Reader Q&A

Hi loves! Lately I've been getting a lot of questions about my career, my blog, and my life in general. So I thought I'd take some time to cover some of your most frequently asked questions in one post.

The Smart Girl's Guide to Starting a Blog: Part Four

photo via: The Everygirl

Hi lovelies! Ever since Sparkle & Mine really started taking off, I've had a lot of readers and friends reaching out asking me how to go about starting a blog. I'm often asked what my "secret" is to making my blog successful. And the truth is, there is no magical way to become an overnight hit. The advice I always give is to work hard, be patient, and learn everything you can about the world of blogging.

Of course, that's easier said than done. When I first started out, I was completely in over my head. I had no experience in blogging, and no contacts or resources to help me. So I did what I do best, I Googled. Every question that popped into my head as I went along, I painstakingly combed through page after page on the internet to find the answer. How do you get your blog seen? Where can you find design tools to customize your blog? How can you earn money with a blog? I was definitely giving my search bar a workout.

Since I love you all so very much, I don't want you to have to take the long way like I did. So I've started a new post series where I answer all of those questions and a whole lot more. I hope that by the end of this series, I will have created a thorough guide to starting a blog that makes the process easy and fun! I absolutely love the world of blogging, and I am so excited to share my experiences and insight with all of you!

If you haven't read part three yet, you can find it here!

Now without further adieu, the final chapter in The Smart Girl's Guide!

The Smart Girl's Guide to Starting a Blog: Part Three

photo via: Southern Charm

Hi lovelies! Ever since Sparkle & Mine really started taking off, I've had a lot of readers and friends reaching out asking me how to go about starting a blog. I'm often asked what my "secret" is to making my blog successful. And the truth is, there is no magical way to become an overnight hit. The advice I always give is to work hard, be patient, and learn everything you can about the world of blogging.

Of course, that's easier said than done. When I first started out, I was completely in over my head. I had no experience in blogging, and no contacts or resources to help me. So I did what I do best, I Googled. Every question that popped into my head as I went along, I painstakingly combed through page after page on the internet to find the answer. How do you get your blog seen? Where can you find design tools to customize your blog? How can you earn money with a blog? I was definitely giving my search bar a workout.

Since I love you all so very much, I don't want you to have to take the long way like I did. So I've started a new post series where I answer all of those questions and a whole lot more. I hope that by the end of this series, I will have created a thorough guide to starting a blog that makes the process easy and fun! I absolutely love the world of blogging, and I am so excited to share my experiences and insight with all of you!

If you haven't read part two yet, you can find it here!

Now, let's get started on part three!

The Smart Girl's Guide to Starting a Blog: Part Two

photo via: Style Me Pretty 

Hi lovelies! Ever since Sparkle & Mine really started taking off, I've had a lot of readers and friends reaching out asking me how to go about starting a blog. I'm often asked what my "secret" is to making my blog successful. And the truth is, there is no magical way to become an overnight hit. The advice I always give is to work hard, be patient, and learn everything you can about the world of blogging.

Of course, that's easier said than done. When I first started out, I was completely in over my head. I had no experience in blogging, and no contacts or resources to help me. So I did what I do best, I Googled. Every question that popped into my head as I went along, I painstakingly combed through page after page on the internet to find the answer. How do you get your blog seen? Where can you find design tools to customize your blog? How can you earn money with a blog? I was definitely giving my search bar a workout.

Since I love you all so very much, I don't want you to have to take the long way like I did. So I've started a new post series where I answer all of those questions and a whole lot more. I hope that by the end of this series, I will have created a thorough guide to starting a blog that makes the process easy and fun! I absolutely love the world of blogging, and I am so excited to share my experiences and insight with all of you!

If you haven't read part one yet, you can find it here!

Now, let's get started on part two!

The Smart Girl's Guide to Starting a Blog: Part One

Image Source: Style Me Pretty

Hi lovelies! Ever since Sparkle & Mine really started taking off, I've had a lot of readers and friends reaching out asking me how to go about starting a blog. I'm often asked what my "secret" is to making my blog successful. And the truth is, there is no magical way to become an overnight hit. The advice I always give is to work hard, be patient, and learn everything you can about the world of blogging.

Of course, that's easier said than done. When I first started out, I was completely in over my head. I had no experience in blogging, and no contacts or resources to help me. So I did what I do best, I Googled. Every question that popped into my head as I went along, I painstakingly combed through page after page on the internet to find the answer. How do you get your blog seen? Where can you find design tools to customize your blog? How can you earn money with a blog? I was definitely giving my search bar a workout.

Since I love you all so very much, I don't want you to have to take the long way like I did. So I've started a new post series where I answer all of those questions and a whole lot more. I hope that by the end of this series, I will have created a thorough guide to starting a blog that makes the process easy and fun! I absolutely love the world of blogging, and I am so excited to share my experiences and insight with all of you!

Now, let's get started!

How To Take the Perfect Selfie!

Hello lovelies! We all have those moments when we're looking really good, and we want to show it off in a photo. And as much as we'd like our selfies to seem effortless, the truth is they take a lot of work to get just right! So today, I'll be sharing some of my favorite tips and tricks for posting that perfect selfie!

My Apartment Tour!

