Jumpsuit – Showpo | Shoes – Forever 21 | Bag – Chloe
Beanie – Topshop | Sweater – Vestique | Leggings – Spanx | Sneakers – Adidas | Bag – Gucci (used from The Real Real)
Happy Official 2019 Loves!
One of my resolutions/goals for 2019 was to be more active here on my blog – so far it’s January 22nd and this is my first blog post of the month…I am not starting out great but that means there is only room for improvement! A few of my other resolutions for the year are to meditate every day which I have been consistent with since January 1st + I am really noticing a difference in my anxiety and overall wellness which is amazing! I also made a resolution to be more health conscious which I have been doing as well + I’ve added celery juice into my morning routine (see IG stories for more on that). I do plan to share my full morning routine and chat more about mediation and celery juice here on the blog soon as it has been highly requested so stay tuned for that!
BUT today I wanted to do a fun post answering any questions you guys might have about me. Questions like – how to start a blog, Instagram questions, business questions, personal questions, wedding questions ect. I put up an Instagram story yesterday asking you guys to send me questions to answer on todays post! I thought this would be a fun way for you guys to get to know me better and for me to be able to go a little more in depth answering some of your commonly asked questions.
OK let’s get into it because I have a feeling this will be a long one!
Beanie – Topshop | Sweater – Chicwish | Jeans – AG | Bag – Gucci
Answering YOUR Questions:
Q: How did you grow your following when starting your blog?
A: I started my blog over 3 years ago now and I remember the day I started it I told myself to be the most consistent I absolutely could from day one. I talk more about this on the Podcast episode I did with The Target Girl (linked here episode 17) but ever since I started my blog over 3 years ago I have posted to my Instagram consistently almost every day. Now I have taken a day or two off here and there when I did not feel I had the best content to share and I recommend only posting when you do have content you’re proud of but honestly that is what has helped me grow. Other things that I think help you grow – 1. Find a group of girls who are around the same engagement and following as you and join together to do giveaways, share each other on Instagram stories, help build each other up! 2. Engage with your followers in DM’s, comments, IG stories – no matter how big or small your following is you have people who love you and your content so talk to them! Get to know them, what do they like? What do they want to see on your blog or IG? This is crucial for building a brand and growing! 3. Do Instagram stories – I was that girl who was scared to do videos on IG for the longest time. It wasn’t until last year that I told myself to get over it and start doing videos and this REALLY helped! Your followers want to know you outside of your photos – share what you’re doing, share your home decor, what you’re eating, your makeup or skincare routine – whatever you’re passionate about and what makes you YOU – share that in videos! And remember if you’re just starting out it might take time to grow – most things in life that are worth having take time! Don’t get discouraged and put the time and the effort in and I PROMISE you will grow – just be patient!
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a blogger?
A: I absolutely love chatting with my followers and getting to know them! One thing I do daily is I take a decent amount of time to go through DM’s or comments and chat with those who are wanting to chat with me! I have found that my followers are some of the nicest girls and I love getting to know them, chatting with them or helping to answer any questions they have that I can help with. I also love inspiring others to be the best version of themselves whether that is through an outfit I helped inspire that makes them feel good or inspiring them to change their diet or lifestyle by adding meditation or celery juice to truly help them feel better. To receive a message from a girl saying I helped make her day better or she’s feeling better because of something I helped recommend – THAT is why I love doing this!
Q: What books would you recommend?
A: I love this question + I totally want to read more books this year as I have personally seen how it can change a person. If you follow me on IG you probably have seen my fiancĂ© Bryson’s book collection (if not he has 3 huge book shelves filled with books and he always has a stack of about 8-10 he is reading at a time). He is an amazing example of someone who can change who they are by reading! He is one of the most successful self taught people I know and it truly comes from reading and applying what he has read. He never went to college and barely, BARELY passed HS! A few of my favorite books – 1. The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha 2. Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis 3. Lessons by Gisele Bundchen – I am currently reading – Work Party by Jaclyn Johnson and How to Be an Overnight Success by Maria Hatzistefanis. I will continue to share my favs on my IG stories as I dive into more throughout the year!
