Second Blog Anniversary Q&A

It's my second Blogiversary!! Well, it was on August 2nd, haha. I actually thought that my anniversary was on the 8th, but when I went to check it was on the 2nd. So this is why this post is a week late, but either way I'm still very excited about celebrating my two years with this blog that has become such a huge part of my life. Also, did you know these cool fun number balloons cost $10?!?! Something I didn't know when I went to get one, but they're a little worth it, right? 

I decided to do another Q&A post for the anniversary because I have a much larger audience than I had last year, and I wanted to open up the floor to you all to get to know me and my blog a little better. So without further ado...

How Has Your Blog Changed Your Life?

I want to start this answer out by saying that creating this blog has changed my life in practically every way possible. I now think in the mindset of "a blogger" pretty much constantly. If I'm eating I'll be like "that would make a nice photo for instagram" or if I'm walking around and see someone with a cute outfit I'll take that as inspiration to write a new outfit post. This can be a bit weird at times, but it doesn't mean everything I do in my life has to be about my blog. I'm still a regular person, haha! 

Blogging has also made me a stronger person with some of the negative comments and people out there (though thankfully there haven't been many!), and it's surprisingly made me a better business woman. I really had no idea about the business side of blogging when I started The Classic Brunette, but there's so much that goes into it, most of it being about marketing. It's also changed some of the dynamics with my friends and family since they've most likely had some part in the blogging process whether it be through taking photos or helping me brainstorm post ideas. Honestly blogging has changed so much and has become such a huge part of my life that I don't really remember what I was doing before blogging...

What Has Been The Biggest Challenge With Starting Your Blog?

I think I would have to say trying to design my blog and do everything myself. You may have seen me freaking out the other day when I accidentally changed a little thing in my coding and essentially ruined my whole blog's layout. I no joke started having a panic attack because I didn't know what to do and thought I had ruined everything that I had worked on these past two years in a millisecond. I had a lovely woman from one of my blogging Facebook groups help me out, but doing things yourself can get messy. So trying to figure things out is a real challenge when you basically have no idea what you're doing half the time! 

Another issue that I struggle with is budgeting my time between blogging and school. Since I'm in college and running this blog, I have a lot on my plate. I have photoshoots, location scouting, social media, writing posts, editing, etc for the blog along with all my school work. I have to take the time to make sure I'm organized enough to get everything done on time, which sometimes gets out of control. There were a few weeks last year that I just couldn't get my posts up on time because of finals or stress. It's a challenge to make everything work, but I enjoy it so much that I'm not too bothered by it. This coming year I'll have an internship and probably a job that will be added to the mix, so we'll see how that plays out!

Which Platform Do You Recommend New Bloggers Start Out?

There are so many choices you can make when choosing your blog platform: blogger, wordpress, squarespace, weebly, etc. I personally love Blogger. I've been on blogger for my entire blogging career and I honestly don't think I'll ever leave it. I toyed with the idea of switching over to Wordpress in the future since most "big" bloggers end up going there, however there are a few who remain on Blogger and are completely fine. It's so easy and simple to use, and I honestly just don't want to deal with learning a whole new platform just yet. I think Blogger is great for this reason as well. It's very user friendly and extremely simple! 

What Is Your Favorite Movie?

This is such a hard question for me. Seriously I'm probably the biggest movie buff and I have so many favorites that I love. I'm a huge fan of anything comedy, so I would say my two favorites are Bride Wars (yes, that horribly cheesy wedding movie with Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson), and This is the End. I also am obsessed with The Blind Side even though I don't really like football, haha!

How Do You Get Your Eyelashes So Thick/Long?

I was seriously gifted with the best eyelashes in the genetic lottery. I have naturally dark and long lashes, but I normally layer a few different mascaras to really intensify them. I use Doucce's Punk Volumizing mascara, Covergirl Lash Bloom, and I recently got a sample of Urban Decay's Perversion mascara which is seriously AMAZING.

What Is Your Favorite Form Of Social Media?

Another tough one, but I would have to say it's a tie between Instagram and Pinterest. I love Instagram because I feel like I can connect to you all a lot better and you can't really beat seeing all the highlights of your day to day life in one place. I also love Pinterest because I get so much inspiration on there! I essentially use Pinterest like Google most of the time when I'm looking for something to eat, do, or make. So I would say Instagram is my favorite for both blogging and personal reasons, but Pinterest is mostly personal since it's difficult to connect with readers there!

What Are Your Blogging Goals For Your Next Blog Anniversary?

I always make my number one goal to remain consistent with my blogging. I want to commit to my two posts a week without skipping! I also hope to at least double my readership, but I also want to connect with my readers more. I love responding to all of the wonderful comments I get here and on social media, and it's so incredible to see how far my blog has come in these two years, I can't wait to see what will happen in year three. 

A huge thank you to everyone who has read my blog, helped me out here, left a kind comment or sent me an email. You all mean so much to me and I'm glad I can provide happiness and inspiration to you. This blog has grown into a job that I love doing, and I really have you all to thank!