READER QUESTIONS | 2020

Happy Monday, everybody!  I’m so excited about today’s post!

I haven’t done READER QUESTIONS in a good long while, even though it quickly became the 2nd most popular series on the blog.  And I’ve gotta say, I love that y’all are all nosy, just like me.  Listen, I get it!  My favorite posts that other bloggers do are the ones that give a little peek into their lives or a little look behind the scenes.  (And just in case you’re curious, the most popular posts are now my monthly Amazon posts.)

So, how did this series come to be?  Well, I get questions from y’all just about every day via instagram, facebook, e-mail etc.  I save some of them for posts like these when I think they are answers that lots of ladies would want to know, and I also request reader questions on instastories.

If you submitted the question on instastory, then your little question box and avatar will be in today’s post.  If you direct messaged me or just e-mailed me, then I will just include your question and name in italics.

Today’s post is a combination of NEW QUESTIONS I received this weekend, along with some previous questions that I tend to get over and over again.

I’m going to aim to make this a monthly series, but since it’s been awhile, I thought posting some of the most frequently asked questions would be a good way to kick the series off again.  I will say, I received soooo many this weekend that there’s no way I can get to them all, but I’ll save them for future posts.  I might even include some later this week!

Here are several of the most popular questions/answers from previous reader question posts in case you want to catch up:

*Question:  Do you want more kids?  Click HERE.

*Question:  Is your blog a 1 woman show, or do you have people that work for you?  Click HERE.

*Question:  Is there ever any jealousy in your friend group?  Click HERE.

*Question:  How do you maintain your weight?  Click HERE.

*Question: How did you and your husband meet?  Click HERE.

*Question:  Do you keep everything you order or do you return it all? Click HERE.

*Question:  What’s your favorite shampoo and conditioner?  Click HERE.

*Question:  What are your Top 5 purchases of all times / what is your top recommendation ever?   Click HERE.

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LET’S GET STARTED!  I thought we would kick things off today with a hard hitting question….

GLAZED. ALL. DAY. LONG.

No chocolate, no sprinkles, and definitely no nasty jelly filling….just give me a plain ol’ glazed donut and I’m a happy girl!

NOW, if a cream cheese croissant was a choice, I’d pick that.  #sowouldmydad

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Favorite and least favorite thing about blogging. – Claire

Hi, Claire!  Great question!  My favorite thing about blogging is the joy I feel when I receive messages from readers saying that I’ve helped make their life easier or that they feel more confident when dressing (based upon purchases they’ve made through the blog or from styling ideas they got from the blog).  I’ve always hoped that the blog would provide a service to women and that it would be a bright spot in their day, so it thrills me when I hear from y’all that I am in fact helping you!  I also really love when I get messages saying that you and a family member or friend are always texting and or/talking about the blog together.

And I’m just so dang grateful that y’all come around every week and trust my opinions!  AND that you tell your loved ones that they should read too.  It really is the highest compliment.

My least favorite thing about blogging is that it never stops.  My wheels are always turning… I’m  always thinking about post ideas, placing orders, writing posts, editing posts, taking pictures, returning items that didn’t work, etc.  I wish I could turn my brain off!  Haha!

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I bought your best black pants ever, and I love and adore them just like you said I would.  Can you recommend tops to wear with them to the office?  Thanks, Jenn

Jenn, I’m so glad you love the pants!  They truly are THE BEST BLACK PANTS EVER.  They are actually the best grey pants ever too, and you can better believe I have those as well.  And great news for those of you that don’t have them yet….THEY ARE ON SALE!  Before we get to a couple of top ideas, let’s talk about the pants…

You can click HERE to get to the post where I officially declared them the best black pants ever.  It’s like a Public Service Announcement of sorts.

They truly are THE PERFECT WORK PANT.  And even though I don’t work in an office, I’m so happy to have a pair of pants like this in my closet.  EVERYBODY NEEDS A  PAIR OF CLASSIC BLACK PANTS.  And if they look amazing but feel like pajamas, EVEN BETTER!  The fabric has a nice weight to it, they don’t show wrinkles, and I love the built in belt.  AND LADIES.  THEY ARE SOOOOOOO INCREDIBLY FLATTERING.  I feel like a million bucks in these pants.  Oh, and they also have the Ab-solution power mesh panels!  The belt is made out of the same stretchy fabric that the pants are, and I love how its presence helps to define my waist.

