One of the best reasons to keep up with my favorite bloggers is to see what’s going on in their respective cities and get a dose of local color along with outfit ideas, hair inspiration, clever writing, etc. One of my favorites not only has the wardrobe and an admirable writing style, but is always out and about in my home state, Minnesota! Her Instagram feed is filled with beautiful photos, many taken from local Minneapolis cafes and restaurants, making me simultaneously homesick and hungry.
I’m so excited to feature Chelsea of Zipped in my Catching Up With Series, especially as she has some great tips and surprising answers!
Why did you decide to start blogging?
After I graduated high school, I was working part-time at the city library and had no interest in going to college, so I spent most of my free time shopping online and making outfit collages of all my favorite pieces. My mom suggested I start a blog and share my interests with the world, so I did!
Your mom seems very cool! I feel I need everything in all of your posts! What’s your shopping weakness?
Thanks a million! It’s really specific, but I have an obsession with black ankle boots. I feel like I need every pair in the world. There’s always a new pair out there I absolutely have to have!
Snack weakness?
French fries. Forever.
Agreed. Do you have a special recipe or favorite food you make often you’d like to share?
If I’m being honest, I’m guilty of eating out a lot, but when I’m at home I love making fruit smoothies (Greek yogurt, spinach, and orange juice are key ingredients), and roasting sweet potatoes in garlic + cayenne pepper. Meals take so much effort, I can only cook one thing at a time!
Do you have a favorite book you like to recommend to your girlfriends?
My favorite book is a travel memoir by Andrew McCarthy called The Longest Way Home. Not really a girly novel, but I could reread it a thousand times.
Do you have any secret talents or hobbies?
I’m not good by any means, but I love skateboarding. I guess another talent is painting my nails. I have been painting them twice a week since I was sixteen or seventeen, so it takes me all of five minutes now for a perfect manicure.
If I do my own nails they always look like I did them in the dark! Your Instagram photos are so often beautiful and…soothing! Any tips for taking such excellent lifestyle shots?
Again, thanks so much! I try not to take Instagram too seriously, so I usually don’t put too much thought into my setup or captions. I just grab an idea and run with it. I guess my tips would be to try not to imitate other people’s photos or feeds, and most photos look better without a ton of editing!
Your hair is seriously amazing, can we hear how you get your look?
I guess I have my parents to thank for the hair. I shower at night and let it air dry while I sleep, and then take a 1 ¼” curling wand to it in the morning! I’m pretty no-fuss about my hair, but I’ve been trying to do more with it lately. Braids and things. Ponytails are even too much effort for me sometimes!
Good tip! Can you recommend any bloggers or celebs you look to for style inspiration or tips?
Some of my favorite blogs are Noir Noir (lyssmoore.com), Walk in Wonderland (walkinwonderland.com/), Just Another (just-another.me)and Damsel in Dior (damselindior.com). Celebrity-wise, I’m always inspired by Blake Lively and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Do you have a go-to outfit?
Skinny jeans, a sweater, flats, and a big handbag that I can fit my entire life into. And always my Ray-Ban wayfarers.
You live in Minneapolis, can you recommend any favorite spots for readers?
Coffee: Urban Bean and Five Watt. Brunch: the Kenwood and Loring Kitchen. Dinner: Spoon and Stable and The Third Bird. Shopping: Roe Wolfe, Parc Boutique, Find Furnish, and Room No. 3.
I love LOVE Loring Kitchen, but I’ll have to try the others. How about an ideal evening spent with the girls?
Anything revolving around pizza.
Lastly, do you have any advice for bloggers?
Your goals and aesthetic will fall into place once you get going. Don’t feel pressure to have everything figured out from the beginning and allow yourself to grow and change. I can’t say enough that it’s not about how many followers you have. Be transparent with your readers, whether you have five or five million.
Make sure to head over to Zipped by Chelsea Lane for more of her amazing outfits and…hair.
Thanks for introducing me to a new blogger! I'll be sure to check her out (you had me at admirable writing style). Also I love anyone with a weakness for french fries!
Sxx
http://www.daringcoco.com
I love her tips for Instagram. I can hardly look through it anymore because everyone's feeds are the same! I love her style!
Brooke
pumps and push-ups