Everyday, we get emails from readers who ask how they can get their blog to grow, how they can make their blogging dreams come true. And, more often than not, we simply say it’s all about being fearless and extraordinary. Fearless because working on a creative pursuit or big dream requires a lot of guts and perseverance. Extraordinary because it’s your job to standout in the crowd, to make yourself known.

Some bloggers make blogging look easy, effortless. But, in reality, making your blog successful can be hard work. It means endless emails, long nights, busy days, bottomless cups of coffee, tears (only sometimes), and a few other obstacles. But when you get to that point when you can look back and see your successes and achievements, you will be so proud.

How am I an extraordinary blogger?

You can be extraordinary by staying motivated. Keeping yourself inspired. Last, but not least, you can be extraordinary by using exceptional tools like the HP Spectre.

With a battery that lasts up to 9.5 hours, the HP Spectre gives you the power you need to spend hours upon hours doing research and finding all kinds of inspiration. Plus, since it only weighs 4lbs, you can carry it around while you travel, giving you the chance to share your adventures and stories with family & friends. Staying connected wherever you are? Sounds extraordinary to us!

Because we enjoy sharing the tools that we know can only help bloggers grow, IFB is giving away one HP Spectre laptop to one lucky reader.

A few weeks ago, our intern participated in a NYC Scavenger hunt and showed off her savvy skills, proving that not only was she super smart but extremely resourceful. Thanks to her, you all get the chance to win this laptop!

To enter this giveaway, you must:
1. Follow IFB on Twitter.
2. Tweet this message: “I’m an extraordinary blogger because ____ #Spectre @HP @_IFB”

To learn more about the HP Spectre, head here. Good luck to everyone participating in the giveaway and stay tuned to our Twitter account for contest updates and the winner announcement on 5/23/2012!

UPDATE: The contest is closed. Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

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I’ve always thought of the Met Gala as the Academy Awards of the fashion industry. This year’s Costume Institute Benefit celebrates the opening of the exhibit, “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations,” which opens to the public on May 10th. “Iconic ensembles will be presented with videos of simulated conversations between Schiaparelli and Prada directed by Baz Luhrmann, focusing on how both women explore similar themes in their work through very different approaches.”

We can’t wait to see the exhibit, but more importantly, we can’t wait to see what our favorite models, designers, celebs and musicians will wear on the red carpet tonight. That’s why we’re sending, well, me, to live tweet and Instagram the arrivals for you!

We invite you to join in on the fun – so here’s how:

• Follow IFB on twitter, and look for the hashtag #metgala
• Keep your coverage well-rounded by following @metmuseum and @voguemagazine, too
• Follow IFB on Instagram for photos (this link lets you keep up even if you don’t have the app!)
• Watch the livestream of the red carpet arrivals here, and look for me in the background!

We think it’s pretty great that the Costume Institute is honoring two women this year (last year it was the late, great Alexander McQueen), and it got us thinking about influential women. Just for kicks, here are IFB’s favorite powerful, fashionable, amazing women of the moment:

• Jenna Lyons, Creative Director and President of J. Crew
• Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx (she’s a billionaire, by the way)
• Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State (and briefly, the star of this Tumblr)
• Stella McCartney, fashion designer (she’s designing the Adidas 2012 Olympics kits for Great Britain’s athletes)

There are so many more women we could name, so let’s talk! Who are some of your favorite female influencers? (Besides Oprah…)

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In addition to your usual content and personal style photos, you can pepper in timely and news-oriented elements with your blog stories to make them more searchable and relevant to your readers. Below, we’ve given you a little jump start (or cheat sheet) of our favorite publications to read for inspiration and story ideas.

Your Local Paper or Magazines

• Browse your local news for events and happenings where you live. If there’s a great concert coming up, put together a collage of concert-perfect looks for your readers, or even make a playlist of the band’s music to go with it. If there’s a store or restaurant opening, go to it and write up a review! Spicing up your content with local happenings, news and lifestyle elements gives your blog individuality and helps your readers learn a little more about you and your life.

Mashable

• Use this tech, social media and business site to find out what’s happening with all your favorite tools like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest as well as just about anything interesting happening with the internet. Consider how their stories could affect you and your readers, and put it into context.

Fashionista

• As you may no, Fashionista is sort of a one-stop-shop for fashion media news, and the range of topics that they cover under that umbrella is virtually endless. A quick browse will keep you updated on celebrity trends, events, fashion week gossip and as well as beauty and shopping. Why not do your own round up of ‘best dressed’ from the Time 100 Gala or share your thoughts on the Altazurra and J. Crew collaboration?

CNN

• Here’s where I challenge you to get creative. CNN reports on big important global issues, politics, the environment, health, media, travel and more. That’s a broad range of coverage, but these are the stories that shape our lives offline as well. Check out their travel stories for ideas for vacation fashion posts. Maybe even discuss what politicians (and their wives) are wearing. Critique, comment and put your own spin on the world’s events.

Women’s Wear Daily

• While you can’t read everything on WWD without a subscription, there are some articles available to everyone (they’re usually linked through their Tumblr). This is the definitive source for industry news pertaining to designers, brands, fashion week, retail, and trend repots. See if they’ve reported on a retailer in your area, or if you’ve recently worn a trend they have called out. Will you or your readers change their shopping habits if the price of cotton rises again?

Style.com

• Style.com is an amazing resource for Fashion Week images and trend reports. With proper crediting, their images can help you illustrate your posts on color, pattern, trends and everything else. Their stories can also inspire reaction posts for your blog. For example, today style.com pondered, Is Color-Blocking Played Out? What do you think? Share your take on this story with an outfit post, a shopping round-up, the possibilities are numerous.