SIZING TIP:  This is important.  I would definitely suggest sizing DOWN.  I’m wearing the regular 2s (not petites).  I’m almost 5’4″, and I’m always a solid 4, but I definitely needed the 2s in these.  Really, size down.  I know sometimes people are hesitant to do this, but if you don’t size down, you won’t like these pants.  So please, give them a fair shot and size down.  (Some ladies even reported sizing down 2 sizes!)

Here’s the first blouse I’m recommending today!

The blouse is a gorgeous red with a petite floral vine running all over it.  It has a band collar, button cuffs, and the pleats allow it to flow and drape so nicely.  It’s true to size, I’m wearing a small.  This blouse looks great with these black pants, but it would also look great with skinny jeans and boot cut jeans!

Also worth noting is that it’s Treasure and Bond, and when your purchase Treasure & Bond, Nordstrom will donate 2.5% of net sales to organizations that work to empower youth!  Love that.

red floral blouse (plus size HERE)/ must have earrings / drusy heart necklace / best black pants ever / black pumps

Here’s another great blouse!

I think the teal floral pattern here is so pretty, but it also comes in a small berry floral as well as a small leopard print.  Y’all know I prefer a longer sleeve, and this blouse fits the bill!  It actually hits just above my elbow and is just a tad bit puffy (but not too crazy).  I like the style and interest it adds to the blouse.

I needed a medium in this one for it not to be too tight in the chest, but if you don’t typically need extra room in the chest, just stick with your regular size.

puffy sleeve blouse / must have earrings / drusy heart necklace / similar long necklace / best black pants ever / black pumps

And last but not least, this brightly colored cashmere sweater that is ON SALE!  This is the same sweater I already own in black and camel, AND I LOVE AND ADORE IT.  It’s a classic that will be in your closet for years and years to come.

The versatility of this sweater really does range from weekend wear with jeans, to office wear with suits and pencil skirts.  It simply morphs to the needs of the outfit and the occasion.  It is truly a classically beautiful wardrobe staple.  It’s just pretty.  The color, the fit, the material.  All of it.  Pretty.  (Remember, if you don’t want the price tag of cashmere, you can click HERE for a great v neck sweater options.  And you can click HERE to see me in it.)

I’m wearing the fuschia here.

cashmere sweater / Gucci bag /  statement hoops / drusy heart necklace / similar long necklace / best black pants ever / black pumps

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How long does it take you to write a post?  Do you ever get afraid you’ll run out of stuff to talk about?- Michelle

Hey, Michelle!  Great questions, I’ll answer both!

QUESTION 1:  How long it takes to write a post of course varies greatly from post to post, but the process usually starts wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy before the writing starts.

The planning portion for some posts takes place as many as 3-4 weeks out from the publish date.  There’s brainstorming for the theme of the post, often times shopping is involved (which usually takes place online), and there’s styling of outfits before a word is ever written or the pictures for the post are ever taken.

When I style outfits for a post, it usually happens several days before (but sometimes just the night before) I plan on taking pictures.  My hair is usually in a pony, I usually don’t have make up on, and my face often doesn’t appear in the pictures because it’s looking rough! Ha! I take these pictures so I can refer back to them when it’s time to pack up the outfits for the shoot so I won’t forget the shoes, the jewelry, which bag I chose, etc.  Click HERE to see how the below outfits looked when we took the official pictures.

After the pictures are taken, the favorites are chosen and edited, and then they are uploaded to the post.  At that point, I usually go in and add all the links (which is quite a time consuming process), and then I go back and add all of my thoughts.  And then I edit, edit, edit.  And I still miss typos all the time.  #ugh

And even with all the planning, things could very well change.  I might have ordered a particular item (planning to build an entire post around it), and when it arrives, I might not like the item.  Oops!  Back to the drawing board!  Or, I might find something new online that I love and think is going to sell out, so I’ll quickly throw together a post and move other scheduled posts around.

QUESTION 2:  Do you ever get worried about running out of post ideas?  In my first year of blogging, I often worried about running out of content.  Now that I’m in my 7th year, I just trust that the ideas will come.  New seasons always bring new clothes to talk about, and there are always new trends popping up.  And I love sharing bits of my personal life here and there on Friday Favorites and What’s Up Wednesday posts!

