A big Bang on Style Q & A post

BLOGGING

Q1 WHAT MADE YOU GET INTO BLOGGING?

I started my blog back in 2011 alongside an online vintage store. The store was called Bang On Vintage and Bang On Style a blogspot.co.uk blog was supposed to be to show how you could style vintage into your everyday wardrobe. In 2013 I closed my shop and kept my blog going as I loved sharing my style and fashion posts. Eventually I moved to my own domain and then in 2015 migrated my blog to WordPress self hosted. Last June 2016 I left my Theatre job and went full time on the blog.

Q2 WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM FOR BLOGGING? DO YOU EVER GET WRITERS BLOCK?

I think all bloggers get writing block and I think it happens so much more when you start doing it for a living. I get inspiration all the time for posts and have a little list of ideas in my phone which I add to every time an idea pops in to my head. I also keep an excel document list including post ideas, posts I need to write and old posts that I can go back to and refresh or update.

When I do get writers block the best thing to do is to step away from the computer for a while and go do something else, I also find meeting up with some of my local blogger friends for a coffee or lunch and a brainstorm can really help and I’m lucky that I have them. I wrote a post 8 Reasons I’m Grateful to Have Blogger Friends.

Q3 WHATS YOUR TOP BLOGGING TIP?

Write what YOU love to read. Often you can get so bogged down trying to create content that other people will love that it takes the joy out of it for yourself. I like to create content that I myself would click on to read and this means I’m much more picky now with my collaborations. I used to accept all sorts of collaborations from dresses, to party outfits and non of them were 100% me. Now I know my own style and I try to keep all my content sponsored and non sponsored very true to this. So I guess my second tip is don’t say yes to everything!

Q4 WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE POSTS TO WRITE?

I love writing posts that are a bit more personal or opinion based, I find these the easiest to write. Often I struggle to know what to write under an outfit post apart from “This is what I wore, do you like it?” but more personal posts like An Honest Look Back at 2016 or tech tips posts like my Top Tips for Outfit Photos or Olympus Pen Camera Settings flow easier on to the page. I also LOVE my DIY and Home Posts just because I am a huge interiors fan and to be honest would quite happily blog only that for the rest of my life.

Q5 WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT BLOGGING? AND WHATS YOUR LEAST?

My favourite thing about blogging is that its really opened up my friendship circle and given me the chance to experience some incredible things like NYC with Michael Buble Fragrance, or Babbington House with Nina Ricci. I never take for granted that I am so lucky to get to do this job. My least favourite thing is that it can be a brutal business especially if you do it full time. There can be so much bitchiness and negativity and often its very hard not to get a bit green eyed when you see other bloggers at events you wished you’d been invited to. But you just have to try and concentrate on the positive things happening to you and not worry about others. Easier said than done mind and I know I’m not the only blogger who struggles with this sometimes.

Q6 DO YOU PLAN ANY BLOG COLLABORATIONS THIS YEAR?

I have some very exciting blog collaborations coming over the next few months but most I can’t talk about yet but I can tell you the brands I haven’t worked with yet and would love to. I love Primark and would love to do a big collaboration with them one day. I’m also a huge Marks and Spencers fan and again would love to do a fashion collaboration with them one day. Dream collaboration for me would have to be something Disney or Harry Potter related!!

Q7 WHO HAS BEEN THE BEST BRAND YOU HAVE WORKED WITH AND WHY?

There are so many lovely brands to work with and lots of them who go to so much effort with collaborations and events but by far the best brand has been Michael Buble fragrance who gave us the most amazing trip and looked after us so well whilst we were in NYC. Plus it was all part organised by the gorgeous Hayley from London Beauty Queen which means it really was organised with bloggers in mind.

Q8 HOW DIFFICULT WAS THE DECISION TO BECOME A FULL TIME BLOGGER?

For many the decision to go full time is financial, they reach a point where they can afford to cover their bills etc with their blog income. My decision was much more complicated than that.  I was unhappy in my full time job and worked sooo many hours, so decided to leave to work on my blog for a better quality of life, more time with family and hopefully a happier existence. My husband supports me financially and we set a target I needed to achieve each month to pay towards bills etc with a view to reviewing it in January 2017 to see if it was working. I earn my income through blogging, freelance photography and my Etsy Shop. I’m happy to say I smashed my target every month and so I’m continuing to be a full time blogger. I would advise that you need a good amount of savings behind you which I had and you need to make sure you have a good support network around you as it can be very nerve wracking not knowing where your money is coming from each month.

