At Shopaholic, we’re constantly searching for the web’s hidden treasures. Here are the most impressive blogs we’ve found in the month of May:

1. Make Do Style

Make Do Style is a wonderfully perceptive blog about fashion written by an LCF MA Fashion and Film graduate, so the blog views fashion, beautiful things, and self-awareness through a unique, insightful lens. We were able to catch up with Kate, the creator, for a bit of Q&A.

Q: How has your personal style changed over the years?

A: I’m still fairly eclectic in my taste, but I think I make more quality choices now than a few years ago. I’ve had to discipline myself!

Q: Where are your favourite places to shop?

A: It varies because what retailers or designers produce always changes, so I try not to get too attached to any one brand. I do love a good department store browse in Fenwicks, Selfridges, Harrods, and Liberty.

Q: How has blogging changed your perception of fashion?

A: Oh gosh, I’m about to do a big post on this subject! I feel that fashion blogging was initially a wide genre of fashion people talking about themselves, the industry, and what they liked. Now the outputs are more mainstream and there is a whole spawn of what-i’m-wearing posts. Some great, some OK, and some downright dreary. If anything, blogging has made me more ambivalent about fashion, but I have met some terrific people due to blogging.

Q: Who or what inspires you?

A: I always make sure I can be inspired. I look for things, everywhere, particularly colour and light created by Nature. I keep an open mind and I don’t follow the pack when I disagree with it, but I’m quite happy to follow the pack when I’m in agreement! I’m quite a conservative dresser but have a love of Spanish influence. Kate Phelan has done a wonderful fashion editorial piece in June’s British Vogue set in Miami and it is my favourite look for summer. Mind you, I’d need the figure to carry it off! I have a very rebellious and imaginative mind. I never know who is going to inspire me next but whoever makes me laugh the most usually wins.

Q: What’s currently on your ‘wish list’?

A: A pair of Clarks original sandals, some gold hoops, and an Isabella Oliver maxi dress. But I wouldn’t say no to a Stella McCartney citrus print pencil skirt.

Thanks, Kate!

2. Save Our Shoes

Save Our Shoes is a blog shared by two best friends, lovingly filled to the brim with fashion, art, music, make-up, and food. To say the least, it’s a whirlwind of fun and it’s addictive. The lovely Fiona answered a few of our questions.

Q: What’s currently on your ‘wish list’?

A: Currently wishing I had some vintage roller skates, Bitching and Junkfood studded shorts, H&M x Swedish Hasbeens red clogs,  a bag I saw in Lazy Oaf, and a winning lottery ticket.

Q: What inspired you and LJ to create Save Our Shoes?

A: LJ was the brains behind the operation, she started the blog when we both lived and studied in Cork.  She was a bit bored and got creative on the Internet. She asked a few friends to join in and I got hooked and stuck with it.

Q: Which decade had the best fashion?

A: Tough one!  The forties for such thrifty styles and shorter skirts during the war or the eighties for tack-tastic power dressing.

Q: What are your fashion pet peeves?

A: Flip flops with socks.  I can embrace sandals and socks, heels with socks, socks with socks, but that toe cleavage hurts my eyes.  Otherwise, each to their own.

Q: Where are your favourite places to shop?

A: I like Internet-window shopping on places like ASOS, especially their marketplace section or Etsy and Ebay and then trying to find similar things in a charity shop.  I’m a big fan of independent online shops as well, like Maiden, Yes Brian you look terrific, Thrift-ola, Lazy Oaf.  My favourite brick and mortar shops is a charity shop on Upper Clapton road which is full of unspoken gems.  I also love Rokit vintage, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Luna and Curious, Laden Showrooms, and things I find in the street.

Thanks, Fiona!

3. Twin Fibers

Jessica and Jennifer run the show at Twin Fibers, a sewing and quilting blog that’s interwoven with talent and crafted with heart. We were drawn to the blog for its great tutorials and fun design, and also for its charming bloggers! Recently, Jessica was kind enough to engage us in a quick Q&A.

Q: What inspired you to start the Twin Fibers blog?

A: Jennifer and I both love to sew and have been sewing for years but never shared our work outside of our friends and family.  It has been fun to blog and share our creations while connecting with others online.  As for me, I’m a great starter of projects and having the blog has helped keep me motivated to finish them.

Q: How do you decide which content will be included on the blog?

A: Projects that we share on our blog are simply ones that we are working on at the time- whether quilts, clothing for our children or fun little sewing projects.  I like to sew things that I’ll use and things that I can give as gifts. My hope is, that by sharing my sewing projects, I’ll inspire someone else to take out their sewing machine and make something.

Q: What do you love most about quilting?

A: My favorite part about quilting is picking out which fabrics to use and thinking about how they will look in a particular quilt pattern.  My sister, as well as I, also really enjoy the piecing process of putting a quilt top together.  Seeing a finished quilt top that started out as separate pieces and now as a cohesive unit is quite fun and satisfying.

