as it did. The point of my blog was to share products and services that I think could benefit others. If a product that I review or recommend helps to boost someone’s confidence and makes them feel pretty, I’ve done what I have set out to do.
If you are not blogging where will we find you? At work doing boring admin, or at home. Home is where the heart is. It may be a cliché, but it is very true in my case.

Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? My blog is truly still a work in progress. I blog mostly about beauty, but there are a couple of lifestyle and ‘mommy’ posts too. If it’s something that I like or find interesting, I like to share it.
What do you think makes a blog successful? I think it depends on your reason for blogging. Is it a creative outlet, a journal or means for you to be part of an industry that you love (like it is for me)? If you can look at your work and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, I think you are successful. And being recognized by brands and having a good following of course doesn’t hurt.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? I go through slumps and sometimes have little motivation to write, but then I spot new products or try something for the first time and I can’t wait to get to the pc to tell people about it.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Constantly stressing about stats and comparing my blog to others. That completely sucked the joy out of blogging. Luckily I got over that quickly. Now I just blog because I want to, and I try (my best) not to compare. It is hard though… we all want to be noticed, right?
What do you love most about being a blogger? The people! I have met so many amazing people and I have made very good friends in the blogging community. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? It has given me such a confidence boost. There are people out there who actually want to hear what I have to say?! That makes me feel very good. It has also given me the opportunity to experience a small part of the fabulous beauty industry that I have always longed to be a part of. And it gets me out there, meeting new people. I need that. Maybe I’m not as shy as I thought?
What are your top 5 SA blogs? Just five?! The number one spot will always have to go to Gee Whiskers (geewhiskers.com). Charlene is the one who inspired me (and told me) to start a blog of my own. I also love Femme Lifestyle (www.femmelifestyle.blogspot.com), Hipstyler, Pretty and Ginger (www.heygorgeoussa.wordpress.com), Lipgloss Kisses (www.lipglosskisses.com), Not Another Poppie (www.notanotherpoppie.com) and I (obviously) visit Inspired Living every day. I love South African blogs and the bloggers behind them. There is actually only one international blog that I frequently visit. Local is best.
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Do it because you want to and because you enjoy it. Your blog is just one part of you, don’t let it take over your life and always be wary of what you share. Realise that what you put out there is available for the whole world to see and scrutinize. That being said, always stay true to who you are. Your blog is your space and yours alone. Be honest, be genuine and have fun.

Thanks Charlene for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Lisa and stalk her here:

Blog link: http://www.prettypleasecharlie.co.za

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

Twitter: @MsCharlieW

Instagram: http://instagram.com/pretty_please_charlie

Image Source: Charlene

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Lisa Fortuin

Blogger Series

It is Confessions of a Blogger time again! Today we meet the gorgeous Lisa Fortuin, from Lipstick Lifestyle, who you guessed it – loves lipstick! I loved this from her blog bio and had to include it “Red lipstick for confidence, pink lipstick for flare.” I have connected with Lisa on a few different online platforms, as well as for PR for Inspired Living.

Hi I’m Lisa, a 22-year-old tea drinker and cupcake eater currently living in Cape Town. I’m a third year student and I love all things beauty and fashion related. I’m constantly planning or looking for something fun to do around Cape Town with family or friends, and in my downtime I like to blog about my secret finds and adventures. ~ Lisa

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I’ve always had a personal blog as a space to write down my thoughts and share pictures but this year I decided to get a bit more serious about blogging and to create a platform where I write about lifestyle topics and things I’m passionate about and I’ve been having so much fun with it!
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? Regular 9-5 and I study part-time, it’s not easy making time for everything and when my workload gets crazy I give blogging a break for a bit, but I’m always excited to get back to blogging and usually have tons of things to write about when I’m back.
Tell us a little about your space on the interweb and what you blog about? My blog is very lifestyle orientated, with my main focus being on beauty, fashion and events. I love sharing new products and new beauty finds with my readers, or talking about cool places to visit or try out.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going? My minds always buzzing with content ideas, and even when I’m not motivated or don’t have time blog, I’m still thinking “flip, I got to blog about this while it’s relevant” or I’m making a mental list of things I could be blogging about…. So I guess you could say my need to stay relevant is what keeps me going.

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? Very important. You want it to be easy for someone to know what your blogs about so that when they tell someone else about it, they can describe it easily. It’s good to have clear lines and focus area’s when having a blog, it makes it easier for you to know what to write about and to know what your audience wants and likes reading.
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Time management, some days I feel like I just don’t have enough time to get everything done and then I envy stay at home bloggers who blog for a living – it’s days like that when I want to quit it all and just stay in bed with my laptop forever.
What do you love most about being a blogger? I love the freedom I have in my writing, I can do or say what I want. For work my writing has a different focus and is always double checked and edited until it’s perfect, but on my blog it’s more relaxed and fun, it’s more “me”.

