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Blogger of the Moment: Natalie Off Duty

We sat down with Natalie Suarez, the style and brains behind NYC-based fashion blog Natalie Off Duty, and chatted about all things music, fashion, blog inspiration, morning routines and her transition from LA to NYC! 

What was your blogger journey? Why and how did you start and when did you feel like you had ‘made it?’

When I started my blog over 6 years ago, I was looking for a place to share my inspirations, creativity, and work. I’m a model, and so I have been working since the age of 15 in my hometown of Los Angeles. My agency then brought me to live here in NYC 4 years ago. I never ended up leaving the Big Apple! Ever since I’ve been working with some of the top brands in the industry, I immediately fell in love with stand-out fashion, photography, and design. My style had always been very “model off duty.” NATALIE OFF DUTY was born, based on that effortless, on-the-go, way of dressing. I guess as a model, you really had to stand out on your own to make it. Style was my way of standing out. I definitely steer towards the eclectic, rock n’ roll bohemian vibe that comes from my LA roots. With NATALIE OFF DUTY, I bring my camera wherever I go for work. It could be an island where I’ll be shooting a campaign, or capturing what I’m wearing on an “off duty” day around the downtown streets of NYC. I love to tell a story, and hopefully inspire those who read my site through beautiful images and words. 

NATALIE OFF DUTY really began as a place to showcase my work….posting behind-the-scenes of whatever photoshoot I was on…to eventually becoming a lot more personal: focusing a lot on my style, what I love, my travels, and what inspires me. With NATALIE OFF DUTY, I not only work in front of the camera, but behind the scenes as well…in styling, and working on creative projects…whether it be music, dance, modeling, or everything combined at once. It’s amazing that I got to grow as a model with my blog, yet also grow so much more creatively in that I have to come up with my own content. Being a blogger opened up so many doors that traditional modeling couldn’t. Collaborating with brands that I’ve always photographed with, but in a completely new way. It’s incredible getting to take a brand that I love and really make it my own. Getting to shoot it for the blog in my own editorial way. The blog really keeps fashion fun, and new for me everyday. I work a ton with my older sister, Dylana Suarez and we are definitely a sister duo. Everyday we’re coming up with ideas on how to shoot something or get our vision across. We’re constantly creating new content and always being super true to who we are. It’s incredible having your best friend, and other half work with you so closely on something you both love. The amazing thing about blogging is you can post whatever you want. Whatever you’re feeling, capturing a mood, and making a beautiful image. I live for the art of that. And it comes across so easily with just a few words and stunning imagery.

My career definitely grew with social media. I was on the bandwagon early on. I guess I really felt that people were watching when one of my favorite brands asked me to be on the cover of their catalog…not just as a model but as myself. People in the industry started reaching out to me directly, presenting me with creative opportunities. It’s awesome having that sort of respect level. Tons of collaborations began, and I’m thankful so many of my readers have joined me on this crazy, life-changing journey.

What do you think was important to your success? 

The most important key to success is being honest and true with yourself. I guess I always just went with wherever my heart took me. And just getting creative and having fun with every project, and putting my heart and soul in whatever I’m working on.

What are your fashion inspirations? 

I’m so inspired by music. My style, my photography, my writing. I love The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin. I love rock n’ roll. It’s effortless and crazy and that’s what I love about it. If I didn’t work in fashion, I’d be a singer.

How would you describe your style?

My style is very eclectic. But I still love my classics. I’m always mixing prints and patterns. I guess you could say I’m a bit rock n’ roll, but a bit bohemian and earthy. My style is inspired by my travels, and how someone would pack for traveling. I like looking a little bit messy. 

What do you think is the future of fashion bloggers? 

