Grace from Miss Grace’s Disgrace
Aug 24th, 2009 | By Tatiana | Category: Featured, Mom of the Week
Miss Grace is one of those women whom, upon meeting, I realized could easily be my best friend. She’s intelligent, open, friendly, sexy, funny, warm-hearted… I could go on and on. It seems like she always has some new picture to share, whether of her awesome tattoo, her son, or a gorgeous dress. She blogs at Miss Grace’s Disgrace and shares the beauty of the female form at Boob Emancipation. Grace is right up there in my list of favourite tweeps, and I’m delighted to feature her in this space.
1. Which social media sites are you a part of?
I’m a part of Facebook and Twitter. Both profiles are private, but that’s a very targeted and specific choice. I’m fairly willing to add anyone who’s not OBVIOUSLY spam, a robot, or my ex. I have some other profiles here and there (myspace, friend feed), but I don’t really check them at all, or use them in a particularly meaningful way.
2. How much have you seen your blog readership and interaction grow as a result of your membership on those sites?
I think the growth of my site, from Twitter in particular, has been pretty significant. My blog is linked through Facebook, but I think that my friends on Facebook who might click through to my blog would likely visit anyhow; this just adds an element of convenience. I’ve found Twitter to be a wonderful tool to get to know and read new bloggers, and to build new relationships, and in my opinion linking my blog there has really boosted my readership. From my own Twitter experience, I know that if one of my friends posts a link to their blog, I will almost always click through to read it. In a lot of ways, Twitter has replaced my reader.
I think the growth of my site, from Twitter in particular, has been pretty significant. My blog is linked through Facebook, but I think that my friends on Facebook who might click through to my blog would likely visit anyhow; this just adds an element of convenience. I’ve found Twitter to be a wonderful tool to get to know and read new bloggers, and to build new relationships, and in my opinion linking my blog there has really boosted my readership. From my own Twitter experience, I know that if one of my friends posts a link to their blog, I will almost always click through to read it. In a lot of ways, Twitter has replaced my reader.
3. So, we all know you’re one third of BoobEmancipation.com. Why’d you start this site?
Truthfully, Boob Emancipation initially started as a joke on twitter between myself, Holly and Danielle. When we first started the site were just up late drinking on the internet and fooling around. However, based on the huge response we got, we very quickly decided that we wanted it to be a safe place for women to celebrate their bodies and feel beautiful. We want real women to recognize that they are gorgeous, and as such we welcome all submitters. I think that the expectations of women in this society (and of moms in particular) are absolutely ludicrous. I don’t know any real women who don’t have some kind of body issue, and I think it’s important that we take the time to say, “Hey, I think you’re pretty.” Everyone loves boobs, right?
Truthfully, Boob Emancipation initially started as a joke on twitter between myself, Holly and Danielle. When we first started the site were just up late drinking on the internet and fooling around. However, based on the huge response we got, we very quickly decided that we wanted it to be a safe place for women to celebrate their bodies and feel beautiful. We want real women to recognize that they are gorgeous, and as such we welcome all submitters. I think that the expectations of women in this society (and of moms in particular) are absolutely ludicrous. I don’t know any real women who don’t have some kind of body issue, and I think it’s important that we take the time to say, “Hey, I think you’re pretty.” Everyone loves boobs, right?
4. You have a degree in Library & Information Sciences, and say you’re great at researching. Related to this, is it worth it for a woman to try controlling what appears about her online, or is a lot of it going to be out of her control anyway?
I’m really not very anonymous online. The only thing lending me a shade of unidentifiability is the fact that my given name is ridiculously common, and you’d really have to sift through a LOT of us to get to me. That said, I have one single objective in the anonymity of my blog: I don’t want a potential employer to be able to get from my resume to my website. I don’t really mind if you get from my website to my resume. I think that women can control what about them is out on the internet to a certain extent, and that’s what you yourself are putting out there. Be aware of what information your volunteering about your real name, residence, children’s names, pictures, etc., decide what you’re personally comfortable with, and proceed from there. I have an “ex” situation, so in that sense, I can’t anymore control what he says about me than he can control what I write about him. In a typical family situation, I think that the whole unit should be on the same page about what information is shared.
