March Spotlight

Well it's that time again... that time to spotlight another awesome blogger. For my forth feature, I thought I'd ask Kimberly some questions.  I've actually emailed with Kimberly and we've talked on gmail chat. I love the communication. That's what made it easy to choose her for my next feature. She has other strong qualities, too, like the blog features that aren't just her outfit of the day photos.  You might remember that I gave Kimberly an award recently.

Where did the name of your blog come from?

I came up with my blog name after I had my daughter and decided that I wasn’t going to be a frumpy mom. “Fashion Momma in Training” is in my URL and that’s what the blog was originally “called,” because I was literally re-learning how to dress myself and possibly learning how to be fashionable for the first time. It’s now lovingly referred to as “Fashion Momma,” because I think I’ve got it down, now.

When did you start your blog? Have you ever had any other blogs before?

I started my blog in November, 2009. I used to post to a Live Journal account in college, which was mostly just like a rant page or diary.

Did the intent or content of your blog change since you started?

I don’t think the intent or content of my blog has changed. Maybe that’s more up to the readers’ opinions, but I think my mission is and always has been to show that busy, working moms can be fashionable, comfortable, professional, and do it on a budget. I add a little more of my daughter in, especially with Trendy Tots Tuesday, but other than a few additions, a better camera, and a blog makeover, my original idea for content remains the same.

How many hours per week would you say you spend blogging?

Too many to count! I probably spend between 20 and 25 hours a week on blogging, which includes scoping out photo locations (new to me!), uploading and editing, writing, and responding to comments.

Do you spend more time reading blogs than you do writing your own blog?

I wish it was a 50-50 thing, but it’s not. I spend more time writing my own blog than I do reading others. It used to be the other way around, and then I found a happy medium, where I was able to comment on other blogs every other day or so. But now (with a new, exhausting job, a husband that works night shift, and a toddler), it’s all I can do to read through my Google Reader and enjoy everyone’s posts. I rarely comment on as many as I used to, but I definitely make a point to comment as often as possible!

How many blogs do you read on a daily basis?

Oh my goodness. If I can get through my reader, I read about 80 blogs or posts, daily. But on a really busy day, I might only get through 20.

What is the main goal of your blog?

I want to show everyone that it doesn’t take a giant pocketbook, a professional photographer, and a full-time blogging gig to have great style and to be able to fit your passions into your own life, whether or not it’s an insanely busy one. I want to show women of all sizes that they can and should be able to wear whatever they love. And most importantly, I want moms to realize that they should never let themselves fall to the wayside. I happy mom is a good mom.

Do people email you often because they read your blog?

I don’t get many emails, which is kind of sad. I really love emailing and connecting with my readers on a more personal level. I’ve made quite a few friends from blogging and I’d love to make more!

Do you communicate with a lot of your readers via email/IM?

I would say that I communicate with about 15 readers/friends that I’ve met because of the blog via email or Gchat. Most of the remainder of my interaction is through Disqus, which is my comment form that allows continuous conversational threads and Twitter.

What is your inspiration?

My lifestyle! I pick up lots of inspiration from the weather, my mood, comfort levels, what I plan to be doing after work, where I’m going on the weekends, and who I’m going to be with. I also gain tons of inspiration from other fashion/style bloggers!

Do you find it difficult to get good outfit locations?

I used to, but I also didn’t try very hard. Lately, my husband and I have been spending a bit more time scoping out more unique outfit locations and I really love how it’s changing the look of my blog and making my outfits stand out more.

From the past six months, what is your favorite outfit that you’ve worn (and photographed)?

The blue and silver sequin dress, black blazer, tights and booties from this post embodies my all-time favorite outfit! I wore it to my friend’s Christmas party and felt awesome all night. If I could pull of a sequined cocktail shift to work, every day, I totally would.

What is your favorite picture (of you, others, or scenery) that you have taken recently?

My favorite picture I’ve taken, recently, is probably this one of Little S.- She’s so unassuming and perfectly adorable all the time. I wish we could all be so happy, carefree, and extra sweet!

What feature on your blog are you most proud of? Why?

I have two weekly features on my blog, including Mansome Monday and Trendy Tots Tuesday. MM is really starting to take off, which is awesome. I love having Jason as a featured writer, because he adds some spunk and manliness that obviously, I don’t have. But Trendy Tots Tuesday has been a collaboration between Andrea of Peanut Butter Handprint, and myself, and although it’s not widely popular all over the blogosphere, I really enjoy featuring Little S. and it helps me remember to photographer her once a week. I think it’s going to be an awesome thing to look back on someday.

What post are you most proud of?  Did it get the most hits?

Right now, my favorite post is probably “All I See Are Changes” from February 17, 2011. I love my outfit, hair, how I incorporated some pretty awesome, but extra bright tights into my work wear, and it was the first day we really utilized my new camera and found a different outdoor location to start the better-photo-adventure.

As far as that post getting the most traffic- no, it didn’t. My Fashion Beauty Friend Friday and 30 for 30 posts have gotten the most hits in the past, but that’s because there’s such a huge network happening in regards to those subjects.

How do you handle keeping up with posting outfits on the day you actually wore them?

Some days I handle it better than others. I don’t know very many people that post day-of outfits and I was shocked to find that out! I thought it was a rule or something! But once I started posting day-of outfits, I got in that routine and don’t really want to change it. There’s something to be said about my friends, family, and all of my awesome readers getting to see what I’m wearing RIGHT NOW, as they’re reading my post. I think it’s kind of cool. I also like to call my mom and say, “Did you see my blog? I look cute today! Check it out!” And then she can visit and see what I look like while I’m talking to her. Those are the types of things that keep me motivated to stay on such a schedule, but yes, it’s a lot of added pressure that I put myself through on some days.

What is your daily routine regarding your blog? (Ex: When do you take pictures? When do you upload them? When do you write the post?)

I wake up, get ready, get my daughter ready, and if my husband is home, we’ll usually take Little S. to daycare, together, and we’ll stop somewhere on my way to work to take outfit pictures. If he’s not home that morning (he works nights and sometimes doesn’t get home ‘til after I’ve already left), I set the camera up in my back yard or somewhere in my house and take my own photos as I’m rushing to get out of the house. I upload the photos when I get to work, while I’m putting my lunch in the fridge and making/getting coffee. Then I write my post during my first break at work. On weekends, you’ll rarely see me blog, and if I do, it’s just at whatever time my schedule allows.

How do you juggle all your competing priorities and still have time to blog?

Uhh… Sad but easy answer: I don’t sleep very much.

What is your best tip to photographing yourself and not making yourself look short?

I didn’t know I didn’t look short in my photos, so I don’t really have a trick. All of my “good” pictures are taken by my husband, so he could probably go into better detail. It’s all about the angle and what I’m standing next to, I think. If I’m standing next to a bookshelf that’s 6 feet tall, you’re going to notice that I’m… well, not 6 feet tall. But it’s relative and if I’m standing against a blank or immeasurable slate, or if I’m standing next to something that the viewer can’t interpret because of our photo angle, you might never see that I’m only 4’11”. But I tell everyone, all the time, so if I look short, that’s cool, too.

What is one interesting fact you’d like to share about yourself?

Dang! My interesting fact is usually my height! But since I divulged all of that in the last answer, I’ll have to come up with something else. Hmm… interesting? I really like to cook. Is that interesting? Oh! I know! I’m a singer. J There you have it!

So if you haven't done so already, you should head over to Fashion Momma and read it daily like I do.