INTERVIEWS Archives - Page 3 of 4

Interview: hiMe printed the book of her story as a Refugee

Posted on 08/09/201708/10/2017 by Team Blookup

Summer is light and joyful, but many things can happen under the sun. Some are less light, but are also essential to know, essential to History and Memory. It might take a while, but things do get lighter and sunnier when you begin to write them down.

hiMe, from the blog A Refugee’s Journey, shares all that with you today: Her journey, her blog, her blook.

______________________________________

First, tell us about yourself : You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…
I was a refugee and resettled in Melbourne, Australia in 1984 after spending four years trying to escape the communist regime in Vietnam . While trying to flee, I experienced being hunted, shot at, imprisoned and one of the many witnesses to the rape of my female defectors.

I love singing, acting and writing.

ai-hime-blook-water

______________________________________

Before the Fall of Saigon in 1975, I was voted the Head of Press, in charge of the production of my class’ wall newspaper every semester in high school.

In the 1990s, I used to write satire poems for a Vietnamese newspaper in Sydney for years before I got married.

I joined Vietnamese and Australian community choirs as well as theatre groups.

My other hobby is to translate English songs and novels into Vietnamese.

What is your blog about and why did you want to address this subject when starting it?
I was encouraged to turn my attention to writing because of its emotional therapeutic effect.

a-refugees-journey-front-cover — ‘A Refugee’s Journey’, a blook waiting to be read!

______________________________________

From what I encountered since arriving in Australia as a lonely, young and naive refugee and was “taken into care” by the Church, I have a need to tell my story to the public.

There was also a heavy past with life under the communist regime as well as my escape and the refugee camp that I want to document.

Not to forget are memories of my life before the Communist took over and situations I faced in my new life in Australia: living with the enemy, unjust age discrimination at work, being coached to make fraudulent claim in the workplace, sexual harassment…

I desire to express my gratitude to my new country – Australia – as well as the Australian soldiers who fell during the Vietnam war.

I would like to have a say about what I find as unacceptable or unfair in the Vietnamese culture comparing to the Australian one and I wish there will be a change in the Vietnamese culture. The discrimination I come into contact with in Australia made me recount what the Chinese in Vietnam being discriminated against.

I want the memories, the history to be written down for my children and the younger generations of Vietnamese, Australian and the others to read for years to come when I will no longer be on earth.

a-refugees-journey-back-cover

______________________________________

After printing the first part of my blog, I want to continue blogging for the upcoming second book which will include topics about: global economic downturn, terrorism, mass immigration and capitalised communist countries (including Vietnam) that has changed Australia and the world’s view about refugees in general and the Vietnamese boat people in particular.

My future project also includes creating a twin blog which will be a translation into Vietnamese of my current blog A Refugee Journey – Vietnam to Australia.

What contents (articles, illustrations) are you the most proud of?
I love writing small poems to accompany each of my stories. I feel excited at the challenge to write poems in different styles. Until now, I have written 61 different forms of poems.

I collect facts, pictures and videos to support my stories. Below are some of the illustrations in that category.

A Chinese Girl in Vietnam’s Related Information

chinese-businessman — AP and the news of Chinese business man Tạ Vinh executed in 1966.

The Search for an Interpreter’s Related Information

delegate-interview — Delegate interviewed refugees with the aid of Vietnamese interpreters

path-pulau-bidong — The path from zone C to zone D on Pulau Bidong island

Those Scary Moments’ Related Information

reeducation-camp — Political prisoners in a “re-education camp”

prisoners-punished — Punishment for prisoners who tried to escape

A Communist Youth Party Candidate’s Related Information

high-school-students-labour-day — A labour dayto build canals in 1978 for high school students at the barren land of Lê Minh
Xuân, at the outskirts of Saigon.

soldier-cutting-hair — A North Vietnamese soldier cutting men’s anti-cultural long hair.

Saigon’s Seasons in the Sun’s Related Information

saigon-before-communism — Saigon before the Communists took over

The Immigration Tricks’ Related Information

marrying-daughter — Daughter of the Vietnamese Communist Prime Minister – Nguyen Thanh Phuong – married
to Henry Nguyen Bao Hoang – an American citizen.

henry-nguyen-bao-hoang-mc-donalds — Henry Nguyen Bao Hoang brought McDonald to Vietnam in 2014.

