Blogger Interview: Serli from Le Soleil Chic

Goodness gracious, it's already December 1st?!  November absolutely flew by, and luckily, I have the perfect post with which to usher in December.  Today's Q&A is with the adorable Serli from Le Soleil Chic.  I instantly took a liking to this sweet SoCal gal with a love of novelty prints and retro-inspired dresses.  Get to know more about Serli below, and be sure to follow her blog!

Name: Serli (pronounced like Sara-Lee)

Age: 24

Where do you blog?  I blog over at Le Soleil Chic, which is French for "The Stylish Sun."  I am weirdly obsessed with anything sun-related (sunflowers, sunshine, sunsets, etc.), so the name was perfectly-fitting!  When I created my blog, I strictly had fashion in mind, but over time I've started to incorporate my daily life and other interested into my posts.

How did you get into blogging?  I decided to start blogging fairly recently -- this past summer -- when I realized I wanted to share my style with more than those I saw in person every day.  Blogging has connected me with a whole community of stylish and inspiring ladies who share my tastes in fashion from all corners of the world.  Yay for the internets!

Where you work or what you study/studied in school:  I graduated from UCLA two years ago with a psychobiology degree and landed a job there soon after as a research assistant in a cancer research lab (where I currently work).  The job can get pretty science-heavy, so having a fashion hobby on the side is a fun and refreshing outlet!

What's your dream job?  To be a professional food taster.  I'm a huge foodie and love going to new restaurants.  Thankfully, Los Angeles has a diverse food scene!  I'd love to travel just so I could try foods from different countries.  At the moment though, I'm trying to get Elite status on Yelp.  Baby steps!

Your favorite musician, singer or band:  Coldplay.  I associate a lot of their songs with happy memories.  Their music is almost hypnotic and listening to them always lifts my mood.  I went to their concert last year and it was amazing.

Your favorite musical:  I have never actually been to a musical!  Le sigh.  I would love to see Wicked, but I miss it every time.

What's your favorite Disney movie?  Frozen (not to be cliche).  I love how it's centered on the love between two sisters!  It's a nice change from the usual prince-and-princess-live-happily-ever-after ending.  And who doesn't like warm hugs?!

What's your favorite guilty pleasure?  Shopping... online shopping.  Yay for the internets, part 2!  Speaking of which, I might or might not have gone a little crazy with all the Black Friday deals...

What's one thing that most people might not know about you?  I have grapheme synesthesia.  My brain perceives numbers and letters as colors.  I sound like a freak when I try to explain it, so usually I don't try to!

Drink of choice:  Berry lemonade from my favorite restaurant, Granville.  Why don't more restaurants put berries in their lemonade?

Favorite food in the world:  Fries, any kind.  Sweet potato.  Garlic.  Truffle.  I love 'em all!  Also, Cheesecake Factory has the best sweet corn tamale cakes.

What's your favorite season and why?  Summer, because I love sunshine and the warmth of the sun on my skin.  I'm spoiled living in Southern California -- it feels like summertime almost year-round here.  If we're lucky, we get rain a few times a year, and it's hilarious how everyone freaks out (myself included).

Fictional character with whom you identify:  My friends say I remind them of Jessica Day from New Girl (which is why I started watching it).  I guess it's because she's quirky, a bit naive, and just the right mix of feminine and feminist.  Also, she has an absolutely wonderful wardrobe!  She totally copied my style.  :)

Favorite TV show: The Office!  I can watch reruns for days.  Michael Scott is the best boss ever.  This makes me reconsider my answer to the "dream job" question.  My dream job would be working for Michael Scott!

Favorite book (from childhood or now): The Da Vinci Code.  I love a good mystery thriller novel.  The movie version doesn't do the book justice.

What's been your favorite post from your blog thus far?  My favorite post is this one.  Last Christmas, my boyfriend got me this polka dot skirt and chose the green top to go with it.  It's kind of funny that my favorite outfit is one I didn't buy myself.  I added the red heels and red necklace and created a look that reminded me of candy!  It's such a happy and vibrant combination.  I also love this outfit because it reminds me of the good time we had at the beautiful Balboa Park that day.

How would you describe your personal style?  I'd say it's vintage-inspired with a feminine, modern twist.  It can change depending on my mood or where I'm headed.  I love novelty prints, kitschy items and colorful outfits.  Oh, and I love details!  Like I'll wear an airplane-print skirt with an airplane necklace and airplane earrings.  [Didn't I tell you she was a girl after my own heart?  -Sammi]

What's the most beloved article of clothing or accessory you own?  I remember as a kid, my mom had this really cool snake ring made out of real gold that she would wear on special occasions.  She was very protective of it, so you can imagine how excited I was when she decided to give it to me!  It's a beautiful piece that holds sentimental value and I wear it all the time.  I truly cherish it.

What's your go-to accessory?  My black and white Sourpuss Floozy bag.  I sort of bought it on a whim, but it's become a staple in my wardrobe.  It's one of the most versatile purses ever, and I'm so glad I bought it!

Your favorite place to shop, favorite clothing brand or favorite designer:  Definitely Bernie Dexter.  Her dresses are of amazing quality and I love the unique prints.  No other dresses fit and flatter me as perfectly as hers do!  I can't wait to own more of her dresses, especially in the Veronique cut.

If you could live during any other time period, what would it be?  I'd love to experience the 1950s, if only for a day.  I can see myself wearing the snazziest retro outfit and sitting at a local diner enjoying a milkshake with one of those red and white swirly straws.  The feminist in me would hardly tolerate the whole women's rights struggle thing, so I don't think I'd like to stay for longer than a day!

Do you have a style icon?  If so, who?  I have so many!  A lot of the bloggers I follow have been huge style inspirations since I started my blogging journey.

Do you have a favorite fashion mantra or piece of style advice?  We don't have to have perfect bodies to look good and feel good.  Fashion is an important part of how we express ourselves, and it doesn't matter what your style is as long as you feel confident in it!  Also, money doesn't buy style.  It's about how you put your outfits together, not necessarily how much you spend on them.  Some of my favorite outfits are comprised of pieces I bought at a bargain.

What are some other blogs that you love?  I have so many!  Before I started blogging myself, I found the blogs of ladies whose styles I loved via the ModCloth Style Gallery.  One of these bloggers was Ashley of Southern (California) Belle.  I actually reached out to her with questions about the blogging process, and she was SO helpful and a huge motivator for me to start blogging (and I got to meet her in person too!).  A few other bloggers I'm inspired by are Kate from Scathingly Brilliant, Alexandra of Into The Woods, and Katie & Amanda of Junebugs and Georgia Peaches.  After starting my own blog, I discovered blogs like Sans Scrubs, Prefer to be Demure and of course, The Soubrette Brunette.  Those are only a few -- it's impossible to list all of them!

If you could wear only one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Something cute, and if I have to wear it forever, it'd have to be comfortable too.  I'm going with the outfit I'm wearing in the first photo of this post, but I'd switch out the heels for comfy flats.

Anything else you'd like to talk about?  As a fairly new blogger, I'm honored that Sammi chose me as her December interview subject.  I love her style, especially all her cute, unique bags!  I had so much fun answering these questions (I learned some things about myself, too)!  Please feel free to drop by my blog and say hello!  I love meeting new people.  <3

Have a great December 1st!

xox Sammi