Every Monday we bring you a feature on a talented blogger who inspires us. This week are featuring Grace Atwood, the founder of the wildly successful lifestyle blog ‘Stripes and Sequins’. She covers everything from beauty to DIY – and by day is a successful business woman in Social Media and Marketing. Read more about her and her blog here.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
That’s quite the question… where to begin? Background… I grew up on Cape Cod, MA in a small town called Dennis. My parents were (and still are entrepreneurs), they have their own restaurant. After high school, I went to Bentley College in Boston and majored in Finance. After that, I lived in Boston for 3.5 years, working as an assistant buyer for a department store before moving to New York nine years ago! Now I blog and run social media for BaubleBar.com.
As for a bit of me. I’m a goofball around the people I know + trust… but I can actually be really shy. I spend my time with my close friends and family, I love to read, and I have an adorable kitten named Tyrion (his instagram handle is @TyrionPuff, for any fellow cat ladies!)
What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
Creative, loyal, silly.
What Profession other than yours would you love to attempt?
I really wish I could paint. And I love animals… maybe a veterinarian. What is your favorite quote? “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” What inspired your blog? I wanted a creative outlet… I was uninspired in my old job and needed a place to share the things that were inspiring me. What is your favorite social media platform and why? Definitely Instagram… it’s so visual and I have a lot of fun creating imagery for it.
Where do you find inspiration for blog posts?
Everywhere – from my cute coworkers at BaubleBar, to the women on the streets of New York. And Pinterest… I can’t get enough!
What do you think it is about your blog that keeps people coming back for more?
That question makes me seem a little full of myself, no? Haha…. I would like to think that my readers keep coming back because I keep things real and am really honest, always. I try to create content that is inspiring, and to teach them about new brands + discoveries they might not already know about.
How does a brand get your attention for a feature?
It really depends… right now I’m really into natural beauty, so any brand that is doing that well is going to get my attention. But otherwise, something that feels new + different… or true to my personal style.
What do you love most about blogging?
The people I’ve met!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Who knows.. it’s always hard to say. I’d like to have a family, and still be doing something in the digital + social space – whether that is working for a brand, running my own site, or doing 
something entirely different! When I was in college, social media did not exist… and a few years ago, Instagram and Pinterest didn’t exist… it will be interesting to see what the next big thing is.
In your opinion, what separates a great blog from an unsuccessful blog?
Then great blogs (in my opinion) are the ones that feel authentic and thoughtfully written. And you have to have a good design and beautiful images.
