Instagram star Sam Ushiro reveals where her love of baking really began

Although her blog and fan-favorite Instagram account may be just a few months old, Sam Ushiro -- better known as the louder-than-life and colorful blogger behind Aww, Sam -- isn't new to the cooking world. Sam's love of baking actually runs in the family. She learned how to meticulously decorate sweets from her mother, who has been a skilled cookie creator for the past ten years. Quickly, Sam realized that she could showcase her own passion for DIY crafts and her unparalleled dessert skills to the world wide web. And that's where Aww, Sam was born.

Nowadays, Aww, Sam has grown far beyond just a DIY page; it's a one-stop destination for all-things color. Sam dreams up everything from vibrant emoji Easter eggs to ombre pop tarts to rainbow hair highlights, and each serves as colorful everyday inspiration -- and if her 120,000 followers are any indicator, people cannot get enough of her quirky style. One look at her incredible aesthetic and we're willing to bet you'll feel the same.

So if you don't have Sam Ushiro on your radar yet, now is as good a time as any to get to know the viral DIY star. We caught up with the colorful creator at our New York City offices and picked her brain on her creative background, when she realized she had a knack for crafts and more.

And if you want even more Sam Ushiro news, head over to AOL.com at 12 p.m. ET to see more exclusive features, including what goes on behind the scenes of her shoots.

I know you went to Parsons for school, so you must have always grown up with a creative background. What was that like?
My mom has her own cookie business, so I've kind of grown up watching her do her cookie thing and I transitioned that into doing my own stuff. Before coming to New York, I went to school for fashion design. I kind of changed direction there and then went into industrial design, and I did a lot of furniture making. And now I'm doing DIY and crafting stuff, so it's always been a natural, creative progression.

How did your crafting come about?
It actually started with Instagram. So I've always been making crafts in my free time, but I used to post some of my stuff on Instagram and people kept asking for me to share how I made those things. So then when I graduated, I realized that I needed to start doing it. From there, I started my blog and then began to show people the DIY projects they've been dying to make and it really just took off from there.

What has been the general reaction since you've started Aww, Sam?
It's been great! I graduated in May 2015, so I only started about 8 months ago. Everybody loves it because it's so colorful and so happy, so it's something that I think everyone can find their own little bit of themselves in and latch on to.

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Have you always had a colorful aesthetic?
I always tell people that I had a toast and egg scarf in high school. So I love novelty things but when I first came to New York I wore all black for like a year -- because that the thing that happens when you live in New York. And then slowly I began to gravitate more towards the super colorful, fun things I liked back in high school. So it hasn't always stayed constant, but it's always been there.

What's the most important thing you've learned from watching your mom bake?
I think I've learned a lot watching her decorate -- I don't have the patience for cookies and she meticulously decorates cookies all day. I've learned how to decorate and I know what tools I need in order to do them. She's been doing it for ten years now, so I've grown up watching her work and it's really been invaluable.

Did you ever have an 'aha' moment where one post you had really blew up?
That happens constantly. The funny thing is they're always the ones that I hate the most and then they are so popular so I have to see them all the time.

Which post comes to mind?
The Emoji roll cake that I did. I loved the cake itself, but we were pressed for time that day and the photos didn't come out the way I wanted them to. I know that other people looking at it won't think these photos are terrible because they really love the cake, but that was one. Valentine's Day came around and that photo was everywhere!

YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And come back at 12 pm EST for more exclusive Sam Ushiro features, including what goes on behind her signature shoots.

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