A Family at Last’s Related Information

mrs-khuc-minh-tho — Mrs Khuc Minh Tho who advocated for the release of political prisoners and assist them in reuniting with their families and loved ones in the United States or in other countries.

reagan-with-khuc-minh-tho — President Ronald Reagan and Mrs Khuc Minh Tho

Living with the Enemy’s Related Information

vice-prime-minister-house — Vietnamese Vice Prime Minister bought this house on 3/6/2005 at $790,000 USD (in 2014 estimated to worth over 1 million) at 636 South Halliday street, Anaheim, CA 92804.

miss-cao-thi-nhip-char — Miss Cao Thi Nhip who led the first North Vietnamese Communist tank into the South Vietnam Presidential Palace in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war now lives in America.

A Dream’s Related Information

pirates-boats-attacking — Thai pirates attacked a Vietnamese refugee boat in the 70s

boat-people-hidding — Boat people hid in caves on deserted island to avoid rape, murder…

______________________________________

What moment of your blogger life was the most memorable for you so far?
When SBS Insight (Australia’s leading forum for debate and powerful first person stories) contacted me in regard to my “Foot Voting” story. The survivor guilt mentioned in my account was the theme they wanted to research for a TV broadcast.

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?
I want to have all my writings on a long-lasting, Internet-independent, computer-independent media that can be kept for years and readily to be read.

______________________________________

How did you find out about BlookUp?
I am glad that BlookUp followed my blog and that was how I found out about it.

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?
With BlookUp, it was very easy to make my book. I had many trials in making my book with different publishing web sites. I found the publishing softwares those sites provided were complicated to use and rejected some of my pictures for not of high resolution. Unlike
BlookUp, the other publishing websites made the price of the book high.

I would love if BlookUp can offer more color choices as well as designs for the book cover. It would be nice if there are more different internal format for the book.

ai-hime-reading-blook-water

______________________________________

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?
I am very happy with the final result. The pictures are sharp, the colorsilk are lively and the texts are clear and crisp. My family and friends really appreciate the book.

Would you recommend BlookUp?
I certainly will highly recommend BlookUp to other bloggers.

______________________________________

Thank you hiMe for taking the time to answer our questions with such details, for your documented work and precious testimony!

Also follow hiMe on:

Sarah printed the book of her cottage’s every day life!

Posted on 07/11/201710/11/2019 by Team Blookup

Sarah of the blog wetandwindycottage.wordpress.com decided to print the book of her blog, where she describes her life between her job and her cosy house surrounded by fields, flowers, and animals.

As we never shared any story of this kind before, we wanted to make you discover this quiet and lovely universe ! Make yourself at home and enjoy the story of her blog and her blook!

__________________________________________

First, tell us about yourself : You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

I am a qualified lawyer, I fell into the job really as a means of earning a reasonable wage and being able to live in the lake district where pay is low as the majority of jobs are in the leisure industry.

That said I love my job, I can make a difference to peoples days. I am in civil litigation and education law.

I am married, we haven’t been able to have children, but I have 2 horses, a donkey, 2 cats, a nearly grown up puppy 2 ducks and lots of chickens. I live in a beautiful house in the middle of fields with views all around,

__________________________________________

I know I am so lucky but even when everything is beautiful but sometimes it is still difficult to stay positive.

In winter I am up at 6 to feed muck out horses sort out the chicken, ducks and dog, then be clean and not smelling of poo by 8am to drive off to work, I then get home from work at 6 and start again with the horses etc, in the middle of this is keeping a house a garden reasonably tidy.

We moved into the house 4 years ago, there was a small garden only but we had been able to buy the fields around, we were successful in obtaining planning permission which allowed us to build the barn and stables, extend the garden and convert a small barn into more living accommodation.

We have build the barn and stables, started on the garden but don’t yet have the funds to convert the barn into more living.

sarah-garden — A little glimpse of Sarah’s garden

__________________________________________

What is your blog about and why did you want to address this subject when starting it?
I started my blog as a new years resolution to be more positive and do something for myself. The aim was to treat it like a diary of what was happening in and around me and mainly my home. As one of the aims was to be positive, I don’t really focus on the negatives which can make life look idyllic, but that I admit to that so I think it is ok. I am not pretending life is perfect, I am choosing just to show the good bits.

I made areas I was going to cover such as garden, polytunnel monthly update to keep me focused.

The areas have changed as I have done different things, I make more reference to walks now as I take Ellie my springer spaniel on walks in and around the lakes.

I also cover more cooking that I thought I would, but this again makes me more creative.

Also if I see something, like a birds nest in an artificial Christmas tree (a post from this year), I like to tell myself about it when I re-read when I am sat in a rocking chair in my 80’s trying to remember what I did.

choc-chip-cookies — Yummy chocolate chip coooookieeeees!

