Femmena Mala: Bloggin' Ladies: Suburban Sweetheart

It's Tuesday, and you know what that means. It's time for this week's Bloggin' Lady. Her name is Kate and she is one of the amazing women that I have met since I began my [public] blogging journey wayyyyy back in August of 2010. Please read her hilarious, quirky, and fun writing, and enjoy her as much as I do. <3

Name+Age+Site
I'm Kate, 26 years old, & I blog at SuburbanSweetheart.com.

What is something interesting about you?
I fancy myself a little bit quirky, but don't we all? Here's a bit about me: I've never had chicken pox. I have a difficult time swallowing carrots, so I sometimes chew them like they're gum (gross, I know). A psychic once told me the spirit of a young girl protects me. I always cheat at Monopoly & miniature golf. I used to have a recurring nightmare of a tadpole in a swimming pool that morphed into a whale. I'm the queen of pseudo-surreptitious iPhone photography.

Why did you begin blogging?
I moved to Washington, D.C., for my first post-collegiate job in August 2007. I quickly discovered that I was going to have a lot of stories to tell - about everything from (incorrectly) thinking I'd been carjacked to receiving death threatson the Metro - so I created Suburban Sweetheart as a means of communicating those crazy stories to my friends & family back in Ohio. It's changed a lot since then, but the basis is the same - stories & sass!

How long have you been blogging?
I started my blog on August 24, 2007, when I was living in Silver Spring, MD. I can't believe it's been three years; my blogoversary totally passed my by this summer without my noticing! I love reading through old entries that I almost forget writing. I completely chronicled my life in D.C., a time in my life that came to a close just last month, so it's nice to have everything on record for the sake of reminiscing.

Who is your inspiration for writing?
I don't think I can identify a "who" behind my writing, or even really a "why." I write because I love it. I write because it keeps me sane. I write because it's the one thing I'm good at it. I write because I have to.

Where do you get your ideas?
I'm inspired by all kinds of things, but I most often write about wacky life occurrences - things I see or do, things that happen to me, things I notice & think are funny. Occasionally, I get serious & write more honestly about other aspects of my life, like my dad's cancer or my ex-boyfriend's suicide, & I'm thankful to find that my blog readers like me just as much when I'm being serious.

Do you have any advice that you want to share with fellow lady bloggers?
One of my social media role models, @micah, once wrote - & I can't find the post - that blogging should never feel forced. @micah is a dude blogger, not a lady blogger, but this advice applies to pretty much anyone who's maintaining a blog. Evaluate why you write & what you want to write about. Are you writing every day because you feel like you have to? Or because you legitimately want to? And even if you want to, are you writing things your readers will want to read? If you blog for happiness, not for some pre-determined vision of success, you'll find yourself much more comfortable with your online space.

What is one thing you are looking forward to most in your future (blog or otherwise)?
My blog is in a funny place right now. I moved from D.C. back to my hometown at the end of September & am currently living with my mom while I look for a new job. Akron, Ohio, doesn't provide the same wealth of wacky stories that D.C. did, so I'm struggling to figure out what to write about & what direction my blog should take. I'm nervous, but I'm looking forward to seeing where we go from here - & I hope some of you will follow along with me!