Q: What are your goals for the future of the blog and your art?

A: Our future goals for the blog are to hopefully continue to inspire others and to help others find for themselves that sewing doesn’t have to be hard and that it can be fun and rewarding.   We would also love to continue to share the projects we are working on and someday design fabric or quilt patterns.

Thanks, Jessica!

4. Anna Lou Elliott

Anna Lou Elliott is a guide to the best fashion on the British high street, picking out the most stylish items on offer and providing inspiration and ideas about how to wear them. It also shows you how to interpret celebrity looks and catwalk trends on a budget, and keeps you up-to-date on all the best collections and collaborations around.

Q: What inspired you to create your own fashion blog? What kept you motivated?

A: I love fashion and I love writing, so starting a blog seemed like the perfect way to get involved with both on a daily basis. I think it’s a great platform to share styling ideas with a wide audience, and I hope that anyone who loves fashion and just wants a little inspiration will find my blog useful and interesting. I love writing it so much that I’ve never felt like I needed any motivation to keep going.

Q: Where do you go for your fashion advice? Who are your favourite bloggers, retailers and designers?

A: I love looking at celebrities’ outfits and street style sites, and taking styling ideas from there and making them my own. Also my three favourite blogs, http://columbine.freshnet.se, http://stylebykling.nowmanifest.com and http://carolinesmode.com/caroline, are my first stops for fashion inspiration. As far as shops and designers go, everyone who knows me knows how addicted I am to Topshop, and I also think ASOS is a great place to shop online (everywhere should offer free delivery like they do). If I could afford it, I’d have a wardrobe full of Burberry Prorsum, Chanel, Alexander Wang, Acne and The Row.

Q: Who do you feel are the five best dressed celebrities?

A: Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, for their incredibly cool offbeat style; Clémence Poésy, who epitomises that effortless French chic; Alexa Chung, one of that rare breed of celebrity who doesn’t need a stylist to tell her what goes with what; Kate Bosworth, who isn’t afraid to try out new trends and always looks amazing.

Q:  Which three items of clothing do you feel belong in every woman’s wardrobe?

A really great jacket that goes with everything, be it a little leather biker, an oversized blazer or a classic trench; well-fitting skinny jeans (Topshop’s Jamie style is my favourite); a perfect slouchy tee in white, grey marl or navy.

Q: Which is your favourite season to dress/shop for and why?

A: It has to be autumn: I love when it’s cold enough for jackets and cosy knits but not so cold that you have to wear extra unwanted layers. I always look forward to buying new coats and jackets when the weather starts to get cooler and I’m also obsessed with leather, which doesn’t work so well in the summer!

Thanks Anna!

5. My Third Cousin

My Third Cousin is an artistic running commentary between two people about style, art, music, and anything else that matters. This is a free-spirited, inspiring Internet nook. Sarah answered a few questions for us.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: My personal style is a venture in how to best dress my body shape and express my personality. Basically I like to mix my love of feminine clothing and edgier accessories. Ideally, I’d like to think my style is a modern take on femininity with a hint of sex and rock ‘n’ roll.

Q: In what ways has your style changed over the years?

A: I have become much more aware of what suits me and have devolved a style I consider to be very much “me”. I also try my best to shop in local boutiques and Vintage stores. I moved to a bigger city two years ago, so I have been exposed to a much more varied range of clothing, all of which has helped my style evolve for the better, I hope.

Q: What’s currently on your ‘wish list’?

A: Red high-waisted shorts, a retro pin-up style playsuit, a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes (I adore nearly all the styles!), summer knits for chilly evenings, and a beautiful vintage dress I spotted in a local shop.

Q: Who or what inspires you?

A: Pin-up girls, strong women like Debbie Harry and Daisy Lowe and people I encounter on a day to day basis.

Q: Which items of clothing or accessories will you keep and cherish for years?

A: A locket I received as a Christmas present a few years ago. A Grey Chunky knit which was also a present and my vintage high-waisted denim shorts.

Thanks, Sarah!

6. Mon Cheri

Claire of Mon Cheri has really cool, eclectic, colourful style. The outfits in the photos she posts are whimsical, funky, vintage, punk, and feminine simultaneously. It’s not often that you come across really unique style like this. We caught up with Claire for a bit of Q&A.

Q: Where do you find inspiration?

A: Mostly from fashion bloggers! There are some amazing bloggers out there who literally leave me speechless with every outfit they post. Websites such as Lookbook.nu and Chictopia are also fab sources of inspiration. Music is also a huge inspiration for me, I collect vinyl and am obsessed with album sleeves!

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: Pretty mixed up, I find it very difficult to categorise my style as it is constantly changing. I love to feel comfortable and so usually find myself drawn to oversized tee’s, denim shorts and flowy skirts. All in all, pretty casual…with a hint of glam.