__________________________________________

What contents (articles, illustrations) are you the most proud of?

I am not a skilled writer or photographer, my first posts were really just practice runs on what to do, from last December so 12 months in I did a post on starling murmurations, I love the photographs.

To be honest I didn’t think of “proud” of what I had done, I hadn’t advertised, few of my friends or family know about it, it really was just for me.

But I bought myself for Christmas the Blook of my first years blog, and was really chuffed at how it looked; especially as that had not be the aim.

What moment of your blogger life was the most memorable for you so far?

As above, getting my blook through the post and thinking really, I did that!!

choc-chip-ingredients — I couldn’t show you Chocolate Chip cookies without showing you their ingredients, could I? Click on the image to see the whole recipe!

__________________________________________

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?

I didn’t know I did, I saw the advert around Christmas and in previous years I have produced picture books of our progress at the cottage for my husband and thought actually I might like this as a present for me.

How did you find out about BlookUp?
I think Blookup “liked” one of my posts and as I don’t get many likes I always look to see who they are and realised it was an advertisement.

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

It highlights spelling mistakes, which being a lawyer I shouldn’t do, but apart from that is a physical record of the good bits in the year.

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

My husband(!!) has shown it to a few friends and family who have visited, they didn’t know about my blog and are really supportive

Would you recommend BlookUp?

Yes, it is a great physical memento of a lot of hard work, I plan to get one done every January, again it keeps me focused on blogging.

5th graders make a blog and turn it into a yearbook!

Posted on 06/30/201711/03/2019 by Team Blookup

This week we had the pleasure of meeting with Sylvanie Girault who is a teacher at the elementary school Sainte-Marie de Mérignac in France.

She came up with the idea of starting a blog for her group of fifth graders to maintain and decided later on to turn it into a yearbook that each of them could get as a souvenir (at a very fair price 😉). She accepted to answer our questions and share her experience with us!

———————————————————————

Tell us a little bit about yourself: you, your hobbies, your projects…

My name is Sylvanie Girault, mother of three children and have been teaching at the private elementary school Sainte-Marie de Mérignac for 4 years now. My group of fifth graders is made of 30 pupils, all 11 years old. I came up with the idea of making a blog that they will maintain 4 years ago. I wanted them to be familiar with computers and writing in general. What I had in mind was a blog in which the children would be the authors so that they’d be more familiar with writing and would also have a public reading them. The content of the blog is written by them and them only. I only interact with them through the comments. This year’s group is the fourth to maintain the blog.

Picture of Sylvanie holding a blook in front of a picture of her group

———————————————————————

What is the blog about?

This blog is about highlighting the major events of the year (a yearbook of some sort), such as school trips like our yearly trip to London or even smaller visits in the region: of the City Hall, the Courthouse, Museums, of the Cathedral Saint-Pierre, and many more. These activities are very important for the pedagogical process because they discover and learn things that they would not if they stayed at school, moreover some of them are not familiar with their surroundings. Our school trips are in keeping with the school program and motivate some students that are usually discouraged by the academic way of learning. But more important than that, they can use these trips as a source of inspiration to write articles on the blog about what they saw, felt or understood. Writing allows them to cultivate their curiosity and awareness to their surroundings, and doing that through a computerized tool motivates them as well. Every single one of my pupils has written at least one article on the blog during the year, each of them with their own writing style; this diversity of styles is what makes this blog stand out from a blog maintained by an individual. Since the blog opened, we have published about 70 articles and more than 6 000 pages have been viewed by the students but also their parents. The blog is entirely accessible to the public and anyone can read about the adventures of the group.

A picture of the 40 blooks ready to be picked up

———————————————————————

What articles are you the most proud of?

The articles about our yearly trip to England last October, without a doubt. Every year the group goes to London for 5 days and discovers the English culture. It is without the doubt the highlight of the year that all the students are looking forward to. During these 5 days they will be immersed in the English culture together, discover the gastronomy, local habits, the lifestyle…that is a strong collective experience!

The fifth grade is very dense in term of things to learn and master before going to middle-school. This school trip allows us to get together and strengthen the group’s dynamic hundreds of kilometers away from home. The articles published at that time are more profound because they crystallize this moment they had together.

———————————————————————

Why did you choose to make a book out of it?

