Guest post - meet Ali!

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Ali, I am a stay at home mommy of two BEAUTIFUL little girls

Aaliyah, 6

and Alyxandria, 2

I am married to my best friend

I educated my oldest daughter from home, while chasing around my youngest! After that I clean and wash and cook, and after that...I design Floral accessories and I BLOG! :)

How did you get started as a blogger?

I had a few friends that blog and have etsy shops. I was more interested, to begin with, in having my own little etsy shop

but as I watched friends with their blogs and asked questions, I decided blogging looked like a great creative outlet! So I started my blog Ali Grace Fashions

Through some help with friends, and LOTS of google searches, I actually taught myself how to build my own website and get all my goodies looking professional!!!

Where do you find your inspirations?

My family is ALWAYS my inspiration! I look into the sincere blue eyes of my little girls, or my husbands kind face and I feel inspired all the time. I am also very inspired by fashion and nature, so I decided to combine the two when I started my Floral Accessory shop! LOVE! It just fit my personality perfectly!

What do you feel makes your blog unique?

I think when I first started blogging, it was hard to find or "make" myself unique. You don't know what you are doing and you just try to watch others and learn. After a month or so I started to realize, there is no right or wrong way to be. The only thing that would be wrong is to not be yourself! I think what makes my blog unique is that I just rely on my own inspirations and creativity to come up with my own ideas. I of course, am inspired by others and their imaginative and wonderful ideas! I just like to add my own twist to what I do! Throw in my own flavor. No one makes a good copy of someone else, but everyone that shows the original will shine! I feel like that is something I have learned to love. :) I also feel that my blog is unique, because I am sincere. I am not sure how to be any other way! I had wonderful parents growing up. They were always kind and very real, never phony! They taught me to be proud of what I believe in and also to believe in myself! I just love them for that and the great values they have instilled in me through our faith in Jesus Christ, to the morality and gentle spirits they always exhibited when I was a child.

What is one of your favorite pieces/projects?

Oh my!!! SO HARD! Well, I think one of my favorite PROJECTS are always my beauty blogs! Like my Victorian Braid tutorial.

And My favorite pieces! UGH! It would have to be a toss up between my new

rose rings

Antique rose necklaces

and my cutesie little tutu's!!!

I just LOVE to create beautiful thing! SO much fun to see your creations take shape and VERY rewarding when people fall in love with them!

What advise would you find to be most important to someone just starting out?
Honestly, the same advise as was given to me! I am in no wise anywhere close to an "expert" on this. But I do know that followers and sales have increased a lot for me since I have done these things.

BLOG: Have your blog made to look professional-I know it's hard to part with the cash, but a professional blog just adds SO much to your site, if you can't afford one, then just do what I did and bust your butt for a few months searching for how to do it yourself. Take a look around at other blogs and try to decide what you think they have that is good/necessary and make one in your own flavor for yourself!

SHOP:make a logo for your blog/shop that matches and ties things together! Your logo should remind people of what you sell so they remember you, is what I have read. That is why My logo has a flower in it!

And I sell Floral ACCESSORIES and I run a fashion blog. The two went together well and it worked out great! Also, you should try to label your product! I just bought some card stalk and a custom stamp and label my items myself!

I liked the stamp for me, because it gave it a vintage feel, since a lot of my items are a cross between modern and vintage. You can also PRINT your logo onto card stalk with your printer!

It adds such a nice touch and makes things look Oh, so much better!

I would love for your to come visit the Ali Grace Floral Accessory Shop! The holidays are coming so I would love to offer you all a 10% discount for coming to do some of your shopping with me! Just type in this code at checkout!
CODE: 4HOLIDAY

How can people find you? (links to site, fb etc.)
BLOG: http://www.ali-grace.com/
SHOP: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AliGraceFashions
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/TheAliGracePage
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/#!/tweetaligrace
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AliGraceTV
Email: aligracefashions@cox.net
(and if you hit my blog I also can be followed through rss feed, bloglvin and pinterest!)

Lastly, I would LOVE to offer Your readers an item from my little shop! I am going to be giving away this ADORABLE ring

to one lucky winner!

TO ENTER:
MANDITORY: Requirements for entery is to follow the Ali Grace Blog HERE

For ADDITIONAL entries
2)Follow Drama Mama Blog HERE
3)Follow me on fb HERE
4)Follow me on twitter HERE
5) Favorite my shop HERE
for a total of 5 possible entries!

Thank you soooo much for allowing me to say hello to your readers Hollie! You are so gracious and sweet to have me! XOXO Don't forget to stop by my blog today guys! http://www.ali-grace.com/! I am doing a giveaway/feature for dear sweet Hollie over here! HUGS!