This Monday is the start of what I hope to be a fairly regular thing here on the blog from now on:

Features and interviews with some fellow bloggers!

Today I'm excited to introduce to you my friend London of Young Dumb Love.

London and I met at a fashion blogger meet up and she struck me instantly as such a sweet and fun person, not to mention her style was impeccable.

And I wanted you all to have the opportunity to experience that as well.
So without further ado...

Hi! My name is London and I from a small town in Southwest Virginia called Bluefield. I transferred from VT to VCU in 2005 and fell in love with Richmond. I graduated in 2008, worked a few "big girl" jobs, and decided I wanted to pursue a something I love...fashion. Now I am back in school at VCU studying Fashion Merchandising. I have a crazy schedule between four jobs, school, and dancing for VCU. My friends think I am crazy, I say I am just doing what I gotta do.

Why do you blog? Because it allows me to put my stamp on something. It gives me ownership of something creative. I don't care if five or fifty people read my blog, I just like to share my passion for fashion and food and my experiences along the way. In the meantime I have discovered I like fiddling with photography and design for my blog.

What inspires you? A lot of fashion bloggers inspired me to start a blog and they keep me motivated, still. I was stuck in an office all day at my last job (before I decided to go back to school) so I'd spend a good bit of my day reading fashion blogs. I like putting unexpected pieces together and people often ask me where I get my clothes. I am flattered when they do and I love to share with them. So I thought having a blog would be great fun because I could share with more people. Also, Richmond inspires me. There are so many amazingly creative people in this town. They push me to not be afraid and be more creative.

How would you Describe your style? That's a tough one for me to pinpoint because I have a few different fashion personas. It depends on who I feel like that day. I can rock skinny jeans, riding boots, a tee and a blazer with minimal makeup and wavy hair. Or I can wear a chic silk pencil skirt, blouse, red lips, sleek hair and sky high heels. I can tell you what I don't do...I don't do girly-girl or retro very well. I like it on other people, but it just doesn't work for me.

Why do you think fashion is important? It is the ultimate expression of who you are. I know it isn't for everyone, just like sports aren't for everyone, but I still have a hard time understanding that concept. You have to wear clothes, don't you want them to reflect who you are and how you feel? There are so many layers as to why I think it is important but ultimately I feel it is a statement of who you are or how you feel.

Do you have any favorite styling tips? I like to stick to balance when dressing. If I wear tight pants or jeans

I like a flowy top or if the shorts are short, be modest up top. At the same time I say, ignore the rules. If you want to wear white jeans in January, or suede in July, just do it and own it.

What is your current favorite thing in your closet? Oo! Tough one, I have lots of favorites. I might say my new black patent leather lace up oxfords or my new faux leather pencil skirt.

What are a some of your hobbies? I dance for VCU Gold Rush Dancers and teach dance. I have danced my whole life so I like to keep it around however I can. I love going out to eat or throwing dinner parties. I love food and like to experience new dishes or share with others. And I thrift store shop, not as much as I'd like to, but it is definitely my go-to on days off.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever gotten? Don't take some else's temperature to decide how you feel. My father told me that and I have to remind myself of this often because I worry too much about others and not enough about myself.

Do you have any big goals for this upcoming year? My biggest goal is to keep up with my blog. I want to spend more time photographing material from adventures to outfits to food to share with everyone. I've certainly done better this year so far than i did in 2011. I am also contemplating transferring to FIT in NYC but we will see...