Blog Feature. This is a test :)

Hey guys, I am thinking about doing a monthly Blog feature. Here's how it will work. Each month i'll post about a new blog, interview the author, and show you what they love to do. 

If you guys have questions you'd like to ask i can tell you who the blog feature is going to be the next month and you can email me your questions for them.

So this post is going to be a little test to see if i should keep the ball rolling :)

I have already talked a little bit about Mary Grace over at White Waxflower, well she was kind enough to answer a few questions so you guys could get to know her better.

Here ya go!

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a southern girl living in a quirky little San Diego neighborhood called Ocean Beach. I'm married to my best friend (cheesy, but true!), I have a silly little dog named Jemima, and my favorite thing to do in my free time is find and fix up un-loved furniture.

2.What inspired you to start your blog?

My friend Jillian actually started blogging first, and she convinced me to start a blog of my own. I didn't really intend for it to become a blog about anything in particular, but since furniture, antiquing, and decorating my home are sort obsessions of mine, they quickly became the main things I blogged about!

 3.What is your favorite project you have done?

Oooo .. this is tough! The white dresser that we have in the living room is probably my favorite, because it's the first big piece that my husband and I planned out and worked on together. I'm also pretty in love with the orange-striped French chairs, so those are a close second!

4. How/What is your is your inspiration?

I'm just in love with the general aesthetic of Anthroplogie, and I find their catalog, store and website very inspiring. But I would say my biggest source of inspiration is romantic comedy movie sets, especially if Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers had a hand in making the film! Half of the ideas I got for decorating my home came from Meg Ryan's apartment in You've Got Mail, or Kate Winslet's cottage in The Holiday:) I even picked out the sofa we have because I fell in love with it when I saw it in The Breakup! The blog Hooked On Houses is a great source for photos of pretty movie and TV sets.

5. Where is your favorite place to shop for things for your home?

This isn't a very classy answer, but probably Craigslist, at least when it comes to buying furniture! As far as actual shops go, though ... my favorite is definitely Anthro:)

6. What advice would you give to beginner bloggers?

I still have a lot to learn myself, but here are three tips that I've picked up along the way:

*Write about whatever it is you love to write about. Don't try to write posts based on what you think people want to read, or what will appeal to the widest audience - that gets old really fast! Find a writing style, subject matter and general attitude that feels the most "you", and stick with it!

*Reach out and connect with as many more experienced bloggers as you can. Leave comments, write emails, tweet them, whatever! Some of them may be snobby or won't write you back, but for the most part you'll find that your fellow bloggers are a friendly bunch, and they'll be happy to talk to you, answer your questions, give advice, etc.

*Be grateful and kind to everyone that supports you! If someone takes the time to comment on your blog, do the same for them. Answer every blog-related email you receive as promptly as you can, and if they're asking for help/advice, do your best to be helpful! Interior design guru/celebrity Margaret Russell supposedly personally answers every single email she receives, so really ... what excuse do the rest of us have?

7. How did you and your hubs meet?

We met in college, and we had a rather disastrous first date (in one of those "it wasn't funny at the time, but it's hilarious now" kind of ways)! It took him 6 months to work up the courage to ask me out again, but the second date was infinitely more successful, and we've lived happily ever after:)

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 8. What do you two like to do together for fun?

I'm lucky because he actually enjoys fixing up furniture with me, as long as it involves him getting to use his tool box and drill! We enjoy taking Jemima down to the leash-free dog beach, visiting museums, and exploring the city together. We have a long list of crazy trips we want to take, so we also enjoy plotting and planning our future adventures to foreign destinations:)

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Thank you so much MG for taking the time to help us get to know you!

*Unless otherwise noted images courtesy of White Waxflower.

Please let me know what you think of the Blog Feature idea!