Meet Angela Darnell | Life and Style Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angela Darnell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I work full-time in marketing and part-time as a blogger/content creator for The Thrifty Pineapple, balancing the two along with a personal life can be a challenge sometimes. I used to strive for the perfect work-life balance but I don’t know if I believe in a true balance anymore it’s more of a work-life prioritization. There are times where my full-time job is the priority and others where it’s Thrifty Pineapple or my personal life. I am the type of person who is always working so I have to make a conscious effort to put down my phone or tell myself I don’t have to create content that day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started Thrifty Pineapple fresh out of college sharing my real-life daily outfits to help inspire people, from there it’s evolved into what it is today, but at the core Thrifty Pineapple is a safe space for realistic and affordable life and style inspiration for the everyday woman. What makes Thrifty Pineapple different is I strive to share tangible inspiration from my outfit breakdowns to help you get dressed in the morning to drugstore makeup tips and even honest reviews of what to spend your money on and what not to buy.

I am most proud of the amazing community I’ve built through Thrifty Pineapple. I take pride in answering every single DM I get and I’ve been able to connect with so many amazing women over the years. I even have a private Facebook group of ladies that all help each other and we can talk about deeper things.

As I mentioned I started Thrifty Pineapple when I was fresh out of college and had a lot of time on my hands from there I began to grow and share what was going on in my everyday life. It has definitely not been easy from internet trolls to sticky grey areas in my professional life where my personal brand became a professional conflict of interest. I don’t have the intention of taking Thrifty Pineapple full-time, so I am able to be extremely picky with what I share and who I work with but it has taught me so many entrepreneurial skills as well as tremendous discipline and time management through committing to create content 5 times a week and blog weekly.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to be you and only say yes to things that are fun! This is a fun passion project to me and I got a point in early 2021 where I was feeling overwhelmed and I learned this is supposed to be fun so only say yes to things that make me excited and happy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I moved to Houston in early 2021, so I am still exploring a lot of the city but there are so many fun places to visit and places to eat.

Must-Eat Places are:
Egg Haus: The cutest brunch that also has amazing food and drinks! Totally instagrammable but also really delicious

Tiny’s Milk and Cookies: If you visit Milk and Cookies there’s a 99% chance you’ll see me. We love their ice cream, baked goods, and coffee plus it’s so darn cute.

Eighteen36: This is our go-to bar because the drinks are amazing and the food is equally as amazing

Rice Box: Rice Box is our go-to lazy takeout. They are right down the road from us and you get so much food for a great price! Each entree comes with an egg roll and fried rice!

Guadalajara: There’s a lot of TexMex here (which I am not complaining about) but Guadalajara is hands down the best! They have great queso and fresh tortillas, but their Guadalupe Lime Beef Fajitas are to die for! They are so tender and seasoned perfectly!

Truth BBQ: This is probably Jared’s favorite restaurant we’ve been to! They have classic Texas BBQ, but they sell out quickly! Once they are sold out they close so I recommend getting there early or waiting in line before they open on weekends!
State of Grace: The perfect special occasion restaurant with fabulous service and a great atmosphere.

Must-Visit:
Levvy Park: We LOVE spending weekend nights at Levvy park with our pup.
Children’s Museum: Although I don’t have kids I volunteer at the Children’s Museum and it’s such a fun place that’s so hands-on!

Highland Village: I love this little shopping strip with all of my favorite stores like Lilly Pulitzer, Madewell, and Sephora.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout definitely belongs to my husband, Jared Darnell, he is the one who encouraged me to start Thrifty Pineapple years ago and he is my constant support system. He helps me create content, talk through business ideas or future partnerships as well as emotional support. Thrifty Pineapple would not be what it is today without him.

Website: https://www.thethriftypineapple.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriftypineapple/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-darnell-57837268/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ttpineapple

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheThriftyPineapple/

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/ThriftyPineapple https://www.tiktok.com/@thriftypineapple