I wanted every student to be able to keep a written record of this moment of their life in England with all their friends. During the making of of the book on BlookUp’s platform, I only kept the articles and pictures of the trip to London in order to have a smaller book that would be entirely dedicated to this trip. Besides it makes sense for my students to have a physical object reminding them of the group because fifth grade is the last step before entering middle-school. Some students have known each other for 7 years, since they were in kindergarten; they grew up together and will, for some of them, be separated from each other once they get to middle-school. Having by their side a book reminiscent of their time in elementary school is something truly unique and precious. A few days away from the end of the school year, every student will go home with a book signed by their classmates. I just received the 40 books and will be signing them as well as writing a personal note, if the pupils and their parents ask me to do so.

An example of a blook signed by the teacher and classmates!

———————————————————————

What are the qualities of the platform? What would you improve?

I found it easy to create a blook, the platform is intuitive. I have one regret however, it is the standardized size of the pictures. Of course you can choose between three different sizes but once you picked one, all the pictures will be of the same size, which sometimes results in blank spaces on the pages. I think it would be nice to give people the opportunity to play around with the spaces between the pictures to reduce these empty spaces. Other than that, the quality of the book is impeccable, and the cover lamination is really good.

(This interview was originally in French, but we loved the idea so much we decided to translate it to English and tried to make it as true to the original as possible.)

Family and childhood stories: using Blogging to share them !

Posted on 06/13/201711/03/2019 by Team Blookup

Many people will say that writing is a great way to escape and think about something else. That’s exactly the case for Brian, who used his blog as a way to share and record his childhood and family stories.

Tell us a little bit about yourself : Your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

I’m married, with two teen children (one boy, one girl). Besides family, my passion is fishing. I live in Seattle, which is an amazing place to satisfy my fishing “addiction”, where we fish for halibut, cod, rockfish, crab, shrimp, and yes, even albacore tuna in the summer.

What is your blog about and why did you want to address this subject when starting it?

My blog is about stories from my childhood. It’s extremely personal. I’m almost 50 years old, and as I get older, I’m sure it will become more and more difficult to remember the people, places, and occurrences of my youth. So I set out to spend an hour or two every week to just think about my past, and memorialize those moments in writing, so that my children will know more about me, and why some of the people in my past influenced me in wonderful ways to make me who I am today.

What content (articles, illustrations) are you the most proud of?

I truly enjoy writing. I don’t know why…I don’t know how, but people tell me I’m good at it. I’m really writing with my children in mind, in a way that I hope best connects with them when they’re older. But if I were to look forward 20 years, and saw that my son or daughter was laughing, or crying with joy by what I’ve written, and their memories of me – that’s what I would be most proud of.

What do you like the most about blogging?

Being able to write whatever I want, with no worry about consequences. Most of my writing is work related, so it’s refreshing to write purely for myself.

Why did you want to turn your family blog into a book?

A few members of my family follow my blog. But last year, I happened to learn about BlookUp, and I had an “Aha!” moment: Let’s make my blog into a book, and send it as Christmas gift to my parents and siblings, who are all in my stories.

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I can’t remember.

What did you think about the making process of your blook? Did you encounter any difficulties or issues?

Very little. The only disconnect was one of culture: In the US, we put our Table of Contents at the front of the book. When I requested this, you made it happen. I would like the ability to be a little more creative with the artwork and fonts. The choices were somewhat limited, but it was good enough.

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

Yes, I really liked what I ended up with. Everyone loves it!

Would you recommend BlookUp and/or use it again in the future?

Absolutely!

Thank you so much Brian for this interview, the team is glad you love your blook! You guys can read Brian’s stories on his blog right here!

Andy Smith, turning 10 years’ worth of paintings into books!

Posted on 05/19/201710/31/2019 by Team Blookup

Do you like art? Yeah we thought so.

In this week’s interview Andy Smith tells us about his love for watercolor painting, the challenge of “A Painting A Day” he took on years ago and the process of making a blook out of his work!

Andy Smith Drawing

___________________________________________________

Continue reading “Andy Smith, turning 10 years’ worth of paintings into books!” →

Interview: Melody, life with a dog and a blog!

Posted on 02/17/201711/04/2019 by Team Blookup

This week, we have another diary-like blog to share, and we’re sure you will like it!

Melody lives her life with this blog to update, and an ADORABLE corgi dog to pet and care for. She talks every now and then about travels, fitness, or just her getting through life with amily and friends… And of course, her dog.

Life with a dog and a blog - Melody and Gatsby on the sofa again

The cutest couple ever reading their blook on the sofa!

