I am really excited to kick off a brand new series of posts on my blog dedicated to introducing my readers and followers to other female bloggers who also live in my neighborhood. It’s not that often you get the chance to meet and interact with other bloggers from New Jersey, so when I was invited to a blogger forum a few weeks back I got to meet so many talented, beautiful, nice, genuine females who are also passionate about sharing their lives, tips and journeys online and on social media. Of course my mind went right to, how can we help one another and share each other’s stories – and that is where my idea came from for my “Meet the Bloggers Series: NJ Spotlight”. I will be interviewing other bloggers for my website so that you can get to know them and support their adventures too.

This week I am featuring the uber chic, talented and ultra down to earth Jen from House of Jeffers. I want to thank her again for taking the time to sit and chat with me a bit about her fashion sense, blogging and some of the things she learned along the way. I loved learned she is also a Rutgers Alumni from the same school as me – majoring in Journalism! If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments below.

1. Please tell us a little background about yourself and how you got into blogging?

Hello there! My name is Jen Jeffery, and I’m a blunt-banged blogger born and raised in New Jersey!

Writing has always been one of my biggest loves. So, I attended Rutgers University and majored in Journalism and Mass Media. After graduating, I worked in publishing for newspapers and magazines, and even freelanced as a music journalist and photographer for 7 years. Eventually, I landed in the e- commerce fashion industry as a copywriter, which spawned my love for fashion. Since I was writing full-time, but always drawn to music and fashion, I wanted to be able to do the kind of writing I loved, so I started House Of Jeffers in 2008. I knew that the landscape of fashion bloggers was highly competitive, and so I wanted something to make my blog stand out. Turns out, I married a British guy, and thanks to him, fell in love with British fashion and culture. That was a huge inspiration to me at the time, so the House of Jeffers evolved into bringing UK fashion state-side. Since then, my blog has changed its direction without so much of a UK influence, but one thing has always remained – it is a place that promotes unique points of few on personal style. I encourage my readers to embrace their differences when it comes to style and not be afraid to not follow the crowd. It’s worked for me, and to this day, I’m still discovering new ways to express my individuality through fashion.

2. Where in NJ do you live and have you lived? What do you love the most about your current town/city?

Currently, I live in Union County. However, up until 3 years ago, I lived in my hometown of Belleville. I knew I probably wouldn’t stay in the town forever, so when I moved, it was really a struggle for me to adjust to living someplace that none of my family lived. There are a lot of differences in the two places where I’ve lived, but currently, my favorite part of moving to a new town was finding Westfield. It reminds me a lot of Montclair, and the downtown shopping center is pretty much my second home.

3. What does your blog/social networks focus on and why did you choose this niche?

My blog focuses on relatable fashion on a budget that is based in reality. I say “reality” because you will not see me touting expensive clothing that I can’t afford all for the sake of readership. I’m honest – I don’t have a trust fund, I work for a living and I have bills to pay. So while shopping for clothing is absolutely one of my favorite things to do, I’ve learned to stretch my money, and splurge when I can. My style is all about looking like I paid $300 for an outfit, when actually, I probably paid way, way less than that. I mix high-end with moderate priced pieces to give the illusion that I spent a lot of money on my outfit. It’s something I find my readers are really interested in doing for themselves. As for social networks, Instagram is my bread and butter. I get to share more aspects of my blog beyond fashion, and it allows me to post about the things I might not always visit on House of Jeffers.

4. What is the social network you visit most frequently throughout the day? Why do you love this one so much?

I seriously think I have an addiction to Instagram. Photography is another one of my passions, and I find the majority of my inspiration there. I think the platform has opened the doors to bloggers and social influencers to really get creative with visual content, and I know that for myself, it’s helped give me ideas for my blog. I also use Snapchat as of lately, too.

5. Where is your biggest following currently? Why do you think this platform works so well for you to connect with your followers or share your content?

My biggest following is on Twitter, but Instagram is right behind it. Its’ ironic, but the majority of my interactions come from Instagram, even though I do tweet and participate in Twitter chats. Since I’ve been on Twitter longer, it was and still is how I’ve made some amazing connections with bloggers who are friends beyond the computer, and has helped me reach brands, since it seems to be more immediate based in terms of someone interacting with you faster.

