Each Friday, in honor of the #FollowFriday tradition on Twitter, we will be featuring one of our own Featured Users on the blog.

Today we hear from Chanel Ward.  Chanel is a prolific blogger, designer, Saints fan and fashion maven living in Louisiana. She can be found on Twitter as @hipcandy.

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Chanel Ward, I am a blogger, desktop publisher and designer. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles in 1999 where “Project Runway” is currently filmed, started my desktop publishing business in 2000 and started the Hip Candy blog in 2006. Now in addition to Hip Candy, I also pen Michelle O. Style, Cute Dresses and Hip Trip Advisor. I just recently celebrated my 14th wedding anniversary on Dec. 2nd. No kids yet

How (and when) did you first come to be on Twitter, and how has the experience evolved for you?

I remember when I first heard of Twitter wondering what it was and how it worked. And I have to admit, when I first jumped on back on August 8, 2008 I didn’t really know what to do with it or how to channel it. I started to gain a better understanding of how Twitter works by watching how other people were using Twitter.

Where are you located? What’s your favorite thing about where you live?

I live in South Louisiana, so my favorite thing about where I live is probably the fabulous Cajun food that’s native to this region. You can find good food almost anywhere here. I mean where else can you get a delicious, AUTHENTIC sausage and chicken jambalaya, seafood gumbo or a fried oyster poboy with all the fixin’s?! That, and the fact that my New Orleans Saints are currently 11-0 at the time of this interview… Go SAINTS!

What are you most excited about sharing with your followers?

I’m most excited to tell my followers that I’m working on a small collection of cute, simple but stylish, handmade dresses that will soon be available in my etsy store online!

What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not online?

My favorite thing to do when I’m not online is probably designing, traveling, exploring new places and spending time with my family.

Thanks Chanel, and good luck with all your ventures!