{meet} ashley fine of one fine day

Hello and welcome back! I am so excited to introduce you to the ever so lovely Ashley Fine of One Fine Day. I have been an avid reader of her blog and ever so addicted to her sense of humor. Let's get right to it shall we? 

For those who are not familiar with your blog, tell us a little bit about it.

My name is Ashley Fine and my husband is a pilot in the Air Force. As a result, we move a lot and life is ever-changing.One Fine Day is my attempt at keeping in touch with family and friends while sharing random happy thoughts, memories, and fabulous finds!

What inspired you to start One Fine Day and how did you end up choosing the name?

I'd been reading blogs for ages, and I always wanted to start one, but I got caught up on details like whether it would look just right or if I could find the perfect font. Silly, I know!? In the summer of 2011, I finally took the plunge. We had just moved to Hawaii and my husband, Nick, was gone a lot. New to the area, I knew no one and I felt very isolated. One lonelySaturday night, I found myself on Blogger and I started to play around with images and jotted down my thoughts. I found the creative outlet I'd craved for so long, and I loved it. I chose the name 'One Fine Day' because I thought it reflected the overall vibe I wanted to create on my blog and it didn't hurt that I could incorporate my last name too! 

What’s the one thing that drastically changed after you started blogging?

As you move around frequently, it's hard to find people that you connect with right away. My blog has allowed me the opportunity to meet people who get giddy about snail mail, abstract art, and ballet flats. No matter where we go, I get to take this fabulous community with me. It's such a gift! I never intended for my blog to grow as it has. For the longest time, I was convinced only my closest family and friends were stopping by out of pity or kindness. Ha Ha! After awhile, people started to reach out and cheer me on. I've found that sharing various aspects of my life has allowed me to relate with so many amazing people. Putting myself out there in the blogging community gives me the chance to create and connect.

Do you have a work flow process when maintaining One Fine Day?

I'm terribly Type-A, so I like to plan as much of my blog content as possible. However, I've found the more posts I plan in advance, the more forced my content feels. I have to remind myself why I'm blogging. I blog to create content that I'm proud of. I blog for ME first. My best posts are the ones that are spur of the moment. I try to look a week ahead, but nothing is concrete. Certain posts have become part of a regular series on One Fine Day. I think my readers like to have continuity or posts to look forward to. I really like it too! They also really love when I try to keep content fresh and fun. It's my creative space, so I get to be playful and experiment with my posts as much as I want. The longer I've blogged, the more important the design of each post has become to me. I probably spend far too much time on my graphics, but I learn so much while I'm doing it. I think I enjoy manipulating images and type more than I enjoy writing, which I never thought I'd say! 

One challenge I have encountered as a blogger is maintaining a certain authenticity. It is hard to create original content all the time without repeating what other people have already said. However, you do it extremely well! Do tell us how you manage to keep your creativity going.

Thank you so much! The fact that you said that makes me smile BIG time. In all honesty, I don't read many blogs. If I do, I probably check in with a few of my favorites once a week to see what's going on. When I started blogging, I was constantly reading other blogs and I think I thought I had to keep up with what everyone else is doing. It's ridiculous because my intent to blog was to create a space specific to me and my interests. You have to be SO careful of the image you portray to your readers. I want people to get to know the real ME. While the point of One Fine Day is to find beauty and humor in each day, I still make it a point to stay real with my audience and share highs and lows, points of pride along with my quirks. I know people visit my blog because it's a happy space. While I don't feel the need to share EVERYTHING, I do believe that being honest about the good and bad has allowed me to create a very relatable bond with my readers. They appreciate it, and I think that's why they continue to stop by.

As far as creativity goes...

Some weeks are better than others. You can't force it. I just try to focus on what brings me joy. I'm constantly looking at my favorite magazines and books for inspiration. I make a point to brainstorm every week with potential post ideas. It's also incredibly important to step away from your computer or phone and live a little. When I'm in a blogging rut, I haven't made it a priority to get out and experience life. If I hit a creative road block, I'm probably trying too hard to create content.

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

It's equal parts colorful and playful. 

How did your personal journey bring you to this moment right now?

I went to the University of Missouri and I graduated with a Bachelor's of Journalism in Magazine Editing. A week after graduating, I married my husband and we started this adventure together. The military lifestyle wasn't as conducive to a magazine career as I hoped, but blogging allows me to apply a lot of the things I learned in college. It's like I get to be the editor of my very own online magazine, and I just love that! After I started blogging, I never looked back. I think of One Fine Day as a working resume to showcase my love for beautiful images, witty words, and design. I get the best of both worlds and no matter where we move, I'm fulfilled creatively. Blogging takes away some of the uncertainty that comes with moving. I'm especially excited to share this next chapter where we transition from Hawaii to life in Texas.

Is there anything that you most certainly cannot live without?

Colorful ballet flats, my sense of humor, a bowl full of sparkly baubles, and my Eames Rocker. The obvious answers would be my adoring husband and our slobbery sidekicks, Tripp and Beesly.

In three words tells us how you would describe this exact moment in your life.

Change, Laughter, Hope

How cute are the two pups? Thank you so much Ashley for opening up your life and showing us a little bit of what goes into One Fine Day. Don't forget to check out Ashley's blog, instagram and facebook page. I am sure that you too will fall in love with her style, sense of humor and sweet personality. 

xoxo,

m