Chasing Cozy

by Leslie Claire

ABOUT

WHAT I LEARNED FROM PUBLISHING MY FIRST 50 BLOG POSTS

orange sequin skirt and coffee graphic tee
  1.  People can be cruel, but you HAVE to block out the haters. Ponder something for just a second to see if it’s actually something constructive. If it’s not, ignore it. I’m not saying that these comments don’t upset me, because sometimes they do. You just HAVE to realize that no matter what you do, you can still receive hate from trolls. Block em out. If your “friends” are poking fun of your blog, they’re not your friends. Cut the fat and move on.
  2. Blogging is NOT for the faint of heart. If you you are blogging about something you’re not super passionate about, rethink why you’re doing what you’re doing. You have to be so so passionate about something to work on it for that many hours a week, and to not get burnt out.
  3. Write with your own voice. Lot’s of times I find myself reverting back to my formal writing background and realize, this doesn’t sound like me. Cue the rewrite process. Scrap, rewrite, repeat.
  4. If you have a writing block, save a draft and take a lap around where you’re working. I used to sit and rack my mind and get so down on myself when I couldn’t think of how to write about something. Think of something from the perspective of your reader. Wat would they want to know?
  5. Working with a significant other can be hard. Take the pain points and create processes to avoid frustration in the future. For example, when I have James helping me take a picture, I have him snap a few then let me look so I can rearrange a space. This saves us from some of the worst fights.
  6. Everyone and their dog has something to say, but that doesn’t mean that what you have to say isn’t important. Period. 
  7. Time blocking is your best friend. If you are a perfectionist or get caught up in the details, find a system that holds you accountable for time that works for you.
  8. My last point. This is something I have had to learn through life in general, not just blogging. Stop being so hard on yourself. Let your ideas flow and scribble them down, even if it sounds weird. That’s how you share your unique point of view with people and how you provide value through your blog. There’s only one of you, so get over the imposter syndrome and OWN it. This is something I tell myself every day.  

FIVE FACTS ABOUT ME

Hi everyone! Thank you for stopping by my blog to read. I’ve recently had a few new folks around here, so I thought I’d share a little more about myself.

Here are five facts about me:

1. I swam competitively for eight years. The smell of chlorine brings back so many fun memories with friends. Swimming is what made me a hard worker when I was younger. Without swimming, I would have never met James, but that’s a story for another post.

2. My favorite food of all time is medjool dates. I LOVE food in general but these take the cake. My mom introduced me to them and I think that’s why they have always held a special place with me. If you haven’t tried a date with a little cream cheese and a pecan, you’re missing out. The grocery store that most consistently has good quality dates at a reasonable price is Trader Joes.

3. James and I adopted Archie, our Italian greyhound x chihuahua mix in 2017 when we were in Oklahoma. This breed is lovingly referred to as a “greyhuahua” by fanatics (like me). I texted James a picture of Archie from an adoption event when he was gone on a work trip and told him I just NEEDED this little dog. The next day I went to the Humane Society to visit with him one more time. We had a dog when James got home (sorry not sorry).

4. Some places I currently want to travel to are Croatia, Greece, Iceland and Italy.

5. I love the smell of books. I spent hours and hours in the library with my grandma as a child. It was one of my favorite places. I wanted to learn to read so badly when I was younger, but I don’t read as much anymore. When I do sit down with a good book I can disappear into it for hours. Non-fiction and biographies are my favorites. (Add that to the list of things that perpetuate my “Granny L” nickname)

If you’ve made it this far through the list, stop by my lasted Instagram post and let me know a fact about yourself!

JAMES AND LESLIE- ABOUT US


Arch Chasers is run by us- “us” meaning James and Leslie! We are a newly engaged couple who has spent the last five years living in three different states, drinking countless cups of coffee and treasure hunting gems or antiques together. Our adventures always include our trusty companion, Archie- who lives for cute sweaters and big blankets.
For our little intro to the internet, we wrote down each other’s favorite things, and our favorite things about each other.
From Leslie’s perspective, James:
Likes:
  • Coffee
  • Building
    and repairing things. This means I have my own custom furniture builder
    on call whenever a late night Pinterest session gets the best of me.
  • Being outdoors. Camping, hiking, rockhounding…you get it.
  • Collecting rocks and minerals. He loves his crystal collection more than he loves me.
James graduated with a degree in geological sciences and enjoys rockhounding whenever he can. No matter where he travels, he has to check out the local geological attractions. Some of his favorite places to partake in this are the Herkimer Diamond Mines in Herkimer, NY and Arches National Park.
James enjoys tent camping but looks forward to helping me build our own teardrop camper when we get a house with a garage.
James also likes to dabble in silversmithing and jewelry making in our at-home studio.
Chips and salsa are his weakness
From James’s perspective, Leslie:
Likes:
  • Coffee- especially a double espresso
  • Many different types of crafting- rug punch, weaving, stamp carving…you name it
  • Participating and going to craft shows
  • Creating- She works in the creative industry for her full-time job
  • Designing and filling our house with texture and color. Does it have tassels or involve a unique house plant? She’s about it.
It is physically impossible for Leslie to drive by an estate sale without perusing it and she knows how to find a mean bargain.
Leslie graduated with a degree in political science and then went on to earn a master’s degree in public relations. She is an extremely hard worker that also enjoys her down time watching Netflix and snuggling Archie in a massive soft blanket.
She might not agree with me but I believe she is an amazing artist and I try to hang up every piece of art that she makes.
Her obsession with picking the perfect Christmas tree each year is unreal.

Now that we’re acquainted, we’d love to get to know you! This blog is where we can combine our love for travel and creativity, and we hope you find value and entertainment in our
adventures at the very least. 
Leave a comment here or on our Instagram @chasingcozyblog (which we hope you’re already following!).