Welcome "Collette of Statements in Fashion"~**

Today I have a great pleasure to formally share and introduce a long time, sweet and a very supportive bloggy friend of mine "Collete of Statements in Fashion" with you all. It has been ages since my last guest. Drum roll please~~~* I must have known Collette for about a year now ever since I joined Blogsphere in June 2010. Collete is a real sweetheart as a blogger as a person, she also is one of the very successful bloggers in the blogphere whom you will not want to miss. She has a serious sense of style, a beautiful heart and a friendly smile you can easily fall in love with. It was a pleasure to have an opportunity to interview her and ask her some "hot" topics about "life around the blog, the success and what it takes to get there". If you previously read my post on "bloggin blues", this guest post may help clear a lot of questions on your mind. Whenever you are finished reading, head over to her blog sweet blog and give her a visit at www.statementsinfashion.net :)

Hello Friends of Nelah! My name is Collette Osuna, and I am the owner of Statements in Fashion blog. I am a soon to be 43 year old Mom of two fabulous kiddos, an Event Coordinator by day, and a funky blogging fashionista by night.
I am a proud Editor of Independent Fashion Bloggers Links ala Mode (IFB) and have just been offered a writing position at Chic Galleria Publications…….wayyy cool!



{Beautiful and fabulous Collette - I literally grasped for 10 seconds the first time I knew her age. She does looks like someone in 20's!!! I NEED her beauty secrets ASAP!!}

Nelah: How did you discover blogging?
Collette:I've been a freelance writer for many years, and decided to change directions in August of 2010, and focus more on the fashion industry. I've always had a love of fashion from an early age, and decided to follow my passion.
I started my blog as a creative outlet for my freelance writing, as well to show women that style recognizes "no age".

Nelah: Do you have any bloggers who are your inspirations?
Collette:Like most bloggers, I visit many different blogs and can’t even begin to list all of my favorites. Right off the top of my head I’d have to say The Glamourai Grit & Glamour Keiko Lynn Cupcakes & Cashmere. In addition to fashion blogs, I stop by many home décor and vegetarian recipe sites too. How fun!

Nelah: How do you feel about blogsphere overall?
Collette: Overall, I think the blogosphere is a very friendly and warm place to be. I have been fortunate to have met so many wonderful people through my blog, as well as work with really great companies and sponsors. It’s when things turn into a competition that it can get ugly. I stay away from negativity and keep doing what I do in my little part of “blogland”.

Nelah: To you, how important is it to define a blog direction / goal?
Collette: Depending on the vision you have for your blog, I think a direction is very important. If you have a personal blog just for family and friends, a blog direction wouldn’t be necessary. If you are planning to engage a certain group of readers, a direction would definitely help your blogs success in working with companies/sponsors. Focusing on a few topics keeps your readers engaged in your specific blog content.

Nelah: What did it take for you to discover your blog's identity and how to stay true to it?
Collette: The answer to this one is very simple for me. I’ve always been true to myself regardless of what other bloggers were doing. My blogs main focus is fashion, but I also post about recipes I love, things I’m doing in the industry, as well as personal stories that I like to share with my readers. To me, it’s these types of posts that allow your readers to get to know the real you, the person behind the blog.

Nelah: What are some of the challenges you have experienced in the past that give you valuable lessons?
Collette:I wouldn’t necessarily say valuable lessons, but I have learned to say the word “no”. I’m a people pleaser and that’s a hard thing for me to do. I can easily spread myself too thin and have learned to take a step back and not over commit myself. I’d rather rock at a few things, than suck at many things.


Nelah: How do you go about approaching more audiences and stay connected with them?
Collette: I’m a firm believer in “content is key”. Write about interesting things your readers want to read, and they will keep coming back. Write about something that wouldn’t interest your dog, and your blog will be a quick detour on the internet highway....a road they will never return to.

You want someone to visit your site and say “wow! I didn’t know that” or “this is such great information, I just have to tell everyone I know”.

