Today we’d like to introduce you to Carly DeVries.
Carly, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from Hawaii and completed my undergraduate degree in Communications at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. After working for a couple of years in Marketing/Advertising and PR for a global cosmetics company, I decided to move to San Diego to pursue my MBA in Marketing at San Diego State University. I ended up falling in love with everything about San Diego and have been here ever since!
For around 8 years, I worked at an international construction company and continued there even after having my first two kids. I was working in marketing, social media and website management, which was essentially my dream job, but my calling to be home with my kids was stronger. When my daughter was 3 and my son 1, I quit my office job to be a full-time mom. Needing a creative outlet, this was when I started One Whimsy Lane, a Mom + Lifestyle Blog.
Through my blog and social media channels, I’m able to incorporate many of my passions… photography, design, styling, product reviews, and of course, mom’s life! In the beginning, I mainly blogged about my DIY projects or fun Pinterest finds. But fast forward 3.5 years and adding a third kid into the mix, things now are a little different. One Whimsy Lane has branched out into social media influencing and I’ve been very fortunate to partner with some amazing brands to promote and/or review their product or services. I only work with brands that I sincerely love and that I think my audience will love as well. I’m constantly learning as I go, and am excited to see what’s to come!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely not been a smooth road, and it’s still very challenging today. Trying to balance motherhood with the desire to have something “for me” is not an easy task, During my third pregnancy, I even took many months off blogging when my “morning” (a.k.a. all day) sickness just took over and I physically was not able to take care of myself and my family, and blog at the same time. Now that my kids are a little older (2, 5, and 6), there are different obstacles. My days are very busy with school runs, homework, appointments, play dates, and extracurricular activities, in addition to all of the other responsibilities of running a household. As a mom, free time will always be scarce, but the key is to make the most of what time is available.
My biggest advice though is no matter what your challenge is at the moment, to never stop creating. Even if it’s one creative project a week/month, etc. (whatever is feasible given the current challenge), just keep the creative juices flowing. I find that there are ebbs and flows for me but after a lag, producing something that I’m proud of is highly motivating and gets me back on track.
My second piece of advice is to know that having help and support is very important. I’m very fortunate to have an incredibly supportive husband who encourages me to have my Starbucks nights where I can take my laptop and get some work done in peace. Support is huge. Take it. Appreciate it. Never give up on something that you love, as long as it continues to be fun!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about One Whimsy Lane – what should we know?
One Whimsy Lane is a Mom + Lifestyle brand featuring mom life, products we love, the occasional fashion post, and family adventures in beautiful San Diego, California. We love partnering with brands we love in order to share those favorite finds that we think others will love as well. Our blog and Instagram posts feature original photography and are individually styled to fit the brand and specific product being showcased.
Our brand enjoys featuring candid photos, where expressions are real and life’s little moments are captured. Hopefully what comes through in our brand is that we are relatable as an everyday family, just sharing snippets of our life, our style, our favorite things, and our moments of fun!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onewhimsylane.com
- Email: onewhimsylane@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/onewhimsylane
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/onewhimsylane
- Other: www.pinterest.com/onewhimsylane
Image Credit:
One Whimsy Lane
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