I feel that blogs will always exist. But as for fashion blogging, I feel like the key to being successful in having a blog is starting one for the right reasons. Fashion blogging is amazing in the sense that you can share whatever you want and feel inspired by an image or writing. I know that many girls want to blog as a career, but it’s important to just stay true to who you are. With social media and Instagram, sometimes it seems like everyone is out there to portray a perfect lifestyle. With blogging and social media, sometimes it does feel like there’s some superficial aspect of our lives we put out there. We want to give out a positive vibe with positive feedback. But it’s so important not to lose that authenticity of what you put out there. It’s all about putting out good quality work, and continue to put out something raw, real, and authentic. Nobody’s perfect, and so in fashion blogging (where everything and everyone seems perfect) it’s hard not to strive for that. I feel those raw and genuine people who blog and share their stories will stick out from the pack. No matter what you’re blogging/photographing/writing about, the community online itself will help you meet tons of people who are interested in the same things as you! And because we have such a large outreach and wide audience, we’re lucky to have amazing work opportunities and collaborations come to us, but it’s important to stick to why you’re blogging in the first place. I always stick to reading the blogs that I feel are authentic and where the quality of the work is just incredible and inspiring. That’s what I aspire to. 

For the future of fashion blogging, it changes as we grow older. Who knows if we will still want to share our outfits, photos, and personal lives. As you grow older, you can definitely grow your blog into something bigger and meaningful. But it is still honestly one of the best outlets out there for aspiring women/men who want to work in fashion. 

What’s the most important feature for a blog to have to catch your eye? 

I love when a blog gives off a mood. Beautiful photos and amazing writing. Blogs that are authentic and tell a story. 

What are your favorite iPhone apps?

Instagram because it’s addictive. Videofyme because it’s an easy and amazing way to make gorgeous video clips. Whatsapp so I can connect to my friends from all over the world. Snapchat because I can be my goofy self in front of hundreds of thousands of people. 

How has moving from California to New York affected you as a fashion blogger? 

My style definitely changed a little bit. You have to adjust to the crazy east coast weather! But the craziest thing is how influential NYC bloggers really are. When I was working in LA, blogging wasn’t as big yet. I feel it really did start in NYC. I was modeling here, and eventually there were about a million blogger projects going on. It was another reason for me to stay and work in NYC…I could do both. I do miss shooting out in the open fields and beautiful sunshine in California though! Here, we don’t have such luxurious weather, so sometimes you just have to get creative indoors. 

What are some of your favorite blogs?

We are 365 is one of my favorite blogs because the two sisters, Mira and Thilda, remind me of my sister Dylana and I…and we both blog as well. They are super bohemian and super talented. I love their photography and wild adventures. Another blog I love and follow is Charcoal Alley. She’s an artist and painter. She posts on occasion, and when she does, I fall in love with her site all over again. Every one of her posts gives off a mood, and I always leave inspired. And of course, I love DYLANA/SUAREZ. She’s my older sister and one of my main inspirations. We do everything together, and she’s taught me everything I know about photography, music, design, all from when we were little and always dreaming. She’s a super talented writer, and she can spend hours writing a post that can make you cry or laugh. She isn’t afraid to be vulnerable in front of her readers. She the realest, most raw girl I know. 

What’s a typical weekend for you, nightlife or Netflix? 

Nightlife for sure. Netflix for the weekdays! I can’t stop watching Bates Motel! 

What does your morning routine look like? 

Make a giant pot of coffee, check my emails, and plan out my day. Every day for me is different!

What’s the one thing you never leave home without? 

My extremely old iPod and headphones. It’s packed with music, old and new. It makes walking the city so much more enjoyable. 

Any songs that you can’t stop listening to? 

"Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie, "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns n’ Roses, "The Morning" by The Weeknd, and "Trick or Treat Dancefloor" by Cherry Glazer. 

Thanks so much, Natalie!

Follow Natalie Off Duty on Bloglovin’!

All Photos by Brandon Osorio for Bloglovin’

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Blogger of the Moment: Two Red Bowls

Two Red Bowls is a Brooklyn-based food blog by Cynthia, a full-time lawyer. We’re big admirers of her delicious recipes and beautiful Instagram feed, so we were thrilled when she agreed to be our newest Blogger of the Moment!

