READER QUESTIONS

It’s time y’all!  It’s the 2nd edition of READER QUESTIONS this month, and you still have a 3rd one coming at ya next week!!!

So, how did this series come to be?  I get questions from y’all 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 y’all would want to know!  And then a couple of weeks ago I asked for reader questions on instastories, AND Y’ALL BROUGHT IT WITH THE QUESTIONS.  I  can’t answer them all on the blog, but I’ll answer some of them today, and I’ll answer some more next week!  (And if you missed last week, I answered some HERE.)

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 your name in italics.

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

*Question:  Are you still a speech therapist?  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:  Do you want more kids?  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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Hi, Sheaffer!  I always buy your recommendations for guys and they are always a huge hit with my guy (especially the Bose speaker)!  This year the only thing new you talked about was the meat thermometer, and I already bought it #becauseyoutoldmeto.  Any other new ideas for guys for this year?   I also need stocking stuff ideas for everybody on my list.  Any ideas for things that fit in a stocking and are UNDER $20? – Reagan

Hi, Regan!  I was going to put a collage together for this, but I ran out of time……

So, list it is!  I asked Chris to help me with this, so he went to his Amazon history and started reading stuff of to me.

Chris bought this electric griddle for himself this year and LOVES it for making big breakfasts!  He thinks it would make a great gift.

He purchased a new pair of his favorite flip flops just last month because his others were several years old and showing some wear and tear.  They are a great deal and would even fit in a stocking!

Chris has had a power washer for years that he uses all the time, so when this one popped up in his feed he told me I needed to mention it as well.

Here are some other ideas I found  while hopping around Amazon.  All of these items I’m mentioning have stellar reviews:

• this dual USB charger is under $15 and makes a perfect stocking stuffer
• at just under $20, this charging cable case is perfect for a man that travels
• does your man like a clean car?  get him this vehicle dustbuster!
• another great under $15 stocking stuffer is this wireless charger

If anybody else has other great gift ideas for the men in our lives, please leave your suggestions in the comments!

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I really enjoy your sister’s posts.  I work in an office, and I really like seeing her outfits and appreciate the fact that she has this monthly series.  I’m just being nosy, but I’m curious how it works. Do you pay her to do the posts? – Kathleen

Hey, Kathleen!  That’s a great question!  I LOVE Conner doing the posts once a month for a couple of reasons…1)  Her posts obviously take me a lot less time than when I write a post from start to finish by myself.  2)  I know I have a lot of working ladies that read here, so I like to be able to provide this service to y’all for great work wear inspiration.

So, now for your question. How does it work?  Every month I gift Conner a $300 gift card to shop for the post!  I know when she posts that y’all want to be able to buy the clothes (and not have me just linking to something similar), so she needs new stuff to talk about each month!  It works for me (because the posts are a lot less work), and it works for her (because she gets a $300 clothing budget each month she does a post)!  That’s what I call a WIN WIN!

Click HERE to see her post from earlier this week and get details on all 4 of these darling outfits.  I’m not sure how long this is lasting, but as of last night, EVERYTHING AT LOFT IS 50% OFF WITH FREE SHIPPING!  Everybody needs to click over and check out this cardigan.  I love the waterfall styling and think it would make an excellent gift.

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Hi, Carole!

This is a question that I get every so often, and I’m so sorry that I don’t have any tips!  There are now 5 blardigans in my house that I’ve collected over the last 5 years ( I just bought this one in burgundy for myself last month, that’s actually more like a deep purple than a burgundy).  Not one of them sheds. None of my friend’s blardigans shed either….and none of my family members have blardigans that shed.

HOWEVER, that being said, I do know that occasionally I will have a reader that complains about massive shedding.  I’m so sorry, but I have no explanation and no tips.  I don’t care for mine in a special way or anything, I just wash and dry them with everything else! And every few washings I will only dry it partially and I will hang it to dry the rest of the way and pull on it a bit if it needs to stretch back out.

If you are a reader that has battled shedding with your blardigan, do you have any tips?  If you do, please leave them in the comments!

I don’t know if it’s certain colors that are more pre-disposed for shedding, or maybe just certain lots when they are produced.  I’m so sorry I’m not any help!

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Oh my goodness, Jess.  That is so sweet of you to say, but I’m definitely ill equipped to answer this question.  I constantly battle with my weight, I do not enjoy exercising at all, and I love food.  Not a great combination. Ha!

I feel like I gain weight pretty easily, but I can definitely lose it when I put my mind to it.  But when I decide to lose it, I go FULL THROTTLE.  I don’t cheat at all, I drink a ton of water, and I go super low calorie and low carb.  AND I  start exercising with one of my neighbors. We will do  Beach Body videos that incorporate both cardio and strength training.

If you haven’t been reading me for all that long, you might not know this….but I typically gain 15-20 pounds and lose about 15-20 pounds each and every year.  It’s terrible, but it’s true.  Now, I never really buy larger sizes, I just become seriously uncomfortable in my clothes, and then I start to make better choices. Yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds.

