Every Monday we bring you a feature on a talented blogger who inspires us. This week we are happy to feature Natalie Borton of Thoughts by Natalie, and a contributing editor to the Glitter Guide. Her personal blog offers a refreshingly real take on the world, and her contributions to Glitter Guide are useful and fun to read. We applaud her for her belief that “that beauty comes from who we are—not what we look like—and I live life accordingly” and are expecting more good things to come from her. Read more about her here.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? 
Oh gosh, where to start? I guess in a nutshell I’m a wife, mom and dog mom who lives in San Diego. I studied Public Relations and Marketing at Pepperdine University, and work now as a blogger at Thoughts By Natalie and contributing editor for Glitter Guide.
What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
Passionate. Honest. Intentional.
What Profession other than yours would you love to attempt?
Either personal styling or graphic design.
What is your favorite quote?
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
What inspired your blog?
I started blogging out of a desire to connect. My blog today is absolutely nothing like what it once was, but has evolved over the years to better meet the interests of my readers.
What is your favorite social media platform and why?
Definitely Instagram! I love the simplicity of it, its focus on images rather than text, and how easy it is to share and connect with people from all over the world.
Where do you find inspiration for blog posts?
All over the place! I keep a list of post ideas and constantly start drafts in WordPress on my phone so I don’t miss out on moments of inspiration. I get my best ideas when I’m out walking in the morning.
What do you think it is about your blog that keeps people coming back for more?
I think it’s the honesty. I try to write as authentically as possible, and I always imagine writing to my best friends to keep the tone conversational and real.
How does a brand get your attention for a feature?
A real, personal email. If I get an email that is impersonal, I honestly just delete it. But if someone reaches out and clearly understands what I write about and is presenting a brand to me that is a good fit, I’m eager to work with them! A great example is Hobo the Original. A while back their marketing gal Melissa emailed me introducing herself and offering to send me a bag. It was a no-strings-attached, purely nice, human-to-human email. And as a result, I fell more in love with the brand and feature their bags and wallets constantly. Those are my favorite kind of partnerships.
What do you love most about blogging?
I love the way it connects me to all kinds of people I otherwise wouldn’t meet or know. I also love having my blog as a creative outlet. For years I kept a journal and scrapbooks and kept all my writing and creativity private, and now I get to do it publicly. Of course there are certainly things I still keep private, but I enjoy the public aspect of blogging. It’s rooted in my desire to share and connect.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I often wonder how long blogs will be a “thing,” and I honestly have no idea where I go from here. What I do know is that 10 years from now, I’ll be celebrating 13 years of marriage and raising an adorable 10-year-old boy. And if that’s all that I’m doing, that’s still success to me.
In your opinion, what separates a great blog from an unsuccessful blog?
The great, successful blogs all have one thing in common: an obsessive community of followers. As much as I can get caught up in aesthetics and design, it’s all about the readers!
Read Natalie’s Blog here: www.thoughtsbynatalie.com