___________________________________

First, tell us about yourself ! You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

Hi, I’m Melody Pendlebury and I am a really indecisive, mess of a person but I try my best. I am a senior at the University of North Florida as an Elementary Education major. It seems as if I’m ready to graduate and start my career, but honestly, I have a quarter life crisis daily. One thing that’s pretty unique about me is that I’m married. This is shocking to a lot of people because I do look like a 12 year old pretending to be an adult, but I’m actually still young but 22. Even though some people think this is the craziest thing in the world, I’m still a normal 22 year old person and a normal married person trapped into one body. Obviously I’m very passionate about my dog, hence the name of my blog. I am also very passionate about health and fitness. This doesn’t mean that I eat healthy all the time or have a rock hard body, because I like to keep life fun and try not to be too serious. This blog is my first attempt at writing something that I actually want people to read and I still get nervous about every article. I post. Futur projects that I you can expect to see in the future are probably going to be more exercise tutorials and recipes. I love writing about things that interest me and am hoping I’m writing about things that interest other people as well.

What is your blog about? Why? Do you have other blogs? If so, what do they talk about?

I think my blog (https://lifewithadogandablog.com) is a little scattered brain. If I had to say what the main content of my blog was, it would probably be health and fitness. Other than that, I like to write about vacations I’ve taken, how I have saved money on various things, some lifestyle tips, all while trying to fit my dog into everything. This is the first blog that I have ever written other than my numerous diaries that I never let anyone read growing up. I hope to build and improve my content in the future.
Life with a dog and a blog - Melody and Gatsby rad their blook

“Remember that time when…” -“Oh no, you printed that too?”

___________________________________

Why did you want to turn your blog ” life with a dog and a blog” into a book?

in today’s world everything is digital. This isn’t a bad thing because hey, lets save the trees, but sometimes its nice to have a physical copy of something. Since this is the beginning of my first blog I thought it would be good to have something for me to read and show people and hopefully something I can use to reminisce in the future.

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I found out about BlookUp because their blog followed my blog. I was curious about who they were and started to check them out. I loved how simple and accessible the website was and the the product was something I absolutely loved.

Life with a dog and a blog - Melody and Gatsby on the sofa

___________________________________

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

Making my blook was super easy. All I had to do was press a few buttons and bam, it was finished. The only negative things I could possibly think of about making my blook was that there was not a lot of templates to choose from. This could also be a positive as well because you don’t have to overthink it and you always come out with a beautiful blook.

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook ” life with a dog and a blog “?

i LOVE the the final result! It was so cute and unique and it was awesome to see my blog come to life. My husband also loves my blook and insists that we keep it on the coffee table.

Life with a dog and a blog, cover

Yeah, that’s a geat coffee table decoration!

____________________________________

Would you recommend BlookUp?

I would definitely recommend BlookUp to anyone I meet. It is such a unique item and not only can you make your blog into a book, but also your social media!

______________________

Thank you Melody for trying our solution, for answering our questions and for your article on your blog! And also, many thanks to Gatsby for posing with style!

For more pieces of life, more fitness and more dog, also follow Melody on:

Interview: Danielle, the Student-to-Staff Nurse!

Posted on 01/20/201711/04/2019 by Team Blookup

Wanna hear about lifestyle blog , fashion, food, lifestyle, health, events.And nursing studies? Yeah, all that, in just one blog!

Well now you can by visiting Danielle Levy’s blog, that we share today through our monthly interview!

Danielle Levy - Portrait owner of the lifestyle blog

______________________

First, tell us about yourself. You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

Hi, I’m Danielle. I’m a Christmas baby, turning 24 just after Christmas. I’m a critical care nurse. I have a blog and a youtube channel that I run alongside working full time so makes me a very busy woman. When I’m not doing either of these things, I’m either cuddling with my dog and cat or talking my border collie out for long walks.

What is your blog about? Why? Do you have other blogs ? If so, what do they talk about?

My blog is a lifestyle blog so I include everything from my life! My nursing degree and career, university, beauty, fashion, health and sometimes even fitness.

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?

I wanted to have it as an everlasting memory as my blog is online. Things happen and sometimes things get lost or are gone forever and I wanted something that I could always look back on.

Danielle's pens and notebooks for her lifestyle blog organisation

Danielle loves many things, but above all, she really is into organization!

______________________

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I found out about BlookUp through fellow bloggers. I got involved because I thought it’s such an amazing idea for anyone with a blog or instagram feed that they work really hard on.

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

I love that you can pick and choose as many blog posts and you can edit things and review them to make it all perfect. My only downsides were that shipping takes a little while (so be prepared when ordering for a specific date like Christmas/Birthday’s) and the more posts that you add, the more expensive it becomes so it’s just something to be mindful of.

Danielle Levy's lifestyle blog cover

Danielle’s blook, proudly waiting to be read!

______________________

Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your lifestyle blog blook?

