Emily Henry - Blogger, D.C. Pioneer Woman

1.  Tell us about yourself, connection to Ave and your blog.
 I was one of a small number of final freshmen admitted to Ave Maria College before the closure of the Michigan campus. Since we were the last freshmen class, we were endearingly referred to as freshmen even throughout our sophomore year. Upon its closure, I transferred to Hillsdale College where I finished my B.A. in Classical Studies. Since then, I moved to the Washington D.C. area, where I work as a nanny by day and an online Latin instructor by night. I have been blogging for over a year, writing short stories. My newest venture is D.C. Pioneer Woman, a blog in which I enjoy sharing innovative ways to do things with small town values in the big city.

2.  What spurred you to start your own blog and what keeps you going?

There isn't a time that I can recall in which I wasn't fascinated by books and words. Growing up, I was inspired by the stories written by Louisa May Alcott (Little Women), L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables), and Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie). I wanted to be like them (even if some of their characters were fictitious). I dreamed of emulating both the authors' and their characters' achievements, having high hopes of becoming a writer. I realized, what better way to start gaining experience writing than within the medium of blogging?

As to what keeps me going: wanting to bring both joy and creative ideas to my readers. I don't want this blog to be all about me or some façade of perfection. Instead, I want it to be a place of delight and inspiration for my readers. I want them to walk away feeling excited about life. It is my hope to provide a very honest, down to earth blog for people filled with all kinds of fun reading, including tips on food, fashion, travel, fitness, organization, and cleaning.

3.  What is your favorite part of your blog? 
Since my blog is very new, I think I would have to say my favorite part is the excitement and freshness of it all. I hope it will be a fun place to share ideas and to encourage one another in our ambitions to live life to the fullest and with purposefulness.

4.  What are you most proud of achieving in your blog 
I think the fact that I have actually started this blog is an achievement for me. I am most grateful to my friend Carol who listened attentively to my ideas and encouraged me to go for it. Honestly, I owe the start of this blog to her.

5.  What is your work process? 

 am not sure I have anything definitive set in place as of yet. I do know, however, that in order to think clearly and creatively, I need to be in a place where I feel at ease (coffee shop, couch, comfy chair, outdoors in a beautiful setting, etc.) and generally sipping something, like a latte, tea, or water. I need to be fully present and focused on the moment. I also have a favorite Pandora station that I have listened to since college that helps me get into my creative groove.

Naomi Huzovicova - Blogger, Almost Bananas

1. Tell us about yourself, your connection to Ave and your blog.

I attended Ave Maria in Ypsilanti from 2001 - 2004. I'm originally from Canada, but since marrying Michal, another Ave graduate, I've lived in Slovakia. We have four children, the last two are twins. 

I have a blog called Almost Bananas, where I blog about real food and Slovakia. 

2. What spurred you to start your own blog and what keeps you going?

I'm passionate about healthy but delicious food, that's simple to make and budget friendly. As a busy mom, I don't have time to fuss over recipes with many steps and I can't spend a lot of money on gourmet ingredients. I also really enjoy photography, and combining the two naturally led to a blog and a way to share kitchen creations with other people.

I also wanted to share life in Slovakia with others. Slovakia is a small country and not very well known, and I wanted a way to tell family and friends what it's like here.

People writing and letting me know that they enjoyed a post or photo really help keep me going. I don't want what I write just to disappear down the black internet hole, so it's nice to know that people appreciate it. I also really enjoy food photography, I could spend hours at it if I had the time, and would like to develop the food photography into a business.

3. What is your favorite part of your blog?

Hearing from people, people telling me they actually tried a recipe and like it, makes my day. I also enjoy the creative process of taking food photos.

4. What are you most proud of achieving in your blog?

I needed a blog with more options than free platforms could provide, so I created one myself. I don't know anything about tech/programming/designing but didn't have the resources to outsource it. It was sometimes frustrating and it took a long time, but I learned a lot. It still needs some work but it's beyond my abilities now.

