Hey guys! Today is my birthday so I wanted to round up y’alls most asked questions and answer them all for you! Always feel free to ask me other questions if I missed anything! I plan on doing one of these at least once a quarter and I will update my about me page as well as I go!
Blogging
Q. How did you start blogging?
A. I started my blog to document my wedding process! I would post day to day life and even recapped the Bachelor TV series. I started getting more and more questions about my clothing and my blog shifted to a style blog.
Q. How did/do you grow your blog following?
A. Consistency, Passion, Dedication and Patience.
- Consistency– This is a huge part of growing your blog. I am a firm believer that setting a posting schedule and sticking to it will lead to growth. That being said, life will happen and it is not the end of the world if you miss posting a picture on instagram or a blog post. Honestly, that was something I used to beat myself up over. I have always been overly organized when it came to my blog because of working full time and being a wife/mom. I had to learn that although being consistent is important, being present is even more important.
- Passion– To grow your readership, the passion MUST be there. If you do not love what you are talking about, your readers will see right thru you.
- Dedication– growing your blog requires a lot of time and believe me you will eat, sleep and dream about it. You wear a lot of hats being a blogger and with that comes a lot of pressure too. Dedicate your time and energy wisely and the results will come.
- Patience– When I first started blogging it was relatively new and I have watched it grow immensely. You have to be authentic, stay true to yourself and know that not everyone person will grow at the same rate. Never let a number define you! Comparison is a theft of joy and even though it is inevitable, always remember WHY you started the blog and what your overall goals were in the beginning.
Advice I always give to new bloggers is to never try to be someone else. Each of us has our own unique voice.
SWEATER //JEANS // (FULL BLOG POST COMING SOON!)
Q. What camera do you use? Do you prefer Canon or Nikon? Who takes your pictures?
A. I currently use the Nikon D7100 with a Sigma 35mm lens. I also have the 85mm lens (great for detail shots) and the 50mm lens. I have used both Canon and Nikon and prefer NIkon. We are testing out some new cameras this year, so stay tuned for a full blog post on this! My mom also takes 90% of my pictures! She loves photography and I am so thankful for her creative eye.
Q. What have you learned about blogging over the years?
A. I feel like I could write a book on this and maybe one day I will haha. I was pretty shy growing up and Blogging has definitely brought me out of my shell. You have to have thick skin and know that you will not be everybody’s cup of tea. I have met so many amazing girls in the blogging community and feel very lucky to have a supportive, honest and trustworthy group of friends. The biggest thing blogging has taught me is that the only thing you truly own is your blog. Social media is ever-changing,so put your best work into your blog and use social media to promote your work.
Personal
Q. Do you want more kids?
A. This is a question we get asked a lot! We would love to give Olivia a brother or sister. We will also be completely happy if Olivia is the only child in Gods plan for us.
Q. How long have you and Drew been together/married.
A. Drew I have been together for almost 15 years and been married for 9 years in November. It is crazy to think how much time has passed by!
Q. What do you do for a workout routine?
A. I incorporate a few different workouts every week. I usually Jog 3 miles 3-4x a week, do at home work out vides (love all of Jillian Michaels videos and a couple Youtube dance workouts) and I use free weights for my arms and lunges. I can go into more detail on this if you guys want! Leave a comment 😉
Q. How Tall are you?
A. I am 5’7
Q. What is your favorite Travel Destinations?
A. Hawaii is always our favorite and this past trip with Olivia was my absolute favorite. It was like seeing Maui for the first time again. We also fell in love with Canada and plan on going back very soon. We are also researching some places to travel this fall, so if you have any recommendations, please send my way!
BEAUTY/STYLE
Q. Is that your natural hair color?
A. Yes! I was born with FIRE Engine red hair haha. The red hair comes from both sides of my family.
Q. What are your favorite hair products?
A. I have used Kerastase products for 15+ years and I also did a post earlier this year on new Holy Grail Hair products. My favorite hair tools are hands down T3.
Q. What are your three of your most prized possessions?
A. I will break this into two different categories because different versions of this question have been asked!
- Personal– My Faith, Famliy, and being known as trustworthy and compassionate person are all very important to me.
- Actual Things– Olivia’s baby pictures/videos (I watch the video of her first time walking all the time still!), my engagement ring (I also still have the dress I wore when Drew proposed,) and my Black double flap Chanel Handbag (materialistic I know, but I got a huge promotion at my last job that I worked my butt off for and splurged! Every time I carry it, I remember how hard I worked to get that job)
Q. What is your favorite style/designer handbag?
A. I have a post coming next week with my top 5 favorite designer handbags, but my favorite style of bag is the Prada Saffiano Double Tote.
Q. Where do you get your style inspiration from?
A. I draw my inspiration from so many things. Travel has always inspired me from the architecture, local street style or the overall atmosphere of the city. I draw a lot of my color combinations and layering techniques from runway shows during NYFW.
Q. What do you do with all your clothes?
A. I typically do not sell my clothes on poshmark or instagram. I either donate to a local women’s shelter or give to my family. There are times that readers ask about certain pieces and I sold them the item to them or if the item is gifted, i gift it to them! If I ever do an instasale again, I will be sure to let y’all know!
Q. What are your favorite beauty products?
A. I am definitely not a beauty guru, but my top three are: Lash Boost (with this eye lash primer and mascara,) Colleen Rothschild Detox Mask, Mac’s Lipstick in Captive. I plan on sharing my favorite beauty products in one post for you all soon!
Ok that is all for today! Sorry for the longest post ever! We were planning on going out of town this weekend for my birthday, but all three of us were so sick and STILL getting over this awful cold/virus that we decided to post pone our trip. On that note, I get TERRIBLE airplane ear, and it is so much worse when I have a cold. If anyone has any remedies for this, please let me know. I know so random haha, but I get pretty desperate for advise when it comes to this! Drew has a fun date night planned and I am celebrating with my friends/family this weekend. Cheers to getting older, it isn’t THAT bad 😉
xoxo Tara
Happy birthday!!!
What a great post! I love learning about different people and realizing that we’re all the same deep down. It’s also inspirational to learn where people come from and how they go to where they are today. All your outfits are beautiful!
Tabitha
https://shopsiloe.com/
First and foremost, happy birthday, Tara!
Could you go into more about your eyelash serum? I have the Neulash, but I’ve been hearing that there’s others that may be better.
Thanks!