Wildflowers at the seashore

What I love about blogging

The lovely Bex kindly nominated me for a Liebster Award. If you haven’t heard of it before, the Liebster Award is passed around the blogging community to new or smaller bloggers. It’s simply a way of getting to know each other a little better. Because I loved reading Bex’s post, I thought I’d take up the challenge.

Bex and I met through a wonderful online photography course by Emily Quinton we took together. We learned about composition, finding the light and all the technical stuff. We shared and commented on each other’s pictures and it was so much fun! I can highly recommend it to any flower lover who wants to take better pictures.

Emily is a great teacher, and she also knows how to build a supportive community through her classes. I have made some great online friends. Bex and I haven’t met in person yet because she lives on the other side of the world. Luckily we can catch up through Instagram and, of course, our blogs. I love having an insight into her life in Australia.

So here are the questions, Bex asked me as part of her nomination for the Liebster Award. Thank you for asking!

What made you decide to start blogging?

I signed up on Instagram a little over a year ago and soon became totally addicted to it. I love Instagram for giving me back my love for photography. I love the inspiring community, the connection with people from all over the world. I even made friends through Instagram!

It’s still my favourite social media, but sometimes I want to do more. Tell a story, use older pictures, make collages. So I started my blog.

What do you find most challenging about blogging?

English is not my first language, yet I write in English. Flowers speak an international language and my blog is mostly about my love of flowers. As I have made many international friends on Instagram, I would like them to be able to read my blog. Writing in English is difficult, though! I know all the words, but I don’t know how to put them in the right order. Maybe there is an online course for it.

What is your favourite thing about being a blogger?

I love taking photographs, I could do it all day.

What is the story behind your blog name?

I have four boys, they are my pride and joy. They are smart and talented. I feel so grateful to be the mother of four beautiful children (or young adults as they like to call themselves). They really are my lucky clover.

Not all is rosy of course. Sharing a home with four boys can be challenging: the mess, the noise!  I sometimes put my fingers in my ears during dinner. All things considered, I feel like a very fortunate woman, though. Because home is definitely where my heart is, I named my blog Cloverhome.

Boys doing dishes in summer

What are your three blogging essentials?

My camera, my laptop and my iPad.

If you could take a holiday anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I love our family holidays. With the busy lives we all lead with school and work it’s great to spend time together during the holidays. It doesn’t really matter where we go, as long as the weather is warm and the food is good. There are still many places I would love to visit, though. With the kids, I would choose Africa, to see the animals.

Boys jumping in sea at sunset

Can you describe yourself in three words?

Optimistic, loyal and messy (as in housewife, oops!).

Tulips or roses?

Tulips of course! Tulips are part of our national identity. They come in so many colours and varieties,  I love them all.  You may have read about it here. To me, they signify spring, more than any other flower.

Tea or coffee?

That’s a tough one. I drink lots of tea ànd coffee, but a lack of coffee definitely brings down my mood, I get irritated and impatient. I admit I’m an addict.

Can you share one tip for creating a fabulous Instagram feed like yours?

Thank you so much for calling my Instagram feed fabulous Bex! My tip would be to look before you start snapping.

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to a newbie blogger?

Just do it! It’s so much fun! In two months of blogging, I have already learned so many new things and met so many new people. That’s what I love about blogging!

My nominations

I would like to nominate three bloggers whose blogs I love to read.

  1. Heavenscentgardens, Emma is a garden designer who is passionate about roses, dahlias, hellebores, and much more. I love reading her blog and hope to learn a little about gardening from her.
  2. Undertheplumblossomtree, June is a photographer and a blogger. We’ve been following each other on Instagram for a while. We share a love of flowers and I would say we have the same style.
  3. Mariekenolsen, Marieke is a gardener who hosts floral workshops. Her flower arrangements are beautiful. I look forward to attending one of her workshops to learn all about it. Her blog is in Dutch, but there is a Google Translate button!

Rules

There seem to be some rules, but I wouldn’t worry about them too much.

  • Each nominee must link back to the person who nominated them.
  • Answer the eleven questions given to you by the nominator.
  • Nominate three other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
  • Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer.
  • Let the nominees know they are nominated.

My questions for you

What made you decide to start blogging?

What do you find most challenging about blogging?

What is your favourite thing about being a blogger?

What is the story behind your blog name?

What are your three blogging essentials?

What blog posts do you like to read?

What one thing would you never leave home without?

Can you describe yourself in three words?

What is your favourite flower?

What is the most underestimated flower?

What advice would you give to a newbie gardener?

I look forward to reading your posts, but there is absolutely no pressure to join in!

15 thoughts on “What I love about blogging”

  1. hey pauline, this is such a wonderful insight into your world. it’s been such a pleasure getting to know you & bex over these past few months. you are so right, this is a vey supportive community & together we help encourage each other & push our boundaries. knowing why you are clover home is just brilliant too. olivia xx

    1. Thank you Olivia! It certainly has been a pleasure getting to know you, I really appreciate your support.
      I’m looking forward to reading your post on the Liebster award. I found it quite challenging, it’s the longest post I’ve written so far!

  2. Fabulous answers! Thank you so much for joining in. Lovely to hear about your blog name too. Four boys! You are a very lucky mama indeed. And I truly forget that English is not your first language. You should actually run the course showing how it’s done!

    1. Thank you for the challenge Bex. If it wasn’t for you I might not even have started this blog!
      And thanks you for your kind words regarding my English. It’s a struggle, but I know the more I write, the more it will improve. So, I’ll just have to keep writing!

  3. I like this! The part about the four boys (or young adults as they like to call themselves lol), very funny.

  4. Hello Pauline!

    I absolutely adore your blog, and I agree that we have similar styles! I think we also both have a lot in common in our choice of flowers that we love, grow, and admire. A very long time ago, I lived in a tiny town in the state of Michigan named Holland. It was a very short time frame, but I remember the close connection to your country, visiting the wooden shoe factory, and the acres and acres of tulips!

    Congratulations on the Liebster Award, and thanks to Bex for nominating you! I look forward to answering the questions and passing on this fabulous opportunity!

    1. Thank you so much June! What a funny coincidence you once lived in Holland. I didn’t know about the tulip fields, but it’s a great idea.
      Looking forward to reading your post!

  5. I LOVED this! I am a brand new blogger and it was great to hear about the award and also hear another persons passion for blogging!! I hope I can make my love a success as you have done! Congratulations! You have a new subscriber here 🙂

    1. Thank you for you kind words Kristi! Great to have you here. I’m not so sure about the success though 😉 But I do love blogging and that’s the most important thing, isn’t it?

  6. Great, Pauline, to read about your life and love.

    I love your blog and am so glad I found you. We share the passion of beauty in the world, of gardens and flowers and the joy of a family. Very nice that you are following me back at Tuincoach Blog.

    Sunny regards, Mariëtte (garden addict and landscape designer in The Netherlands)

    1. Dankjewel Mariëtte, we delen inderdaad een liefde voor tuinen en bloemen. Leuk om elkaar op deze manier te leren kennen en elkaar te volgen via onze blogs!

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