Q: Where are your favourite places to go thrifting?

A: I go to uni in Belfast and there are a couple of great vintage shops in the city, as well as some awesome charity shops. I also visit my dad in France quite often and LOVE the vintage shops on offer over there!

Q: Where does your love of fashion trace back to?

A: I think my love for fashion really bloomed when I stopped trying to fit in with the crowd and just did my own thing! It took me a while to develop my own sense of what I liked and what i didn’t, but I never looked back! In terms of celebrities, I usually look to old style Icons such as Audrey Hepburn and David Bowie.

Q: Which accessories or items of clothing are going to be your staples this summer?

A: Maxi skirts for defs! I just bought two new vintage maxi skirts and cannot wait to wear them to death this summer. Perfect for wearing to the beach and pulling over your bikini or for late evenings when there is a chill in the air. Denim shorts are also a vital part of my summer wardrobe, they go with anything and are perfect if you are planning on attending any summer festivals.

Thanks, Claire!

7. Teaginny Designs

Alex of Teaginny Designs is a superwoman – a mother of two boys who quilts, sews, and shares her talents with the world.  We ask her how she finds the time and more in this blogger Q&A.

Q: What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

A: My favorite thing is interacting with the online crafting community.  It’s great to get feedback on my sewing, as well as find inspiration from other blogs.  There are so many talented craft bloggers out there doing really creative, unique things!

Q: How do you decide what your next project is going to be?

A: I have a running craft “to do” list, or wish list, really.  It helps me remember all the fun project ideas I’ve seen, the gifts that need to be made, and quilt designs I want to explore.  I like to work on what interests me the most at the time, but I do try to finish up things before moving on to a new project.

Q: As a mother of young children, how do you still find the time for quilting?

A: I carve out time for sewing when my little ones are asleep.  That way, I have some uninterrupted time, and they are safely away from things like the iron and rotary blade.

Q: Which of your crafting projects is your favourite and why?

A: Whatever I’m working on at the time tends to be my favorite, because I try, as much as is practical, to work on what most inspires me at the moment.

Thanks, Alex!

8. Mommy Has a Headache

A Londoner born and bred, Emma Kaufmann met her Prince Charming and hopped the Pond (to Baltimore, USA) ten years ago, spawned two frogs and has lived there ever since. Her hilarious blog, Mommy Has a Headache, started as a creative outlet, an attempt to rediscover her old sassy self, and has since inspired a book, Cocktails at Naptime – A Woefully Inadequate Guide to Early Motherhood, which has saved the sanity of many a mum! We caught up with Emma in this Q&A.

Q: What were your reasons for starting your blog?

A: Strangely enough, before I started my blog I wasn’t reading many other blogs. I had a friend who wrote a blog. It was by her own admission fairly boring and was just a way for her to stop going mad when she  gave birth to her son. Well, my friend stoked my ego when she said, “You know your life is so funny and interesting – you should write a blog!” So I started Mommy Has A Headache in 2005 and never looked back!!!

Q: Do you ever worry about sharing too much with your readers? Where do you draw the line between public and private?

A: Well the reality is at the beginning blogging is more fun because you can write about all your friends and relatives, teachers at school etc as long as you change the names. But after a while more and more people read your blog (why oh why did I ever tell my mom about it?) and soon you become creatively stifled. Right now I don’t blog so much about the hilarious bizarre incidents in my life because I know they might upset the people who they are about. So I mostly write humourous observations about life these days rather than about specific events.

Q: Do you feel like being an ex-pat gives you a different insight into things?

A: I think I have always been an observer of my culture. That started because although I was born in London I lived with my mum who’s an Austrian and to some degree was an outsider in that culture so I even viewed British culture from a slight vantage point even though my father is British and I did have tea and cakes etc with my very British grandma. As for being a Brit in the USA, I am slowly beginning to feel less of an outsider and more of an insider. I think I enjoy being a foreigner in the USA as it gives me a novelty value and thank goodness here people love a British accent whereas my mother’s strong Austrian accent was usually made fun of in the UK.

Q: Most blogs fall into or occupy some kind of niche.  What, if any, is yours?

A: The blog is a Celebration of the Superficial Life – in it I unappologetically deal with the joys of getting gel nails, owning my hundredth pair of shoes and having a cocktail or too while shopping till I drop. It’s all about celebrating the fact that although I am a mum of two I am still one hot mama and enjoy life, without of course going quite as far as Patsy from Ab Fab (who is my idol btw!). There’s no point lying around the house in a track suit – even if you don’t work dress up every day as if you were going to a super party and you’ll feel so much better.

Thanks, Emma!

If you have a blog suggestion or feel like your blog would be a perfect fit in our list of Unforgettable Blogs, please feel free to contact us at blog [at] become [dot] co [dot] uk and we would be happy to review your blog and consider adding it to our Editor’s Picks.

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