I love, love, love my readers!! The best way for me to stay in touch with them is to reply to the comments they leave on my posts. I use Disqus as my comment manager and it totally rocks! You can see all comments from one screen and answer back easily. It’s like a never ending conversation…it’s great!


Nelah: To me, blogging is almost like a fulltime or part time job. How much time do you spend on your blog per day? How do you balance your time and make sure blogging will not interfere your time outside the blog?
Collette: This is where I think some people get into trouble. Kind of like when video games first came out. You couldn’t pry someone away from the television to save your life! It’s easy to get addicted to blogging, commenting, posting photos, etc, but you HAVE to have some kind of balance and know when to call it quits for the day.
If little Johnny is running around in a dirty diaper for the past two hours because you have been blogging, call me, you need an intervention.

I’d say I roughly spend about twenty hours a week on my blog. My best time management tip would have to be to stay ahead of the game. I treat my blog as a magazine. I create an editorial calendar of what I want to post, outfits, features etc. and assign it a date. I plan things out as much as possible.

Nelah: What are some of the "no-no" in your blogging ethic book?
Collette: Yikes! I have a few, in no particular order. These are my personal no-no’s or pet peeves….don’t judge me lol.

Word Verification…..for the love of God, turn it off people. If a reader has to jump through hoops to leave a comment, chances are they won’t be back. I understand we all get a little bit of spam, but I have never had an issue with it. Check your posts every couple of days, summon Mr. Clean, and just delete it.

Music…… there’s nothing more annoying to me, well besides a raincheck, than opening a blog and having music blasting at me. Your love of a certain song or group may not necessarily be the love of your readers. Many readers are visiting your site while at work on the “QT”.
Willie Nelson blaring out of their speakers at a volume of 10? Not a pretty situation!

Follow Me…I’ll Follow You……. Blog Pimping….Not cool. If you leave a sincere comment, the blog owner will be able to click on your profile and visit your blog. If they have a true love of your site and what you have to say, they will follow you on their own.
It’s not about numbers. Wouldn’t you rather have fewer followers who really read what you have to say, than many who could care less?

Comment Courtesy…… be a sincere commenter and show the blog owner that you have taken the time to read what they wrote.
Good comment: Love the outfit…..the colors in the belt really make the outfit pop. I would have never thought to pair those two together!
Bad Comment……..nice outfit.


Nelah: What are some of the disadvantages/risks when a blogger turns her personal blog to a different direction ,such as, doing product reviews (with items being provided by sponsors) / allowing third parties to advertise on their blogs. Do you feel that they risk losing some readers/trust?
Collette:My best advice is once again, stay true to yourself and to your blog. Do not endorse a company or product you truly do not love or believe in, or one that is the total opposite of your blog direction. Let’s face it, most people are pretty intelligent. They can see a phoney sales pitch a mile away.
My take on this…..if you wouldn’t buy it or wear it yourself, chances are your readers won’t either. If your blogs focus is on interior design and all of the sudden you are pushing dog food down your readers throats, they are going to see you as a car salesman.
I only work with companies/sponsors who have great products, great customer service and who are outstanding in the industry.


Nelah: Last but not least, any additional suggestion for fellow bloggers?
Collette: Take your time finding your blogging voice and niche. It's not a race for comments or followers. Get your feet wet by visiting blogs that interest you, asking questions, and making new friends along the way. You are unique, and your readers will appreciate that.

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So that is Collette, I hope you have enjoyed getting to know her through this guest post. I couldn't help but nodded in agreement with her answers. Is not she the greatest..the sweetest for being so generous with these tips and information? Seriously, how many successful bloggers are willing to share such things? Not many in my experience. They don't even give a damn to a teeny tiny blog like mine. In my blogging experiece, I am very blessed to be surrounded by a small group of supportive and geniune ladies and I dare to say Collette is one of them. Thanks again Collette ~**