Hi lovelies! Get excited, because today is a big day! You know why? After months of requests and promising I'll post it any day now, I AM FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO SHOWING YOU GUYS MY APARTMENT! Basically every time I was ready to publish the pictures, I thought of something in the room I wanted to change. Whether it was a frame I wanted to move, or a new pillow I wanted to add, there was always some reason why it wasn't right. So I have finally just accepted that it will never be perfect, but I hope that I can at least provide you all with a little inspiration for your own rooms!

5 Amazing Apps Every Girl Needs To Have!

Hello lovelies! Since I shared How To Primp Your Phone with Cocoppa, I've gotten tons of requests to share some of my other favorite apps! And since I'm basically obsessed with my iPhone, it's definitely a subject I love to chat about. So without further adieu, here are a few of my very favorite apps that every girl should have!

(More) Home Decor Finds Under $40!

Hi lovelies! As I've been getting settled in my new apartment, I've really started figuring out what I like and what I don't as far as decor goes. Some of the items I originally purchased just aren't fitting in as well as I thought they would, and others have turned out to be even better than I expected! So today I wanted to share some of my favorite furniture and accent pieces- all for under $40!

School Sparkle: Space Savers for Your Dorm!

Hi lovelies! Can you believe how much Summer has absolutely flown by? For most of us, it's already almost time to go back to school! So while I take a few moments to mourn the end of another summer break and gear up for the new year, I'll be bringing you guys a brand new series of back-to-school posts courtesy of some of my very favorite guest bloggers! 

Next up is Emma from It's Emma Elise to share some seriously amazing storage solutions for your living space!

School Sparkle: How To Decorate Your Space While Studying Abroad!

Hi lovelies! Can you believe how much Summer has absolutely flown by? For most of us, it's already almost time to go back to school! So while I take a few moments to mourn the end of another summer break and gear up for the new year, I'll be bringing you guys a brand new series of back-to-school posts courtesy of some of my very favorite guest bloggers! 

First up is Trina from Tales of a Fluorescent Adolescent to share some super useful tips for decorating your room while studying abroad! 

How-To: Primp Your Phone with Cocoppa!

Hi lovelies! A while back I posted a photo on Twitter of my pretty-fied home screen and I had a ton of people asking me how I did it. And now that I just got a brand new iPhone, I figured this was the perfect time to demonstrate! The app I used to get these cute icons and background is called Cocoppa, and today I'll be sharing a complete guide on how to get your phone to look like this!

Home Decor Finds Under $40!

Hi lovelies! I've been doing quite a lot of online shopping for home decor lately since I'm working on getting everything together for my new studio apartment. And I have to say, apartment shopping is hard work! Sometimes it feels like finding a needle in a haystack searching through page after page on website after website trying to find something I love. So to save you guys the same trouble, I've put together a collection of some of my home decor favorites so far (all under $40)!

25 Easy DIY Projects for the Home!

Hello lovelies! As I've already talked about in my post on the best websites to shop for home decor, I'm a little decorating obsessed lately! I'll be moving into my first apartment this Fall, and I really want to fill it with pretty things that will inspire me and make the place feel like home. So I decided to make a list of all the DIY projects I plan on making for my apartment! These ideas are all super easy to make, because to be quite honest I am not the most patient or DIY-saavy person in the world and these are about all I can handle. If you couldn't tell already, you'll know by the end of this post that I really love all things bright and sparkly!

My Favorite Things! ♥ May 2013

Happy June everyone! June is one of my favorite months of the year because it means that summer is finally here! That means beautiful weather, more time to spend with friends & family, and best of all...more blog posts! 

Before I get too excited over all the fun stuff coming up in June, I thought I would give you guys a quick look at all my favorite things from the month of May. As usual, it's a pretty random mix of makeup, fashion, and various other things that I've been loving this month! 

So with that being said, let's get started!

The Best Sites to Shop for Chic and Affordable Home Decor!

I have some really exciting news to share with you guys- I'll be getting my first ever apartment this Fall! Words cannot even express how excited I am to finally move out on my own and have my own space! And of course, this new apartment will be the perfect excuse to go on some serious home decor hauls!

As you guys know, it's always my mission to find the best deals out there, and that definitely does not stop when it comes to this stuff! I've been doing a lot of investigating around the internet to find online stores that sell home decor that is both cute and budget-friendly. And let me tell you, it's not as easy as you'd think! I feel like I have a pretty good list for you guys though, I hope it helps anyone else out there who is moving into a new place or just sprucing up wherever they are living now!

My Favorite Things ♥ April 2013

Happy May 1st! I am so excited that the weather is finally starting to warm up around me! Summer is almost here, I can feel it! And of course, with the passing of another month I have a whole bunch of products that I've been loving, and I want to share them with you guys! I have quite a few beauty products I've been wearing pretty much nonstop, and as usual a few other random obsessions thrown in. So let's go ahead and jump into everything!

My Favorite Things ♥ March 2013

Happy April 1st, everyone! Is it just me, or did March seriously just fly by? It's been such a fun month and I have discovered so many awesome new things that I decided to start a brand new series of posts all about my favorite things each month. I'll be talking about everything from my favorite cosmetics and clothes to other random favorites like TV shows and food. So let's get started!