Blogger I Admire: July

It's that time again, Blogger I Admire for July is Ashley from Sleepy Fawn! I've been following Ashley's blog for longer than I can remember, I'm in love with all her arts and crafts, outfits and pictures of her and her husband. She's been an ispiration for me since I started blogging and always will be!

Name: Ashley Moe
Age: Twenty-one
Current Location: Minneapolis, MN
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Favorite Color: pale peach
Favorite Food: angel hair pasta with alfredo and mushrooms


When did you start becoming interested in blogging? and why did you start yours?
I suppose I started blogging back in middle school, with Deadjournal. I can’t remember my username, but I’d love to go back and see how utterly embarrassing my entries there were. In 9th grade I started using Xanga, and I think I liked it because it was like a diary, and a way to catalogue my life then. It was also a sort of social thing, to read my friends’ Xangas and have them read mine. And of course to write about my boyfriends and leave them Xanga comments was quite the thing, too.
I’ve had my current Blogspot blog for over a year now, andit’s pretty similar to my previous ones. I just like being able to keep a visual diary of my life, and sharing my artwork with others. It’s also a great source of inspiration, finding other blogs and seeing the creativity in others.

Where do you go to college and what are you studying?
I’m a junior at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. I’ve changed my major a few times, but I’ve finally settled on Print, Paper, Book, which is print making, book making, paper making...basically everything!

What's your ideal job after college? Fashion related?
I want to teach youth art, ideally in galleries or with nonprofit organizations. I’d love to do this over seas, in areas where children don’t have much access to art. My husband and I also plan to have a studio where we can work and create new pieces with all kinds of different mediums. He plans to be a filmmaker, so I’ll be doing a lot of helping with that, as well. My work isn’t directly fashion related, but I’m very inspired by clothing designers and their use of shapes and color palettes. I do plan to make dresses and print on them this summer though, so I suppose that's where some fashion comes in.

Where do you get your inspiration for your outfits and pictures?
Color palettes are super inspiring to me, so one of the biggest ways I put together outfits is by what colors I enjoy together. But other than personal preference, I get a lot of lovely ideas from other bloggers, catalogues, magazines, and old films and books.

What are some of your favorite blogs?
I love so many; I’d really hate to just list a few! I recently added a blogroll to blog though, so you could certainly check that out for some really brilliant reads. I will say one I’ve recently stumbled upon, called The Bright Side Project (thebrightsideproject.com). It has daily giveaways, you just have to comment with a reply to the question asked! I think it’s such a sweet idea, I’d love to do something like that in the future.

What other hobbies or activities do you love outside blogging?
I love many forms of art making-- illustrating, photographing, print making, book making, film making, sewing. Those things really take up a huge part of my life, but I love other things like writing letters, riding bikes, going to the beach, and just spending time with my husband.

I have personally followed your blog for a very long time, and I know you and your husband are probably the cutest out there, hows being married young? I'm personally jealous!
Aww, well thank you! I love my husband and I absolutely love being married to him. I get a lot of mixed reactions about being married young, and all I can say is that it’s perfect for us. It’s not something that works out for everyone. I think it all depends on your priorities and personal situations in your life, and of course it’s all a matter of time of when you meet that right person. Some people don’t meet the right person until they’re 50! Some people care more about establishing their careers before taking on marriage, or being independent and dating around. We started dating when we were 18 and got married when we were 19 because we just knew that it was what we were meant to do. We could have waited until the “appropriate age” of 30 or whatever is acceptable, but there was absolutely no reason to. I think you just know when the person you’re with is the one you’re going to marry, and you shouldn’t fight it because of the number of your age. My husband is seriously the best boy ever, and I would never ever change our young marriage. I hope that everyone finds a wonderful love as quickly as I did.

Anything else exciting happening soon?
Well as soon as I’m done writing this, we’re off to see the new polar bear exhibit here in Minneapolis! Pretty exciting. And tomorrow I’m modeling my friend Emily’s clothes for a local magazine called Metro Mag, which will be pretty fun because her clothes are darling. Oh and stay tuned for screen printed shirts and dresses for sale when I open up my etsy shop!

Please stop by Ashley's blog Sleepy Fawn and follow, she's really amazing!

lovelove, M.

Blogger I Admire: May

I know May is almost over but I like doing Blogger I Admire at the end of the month, switching it up a bit! haha! This month I chose the lovely Starr of A Thought Is The Blossom, I have been admiring this girl for months now, and she amazes me with every new outfit post, or posts for her new etsy store Action Is The Fruit. She's so inspiring with everything she does and if you haven't stopped by her blog yet, please do!

