lovely little inspiration: lucy-claire of sunny days and lovely ways on blogging & more

Lucy-Claire of Sunny Days & Lovely Ways

Lucy-Claire of Sunny Days & Lovely Ways

Happy, Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Today I am so very excited to feature Lucy-Claire, co-host of The Lace & Lilacs Podcast, creative force behind Sunny Days & Lovely Ways, and wonderful new friend of mine, here on this ‘lil interweb space.

Lucy takes the most delightful photographs, and writes such beautiful posts… if you have yet to visit SD&LW, you absolutely must. From ‘Everyday Elegance’ to thoughtful lifestyle updates and advice, it truly is a one-of-a-kind resource for all things chic and fabulous.

Organizing and recording the L&L Podcast with Ms. Lucy-Claire has been oh-so-fun, and we can’t wait to continue sharing helpful information and entertaining chit-chat with you all!

So, without further ado… the interview!


1) When and why did you begin blogging? Was there something or someone in particular that motivated you?

First of all, hello lovely readers of Lace & Lilacs! I am so happy to be here, thank you so much for having me, Abby! Blogging is something I feel I sort of fell into, so to speak. That being said, it was the best fall I’ve ever had! During my final year of high school I discovered blogs and began reading them. Classy Girls Wear Pearls by Sarah Vickers is the very first one I remember returning to visit to read, as well as WishWishWish by Carrie Harwood. A few months later, in August of 2013 I logged into blogger and created my blog. I spent a lot of time perfecting the layout, design and went through a number of facelifts before finally turning to WordPress at the beginning of 2014. What started as a form of procrastination for me, has turned into a real love and passion for writing, photography and design.

2) I absolutely love your unique and elegant posts, Lucy! What inspires the varied topics you write about on Sunny Days and Lovely Ways? 


Oh thank you so, so much for those kind words! It really means a lot that the way I always hoped my blog would be viewed is the way you actually see it! When it comes to the topics I write about I pull inspiration from a variety of different places. Some of the time I find it from other blogs, but a lot of the time it comes from events in my life, lessons I’ve learned, restaurants I go to, travel adventures and things I’m loving or coveting. I love reading other blogs about real, raw, authentic life, rather than a life through rose-tinted glasses (although those blogs are rather fun, too) so I try and incorporate that idealism into my posts too. I want my readers to really know who I am.

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

3) What are three pieces in your current wardrobe that you could not live without?

I love questions like this and it is so perfect for me right now as I’ve just gone through my entire wardrobe to clear out those items I don’t wear and make sure I keep those I love. I’ve been really inspired by the minimalist movement, recently!

My Trench Coat is certainly one item I live in, especially at the moment (we’re going through winter in the Southern Hemisphere). I think a classic trench is the perfect all-season coat, it’s not too heavy for spring or summer (at night), and it’s a great wind shield and warm during winter!

The second is a great pair of ballet flats! Ballet flats are my go-to shoe (above heels and all) and are perfect with every outfit, classic and practical (why, whenever you use that word with a shoe we think ‘ugly shoe’?), plus oh so stylish!

My third item would probably have to be a staple winter dress. I have a denim pinafore-style dress which I have been pairing with tights and wearing at least two times a week this winter (if not more!). I love wearing dresses in summer, and in winter too. I find they always make me feel feminine and girly, two things I love to feel. This particular dress is also versatile so I can ditch the tights in summer and wear it again! I think those would be my three staples I can’t live without!

4) A few just-for-fun questions! What is your favorite… color? animal? shop? holiday?

How fun! Haha! My favourite colour is blush pink or ballet pink, and my favourite colour combination is said pink with navy (#navyornothing anyone?)

My favourite animal which I know personally is my cat Jazz, but in general I love foxes.

My favourite shop is a tie between Zara and Brooks Brothers, even though they’re both quite different.

I can’t really choose my favourite holiday because each holds so many fond memories but my surprise trip to Paris when I was ten (I didn’t realise we were staying until after we checked into the hotel in Paris… I also had no idea the plane we boarded was flying to Paris either…) was very special!

5) What websites or blogs do you derive the most inspiration from?

I have a few favourite blogs! Your blog, Abby is of course one, but also:

Making Magique

Cider with Rosie

The Londoner

Paris in Four Months

mywholelife__ (Instagram)

The Littlest Things

The Viennese Girl

Paris by Friday

…just to name a few, but I really could go on! I love reading blogs and my morning routine usually starts with me opening my computer and logging in to read my bloglovin’ feed once I’ve eaten breakfast!