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Before I address this topic, I want to state that I 100% understand your perspective and where you are coming from.  I totally “get it” that sponsored content often times calls you to question if I really love an item or if I’m highlighting that item only because it’s a sponsored post.

I thoroughly answered a very similar question in my blog comment section a couple of weeks ago, but of course I can’t find that response now to copy and paste here.  I’m going to try my best to review the main points!

First and foremost, I feel very strongly about only posting things that I truly love.  Now, sometimes I will post things that I’m not in love with….but when I do that, I will definitely tell you that.  Other times I might post things that I think will look good on others (ex. somebody taller or with a smaller chest), even though I don’t love it on myself. But I will notate that as well.

If I say I love something on the blog, please know that it’s because I love it (whether it’s sponsored or not).

I have this theory that if I have a reader that buys 3 things as a result of the blog that they do not love, I very possibly might lose that person as a reader.  And I never want to lose readers!  The only way this blog thing works is if y’all trust me, so I work very hard to earn and keep that trust.

Also worth noting is the fact that I turn down a fair amount of posts that y’all obviously never know about since they never make it to the blog!  But again, I totally understand the stigma regarding sponsored posts, and I hope y’all will continue to trust me….even if the post is sponsored!

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I actually got lots and lots of questions about Amazon this go round.

REGARDING AMAZON RETURNS:  Returns are actually quite easy!  You log in to your account, click the order in question, and then just check the items that you want to return.  It gives you choices for why you want to return the item (ex. sizing wrong, not as expected, etc), and then they e-mail you a pre-paid shipping label you can print out.  When you place HUGE orders like me, it might take a bit to prepare the returns because sometimes the items will be separated into different return boxes.  For a regular sized order, I’m guessing it’s much easier.  UPDATE:  Kohl’s now accepts Amazon returns, and I take mine there! I start the return just like I would any return, but I choose Kohl’s drop off.  After you select the items you want to return, the computer will tell you how to organize the returns (what can go with what) and they will give you a bar code for each group of clothes. They e-mail the bar code, I screen shot the bar code, and then I head to Kohl’s.  You don’t need to box them up or anything!

REGARDING AMAZON QUALITY: After a year of doing these posts,  I’ve found that Amazon quality is all over the place.  But that’s where I come in!  I order a lot of stuff that never makes it to the blog.  Most of the time that’s because of sizing/quality issues.  Consider me your quality control officer.  Ha!  (Some of you have asked me to share the misses as well, and although that sounds fun, it’s all I can do to get the HITS highlighted!)

If it makes it to the blog, I truly do like/love the item.  And I have to say, I have been VERY IMPRESSED with many of my Amazon orders.  I really didn’t know that you could get great quality, well made, and totally on trend items from Amazon!!!  And for such great prices!  But after shopping Amazon for a year now, I now have GO TO brands that I know and trust.  Daily Ritual, Lark and Ro, Cable Stitch, 90 Degree by Reflex, and Amazon Essentials are all brands that I have incredible luck with.  The quality is great, and I’m never worried about fabric or fit.

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Great question!  Chris (my hubby) takes 90% of my pictures.  He’s so patient with me when I’m all “No, my hair looks wonky.” or “WHAT IS MY FACE DOING?” #hewishesiwaskidding

Click HERE to see the pics that Chris took for me once in our favorite shoot location (downtown McKinney) and HERE to see some pics he grabbed of me and Carter last year.  When Chris is out of town, Carter even steps in on occasion (click HERE to see some pics Carter took of me last month).

My friend Narci has taken pics for me before as well, like HERE and HERE.  My friend (and tech support) Stephanie took these pics.  And Cassie has taken my pictures in the past, like when she photographed me in her first line HERE.

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Hi, Emily!  Last time I answered this I drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  Now I drive a Yukon.  I needed a bigger car to be able to transport the dogs back and forth to the ranch easier.

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Hi, Steffani!

The short answer is I started the blog in 2012.  It had gained a pretty loyal following before I decided to focus on it full time in 2014.

