Running Off Creative Energy 34/7

25-year-old Amanda Jacobson is basically the best friend you've always wanted. We're talkin' the real deal, here, gals. Not only is she a party planning extraordinaire with DIY skills comparable to Joanna Gaines, she's also highly adept in the latest fashion trends (many pieces of which were thrifted at crazy bargains) and she travels enough to have her own Travel Channel sitcom.

Amanda has wowed the world with the recent unveiling of her blog, Thirty Four-Seven! Amanda's upbeat personality comes to life in her well-stated bio:

Runs off of creative energy, black coffee, and red wine. Lover of all things vintage. Asian food enthusiast. Let's make stuff!

And make stuff she does. She makes memories with her friends and boyfriend through traveling, recipes that likely bring the neighbors to her door, and classy decor she refurbishes to decorate her chic apartment.

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. - Exodus 35:35

Let's get to know our new bestie - Amanda!

How'd it all start?

I launched Thirty Four-Seven about 6 months ago as an outlet for my creative energy. My goal is pretty simple- to live every day creating and surrounding myself with things that are bright and positive. I want Thirty Four-Seven to be a space where people come for inspiration and to feel comfortable connecting with each other. Blogging has always been something that's interested me; I've read lifestyle and DIY blogs like A Beautiful Mess, Studio DIY, Oh Happy Day, and Oh Joy for almost a decade now. I always knew that I wanted to start my own and am so happy that I finally made the jump to do so! I spend my nights and weekends photographing food and cocktail recipes, DIY projects, home decor, fashion trends, and writing the occasional ramble about my life. These first six months have been filled with a ton of trial and error- some successful content and other things that I realized didn't work so well. As time goes on, I've started to get a clearer picture of where I want the blog to be someday and how I want to be perceived. It's been such a fun experience so far and I can't wait to see where it takes me!

Advice for women wanting to become more artsy/creative?

Just try everything! The idea of being creative is so broad; there will most likely be things you enjoy and others that you don’t. You may have a knack for photography, but can't paint to save your life. You could surprise yourself with your cocktail crafting skills, but realize that your cooking is inedible. And that’s okay! Being creative is about having fun, exercising your imagination, and making things that are unique to you. Once you figure out your strengths, you can have more fun with it and will feel more confident in your craft. A great place to start is browsing DIYs online, registering in a local workshop, or cooking your way through a cookbook! All of these will expose you to new things and allow you to get creative!

Favorite recipes?

This is a hard one; I am such a foodie, I want to choose everything! I featured a recipe for my Fiesta Quinoa Salad on the blog a few months ago and that one is always a hit. It’s one of those meals that feel satisfying while still being really clean and healthy. That’s the dream right? All of the taste with none of the calories! I also need to mention my Blood Orange Jalapeño Margarita recipe because it's probably the best cocktail I’ve made and pairs really well with this salad. You can find that one on the blog also!

Trends you're loving at the moment?

I was just having this conversation with a girlfriend the other day… I’m SO in love with everything that’s trending right now! I’m pretty much the opposite of a minimalist; my style has always been “more is more”. So, the fact that embellishments, embroidery, tassels, pom poms, and vibrant colors are all fashionable right now is really exciting for me. Some of my recent favorites are tassel earrings, vintage patterned skirts, off-the-shoulder everything, and big hats!

You travel a lot! Favorite place?

I've been able to do a lot of exploring within the past couple of years and I LOVE it! Growing up my family never really traveled, so once I was old enough to do it on my own I was itching to get out and see it all. I went to France for two weeks last year and it was absolutely amazing. I spent time in both Paris and Nice, and came home with such an appreciation for the culture. (Wine with every meal, please!) I was an art major in college, so being able to actually see most of the artwork that I learned about in school was awesome for me. Some of my favorite parts were visiting Monet’s home and gardens at Giverny, indulging in a wine-paired dinner cruise down the Seine River, digging through bins of vintage French fashions at a flea market, and taking a cooking class in an adorable woman’s home in Nice! I have so many good memories from that trip; I’m itching to get back to Europe. I’ve got my sights set on Spain next :)

Advice to 15-year-old Amanda?

Fifteen year old me was very different than 25 year old me. She was much more stubborn, spontaneous, and weighed her social life above all else (like most fifteen year olds do). My perspective back then was definitely more “what’s going on this weekend?!” than “where do I want to be in five years”. I don’t think I would take any of it back though. I made so many friendships around that time that are still a huge part of my life ten years later. I also made some pretty dumb choices and learned a lot of hard lessons, but I think that was a big part of shaping me into who I am now. I guess if anything I would say- Stop making your mom rip her hair out. Stop over tweezing your eyebrows. Stop stressing out over boys (you’ll meet him in two years!). And stop to enjoy it all! My years in high school were some of the best of my life.

Future Plans?

This year I just want to keep working toward building a stronger brand for Thirty Four-Seven! I have some fun holiday themed posts in the works and as always am getting super excited about Halloween (the most wonderful time of the year!). I will have the opportunity to plan and feature a couple of parties before the end of the year, which is really exciting to me because I love party planning. The summer months are always really busy for me, so I am looking forward to having more downtime to be active and present on the blog. Hope to see you guys following along!

Take a peek: