Women who are bulking/have bulked-- Advice?

I've been attempting a recomp for about 6 month now. At first, I was seeing really fantastic results-- gains were going up, and weight was going down. But the "noob gains" died off pretty quickly, and I've been fairly stagnant since, despite changing up my workout regime, my diet, etc.

I've seen a few women who either are or have bulked, and are seem to have really great results. I think this would be something I'm interested in, but the wealth of information out there regarding it is overwhelming, and every other article I read seems to contradict the last. I know that ultimately it comes down to a multitude of factors that vary from person to person, but I'd love to hear your personal experiences (I'm 24, 5' 6", and 131 pounds, so bonus points if you're around there yourself).

I guess the biggest questions I have would be as follows:

1. Do you eat at maintenance, or a surplus (of your BMR + calories burned). I see some women say they eat at maintenance (1,800, for example) but they never log their workout calories. To me, this would seem like a deficit still, since if you're burning an average of 2,000 calories a day (this is my average) including your work out calories. So you would need to eat 2,000 (or whatever you burned that day) to be at maintenance. This seems more on end with a recomp...

2. How much of a surplus do you eat at? (If you do). Again, I realize this probably varies from person to person, but I've read anywhere between 150 calories to damned near 1,000 calories surplus. Now, I suppose if you're looking to REALLY bulk, then sure, you'd want that much. But seeing as how I struggle to get in 1,800 calories most days, I feel that starting off on the lower end of the scale (even maintenance, if that works out) would be a good place to start.

3. What kind of macros do you go with? Or do you value caloric intake over macro allocation? Eating a ton of protein isn't enough if you aren't taking in enough *calories*. I understand that much. I've read there's little to no point in eating more than your body weight in protein, so I tend to keep my protein levels around whatever percent necessary to reach ~130. But what about carbs and fats? Do you try to stick within a certain range for these, or just do whatever it takes to reach your caloric intake?

4. Are there any specific programs that you would suggest or that you've had success with? I prefer to follow programs rather than wing it myself, since most of the time the people making said programs have a better idea of what works than I do. With that being said, I was really interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Blueprint" plan, but it's "Advanced" level, and I think I would place myself closer to an Intermediate level. I'm still looking around, but if anyone has a suggestion, let me know!

5. How long did you bulk for before cutting? This is also a big "personal taste" one, but I'm just curious, and trying to get a feel for how long I may be doing this. I know that the bulk/cut phase isn't an instant solution, so I'm anticipating maybe 6 months to get where I want to be, then cut, and repeat next winter and so on as necessary until I'm satisfied enough to focus on maintenance.

6. What would you say the biggest challenge was for you? How did you overcome it? What I've heard so far is that the number on the scale is going to terrify you. A lot of women seem to struggle with the fat that they gain alongside the muscle. How do you know if you're gaining *too* much fat? What kept you motivated when the challenges got you down?

Sorry for such a long post! I'm really curious and grateful in advance for any answers/advice/tips, etc you may have to share!