Rounding up all of your questions from over on IG! Thank you for sending them over and for being a part of this amazing community!
Q: What’s your biggest blogging pet peeve?
A: As you can imagine, I have quite a few! As for the industry itself- Instagram is my nemesis. Over the last year the way the algorithm works is that people are rewarded for unethical means of success. Buying likes, followers… faking it until you make it. Some accounts are not favored and some are (not everyone gets a trophy I realize) but there is no direct relationship between authentic and successful- which is the exact opposite of how it should be. What constitutes a “like” is often the exact thing people say they don’t want: picture the sitting in the car with leather seats, cake pop in hand, Starbucks in cup holder, leggings, shirt tied around waist pic. People knock that kind of pic- yet it gets more likes than any of mine ever will. Unfortunately for me though… cake pops ain’t Paleo.
Secondly it’s the way people forget where they came from. It’s so hard to find even an ounce of genuineness in blogging- and sometimes we strike up “friendships” that vanish once the numbers don’t hold up. People who drop other people once they become successful just suck. The egos are something I have never, ever seen. And for what? It’s SO RARE that I strike up friendships- in real life or blog life- much less give out my phone number (be still my heart) that if I do- and then a friendship fades- it drives me batty. As an empath- inauthenticity is like kryptonite to me- so it can be a tough place to be.
Q: What are some easy ways to treat yourself?
A: What a great question- because it’s so important! It of course depends on what you love to do, but the littlest things always feel like a treat to me. Watching a sunset, getting a massage, an early night in bed, or saving up for something I’m LOVING are all treats for me. Getting my nails done used to be a treat but for some reason I don’t like going these days. Makes me crazy. First world problems!
Q: Where do you and Mike like to vacation?
A: We have a HUGE list of places we want to go but haven’t been to yet. So far though, we LOVE Portland, Maine and Boston has a special place in our hearts too. We been to both places more than once and can’t wait to go back again!
Q: Favorite things about different phases of life?
A: This one stumped me- maybe because I don’t believe in having phases of life. My life looks so different than I thought it would that if I start to think of it with that lens- I might sound ungrateful or even disappointed. That said, if I had to pick my favorite “phase” I’d definitely say college. I found college to be magical. Of course there are some things I’d do differently, but overall, it was an amazing time. I got hired to teach so early on that I went right into the work force so my early 20’s had one focus- getting tenure and stabilized at my job. I learned a hard life lesson with that though- putting one thing on hold to accomplish another is NOT the way to go. When you finally arrive- you may have lost more on the journey than you intended. I’ll think on this more!
Q: I love you and your style but your handle doesn’t reflect your feed.
A: Thank you! I might be one of the LEAST literal people you will ever meet. Sunsets and Stilettos is actually a metaphor for what I consider myself to be- a mix of depth and whimsy. Read more here. No matter what the outfit, I always have some polish and that doesn’t mean I have to be in stilettos. Truth be told I’ve wanted to change my blog name for a while but when I brought it up awhile back the Sunset Squad was NOT having it!
Q: What is the hardest part of blogging?
A: I could write a dissertation. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while you know I tend to bare my soul every Sunday and share my struggles and how I try to overcome them. But I’ll do my best to sum it all up. The blogging world is totally hung up on numbers. How many likes, how many followers etc. The problem is- if you DON’T get hung up- it can impact the success of the blog. In addition, there are no friends in blogging. I am shown this again and again. Luckily I’m not one for friends to begin with- haha- but certain moments are harder than others.
Q: How long have you been Paleo? Do you drink?
A: I’ve been eating Paleo-ish for a few years now and I LOVE it. The difference in how I feel is amazing- and food just all around tastes better. As for drinking, I’ve never been much of a drinker. The only alcohol I like is the Bailey’s or Kahlua added to my Irish coffees- which I have as a treat every so often. (the coconut milk Bailey’s is my jam) Wine makes me feel like GARBAGE so I skip it. Now Mike on the other hand, loves his wine and scotch. He drinks beer too but in moderation. I prefer to eat my calories and off set any alcohol with a ton of water.
Q: When is the best time to purge your closet?
A: I have a SYSTEM for this. I could probably write a whole blog post on this alone. That said, I purge in steps. Unless I KNOW I don’t want something, I purge things to bins first. I save those bins for the season that the clothes belong to- if I go for something I keep it- if I don’t- it gets donated. I have a bizarrely photographic memory for my clothes and find myself reaching for things for years. I like to give myself a buffer before I get rid of something I will be grabbing for.
Q: Do you have siblings?
A: Nope! My mom was my best friend all growing up- and being an introvert (yes even before I knew it)- I LOVED playing by myself. I never once felt cheated or lonely. I tend to feel lonelier with the wrong people around- not when I’m actually alone.
Q: How long have you been teaching?