Coming from a library background, I can tell you that based on your name and location, I can pull court records, real estate filings, and so forth, and very quickly find out where you live. Most people aren’t psychos, but it’s definitely something to be aware of.
5. Can you tell us about some friendships you’ve made through Twitter, your blog, or other social networking sites?
Well I just got back from BlogHer, so I’m still swimming in the friendships I made via social networking that I was lucky enough to cement in hugs while I was in Chicago. I’ve made so many lovely and strong relationships, I’m honestly hesitant to start listing them for fear I leave someone out. I will say that I spend almost all day at work chatting on MSN with four gorgeous ladies that I met on twitter (@leftoflost, @whymomdrinksrum, @chibijeebs, and @biddymcbidson). I have such a noisy, busy, ruckusy house, and that’s part of the reason I love social media. I can check in on twitter and make sure all of my peoples are doing okay in between getting dinner on the table and loading the dishwasher (or instead of, pfft.)
Well I just got back from BlogHer, so I’m still swimming in the friendships I made via social networking that I was lucky enough to cement in hugs while I was in Chicago. I’ve made so many lovely and strong relationships, I’m honestly hesitant to start listing them for fear I leave someone out. I will say that I spend almost all day at work chatting on MSN with four gorgeous ladies that I met on twitter (@leftoflost, @whymomdrinksrum, @chibijeebs, and @biddymcbidson). I have such a noisy, busy, ruckusy house, and that’s part of the reason I love social media. I can check in on twitter and make sure all of my peoples are doing okay in between getting dinner on the table and loading the dishwasher (or instead of, pfft.)
6. Will you share a story about a time when your online friends have helped you out or cheered you up?
This is an example of your internet friends coming through for you ‘in real life’. In July I was having massive amounts of car trouble. I bitched and moaned and generally freaked out on the internet, because that’s what the internet is for, right? Well @gwendomama picked Gabriel and I up from the mechanic, took us to Gabe’s swim lesson, waited for us, and then took us back to @GraceD’s house. Grace was on vacation and Gwen was house-sitting. We stayed the night there, and Gwen arranged for one of her friends to drive me to work, and she took Gabe to school. The next day Grace offered to lend me her car since she was out of town. It absolutely blew my mind. Here I am with my car in the shop and I have bloggers helping me get to work on time!
This is an example of your internet friends coming through for you ‘in real life’. In July I was having massive amounts of car trouble. I bitched and moaned and generally freaked out on the internet, because that’s what the internet is for, right? Well @gwendomama picked Gabriel and I up from the mechanic, took us to Gabe’s swim lesson, waited for us, and then took us back to @GraceD’s house. Grace was on vacation and Gwen was house-sitting. We stayed the night there, and Gwen arranged for one of her friends to drive me to work, and she took Gabe to school. The next day Grace offered to lend me her car since she was out of town. It absolutely blew my mind. Here I am with my car in the shop and I have bloggers helping me get to work on time!
7. If someone out there is hesitating to jump into social media, what encouragement would you offer?
We’re all real people, and a lot of us are really nice too! Think of it as expanding your social pool. The possibility of finding your new best friend in the house or at the desk next door is pretty unrealistic, but there are so many open and friendly people on the internet waiting to build relationships with you, if you hold back you’re just missing out on meeting some really fabulous people.
We’re all real people, and a lot of us are really nice too! Think of it as expanding your social pool. The possibility of finding your new best friend in the house or at the desk next door is pretty unrealistic, but there are so many open and friendly people on the internet waiting to build relationships with you, if you hold back you’re just missing out on meeting some really fabulous people.
