Have a question? Leave a comment, ask me on Twitter or shoot me an email at sarah AT bagley.org.
Blogging
Why did you start blogging? Check out this section for new readers.
Your blog is called Sunny Side Up. Are you always sunny? Nope! But I aspire to the positive.
What kind of camera do you have? I have a Nikon D7000. I love it and highly recommend it. I waited a long time for a DSLR camera, and it whoops the heck out of my old point-and-shoot. I’ll never go back.
How do you find time for blogging? I am a firm believer that you make time for things that matter to you. I love blogging, so it has become part of my daily routine. Blogging can take up as much or as little time as you desire. But if you love it, make time for it, and do it well. So, I spend every ounce of free time either writing posts, taking pictures for posts, connecting with other bloggers, thinking about post topics, reading other blogs, and messing around with HTML.
What blog platform do you use? I used to use Blogger, but I wanted more flexibility. Now I use WordPress with the free Lugada theme that I altered with my self-taught HTML knowledge.
Who designed your blog? I did! I was drawn into the world of HTML out of an interest to make cool designs and layouts for my blog. Armed with books from the library and the help of my husband, I taught myself everything I know about web design. If you are interested in a custom header or blog design, contact me, and I’d be happy to talk about your blog design needs.
Can I link to your blog and use your photos? Yes, go right ahead, and please link back to me.
Can I advertise on your blog? Yes. Starting January 2013, I will accept sponsors and advertisers. Please check out my advertising page for more information.
Can I send you my products for you to review/mention on your blog? Yes. I take product reviews. Please email me to make sure your product or products are a good fit for my blog and my readership.
Can I write a guest post for your blog? I occassionally run guests posts. Please email me and we can discuss your idea(s).
Products
What kind of computer and photoediting software do you use? I work on a Dell Latitude E6520 laptop. I love it. It’s a hardworking machine that lets me run multiple programs at once and hardly puts up a fuss. I use a docking station, so when I want to sit at my desk, I dock it, so I can work on my two 24 inch monitors. Once you get used to two monitors, you don’t go back. For photoediting, I use Photoshop. I hardly ever doctor my photos. I use Photoshop to resize images and add text. But it’s a rare day I fix lighting, contrast, etc… because 1) I find that tedious and 2) I don’t know how to edit photos that well.
What kind of printer and photo paper do you use? I use a HP PhotoSmart C4680, and I buy my photo paper from Costco (the Kirkland brand).
What are your favorite paper crafting supplies? I wrote a big, no-sweat guide on Project Life, and I included my favorite scrapbooking products in that post.
Personal
What do you do? I used to work for a local government in the budget department. But I quickly realized that wasn’t for me. After Kate was born, I left my job to pursue blogging full time, freelancing, and group fitness instruction. It’s a strange, mod-podge, jack-of-all-trades things. But it works for me and my family and makes me much happier than working in a cube.
What does it mean that you blog full time? One of my ultimate dream goals is write a book. And if my group fitness training has taught me anything it’s that I need to practice in public. I take this blog seriously. It’s my platform, where I share ideas, where I practice my writing. I take sponsorships and advertisers to support the costs of running a blog and to make small profit. So, that all means that I spend well over 40 hours a week coming up with content, writing content, taking pictures, making graphics, working with sponsors and advertisers, working in my blog layout and design, updating pages, emailing with readers, Tweeting away, etc… I love what I do and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’m interested in becoming a group fitness instructor. How did you get your certification? I am a certified through Les Mills. I hold a BodyStep certification, and I am working my way towards a RPM certification. I am not familar with other types of certifications, but I can’t speak more highly of the Les Mills program. In my opinion, it’s the best. If you are interested in Les Mills, email me, and I’d be happy to chat more about it. It’s a wonderful program and has completely changed my life. My best advice is to take as many classes as possible in the fitness area you are interested in and meet with an instructor you admire to get some one-on-one coaching and advice.
Where do you live? I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, two-year-old, and Bluetick Coonhound who makes the UPS wet his pants everytime he dares to drop a package on our doorstep. I love living in Northern Virginia. I’ve lived in NoVa for half my life, and even though I curse the humidity, sometimes dislike our close proximity to relatives and positively detest how going five miles can take upwards of 30 minutes, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
How old are you? I’m 28.
Does your husband read your blog? Why yes, he does. I think he reads most every post. And sometimes he will let me know when he thinks I wrote a particularly interesting, heartfelt, etc… post. I am bugging him to start his own blog because I think he has a lot to say that people would want to read.
What do your family and friends think of your blog? I am super fortunate to have a supportive network of friends and family who read my blog. They are my biggest fans and are cool with letting me talk about them on the Internet.
How do you get anything done as a stay-at-home-mom/work-at-home-mom/blogger? Slowly! I am huge into efficiency, productivity, and getting things done. However, some days I just can’t. And I don’t beat myself up about it. I’m a woman, not a machine.
What kind of dog is Belle? She is a bluetick coonhound adopted from Lost Dog. She used to roam the hills of West Virginia but now lives in the lap of luxury in Northern Virginia and spends her time sleeping on the couch and hunting for sandwiches. Her favorite activities include: barking all day, eating paper products, and sleeping on my bed.
Where did you go to college? I graduated from Mr. Jefferson’s University, a.k.a. The University of Virginia. I received a BA in Government with a minor in Spanish. I graduated in three years because, well, I could. From there, I went on to earn my Masters in Public Policy from George Mason’s School of Public Policy. Sadly, none of those degrees prepared me for motherhood.
Are you planning on having more children? Yep. When? I don’t know. When the time’s right.
Did I miss something? Do you have a question? Please email me at sarah@bagley.org with your question(s) and/or comments.