What's your story?
My name's Rachel Ball. I grew up outside of a small city, moved to Seattle to go to school for graphic design, then worked as a designer for a few years for a large branding firm. During that time, I started this blog as a way to collect + share things that I liked, especially fashion, accessories, housewares, and photography. I opened my jewelry shop in late 2009 as a hobby, and with a lot of hard work and a little luck, it eventually became my full-time job. In early 2012, I opened my kitchen shop as a side project. I have about a million interests, but basically, I just love simple, pretty things.
How do you say "Elephantine"?
I pronounce it "ella-fun-teen". You won't offend me if you pronounce it a different way :)
What camera do you use?
I use a Canon T3i and a 50mm lens 99% of the time, but I can't emphasize enough that when you see a beautiful photograph, it's the photographer, not the camera. Fancy cameras can still take bad photos. My photography advice? Practice every day, understand the light, shoot in manual mode, and learn how to edit. For this blog post, I shot 200 photos but only showed 16 of them. It takes a lot of practice, but that's the only way to get better.
What programs do you use to make your food videos? How long does it take?
I use iMovie to edit and Photoshop to make the titles/subtitles. It takes me at least 12 hours to produce a 3-minute long video (that includes prepping, shooting, editing, and blogging about the video).
Who designed your blog? What about Mignon Kitchen Co.?
I do it all myself. My kitchen shop is hosted by Shopify – essentially, I designed the website, and then heavily customized one of their templates to fit my design. If you're looking for a freelance designer, a few of my faves are Truly Smitten, Amanda Jane Jones, and Erin Jang.
I want to open an Etsy shop...any advice? Is it hard?
Yes, it's hard. I work more now than I did when I had a 9-to-5 job. But all those hours are worth it if you enjoy it. My best pieces of advice are to love your customers but also do what's best for your business, listen to your instincts, and pay attention to the little details.
Can I advertise or do a giveaway on your blog? Can I submit a guest post for you?
Sorry! I don't do any of these.
Will you feature my shop/website on Elephantine?
I used to feature other shops all the time, but my focus is shifting now toward personal posts + my own photography.
Can I share your photos/videos on my blog?
Of course! As long as you link back, I'd love to be featured on your blog.
I tried to leave a comment on one of your posts, but it didn't show up.
I'm so sorry if this happens to you. I've tried to figure out why some people have problems leaving comments and I'm stumped. Please do make sure that you type in the Captcha code after pressing "Post" (it's there to catch spam comments). I've removed the word verification requirement to see if this helps, but I'll turn it back on if too much spam ends up coming through.
Any recommendations for a visit to Seattle?
Yes, lots. Check out my Seattle guide.
I still have a question for you...
Feel free to email me! I love emails, but please understand that sometimes I'm unable to write back.