Here she shares a glimpse into her daily routine, what inspires her recipes, and how she balances blogging and a full-time career as a lawyer.

What's a typical day in your life?

A typical weekday is mostly just filled with work at my full-time job as a lawyer, so I won't bore you with that! But a typical Saturday usually starts with a sleepy pourover coffee, then cooking or baking for the blog in the morning, followed by shooting in the early afternoon if the food goes well. The afternoon is a mix of procrastinating, cleaning up my blog messes, actually cleaning, and spending time on the couch with my fiancé, where we'll watch a few episodes of some TV show or another while I unwind and edit photos. Our living room gets a dreamy spot of light in the late afternoons these days that I absolutely love -- it washes the whole room in golden light as the sun sets. At night we'll venture out for a date night or dinner with friends, if we're feeling adventurous. Then the night ends with more quality time on the couch (lately, full of conversations about wedding planning!) and a good talk in bed before we go to sleep. That late-night chat is my favorite time of day.

How do you balance a full-time job of being a lawyer with blogging?

It can get a little overwhelming sometimes! But with a little planning (and luck), it's been a lot better than I expected. Although there are definitely late nights here and there, I don't think that the problems I face in juggling law with blogging are really all that different from anyone who blogs and works full-time. I tend to cook and shoot all my food on weekends, and then it gives me a nice break from work (or a way to procrastinate) during the week to do the smaller things, like read other blogs, answer comments or emails, and otherwise engage with this wonderful blog community. I'd say the biggest snag is that my job can be a little unpredictable -- it's always possible I'd have to work on a weekend, so I generally try to shoot and plan out posts at least a few weeks in advance, and sometimes up to a few months ahead, in case those (figurative and literal) rainy days come along. But for the most part I've been really lucky!

Can you describe your blogging process for us, starting from where you get your inspiration to how you get to the final product?

Sure! Overall, I think my inspiration always just starts with what we want to eat! It has to be a dish that I, and whoever I'm cooking for, will enjoy and find delicious. Sometimes it's a dish we have in a restaurant that I want to recreate, other times my fiance will suggest something, and still other times it's recipes I see on other blogs or in food media. But it's always something I think we'd relish eating. Food is celebratory, and I think (or hope) there's always a way to make it exciting. I also think the seasons are always a rich source of inspiration, especially sentimental times of year like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or late summer and early fall when it seems like absolutely everything is ripe and ready to pick. 

Once I have an idea of what I want to make, I usually spend a few days writing out what I think will work, researching what other recipes are out there, and what flavor combinations or ingredients I could try. I don't have quite as much time to test the recipes as I would like, so I try to do as much research before trying the first batch as possible. Then I'll test out the recipe, usually in smaller batches or during the weekdays, and if it turns out how I like it, I'll make it again for the blog on the weekend and photograph it. Cooking and photographing the final product takes about three or four hours, I'd say. Then I edit the photos, which takes a few more hours, and the week before the post is scheduled to go live, I'll do the writing. Writing always comes last, and I feel like I should give it more time but I never get to! That's on my list of things to improve. Luckily, my fiance is an inspired, thoughtful editor, who can give me feedback when I get stuck. I don't always like hearing it, especially at the eleventh hour, but it's always valuable, and almost always right!

What are some of your favorite tools to take and edit images?

Most of the time, I shoot with a Nikon D610 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. On the computer, I mainly use Lightroom; on my phone, I use VSCO and Instagram. I've been really impressed with Instagram's built-in editor in their last upgrade!  

What are some things you learned about life throughout your blogging years?