I love the final product, it so amazing to see all my blog posts from the past two years. I love seeing how they developed over to what my blog is today. My family and friends love it and my mum is really jealous cause she would have loved to get me something like that!

Would you recommend BlookUp?

I would definitely recommend BlookUp, it make such an amazing gift for yourself or someone else for Christmas, birthdays, or just to celebrate and having something in print whether it be pictures or your blog posts is such a nice thing to look back on.

______________________

Many thanks to Danielle for sharing her thoughts and for having us featured on her 2016 Christmas Guide!

For more nursing anecdotes and lifestyle advices, also follow Danielle on :

Interview: Art in various forms with Kathryn!

Posted on 12/27/201611/04/2019 by Team Blookup

Did you miss us? Because we did! December was a pretty crazy and busy month at BlookUp ! But we won’t let it go (don’t sing it) without an interview!

Today, meet Kathryn. A multi-formats artist and explorer, always on the road searching for inspiration, weirdness and crazy stuff! And don’t forget to click on the images in order to see mork ore Kathryn’s work!

First, tell us about yourself: You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…_____________________________

I’m American-born but found from my first international traveling days during college that I prefer being an Earthling to thinking of myself as strictly attached to any particular location or group of people. I love where I grew up on the Pacific Northwest coast of the US (near Seattle) and the culture there very deeply, but there are fabulous people, adventures, landscapes, and cities to be found everywhere I’ve been. So my concept of Home is portable and relates to where I’m happy, where I find the essentials for that happiness, like good company, welcoming surroundings, fine architecture, great food, magnificent scenery, superb music. As these are all among the things that give me my greatest joys, they all eventually find their ways into the blog. There I’m able to share my unique and idiosyncratic way of viewing and enjoying my life with my readers.

Kathryn’s famous colored glasses!

_____________________________

What is your blog about? Why? Do you have other blogs? If so, what do they talk about?

Art Colored Glasses (artcoloredglasses.com) is my only blog, and serves as my personal art-and-writing journal. My clever husband suggested, after I’d stopped teaching those topics at university for nearly two decades, that since I finally had the time and energy to return to making art and writing poetry and essays for my own enjoyment, I should document the process. Blogging is clearly a convenient way to capture my progress and share the end results of my daily creative work. The site is named for the old expression about seeing the world through “rose colored glasses”—the notion that everything is tinted with an idealized point of view reflects my belief that we all see our experiences through unique lenses, and I try to share that sense in both my factual and fantastical posts.

Some drawings practiced with graphite.

_____________________________

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?

Online documentation in the blog served to keep me motivated and preserve a sense of purpose in my artistry, and it certainly offered a new and supportive community of readers and fellow bloggers and artists. But it, like all other technological resources, comes with no guarantees of perfectly eternal archiving. And it’s hard to curl up in bed with a blog the way that a physical book comforts me! So I wanted both the backup of a concrete object and the pleasure of leafing through a real book that I can carry nearly anywhere with me.

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I stumbled across a reference to BlookUp online when I was searching for alternative ways to publish more of my ‘regular’ books (not blog-sourced).

Well, cooking is a art form, they say! Experiment Kathryn’s tuna salad with cheese biscuits!

_____________________________

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

The two things I would most like to see added to BlookUp’s offerings are rather simple matters of scale: I’d love to be able to easily change the size of both text and visual images to more closely reflect the ratios and relationships I work to achieve on my blog. I don’t use a blogging platform with complete autonomy in that regard; I have no desire to learn to write code or spend hours tweaking the positions and sizes of every single element I post, when I’ve already spent so much time on making and posting the artworks and writing the content, so I’m glad to use a platform that has very simple templates. But I chose the blog template I do use in order to get a particular layout and I can alter the look of it somewhat to suit the day’s offerings. If I can balance the visual layout in similar ways for my blook, it will be that much more a perfect companion to the blog.

Having said that, I’m delighted with the blook, and the ease of the process by which I can have it made. It’s a tremendous help that the content is downloaded directly from my blog, so I don’t have to cut and paste the entire thing from scratch (or, worse) to retype every word and re-import every picture). I do like being able to design and use my own front cover, which reflects this being a record of an artist’s blog. Also, the blook’s paper quality, its crisp and clear printing and accurate color capture, and the ability to compile a section of my years of blogging output into one compact archival resource all make me very glad BlookUp is available. It will take me a number of blooks to archive over 1600 posts, but it’s always good to have a new project to challenge my creative impulses, and even better when the end result is so attractive.

Do you enjoy the final result? What do your family and friends think about your blook?

