Blogger Spotlight: Meet Jamie

For this week’s blogger spotlight, we have Jamie. From her style to amazing recipes, I absolutely love the inspiration that Jamie’s blog Treats and Trends provides.

I sent Jamie a list of questions on her style, her recipes and her tips for other bloggers. See what she had to say below.

Jamie from Treats and Trends

Your recipes are amazing and really creative! Do you just play around with ingredients to come up with them? Or what’s your inspiration for making a new recipe?

I get inspiration from a variety of places, such as Foodgawker, Pinterest, other bloggers and my mom (she passed down her baking skills to me). I like to loosely follow recipes and then add my own touch. I have a few go-to ingredients that I like to work with—browned butter, sea salt, Nutella, pomegranate, Brie, and rosemary (not all together, but I like to have one stand-out ingredient in the recipe). I also like to cook with what I have around the house, so if I have an ingredient I want to use up I’ll just play around with it and hope the dish turns out well! If not, it’s back to the drawing board.

What’s your absolute favorite recipe?

That’s tough! For dessert it’s probably the chocolate cookies stuffed with Nutella and salted caramel. When it comes to dinner, I love fish tacos with pomegranate salsa (I really need to update the pictures, though haha).

Any fitness secrets for working off the calories from all those amazing deserts?

I love yoga, especially heated Vinyasa classes because you get a great workout and leave feeling relaxed. I’m also trying to get back into running. It’s such a convenient workout and I want to take advantage of our nice weather in Vegas before it gets too hot!

How does Vegas rate as a foodie city in comparison to Seattle?

It’s hard to say because I wasn’t much of a foodie when I lived in Seattle. Working with food PR in Vegas and being surrounded by the ever-changing culinary scene has really influenced the kind of restaurants and cuisine I like to try. If there is a new restaurant or Vegas staple, I’m there! When I visit Seattle now I love trying the trendy restaurants, especially if they feature fresh seafood! Overall, I would say Vegas is driven more by celebrity chefs and the high standard of the Strip whereas Seattle primarily has locally owned restaurants that feature regional ingredients and dishes.

How would you describe your style?

Classic, girly and trendy. I know it’s kind of contradictory to say classic and trendy, but I really like mixing basic, versatile items with a trendier or bold piece. I also love feminine details, such as lace and bows.

What is your go-to outfit for a casual day?

I’m a jeans girl. In the winter and fall I always start with a pair of skinny jeans and boots and work my way up from there (usually an oversized sweater). In the summer, I like flowy dresses styled with booties.

What is your perfect weekend?

I love relaxing weekends, so it would start with sleeping in and making a tasty breakfast. Then I would take advantage of our warm Vegas weather and read a good book by the pool. In the evening, I would want to have a date night with my fiancé at a new restaurant. The next day would consist of a hike together at Red Rock Canyon to burn off the ridiculous amount of calories we probably consumed

What inspired you to start your blog?

I started my blog the summer after I graduated from college while I was working part time at a local boutique. I missed writing and had more free time than I did while I was in school, so my blog was a way of focusing on what I’m passionate about. I love everything that goes into a blog: photography, design, writing, cooking, putting together outfits, editorial planning, social media, etc. It’s nice to have a creative outlet that allows me to do the things I love.

What would you say is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about yourself because of your blog?

I’ve learned that going outside of my comfort zone isn’t that uncomfortable. I’m pretty introverted, so reaching out to people I don’t know can be a little intimidating. All of the people I have met through my blog have been so nice and helpful. It’s fun to get to know more people who work in the industries I am interested in (fashion, restaurant, blogging, etc.).

Any advice for aspiring bloggers?

Stick with it! I’ve been blogging for almost three years and I’m just now starting to get it to where I want it to be. It’s also important to teach yourself new skills that relate to blogging. I have learned a lot about photography and graphic design because I thought those were some areas where my blog could improve. I have also learned that just putting out great content isn’t enough. You need get your name out there through social media, personally introducing yourself to influential people and emailing brands that you are interested in working with. If you’re passionate about it, it doesn’t feel like work!

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