If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why? Instagram! Instagram is the first thing I check in the morning, I love seeing new posts from my favourite celebs, or seeing what my friends or favourite bloggers post. I sometimes feel celebs have someone else running their Twitter or Facebook page for them so I never trust what they have to say, but Instagram always seems like the real deal, like you’re getting a sneak peek of what their lives are really like.

What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? It’s got me to be a bit more adventurous and to try new things just so I can blog about it. I’ve definitely also started taking a lot more pictures of things than I usually would, just so that I can add some good pictures to my blog posts.

If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? Honesty over everything, readers really trust bloggers especially when it comes to product reviews or service that they’ve had at restaurant. I always feel like if a blogger gets paid to talk about a certain brand they should say so, just to be fair to their readers.

Thanks Lisa for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Lisa and stalk her here:

Blog link: http://lipsticklifestylebylisa.wordpress.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lipsticklifestyle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LipstickLife_

Instagram: http://instagram.com/lisafortuin

Image Source: Lisa Fortuin

Be Inspired, Blogging, Interviews

Confessions of a Blogger Kerry Heathfield

In today’s Confessions of a Blogger we feature the lovely Kerry Heathfield, who blogs over at GuesswhatGirls. I have yet to meet Kerry but we are both currently doing the Well I am 100 Healthy Days Challenge and it has been great to have a fellow blogger to compare notes with!

My name is Kerry and I live in Durban, my days are spent writing, reading and daydreaming. I love way too many things (cats, Taylor Swift, fashion, books, TV series, etc.) and often obsess but it makes my life interesting. At almost 25 I am constantly learning about life and myself which I share on my blog. GuesswhatGirls is a journey of life, dreams, hope, positivity and an attempt at healthy living through my eyes.

When did you start your journey as a blogger and why? I started my blog in 2012 when I finally decided writing was what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted a place where I could practice and learn more about writing as well as network myself and start building my own brand as a writer.
Do you blog fulltime or do you have a regular 9-5 as well? As much as I would love to blog fulltime, the bills need to be paid so I do have a regular 9-5 which I am fortunate enough to love – I am a trainee ladieswear merchandiser which is right up my alley because I do love fashion.

Tell us a bit about your space on the Interweb and what you blog about? My space is all about just writing what I feel, what I like and what I am learning in all aspects of life, it really is like a diary. My blog topics have changed many times since I started the blog because I did battle with my niche for a while – I love a lot of things and wanted to write about them all but eventually (recently) decided to settle on lifestyle and inspiration because as much as I love fashion and reading etc. there is so much to be said about life and everyone could do with some inspiration.
Being a blogger is not always easy – what motivates you and keeps you going?Definitely my passion for writing and learning.

How important do you think it is to have a niche blog? I think it is important to an extent – people need to know what they are coming to your blog to read but I do feel that a niche limits you somewhat if you are anything like me and just really like a lot of things and want to share with them the world and get as much writing in as possible. I do think that an overall niche is good, for example fashion or lifestyle and then you can do whatever you want with it, which is what I have chosen to do with my blog and my “lifestyle niche”
What have your biggest blogging challenges been? Definitely comparison and envy. There are so many bloggers out there and there was a time where I couldn’t help but compare myself and my blog to the “successful” bloggers and blogs. At one point I totally forgot why I started a blog and just wanted to compete, luckily that was a short period and I am happy to say I am finally over it. I also always struggle to write my bio and change it regularly.
What do you love most about being a blogger? Besides the fact that I can write what I want, when I want, I just think it is such an awesome way to use your creativity as well as meet new people and learn a lot.
If you had to choose a favourite social media platform, what would it be and why?Such a toughie – I actually cannot choose between Twitter and Instagram because I spend equal amounts of time on them and they are both awesome for different reasons. Instagram is a feast for the eyes and Twitter teaches me things on a daily basis.
What has your journey as a blogger taught you {about yourself or in general}? Has it changed your life in any way? It has changed my life in so many ways – the things I have learnt about writing, people and about the media/blogging industry would never be learnt somewhere else. I have also learnt so much about myself and have changed many old habits which I not only did as a blogger but in everyday life (such as comparison)
If you had to give a newbie blogger any advice, what words of wisdom would you impart? DON’T ever compare! It really is a joy thief and a waste of time. Also, just do it for yourself and your passion.

Thanks Kerry for sharing a bit more about your life and blogging journey with us! You can find out more about Kerry and connect with her here:

Blog link: www.guesswhatgirls.wordpress.com

Twitter: @_kerry_berry_

Instagram: kerryberry5

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.

Images: Kerry