I think one thing that has really struck me is how much the blog both creates and preserves memories -- it's both a journal and an ongoing, evolving project. The other day I was looking through my old iPhone photos from a few years back, before I had the blog, and I was struck by how many more photos I used to take back then. Of the mundane, of food, of hangouts with friends, anything. I've always had a kind of compulsive need to document my life, like I feel like I won't remember it if I don't have a photo or words that encapsulate that memory or that feeling. I used to drive my fiancé crazy because I always wanted to take a picture of my food at restaurants! And I don't do that so much anymore. (Which he's super relieved about.) I realized that, after I started this blog, most of my restless documentary energy has gone into that one weekly post, that one meal, one story that goes along with that meal. In some ways that makes me feel like the "record" of my life is a little less comprehensive than it used to be, but in other ways I find that so fascinating -- the idea that a journal of the things you've done can be as much about active, intentional creation as it is about passive documentation.

How did you find out about Bloglovin', can you tell us how Bloglovin' has helped you in your blogging journey?

I found Bloglovin' when Google Reader went away and I needed a fun blog reader to replace it. I love that Bloglovin' combines a touch of social media with its readership functions -- it makes the reading experience feel more interactive and community-based than solitary, and I think that's such a fun and valuable thing. One of my favorite things about blogging will always be the remarkable sense of community around it and the ability to find people who are like you in what they love. I think Bloglovin' has helped foster that sense of kinship, both by helping me keep up with bloggers and by connecting me with new ones. I'm so thrilled to be talking with you all today -- thank you!

If you had all the time and money in the world where would you go and what would you do?

This might be a super lame answer, but I think I'd just move somewhere close to my family or my fiance's family, and blog and cook to my heart's content. Hopefully with lots of babies! Family, food and a camera is the ideal life for me. And sunshine -- did I mention that my fiance's family is from Hawaii? :)

Thank you so much, Cynthia! 

Follow Two Red Bowls on Bloglovin’ and never miss Cynthia's amazing recipes! 

Read last week's Blogger of the Moment feature with Framboise Fashion here.

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Blogger of the Moment: Framboise Fashion

Sarah Mikaela started her lifestyle blog Framboise Fashion in 2009, where she shares daily fashion, beauty and travel adventures.

Keep reading for Sarah’s favorite image editing tools, what influences her style, how to grow your blog’s readership, and more!

Being Australian and Danish living in London how has that influenced your style as a fashion blogger? 

The Scandinavian in me definitely has an influence on my preferred choice of footwear - sneakers, birkenstocks, all those comfortable chic not chic shoes are right up my alley and last but not least my overall minimal approach to what I wear. The Aussie in me loves a playful attitude to fashion incorporating colours and prints.

What are some of your favorite tools to take and edit images? I have played with Photoshop since I was 10 and I haven’t given it up. Tool wise I think researching and investing in good lenses, together with the knowledge of how your camera works will optimise content to its full potential.

What lessons can you share to up-and-coming bloggers? Work hard and be kind! It’s cliché, but it’s true. We have too many people who use their elbows to get forward, but it’s not a sustainable or very fulfilling way of making a career in fashion. We need each other for all of our unique qualities, and there’s space for everyone. Especially in blogging! Find your niche, what you are passionate about, and spread your message! Social media is a brilliant way of promoting your content and connecting with other people, so this is definitely something to invest some time in to getting right.

How did you find out about Bloglovin, can you tell us how Bloglovin has helped you in your blogging journey? I have been using Bloglovin for ages now, so I can’t even remember how I discovered it anymore. It’s such a brilliant way to find great articles from other inspiring blogs, so in that sense it has worked as a great tool in researching and finding new blogs.

A lot of bloggers are asking us for ways to get more followers what would your advice be? Going back to what I mentioned above, social media is a brilliant tool to promote your content and connect, so this would be my best advice for the way the industry is right now.

Can you tell us about a specific challenge you faced, and how you overcame it? A little over a year ago, I found myself in between my studies in fashion design versus my blog. I could tell that I wasn’t able to do both 100% at the same time, and was compromising both by spreading myself too thinly. It was a very difficult choice to commit to the blog, but it was the best thing I could have done for myself. I love what I do, there’s no doubt, but there’s a lot of work and little sleep to make sure everything runs smoothly constantly. It’s a daily challenge, but extremely exciting as well!

