September 10, 2015
Summer Blogger Series: VDV X BLAWNDE
To wrap up our Summer Blogger series we paired up with Annie Lawless from www.Blawnde.com. Not only does this "blawnde" bombshell write one of our favorite fashion and health blogs, she is also the co-founder of Suja Juice!! We spent the day with her at her gorgeous Balinese-themed beachfront house in la Jolla and caught up with her and her busy business-owning life. We also squeezed in a couple looks from our Pre-Fall collection. Check out the photos and get to know a little bit more about this young successful babe. 
How did you first get into blogging? Blogging was sort of a happy accident for me! I had been writing for the Suja blog for quite some time and would always get asked offline tons of nutrition and personal beauty/health questions. I noticed the same kind of questions popping up on my Instagram and realized everyone generally wants to know the same things and people genuinely wanted to know more about me. I thought having a space to share more of myself in a more personal way than my work space through Suja was an exciting idea. 
What inspired you to start your blog? The beauty and luxury in every day things! I really believe in living your best life and feeling like your best self every single day. Whether that’s carefully selecting an outfit that makes you feel amazing, spending an extra 15 minutes on your makeup to perfect that new bright pink blush that wakes up your entire face, or taking an hour in the kitchen with a glass of wine cooking a healthy meal. Sharing how I fit these things into my busy life and what I’m loving is really fun for me, and I get so many new ideas from my readers. What is your favorite thing to blog about? My favorite thing to blog about is whatever is on my mind at the time! That’s the beauty of having a “lifestyle” blog – I don’t blog about just one topic, so I can switch it up all the time based on my mood or what’s really happening in my life. I have a few categories - “What I Ate” where I share what meals I’ve been making or eating out all week, “What I Wore” where I share recent outfits and how I styled them, “What I Want” where I share things I’m lusting, “Travels” where I share my trips and the places I explored there, and “Lifestyle” where I share random thoughts about life whether it be falling into the social media trap of comparison or dropping your fears to do the things you want in your life. I read a quote as I was putting together the concept for Blawnde that said “My blog is an “I post whatever the F I want blog” “ and that became my mantra when creating my blog. I’m not trying to be a high fashion blogger, a crunchy granola health blogger, or a beauty expert because I’m none of those things. My goal is to be me, share what I’m doing in my life to be my best self, and hope to inspire others/be inspired in the process. 
Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Shop online J I wish I had something more intellectual to say here, but if you saw me in my time off, I’d be on my computer looking at clothes for hours. I add a lot to my cart and can go back and forth for days before ultimately saying “yolo” and clicking purchase. Who is your style icon? Jane Birkin and Ali McGraw! They nail an effortless bohemian vibe that isn’t too hippie, but still put together and incredibly chic. Their style is about the unexpected – jean shorts paired with a tank and blazer finished with over the knee boots or a hair turban paired with a flowy maxi dress. They were the first generation of “cool girls” that made boho luxe. I love that they wore things with confidence and put things together because they liked them, not because they “worked”. How do you describe your own personal style? I’ve always been a little tomboy and minimal. I am never going to be a girly girl that wears florals, pastels, or ruffles, nor will I ever be perfectly put together and professional. Everyone I work with knows I will go to a meeting in cut off jean shorts without batting a lash. I love well-made basics in solids like black, white, and grey and I let beautiful accessories like a Chanel bag or classic Louboutin heels elevate the look. I can easily wear ripped jeans and a tank with sandals and a hat during the day and add a dark vampy lip, high heels, and a gorgeous bag for a date night without changing at all. That’s the beauty of minimal basics and beautiful accessories. 