Rings – Forever 21 | Sweater – Goodnight Macaroon | Jeans – GRLFRND Denim | Slides – Gucci
Q: Will you be blogging about the wedding planning process, ideas, inspo, etc?
A: Honestly I am probably going to be the weirdest girl ever for saying this – I have never pictured or dreamed of my wedding. I don’t have a Pinterest board with ideas or anything like that – I’m weird I know – AND I don’t have any interest in planning a big, fancy wedding! For me I am more excited about the life I get to make with Bryson after we get married – where we want to live, where we would raise our kids, how we are going to grow our businesses together, what our lives look like 10 years from now – our marriage vs the wedding itself! Again I’m probably weird I know! If it was 100% up to Bryson he would have a courthouse wedding and be done and part of me would be okay with that BUT to answer your question – I will share the small details long the way – our wedding will most likely be in Southern California and probably will be in 2020 or late 2019. It will be very small, very intimate and will not have a ton of thought or stress put into it – just a happy time with our close friends and family!
Q: Reasonably priced pair of everyday leggings?
A: I LOVE the Zella Live in Leggings – they’re comfy, they hold up and they are the perfect pair of everyday black leggings! I also LOVE the Spanx leather leggings – they are a bit more pricey but worth it!
Q: How many times a day do you meditate? And are you subscribed to the app?
A: LOVE this question as well! I cannot explain to you guys how much meditation has helped me already in 22 short days. I was experiencing high levels of anxiety and feelings of chaos daily and this has helped me to gain a better relationship + understanding with anxiety. Right now I meditate once a day usually first thing when I wake up. I use the app Headspace and I did recently subscribe to the app for the year! It has been worth every penny so far and if you are someone who struggles with anxiety I cannot recommend meditation enough! Headspace helps to guide you through so don’t worry if you’re new to meditating – I was too! It helps you through the entire process and it’s amazing!
Q: What inspired you to be a blogger?
A: I have always had a love for clothes and how they can make you feel when you love your outfit – so true right girls? I started out in the beauty industry outside of HS and have my license to do hair. I did hair for a short time then I did eyelash extensions and then got more into fashion. I owned an online boutique (Melvina Boutique) for a few years before I started my blog and at the time blogging was just getting big. I would send clothes to bloggers with my boutique and thought – why can’t I be doing this? Once we launched our pet supply company (FurryFreshness) my online boutique had to take the back burner and I remember feeling bad about having to put that on hold but then I thought – why not start my blog now? I did that while helping to launch FurryFreshness and have been doing it ever since! It was my love for clothes and how you can express yourself through them and how they can make you feel that really made me want to start blogging and inspiring others!
Dress – Nasty Gal | Belt – Lulus | Boots – Goodnight Macaroon | Bag – Chloe
Q: What does your fiancé do for work?
A: Bryson is a marketing master and as I mentioned above he is 100% self taught from reading books and applying what he has read! He has a few different businesses in the marketing and pet industries but currently his main focus is on our pet supply company FurryFreshness which we started from the ground up 4 years ago as well as a few dog training guides which we sell online as well. We are also working together to launch the all natural tanning company which I mentioned on stories last week called Tan Again. All in all he is SO hard working and can really be successful at whatever he puts his mind towards. In my eyes he is the true definition of an entrepreneur but would cringe if he ever knew I called him that! 🙂
Q: Will your spray tan be available in Canada?
A: Currently we are planning on it but still need to work on the logistics but to answer the question – yes that is our plan! SO happy and excited that you guys are so excited about this as well! I cannot wait for the launch!
Q: How did you know you had found “the one” and were ready to get engaged?
A: I think when you meet the right person you just know! There is a part of me that believes Bryson was put on this earth to be my other half. He is just like me in so many ways but also so different from me in the ways that make us so good together! When you are so aligned with someone they know what you’re thinking or can finish your sentence – or when they challenge you to be the best version of yourself – or they can make you laugh when you just want to start crying and completely change your mood with just one sentence – OR you truly cannot picture your life without them. It is kind of hard to explain but when you know – you know! Trust me!
