I’m pretty sure I asked you guys for FAQs like, 3 months ago, and realized yesterday while I was wracking my brain for post content that I still hadn’t answered them!
#bloggingfail
I wasn’t sure the best way to approach answering the questions in terms of formatting but I decided I’d make my way through your list of questions, answering 5 at a time and post a link to my FAQ page. Sound good? Great.
Let’s doooooo it.
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Carrie: how long does it take you to photograph and present all your amazing looking food?
Ooph, sometimes too long! It varies depending on my meal though. I tend to focus more time photographing meals that I’m “proud” of (like new recipes, or just meals that I think look really pretty!). Plus, it always takes me a little time to set up shop.
For some reason I find it really amusing that behind this…
…is all this:
Poor girls photography studio.
Between plating, setting up the background, and photographing – this meal probably took me about 15 minutes?
Plus, I am ridiculously indecisive when it comes to choosing a picture – so that can be another 5-10 minute battle in itself.
I’m notorious for taking way too many pictures and meticulously trying different angles and settings on my camera – so it can definitely become time consuming. I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it though!
Then, of course, there’s other meals that I just don’t care about and snap pictures of for no reason in particular.
Just a single shot from my camera — done in 5 seconds flat!
Meg: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone in a long-distance relationship?
1st of all, are you referring to our relationship Meg? Because I dont’ think we need any advice. We have a good thing going on 
I actually whipped up a post a few months ago on working through long distance relationships. You can check out here: Going the Distance.
Essentially, though, my most basic advice: don’t be a hoe, and don’t date a hoe ha!
definitely check out the post for more legit tips and advice!
Sable :What inspired you to start blogging? Have you ever wanted to stop (please don’t!)?
I started blogging in December of ’08 (oh my gosh..PB&J is getting so old!) after somehow coming across Tina’s page. From there, I started checking out other blogs and becoming so intrigued by their lifestyles and more so, the food that they ate. Peanut butter? Oil? What? You mean you can eat FAT and not die? I saw this women who looked amazing and ate such nourishing foods and suddenly, my sugar free Jello snacks and 100 calorie packs seemed so much less appealing. After a few months of passive blog reading, I decided to take the plunge and make one myself in hopes that it would help me to pursue a more healthy lifestyle for myself. In some ways it did, in some ways it didn’t — but we’ll save that for another day. Ultimately, though, I’m SO glad that I started blogging. It’s introduced me to such a positive and empowering community of women (and men!) and I really feel like I’ve made some life-long friends. It also opened my tastebuds up to a whole new world of deliciousness in terms of foods that I never would have otherwise tried. If you told me two years ago I’d be spending my entire saturday morning writing up a tribute to peanut flour, I would have laughed in your face.
In terms of stopping blogging I actually did give it up for a few months this past summer, as I felt it was becoming a little too obsessive and time consuming. I think in order to be a good blogger, you have to find a balance – and I felt like I was becoming way too immersed in blog world and losing sight of the real world. **major red flag**. After taking a few months off I really genuinely missed it, so decided to come back in August after making a promise to myself to never allow the blog world to take priority over the real world. Since devoting myself to that goal, blogging has become nothing but pleasurable and fun 
Of course, I have my days when I don’t feel like blogging at all — so I don’t. Easy as that!
Katherine:how much time do you spend on other people’s blogs?
Hmmm, usually my google reading ensues during breakfast (about 30 minutes) and while I’m relaxing at night (probably another 30 minutes). If i’m feeling bored throughout the day I’ll also check out a few pages. Really, it just depends on what else I have going on!
Lauren: How did you get such a large readership? I’m struggling to reach readers 
It’s funny you should ask me this because I feel like I’ve actually lost some readership recently (speaking of which – don’t forget to update your google reader subscriptions!) Regardless, here are some tricks of the trade that I’ve found help to attract readers!
- Comment on other blogs: This is something I struggle with myself as well. I know it can be really difficult to find the time to comment on other pages when you’re busy with like – life and stuff – but one thing I’ve learned is that you can’t expect other’s to take the time to comment on your page unless you find the time to comment on theirs. It’s only fair, right? Plus, commenting on other pages is a really great way to “get your name” out there and introduce yourself to new bloggie friends!
- Host a giveaway or two: While I’m not encouraging bribing people to gain readership (actually, I guess I am) the fact of the matter is that people like free stuff. The key is to just use the giveaway as the bait and then once they see how fabulous your page is, they’ll want to keep checking back switch up the blog content: as an avid blog reader, I’ve found that many of the blogs I’ve deleted from my readers are incredibly one-toned and monotonous. I think blogs that only have one primary focus (i.e. work outs, diets, etc.) can be kind of boring. I love bloggers than constantly keep me guessing and I never know what to expect from them.
- Post about things that YOU would like to read about: There have been so many times when I’ll literally write up an ENTIRE post and then, after reading it again, I’ll realize how lame and boring it is. Sometimes I definitely “bullsh*it” my way through blogging just for the sake of writing a post, so be aware of what’s good and what’s not. Boring/lame content may actually turn readers off.
- Be YOURSELF! Ooph, I can’t tell you how many blogs I’ve read that try so hard to emulate the more established bloggers out there. It just seems so unnatural and cheesy and really turns me off. Blogging is an awesome forum for sharing your own thoughts, passions, musings, etc. – so if you’re going to blog… let YOUR personality shine.
- Don’t blog solely for the sake of gaining readership. I can definitely notice a difference between those who blog simply for monetary purposes and those who have a genuine passion for it. I can’t hate on those who blog to make money, but I also just can’t stand to read their blogs. They just seem to…forced.
Now it’s YOUR turn:
1. how long does it take you to photograph your meals?
2. Any tips for long distance relationships?
3. What inspired you to start (and continue) blogging?
4. How much time do you spend on other blogs
5. Any tips for attracting readership?
*feel free to answer all of the above, none of the above, some of the above, or just ramble about whatever you want.
If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a comment over at my FAQ page
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It’s raining like crazy here today! Not sure what my plans are for the afternoon..hmmmm…
For more posts, please visit www.peanutbutterjenny.com