BellaSugar

• For your beauty trend stories, this is the place to go. Try out some of the trends yourself, round up your favorite products – the possibilities are endless. Do a hair tutorial inspired by their loose waves report or try one of their manicure trends.

Racked

• Racked is an amazing source for shopping and sale news, as well as industry tid-bits. Do a round-up of sales from your favorite brands, stores and boutiques, share what you might be buying and encourage your readers to comment on what they might buy as well! Keep an eye on sales happening at brick-and-mortar stores in your area to share with your readers as well.

People StyleWatch

• Everyone loves a little celebrity fashion, and this is one of the best sources around. Make an outfit post around your favorite celebrity look of the week, create a trend story from images you see, or provide your own commentary on Hollywood gossip!

IFB

• What’s this? Story ideas from IFB? Why yes! We give you tips for content ideas, social media and more. If you’ve got your own tips for how to increase blog traffic, get more followers on Twitter or engage with your fans on Facebook – share them! Do you have strong opinions about the thinspiration controversy? Your readers value your opinion and trust you, so don’t be afraid to put your own spin on these topics.

Where do you look for blog post inspiration? Share your favorite sources with the community!

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Part of my increased obsession with Pinterest lately has to do with the improvements on their side, such as suggested follows, the ability to choose a cover photo for each board, and more.

As we all get more comfortable and more excited about this social media tool (and it drives more and more traffic to our sites), our feeds just seems to get better. From recipes to hair style inspiration, shopping ideas and runway images – there’s no end to the inspirational content that’s flooding our Pinterest each day.

We rounded up a selection of some of the best pinners we follow to share with you. We considered how often they pin, the different types of images they gather, how many followers they have already and heck – just how pretty their pins are.

From bloggers to brands, editors and retailers, here are IFB’s 20 favorite pinners:

• Kate @ Wit & Delight
• Blair Eadie
• Honestly WTF
• Refinery29
• Alicia Lund
• Sally + Molly
• Nina Garcia
• Oscar PR Girl
• StyleCaster
• Dallas Shaw
• BaubleBar
• P.S. – I Mad This…
• Barneys New York
• Bergdorf Goodman
• Kate Spade New York
• Joy Cho
• eat.sleep.wear.
• FabSugar
• Peter Som
• Glitter Guide

Who do you love on Pinterest? Tell us your favorite follows in the comments! Also, be sure to follow IFB on Pinterest, and check out our post on how to increase your blog traffic with Pinterest here.

[Image via StyleCaster's Pinterest.]

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Every year, Time magazine releases its “100 Most Influential People in the World”, a list that is meant to “inspire, entertain, challenge and change” us. Entrepreneurs, philanthropists, musicians, activists, protesters, the list is full of this year’s big names. While some of the 100 were a tad nonsensical (Rihanna? Really?), a few actually resonated with us because of their vision, innovation, strength and fearlessness.

Which of Time’s picks are the most influential to the fashion digital and blogging community? Here is your guide to the 100 list:

Sarah Burton

Yes, Sarah Burton designed that royal wedding dress but she is so much more than Kate Middleton’s designer. What we love about Burton is her ability to transport us to a new reality, giving us designs and looks that make our imagination run wild. On why Burton is influential, Sarah Jessica Parker writes, “She thinks about women and art and stories, weaves her tale into the future of fashion. On the runway she is inspired.” Not all designers can inspire creativity but Sarah Burton is one of the few that can captivate our attention. She is definitely one all fashion bloggers should watch.

Image from Dave Burton with the Associated Press

Pete Cashmore

Delivering social media news, business updates and so much more, Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore has utterly changed the digital news landscape. It takes a big website to change our morning routines (we’ve now ended our morning visits to various publications) but Cashmore has done that by offering all things digitally-related into one website. Digital innovation is his main focus and IFB is thrilled to see what else this 26-year old has in store.

Image from BusinessWeek

Adele

You know we just had to mention Adele. Not just because we practically sobbed our way through entire album last year (you know you did too) but because she brought a realness back to the music industry. And her Vogue magazine cover was stunning. Gone are the overly tan plastic puppets who clogged our radio stations of yesteryear. Now, women have an honest, sometimes crass but always humble singer-songwriter who has a real talent and edge that everyone (fashion bloggers included) can relate too. She is a reminder to women everywhere that Here’s to another year full of Adele!

Image from Alexei Hay with Elle magazine

Sheryl Sandberg

You may not recognize her name but as Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg is one of the biggest names in the technological world What we love about her is her passion for girl power. Yes, we said it, girl power. In an industry filled with men, she is one of the leading ladies of tech and has tirelessly fought to create a more open, transparent world. Managing the operations of one of the biggest companies in the world can’t be easy but she is role model for all young women looking to join the digital landscape.

Image from Crunchbase

Tim Cook

Stepping into Steve Jobs’ shoes can’t be easy but Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is taking the reigns of the world’s biggest company. Before becoming CEO, Cook is credited for streamlining Apple’s production and manufacturing chain, undoubtedly helping Apple make more money and positioning the brand as the leader in tech products. Embodying the Apple culture, Cook is one of the hardest working men in the world and we are inspired by his passion and leadership.

Image from TechnoBuffalo

To view the entire list, head over to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World List.

 What do you think about Time’s list? Do you agree with its pick? Who would you rather see on their roundup?

PS: Sheryl’s 2012 TED talk about the lack of women leaders still gets us fired up and is definitely a video you check out if you have free time.

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