Blogging | absoluteleigh

May 11

Come meet this week’s Featured Blogger, Candice DeVille from Super Kawaii Mama

When did you start your blog?

I started blogging on the 17th February 2008 so my blog has just turned two years old! It has become such a big part of my life that it feels like I’ve always done it. candice

Why did you start blogging?

A few reasons. One is that as a stay at home mum I was beginning to feel very isolated, especially seeing as I didn’t fit the traditionally “mummy” role nor did I feel the need to conform. I found I was starting to cop a lot of criticism from other local mothers about the way I dressed and decided that I wanted to write about my style and how being myself through fashion was a brilliant way to feel good. Initially the blog began as a self indulgent way to keep track of my wardrobe, with the idea that it would form some sort of personal fashion data base a’la Clueless! Also, I have worked in such a variety of roles of the years that I wanted to find a way to bring all my skills together and to share all the knowledge I’ve learnt. Blogging was the perfect answer!

Describe your blog in 20 words or less

Look beyond the little black dress and find glamour in your everyday. Imagination and joy are your best style friends.

What are your 5 must have tools for blogging?

A digital camera (it doesn’t have to be fancy) and a good eye for photography.
A voice recorder for notes on the go.
A (very) basic knowledge of HTML or CSS
A quite(ish) space
A thick skin!

What is your favourite part of being a blogger?

One of my goals when I started blogging was to try and connect with like minded people. I’ve been overwhelmed by how many amazing people I’ve met and become great friends with. No woman is an island! That and being able to work around the hours my young family keeps so that I can follow my dreams and still watch them achieve theirs!

What would be the biggest thing you have learnt since starting your blog?

Blogging as a career choice is not as easy as it is made out to be. I have never worked harder or kept longer hours in my life! Also, for me it is highly addictive and I struggle to ever ‘turn off’ and relax without some internet connection at hand.

If you could start again, what would you do differently?

Remember that not everyone reading your blog has the best intentions and once you put it out there you have very little control over how your work can be used.

What has been your blog’s biggest achievement?

Signing a deal to create a Super Kawaii Mama capsule fashion collection for a local Australian label!

What advice would do you have for new bloggers?

Know how much of yourself you want to share, know where to draw the line. Know your limits and use your energy to create positive connections.

Do you (or do you plan to) make any income from your blog?

Yes, my blog has become part of my job these days. It was never intended to be that way but as the hours I put into it grew to become more than full time, I realised that the only way to continue to deliver was to find some financial support for all those hours work. However, one of the first things I did was to create a code of conduct for myself so I would always remember why I was writing, for whom and retain the integrity of the page.

What future goals do you have for your blog?

I do have a bit of a road map, but I also try to be flexible and see where it takes me. The main goal is to continue to grow and evolve without losing the central theme to the blog or being overly influenced by what other people in the same space are doing.

Who are your 5 favourite women bloggers and why?

Nubby Twiglet – Extremely well written content, great design inspiration and incredibly helpful. I so admire her strong, clean and organised style.

Amelia Arsenic – She’s aesthetically strong and courageous, has a brilliant business mind and is infinitely creative both as a musician, designer and model.

Jennine Tamm – Author and creator of the IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers). She’s brought together a cohesive community of fashion bloggers from around the world, helping them through what is a potential mine field as well as being a driving force behind fashion bloggers validation as ‘real’ media.

Violet Le Beaux – She’s a brilliant friend and we are so often on the same creative wave length- as well as she’s a bloody nice girl!

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: featured

May 05

Alex, Blogging, Calais, Gemini, Kitteh

Noiceities-Kitteh Snuggles and twat rugs

For ease of use, Noice-ities is now freestyle. So each week I am going to share something noice, and something not noice from my week.

Noice…
Working from home today and feeling a bit flat, nothing beats kitteh snuggles. Kittehs must be cold, and I bet they aren’t really enjoying being home a lone a lot these days. So have had both the chocolate babies fighting over who gets to sit right in my face. Alex is happier to ride in the back seat.

And now for the Not Noice…and well, just plain creepy!

We were out rug shopping on the weekend and spotted this, and all I could think of was THESE cupcakes.

The whispering eye rug…who in their right mind would buy that?? (click to bigify)

No..we didn’t

We did get a bargain tho, the rug we got was originally $899 and we got it for $220..woo!

Filed Under: Alex, Blogging, Calais, Gemini, Kitteh

Apr 25

Blogging, Nomnom

Noice-ities- What’s your fav winter recipe?

So this weeks Noice-ities theme is What is your fav winter recipe?

Hmm, this is a tough one for me, as most of my cuisine comes from a packet *hehe*. I love looking at food blogs, tastespotting and Food gawker. I am often buying food mags, but generally its all just to look at the pretty pictures, because I never get around to making anything from them. I really need cooking lessons or something.

My pantry is a little over run with packet mixes. I sure its equal parts lack of cooking skillz and just lazy that has me hooked on the packet mix. So, if we can include favourite winter recipe bases, mine would be (not pictured here) Masterfoods Slow cooker Farmhouse chicken casserole. Gotta love the slow cooker, perfect for the lazy, less skilled cooks

Ok, so if I have to play properly with a for reals recipe that wasn’t from a packet, it would be this. Potato bake is manpets all time fav. I, on the other hand am not keen. So it takes some bribery for me to make it.

Saw this recipe on Huey one day and thought I’d give it a try. Apparently he stole it from Donna Hay. It is super yummy, everyone loves it (which is rare, there is always at least one person that doesn’t like something)

Potato and ham high pie

3 large potatoes, peeled
olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
cooking oil spray
shortcrust pastry sheets
250 gm sliced leg ham
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
5 large eggs
1 cup cream
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
¼ cup milk

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C fan forced (200°C normal).

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender. Then drain well and, when cool enough to handle, slice thickly.

Heat a little oil in a pan and gently sauté the onions until softish.

Lightly oil a springform cake tin, line with the pastry and arrange one-third of the potatoes on top.

Then layer with one-third of the onions, the ham, parsley, thyme and seasoning. Repeat the process a couple of times finishing with a layer of ham.

Whisk 4 eggs with the cream and then carefully pour over the ham (keeping the liquid in the pastry). Top with another sheet of shortcrust, tuck in the edges and crimp the sides a bit.

Beat the remaining egg with the milk. Cut a small hole in the centre of the pastry and brush all over with the egg wash. Then cook in the oven for about 1 hour until golden brown (covering with foil if browning too much).

I haven’t made it for awhile ( to be honest, I had forgot how till I hunted down the recipe for this post LOL)

So come join in over at That’s Noice, and let us know your fav winter recipe?

Filed Under: Blogging, Nomnom

Apr 20

Blogging

My Place & Yours..Where do you blog?

This weeks theme for My place & yours over at Hello Owl was chosen by Talia and is…Where do you blog?

For me, this is pretty much it. The spaces on either side a generally filled with a meezer or 3.

I don’t really have a desk. Well, technically I do. I really wanted a roll top desk, and I got one. But it is the general dumping ground for all my stuffs, there isn’t really room for anything, let alone be able to sit there. I don’t have a desktop puter, just the laptops, so there is no real need for a desk.

I also blog from bed sometimes, too hard to take a pic of that

So, Where do you blog? Join in at My place & yours