There are so many fabulous bloggers out there, and we want to
highlight them on Cityline.ca. We’ll be profiling different lifestyle
bloggers from month to month — they might write about food, fashion,
beauty, décor, parenting, entertaining, gardening, you get the idea! For November 2012, we’re putting the spotlight on the fabulous mom blog, So Fawned.
Run by Desiree Fawn, the blog is a sweet and honest look at motherhood, full of great stories and stunning photographs. Here’s our Q&A with Desiree:
When did you start So Fawned and what was the inspiration behind starting the blog? How did you come up with your blog’s name?
When I began the blog on August 1st, 2008, I was pregnant with my daughter, Gretchen, and I wanted a way to keep track of life, memories, and my little one when she arrived. I had always been someone who enjoyed keeping a journal and had blogged for years before, but never more than snippets here and there. I began to read other blogs from mothers all over the world and thought I’d give it a go!
The name So Fawned comes from the desire to incorporate my middle name, Fawn, into the title. It is also my Twitter handle. I have local friends now who will refer to me as “sofawned” because our first encounters were via social media. My daughter’s middle name is also Fawn, so it’s a bit of tradition. I get emails all the time from blog readers showing me deer related items that made them think of me, or they’ll send mail and presents to my little one and myself. I’m always so humbled to think a person I’ve only known online, thought about me when they were out and about or at a thrift shop.
On your blog, you post about a variety of different topics, from your life as a mom to your fun finds on the internet. What do you like about posting on a variety of topics? What are your favourite types of posts to write?
The tagline of my blog reads, “My life, love, inspirations, style, motherhood & tea.” This is me in a nutshell. I love being able to share stories from my daily life, quotes from my daughter, a geeky item I spotted in an online shop, a song I can’t get out of my head, an outfit I’m wearing, a recipe and the things that make my heart flutter. It’s an outlet which has brought me close to a wonderful community of fellow bloggers, readers and friends.
My favourite posts to write are often about funny or ridiculous moments. I don’t have whatever gene it is that people need to feel embarrassed, so when something nutty happens, I love sharing it on the blog. I hope my readers get a chuckle from me! I also love sharing photos from my life with my daughter. She’s my heart and soul and the fact that she’ll be four this January simply astounds me. I’ve grown so much as a mother and as a human since starting So Fawned & I love sharing mothering moments, the good and the tough. There’s a kinship when other mamas comment or chat with me about experiences that we’re both going through and beyond. I love seeing other bloggers grow and change through motherhood as I have, and seeing their littles grow up is amazing. I know there are several blogs I started reading when they were pregnant with their first babe, and now it’s like we’ve grown together and watched our children turn from babies to tots.
It’s a very special sort of connection, that despite often never meeting in person, we’ve touched each other’s lives in important ways.
As a mom blogger, you balance a fine line between what you share online about your child and what you don’t. How do you decide what you’re comfortable with sharing?
I enjoy sharing bits about our life and family. I have never felt uncomfortable about sharing images of my daughter on the blog. I understand that for some bloggers, sharing the names/images of their children isn’t something which sits well, but in four years of blogging I’ve never felt a threat or worry.
As Gretchen grows, if there comes a time when she decides she doesn’t want images posted or videos or stories, I will respect her wishes. As is it, she often asks to see photos of herself on my blog. She loves when I scroll through and show her old videos from when she was tiny. It’s special to me to have this accessible “baby book” at my fingertips.
What do you hope readers get from visiting your blog?
A laugh! A smile! I hope they leave feeling optimistic. I often read other blogs and take away a sense of “we can do it!” or “I can handle anything” or “life is good, no matter what happens”. It’s uplifting to connect with others through the blog, and my heart is so happy when I see comments of support and friendship under my posts. My readers connecting with each other, with myself. It just feels great!
I hope they’ll leave with ideas and hopes and dreams. Because that’s what they leave me.
Tell us about a post (or two!) that you’re particularly proud of and want to share with Cityline.ca readers.
My birth story is one of the most viewed posts on my blog and I love sharing that experience with others. I had a wonderful homebirth, so this post is very special to my heart.
Currently I’m working on my 3rd annual #30DaysHathNovember series and I’m honoured that my readers have been joining in each year!
I’ve also been doing #FawnedFriday (almost!) every Friday since 2009!
What are some other blogs you love reading?
There are many blogs which I try to read or at least visit regularly, but there are a handful which I’m always sure to visit. Some very talented, inspiration, lovely ladies!
I also write for Mom Spark, so I definitely check it regularly 😉
What’s your top advice for other bloggers?
Have fun with it! If you’re not having fun, you won’t post very often, you won’t enjoy it and you’ll get frustrated. Blogging is fun and if I didn’t LOVE it, it wouldn’t be such a big part of my life. And I know it always will be 🙂
We want to hear from you! Do you know a blogger we should feature on Cityline.ca? Maybe it’s you! Email us at submissions@cityline.ca
and include “Cityline Featured Blogger” in the subject line. And don’t
forget to include a link to the blog! Look forward to hearing from you!