Getting to know you: Manchester local bloggers #2

Getting to know you is a series where by you have the opportunity to discover some great bloggers. With my move to Manchester, I reached out via the world wide web to ask if any local Manchester bloggers would be interested in sharing a little about themselves, and hey presto, I found a few lovely volunteers. The second participant is Rachael who blogs over at we3three. Rachael prefers to remain as anonymous as possible online (which I totally understand and respect) and as such, there is limited imagery to this post.

Below she shares her reasons behind starting a blog and also shares some top tips and advice! Having read through numerous posts on her blog, I particularly love these posts.

- A guide to making some delish chutney

- Silent Sunday posts containing some beautiful imagery

- Some amazing crafty projects suitable for children, such as this one!

Hi, I'm Rachael, just turned 30 and mum to my little boy who is 3. I've been married for 5 years (together for 12) to my first ever love. I work part time but I see my real 'job' as being the best mummy I can be.

I started blogging as I've always liked documenting things, even more so now I'm a mummy. I like the idea that my blog is like a diary that I can look back on in years to come. I blog about the everyday things me and our boy do, especially our crafty projects. I also like to use my blog to raise awareness of good local causes such as the food banks and lil' bundles. I've been blogging since June 2013 and I love it. I find it really therapeutic to write and I really like that I'm creating a little place of memories.

My blog came about after a while of thinking I'd like to start one but worrying I'd have nothing to write about. Several people said they'd love to read my blog so I bit the bullet! I do often wonder if my blog is boring but I'm ultimately writing for me so I'm not overly concerned if it is!

I think bloggers should blog about things that interest them and / or have a relevance to them. I see lots of blog posts that appear to be just jumping on the 'popular theme of the day' bandwagon which I find a little bit staged if I'm honest and not for me. If a topic really strikes you, fair enough, but don't just write about something randon just because it's topical. I like posts with lots of pictures and limited text so I write like that too. I don't want to read massive chunks of text so I never write lots and lots of text either. Never write something you wouldn't read. Stay true to yourself and don't become a persona for the sake of becoming a 'renowned blogger' or for a popular post. Also, keep it classy with regards to paid opportunities :)

Some Lovely Links

Twitter / Blog

Thanks for sharing Rachael, and if you fancy contributing as a local Manchester (or even UK!) blogger, don't hesitate to contact me and leave a comment below.

Blogging Kit 101

As mentioned yesterday in my New Years Day post, you may have noticed in recent weeks, I've upped my blogging game. I've purchased a new template, updated the name to The Lucky Rainbow from Lucky Rainbow Designs, interacted with more bloggers and met some too! I've worked at creating better content as well as providing bright, shiny and original images too. All of this needs planning and as a self confessed stationary nut, (I have the pinterest boards to prove it!) I am loyal and possibly a slave to my notebooks which help me plan all the fun blogging posts I want to post and share with you.

As I balance a full time job with blogging and all the other fun stuff I try to get done in life, I find that I have to jot down (alot) ideas that I get for blog posts as and when the moment strikes. There are times when I have no ideas and days when I have a trillion. For the days when inspiration is flowing, I turn to my blogging kit and notebook / stationary collection in order to capture these little outbursts and as I am trying to bring my A-game to the blogging world, I've upped my blogging kit too. (Hey, any chance to visit Paperchase right?)

I don't necessarily carry this entire kit with me, but you can be guaranteed that on any given day, I'll have a notebook or my diary with me and for those of you blogging or interested in blogging, this is hopefully of interest to you and perhaps a few of my organisational ideas might inspire you.

First up, I start every year with a new diary. I have found it difficult to find the kind of diary to fulfill my blogging needs and while browsing through the range on offer from Paperchase and WH Smith, there isn't anything that screams 'blogging diary'. I don't quite think it exists. I found wellbeing diaries, gardening diaries and even ones for cooking and collecting receipes, but for blogging...nada! Perhaps there's any opportunity for me to create / design one. Paperchase if you're reading....lets collaborate.

This year, I purchased a 2014 A5 diary from Paperchase at a cost of £10. It's covered in a pretty bird pattern fabric and  is really good quality. It's also small enough to throw into any sized bag and take it on the go with me. It has two days to a page and when you open it up, you can see four days at a glance. This is important to me, as it literally helps me plan ahead. There are also a few sections called 'notes' which I plan on using for mini brainstorming or idea capturing sessions.

Recently I've also taken to using my iPhone and my very new (thanks to the boy) iPad mini for capturing images, keeping up with blog posting, blog reading and social media, as well as using a free app called Planner Plus for jotting down appointments. It reminds me about tasks and lists I've created when I fail to look at my diary. Plus, I feel super organised using it!

I also use a range of cute washi tapes. I've collected loads over the years and use it to section off pages in my diary or to simply make something more important or stand out more. I store it all, along with some bright highlighters in my rainbow pencil case. On my visit to Paperchase, I bought these quaint post it stickers on sale for £3.50. A mini bargain I was happy to snap up.

All this combined with a sprinkle of will and determination will aid in The Lucky Rainbow blogging space becoming more creative, more relevant and of course fun too! I'd love for you to share some images of your blogging kit or if you feel motivated to create your own, do let me know. Also, if anyone is interested in creating a blogging kit stationary exchange, that could be fun too? International participants most welcome.

Welcome 2014!

A big Happy New Year to each and everyone of you. I hope you had a lovely Christmas filled with family time, present giving and receiving, great food and lots of relaxation. I'm back from my ten day stint in Ireland and had a wonderful time catching up with friends and family and I definitely weigh a few more pounds, but I'm okay with that. Isn't that what Christmas is all about? Eating one mince pie too many?

I thought about doing a blogger recap for 2013 and I've enjoyed reading the recaps put out there by many bloggers but on reflection I realised that I wasn't the best of bloggers in 2013. With the move to the UK and a job hunt taking up a chunk of time from June to September, things went downhill in terms of output. However, with the new move brought new, exciting blog posts and the opportunity to meet some great and talented Manchester bloggers. More of that in 2014 please!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a fabulous and exciting 2014 and to thank all those readers new and old who stop by to read posts and take the time to write a comment or two. I really appreciate them and I hope 2014 will bring alot more positive interactions with you all. I now have more time to dedicate to this lovely space and the move to Manchester has certainly inspired me to write bigger and better posts. Like other bloggers, I have lots of ideas and plans which I hope to put into action and I've bought a shiny new 2014 diary to get me organised. 

You many have also noticed a slight name change from Lucky Rainbow Designs to The Lucky Rainbow. I initially started this blog to connect with crafty bloggers and to share the things I made. However, over the years I've developed an interest in sharing and writing a range of content with you and my blog following tastes also reflect this. Over the coming year, I'll not only share the odd crafty project but also a range of lifestyle posts, recipes, reviews and more. I may lose some followers along the way because of this but I may also gain some more as a result. Either way, I hope to provide posts which are of interest to each and every one of you lovely folk and if you are new to the blog, then do let me know - Always excited to chat to new followers and get to know you all a little better.

In the meantime, you can also catch me at my usual social media haunts of Twitter and Instagram. Swing by, say hello and stay a while