Friday Featured Blog: Jamerican Spice

I'm so sorry this is up so late! I didn't see the answers to the questions that Col sent me earlier in the week. I need to pay closer attention to my emails!

Let's take a trip to Jamaica for this week's featured blog, Jamerican Spice! You may have met Colette, as she's quite a prolific commenter. She's also a super sweet lady, and pretty funny! Colette blogs about her family, and most recently about her trip to California, which included some amazing photos. Though Colette lives in the American South now, she's originally from Jamaica. But she'll tell you a little more about that in a minute. Here she is!

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What is your blog about?

My blog is my personal space on the web to share about my family and our travels and share with my extended family without writing so many emails with large photos attached. I also love sharing little things about me and my journey, and I get to meet so many wonderful people through blogging and it's great. Recently I've thought alot about doing reviews and giveaways. However I don't want it to be a full time job, I just want to do it for things that my family uses and that I can be honest about sharing my thoughts on.

Where does your blog title come from?
My blog title is a combination of cultures. I am from the island of Jamaica and I now reside here in America and so there's a joining of families from different cultures, hence the title ' Jamerican.' Now the 'Spice' is pretty much me. I'm a little bit of everything and only few people get close enough to really taste my spice (Know me beyond the politeness ). And there you have it: 'JamericanSpice'

When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in July 2008, but wasn't using it at all because I had no clue what a blog really was, and then I started browsing around by invite from a friend and the idea just grew from there. I wanted to spice up my blog and so I started to google tutorials because I didn't have the moola to pay and the tinkering is still going on. That's also how I met you and your fabulous tech Tuesdays posts.

It seems like we travel alot and so I wanted to just be able to share our adventures and my personal journey with family and friends. I find it very interesting meeting other wonderful families online and making really good friends.

What would you like to add to your blog in the next year?
I would love to have an uncluttered 3-column blog and I'd also love to be doing just a few more reviews and giveaways in the next year. Pretty simple goals for my little space right? :)

What are some of your favorite blogs?
I do have have a long list because I seem to learn quite alot while visiting throughout the blogging community, not to mention the giveaways that I love to dream of winning, but I'll just list a few in no particular order, how about that?

Go Graham Go, Barefoot Mommy, A Giveaway Addicted Mommy, Katydid and Kid, Jolly Mom, Bubba Bubbles, Robynn's Ravings, Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls, Feisty, Frugal, and Fabulous, Two of a kind, working on a full house.

What is one of your pet peeves about blogs or bloggers?
1. Blogs with music that comes on automatically.
2. Cluttered blogs that take forever to load because it's bogged down with ads/pop ups etc.

What advice would you have for any new bloggers?
Be honest with and about yourself and have some sort of foundation, so that you don't get sucked into too many meaningless directions which will just waste your time instead of inspiring you in some form of growth.

Also network, talk to people on their blogs if it interests you, do the memes, join a community, enjoy it and when it is starting to become really negative, do re-evaluate.

What is something that people might not know about you?
I don't know my father, I've never met him, and even though he walked away from my mother when she was pregnant and vulnerable, I still would like to meet him, because I still pray that he is well.

Thanks so much Callie! I loved learning more about you.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!