What do you think is the future of blogging? It's difficult to say, but one thing's for sure, it won’t stop evolving! When I started blogging 5 years ago, it was completely different. It wasn’t a common way of living as a fashion blogger, and bloggers have entered the fashion scene in a way we wouldn’t have imagined back then! For the future, I think we are going to see a lot of fashion blogs. I think there’s a big demand to have personalities connected to style, which we don’t get in the same way from fashion magazines, and there’s a blog for every style out there! Furthermore, I believe that there could be behaviour change in the way we follow blogs. So many of us live with our smartphones safely attached to us, why social media is such an effective way of communicating content.

Follow Framboise Fashion on Bloglovin’

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Blogger(s) of the Moment - A Little Opulent

Online lifestyle magazine, A Little Opulent, covers art, entertainment, beauty, fashion and everything in between, and also offers readers tips and tricks on design, blogging, and photography.

We sat down with ALO founders, Rebecca and Jen, to learn about where they find inspiration, how blogging has shaped their lives, their favorite image editing tools, and more!

Why did you start ALO?

Rebecca: I’d studied editorial photography for 3 years at university and had become absolutely smitten with magazine world. After creating 2 magazines in those three years I was desperate to push myself to create something that would last and that is where ALO was born.

Jen: After running my blog for over a year I was itching for a brand new challenge and creating an online magazine had been a dream of mine for a while. After a late night conversation with Rebecca we both felt so inspired and motivated to create A Little Opulent and it’s been the greatest adventure so far.

What are some things you learned about life throughout your blogging years?

Rebecca: Not everybody will like you and you really can’t please everyone. It’s a hard lesson to learn but once you come to terms with it then it takes a lot of the pressure of people pleasing away.

Jen: That it’s okay to do things a little differently and that it’s so important to believe in yourself and your work. I’ve learned that we should never let the fear of failure hold us back from exploring new ideas and opportunities, and that comparison will always, always, be the thief of joy.

What are some of your favorite tools to take and edit images?

Rebecca: Photoshop Camera Raw and Lightroom. For general blogging purposes I just stick to camera raw, it’s such a simple programme to use and then for detailed work like freelance projects I will always use Lightroom.

Jen: Rebecca and I always laugh at how we’re such a good team because we have completely different strengths and weaknesses. The visual side of content creation is definitely my weakness and for my blog I just use Photoshop to create graphics to go alongside my content. For ALO I either work with Rebecca for photography for my sections, source together visuals from around the web, or work with our very talented team of illustrators.

You both have your own blogs in addition to working with ALO whats the story behind that?

Rebecca: I started blogging nearly 4 years ago, it was something to do outside of studying and I adored the freedom it gave me. Jen and I met through reading each others blogs and out of that became a business partnership and a friendship. Without blogging ALO would have never have been born.

Jen: My blog Jennypurr is just over two years old now and exists as an online creative resource for bloggers and creatives. As it’s so different to ALO I really enjoy having two completely different outlets and audiences to create for. I met Rebecca after reading her blog for a really long time and we hit it off straight away and we both knew we really wanted to create something bigger together. Blogging definitely gave me the confidence I needed to be brave and leap into a brand new challenge.

What lessons can you share to up-and-coming bloggers?

Rebecca: Write a blog that you would want to read and don’t follow the crowd. There are hundreds and hundreds of blogs that think to become well know that they have to do what everybody else is doing when infact it’s the complete opposite.

Jen: Do something exciting and innovative with your online space. Like Rebecca said, don’t worry about following the crowd. Instead bring something exciting and fresh to the table. I’m a big believer in thinking big when it comes to blogging. There are so many exciting things that we can do with our online spaces and I think it’s the perfect time right now to create without boundaries and raise the bar of what blogging can be.

If you had all the time and money in the world where would you go and what would you do

Rebecca: Travel the world without a doubt and try and live abroad for a little bit.

Jen: I’d love to tick off everywhere on my travel bucket list and then build my dream house from scratch somewhere just outside of a big city.