Q: How did you go about starting your own business?
A: This is a loaded question and one I should probably do a separate blog post on because there are so many different things to take into account when starting a business. In total I have started 4 businesses so far – my online boutique Melvina, FurryFreshness with Bryson, my blog and now Tan Again. All of them (expect my blog until this year) started by forming an LLC with the state of Texas and getting an tax ID number. All of the websites aside from my blog are hosted through Shopify which is a great spot to host an online storefront. They give you all the tools you need to set up a store and to start accepting payments. My blog was obviously a bit different and I simply started with an Instagram and a WordPress website which is what my blog is hosted through. You can easily search how to set up a Shopify website, WordPress website or file for an LLC or tax ID all on Google and YouTube. I will plan to do a more in depth post about owning a business soon!
Dress – BB Dakota | Shoes – Red Dress | Bag – Chanel
Q: How did you and your fiancé meet?
A: We met through our moms actually! I have known Bryson since I was REALLY little. Quick back story – my parents got divorced when I was in the 3rd grade and shortly after my mom went back to school for interior design. She met Bryson’s mom in one of her classes and they became best friends! I have memories of Bryson coming over when I was really young and wearing a Pooh Bear turtleneck and I remember having a crush on him when I was like 7 or 8. His parents were divorced as well and his dad ended up moving to Texas from Michigan and Bryson wanted to move with him. I lost touch with him for a few years until 8th grade when I found him on MySpace – throw back right? I was still too young to really have a relationship so that fizzled out and I went to high school. It wasn’t until after HS and after I graduated Cosmetology school when I finally went looking for him again and this time found him on Facebook. He was still living in Houston where he had moved to after MI and somehow he was single – we started reconnecting and texting all the time. I took a few trips from MI to TX and the rest is history – I couldn’t be without him again! He is literally my other half!
Q: What was it like moving so far from home? I’m about to in a couple months and I don’t really know what to expect?
A: At the time I honestly didn’t put a ton of thought in it. Bryson and I had been long distance for a few months and I couldn’t stand the idea of being away from him. I simplified everything in my life into 3 large Home Depot boxes and sent those to TX and hopped on a one way flight. The move itself was easy for me – the hard part is being away from my family everyday since! I try to go home as often as possible to see everyone or have them come visit me. I think as long as your heart is in the move 100% it will be worth it + they make planes and cars to go visit your loved ones when needed!
Q: How did you launch your spray tan product and any tips for being an entrepreneur?
A: We haven’t launched the product or the brand yet but we are getting close! The first step for me was finding someone to create the perfect product. I looked online for a small batch cosmetic manufacture until I found one here in Texas to help me. This I would say is the hardest part of starting a product brand – finding the perfect manufacture who will work with small batches and care + listen to your ideas. From there I had to perfect the formulas (we are going on 3 years now) and once I finalized both of the products I had to find a fulfillment manufacture to help me start making the formulas. While all of that was happening I hired a team to help me with the branding, bottle labels, website, ect. It is definitely a process and owning a business is one of the TOUGHEST things I think you can do to make money but it is also the most rewarding and fulfilling. If you want to be an entrepreneur I think 1. You have to be willing to work your booty off and say goodbye to weekends! and 2. You have to find a problem that someone is having and find a good fix for it! If you can do that – you will be golden no matter what you decide to do or sell!
Q: You post things about gluten free food…do you have celiac?
A: Nope! I have just found from research as well as my own personal experience that gluten does not work for me nor does it work for Bryson. It gives us gut problems, join pain, brain fog – you name it. If you do a quick search on gluten vs gluten free diets you can make the decision for yourself which you should opt for! For us personally we prefer gluten free as much as possible – but we do love the occasional Oreo here and there!
Sweater – Wildfox | Jeans – GRLFRND Denim | Bag – Gucci
Q: Favorite bag/purse?
