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 June 2012, we’re putting the spotlight on one of our favourite home décor blogs, The Sweetest Digs. Run by Gemma Bonham-Carter and chronicling everything from her own home décor and reno projects, to DIYs, to inspirational finds, we love how down-to-earth her posts are, and how she infuses her own personality and style into everything she does. Here’s our Q&A with Gemma:
When did you start The Sweetest Digs and what was your inspiration behind starting the blog? How did you come up with your blog’s name?
I started the blog in March of 2010. We had bought our first house six months earlier and were gearing up for a big basement renovation. I had been immersed in the blog world getting ideas about decorating and renovating, and realized that this might be a great way for my husband and I to chronicle our own house transformation. Little did I know I would still be blogging 2+ years later and enjoying it so much! And the name? Well, I can’t even really remember how I landed on that one. I do remember writing down a bunch of words, thinking about how I wanted to add some pretty and sweet to our own house, and somehow came up with The Sweetest Digs…and a blog was born!
On your blog, you write a range of different types of posts, from chronicling your own home décor and reno projects, to DIYs, to posting about things you find online that inspire you… What do you like about posting on a range of related topics, and what kind of posts do you prefer to write?
I have always wanted the blog to reflect my real life – not be too sugar-coated or just a compilation of successes – so I do a variety of posts (DIY, renovations, interior design, travel, life, etc). Some days I’m just dreaming of a bright orange room, so I’ll do a post on using orange in decor, whereas other days we may be putting the final touches on a room makeover and are ready to show it off. Of all the posts, I think I like writing the DIY tutorial posts the best. I try to take the reader through each step of the process, really breaking it down into small parts. My hope is that if people are keen to try the project out themselves, they won’t feel intimidated and can just go for it.
We particularly love how you chronicled all of the DIY projects you did for your wedding – very impressive! Tell us about what it was like to have such a personal stamp on so many aspects of your special day.
Our wedding was so much fun. Once I got the big stuff out of the way (venue, food, photographers, DJ, etc), I just poured over all the little details. I think those are the things that people really remember and make such a lasting impression. Rather than feeling cookie-cutter, our wedding felt totally like us: low-key, sweet, and ready to party. And while I spent hours beforehand prepping all the small details, when the actual day arrived, I loved just sitting back and taking it all in. Maybe not everything was in the exact right spot or looked exactly how I had planned, but it felt just perfect to us.
What do you hope your readers get from visiting your blog?
I truly believe that anyone can turn their home into something they
treasure and look forward to coming home to, on a small budget. All you
need is a bit of elbow grease, some patience, and imagination. I hope
that readers see me doing just that, and are inspired to show a little
love to their own house. Maybe they will learn a little something, pick
up an interesting tip or two, be inspired by a photo, or even just have a
laugh. Come along and join me for the ride!
Tell us about a post (or two!) that you’re particularly proud of and want to share with CityLine.ca readers.
It’s hard for me to pick a favourite post, as so many of our projects have become like little treasures to me. A couple favourites include my stenciled curtains (because who knew you could do that?!), my chevron ceiling (which I painted in a night at home during commercial breaks), and our black and white vinyl kitchen flooring (so budget friendly!). Oh and a really good before + after? Our recent bathroom renovation which we gutted and re-built from scratch (all for around $2500!).
What are some other blogs that you love reading?
You don’t even want to know how long my list of blog bookmarks is! You would think I’m a total computer nerd that never leaves the house. Some of my absolute favourites include fellow Canadians like Rambling Renovators, Little House Blog, and Dans le Townhouse, and others like Young House Love, House*Tweaking, Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy. For some more blog love, check out the sidebar on my blog!
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!