A: I’ve been teaching for over ten years now. I finished college in under three years because of various credits I had taken. I was blessed to have gotten a leave replacement position before I even graduated college, so everything happened very, very quickly. I started VERY young- so sometimes it feels like I signed my life away (location-wise) before I knew any better.
Q: What are your favorite socks?
A: My go-to this season has been the Universal Thread brand by Target! I keep buying more and they seem to be the ones I have been reaching for the most. I have these boot socks and then these regular ones too! Super soft and comfort is a requirement with me! Especially with socks!
Q: Tell us about your house.
A: Mike had a house before I met him, so when we got engaged, I moved in. It’s a cute little house only about twenty minutes outside NYC, so when he worked in the metro area- it was exactly what we needed. Since his job changed and our needs have changed though, we are struggling with our house a lot. It doesn’t provide the space we need to be comfortable- so we are torn between moving, renovating or staying as is to hopefully retire early and move somewhere else. We debate this literally EVERY day- so I keep praying on it and hoping we will be guided towards the right choice. As mentioned before I’m waiting for my gut to kick in to help me know what should be next.
Q: Is your hubby a teacher too? How long have you been married?
A: Mike and I have been married for almost five years! Can’t believe it’s been that long. He works in Finance and changed jobs last year to work at a non-profit in the field. If I could have chosen a job for him though, he would have worked with animals because he is OBSESSED with wildlife.
I get SO MANY questions about Mike- he hates pictures and as you can imagine- he’s not a fan being on display on the blog. I do my best to respect it- but every now and again I sneak him in. haha
Q: How do you prioritize time with your hubby?
A: I’m sure I could do a better job but oddly it doesn’t feel too hard because we are such low-key people. I’m a glutton and would hang with him all the time if I could. (*gag) One of the best times we had recently was when we went shopping at BJs. (*gag again) My point is that it doesn’t take anything special- we just try to enjoy the mundane. Someone once told me that love is what makes the mundane extraordinary- I guess that applies here. We love to binge watch TV shows and go out to eat. In warm weather we spend as much of our time walking at local parks as we can!
Q: Do you ever get buyer’s remorse?
A: I don’t! I am MUCH more likely to have remorse about something I give away, donate or return. I buy what I LOVE and keep things forever so I tend to get attached. I have my whole wardrobe memorized and buy things accordingly. That said, the ONE thing I can think of that I had regretted buying was the Louis Vuitton Croisette bag because it is way too small and I wish I had gotten a different style. I’ll likely be selling it in the near future for that reason.
Q: What made you want to be a blogger?
A: Truthfully- nothing! Mike used to work far from home so I didn’t see him much. I started posting my outfits for fun as a hobby while he was at work. (I love projects!) Over time things grew and changed and somehow I wound up here! Blogging has changed a lot since I started and sometimes it’s a hard place for this introvert to be- but this amazing community makes it all worth it.
Q: Do you get Botox, fillers, plastic surgery etc.?
A: I don’t! I’m so paranoid about what I put into my body that I’m too afraid to do any of it right now. I do believe that everyone should do whatever makes them feel comfortable and confident though, so maybe in the future, but right now I stick with lotions and creams and hope for the best. haha
Q: Would you be interested in sharing your daily meals and workouts?
A: Yes absolutely! I tend to dive into this content come January when we all tend to focus a bit more on ourselves and our health. I loosely follow a Paleo diet but I can’t say I subscribe to the entire line of thinking. I just eat as clean as possible and then I work out using the Tone It Up app. Yoga is my lifeline and I’m looking forward to getting back to my workouts more regularly once the holidays are over!
Q: Do you have go-to meals for dinner? Do you meal prep?
A: Some! Mike and I both hate to cook so it is an uphill battle. We do meal prep on Sundays in hopes of making things easier during the week. I follow the Tone It Up meal plan for the majority of my recipes but I love Paleomg too. This week I OBSESSED with this soup!
| Q: Where do you get your pajamas? A: I NEVER wanted to spend money on PJs. For so long I just wore whatever but the last few years I’ve found some brands I’ve been LOVING. PJ Salvage, this Target brand and recently Jockey are my favs! Q: What’s your favorite foundation? A: I am still loving IT Cosmetics best but I’m going back and forth between formulas. I recently ordered their primer and I am SO EXCITED to try it with the illuminizing foundation. Q: I’ve lost my will to shop. Too much content out there! A: Believe it or not I go through phases too. I tend to take a break from certain retailers and to hit off with others. I always find a good look at my wardrobe, and a good purge of some “weathered” items helps me know what I need to refresh. As for as their being too much content- there IS! But keep in mind you control that- I don’t follow many bloggers at all- (probably less than you!) – so stick with who and what you love and go from there. I plan to do a bit of a behind the scenes on blogging soon- but it will be in the newsletter so I don’t get too many hate messages about what I really think. haha |