Good Morning, Live Richly Fans!

Whether you're already running a blog, thinking of starting one, or just curious about the characters that spend their days eating, cooking and writing about it, then you're in luck.

Every other Thursday our Build a Better Blog post will feature a successful blogger, and find out what has made their blog a success. To kick it off we caught up with Elena from biscuits & such.

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Elena started her blog in 2008 and it's very quickly become not only a hobby, but a passion. It's a culinary treat that's chock full of eye candy in the form of picture, after picture, after picture (get the picture?) of mouth watering dishes! When we found it, we were captivated by its inviting look, the delicious recipes and how easy it was to read and get to know Elena.

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Live Richly: Why did you decide to start blogging? What was the attraction?

biscuits: I grew up in North Carolina and a few months after college I was living in a new city far away from home, in a job way off my career track, creating a life with my fiancé, and feeling a little lost and very homesick.

I missed the south and starting a Southern food blog was the perfect way to bring North Carolina to me.

LR: Some readers may wonder how to actually stay motivated to blog regularly. What's your approach to blogging? Are you regimented? Do you have a calendar or schedule? Or do you just blog when the mood strikes?

biscuits: I try and post at least once a week. Sometimes (like this past February for National Pie Month) I posted a few times a week. The only time I fell behind was the spring of 2009 when I was dieting for my wedding and the butter was well... too much!

LR: Your photos are gorgeous! We know you have a background in photography, but for those bloggers and aspiring bloggers out there who don't; can you give them any tips and tricks they could use to improve the quality of their photos?

biscuits: Get close to the food, but not so close that it looks like an abstract painting. Take photos from all angles, above and to the side. Take a lot of photos of each dish, it's often that "just one last" photo that is the perfect shot. There's no harm in taking some time with a dish- unless you have a hungry family member waiting for dinner!

LR: What about plating your food or using props? What's your approach?

biscuits: I love to seek out unique, beautiful plates and bowls, which can be very important in food styling. I used to do nothing, just snap a photo before we ate. Now I spend a little more time with tablecloths or patterned paper underneath the plate, sometimes a utensil or glass in the background.

As for the food, I try and make it look appealing but also like *real* food. I want that to come through, so I don't worry too much if the food is a little messy or doesn't look like a magazine.

LR: Who designed your site? What feeling did you want to convey?

biscuits: My husband Dan and I worked on the design together. He painted the water colored measuring cups and created the logo, as well as did the development of the site. I did the water colored sidebar and came up with the overall look. I wanted it to be homey and handmade, as much as possible.

LR: You have you own website address rather than using a pre-set blogging platform (like TypePad or WordPress) how did you come to that decision?

biscuits: When the blog started it was biscuitsandsuch.wordpress.com. A few months later, for Christmas, my husband surprised me with biscuitsandsuch.com.

Dan is a web developer, so moving to a URL that was easy to remember made sense. Having a customized URL also adds an element of professionalism and dedication.

We use Wordpress.org as a CMS (content management system). WordPress has been the perfect fit for Biscuits and Such; there are a lot of gorgeous themes to use. We only recently switched to our new design.

LR: For our readers who are blogging and want to improve their blogs, maybe you can inspire them by sharing how you'd like to see your blog improve over the next year.

biscuits: I'd like to see the photography, writing, and recipes more refined. I am always pushing myself to be better, to make it the best it can be. I'll tell you one thing, I'd like to see myself blogging from a better kitchen!

LR: Thanks Elena for sharing your food, your blog, and your insights with us.

biscuits: My pleasure!