Jilly Interviews: Shabby Chic and Tea

It's Jilly from mynameisjilly and I'm back with another interview, this time with Natalie from Shabby Chic and Tea (Shabbychicandtea.blogspot.co.uk)! I hope you enjoy this interview, it's great getting an insight into the thoughts of such amazing bloggers!

So, Natalie, give us a quick insight into you?

My name is Natalie MacDonald, I am eighteen and I have a blog, Shabby Chic and Tea. I live in the Highlands of Scotland, it rains pretty much every day but when the sun decides to show it's face, it's a beautiful place to be!

What made you decide to begin blogging?

I decided to start blogging when I started watching the beauty and fashion gurus on YouTube (Zoella) and reading their blogs in 2010. I knew I would never have the confidence to start a YouTube channel, so blogging seemed to be the next best thing. I have had a few different blog names over the past 4 years, I deleted my first blog then started up Shabby Chic and Tea.

A lot of bloggers start out because of other bloggers, did you have any blogging inspirations?

I have lots of favourite bloggers who inspire me daily but if I was to name one person who has inspired me the most it would have to be Zoe (Zoella), she was the first blogger I discovered back in the day!

If a new blogger asked you for some advice, what would you tell them?

The best advice I can give new bloggers is, even though you feel like your talking to yourself at first, your audience gradually grows, people are reading your blog, it just takes time to get yourself noticed but it's all worth it in the end! I would also advise you to make a Twitter account for your blog, I have had so many amazing opportunities crop up because of my blogs Twitter account. It's so handy for tweeting your latest blog posts, meeting new people and getting into beauty and fashion chats by using hashtags and replying to the people you follow.

Now we all know bloggers have lives outside blogging, how do you fit blogging around your schedule?

I fit my blog around my job and social life by taking plenty of outfit and product photos on my days off and then typing up lots of posts at one time, then scheduling them for the following weeks. I tend to post 3/4 times a week. it is much more stress free that way!

How would you describe your blog to someone who has never read it?

A very detailed database of where most of my money disappears to..!

What would you say that you enjoy the most about blogging?

I love the interaction with everyone and the lovely people I have become friends with. The blogging community is full of so many pleasant people, I'm happy to be a part of it. I don't notice any bitchiness or nasty comments, just lots of decent people with all the same interests, hanging out in one corner of the internet.

Thank you to Natalie for taking part in the interview and ScotBloggers for giving me the amazing opportunity to do something that I love and reach a wider audience! Remember you can find Natalie on twitter (@shabbychicndtea) and me too (@mynameisjilly)!