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

By Lucy-Claire | SDLW

6) Is there anything you particularly love about life in Australia?

This might sound funny, but I’m not very Australian. At least I’m not the stereotypical Australian girl. Rather than being a beach person I would much rather spend my time in a field or in the lush countryside like that you find in the UK and the less sea salt in my hair, the better. I am fortunate enough to call myself both Australian and British and it might be a result of growing up overseas, but I definitely associate more with the British way of life and traits (like my obsession with tea) no matter how much Australia feels like home I’m a bit of a mish-mash of both. If I’m ever away, flying into both countries fills me with that overwhelming sense of home, and there is no other feeling than flying into Sydney over that stunning harbour. If I had to choose, Sydney probably feels more like home than anywhere I’ve ever lived because it is the place I have lived the longest…sorry that went off on a bit of a tangent.

I love Sydney as a city. It is vibrant, exciting and just full of so much adventure and opportunity. I could spend hours upon hours just wandering through the city, the Queen Victoria Building or the Strand Arcade. I can’t not mention the beautiful harbour which I am so lucky to live just next to. Oh, and our sunshine. While brutal in summer, our sunshine by far brightens up any day (no pun intended..!)

7) What advice would you give to someone just beginning their blogging journey?

If there is any piece of advice I could give to someone just beginning their blogging journey it would be to not give up. The very beginning is the hardest time, but most crucial. There are going to be times when you will doubt yourself and your content, but as long as you enjoy what you are doing it will all be worth it. That first email from someone admiring your blog, that first comment and the gradual building up of followers makes it all worthwhile and fills you up with warm and fuzzies.

I would also advise a blogger to make sure they are blogging for the right reason, which should be because they love it or whatever they are sharing. If you love it, blogging is going to be a breeze and so much fun, and from my experience you will create the longevity of both your blog and your readership. Also! Don’t forget that just because you may not have a lot of readers in the very beginning does not mean you never will, or that what you are posting is not worth reading. It just takes a little longer for your blog to get out there…  embrace the opportunities, connect with great people and always keep learning! I’m still finding my way in blogging, but creating a blog is without a doubt one of the best choices I’ve ever made!


I hope you all enjoyed today’s interview! This is one of my favorite ‘lovely little inspirations’ yet. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Lucy!

xx Abby

(Ooh, and Lucy-Claire interviewed me over at SDLW, as well. Click Here to check it out!)

Leave a Reply to sarah Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

8 comments on “lovely little inspiration: lucy-claire of sunny days and lovely ways on blogging & more”

  1. Ahah, so this is what you girls were hinting at in the podcast! Lucy-Claire and I follow so many of the same blogs! (Classy Girls Wear Pearls, WishWishWish, Making Magique, Cider with Rosie, The Londoner, Paris in Four Months) It’s really cool to see how we’re all connected like in the blogosphere like that. / I’d also like to minimize my closet. My mom doesn’t seem to believe that I’m capable of doing so, but I swear I will! / I’ve never been to the Southern Hemisphere before. I’d really love to visit Australia some day! My dad was telling me the other day about how he might visit in a few months, for a business trip or something 🙂 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s

    • Hahah, thanks for the comment, Audrey! Isn’t it so funny how all bloggers/blog readers are connected through various blogs? I’m pretty sure it would be impossible for all of us to run out of things to chat about. 🙂
      I was inspired by a post on http://into-mind.com/ recently (I plan on sharing more resources in a post soon!) and totally cleaned out my closet. I also came up with a color scheme for my wardrobe so that I won’t buy ridiculous pieces that don’t match anything I own.
      And ooh, how cool! I’ve been to Australia once, but I was three so it doesn’t technically count. Oddly enough, though, I remember A LOT about that trip. I won’t bore you with the details, but I think my first real memories come from the packing w/ my mom, wandering around Sydney with my dad, crying on the plane…… hahah, it’s crazy how aware little kids can be sometimes, isn’t it? <3

  2. What a charming interview, and Lucy’s blog is just divine, so elegant and clean and lovely. I really love her photos.

  3. Thankyou so, so much for featuring me lovely Abby! It’s been so fun to share your interview over on SD&LW too! I’m so glad we became blogging friends!

    (And thankyou to Audrey and Sarah for their lovely comments!)

    Xxx

  4. I’ve been really enjoying your podcast with Lucy, so it’s fun to read more about her :). Such lovely images!

    • Thanks so much for commenting, Laura! I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying our podcast… I can’t believe anyone is actually listening, to be honest. So thank you thank you! And Lucy does take the loveliest photos, right? I especially love her florals.