Be Inspired by Sweet Jelly Bean♥

What is the first thing that came in your mind with the illustration above? Is it yummy? colorful? sweet? Yes it is! Just like you I'm a sweet buffer! I love gummy bears and jelly beans. Aside from it's tasteful flavor, the color and the shape made me giggle like a kiddo. It brings out a child in me. ^_^ The experience definitely brought me back during my childhood days. No worries, no problems, no heartaches, just a happy little kid eating these sweet treats. :) 

Today, I wanted to share something to my fellow bloggers that will serve as an inspiration specially to those who are new in the blogosphere. I started blogging with wordpress last October 2012, with a different blog title which is the "What Akirah Thinks". It is basically a personal blog which mostly covers my passion in fashion and beauty. To be honest, at first I really don't care if nobody will read it as long as I was able to express it through writing but as days passed by when someone dropped a comment on my blog it made me feel happy and inspired to write more. Right then, I understand what blogging is all about. It is sharing your thoughts about a certain thing that will inspire your readers. A blog wouldn't be a blog if nobody reads it, It is just a diary of daily rants that you wanted to keep. To make the story short, there came a point in my blogging journey that I wanted to quit already. I can't establish a story to be posted and there are only 2-3 people reads my blog. Then an angel named Marinella of Ilovegreeninspiration left a comment on my blog inviting me over to this group named "GIG". Did I joined? Yes I did! and I never felt happier in my blogging journey. I met awesome bloggers around the world and I met a sister along the way. I call her "ATE Donah" (sister Donah), she's one of the founder of GIG. She inspires me in so many ways and that's the reason why I wanted you to meet her as well. This is where the illustration above comes in. The blogger behind SweetJellyBean is no other than my sweet blogger sister "Donah". 

I know that some of you might know her already, and to those who's wondering who is Sweet Jelly Bean is, I have prepared eleven questions for her that she answered whole-heartily. 

Me:    What/Who inspires you to blog? 

SJB: Motherhood, definitely, had something to do with it, but my other half, who first got the idea in my head, was the one who really got me into blogging. He told me ‘I could write’. LOL.

Me: Since when did you start blogging?

SJB: I set up my blog around April 2012, but I got really serious around July, that’s when Sweet Jelly Bean was born.

Me:  Do you consider blogging as a career? or a hobby? Why?

SJB: Blogging is an amazing hobby of mine, which opens different possibilities and opportunities along the way. It could easily become as a career, you never know!

Me:  When you're not blogging what are the things that you usually do? 

SJB: Full-time Mom! The usual. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, and looking after my little bean.

Me:  Can you named at least three blog post with the highest blog traffic? (One of my favorite post is the DIY tutorial)

SJB: 5 Easy Steps To MakeYour Own Blog Header

Skin79 BB Creams -Thoughts And Swatches

Mizon Snail RepairCream Review (my audience loves this slimey friend) 

Me:  Is there a moment that you consider to stop blogging? and what are the reasons why?

SJB: Many times! Last year and this year. Blogging needs time and dedication if you want to keep what you’ve started, not just the statistics but also your audience. No blog post, means nothing to read and there are times when offline commitments take precedence. I think this happens to all of us, right? So it’s either we find a way to fit blogging in, or push it aside for a moment. It’s a choice. I’ve done both, so far.

Me: What is the story behind "Sweet Jelly Bean"? Aside from the fact that you're a sweet and a charming person:) 

SJB: Aww, aren’t you a sweetheart! Ok, I must admit, it took us forever to finally come up with Sweet Jelly Bean. My other half helped me think of names until I got so frustrated haha. In the end, it was the pot of jellybeans that was on my table staring back at me that triggered the name, and my hubby gave it his seal of approval. LOL.

Me: Who is "Sweet Jelly Bean" in person? 

SJB: Sweet Jelly Bean you could say is another side of me, who likes to explore the colourful world of beauty and beyond when I’m not in Mommy mode. haha. I guess there’s this part of me, who’s always wanted to write, connect, and share the know-how that I’ve got with everyone. Sweet Jelly Bean made that possible.

Me: What can you say/advice to other bloggers who wants to give up from blogging ? 

SJB: Do what you feel is best for you. After all, blogging should be fun, rewarding and something you could run to when you want to unwind. If it’s making you unhappy, then ask yourself -  do I really want to continue with this? Is there anything that I can change perhaps? Look at the big picture before parking your blogging hat.

Lastly, never delete your blog!! That’s the fruit of your hardwork.

Me: Who are your favorite bloggers and what made you liked them among the others?

SJB: Well, you know I’m going to say you, right? hehe. Hmm, this is hard because I will end up making another blog post if I tell you my favourite bloggers :-p. The GiG girls are just one of my favourite bloggers. I have many inspirations, who definitely contributed to where I am now. I really have the blogosphere to thank for that, too.

Me: Lastly, since I know that you're the founder of the awesome group "Girls Inspired Group" (GIG), what/who inspires you to create this kind of community and can you tell us what  GIG is all about?

 SJB: I used to be a part of a group before, where I started to really like and love..but things went from bad to worst that I decided to leave. And yes, these things happen. But from that experience, another idea was also born. I felt inspired to create another community, a much better one, where we inspire and involve. The girls who first started GiG with me helped the group expands - the GiG Crew. Now, we have amazing members, who I can really feel that they care about the group and looking out for each other, and that’s what GiG really is all about.

Thank you so much ate Donah for being so nice and for taking some of your precious time just to answer my questions. This interview made me realize so many things. Thank you.. I know that this will serve as an inspiration to all of us who just started blogging. If you happen to be new in the blogosphere, feel free to join our group which is "The Girls Inspired Group (GIG)"  and I guarantee you that blogging will be whole lot of fun meeting new bloggers worldwide. Also, if you wanted to improve your blog like personalizing your blog header you can always check out "SweetJellyBean" for DIY Blog Tutorials. I was able to personalize my blog because of her and don't hesitate to ask her anything when it comes to improving your blog. She's such a sweet jelly bean, literally! I know because she have helped me so much in my blogging journey. She's not just a sweet jelly bean, but she's also a beautiful blogger inside and out. Oh! before I forgot, in case you fancy to go shopping at wishtrend.com feel free to use the code SWEETJELLYBEAN to get a 10% discount! I know right! She's the sweetest! :)  Let's also congratulate her for reaching another milestone on her blogging journey, for reaching a 100,000+ page views! :) Go ahead and check her out! 

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This is the first interview I've done so far, and you will be seeing a lot more from my favorite bloggers.  Also, I still have a pending makeup tutorial request so stay tuned guys. Thank you for reading my blog, Happy Monday everyone! ♥