SH: Whats on your ipod right now?
MS: I€™m a bit late hopping on the Ipod bandwagon, so all I€™ve got is a Shuffle and office iTunes. Lately at work I€™ve been listening to White Rabbits, CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy), Pipas, Whitest Boy Alive, and ESG when I feel like dancing (or bopping my head). On my Shuffle, I almost always have tracks by M. Ward, The Lucksmiths, and Ivy League€¦ as you can see, a lot of indie pop/folk/rock.

SH: How does your graphic design background affect your style?
MS: In an immediate sense, I find myself more attracted to really bold, graphics and shapes €“ you€™ll see a lot of black and white in my hive, and a ton of patterns - on pillows, wallpaper, prints, etc. It€™s made me more conscious of shape, proportion and color. In a more subtle way, it helps me keep on top of current trends, and at the same time, helps me appreciate classic design/style too. As a designer, you€™re always looking for ways to make your product fresh and interesting, but you can always refer to the past to see what€™s worked before. Fashion today is like a medley of recycled decades, but I love the variety!

SH: What€™s your favorite fashion trend right now?
MS: I€™m loving the androgynous dandy look right now. I think it might be more of a fall trend, but it€™s so romantic and tailored at the same time. Samantha Pleet does it really well. Oh, and spectator toes on shoes or boots comes in a close second!

SH: What fashion trend do you hate right now?
MS: Well, I€™m pretty open to anything€¦ but I still haven€™t subscribed to leggings under dresses. Sometimes it works really well, other times it looks too young. I guess it depends on how you accessorize them.

SH: 5) What€™s your most embarrassing guilty pleasure?
MS: Reading Labyrinth fanfiction! Hahah, oh man, can€™t believe I€™m sharing that.

SH: In what style is your apartment decorated?
MS: There€™s no particular style, but people always describe it as €œcute€�€¦ perhaps because it€™s less than 500 sq ft. It€™s well organized though - everything has its place. The furniture is simple, but I spiced up the place with fun art - some Lotta Jansdotter postcards, a Modest Mouse poster by the Heads of State, my Dunny collection, and Blik decals in my room.

SH: What do you think of living in New York vs. San Francisco?
MS: Both places have their charm €“ NY is full of chaotic energy and excitement, like anything can happen; SF is really mellow and comfortable, and is a beautiful city overall. In the end, New York is the place to be right now, but San Francisco will always be home.

SH: What style item do you have too many of?
MS: In the hive, I probably have too many cuff bracelets €“ can€™t help it though, I don€™t wear much jewelry, and they make maximum impact with minimum effort. In real life, I have waaayyyy too many shoes. They€™ve invaded the common areas of my apartment too €“ just ask my very understanding roommate.

SH: What flavor are you/would you be & why?
MS: Cookies and cream €“ a hint of the kid in everyone, but still a classic.

SH: What is the worst date you€™ve ever been on?
MS: I€™m not sure it would even count as a date€¦ let€™s just say the only place we went was his car, and I left as soon as I got there.

SH: 11) If you could go shopping from one person€™s hive that€™s not your own, whose would it be?
MS: I love SheBreathes€™ selection, even though it€™s small. She€™s put a lot of thought into what she hives, and it€™s all very elegant and yet current.

SH: 12) If you had to hang out with 3 Stylehivers, who would you pick?
MS: Bitsandbobbins, perhaps b/c I€™ve been following her blog (and Flickr group) as well, and feel like I already know her. And based upon their posts, I think chubaby and milknut could be fun to hang out with too.

Melonade's Stylehive picks: Melonade

She also works as an Assistant Editor, spends her spare time writing and quilting, and is currently trying to get her freelance career off the ground. Any publishers out there?

SH: What do you enjoy about the Stylehive?
KF: The best thing about Stylehive is that it has helped me understand and define my own sense of style. It€™s inspiring to be part of a community where people are as equally interested in design as I am. It€™s rewarding, and fun to see what other people are finding!

SH: Living in San Francisco, what are some of your favorite stores around here?
KF: I am really working on curbing my spending, but I do a lot of window shopping! Of course, I love Black Cat Quilts; it reminds me of quilt stores back home. I adore Paperwhirl, because they have a good selection of letterpress cards (which I am mildly obsessed with.) What else€¦.Designer Shoe Warehouse, and the Jeanine Payer Retail Store. It€™s a tiny jewel box of a store with custom lighting and cabinetry. It€™s beautiful, and even though the store is on Market Street, the store itself is incredibly tranquil.

SH: Do you have a beauty regimen? What do you do?
KF: In all honesty, I am awful at taking the time to wash my face at night. I suppose that€™s a sort of regimen, for better or for worse. I can be kind of anal about flossing my teeth and plucking my eyebrows. I have to moisturize all over every day because I have intensely dry skin. I am addicted to Benefit€™s Playstick in €œSpin the Bottle,€� which is great for hiding dark circles under my eyes (a genetic blessing). Other than that, a little lip gloss and mascara and I am good to go. My cousin got me hooked on CO Bigelow lip gloss. Oh! I also have curly hair and have to use Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious after my hair towel dries for a few minutes. Jeez, that sounds like a lot €“ I can get ready in less than 45 minutes, I promise!

SH: As a twentysomething who loves quilting, what do you think about quilting as a culture, especially for the younger generation?
KF: Wow. Well I think that quilting probably isn€™t as prevalent with my age group as some others. Quilting requires a lot of time/space/money and these are resources that people in their twenties are more likely to want dedicate to something else. However, I have read several articles in the last few months about kids who are getting really into sewing and quilting, and I think that€™s great! It€™s awesome to see a tradition carried on.