5. What is your work process?

At the moment I don't really have a work process. I think of something to eat, try it out a few times, when I'm satisfied with the recipe I photograph it (preferably during nap time). I have different ideas for props, sometimes I choose them based on mood, season, or colour, prowling around my home seeing what else I can use.

www.almostbananas.net

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Jennifer Kopinski - Blogger, Seeking the Kingdom one day at a time (it's a good thing they're so cute).

1.  Tell us about yourself, connection to Ave and your business/blog/venture.
I studied at Ave Maria College for two years before I married my high school sweetheart, Peter. I am now a stay at home mom to our 6 wonderful children. Currently, we are homeschooling the three oldest. My life typically revolves around trying to keep our kids healthy, happy, and holy, and squeeze in as much time with my husband as possible. I enjoy reading, writing, music, dancing, baking, eating, and movies. My blog will have a lot of personal reflection, and  touch on topics that are meaningful to my current state in life, like child rearing, the Catholic faith, homeschooling, marriage, and hopefully a generous dose of funny kid-stories! 

2.  What spurred you to start your own business/blog/venture and what keeps you going?
I love to read other people's blogs. I get so much encouragement from hearing personal stories, reflections, and thoughts. I often feel like I am navigating my family in the dark, and it can be so overwhelming to me. Just hearing from other people in regards to motherhood, faith, etc, can truly be that light in the dark for me. I also love to write and felt like I could use an outlet of sorts. So I decided to start a blog, both as a therapeutic outlet for myself, and to offer that "light" to someone else who may need it. This is a new thing for me, so my hope is that my love of writing, my desire to help others, and my kids' funny antics will be the things that keep this going.

3.  What is your favorite part of your business/blog/venture? 
I am hopeful that I might be able to offer ideas, encouragement, and fellowship to anyone who would benefit from it, and would love to receive the same from others.

4.  What are you most proud of achieving in your business/blog/venture? 
So far, I'm  just glad I actually followed through with finishing a post. 

5.  What is your work process? 
I hope to post once a week or so, and I look forward to hearing from others and sharing ideas, reflections, stories, and encouragement!

www.jenniferkopinski.blogspot.com

Dagny Syversen - Blogger, Whisked Away

1.  Tell us about yourself, connection to Ave and your business/blog/venture.
My name is Dagny Syversen and I like to blog about my baking/cooking/eating adventures. http://whiskedaway2.blogspot.com/ 

I am a lifelong baker and sugar addict. As the second oldest of seven children I am often found in the kitchen making cookies for my crew. After receiving a BA in Literature and then going on to work in Education for a few years I realized my true calling was in the kitchen. I received my Baking and Pastry Certificate and went on to work at a Cookie Bakery in Houston. My approach to food is to use natural ingredients, make everything from scratch, and bring as much creativity to the plate as possible!!  I then realized that my true calling was to have a job that actually paid the bills and let me have free weekends and nights - so I left the baking business and now work as the Marketing/Events Coordinator at an oil and gas company in Houston.  In my non existent free time I bake and blog!

2.  What spurred you to start your own business/blog/venture and what keeps you going?
I always loved trying new recipes and decided to get organized about it.  I also tend to loose my recipes, and my blog helps me keep track of my favorite recipes and also makes it easy to share them with my friends.

3.  What is your favorite part of your business/blog/venture? 
The favorite part about my blog is when I hear someone I haven't even met tell me they love my recipes...or when I hear friends and family recommend my blog as a recipe source - makes me happy : )

4.  What are you most proud of achieving in your business/blog/venture? 
I am most proud of the fact that I haven't quit on my blog - started it in 2009 and am still posting!  I go through phases where I post a lot, or I don't post at all...but I haven't given up yet, and I always have a pile of recipes I need to post on my blog.

5.  What is your work process? 
Currently I am not selling my cookies, but hope to again in the future.  My posting process is this:  Try a recipe.  If I like it - I try to research the history of some of the ingredients, take pictures, and tell a funny story to go with my recipe.  I only post recipes I have tried and liked!  If I don't like how something turned out I won't post it!