Blogger of the Moment: Lingered Upon
Alice Gao's lifestyle blog Lingered Upon is based in NYC, but she transports her readers to destinations like Copenhagen, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and she shares inspiring outfit posts along the way too! We visited Alice at her NYC apartment and learned about her favorite city, favorite blogs and how she spends her weekends.
What was your blogger journey, why and how did you start?
I started my blog shortly after I moved to New York City, mostly to document the places I was exploring (coffee shops, restaurants, and the like), and mostly on a film camera. I was still working in a corporate office job back then, so my blog was a creative outlet from that world. Eventually I spent more and more time on my blog and photography than I was at my day job, so one day I quit and never looked back.
What’s the most important thing for a blog to catch your eye?
Strong visuals and ease of navigation are really important to me. If there's too much going on right on the front page, my reaction is usually to get out of there.
What are some of your favorite blogs?
What are some of your favorite iPhone apps?
I feel super basic about this, but besides Instagram, most of the other apps that I use regularly are photography-related. I like Snapseed, Cortex Cam, and VSCO. I also check Timehop regularly, and really appreciate the Dropbox app -- so useful.
What's a typical weekend for you, nightlife or Netflix?
Netflix, with a side of amaro.
What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
My favorite class in college was Linear Algebra.
What does your morning routine look like?
First things first, coffee. I like the routine of making coffee so much that even if I have a morning coffee date, I have to make myself one at home first so the day gets started right. My guilty pleasure in the mornings is checking the new arrivals at my favorite online retailers, like Net-A-Porter and Matches. Then if I have a shoot that day, I'll get ready for that. If it's a day at home, I'll hunker down at my desk most of the day.
Who would you like to share an elevator ride with?
Joan Didion, although I'd be VERY intimidated. I'm not even sure what I'd say.
What's the one thing you never leave home without?
I never leave home without doing my eyebrows.
What is your favorite city? What do you love about it?
It's a toss-up between New York and Paris, but I think I'd still have to say New York. I'm sure part of my love for it is just the familiarity and comfort at this point, but I of course love many other things about it. It definitely motivates me in a way that no other city does. It makes me want to do better and be better.
What's your best night out?
My best nights out usually involve a meal at Maialino, my favorite restaurant, and drinks at the Nomad Bar or Attaboy.
What current projects are you excited about?
I'm about to head to LA for a video shoot where I will be in front of the camera. I'm both excited and nervous, but looking forward to feeling out of my element for a bit. The most rewarding projects are always the ones where I feel pushed a bit.
What does a normal day look like for you?
I think what I love most about my job as a photographer is that there isn't really a normal day. I've recently gotten to travel to some amazing places for work (Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Istanbul... Paris soon), and it always feels like a "pinch me" moment when I get those inquiries. On days that I'm not actively shooting, I'm usually catching up on emails and editing. I try to squeeze in blog posts whenever I can. My new hobby is cooking so I've been spending more and more time on that as well.
Thank you so much, Alice!
Follow Lingered Upon on Bloglovin here!
Be sure to check out our last Blogger of the Moment feature with Natalie Off Duty here.
Photos by Brandon Osorio for Bloglovin'.