A: My Gucci Marmont Small MatelassĂ© – I have it in pink and black and it is the best everyday bag! I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to get their first designer bag. It is functional, cute and really holds up! I also love my very first Chanel bag I ever got – its a classic black one – Bryson got it for me a few years ago and it will always be the most special bag I have – just not as functional!
Q: Workout routine?
A: I haven’t been the best about my workout routine lately but I try to go to the gym 4-5 days a week and 3 of those days I work out with my friend Kylie who trains me. We do free weights + machines and typically we do a day for legs, a day for arms + abs and another day for back and maybe legs or arms again. The days I don’t workout with her I do the stairclimber at the gym or the treadmill.
Q: Any pet peeves?
A: Honestly not really! I just don’t like negative people and try my best to surround myself with those who lift me up! I’ve heard that you are a combo of the 5 people who you surround yourself with most so I try to limit my contact to those who really help me become the best version of myself!
Sweater – ASOS | Jeans – GRLFRND Denim | Slides – Gucci | Hat – Topshop
Q: What made you want to get veneers?
A: I never really loved my teeth or smile and growing up I had braces but only on my front four teeth? The braces left little white dots on my teeth and overall my teeth just were not my favorite part about myself – they always made me feel self conscious! Early last year I decided to explore the idea of veneers and once I went to the Cosmetic Dentists of Austin for my consult I was sold on it! Learn more about my veneers experience in my full blog post here!
Q: How do you put your Instagram stories together? Do you pre-record them then edit?
A: Yes! I always pre-record my IG stories in the moment and then go back and edit and make them look all cute! Right now I am loving the Golden Glitter filter with the Paris color over top of it which makes the color of the story more pinkish!
Q: Is blogging your main job? What did you do before blogging?
A: This is a tough question for me to answer because I own another business – FurryFreshness! Together FurryFreshness and blogging are my two main sources of income. I make money from both! If I didn’t have FurryFreshness blogging could absolutely be my main job – I love doing it + you can totally make a living off of it if you structure it the right way! Before I started my blog I was in the beauty industry – I have my cosmetology license and I can do hair and eyelash extensions. I also had my online boutique which I was doing right before we launched FurryFreshness and my blog! My very first job when I was 16 was working at Outback Steakhouse as a hostess! I also worked with my mom helping her with real estate when I was in HS! I’ve done a lot – but blogging and being a business owner is where my passion is!
Q: Affordable acne solutions?
A: I am still trying to figure this out myself! So far my skin is improving since getting my IUD removed, starting the celery juice every morning (supposed to be really good for acne) and following the regimen of skincare products the acne clinic I am going to here in Austin recommends. I have heard home remedies like lemon, apple cider vinegar and essential oils like tea tree and lavender can help! I haven’t found the best fix for myself yet so I can’t 100% offer a recommendation but I will keep you guys updated on how my skin improves over then next few months with what I am doing!
Sweater – Chicwish | Jeans – GRLFRND Denim | Slides – Gucci
Fast Q&A’s
Q: How tall are you?
A: I’m 5’10” – I used to hate being tall and now I don’t mind it!
Q: How old are you?
A: 26 – my birthday is 8.21.92
Q: Where are you from originally?
A: Michigan – a small town called Williamston.
Q: How do you add swipe up links on IG stories?
A: I believe you have to have 10,000 followers and or a business account!
Q: How often do you wash and style your hair?
A: I wash probably every 4-5 days at night and let my hair air dry while I sleep. I style it to some degree everyday!
Q: What is your all time favorite boutique?
A: I love Pink Lily Boutique – my favorite for everyday styles and I love working with them! They are so sweet! My discount code is jenniferx15 for 15% off everything!
Q: Favorite show?
A: It’s a tie between The Office and Gossip Girl!
Beanie – Topshop | Sweater – Chicwish | Jeans – AG | Bag – Gucci
WHEW – okay I think that is all the questions for now! If I didn’t answer your question feel free to send me a DM on Instagram and I will happily answer there! I hope you guys got to know me a little better + thank you for reading this far!