Behind The Blog featuring Shelly Ray…

Howdy chums,

Firstly a huge thanks to everyone who checked out yesterdays post How To Deep Clean & Remove Grubby Stains from your Blender Sponge. As a bit of a neat freak, I’m a stickler for keeping things clean and tidy – and my makeup sponges are no exception! So many of you found it a really useful little formula, and I can honestly say it’s worked wonders for me – heck just check out the final results, they speak for themselves ladies 😉 I forgot to mention, if any of you’s are giving it a go do let me know how you’s get on, I’d love an update. And thank y’all from the bottom of my socks for leaving such awesome tips of your own too!!

However onto today’s post as I get down to introducing our second blogger of the week, the lovely Shelly Ray from her lifestyle blog Shelly Ray, Ramblings of a 20 Something. Shelly’s blog is a fun mixture of thoughts, musings, reviews and life updates… sprinkled with a dose of wanderlust and personal ramblings. From posts on landing an exciting new job to long distance relationships, Shelly writes from the heart and with a few awesome tips along the way from her own experiences. It’s personal, friendly, welcoming and a generally lovely blog to catch up on, so if this sounds something a little truly unique to cast your eyes upon then do get yourself over and check it out!

However before you go anywhere; pour yourself a cuppa & curl up for five whilst we take a peek behind the blog…

In only 5 words describe what readers can expect from your blog:

Fun, personal opinions and insights.

.

What inspired you to start blogging?

My dad is actually the person who first suggested I start a blog. He writes a blog for his business, and he thought I might enjoy it too! Turns out, he was right. I tried blogging a few times in high school and then really got into it when I studied abroad for a semester in Spain.

.

Tell us about your blog name… what made you decide on it?

My blog name is actually just my first and middle name. When I was younger I thought that Shelly Ray could be my stage name when I became a famous actress, but a blog will have to do for now.

.

Do you ever suffer from Blogger’s Block & if so how do you overcome it?

Oh yes, I definitely suffer from it. I’ll go through phases of having no problem writing, and then phases of suddenly having no ideas and no motivation to blog. What helps me is to actually set a day and time that I want to commit to writing so that I can’t keep making excuses. I also like to get out of the house and head to a coffee shop to write, because once I’m there I don’t have the option of watching YouTube or TV instead of writing!

.

What’s your favourite post to date?

I think my favorite post would have to be Be proud of yourself. I had a moment of inspiration, headed to a coffee shop, and just typed away until I finished it. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from it, and it also just made me feel really good to get my feelings written down like that.

.

Describe your everyday clothes style:

I would say my everyday style is casual-chic (I just made up that term on the spot, aren’t I clever?) I tend to go for comfort over fashion and can hardly ever be caught wearing heels or a dress. However, I do like to look put together and cute. A nice sweater, jeans and boots is my go-to for Winter.

.

How do you like to relax & unwind after a stressful day?

I like to come home, make a hot cup of tea and/or treat myself to a yummy dessert and watch some YouTube, or whatever TV show I am into at the moment.

.

Describe your ideal Saturday night:

My ideal Saturday night would be very relaxed and low-key. I would probably want to go out to dinner somewhere new, then invite some friends over to play Cards Against Humanity or something fun like that, and just hang out. Nothing too crazy.

.

What’s your most cherished childhood memory?

When I was eleven, my parents, younger sister and I went on a six-week-long vacation and visited a bunch of different states! We camped for part of it and stayed in hotels for part of it and just had an awesome time exploring new places.

.

What was your favourite school subject?

My favorite subject was always English in high school, because I love reading and writing. In college I took some fun electives like Film Music where I learned all about movie soundtracks.  

.

What’s your dream job?

 I would love to be an author. I’ve had a few ideas for books throughout the years, but never taken the time to actually write one. I think being a full-time writer would be awesome!

.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself in more of a leadership/influential role in my career, with a successful blog and maybe even a book written (or at least partly written). As far as my personal life, I see myself being married by that point, which is kind of crazy to think about. But also exciting!

.

What top 5 things are on your bucket list?

The top item on my bucket list would have to be writing a book, like I just explained. As for the other four, I actually can’t think of specific things besides that I really want to travel more! So I’ll give my top four travel destinations: Brazil, Greece, Norway, Germany.

.

What’s your biggest achievement to date?

I would say my biggest achievement would be studying abroad. It’s actually the topic that got me started with blogging (check out my study abroad blogs). But I was really really nervous to leave behind my friends and family for an entire semester, and it was very difficult at times, but I got through it and I will always look back on my time abroad and feel proud of myself for doing it!

.

Who inspires you?

My family and friends are my main inspirations. I feel really lucky to be surrounded by amazing people in my life.

.

Do you have a favourite inspirational quote?

“Close your eyes and imagine the best version of you possible. That’s who you really are; let go of any part of you that doesn’t believe it.” C. Assaad

 .

What top tips would you give to someone who is thinking of starting their own blog?

My main tip is to just go for it! You won’t know if it’s for you until you try it. I also recommend to be patient and stick with it. As I said above, Bloggers Block is definitely a real thing and sometimes blogging might feel more like a chore than a hobby. But if you stick with it I promise it will be worth it!

 .

 

QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:

Tea or Coffee = Tea

Coke or Pepsi = Neither. I actually never drink soda.

Messy mayhem or Super Organised = Super organized

Cute kitten or Playful puppy = Both!

Night In or Night Out = Night in

Heels or Flats = Flats

Lip Stick or Lip Gloss = Lip stick

Rock Chick or Pop Princess = Pop Princess

Paperback or E-book = Paperback

Contact Shelly:

Twitter: @shellycrossland

Instagram: @shellycrossland

Blog: shellyray.wordpress.com

…

Don’t forget: If you would like your blog featured on Behind The Blog then get in touch via the contact page by clicking *here*, I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for reading & of course do say hi in the comments below… we adore a good chatter here on Confetti & Curves