Where do you find your inspiration

Rebecca: As dull as this might sound just everyday life is super inspiring, you can take anything from the most mundane of tasks.

Jen: Usually when I least expect it. I’m forever jotting down ideas on my phone throughout the day as I’m usually inspired by anything and everything. Specifically for ALO, I’m really excited by what the magazine stands for and what we’re creating over there so I always feel motivated and inspired by the fact that it always feels like a collaborative effort.

Thank you Rebecca and Jen for sitting down with us!

To read more follow A Little Opulent or Rebecca at From Roses and Jenny at Jennypurr on Bloglovin'

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Celebrating International Women's Day 2015

Today is International Women’s Day, where the world comes together to celebrate the gains made towards equality for women and to encourage effective actions that will continue to close the gap.

At Bloglovin’, we not only believe in equality for women, we also believe that women can and should empower one another to succeed. We wanted to highlight and celebrate our female executives, who inspire us daily through their work ethic, critical thinking, and leadership. We asked them where their inspiration to become executives at a technology company came from and what it took to make it happen.

Check out their stories below:

Joy Marcus, CEO

When did you know you wanted to be an executive in tech? “I was working for MTV and very very happy. But, I realized that our audience was moving online. I’m a consumer-oriented chick - I wanted to be where the people were. It was an incredibly difficult leaving MTV, I cried as I walked out of the building, but it was the right move. I went from there to B&N.com (we took it public in 1999) and kept on going (AOL etc). Most recently I ran US business for Dailymotion (splitting my time between New York and Paris) and we sold to Orange. I moved into investing for Gotham Ventures before becoming CEO of Bloglovin.”  

How did you #MakeItHappen? “You have to want it. There are no shortcuts. You have to work really really hard.”

Kelly Gallozzi, VP Sales & Marketing

When did you know you wanted to be an executive in tech? “I was an ad director at People StyleWatch, which was Magazine of the Year at the time. Despite the accelerated growth, print as a business was fading and I knew my own consumption habits for media were changing rapidly due to social and new online properties. I had always loved being a part of launching new products, for example, TeenVogue and StyleWatch. Jumping into the tech world seemed like a natural fit! I took the leap of faith and caught the startup bug at DailyWorth, then went to InStyle and finally came to Bloglovin.”

How did you #MakeItHappen? “You need to be able to wear many hats and be comfortable with taking risks. I love building a great story and developing a ‘need’ for new products in the marketplace.”

Kamiu Lee, VP Business Development & Finance

When did you know you wanted to be an executive in tech? “I certainly do not have a perfectly orchestrated plan! What I did know -- I wanted to work in an industry that I love, with a company/product I truly believe in, and in a job where I can come to work everyday pumped to make things happen.

Digital content and commerce has always appealed to me as a consumer. I love discovering great content and I do virtually all of my shopping online. From a career perspective, I love all the change that is happening in media and commerce -- there is always something new to learn!”

How did you #MakeItHappen? “It's so important, especially at a start-up, to be assertive, flexible, persistent and ready for anything. Be able to spot an opportunity and grab onto it when you see it. And of course, a lot of hard work. Nothing great is ever easy!”

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Happy Valentine’s Day from the Bloglovin’ team! ❤

Love Pinata by our very own Kelley of www.thecityandus.com

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Say Hello to Collections!

You can now save posts into collections like “Fashion Inspiration”, “Places to travel”, “Recipes to Make” and many more.

Create a collection today - here are a few to inspire you

Beauty by Essie Button

Style Inspiration by Fashionsquad

Travel by Grease and Glamour

Click here to start creating your own 

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Blogger of the Moment: Essiebutton

Essiebutton is among the worlds top beauty bloggers, is 24 years old, lives in England since 4 years and has the cutest greyhound named Reggie. You can follow her beauty adventures through her Bloglovin' page or watch her on Youtube.

What's a typical day in your life?