Everyone’s impressed with this project!

Kathyn’s Blook cover! There is a very nice touch to it, just like best-sellers in libraries!

_____________________________

Would you recommend BlookUp?
Absolutely! I already did, and I will again. 🙂

_____________________________

Thank you, Kathryn, for this interview and for allowing us to share your thoughts on BlookUp! We wish you a (late) Happy Birthday and invite all our followers to visit your blog in order to wish it to you as well!

Sabrebeauty interview: Body-positivism and self-love!

Posted on 11/22/201611/04/2019 by Team Blookup

Sure, most of our beloved Blookers are travelers, but not all of them! Sometimes in the sea of blooks and blogs you can come accross other subjects that also lead you to think about yourself, your relation to your own body, to the judgement of others…

And among those blogs, you can find Sabreabeauty’s! Her blog, aimed at both men and women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, promotes self-love and confidence through various posts about beauty and skin care products or lifestyle advices!

Sabrebeauty's blook cover

______________________

First, tell us about yourself : You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

I’m Samantha, and I’m a 25 year old blogger. I have a real passion for beauty and self-acceptance! I have a blog over at sabrebeauty.co.uk, that I’ve run for just over a year now.

What is your blog about ? Why ? Do you have other blogs ? If so, what do they talk about ?

My blog is based around beauty and lifestyle. I love to write about my life a lot, so sometimes I treat it like a diary. I like to be able to look back and see how I’ve done throughout the months, and it’s a great way to keep an eye on how I’m doing with my own goals.

Why did you want to turn your blog into a book?

After a year of blogging, I wanted to treat myself to something to memorialise it. Blogging has changed my life in so many ways. I’m so much more confident and I’ve met so many amazing people, some of whom have turned out to be some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had.

Sabrebeauty's blook open

All of Sabrebeauty’s posts in one book, the only beauty magazine you need to have!

________________

How did you find out about BlookUp?

I had a recommendation from a friend, actually! She told me how she had worked with BlookUp in the past, and she loved the result!

What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

Making my Blook was so easy, it practically does all the work for you! The only annoying thing is going back and editing posts, but I’m a stickler for perfection!

Do you enjoy the final result ? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

I absolutely adore my Blook. I’ve showed family and friends and they’ve commented on how professional it looks! It’s so lovely having a physical copy of things I’ve written over the past year. I’ll probably keep it up and buy myself another for my second year of blogging!

Sabrebeauty's blook back

Would you recommend BlookUp ?

Absolutely! It’s a perfect gift for your blogger friends, or if you just want to celebrate the work you’ve done!

_____________________

A lot of thanks to Sabrebeauty for her patience, for her work about body-positive attitude and for allowing us to appear on her blog too!

For more self-acceptance and tips, also follow Sabrebeauty on :

India Travels (and more) with Sidhartha!

Posted on 10/18/201611/03/2019 by Team Blookup

Sometimes, travelling is not about physical adventures in the wild, or sunbathing on a tropical island, nor about high athletics achievements from city to city, on a bike or in a sport car.

In fact, Sometimes, travelling means wandering around, just listening to the sounds and discussions around you, share thoughts and precious moments with the people you casually encounter, enjoying the colours and the forms of the Nature that surrounds you.

Sidhartha Satpathy is one of those travellers, and he made his blook out of his travel blog. Today, we offer you to explore with us his work and his thoughts about those experiences!

_____________________________________________

A statue of a mythological demon in India

“The beautiful Mythological demon lord Ravana, carrying the three worlds on his head. A beautiful stone carving on the walls of Halebidu in Karnataka, India. The carvings would give you a feeling of being so lively that they could come out and stand in front of you.”

St. Mary's island on the western parts of India

“The beautiful St. Mary’s island on the western part of India. A shore filled with shells, making it very unique in the vast coastal belt of India.”

_____________________________________________

– First, tell us about yourself : You, your passions, your hobbies, your projects…

I basically would call myself as a wonderer. Someone who loves to explore the many aspects of life. I started to travelling a little late in my life but today it an integral part of me. I love to travel through various modes of transport. My interest and passion apart from Travel is in Photography and writing. Writing is mostly about my travels but I also write stories. So far written four short stories. Hope to write more as they unfold for me. I love to be in the lap of nature and that has intrigued me always. So most of my projects are on Travel & nature. I am planning for doing a small work on the artisans at Odisha (Eastern state of India).

Farmer taking his buffalos to the fields in India

“Farmer taking his buffalos to the fields. A very common sight in the hinterlands of Odisha.”