What is the hardest part about having a blog? Also having a full time job! Before I blogged (as I think every blogger will tell you), I would read blogs and think it would be a piece of cake. You just put on pretty clothes, take pictures, and post…right? How hard can that be?! I laugh at that now because I’ve come to learn the time and planning involved in blogging is not a joke. You brainstorm interesting ideas, put together looks to shoot, schedule your photographer, scout locations/good lighting, shoot, upload photos, edit them, link everything, write copy, format your post, post on your blog, post on all of your social media accounts, and answer comments/emails about the post. You also have e-mails coming in everyday with random questions, partnership inquiries, and events. I’ve spent hours and hours learning Photoshop and Illustrator via YouTube to edit all my own photos and create graphics because it’s really expensive to pay someone to do all of that. I could easily make a full time job out of my blog, but I already have one with Suja so I have to accept posting less and having less free time. Thankfully, I love it so much that there’s nothing I’d rather do more in my free time. Favorite part about blogging? Connecting with my readers! Some of the comments/emails I get seriously makes me cry! I have gained so many real life friends through blogging and it’s been such an incredible benefit of Blawnde. I am always amazed at how much people open up and share a part of their life that is very personal or tell me how a post helped them in some way. They always say “thank you so much”, but I feel like I am the one getting way more out of my blog than they are because I get to experience the feeling of knowing someone positively benefited from the content I put out there. It makes the late nights and hours on the computer so so worth it! What are your fashion rules when putting together an outfit? I have very few rules! I really believe 99% of why you think someone looks good in something is that they are confident wearing it. When you see a girl in an outfit and she is wearing that thing, totally owning it, you pick up that energy and think she looks amazing. So, the first thing I do when deciding what to wear is think about what mood I’m in and who I am that day. Am I feeling tomboy? Classic? Complex? Light and airy? Whatever it is, I pick a few items that fit my current vibe and start trying them on. When I feel amazing in something, I pick a shoe and bag along the same vibe, but somewhat contrasting. So, if I’m going full boho in Novella Royale pants and a bell sleeve top, I’ll add a more polished structured bag to bring an unexpected element to the outfit. If I’m going classic in a button down and denim, I’ll add moto boots or high top sneakers to make it young and cool. What’s your next fashion must have? Camel colored corduroy bell bottoms!!! I am looking for the perfect pair for fall. I love that they’re a little retro and boho, but still so wearable and cool. And camel is such an amazing neutral that’s more interesting than my usual all black everything, but still goes with everything. 
How did you first get into blogging? Blogging was sort of a happy accident for me! I had been writing for the Suja blog for quite some time and would always get asked offline tons of nutrition and personal beauty/health questions. I noticed the same kind of questions popping up on my Instagram and realized everyone generally wants to know the same things and people genuinely wanted to know more about me. I thought having a space to share more of myself in a more personal way than my work space through Suja was an exciting idea. What inspired you to start your blog? The beauty and luxury in every day things! I really believe in living your best life and feeling like your best self every single day. Whether that’s carefully selecting an outfit that makes you feel amazing, spending an extra 15 minutes on your makeup to perfect that new bright pink blush that wakes up your entire face, or taking an hour in the kitchen with a glass of wine cooking a healthy meal. Sharing how I fit these things into my busy life and what I’m loving is really fun for me, and I get so many new ideas from my readers. What is your favorite thing to blog about? My favorite thing to blog about is whatever is on my mind at the time! That’s the beauty of having a “lifestyle” blog – I don’t blog about just one topic, so I can switch it up all the time based on my mood or what’s really happening in my life. I have a few categories - “What I Ate” where I share what meals I’ve been making or eating out all week, “What I Wore” where I share recent outfits and how I styled them, “What I Want” where I share things I’m lusting, “Travels” where I share my trips and the places I explored there, and “Lifestyle” where I share random thoughts about life whether it be falling into the social media trap of comparison or dropping your fears to do the things you want in your life. I read a quote as I was putting together the concept for Blawnde that said “My blog is an “I post whatever the F I want blog” “ and that became my mantra when creating my blog. I’m not trying to be a high fashion blogger, a crunchy granola health blogger, or a beauty expert because I’m none of those things. My goal is to be me, share what I’m doing in my life to be my best self, and hope to inspire others/be inspired in the process. Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Shop online J I wish I had something more intellectual to say here, but if you saw me in my time off, I’d be on my computer looking at clothes for hours. I add a lot to my cart and can go back and forth for days before ultimately saying “yolo” and clicking purchase. Who is your style icon? Jane Birkin and Ali McGraw! They nail an effortless bohemian vibe that isn’t too hippie, but still put together and incredibly chic. Their style is about the unexpected – jean shorts paired with a tank and blazer finished with over the knee boots or a hair turban paired with a flowy maxi dress. They were the first generation of “cool girls” that made boho luxe. I love that they wore things with confidence and put things together because they liked them, not because they “worked”. How do you describe your own personal style? I’ve always been a little tomboy and minimal. I am never going to be a girly girl that wears florals, pastels, or ruffles, nor will I ever be perfectly put together and professional. Everyone I work with knows I will go to a meeting in cut off jean shorts without batting a lash. I love well-made basics in solids like black, white, and grey and I let beautiful accessories like a Chanel bag or classic Louboutin heels elevate the look. I can easily wear ripped jeans and a tank with sandals and a hat during the day and add a dark vampy lip, high heels, and a gorgeous bag for a date night without changing at all. That’s the beauty of minimal basics and beautiful accessories. What is the hardest part about having a blog? Also having a full time job! Before I blogged (as I think every blogger will tell you), I would read blogs and think it would be a piece of cake. You just put on pretty clothes, take pictures, and post…right? How hard can that be?! I laugh at that now because I’ve come to learn the time and planning involved in blogging is not a joke. You brainstorm interesting ideas, put together looks to shoot, schedule your photographer, scout locations/good lighting, shoot, upload photos, edit them, link everything, write copy, format your post, post on your blog, post on all of your social media accounts, and answer comments/emails about the post. You also have e-mails coming in everyday with random questions, partnership inquiries, and events. I’ve spent hours and hours learning Photoshop and Illustrator via YouTube to edit all my own photos and create graphics because it’s really expensive to pay someone to do all of that. I could easily make a full time job out of my blog, but I already have one with Suja so I have to accept posting less and having less free time. Thankfully, I love it so much that there’s nothing I’d rather do more in my free time. Favorite part about blogging? Connecting with my readers! Some of the comments/emails I get seriously makes me cry! I have gained so many real life friends through blogging and it’s been such an incredible benefit of Blawnde. I am always amazed at how much people open up and share a part of their life that is very personal or tell me how a post helped them in some way. They always say “thank you so much”, but I feel like I am the one getting way more out of my blog than they are because I get to experience the feeling of knowing someone positively benefited from the content I put out there. It makes the late nights and hours on the computer so so worth it! What are your fashion rules when putting together an outfit? I have very few rules! I really believe 99% of why you think someone looks good in something is that they are confident wearing it. When you see a girl in an outfit and she is wearing that thing, totally owning it, you pick up that energy and think she looks amazing. So, the first thing I do when deciding what to wear is think about what mood I’m in and who I am that day. Am I feeling tomboy? Classic? Complex? Light and airy? Whatever it is, I pick a few items that fit my current vibe and start trying them on. When I feel amazing in something, I pick a shoe and bag along the same vibe, but somewhat contrasting. So, if I’m going full boho in Novella Royale pants and a bell sleeve top, I’ll add a more polished structured bag to bring an unexpected element to the outfit. If I’m going classic in a button down and denim, I’ll add moto boots or high top sneakers to make it young and cool. What’s your next fashion must have? Camel colored corduroy bell bottoms!!! I am looking for the perfect pair for fall. I love that they’re a little retro and boho, but still so wearable and cool. And camel is such an amazing neutral that’s more interesting than my usual all black everything, but still goes with everything.
Photographer: Kyle Smith
Styling: Andrea Van De Vort
Beauty: Kissed By AML
Assistant: Danielle Hans