“Take 10” with Katelyn Carter
Friends, I am so excited about today’s post…I am interviewing my friend Katelyn from Southern Samplings! Katelyn has been such an encourager in my life – whether it be with my blog, leading by example, or just praying for me when I feel like my life is a mess. To say the least, I am blessed to call her a friend!
Tell us a little about
yourself.
I’m 24 years old and I’m from Montevallo, Alabama. Montevallo is a tiny
town about 20 miles south of Birmingham. There’s no where to go in
Montevallo but a ton of stuff to do. There’s a dirt road at every
intersection and plenty of farms to have some fun on. I graduated from
the University of Montevallo in 2012 with a degree in family and
consumer sciences. I was a member of Phi Mu fraternity and I loved every
second of it.
Why did you start blogging?
I thought
about the whole “blog” thing several times throughout college. I’ve
always LOVED lifestyle blog where girls would blog about fashion,
recipes and just things they were passionate about. I adore girls like
Lauren Conrad and Blake Lively. However, a big part of my lifestyle is
my faith. So, a blog seemed to be the best outlet for me to be able to
talk about all my passions–family, faith and music.
What is your advice for other bloggers?
I
don’t consider myself an expert blogger by any means but for people
just starting off–I would tell them not to try to create a certain mold
for your blog. My blog is like the inside of my brain on a computer
screen. There may be a lot of music posts in a row and then a recipe
post and then a DIY post. I blog about whatever is happening in my life
and I think people like the variety of that. I also try to not be
negative on my blog. I strive to see everyone in the best light possible
so if I attend a show I don’t like or read a book I don’t like, I will
never bash the person or idea. I simply won’t blog about it.
You are very open about and strong in your faith, which is one of the
many things I admire about you. What would you want to share with
someone who may not know God?
Thank you so much! That
is such a nice thing to say and I honestly pray that everyone sees the
Lord in me. I was raised in church and have a great support system of
family and friends who are strong Christians. I never want to shove my
opinions or beliefs on anyone but I do blog a lot of God because he’s
always been a part of my life. I would tell someone who doesn’t know God
that God thinks you are absolutely adorable and precious. There is
nothing that God cannot forgive you for and life is SO much fun when you
have God on your side. I’m open to talk to anyone at any time if they
have any questions about faith.
Tell us about your dream career and the steps that you’re currently taking to make that dream a reality!
My
dream career would be to live in Nashville and work for a record or PR
company promoting artists. I LOVE supporting artists from the beginning
because there’s such an authentic quality about artists that early on.
I’m planning on moving in March of next year to continue to pursue that
dream. I’ve been extremely blessed to meet and make connections with a
lot of people in Nashville already. Pieces of the puzzle are starting to
fall into place. There’s a lot of hard work and determination but I
fully believe I’ll reach that goal eventually.
What show are you going to next?
I’ve
actually got a pretty exciting August of shows. There are a few local
shows that I’ll be attending in Birmingham. There’s a couple of guys
from Georgia playing at a venue in Birmingham this Friday
that I’m going to see. They’re Jordan Rager and Travis Denning and
they’re both great guys. I also have an amazing opportunity to see Kenny
Chesney in Orange Beach on the 16th. I’m really excited about this show
because it’s his only “show” this year. And, of course, a couple of Sam
Hunt shows as well.
What do you usually wear to shows?
I’m not a fashion forward blogger (or girl, for that matter) at all. I’m
all about comfort. When it’s cooler outside, I love simple tops with
straight legged pants and a good boot. I’m a HUGE fan of scarves but
that only really works in the fall/winter. For spring/summer, I suppose
it’s cliché to say sundresses BUT they’re so EASY! I love the new kimono
trend right now and I have a couple of those I’ve been wearing. Just
simple and comfortable is key. There are many shows where you’re
standing for hours at a time so you’ll never catch me in heels. And, I’m
drawn to darker and neutral colors so there’s not a whole lot of
variety of colors in my closet.
You are the reason that I heard of Sam Hunt, and now I can’t get his songs out of my head! Want to give him a shameless plug?Haha!
Thank you, again! That is definitely the goal of introducing people to
his music–to get his songs stuck in your head. Sam Hunt is a country
artist with really unique beats. His lyrical stories in the songs are
country but he presents them in a way that doesn’t SOUND country. I’ve
been a fan of him for over a year and it’s so fun to see all his hard
work pay off. I got to interview him at a show in Macon and the answers
to his questions just solidified why I support him. He’s extremely
humble and approachable. And, he’s authentic and I think that’s why so
many people are drawn to him. So, yeah–go buy his single “Leave the
Night On” from ITunes. Look him up on Twitter and follow along. He’s a
great guy! He also had a free mixtape up on his website for a while but
took it down. It’s still available though. If you want one just let me
know. They’re free. And the songs will get stuck in your head. 🙂
You have the world’s cutest niece. Do you think that you want children of your own one day?
So sweet!! Ava Claire is the sweetest little girl I’ve ever met. I adore
her and love getting to spoil her silly. I would love to have children
of my own one day. One day that is very far away. I think I’ll probably
be much older before children are in the picture. For right now, I just
enjoy getting to spend time with her.
What should we expect from you in the future?
You
can always expect reviews of shows that I attend. I’m getting into the
interview/get to know artists type of posts as well. I’ve been so
blessed to be able to connect with musicians and artists by being in
Nashville a lot. I have several friends who are already in Nashville
that are great artists and connections as well. I’ll continue to blog
and promote and interview and just live as long as I can. I don’t want
to ever say “Once I work here I’ve made it” or “Once I interview this
person I’ve made it” because I do not want to put limits on my goals.
So, I suppose I do not even fully know what to expect. I’m having fun
right now and I’m just glad people are along for the ride!
If you aren’t following Katelyn on social media, be sure to follow her!
Twitter: @_katelyncarter
Instagram: @katelync
Pinterest: katelynjoyce
Blog: Southernsamplings.blogspot.com
And if you haven’t checked out her interview with Sam Hunt, do so here!
Thank y’all for stopping by, and thank you again to Katelyn for allowing me to interview her.
If there’s anyone you would like to see on my “Take 10” Interview series, be sure to let me know!
Have a blessed Thursday!
XX,
S.S.
Note: All photos in this post are property of Katelyn.
Such a lovely post!! http://lifeofsarahx.blogspot.co.uk/xx
Thanks for stopping by!