Feature
August, 27 2008
Introducing Allison
by Susan Lindgren
With the subtitle of "We both can't both look good, it's me or the house" you know you are in for a laugh. Mrs. Fussypants, Allison Worthington, uses humor and a call to fashionable arms to keep her readers in stitches. There is no doubt why Mrs. Fussypants is one of the hottest blogs out there!
Allison doesn't stop with her own writing, she has started online publications to have a place for bloggers to come together and share their ideas in one place. Blissfully Domestic, just one of Allison's publications, is a gathering place of ideas and thoughts to show how we can be better wives, mothers and more importantly better women!
1. Why the name Mrs. Fussypants?
When I started my blog, it was a little hobby for my friends and family, so I used my nickname. My husband, who I refer to as Mr. Smartypants, is both infuriating and adorable. He has a wicked sense of humor, a sharp wit and can get under my skin better than anyone else. When I am cranky he sings to me, "OH, She's a Fussypants. A Fussy Fussypants. Watch out for Mrs. Fussypants. She'll ______ {stomp you in the ground, bite your head off}.....ad nauseum" Depending on how cranky I am he will get giggles in return or a pillow thrown at his head. I once heard this quote, from whom I don't know, "The only thing worse than a man I can't control is a man I can." So, the nickname that infuriates me is also endlessly entertaining. It seemed to fit!
2.What is the difference between Mrs. Fussypants and your other sites, like Blissfully Domestic?
My personal site, Mrs Fussypants, started as a fun way to have a hobby while raising all my children. It is a celebration of everything I enjoy: humor, parenting, gratitude and trying to not look like a Mom of five children. My schtick is pasting my face, wearing my trademark summer hat, on everything from Sumo wrestlers to Britney Spears to the Queen of England.
Blissfully Domestic is a celebration of life. My vision is a site that bridged the gap between the purely pop culture (fashion, buzz, entertainment news) and more serious topics (like raising children with Special Needs, faith, and healthy living). The magazine started as a fun compilation of myself and my friends. We posted articles about what we were interested in. In six months we have grown to over 100 contributors. We are scheduled to relaunch our little magazine into a huge network of sites. Blissfully Domestic will launch into a network of 15 individual sites all connected to a main magazine front page. I am thrilled and so honored to be a part of this magazine and to help bring all these talented and wonderful women together!
I decided to use Ning to facilitate discussions and build a sense of community around the main site. Since we launched in February, the social network has grown to over 700 members. I love the way the site allows the writers and readers to interact.
3.What motivated you to start social sites to feature other female bloggers? What made you start Blissfully Domestic? Why did you, did you see a void on the internet?
I wish I could say that I saw a void, or a need on the Internet, and felt compelled to build a huge magazine. Truth be told, I completely fell into it. My friend Deanna, of Domestic Chicky and the Apronista, kept suggesting my sites fall under an umbrella. My response was always, "No, That's too much. I can't." As Blissfully Domestic grew, the constant lure of branching out grew into reality. The lovely Karla from Looking Towards Heaven is the managing editor and has spent thousands of hours keeping me and the magazine on track. So many wonderful and talented blogging friends volunteered to write about topics they love, and they brought in their talented friends and so forth. I can only describe the experience as humbling and I am honored to have the chance to facilitate this great project.
4.What is off limits what is fair game?
Great question. My voice on Mrs. Fussypants highlights the lighter side of my personality. I am passionate about so many things that I would never try to write about like: my faith, politics, current events and homeschooling. Sadly, I am a horrible writer. I totally embrace that. So I know not to even try. {{laughing}}
Somethings I share only after the fact. The last year of my life has been so difficult. My husband preferred I not share everything with readers. Once it was over, he allowed me to share. He lost his job, we lost our home, we had to stay with my family for a bit while he found a new job, and all this happened while I was pregnant, on bed rest and then while having baby boy #5. I gave hints as to our situation. When readers would email me and ask questions I always told them. I just never told our story until that chapter ended.
Some things are off limits. I always keep in mind that my websites will be my digital legacy. Everything I write, every picture I post and each offhand comment I twitter will live forever. My great-great grandchildren will learn about me simply by reading the archives. My platform on the Internet is a privilege and I try to keep that in mind.
I also have the business policy of implementing the Golden Rule. I fully support all my writers 100% and work to help them succeed on Blissfully Domestic and on their personal sites. I believe that every situation should be a win-win and be mutually beneficial. I also work to never be hurtful online to anyone. Sadly, the anonymity of the Internet leads itself to be used for negative purposes, I strive to never knowingly hurt anyone.
I have to say it is an EXTREME honor to have had this interview with Allison. A busy lady, not only all her online blogs, Allison does it all and is raising five boys, ages nine to three months!
Using her creativity, and humor has definitely helped Mrs. Fussypants get to the top of the blogging ladder. Thank you Mrs. Fussypants!
Love what you see check out Homeschool Hacks and Marriage Hacks: The Gentle Art of Ruling Your Husband. .
