Featured Blogger - Sharon Pickles
Tuesday 21st of January 2014 | Category: Opinion | Written by: Sharon PicklesWhen did you start blogging, and what prompted your decision to go ahead?
I’d been reading other people’s blogs for a couple of years and I just felt that I wanted to have a go. I tuned 50 last autumn and it was a part of trying out something new as I approached anew decade.
Does blogging ‘connect’ to your working life in anyway?
I am studying part-time for a degree with the Open University and have just completed two years of creative writing; the blog is a means of self-expression in a light hearted way. The blog reflects my hobbies and interests of collecting vintage home ware, baking, charity shop bargain hunting and sewing in the context of being a mum to five children and running a busy household.
Tell us about your personal top three posts from your blog...
http://asaucystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-mum-presents-and-wardrobe.html
I started out writing the above post to enter a competition but actually, it gave me the opportunity to write about the first Christmas after my mum had died and remember the magical time we had in the midst of our deep sadness.
http://asaucystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/luscious-limoncello-cake.html
I write a regular Sunday Afternoon Tease post that features cakes and recipes and my Luscious Limoncello Cake was by far the most popular and the essence of summer.
http://asaucystitch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/charity-shop-granny-chic.html
I write every week about my charity shop bargains and this sums up how much I value buying pre-loved vintage items and giving them a new lease of life.
What do you look for when reading other blogs?
I read blogs for a variety of reasons and generally it’s because I want to be entertained, informed or inspired by other people; I love reading about other people’s creativity. I like to read blogs that are funny and witty even when dealing with tricky personal issues like mental health or personal loss; for me, it’s about having a generally positive attitude to life and all that it throws at you. I don’t tend to read the ‘ranty’ complaining type of blogs that seem to want to make an issue out of everything and anything.
How do your family and friends feel about your blogging habit?
My husband and children tend to view my blog writing with an air of amusement and mild interest! Not all my friends read it and I don’t generally court their opinions on my blog as they either like it or they don’t. Also, the things I write about are not everyone’s bag; hard to believe that not everyone is into granny chic!
What do you hope your kids will make of the blog one day?
When I started writing my blog, I was keen not to blog about my children too much and so far I have stuck to that, although this may change. I have five children, two girls aged 6 and 12 and 3 children in their twenties; they are all able to read my blog if they choose and certainly my younger girls would have strong opinions if I wrote something about them that they didn’t like. I occasionally use my little girl as a model when taking photographs and she insists on vetting the pictures that I use. I’m not writing a parenting blog and so it is not a big issue for me.
What do you enjoy about being a Trusted Blogger Club member?
As a new blogger, it was great for me to hook up with other bloggers and be a part of a larger blogging network. It also gives me a forum to step out of my normal blogging shoes and write about being a mum and parenting stuff, which I don’t usually do on my own blog.
You can only write one more post on your own blog; what would the topic be?
It would probably be a stream of consciousness as I tried to express all my dreams and hopes for life in one big breath! Life is so short and having survived many years of raising children, I would want to urge every woman out there to claim space and time for themselves in the midst of being a mum. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things, meet new people, visit new places and enjoy life to the max.
