My friend Erin emailed recently alerting me to a program at Dine and Dish that paired new food bloggers with a more experienced counterpart. This mentoring gig sounded like a fun project so I signed up. Kristen ended up matching me with Elissa of 17 and Baking. I’ll admit that I was a little nervous when I clicked over to Elissa’s blog for the first time. What if it was truly awful, covered in animated gifs, and glaring typos…how would I tactfully deal with that kind of internet disaster?
Thankfully though Elissa’s food blog is absolutely lovely. Even though she has only been posting online for a few months I was instantly bowled over by her gorgeous photography and seriously shocked to learn that she was taking such lush images with a point and shoot camera. Let this be a testament to those of you who think you have to have expensive equipment in order to be a successful blogger. Honestly it’s all about lighting, lighting, lighting. Just look at these picture perfect gingersnaps! A little ingenuity and a homemade light box can really pay off.
Not only does Elissa serve up crave worthy eye candy on her site, but she also writes engaging and personal posts in a light and charming voice that will undoubtedly make you want to add her to your rss reader. Now keep in mind that Elissa is only 17 years old. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. Yes, Elissa is only 17?! This is one talented and creative young woman who obviously has a great blogging future ahead of her. I’m also completely jealous that she calls one of my favorite cities, Seattle, home. So please take a moment today to visit Elissa’s wonderful food blog and welcome her to the community.