SH: Do you have a fashion idol? If so, who?
KF: I am sure I have more than one, but now that this question is staring me in the face, I can€™t think of anyone! I love Sarah Jessica Parker€™s sense of style, but I think my mom has also been a big source of inspiration. Not only can she sew anything, but she also has great classic style, keeps up with trends, and is a true bargain hunter.

SH: Who are your favorite designers in the Hive?
KF: I am a handbag and accessory kind of girl. I love Lauren Merkin handbags, Scandinavian Designs furniture, and anything Marimekko. I also love Todd Reed Jewelry, and Bellum Classics (a new obsession thanks to thetipjar.com).

SH: Which TV show character are you?
KF: I couldn€™t think of an answer to this question, so I polled some friends of mine. The top answers were:
i. Lauren Conrad, The Hills (reasoning: sense of style, good arguer/good at thinking on her feet)
ii. Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City (reasoning: sense of style, profession, curly hair, sense of humor)

SH: As a child, what did you plan to be when you grew up?
KF: An award-winning novelist/interior designer/journalist/teacher. Ambitious, I know.

SH: What's hanging on your walls right now (art or otherwise)?
KF: I am actually getting ready to move, so not a whole lot. We have a fabulous antique mirror/mantle hanging in the living room. I have a series of black and white photos in my bedroom of my cousin and me when we were little. I also have a framed Smithsonian cover from the 1940€™s that was a gift from my parents; it€™s like a prized possession.

SH: What's the last thing you bought and where was it from?
KF: I bought red patent leather flats, with the cutest silver buckle. Nine West, purchased at Shoe Pavilion. I am all about discounts. I also needed to put a little pep in my step for a big trip I was taking to the East coast.

SH: If you were a celebrity stylist, which celebrity would you chose to makeover?
KF:Good question! Probably Mary Kate Olsen because while she has a definite sense of style, she could use some clothes that fit!

SH: If you won a shopping spree from Stylehive, which 3 Hivers would you pick to go shopping with you?
KF: Myriah, LAbuyer, and BaltimoreGal.

Kate's Stylehive picks: KateFranco
Kate's Blog: katefranco.com

But Lisamommy - who says she gets her appreciation of all things beautiful from her parents who dealt in antiques and some interior work - isn't letting that foil her quest for shoes, shoes, and more shoes! Is her kids' college fund safe? Find out!

SH: How did you get started Hiving?
LG: Some friends of mine from another site had mentioned Stylehive. I stopped in to check it out and never want to leave!

SH: What is your favorite store, either online or brick-and-mortar?
LG: I€™m a big bargain shopper, so TJMaxx is an all time favorite€¦I€™m all about the hunt. For tchotchkies, I€™m all about a local store called Faces€¦it€™s an accessory mecca, as well as a great place to pick up stocking stuffers, a new lamp, and Japanese anime stationery.

SH: What is the number one best thing you've found on the Hive so far?
LG: Just one?! I€™m absolutely in love with the Shawn Lovell Metalworks bird nest canopy bed! I pick that!

SH: What is the title of the book (or magazine) lying closest to you right now?
LG: The Weight of Water€�€¦I€™m a little behind the times in keeping up with best sellers.

SH: In a sentence, how would you describe your style?
LG: I€™m traditional/preppy with a twist. You€™ll find me in a khaki skirt with a crisp white tailored blouse, but I€™ll be wearing leopard print high heels. I love pin up fashion, but have to keep conservative for my job. When I€™m home I€™m usually in a pair of jeans with sneakers or clogs.

SH: Given your self-described "unholy love of shoes," which is the one pair you can't live without?
LG: Well, this changes with the seasons. I live in my Nine West pointy toed patent leather pumps most of the year. I have many pairs of sandals, but live in my bubblegum pink Dr. Scholl€™s most of the summer. I don€™t think there€™s one pair I could honestly €œlive without€�.

SH: If you could go anywhere in the world for dinner tonight, who would you take, what would you wear, and where would you go?
LG: I would take my husband back to this fabulous place we found in Orgia, Italy€¦set on the top of this little hill town over looking an unending field of sunflowers. I would wear a little black dress, probably the leopard print Steve Madden shoes, and my little black Kate Spade bag, and I would stuff my face with quite possibly the world€™s finest osso bucco!

SH: What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone?
LG: Years ago my sister in law was in an abusive relationship. Her sons were young€¦to young to see that crap going on with their mother, so I invited them all to live with us. My house is small, but it felt so good knowing that they all were with us. And it was fun to have such a full house!

SH: What have you said lately that has gotten you into trouble?
LG: I have a tendency toward €œopen foot, insert mouth€� syndrome, but the most trouble I€™ve had with my mouth was mentioning what my new Coach bag cost to my husband.

SH: If you had to pick two Stylehivers to take your €œtweens€� shopping, who would you pick? Who would you pick to go shopping with you?
LG: I€™d feel good about sending Hannah and Emily off with Myriah and Mochipopstar. They have tastes that my girls would love. For myself, I€™d want to shop with BaltimoreGal and JulieJax. I admire their style and appreciation of beautiful things.

SH: Do you ever share clothes with your kids?
LG: I€™m a little more €œfull figured€� than my girls, but we have shared shoes. Thankfully their feet have grown and they no longer fit in my beloved shoes.

Lisa's Stylehive picks: Lisamommy
Lisa's Blog: lgg715