Popping the Bubbly with Mimosas & Manhattan; NYC Fashion Bloggers & Queens of Stylish Brunch Attire

When you hear the words "mimosas" and "Manhattan," you may automatically think of some fun bottomless brunches you've had that one time in NYC. But actually, those two words have way more significance than you think. Courtney Seamon and Kelly McFarland are two insanely stylish cousins living in New York City who happen to be the founders of a major fashion and lifestyle blog called Mimosas & Manhattan.

Courtney and Kelly's blog has always been such a huge inspiration to me. Blogging since 2013, the ladies have taken the world of digital content creation by storm and have made major moves in fashion, making Mimosas & Manhattan a NYC household name. Their blog is like a bible for all things fashion and lifestyle in your twenties. These ladies are some of the most driven I have ever met, and their go-getter attitudes and dedication to their passion has gotten them serious recognition on major outlets like InStyle Magazine, WWD and People StyleWatch. 

On top of being bloggers and successful entrepreneurs, they've each got phenomenal full-time jobs in the fashion and PR industries. Defying the fashion blogger stereotypes, Courtney and Kelly have got it all and worked extraordinarily hard for it, and they're only going up from here.

I wanted to show all the readers of The Gilded Bellini just how cool the girls of Mimosas & Manhattan really are (and also get the juice on their avid brunching lifestyle in NYC), so I got to chat with Kelly, who happens to be one of my good friends! She dished all the details on how the blog name came to be, what it's really like to be a blogger and work full-time, their favorite brunch spots, how to choose the perfect brunch outfit and more!

Introducing.... Mimosas & Manhattan.

Photo by: Laurel Creative

1. Tell us about how you chose your name Mimosas & Manhattan. 

When we first came to New York, we stumbled upon the amazing world of bottomless Mimosas and at the ripe old age of 20 - this became a weekly occurring event.  The name honestly spiraled from there and has sort of taken on a life of it’s own! 

2. You've made a name for yourself in the fashion scene not only in NYC, but all over! How do you think your style, and even your lifestyle resonates with such a large audience?

 I think people us find us to be very relatable and like to see two girls who are just like them, trying to take on New York and make names for themselves in the industry.

Photo by: Laurel Creative

3. There's often a misconception that bloggers, especially in fashion "have it easy." That its all just posting pictures and looking pretty. As someone coming from the blogging community, I find that to be the furthest thing from true because of all the genuine hard work that goes in to creating a brand for yourself. What are your thoughts on this?

 There is so much more behind blogging than most people think. It's not just shooting and writing posts (unfortunately) it is pitching brands, being your own publicist, accountant, stylist, project manager, editor, creative director - the list truly goes on and on. Blogging has taught me so much more about the industry and just working in general than I could have possibly imagined - we are so lucky for everything we had learned but sometimes it is frustrating when people don't understand everything that goes into building your own brand. 

4. What sparks your inspiration to create content on your blog that's fresh and different from other fashion/lifestyle bloggers? You've been doing this for a few years now. How do you not run out of ideas?! 

Just like fashion changes, our content changes! We like to keep things fresh and fun.  As we grow up and mature, our style changes with us so we never really run out of content! 

Photo by: Join Comb

5. How do you balance having full time jobs and having a blog that is so successful? A blog is a full time job in itself! 

Honestly, it is a lot of work and we absolutely have our good days and our bad days. What it all comes down to however is that if we didn’t absolutely love blogging, then we wouldn’t be doing it. We wake up work on the blog and answer emails, then go to our full time jobs during the day and then come home and keep working. It is a lot but it is all about hard work while keeping a balance. 

6. You're no strangers to living a fabulous (and envious!) lifestyle. Part of that includes brunching every weekend! What are your favorite brunch spots in NYC? 

Some of our favorite spots are David Burke's Kitchen, Miusa Wine Bar and Freeman's Restaurant.

Photo by: Laurel Creative

7. What is your favorite brunch dish & cocktail? 

We are huge fans of Croque Monsiers and of course Mimosas!!

8. Your perfect weekend brunch would be incomplete without: 

The "birdseye" flatlay table instagram post. 

9. How do you get the perfect brunch flat lay shot?

 Number 1 rule: you must stand on the table. You will get yelled out, but in the end it is worth it. 

Photo by: Laurel Creative

10. What is your go-to brunch outfit? 

During the Summer months, we are all about staying cool and comfortable. There is nothing that screams brunch more than a flowy dress from one of our favorite online stores, FloatingStyle.com. We also love the super fun jumpsuits from BB Dakota and shift dress from Marks and Spencer. 

11. Your blog has really taken off in the past year. What has been your favorite opportunity that has come your way so far? 

Aside from some of our favorite campaigns like Magnum Ice Cream and Shoeline.com, we have just loved connecting with so many amazing bloggers, influencers, photographers, designers, etc. There is no better feeling in the world that connecting with like-minded people who are fans of the brand we have built. 

Photo by: Laurel Creative

12. What does the future hold for Mimosas & Manhattan as a brand? 

Right now, it is all about learning to find the balance between our full-time jobs, blogging and normal 23 year-old-things. It is great that Courtney is in fashion product development and I am in Marketing/Public Relations because it will only help us with future endeavors. We love being female entrepreneurs and truly feel the skies the limit when it comes to our brand! 

13. When you're not blogging, we can find you...?: 

We spend a lot of our time going out with friends to cool spots in Brooklyn. Some of our favorite “going out” spots are Freehold, The Woods and Baby’s All Right. 

Keep up with the effortlessly fabulous blogger duo

at Mimosas & Manhattan and on Instagram at @mimosasmanhattan!