Meet Saskia from Girl in Brogues

Following on from my last interview with Cat from Oddly Lovely I'm continuing to get to know about (and share with you!) the lives and blogs of some of my favourite bloggers.

You may already follow Saskia's blog the Girl in Brogues but it's about time we get delve deep into Saskia's life down to the nitty gritty issues such as who will win the Great British Bake Off, what her secret to being a doctor and blogger is (SPOILER: she is a superwoman!) and where the number one place to go for Asian cuisine is in London. 

Saskia is a blogger after my heart with a passion for baking (she makes some mean madeleines!), great restaurant reviews and a taste for trips away. And if that wasn't enough, she also shares her everyday outfits and some glamorous date night ones, book reviews and general pieces about her life. I'll refrain from saying she's a superwoman again by saying she must have a little bit of magic to balance all that with a career in medicine. But I'll let you be the judge, read on for my interview with Saskia and discover more about the Girl in Brogues!

First things first, as a Great British Bake Off fan you've been baking along making spanakopita and Toscakaka Swedish Almond Cake but who do you want to win?!  

Ahhh, it's really tough to pick now that it's coming to the finals. I think I'm pretty torn between the boys! Richard is obviously a really accomplished home baker, but Luis just adds pizzazz to everything he makes. Maybe they can bring Norman back, just for his pure charm!

Your blog is about your life away from your job as a doctor but what inspired you to create your blog?

I've been reading blogs for years now and it was quite a natural decision to make one. I have always been pretty creative; at school I used to make websites and graphics from scratch (although I'm a bit out of practice now!) and I've always loved photography. After reading so many blogs, you sort of want to try it out yourself!

Working such a full time job, how do you fit blogging into your life and do you have any motivation tips for other bloggers?

It's a challenge! I do shift work and sometimes downtime can be rare. I don't try to see blogging as work but purely as a hobby - I only post when the inspiration strikes, which can explain why Girl in Brogues can be a bit quiet for a week or two sometimes! I think my motivation tip is that if you're feeling a mental block, don't be scared of taking a break and just living your life without your blog in the back of your mind - you'll come back with a refreshed perspective.

I really enjoyed reading about your holiday in Paris, what's the next place on the top of your list to visit?

I've wanted to go to Turkey for a while and luckily I'm going there soon with some friends! I'm hoping to see lots of Islamic art and taste some really delicious aubergine and lamb dishes.

What are your favourite posts to write about?  

I love baking posts. Baking is such a stress-buster for me and I like that it makes the people around me happy! I'm trying to get better with my food photography and taking some styling tips from other blogs and Pinterest.

As an Asian food lover, can you tell us about a few of your favourite places to sample Asian cuisine?

I used to live near New Cross, so I used to try to pop down to a dim sum restaurant called Hong Kong City as many Sunday mornings as possible! It has a great family feel. I'm also half-Malaysian so I'm constantly on the search for authentic Malaysian cuisine - I don't think I've found the perfect place yet, but wallet-friendly Rasa Sayang in Chinatown comes close enough to satisfy my cravings!

What are your short-term/long-term goals for yourself and your blog and what are you doing to achieve them?

I've recently achieved my goal of creating a new look for Girl in Brogues and moving it to a self-hosted domain, so I'm pretty chuffed with that right now! I definitely want to post more about fashion and improve my outfit posts, but I'd also like to make my blog a bit more personal. I think that all takes organisation, which is something I'm slowly learning about with my blog!

What would be your perfect day off in London?

There are so many perfect days off in London, whether it be visiting Kensington Palace, going for dim sum with friends, wandering around Clapham or having a sleep in Greenwich Park on a sunny day. You can never get bored in London.

What up and coming blogs have you followed recently?

Recently I've been following Hazel Jane, I enjoyed reading her recent commentary on feminism. I've also recently followed a fellow medic, Ginevrella, and Hannah Bakes Things who has some great recipe ideas!