Bloggers come to this new medium from so many different backgrounds and begin blogging for as many reasons as there are bloggers. Some are artists who speak about wanting a way to hold themselves accountable for making art – and putting your work out there on a blog can be a wonderful way to do this. Others are mamas wanting to record those small, fleeting moments of beauty that may otherwise be forgotten in the course of day-to-day life. There are travelers, students, homebodies, writers and poets, crafters and those of us just looking for a way to add a bit of creativity to our lives.

A Creative Mint

I thought it would be fun today to open up this topic for discussion, because I would really treasure hearing more about where each of you are coming from!

If you are a blogger, why did you begin blogging? Do you remember the first blog you read regularly that inspired you?

Simply Hue

What role does blogging play in your life (either as a blog author or as a reader)? How does it feed you?

A Creative Mint

If you do not yet author a blog…what’s stopping you?

{images: Laura Gaskill}

I am most at home in clean, uncluttered spaces with plenty of white to rest my eyes on…but I could never let my home go completely without color and embellishment! Whether it is a stack of vintage dishes or a pretty apron, a colorful cushion, or even a favorite bag left hanging by the door, little spots of color really cheer me up!

Everyone should have a little nook tucked away somewhere to support your passions, whether it’s for sewing and crafting, writing, reading, or dreaming the afternoon away…

…but of course what really says home to me are the people and pets in it – my sweet husband, our cat, our soon-to-be-born little one, and all of the dear friends and family who spend time with us wherever we are making our home.

It’s the little things – the handmade treasures, the art, the photographs, and the projects that required a bit of my own sweat and hard work that really make a house feel like home to me.

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved spending time at home, especially in my own room. Just puttering around, arranging this or that, lounging in my pajamas, having little snacks and tea and reading books…heaven!

To find all of the links to sources for each of the images I used in this post, see my pinboard on Pinterest. Also posting today are: size too small, krystle rose blog, ladies who brunch, lindsey bee, diana mini love, sunshine on a cloudy day, everything little miss, one sydney road, and hey, lady grey.

Unfortunately, the next blogger listed in my group to post tomorrow doesn’t seem to be a working link (see?) – if you are out there, beautifulordinary, please let me know and I will link to you!! Others going tomorrow include: solstice, beaks, ink and creative inspiration, into blossom, dot girl blog, musings of a melancholic, victoria doramus, the budget bride’s handbook, mirrormirror, and c.city.

And now, if you would like to share…what does home mean to you?

{images: sources can all be found on my pinterest pinboard}

A wonderfully romantic world filled with roses wrapped in newsprint and gauzy white summer dresses and exquisite heels…

Of charming inns with secret courtyard gardens, and dressing to the ninety-nines everyday…

…and of idyllic children’s rooms with iron bed frames and vintage curtains drifting in a summer breeze.

Go visit Haute Design to see lots more, and if you would like to read an inspiring interview with Sarah, I really enjoyed this one on Makeunder My Life. I hope you are having a lovely day out there, and I will see you back here tomorrow with a fresh Sweet Obsessions Friday!

{images: Haute Design}

Spaces like these get my creative juices flowing – aren’t you getting the urge to run down to the flea market to look for treasures? The tagline of Greige reads, “design as intended – unfinished” which is a design principle I can get behind! Ha ha! Designing your home should be an ongoing, enjoyable process as far as I’m concerned, without getting in a tizzy about making things “perfect” or all-new. A bit of roughness adds charm and character :)

Go to Greige to see more yummy interiors, as well as to reference the original sources for these gorgeous images! I will meet you back here tomorrow with a new Sweet Obsessions Friday…and to announce the winner of the Davina + Daniel giveaway – there is still time to enter tonight, so don’t forget!

{all images via Greige}

I gave myself a “homework” assignment today to rework this page because I know it is so important – not only is it the first place most new readers look when visiting a blog for the first time, but it also is an opportunity for you as the blog author to sit down and think about your intentions for the blog, perhaps even reevaluating what you initially thought your blog would be about! I know that I personally found it helpful to stop thinking of my about page from the perspective of new readers for a moment, and just really think honestly about what I want to get out of my blog, and what I would like to share with others. And I think this can work much the same way if you are preparing for a job interview – instead of allowing your nerves to take over, worrying about what your new potential boss might think of you, I find it very calming to instead think about what you want to get out of the career, and why it would be a good fit for you at this moment.

Do you have any thoughts to add? If you are a blogger, are you satisfied with your “about” page or blurb…or have you been avoiding this section of your blog as well? In the blogging e-course that I just finished, one of the lovely ladies in my group, Jane, said that having a nice about blurb right on your front page is like rolling out a welcome mat – I love that! So I am rolling out my welcome mat, people…come on in!! Take a look at my new-and-improved about page if you like – especially if you are new to Lolalina. And if any of you are struggling with the same issue, feel free to link to your own “about” page in the comments section so we can all help each other :)

{images: Laura Gaskill}

1. First up is The Happy Home, authored by Belinda in Australia. Belinda shares craft projects, decorating ideas, and inspiration – and I love the little glimpses of her home!

2. Merissa is based in Hawaii, and her blog is filled with absolutely gorgeous original photography and illustrations – such a soothing, welcoming place to spend a bit of your day!

3. Samia Kallidis of Burrs & Berries is a graphic designer and freelancer who splits her time between Toronto and Dubai. Samia features design finds daily – from art, fashion, and graphic design to interiors, there is always something to inspire!

4. Allison Langton of Bigprint Little is a textile designer and illustrator based in Melbourne – you may recognize some of Allison’s work from Australian House & Garden Magazine. Visiting her blog is such a treat because it is filled with her original work as well as wonderful finds and tips; I especially enjoyed this post on finding colour inspiration.

