Please meet my friend, Michele Ginnerty of My Notting Hill. Click here to visit her fabulous blog. She is truly a genius when it comes to blogging on design. I wish I could be so good at it. I will be forever grateful to Michele for doing a post on Ragland Hill Social not too long after I started blogging. It really helped me launch my blog and I am so thankful to her for it.Most importantly, My Notting Hill, is one of my go-to sources for design ideas and inspiration. Michele has amassed a bevy of images that will make your heart sing. Funnily enough, design is her passion and hobby, you would think after perusing her blog she was in the business. But she had her own management consulting business for 14 years and it has nothing to do with design. I am so proud to call Michele my friend and know you will love her blog as much as I do. Happy reading!
Question 1: Where did you grow up and where do you live now?Although I was born in Greenbay, WI, I grew up in Auburn, NY, which is in the Finger Lakes region of central NY between Syracuse and Rochester. It's a beautiful area with glacier carved lakes, rolling hills, vineyards, apple orchards, corn fields and lots of family farms. Central NY has it's own distinct culture and specialty foods, and I think, although I'm probably biased, some of the friendliest and most down to earth people in the country. My husband also grew up in CNY so we share that experience. Now we live in Arlington, VA, just over the river from DC.
Question 2: What is your profession?For the last 15 years I've had my own management consulting and leadership training firm, spending most of my time conducting seminars and helping people work most effectively with each other. I love what I do and happen to now do most of my work for a federal agency I'm extremely proud to be associated with. Going to work is fun - although at lunch I'm usually reading design magazines and books. My graduate degree is in counseling and I was a counselor for many years. 
Question 3: Why did you start your blog?I started it because I wanted to challenge myself to do something visual and also because I'm a design addict and needed a new outlet. My kids and husband were getting tired of me talking about design all the time.
Question 4: What do you like most about blogging?If I'm being completely honest I love writing about something and then finding out people either thought it was interesting or helpful to them. I once had a reader e-mail me that she was widowed and liked to start out her morning checking out blogs, including mine. She said it helped her feel a bit better. I found that very rewarding. The other fun part is getting invited to design events. I find blogging is a great way to be tangentially involved in the world of design and to meet designers and store owners. When I travel for business, I love posting the photos of architecture in the area and design stores I visit. Some of my favorite stores I've visited are Linda Horsley Antiques in Atlanta, Matthews House and Garden in Upperville, VA and Fiona Newell Weeks in Easton, MD. I think my secret passion is to be an interiors photographer.
Question 5: What is the most valuable thing you've gained from blogging?You've hinted at it in question #7 - it's making friends both virtual and in-person. I love the generosity of design bloggers and their willingness to share resources, praise and suggestions. I also had a chance to meet talented people in the design world I never would have if it weren't for blogging, including Eddie Ross and Jaithan Kochar. I hosted a blogger party when they were in DC and it was great fun - Terri of Windlost in Calgary, Canada was visiting so she got to come too. The DC area has a great blogging community and we try to get together every few months, which is fun.
Question 6: How long have you been blogging?My first post was 12/31/07, so just over two years ago.
Question 7: How many new friends do you have because of your blog?I would say I have at least 30 new friends because of blogging. Wanda Crossley and Kevin Chadwick of Matthews House and Garden came to my house to look at my dining room dilemma and I'm so excited about that. I have 8 business trips coming up this year, including Vancouver, Canada, and I'm hoping to meet some of my blogging friends in person when I'm in their cities.
Michele, I wish you were coming to Memphis! I recently was in Atlanta and had the pleasure of meeting Holly from, Things That Inspire. It was so fun getting to meet her in person. Click here to move on over to My Notting Hill. You won't be disappointed. It's one of my faves.
We'll talk soon.
Gwen