Every day is different for me depending on what I need to get done. For example if I’m having a ‘filming’ day I’ll get ready, prep for the video, set up my camera and lights and get on with it! Usually on filming days I’ll spend the afternoon editing. Sometimes I have days that involve photographing, editing photos and writing posts and then there are ‘out days’ which involve going to meetings, picking up items I need for videos/posts etc. Most of the time it’s a mix of all three of those things which keeps it interesting!

What are some of the most important things you learned about life throughout your blogging and vlogging years? 

I’ve grown up a lot since I first started my blog, which is really interesting to see. When I first started blogging it was out of boredom as I’d just moved to England from Canada and didn’t have much of a social life yet. Through reading a lot of blogs and experiencing so many new things I feel like I’ve become a much more open minded person because I get to interact with so many people and blogs are a virtual window into so many unique lifestyles. 

What lessons can you share to up-and-coming bloggers and vloggers? 

The most important lesson I can share is to stay true to yourself and your goals. It’s easy to get bogged down or influenced by what some of your favourite bloggers around you are doing, but try to be yourself. Make videos/write posts that you’re interested in and the audience will find you.

A lot of bloggers ask us how to get more followers, what would your advice be?

I think the best thing to do is to get involved in the blogging community either through events, social media etc. Not only is it a great support system, but sharing audiences is a very effective tool. Additionally, have fun! Readers can tell if a blogger enjoys what they do and I think that’s also a crucial aspect of growing a blog.

Do you see yourself as a role model to your readers? The term role model is so scary to me! I definitely don’t set out to be a role model because I’m still trying to figure things out myself, but if my viewers/readers react positively to what I do then that makes me very happy!

How did you find out about Bloglovin? 

I can’t remember exactly who told me about Bloglovin’ but I remember being fascinated by it when I discovered it! Before Blogovin’ I had a huge bookmarks section and would manually check my favourite blogs. Now that I’m a Bloglovin’ addict I can’t imagine going back to my old method.

What do you think is the future for blogging/vlogging?

The exciting thing about the blogging/vlogging world is that no one really knows what’s going to happen. It has already changed so much since I started in 2011 and this constant change is what inspires me to push myself. I wish I had a crystal ball sometimes though!

Follow Essiebutton on Bloglovin'

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Blogger Of The Moment: Chronicles of Her

What part of Australia are you from, and how has your hometown influenced your style growing up?

I live in Bondi Beach but I'm originally from Queensland. I've always lived by the beach. I love the laid back, chilled lifestyle, and think the same goes for my clothes - I'm all about relaxed, oversized shapes and flats, flats, flats!

What are some things you learned about life throughout your blogging years? What lessons can you share to up-and-coming bloggers?

Do things your own way. There's no point recreating something others have already done, and if you do this, you'll always be unique because no one else is quite like you.

How has blogging inspired you and your work?

In so many ways. The fast pace of the online world makes me excited. I love the constant challenge of having to improve myself and my content and come up with new ideas that my readers will find entertaining. It keeps me on my toes.

You were recently nominated for Newcomer of the Year at the 2014 Bloglovin' Awards in New York City. (congrats!) -- Tell us how Bloglovin' has impacted your journey, from the beginning of blogging until now.

I think I might just have Bloglovin' to thank for the fact that I started my blog at all. I used to spend so many hours scrolling my feed reading other blogs, that I decided I should put some of that time towards making my own. Fast forward a few years and here we are... so the nomination in the Bloglovin' Awards was a definite pinch yourself moment for me!

Can you tell us about a specific challenge you faced, and how you overcame it?

When I first started blogging, I didn't know any photographers and had no one to take my photos. So I gave my mum a crash course in SLR photography and she shot all my posts for months. Mums can do anything.

What do you look for in the people you work with - photographers or other bloggers?

They need to love, live and breathe what they do. And they need a great sense of humour. A fun shoot with a great team is where the magic happens.

If you are interested in seeing more from Carmen, click here to follow her blog on Bloglovin'.