Q9 WHERE WOULD YOU LOVE TO SEE YOUR BLOG/BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS?

I would love to still be blogging in 5 years. I suspect that my blog may move more into the home and DIY category in the coming years especially if we decide to have children, but who knows! I also would love to have expanded my Etsy shop too to make even more products.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Q10 WHAT SETTINGS DO YOU USE FOR OUTFIT SHOTS?

I got asked this question so much that I actually wrote a couple of posts to help. My Olympus Pen Settings and My Top Tips for Outfit Posts.

Q11 WHAT CAMERA AND EDITING PROGRAM DO YOU USE FOR PHOTOS?

I shoot all my photos on the Olympus pen with a mix of kit lens, 45mm and 17mm lens. I edit all my photos in Photoshop CC on my pc and use Afterlight and Snapseed on my phone. I have been asked to do a post on both of these so may do in the future.

Q12 WHY DON’T YOU DO YOUTUBE?

This question came up a few times. I used to have a Youtube channel and had planned to relaunch it last December but ended being so busy with blogging, photography and just life that I never got round to it. I would love to do more videos and people on twitter voted a big fat yes to me making weekly vlogs but I’ll be honest the time to edit totally puts me off.  I would love to do DIY vids so please do let me know in the comments if you would watch!

Q13 WHAT BLOGS AND VLOGS DO YOU READ AND WATCH?

I love to read Hannah Gales blog, not least because she’s a friend of nine but also because her writing style is so chatty and conversational. I also love Olivia Purvis’s beautiful photography and outfit style and The Frugality’s incredibly casual but dressy and cool style. Youtube wise I like to watch Tiny Twists hair tutorials and Lily Melrose videos who I’ve been a fan of for years.

FASHION

Q14 HOW DO YOU FIND TIME TO DO OUTFIT POSTS?

Even though I blog full time I do shoot the majority of my outfits at the weekend still with my husband. Often we’ll shoot several looks all in one go which will usually be things I’ve worn in the week and didn’t get chance to get snaps of. In the week I shoot other blogger for their outfit posts but sometimes I might meet up with a fellow blogger to get each other snaps.

Q15 WHERE ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO SHOP?

I do love Primark, I’ve shopped there for years and just love how affordable it is. I also spend a lot in H&M and New Look as well as Marks and Spencers and Wallis. Recently I’ve been loving Missguided and did a couple of posts recently featuring some gorgeous items from there and I’m also loving Joanie Clothing which if you haven’t checked out does the cutest tee’s and jumpers.

PERSONAL

Q16 WHEN ARE WE MOVING HOUSE AND WHY?

We’re hoping to have moved by end of June. We love our house now but really wanted a detached house and one with a driveway. Plus we’d always dreamt of living in a village and so when we found a house in the cutest village with a local pub, village green and a train station with trains in to London we snapped it up. I’ve been sharing all our decor plans in my Home Diaries posts.

Q17 WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER HOBBIES BESIDES BLOGGING?

I love walking my dogs Eddie and Gus, both rescue Jack Russell’s and I do love home DIY and being crafty so I’m always making or decorating something. I’ve also just recently joined the gym so have been going to pilates once a week too.

Q18 WHATS YOUR TRAVEL WISHLIST FOR 2017?

As we are moving house this year and doing some work to it to extend it almost straight away a holiday looks very unlikely but I would love to go back to Frigiliana and stay in a private villa again and would also really love to go to Iceland and Mexico one day. And of course I would love to go back to NYC or the Maldives again.

Q20 WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY EVER?

My honeymoon to the Maldives was incredible and in fact I’ve been thinking of blogging the resort we stayed in. I shared lots of my honeymoon outfits if you want to see how I looked 3 years ago!!! eek. The holiday was a just a dream and everything from the setting to the food was brilliant.

I really hope you enjoyed my Q&A post. If you have a question that isn’t here then do ask in the comments and I can always add it in!

Debs

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