Name: Starr Crow
Age: 24
Current Location: Little Rock, AR
Hometown: Bryant, AR
Favorite Color: Pastels of any color
Favorite Food: Southern junk (mashed potatoes and gravy) and grilled chicken. All day, everyday!




When did you start becoming interested in fashion?

I played dress up a lot as a kid, and I changed my Barbie's outfits alllll the time! I don't think I knew then how big of a role fashion would have in my life, but it was definitely evident that I cared about it at a young age.

Why did you start your fashion blog?

I started my blog as a way to document my outfits and my life, and as a way to sell all the vintage I was finding at my local shops. It's taken awhile to get that second part going, but it's finally starting to come together!

I know you recently quit your job to have one more in the fashion industry, what's your next move and what would be your ideal job?

Well, your right, I did quit my insanely good fine dining job to pursue my online store, but I was lucky enough to be able to stay on in the private dining department. Basically that means I'm never scheduled. I can work if/when I want to, and I am not expected to have any kind of food or wine knowledge. It's been a nice way to make money when I'm desperate to pay the bills, and it's also allowed me a lot of free time to focus on the shop. As for my ideal job, I don't really know! I really enjoy styling clothes, messing with layout graphics, and just the blogging world in general, so whatever it is, I hope it involves at least one of those things.




What is your favorite place to shop?

Thrift stores, all the way! My parents were very frugal, and we were rarely given money to shop. I think that gave me the bargain hunter instinct from the very beginning.

Where do you get your inspiration for your outfits?

Everywhere. It's never really one thing in particular. Blogs, movies, words, nature, colors, songs.....you name it.

What are some of your favorite fashion blogs?

It's so hard to pick just a few!! Liebemarlene, Wish Wish Wish and Sally Jane will always be three of my favorites since they sort of brought me into this whole game, but I'm also really enjoying Dear Beatrice, Rosemud, Dinosaur Toes, Tick Tock Vintage, and Little Ocean Annie right now too.

What other hobbies or activities do you love outside of blogging?

I love spending time with my sister and my friends. Of course, taking pictures and thrifting. Long walks downtown. Watching NBC Thursday (Community, Parks & Rec, The Office, 30 Rock). Drinking at White Water (the grungy dive bar in town). Listening to vinyl.




What advice do you have for other bloggers just starting out?

Don't worry about the numbers!!!!!! Do what makes happy, and followers will come. Get involved in the community if you want people to notice you. Be innovative with your posts. Be kind. Set goals and always remember what they are. Never loose sight of yourself, and if the whole thing gets too overwhelming then back away for a few days. The blogging community isn't going anywhere!

For bloggers that are interested in having sponsors, how do you recommend they start?

You know, I still don't feel like I know too much about that! You should definitely make a sponsor sheet which I did through 'google sites'. Include all you numbers, features, and an overall summary of what your blog is. To figure out pricing I did a whole lot of googling, and I asked a few of my blogger friends. It takes a lot of crunching numbers, but it's great once you get it all set up! I think the thing I've enjoyed most about having sponsors is the emails back in forth with them. It really does connect you with some awesome shop owners!



Anything else exciting happening soon?

Bonnaroo and a meet up with Rachel from Mousevox. Woohoo, come on June!

You can find Starr:

Blog: A thought is the blossom, Etsy: Action is the fruit, twitter, chictopia, tumblr, lookbook, flickr, hypeed

Thank you again Starr<3

lovelove, M.

Blogger I Admire: April

It's time for me to join the band wagon and start some sort of 'blogger of the month' on this blog. Instead of naming it blogger of the month I think it would be more fitting for me to name these posts 'blogger I admire' because I plan on choosing bloggers I admire in some way.

For April and for my first of these posts I chose Avalonne Summers from The Girl from HK, LDN & SF. I really admire the way she styles her outfits, has no fear and the creativity that goes into every post she makes on her blog. I also love that she writes for College Fashionista and explores new looks from classmates and peers and finds wonderful new trends!

Name: I'm actually blogging under a pseudonym Avalonne Lou Summers, not because I want to keep my name private, but because my pseudonym is way cooler than my real name. If you want to know my real name, I wouldn't mind revealing it.

Age: 21 years old.

Current Location: San Francisco.

Hometown: I was born and raised in Hong Kong, went to boarding school in England and studied in London for a year. I think I know London more than I know Hong Kong, that's why I like to say London is my hometown.

