interview with blogger and diy enthusiast, ashley rose from sugar and cloth

behind the blog / sugar & cloth

Even if you’re not a blogger yourself, ( but especially if you are ) you probably have questions you’d love to ask your favorite blogger. I know I have a list! So, I decided to go for it and make a new featured column out of it so you can read the answers too! Turns out, most bloggers love sharing their secrets. Who would’ve guessed?

I’m pretty stoked to have the girl behind the blog Sugar & Cloth here to start us off. Ashley has blown me away with all of her creative diy’s and sweet treats. I’ve definitely said, “HOW the heck do you come up with these!?” more than once. Also, the designer side of me loves the beautiful , clean, and original photography of her projects.

Okay, okay. I’ll stop talking and start asking questions. ;)

interview with blogger and diy enthusiast, ashley rose from sugar and cloth

So what’s your blog all about?

I like to say that it’s a carefully curated collection of DIY’s, styles, recipes, and all of the pretty things in between (as opposed to a “hey I like this!” collection, haha.)  

When did you start blogging + what made you decide to go for it?

I started Sugar & Cloth after I’d gotten married and moved across the country from all of my friends and family for my husband’s schooling. I was homesick, in a funk, and just needed something that felt like me. Basically I replaced feeling down and sorry for myself with a blog to keep me excited and accountable.

interview with blogger and diy enthusiast, ashley rose from sugar and cloth

Walk us through your typical day. How much time per day/week do you devote to your blog?

Oh man, typical days do not exist around here, there’s always something going on! I always write my posts at least one day in advance and then schedule them. Days that I’m planning to work on DIY’s or recipes are the most time-consuming, but I usually spend around 4-6 hours on DIY & recipe posts from beginning to end, unless it involves serious drying/cooking time.

How do you manage your time + stay organized?

A lot of people might cringe at my answer to this, but basically I have an agenda book that I use as a coaster next to my computer, everything else is in my head (don’t judge me). I jot down cool ideas that I come up with in my nocturnal journal, but I don’t do editorial calendars or anything like that. Sometimes I’ll come up with DIY’s on a whim with stuff I just have around the house! I never know for sure what I’ll blog about from week to week.

interview with blogger and diy enthusiast, ashley rose from sugar and cloth

How do you keep your imagination flowing + get past creative funks when they do sneak in?

I’ve found that if I’m really in love with a project, that the creative juices tend to keep flowing. If not, then I usually don’t love the idea as much as I thought I would, and I’ll take a break and start over with a new version/idea later. Sometimes I just scratch it altogether!

Do you have any quick + easy post ideas for those days when you’re short on time or inspiration? 

People always love to be featured somewhere, exposure is the name of the game after all. So if you’re too busy, or just not feeling it that day, feature someone else who is. It creates community, your readers get to see cool content that they might not have known about, you get inspired, everyone wins!

What are a few business/blogging resources ( online or offline ) that have been beneficial for you?

Tips from experienced creatives/bloggers is beyond priceless! I went to my very first blogger conference in Houston a few weeks ago, and I wanted to kick myself for having not gone to one before then. I met lots of seasoned contacts.

Do you consider your blog a business or just a creative outlet? 

Both! It is my creative outlet, but I also treat it as an opportunity waiting to happen. It’s nice to be able to meet connected individuals and say “Hey, you can see a little of what I do on my blog, where I’ve been featured, and I have the drive to keep it going!”. Lots of small doors have opened from having started S+C, and I’ll keep trying to raise the bar until the big doors open, too. :)

How has blogging influenced your life + relationships?

I’d say it’s made me a little more adventurous. I also find that I eat WAY more sugar than I used to, haha!

How much of your life offline do you share on your blog? How does this effect your readers’ ability to connect with you?

Turns out that I’m more of a private person than I thought I was. Admittedly, I usually hide behind DIY’s and cheesy jokes, but sometimes I get gutsy and write about things like my real life job, not sweating the small stuff, and blog bloopers.

What has been the key to success for you as a blogger? Especially when you were new to the blog world.

God’s grace and the love of creativity!

Any further advice for fellow bloggers?

As long as you’re really in love with what you do, there will always be people that share that love with you!

 

THANK YOU, Ashley, for sharing with us!

Do you have any other questions you’d like to ask? Do you have a blogger in mind that you’d like to see interviewed here? Leave a comment on this post or shoot me an email! ( jordan at createlikecrazy dot com )

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> connect with ashley: blog / shop / twitter / facebook / instagram / pinterest

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