So it's Friday and there's just a week to go until my birthday, double yay! Can you tell I'm excited? Every time I turn another year older wiser I look back on the past year and reflect - since turning the ripe old age of twenty four I set up a little thing called Cagney and Lace *pats self on back* so when I saw the Confessions of a Blogger tag making the rounds on the bloggersphere, namely on Suzies and Kayleighs blogs I thought why not? Who wouldn't want to hear about the behind the scenes going ons of Cagney and Lace? These are my confessions (yes I did just start singing Usher), thank goodness you can't hear. Warning - this post's a lengthy one...

 When did you start your blog?
Cagney and Lace first started in July 2012. I'd been itching to start my own blog for quite a while prior to this but just hadn't plucked up the courage to get my pretty little finger tips on blogger. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I was doubtful about starting my own blog, will anyone like it? Will anyone even read it? What if it's just plain awful? After pestering my boyfriend with these exact questions over and over (thanks for being so patient Craig) I just thought screw it, I'm going to do it.

 Have you had any past online presence before (other blog, YouTube) ?
Other than the usual Facebook, eBay and even a Myspace account (it used to play Panic At The Disco when you came onto my profile, no lie) I've not had a past online presence - I'd love to say I had a really cool Tumbler account but in all honesty I wasn't that Internet savvy when I was younger. From the age of fourteen I've always had at least a part time job (to fund my high street clothing habit) so alongside school, homework and hanging out with friends I didn't really use the Internet like I do today. 
Why did you start a blog?
Starting Cagney and Lace was a way for me to express my creative side and to indulge my passion for fashion. Although I currently work in my ideal job role, I'm a buyer in case you were wondering it's sadly not for Selfridges or in the fashion industry, a sector which I've longed to work in from a young age - as much as I enjoy my working days I'd often come home feeling like something was missing. After talking to Craig and some of my closest friends I decided to bite the bullet and start my own blog - if lovelies like Jen and Roz were doing it then why shouldn't I?

I remember having one of my besties round for tea (dinner if you don't hail from Yorkshire) in our little flat and running through a list of well established blog names in an attempt to come up with my own - so why Cagney and Lace? As much as I love an eighties reference I didn't name my blog after an American police drama (Cagney and Lacey). Cagney was the name of my great aunties Yorkshire terrier who I used to walk as a child and I crave anything with lace...Cagney and Lace was born.

 When did you become serious about starting a blog?
Surely the question should be when will I become serious about starting a blog? Cagney and Lace is my baby, it's the hobby I always wanted and I love nothing more than coming home from work and pouring all my creative energy into a blog post. When I don't get that joy from writing Cagney and Lace then I'll stop, it's as simple as that. Don't get me wrong I'm serious about my blog in a sense that I like to post regularly (between three to four times a week life permitting). I guess I didn't do that when I first started out so I must be more committed than I first was but that's because I like to keep things fresh and interesting for my readers. What can I say? I'm a walking, typing contradiction and I wouldn't have it any other way.
What was your first post?
The first post to grace Cagney and Lace was a Warehouse & Zara haul, I'd just got back from a shopping trip in Leeds with my mum and was feeling pretty enthusiastic about my new purchases. I love nothing more than reading or hearing (in the case of You Tube) about high street finds so I thought it'd make the perfect topic for my first ever post. Funnily enough I actually bought my Zara studded sleeve coat and Warehouse coated jeggings on this trip which you've probably seen on Cagney and Lace a fair bit.

What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?
Without sounding incredibly cliched the biggest challenge I find when blogging is juggling work, my personal life and writing Cagney and Lace. As much as I adore Cagney and Lace it can be hard sometimes to switch off from it all and just spend some quality time with Craig - my iPhone rarely leaves my hand and I can't help but check Instagram or get involved with the latest #fbloggers or #bbloggers chats.

 At the beginning of the year I used to feel quite guilty if I didn't manage between three and four posts a week but now I'm learning to be a little more relaxed, sometimes life throws you lemons and you need to embrace it and make a lemon based cocktail! Sometimes you need to think about the bigger picture - I was once stressing out about needing to blog yet feeling too tired to post, the boy said it's quality Hannah, not quantity. It kind of stuck!

Where do you see your blog in one year?
This is a tough one, I hope that in a years time Cagney and Lace is still making me happy and going from strength to strength. I'd love for more people to know about my little blog and follow so that Cagney and Lace will have a really strong readership who love nothing more than commenting - reading comments is literally the best thing ever! I sometimes wonder whether I'll be dabbling in You Tube videos by next year but I'm forever going back and forth on that one, there seems to be a lot of negativity on You Tube.

What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?
The most rewarding thing about blogging is the people you meet and get to speak to along the way. Last week I went to my first blogging event hosted by Pretty Little Thing - to have the opportunity to be part of such a fun day was great but what made it even more worthwhile were the bloggers who attended and PLT team. Events aside it's so rewarding to come home from work after a tough day to read a new comment on your latest post or to see you've got a new follower on GFC or Twitter. Never in my wildest dreams did I think people would enjoy reading my posts so much they had to tell me about it! The #fbloggers and #bbloggers chats on Twitter are great too as you get to converse with people you would't have met otherwise. I'd be lying if I didn't say the occasional freebie wasn't amazing too but that's definitely not the be all and end all of blogging.

 What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?
Sometimes blogging can be disheartening when you publish a post only to find it's not your readers favourite (usually the page stats and comments help you discover this). As I've become older more mature I'm learning that you can't please everyone so I try not to let this bother me too much and instead put all my energies into writing the next post. When it comes to writing posts I try to write about topics that interest me which are predominately fashion based but sometimes I write lifestyle or beauty posts. Right now I'm on a mini break in Bath so expect to see a Cagney On Tour post shortly.

 What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?
My inspiration for Cagney and Lace comes from everything around me - whether it's Spring lambs jumping around a field, Spring knitwear anyone? To reading beautiful fashion blogs like The Blonde Salad and Cupcakes and Cashmere to catching up on my preferred magazines (Instyle, Grazia, Elle, Company and Glamour in case you wondered) or even something one of my crazy friends or the boyfriend says. Blogging is a little like being a scout, you need to be prepared - whether you tap words into the notes section of your iPhone at daft o'clock in the morning or write reams upon reams in your Paperchase notepad the tiniest experience usually leads to an interesting blog post, trust me I'm a blogger.

 My lasting motivation for blogging is to be the very best I can be - every week I learn something new or find myself inspired by something different and I want to share that with you, hopefully you'll want to hear all about it my too.

 Have you learnt something new about the workings of Cagney and Lace? What inspires you?

 Not that I'm one to blow my own trumpet but if you don't follow me on Twitter you may not know that the wonderful people at Grazia daily featured me, yes me, on their website. Check it out here.