6. What is an average day like for you when you are creating a piece of content for your blog/social network? 

Wow… More than you would think. It all evolves around an outfit. I like to plan out looks for when I take photos – which my husband takes for me. I’ll go through my closet and pull looks together, accessorize them, and conceptualize the outfit, and place it in context in terms of the photography. Certain ensembles lend themselves to being more playful with photos, while others are more straightforward. But here’s where it gets tricky. I work full time. I’m a mother to 1 year old twins. Finding much free time to get out of the house to take photos means packing up the boys, and praying that the weather cooperates. Since I work Monday through Friday, it can be hard to squeeze in opportunities to take photos. If when I get home the sun is still out, we’ll take photos. If not, I’ll have to wait a day or two, or possibly the weekend to shoot. I also have a talented friend who is a photographer who takes photos for me during lunch breaks. Or, my last resort, which I’m not a huge fan of but will do, is set up the tripod and take them myself. Not going to lie – it’s a lot of work just to take photos, and pictures absolutely make or break whether or not I’m even going to share them on my blog. When the photography is done, I upload everything to my computer and do a rough edit of everything. I will retouch my photos not to alter my appearance, but to make colors richer and so they look bold and vibrant when I post them on my blog and for Instagram. Once that’s done, I start actually writing the post. This is the part that is the easiest for me since I’ve always felt that writing comes naturally. Some people use an editorial calendar to plan content, and sometimes, I do that when I know I have an event that I’ve covered or something that’s newsworthy and time-sensitive, but other times, I let the photos dictate what the content will be about.

7. If we are going to meet up for dinner, drinks or brunch where am I meeting you in NJ and why?

Love this question! Let’s break it down like this:

Dinner – Egans and Son in Montclair. I met my husband there, and the flank steak is amazing. They also have a patio, which is great in the summer. I also wouldn’t be opposed to a night down the shore grabbing a slice of pizza and heading to a bar. (Adrienne: who can turn down a slice of pizza on the boardwalk!?)

Drinks – I love McLoone’s in West Orange in the summer, but I’m also not opposed to going to Red Bank and seeing where a couple of Stoli Raspberry and Cranberry drinks take me… (Adrienne: I love McLoone’s too, the water front dining and fire pits are great once the weather breaks!)

Brunch – Turning Point in Westfield. The French toast is without a doubt ridiculous. (Adrienne: I’ll take you up on that for my cheat meal Sunday)

8. Blogging is a lot of work, but did you think it would take as much time as it does when you started?

I knew that having a blog is a commitment, and consistency would be a huge part of running it. There are a lot of fair-weather people who have blogs just to get free things out of it. I completely see through it, and think readers can tell when a blogger is just posting randomly to get something out of it. It was always my intent to keep up with it and stay true to who I am, so 6 years later, I’m still blogging. House of Jeffers is a huge outlet of creativity for me, and I try my hardest to maintain it. I will say that being a new mom has taken over my life (which I love), but it doesn’t always give me spare time to sit down and organize my blog like I’d like to. Luckily, I can still create pretty things on Instagram to satisfy my need to feel involved in the fashion community.

9. What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a blog? Anything you look back now and realize you would have done differently?

Having a blog can mean anything – it’s what you want to achieve with it that you should keep in mind before investing time in running one. For me, having a blog allows me to talk about personal style in my voice, and has given me so many amazing opportunities to work with brands that I’ve loved. Start it for the right reason – not to follow what everyone else is doing and not so you can get “free things” because what you see on some blogs is not reality.

My advice is to be genuine, but unique, and don’t compare yourself to what everyone else is doing because it will drive you mad, and make you question your worth. Trust me, if you just be you, people will find you, and appreciate your honesty.

10. What is one memorable moment from your blogging career thus far that has made you most proud?

I’ve been able to work with brands and companies such as Henri Bendel, Madewell, Tommy Hilfiger, River Island (in the UK), Sorrelli Jewelry… which blew my mind. I’m so humbled by these opportunities! But the biggest for me was being stopped by photographer Candice Lake at Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week, and asked to be a part of a Tresemme Hair video about… wait for it, Bangs! I was featured in a video, and from time to time, people tell me they see me in ads online for their hair products. Definitely a pinch me moment!

11. Any final thoughts you want to share with my readers? 

Thank you so much for having me on JerseyGirlTalk.com, Adrienne!

Show some love and make sure to follow House of Jeffers!

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