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TGIF from Bloglovin's community team :)

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Introducing Pinterest Sharing on iOS!

You can now share images from your favorite blogs that you follow on Bloglovin!

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Business Intelligence & Growth Analyst at Bloglovin’

Business Intelligence & Growth Analyst, New York

Bloglovin is seeking a Business Intelligence & Growth Analyst focused on growing and engaging Bloglovin user base. You are data driven and results focused. We are seeking a talented analyst who thrives at the intersection of data, product, engineering, and marketing.

The ideal candidate will have a strong technical, analytical background – with a hunger to make products grow. Leverage data to understand our products in depth, identify areas of opportunity, and execute projects to drive growth and engagement of bloglovin’ users; Drive projects focusing on new user growth, mobile usage - working directly with the executive team and product teams; Work both on core bloglovin’ products like news feed, notifications, and mobile, and offsite marketing channels like SEO, and email.

Requirements:· Bachelors in Finance, Economics, Statistics, or related field · 2+ years forecasting and analysis experience · Knowledge of marketing and product analysis · Strong excel skills Pivots, vlookups · Some Technology, Media, or Advertising industry experience preferred · Familiar with SQL

Pluses:· Digital marketing and web analytics experience

Email resume, cover letter and social media links to [email protected]

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Bloglovin's Summer Interns!

We are so lucky to have these gals (and guy) with us this summer, working hard in the Bloglovin Community Team! (from L to R: Chris, Omer, Vanessa, and Rebecca)!

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Bloglovin’ Awards 2014: Nominate Your Favorite Bloggers!

We’re super excited to announce that the 2014 Bloglovin’ Awards will be held on September 7 in New York City.

This year, awards will be presented in twelve different categories during a night of recognition and celebration of the world’s best fashion bloggers during New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

We want to recognize your favorite blogs and bloggers! Think you know who the winners of the Bloglovin’ Awards should be? Share your favorite blogs with us by nominating them for Bloglovin’ Awards. Nominations are now open and can be found at awards.bloglovin.com.

This year’s categories:

Best Personal Style Blog

Best Street Style Blog

Best Beauty Blog

Best Men’s Fashion Blog

Best Fashion News Blog

Best Celebrity Blog

Best Lifestyle Blog

Best Written Content

Best Brand Blog

Best Photography

Newcomer of the Year

Blogger of the Year

Past Bloglovin’ Award recipients include some of the most influential and recognizable blogs and bloggers, including Leandra Medine's Man Repeller, The Sartorialist, Rumi Neely's Fashion Toast, Chiara Ferragni’s The Blond Salad and Olivia Palermo.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BLOGS TODAY!

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Hiring: Designer in NYC

We're looking for a designer in New York. As our second designer your work will have a huge impact on the company and the millions of people who use bloglovin.com.

Responsibilities:

Take conceptual ideas and turn them into something useful for our millions of users

Design flows and experiences that are incredibly simple and elegant

Test and iterate your designs

Work with engineers to oversee the user experience of a product from concept until launch

Requirements:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills (you should be able to clearly articulate your design decisions)

Great taste, strong visual design skill and attention to detail

The ability to think at a high level about product strategy and vision (not just 'how it should look' but 'what we should build')

Willingness to learn and take on new challenges

Send relevant work and your resume to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Introducing: New profile pages!

We’re super excited to introduce new profile pages! We’ve updated the layout to focus on the stories you love.

Check out these blogs: The Sartorialist, A beautiful mess and My Cooking Diary.

…and these nice people: Jennifer Hagler (A Merry Mishap), Carolina Engman (Fashionsquad) and Bloglovin’s profile.

<3

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Introducing: Friend activity

We’re excited to announce that it’s now possible to see which posts your friends and favorite bloggers like on Bloglovin. All you have to do is go to bloglovin.com/friends and start following people.

Check out which posts these 6 bloggers like for some inspiration:

A beautiful mess

Fashionsquad

Style Scrapbook

Song of Style

Makeup And Beauty Blog

Fleur De Force

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