5. Bonnie, who authors Going Home to Roost, lives in the North Carolina mountains and writes about gardening, DIY projects, recipes, sustainable living, and creative home ideas. This is such a friendly, welcoming space to visit, and I am so impressed by how she has updated her home – check out these pics!

I hope you found someone new to visit today! And if you would like to link to any new blogs that have caught your eye recently, feel free to share them in the comments. Well, the sun is (finally!!) shining outside, so I am off to take a nice walk on the trail near my house, and then sit in my backyard with a glass of iced tea :) I will see you back here tomorrow for Sweet Obsessions Friday!

{images: linked to sources above}

Isn’t that butterfly enchanting? And it just happens to be two of my favorite things – scrumptious Amy Butler fabric and a sweet butterfly silhouette, put together in such a brilliant way. Don’t you want to give that butterfly a good home on your wall? I know I do! Alright, now let’s give the floor to Viv and hear a bit more about the inspiration behind the art.

Viv says,

I like the idea of framing your favourite fabrics to hang as art in your home but I wanted to use the fabric to create something with a bit more visual interest. That’s when I started experimenting with cutting shapes out of the fabric to frame and display.

Each piece is hand cut and, in the case of the butterflies, reassembled again like a puzzle piece. The pattern alignment is slightly different on each butterfly that I make and because each piece of the ‘puzzle’ is hand cut, each butterfly is slightly different and unique.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share a few words with us, Viv! And to speak for myself, I am going to have to tie my hands to prevent myself from ordering up a whole flock of butterflies! Go visit Viv on her blog, Ish & Chi, and see more fabric artwork along with a collection of lovely prints in her Etsy shop.

{images: Ish & Chi}

I created a little inspiration board on the inside of a file folder, the purpose being to bring focus to what I want my blog to be. The look and feel, yes, but even more so I focused on the sort of content and general direction I want to go in. As you can see from the large “draw it yourself” in the center of the folder, one of my major goals for this blog as I move forward is to introduce more original content – be it drawings, original photography, documenting my home decorating projects, travels, design classes, etc.

In this close-up view of the upper right corner, I chose a few images to represent creative spaces and studios, which I would like to feature more of here on Lolalina…and to serve as inspiration for my own workspace! And la tour eiffel is there to reflect my passion for travel :)

I chose this image of a steaming cup of tea and the words “heartfelt & handmade” to remind  myself that the little things are often most important, and that what I want most for this blog is that it continues to come from an authentic place in my heart.

And there is my little owl business card! I stuck one onto my collage because although I adore my cards (from here, by the way, and very reasonably priced!) I have yet to give away very many of them! Circling back to my intention to collaborate this year, I would like to get out there and meet fellow bloggers in person, attend events that sound interesting, and generally put myself in more situations where I will have an opportunity to give away those cute little cards – having a big stack of them sitting in my desk drawer isn’t doing me any good! And the image below my card (from a Kate Spade ad) sums up the open, spontaneous attitude that I would love to cultivate!

If you would like to create your own mini-inspiration board too, I would love to see it! Feel free to link to an image on your blog, flickr, etc. if you have something you would like to share!

{images: Laura Gaskill}

I would like to share a few resources, some that I have turned to in the past and a few that I have found more recently, that I hope might inspire you as you are making your own fresh start…

I recently found my way to Jess LC’s blog, Makeunder My Life, and I love the whole concept of simplifying and designing our own lives with intention. Check out the archives of design your life interviews for inspiration.

If you are looking to develop your personal style and fill gaps in your wardrobe this year, I loved this article (see photo above) on building your wardrobe from What I Wore. And a constant source of affordable style inspiration can be found in the Chic for Cheap column on Creature Comforts and Cheap & Chic on Melissa Loves.

I know I’ve mentioned this book before, but it just seems especially fitting for the new year – Style Statement by Danielle LaPorte and Carrie McCarthy is a book, yes, but really it is a giant questionnaire that helps you examine every aspect of your life and style, boiling it down to a powerful two-word style statement.

And this last one I will be doing this year! Gretchen Rubin started her blog The Happiness Project to increase the happiness in her own life and share tips with others trying to do the same thing. In her book which has just been released (read sample chapters here), Gretchen sets one manageable (and fun) goal each month with plenty of ideas and motivation to accomplish it.

Since this is a quiet time out there, and many of you are taking a little break as well, I have decided to give myself the gift of a few days off, returning on Monday, January 4. I will be using this time to begin organizing my home from top-to-bottom, quieting my mind with meditation and yoga, and also setting my intentions for the year ahead. If you have any sources of inspiration that you would like to share as we all head into 2010, please share! And thank you so, so, so much for being here.

Happy New Year!!!

{images: linked to individual sources above}

Oh yes, that’s right – Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy, Jean Aw of NotCot, and Heather B. Armstrong of Dooce will all be a part of the keynote panel. I mean, WOW! For their first year, the folks at Alt have managed to secure a superstar lineup. And aside from the parties, skiing, and inspiring lectures, there will also be “speed networking” sessions, where design and lifestyle bloggers can meet with potential advertisers. And, The Sundance Film Festival will be going on at the same time, only 40 minutes away if you want to sneak away from the conference to catch a film or post yourself in a cafe and people-watch. The Altitude Design Summit looks especially worthwhile if you would like to grow your blog or even make blogging a career, as this kind of networking and learning directly from pros is invaluable.

I would love to know – have you heard of this conference, and if so, what do you think? Personally, I feel that because blogging can be so solitary, any opportunity to get out there and meet real live people outside of blogland is a fantastic idea, and it is something I wish would happen more often. But at the same time, I realize that it can feel a bit intimidating, especially to meet some of your blogging “heroes” or even readers who may not have pictured you exactly the way that you really are!

{images: blog mastheads linked to individual sources above}