Cashew factory women in India

“At the Cashew factory where, despite of the difficult working conditions, there is a smile and warmth that floats around with the women who work there. They chatted up and had fun in the short time that we were there.”

_____________________________________________

– What is your blog about? Why? Do you have other blogs? If so, what do they talk about?

I have done a few trips outside India (my motherland) but I love this country for its diversity. India is so diverse that most of the time we only get to know the parts of the country that is well shared and spoken about on the net. My website / blog (www.staryeyestravel.com) that I currently use is a travelogue. I travel to places that are of little known but carries a lot of history, architecture and geography. This blog is just a year old and I am in the process of putting in more as things unfold. I am also working on capturing my past travels.

I also have another blog page (www.ssidhi.blogspot.in). This I started eight years back with an objective to share what ever I feel or experience. Today it is focused more on stories, poetry, some of the happenings around me. Though I have currently linked it up with the main webpage but keep it separate and that gives me the space to compartmentalise and structure my thoughts.

Sidhartha's son trying the manual nut opening in India

“My little one was having a try at the manual nut opening process. Though the manual process is prevalent but these machines have started to speed up the process.”

Sidhartha in a field in India

“Me in the midst of a lusty farm land, the lands that feed the millions in our country”

_____________________________________________

– Why did you want to turn your India blog into a book?

Off course, web is something that one would last for ever and will be accessible to a lot of people around the world. But a book gives it a personalised feeling. The photographs on my page are all mine and I had taken care in shooting and putting them up along with my free flow of thoughts. So getting it printed and seeing them come to life is amazing. It is a treasure of places which I can share it with my friends in a physical form. It is amazing to see the content in a form that I could hold it, read it, feel it.

Put simply I just treasure it.

– How did you find out about BlookUp?

Oh, that was on FB. I have been thinking about getting my content printed and BlookUp just happened. ☺

_____________________________________________

Winter in Chantilly, France

“The wilderness in some of the backyards at Chantilly, France. They are breath taking and one could spend months just soaking it up all”

Eiffel Tower view from Sacre Coeur

“The Eiffel Tower viewed from the Sacré Cœur. A delight for a traveller to watch the wonders from one part of the city to another while travelling.”

_____________________________________________

– What are the positive and negative points of the making of your blook?

Positives:

– It is simply beautiful. I love the concept and the way it has come up.
– It is very easy to use and the transfer of content is very easy.
– Additionally what I liked was that all my hyperlinks could also be printed up.
– The paper quality of the blook is amazing.

Some thing that I would love to have:

– Realised that other languages I cannot get it print. My poetry in Hindi language at the beginning of some of the blogs were just converted to webding (Square boxes) and that kills the crux of my blog. Could those just be picked up as image if not converted. (I knew what I was getting but I wanted the outcome. I may print and paste it for future usage)
– Somewhere the layout that I had in the page it just gets distorted. Though I would say to me it did not make much of an impact but it could be worth looking at.
– The hyperlinks could get numbered and the details shared at the end of the article.
– I can’t edit anything if I want to.
– The cover page designs, may need some looking through.They are dull.. need more creativity there.
– The website has french layover. There were times when I had to go to the google translator to get the meaning of words.

Having said so I must say, “You guys just stuck to the time of delivery and is very neat. Very prompt. I got the blook bang on time. Wow, and that having got it sent from France. No follow ups, nothing. Simply fantastic”.

_____________________________________________

Col Saheb Island Water channels and palm trees

Col Saheb Island – “The beautiful water channels offers some pretty sights for one to enjoy and shoot around. With the dark clouds looming in the vicinity, it was a delight.”

Col Saheb Island Water channel

Col Saheb Island again – “A shot of the water channels, it is really the Venice of India with all its local flavours.”

_____________________________________________

– Do you enjoy the final result? What does your family and friends think about your blook?

I am thrilled with the outcome. A book as such as a collection and coffee table is a wow. Friends and family members are trilled by the outcome. I have been taking it around and sharing it with others.

– Would you recommend BlookUp?

Oh yes. I certainly would be using it often for some of my future creations.

_____________________________________________

Incense sticks burning

Chateau against a setting sun in Paris

Contrasts and colors of Sidhartha’s trips: At the top, incense sticks burning at one of the Col Saheb Island’s temples; At the bottom, a beautiful Chateau against a setting sun in Paris.

_____________________________________________

Thank you Sidhartha for answering our questions and making us travel through your captions and stunning photos! We hope that the new features coming in the future for our tool will satisfy you when you have more travel stories to tell!

Want to share you blog and BlookUp stories too? Contact us at contact@blookup.com!