Interview with: Ashley of Southern (California) Belle!

From time to time, I'll interview bloggers who I think have really great personal style that I'd like to share with you. First up is....

Ashley from Southern (California) Belle! 

From her colorful hair to her bright, creative outfits, Ashley has a look that is completely her own and completely great. If you don't already read her blog, it's definitely worth checking out! Ashley shared some of her hair and style thoughts, favorite recipes, and blogging advice with me here.


lm: When and why did you decide to start your blog? 
Ashley:I decided to start my blog back in early 2011.  My husband (then boyfriend) had a job where he travelled the world for a living and I was often home alone for months at a time.  I've always loved reading fashion and personal style blogs so I figured I would give my own blog a go.  Although I didn't post very much at first, I got a great camera later on that year and started becoming more serious about it.  The rest is history!

lm: What inspires your fashion choices? How do you put an outfit together? 
Ashley:Most of my inspiration comes from other bloggers.  Since I read so many wonderful girls' blogs I get inspiration everyday.  I definitely plan my outfits ahead!  I tend to be the person who wants to wear my new pieces as soon as I get them, so my choices usually involve the newest thing I have in my closet.

lm: I can see from your blog that your hair has been all kinds of amazing colors! Have you had any favorites? Any tips for those who want to try a different hue themselves?
Ashley:My favorite hair color is actually the one I have right now.  It's bright purple that fades to a pink ombre.  I've always loved changing my hair up and I'm no stranger to color!  If you're going to do your hair yourself, just make sure you know what you're doing.  I've experimented with my hair since I was 16 so I've had many years of trial and error.  My top two tips would be to always to a strand test before taking the plunge on a new color and if you choose to bleach your hair, a lower volume of developer is always safer.

lm: What are three of your current faves (recipes, songs, brands, authors, whatever!)?
Ashley:I'm on a pretty big health kick right now so my three favorite recipes right now are:
Green Lemonade- My sister is a nutritionist and a juicer enthusiast and this recipe is so healthy and so yummy! http://aroundtheworldinhealthyways.com/
Tomato, cucumber, and onion salad- I have yet to post this on my blog (it's so easy), but I've been eating it for days on end.  It's seriously addicting!
Plain greek yogurt with honey- This is a wonderful substitution to dessert.  It gives you that sweet fix without all the guilt.

lm: Finally, any tips for new (or established!) bloggers?
Ashley:I think the best thing to remember when blogging is that you really want organic followers.  It's not all about the numbers!  I know it's easy to get roped into the "follow for follow" numbers, but the best bloggers have the followers that actually read your blog and interact with you.  While my blog is not big by any means, I love my followers because I feel like I know them.  I'd take that over thousands of empty numbers anyday :)

You can check out lots more of Ashley's outfits and writing over at Southern (California) Belle !