Before I started the fashion blog, I had a family blog that was read solely by my friends and family.  Several of the girls in my group had blogs, and we just filled them with pictures of our lives as new mamas with our cute little ones.  Shay started a food blog and was having a ton of fun with it, so she started encouraging me to start a blog too.  Pinterest was new on the scene, and I had the idea to recreate outfits I’d pinned on Pinterest, so I jumped all in and named the blog Pinterest Told Me To.

I was recreating outfits with items I already had in my closet, but as my following continued to increase, things started to change a bit. Y’all made it clear that you didn’t want me wearing old items and linking to “similar items”, you wanted me linking to the exact items I was wearing.  In early 2016 I stopped recreating outfits from others, and I started styling all of my own outfits.  At that time, I rebranded to Sheaffer Told Me To.

Now I think of the blog as kind of a personal shopping service.  And what I’ve come to learn is that although this is certainly a blog for people who love to shop….it’s also for those that don’t enjoy shopping or don’t have any time to shop!

It is my hope that this blog makes your shopping life easier and that you feel cute and confident when walking out the door!

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Were you in a sorority in college? – Beth

Hey, Beth!  Yes, I was a Kappa!

RAH RAH KAPPA KAPPA GAMMA!

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I’m interested in the MoroccanOil, but I’m worried about build up.  Does it build up in your hair? – Dana

I was worried about this too, Dana!  I hadn’t noticed any build up at all, but was still a little worried, so I asked my hairdresser about it at my last appointment (Shout Out, Amanda!).  She agreed that it’s an incredible product and shared that she doesn’t notice any build up on client’s hair!

(You can click HERE for the original post if you missed the Sephora Haul and want to see ALL THE THINGS.)

I apply a little bit on my damp hair before running my round brush through it while drying it.  And then I typically apply a small amount again after my hair is dry and curled.  The main benefits I’ve noticed is that it tames flyaways and BOOSTS THE SHINE LIKE CRAZY.  My hair is silkier, softer, and more manageable.  It’s seriously SO SOFT and SO SHINY.

lounge jumpsuit / bandana (worn as a headband)/ Moroccanoil Treatment

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This is an oldie but goody, so I had to share it again!  Haha!

Okay, so I typically don’t share messages like this because I want this to be a happy space and I don’t want to give energy and life to the negative comments…but I thought this one was hysterical.  Listen.  I totally know what this girl is talking about when she says it looks like I’m taking a step.  But I cannot agree with her assessment that it’s not flattering.

If she would have said it was “stupid”, I would have understood.  If she would have said it was “annoying”, I TOTALLY could have seen her point.  But NOT FLATTERING?  I want to assure her that I take the picture like that because it actually IS flattering.

I mean, you can guarantee that I always want my pictures to be as flattering as possible.  Even at the risk of being stupid or annoying.  Hahahahaha! #priorities

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YES!  These are the only no show socks that don’t make me fly into a rage.  All others I’ve tried slip off my foot and make me absolutely crazy.

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Another great question!  I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say why I have.

There are actually several reasons behind my decision to start featuring Amazon fashion.  First and foremost, I’ve had pretty frequent reader requests to try out Amazon clothes.  It’s totally daunting to shop on Amazon since there are so many brands and so many choices, but everybody loves to shop on Amazon since so many people are on Amazon Prime.  The demand was great, so it made sense for that reason.

Also, I watched several of my blogger friends do Amazon hauls for several months, and they always found some great items.  However,  I knew from what they said that the posts were a lot of work.  Couple the fact that they were a lot of work with the fact that my current affiliate network didn’t include Amazon, and I just made the easy choice to not do them myself.

Once Amazon was added to my network, I decided I would try it for a month.  I wanted to see what I could find and see the kind of feedback I got from y’all.  Well, the post was super popular!  And although it was definitely a lot of work, I ended up with a small group of items that I really loved at really great prices!

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This is an easy one!  My parents named me Lauren Sheaffer, but they always called me Sheaffer.  My full name now is Lauren Sheaffer Sims.

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Hi, Kelli!  Fun question!  I only owned 1 designer item, my Louis Vuitton bag, for the first 6 years of my blog.  When I first got my bag , I didn’t put it on the blog because I was afraid people would think it was ridiculous to spend that much on a bag.  However, I eventually showed it and now it’s in tons of my outfit pictures.  And I could be forgetting since I’ve had it for so long, but I don’t recall ever getting a negative comment about it!  The only other “designer item” I owned until recently is a couple pairs of AG jeans, but I’ve blogged about those quite a lot.

