What do you get when you combine a degree in finance, a career in customer marketing, a passion for pasta and a love for Nora Ephron books?

If you’re Molly Ford, the answer is Smart Pretty and Awkward, a witty little lifestyle blog.

We believe the smart and pretty parts, but we aren’t sold on the awkward aspect.  We think Molly and her blog are nothing less than genius, beautiful and poised.

We love the way Molly presents the simplest of subjects and adds information that will make us smarter, prettier and less awkward.

We sat down with Molly over the holidays to learn a bit more about the 24-year-old woman behind Smart, Pretty and Awkward.

FMM: Can you describe your blogging niche?

MF: Smart Pretty and Awkward gives real-world advice that is about the everyday situations young women find themselves in, and I work hard to make sure everything I write about is interesting, helpful or funny–something I would want to read myself.

It is also a blog with the exact same format for every post. Three tips, in the same order each business day: How to be Smarter, How to be Prettier, and How to be (less) Awkward. It’s fairly rare to have such a rigid format for every post in a blog! I also post very few pictures, which is relatively unusual for a blog that is considered fashion or lifestyle based.

FMM: What inspires you?

MF: My friends, my sister, blogs I read, and pictures of long-haired Pomeranians (I know, I know).

FMM: What are your favorite websites to read?

MF: Oh She Glows and Gala Darling.

FMM: What are your favorite brands?

MF: Essie for nails, Coach for bags, Bandelino for heels, Silence & Noise for dresses, American Apparel for cozy wear, Tory Burch for flats, Ann Taylor Loft for blazers.

FMM: What is your style mantra?

MF: “Is my dress too short?” — Victoria Beckham and “The only rule is don’t be boring” — Paris Hilton.

FMM: What is the purpose of your blog?

MF: I want the girls who read it to know they are not alone in sometimes feeling smart, sometimes feeling pretty, and sometimes feeling a little quirky. Everyone has good days and bad days and I hope SP&A helps girls feel confident on both types of days.

FMM: What social networks and fashion communities do you use most and why?

MF: I have my regular roster of blogs that I read each day; I keep reading them mostly because after a certain amount of time, you start to feel like you are friends with them and are invested in their lives. Also, the reason I follow everyone who follows me on Twitter is because I really love seeing what other people–people I know in real life or just online–are talking about each day.

FMM: Which social networks and fashion communities do you like least and why?

MF: I am not a fan of communities where the focus is solely on brands. I love well-done fashion blogs, but sometimes I get tired of seeing expensive item after expensive item.

FMM: What do you think of Google Boutiques and Teen Vogue’s Fashion Click. Do you feel things like this benefit you or other bloggers in any way?

MF: Those sites are certainly interesting, though I know more about Google Boutiques than Fashion Click. Any tool that allows people to connect with others that share their interests (fashion, in this case) and gives bloggers more exposure to people that might enjoy their writing/photography is a plus in my book!

Blogger Spotlight is a new column that we’ve added for the new year. We’re trying hard to find voices online that should be heard. Know someone we should interviewed, Email us!