Blogger Spotlight: Hannah from Champagne Lifestyle

• Tell us a little about yourself? I live in Orange County, CA, with my boyfriend and two rescue pups. I do interior designing and styling in addition to blogging — a career change I made after over five years working in the financial industry that has truly changed my life for the better. When I have free time I love to get together with my friends — I consider them family! I’m also a vegan foodie and am always trying a new vegan restaurant.
• When did you start blogging, and what made you want to start a blog? I started blogging right after graduating college — I was working a mundane desk job and needed a creative release. I spent a lot of time perusing Pinterest, and when I went home from work I’d try what I pinned — so I decided to share that on a blog. During that time in my life I was on a college budget so I did a lot of DIY crafting and sharing my affordable fashion and beauty finds. I loved the challenge of finding the affordable ways to do things, and in a sea of many bloggers with unobtainable budgets and wardrobes, I loved being able to share a realistic perspective.
• So many bloggers have set goals to blog FT; how do you feel about this, and what are your big-picture blog goals? When I started blogging, full-time bloggers were pretty rare and unheard of. Even still today many of my friends and family do not understand that you can make money through blogging. It is definitely possible to blog full-time, and I think if that’s a goal of yours then you should go for it — don’t let anyone tell you something is impossible. My personal goal is to make more videos to share on my blog and YouTube channel — I’d also love to collaborate with a brand to create a line of products one day.
• How did the evolution of the name Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget come to be? (although I might be able to make a conclusion! ;)) As I said earlier, I started this blog when I was fresh out of college and on a budget. I wanted to show that you can still live a glamorous life without spending a ton of money (I still think this way today!). I do have to give my boyfriend full credit for the name — I told him exactly what I wanted my blog to be about and he was the one who said “so basically a Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget”; it just felt like the perfect fit to what I wanted this blog to be.
• How do you stay true to yourself while continuing to evolve and be relevant in the blogger community? Great question! Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I think the most important thing you can do to stay true to yourself is to remind yourself that you are on your own journey. It’s easy with social media to constantly compare yourself to others — but everyone’s path is different and if you do that, you’ll drive yourself mad. I don’t really try to focus on being “relevant” for better or worse — I do my thing, I share what I love, and I hope that the people who relate to me will accept that and join along for the fun!
• How have your style and blog evolved since starting your blog journey? Well for starters, as I’ve gotten older I definitely see the value in “less is more.” I think with the staple pieces, it’s much better to save your money and buy one nice piece that will last you for years, and with the trendier pieces go for the more affordable route. I’m much more methodical with my fashion choices — I’ll shop for a piece and if I can’t think of at least three other ways to style it, I most likely won’t get it. Also when I started my blog I was working full-time, so a lot of my outfits were more “office appropriate” and leaned toward business casual, since that was what I was actually wearing. These days I get to be a bit more creative so you’ll see much less of the “business”-style outfits and more “everyday” outfits.
• Do you have any fashion or lifestyle bloggers you admire and follow yourself? So many! I’m constantly inspired by fellow bloggers. When I first started blogging, I fell in love with Blair Eadie’s style from Atlantic-Pacific. Recently I am loving Olivia from What Olivia Did and Ashley Brooke on YouTube — I think they both take fashion risks but in a very obtainable way for the everyday girl.
• Any advice for bloggers on networking or pitching themselves for a project who aren’t so comfortable with it? Just go for it. (Or as Shia LaBeouf said, “JUST DO IT!”) Sounds cliche, but if you never put yourself out there, you’ll never get anywhere. The worst thing that can happen is someone says no. That’s it. Also, don’t sell yourself short! Your time, your vision, and your creativity is worth something.
• Do you have any tips for bloggers starting out or bloggers looking to focus on a vertical like lifestyle/fashion? As I said earlier, focus on your own journey. Be yourself, and do it because you love it. That should be the first and primary reason you start a blog — because you love it.
• What’s the one thing you do during the start of the year as a blogger to better promote your blog/brand? I set goals for the year that I think are obtainable or slightly out of reach. It gives me something to work towards. I also come up with some long-term content ideas so I always have something I can be working on.
• As a fashion blogger, you get to wear some incredible brands; which are some of your favorites? I love Free People, Topshop, ASOS, and Zara because they do affordable pieces that are going to last you more than a year but also they are always coming out with unique pieces. I can always count on ASOS and Zara to have the basics along with the trendier pieces I want to try out that season. For higher-end brands, I am addicted to Stella McCartney. I love that her pieces are cruelty-free but still luxurious, and they are so timeless.

• What is the one thing most people would be surprised to know about you? I was born and raised in Arkansas — I moved to California with my family when I was 14. I don’t really have an accent so that usually surprises a lot of people.
• Insta-stories or Snapchat? Your social media handles? Instagram: @hannahhagler Snapchat: @hannah_hagler Twitter: @hannahhagler Pinterest: @hannah_hagler. Definitely two different beasts for me. I love Insta-stories because it’s really interactive; I chat back and forth a lot with my followers there and I love getting to connect with people. Snapchat is kind of my safe space where I feel like if you’ve taken that extra step to follow me on that platform, I’m going to be a little more open and honest there. You’re more likely to see the sillier side of me — no makeup, making up characters with voices. It’s a different kind of family on Snapchat.
• What do you love about ShopStyle Collective? I really, really love the sale alerts. As a bargain hunter, it makes my job so easy! I favorite all the pieces I’m eyeing and as soon as one is on sale I can see and pull the trigger.

xo,

Carlina