While on my girl’s trip in Boston this year, I bought a Gucci bag and my goodness I love it!  So, I now own 2 designer bags and have no regrets!  I know they aren’t for everybody and that many of you will think I’m crazy, but I carry them all the time and know I will for years and years to come.

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Hi there!  Like many of you out there, I basically have a handful of GO TO recipes that I repeat frequently.  The fastest dinner for us is tacos.  I typically make a big ol’ batch (we prefer McCormick taco seasoning), and we eat off of it throughout the week with nachos, taco salads, etc.

Another one of our favorite go to dinners over here is grilled chicken or baked fish with veggies.  If going with chicken, we simply marinate the chicken in Italian dressing overnight and then just throw it on the grill.  We typically serve with a baked potato (often a sweet potato for me) and some roasted veggies.

Their favorite meal that we probably eat around once a week is grilled steak with a baked potato and 1 more veggie.  Click HERE for Chris’s simple steak recipe that is absolutely delicious!

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Hi, there!  Such a good question!  I actually have no idea how frequently Nordstrom does markdowns, but I do try and check for new markdowns and new price matched items each and every day.  I know that y’all love SALE ALERTS, and I get so excited when I find a great sale item, especially if it’s something that that I’ve previously highlighted on the blog.  The affiliate network I work with also sends me sale alerts on items that I’ve previously marked as a “favorite”, so I also get notified that way!  And I’d like to thank y’all for making sure I know about sales too! I get lots of e-mails and facebook messages from readers that want to make sure I know about a new to sale item.

I checked last night, and found the following:

There’s a great selection of Barefoot Dreams items ON SALE HERE!  Blardigans, blankets, and other stuff!

The crazy popular Free People sweater tunic  has been restocked AND IS NOW 40% OFF!  It’s soft, well made, comfy, and totally chic!  It’s perfectly oversized AND I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT.

I love it like I’ve styled it here with my faux leather leggings and over the knee boots.  It’s dressy enough like this that you could even wear it to a party, especially if you paired it with a clutch and sparkly jewelry.

But I can tell you, I think it will look just as great with jeans or regular leggings and sneakers.  And the reviews are FABULOUS.  Seriously, go read the reviews.

I’m wearing a small, but I think an x-small would actually still be long enough for leggings.

I sized up to a medium in the leggings (I wear a small in Zella leggings).

Free People sweater tunic / must have earrings /SPANX faux leather leggings / similar over the knee boots ON SALE

These slate Hunter boots are 60% OFF!  Which makes them just UNDER $60! I don’t recall ever seeing them this low!!!!

Click HERE for the packable slate boots shown.

Click HERE for all Hunter boots on sale.  Lots of styles and colors to choose from!

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Hi, Jen!  I’m going to speak on behalf of our entire group right now when I say we don’t deal with jealousy.  I think we do a wonderful job of encouraging each other and lifting each other up, and we are without a doubt each other’s biggest cheerleaders.  I saw a meme once that said your circle should want to see you win, and if they don’t, you should get a new circle.

These girls are good for my soul.  We’ve been through a lot together, and I really cherish them.

Click HERE if you want to see our trip to NYC that we took in 2018.

This past November we headed to Boston, and you can see that trip recap HERE.

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Hi thehousewifechef!  I actually have two different camis that I love!

This one is ONLY $12 and it’s awesome.  This is the one I wear under casual outfits.  I would definitely recommend sizing up in this one.

And if you are wearing a top that’s dressy, then this cami is the one for you.  It’s a silkier fabric, and it’s reversible.  You can wear it scoop neck or v neck.

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I have a couple of pairs that I absolutely love.

This 7/8 pair from Zella has been a favorite since the anniversary sale.  I love the pocket, and GREAT NEWS…they are 40% OFF right now!

And I love these from Amazon.  CHECK OUT THE ONLINE REVIEWS!

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That’s all for today y’all!  I hope you enjoyed it!

If I can get my act together, I’ll include some more questions later this week.  If you have anything you are dying to know, please leave it in the comment section below.  See you back here on Wednesday!

Filed Under: Fashion 49 Comments