Favorite Color: I love all shades of pale/pastel purple, my absolutely favorite is lavender.

Favorite Food: I enjoy lots of types of cuisine, but I could eat sushi everyday, my favorites are tuna and scallop rolls. Yum!

When did you start becoming interested in fashion?
I've always been interested in fashion, but growing up, I knew I never wanted to work in fashion. I think fashion is more of an interest and hobby and I would like it to remain that way. But who knows, maybe it could be a backup plan, if film doesn't work out for me. I have a huge appreciation for fashion, but there are so many things about the fashion industry that I cannot agree with. I have a love hate relationship with fashion, but for the most part, I think fashion can unite people, especially this blogging community.

Why did you start your fashion blog?
I started my blog, because I wanted to keep track of my outfits and I thought the best way would be to start a blog. I also needed a daily project to keep me occupied and I needed to do something creative on a regular basis, so blogging has given me the chance to be creative. Since I've started my blog, I've met so many wonderful and passionate people, I think that is one of the most rewarding part of blogging.

I see you've moved around a lot, did you like moving around and where was your favorite place to live?

I like being in different environments and I can adapt very easily, which helps very much. I definitely appreciate London a lot more now that I'm not there, which is probably how I will feel when I move on from San Francisco to hopefully New York City. Hong Kong is my home and as much as I love Hong Kong, because my family is there, I wouldn't want to stay there, because it's not the city for me. I do appreciate the food, the amazing transportation system, but I have no interest in the Hong Kong film industry. I would absolutely love to live in Manhattan and work there and make movies for the rest of my life.

What's your favorite place to shop in?
My heart drops every time I go to vintage shops and thrift stores, I wish I could shop at just vintage shops, because I love the quality of vintage clothing, they're rich with history, I love the scent of vintage clothing and items. If I still lived in London, I would shop at Brick Lane, Camden and Portabello Market all the time (if I could afford to). When I'm in San Francisco, I go to Goodwill, Buffalo Exchange, Wasteland, Held Over and other thrift stores. I also love Urban Outfitters and Zara, they're my favorite stores for new clothing.

Where do you get your inspiration for your outfits from?
I love all things vintage, I get my inspiration from the past decades, my favorite decades are the '20s, '50s, '60s and '70s. I love the Jazz Age period, the glamor of the '20s was so inspirational, their lifestyle and fashion have influenced my lifestyle and mentality. I have a huge appreciation for modernism and liberal, forward thinking, these philosophies have shaped the way I am and the way I dress. I am also very inspired by my favorite bloggers, every one has such impeccable style and their inspirations have in return inspired me.

If you could have one item in fashion (clothing, accessory etc.) what would it be?
I don't know if I can answer this question with one answer. I love collecting all fashion items.

What are some of your favorite fashion blogs?
It's hard to narrow down some of my favorite fashion blogs, I respect every one of them, because they're all so creative in the way that they dress and present themselves.

What are your hobbies or activities that you love outside of blogging?
I'm a film student, so I enjoy watching movies and television, right now I'm really into LOST (really sad about it ending) and How I Met Your Mother. I also love photography and art. I wish I could set aside more time to creating fine art, because I love making things with my hands, which I don't do enough. I'm not really an outdoorsy person, the only outdoorsy things I enjoy are tennis (and watching tennis), sprinting and shot putting. I wish I could cook, I'm thinking of purchasing Julia Child's cook book, that might inspire me to cook good food!

What school do you go to and what are you studying?
I'm studying at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and I study film, officially, the program is called Motion Pictures and Television, but I just like to say I study film. I'm emphasizing in Production Design, but I love and appreciate all aspects of filmmaking, so I also edit, do camerawork, write, direct, etc.




What advice do you have for other bloggers just starting out?
Blogging may seem like an easy task, but I must say it's not as easy as it looks, especially if you're a perfectionist. I'm not completely obsessive compulsive about the presentation of my blog, but sometimes I want everything to look organized, so be weary of the presentation of your blog, like your photos, your header, your writing, the content on your sidebar. If you like to be organized, be weary of the consistency of your blog and it will instantly make your blog look clean.

When I make my way out to San Francisco, can we hangout!?!
Yes please! If you ever visit San Francisco, I'd love to hang out! We can go shopping at thrift stores and eat crepe!

You can find her here:

the girl from hk, ldn & sf, College Fashionista, Flickr, Weardrobe, Facebook, Chictopia

Thank you Avalonne!

lovelove, M.