I hope there are those of you out there that can identify with this?  I wish I could make it a lifestyle, and every year after I’ve lost the weight and I’m feeling great I act like it is going to be my new way of life.  BUT IT NEVER IS.

I typically eat healthy and work out from January-March each year.  And during that time I take the weight off that I put on from April-December.  I wish it wasn’t true (and my mom is HARD CORE rolling her eyes at me right now), but it is.  Every year she’s always like “You look so great and healthy right now, you should just stay this way.”  AS IF I hadn’t thought of that mom.  Haha!

I know it’s not good for me, and I know I need to be better.

Maybe 2019 is my year.

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Hi, Natty!  Oh, I know FOR SURE that I have too much stuff.  And it’s definitely overwhelming at times.  I’m going to continue to expand on this answer with the next answer….

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Hi, Jill!   I don’t do closet sales (so sorry!), but I will let you know where all of the old/excess clothes go.

First of all, my mom is super lucky that she most often wears the same size that I do, so she gets a lot of my clothes.  She gets so excited when she gets deliveries from me (she’s getting a pretty large one this weekend), and I’m always happy to pass my gently used items along to her.  I also have a friend that wears the same size shoe as me, so she gets a lot of my shoes!  I usually divide bags and jewelry between other friends and family.

That being said, there’s still a lot that doesn’t get passed on to friends or family, so that gets donated.  There’s an awesome organization in McKinney called The Samaritan Inn (a homeless program that helps willing people gain dignity and independence), and I take a lot of clothes there as well.

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I know this is a tall order, but I need to buy the same gift for 10 girls that are in a bible study with me. We are doing a Favorite Things party (with a $10 limit), and I cannot find anything that I want to give.  Help, please!  And if you could find a $10 blardigan, that would be awesome.  Thank you, Johannah

Hi, Johannah!  I actually lol’d.  A $10 blardigan is the stuff that dreams are made of!

I have THE BEST IDEA.  One of my favorite scarves in the world happens to be on sale right now, making it just UNDER $10!  This scarf really ups the cute factor of outfits, and it’s so easy to style.  Just wrap it around your neck twice and BAM!  DARLING!

twist front top /earrings / scarf / jeans / black wedge boots

Get The Look For Yourself Here:

I’m not sure when your party is, so if you don’t have time to place an order for these scarves, giving your favorite fingernail polish or a great holiday nail polish is always a great option too!

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If you want to see a recap of my girl’s trip to New York last month, click HERE!

Besides heels for the nights we got dressed up, I only took 2 pairs of shoes.  You need a great pair of sneakers (mine are sold out), and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND purchasing and taking my favorite UGG boots (also a shorter option HERE).  I wore the UGGs on the cold and rainy days, and they were perfect.  My feet stayed totally comfy and dry.  And these boots aren’t just good for NY trips, I wear mine all the time at home and around town.

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I’m a Barrington bag lover because of you, and I’m wanting to give a couple of gifts for Christmas.  Do you have a code right now? – Melissa D.

There’s actually a site wide code right now!  With the code HOLIDAY, you can get 10% OFF orders over $150, 15% OFF orders over $250, and 20% OFF orders over $250.  The code also gets you FREE SHIPPING!

And great news, if you order by Sunday, you can still get guaranteed delivery by Christmas!!!  I got permission to share this picture off of the Barrington ig account (@barringtongifts) because I thought it did a great job of showing a variety of items, patterns, and colors.  This shot also features a lot of their lower priced items.

keychain holder /sunglasses case / valet / luggage tag / passport case

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I’ve got a super simple answer for you:  my hair looks absolutely terrible when not fixed. It’s one of the main reasons I can never go on Survivor. Hahaha!

I am not one of those people that can let my hair air dry and just go with it.  NO M’AM.  My hair is SUPER curly, but just in the back.  And the sides are straight as a board. It’s awesome.  Except the opposite.

When I’m in a hurry, I dry my hair quickly just pulling it straight with a regular brush while using the best hairdryer in the history of the world.  And I’m not just saying that.  It truly is the very best hairdryer IN THE WORLD.  It’s crazy expensive, but I happen to think it’s worth it.  After drying my hair like this quickly, I pop these rollers in my hair.  It’s still kind of lumpy and bumpy underneath, but the rollers smooth it out a bit and give it a nice curl.

When I need/want my hair to look it’s best, I actually section it off and dry each section with a round brush.  I really concentrate on pulling out the curl and eliminating all the lumps and bumps.  AND THEN…even after I take care drying it…I still pop it in these rollers.  The curl holds, the rollers seem to smooth out flyaways, and I’m not sure how this is the case…but I swear these rollers make my hair shinier.  I of course have no scientific evidence to support that, but I believe it to be true.

 

I also get asked what hairspray I use.  You can find it HERE and it smells AMAZING!

If you want to see my full review on the dryer, click HERE.  You’ll see that I bought mine refurbished through eBay.  If you prefer to buy new, you can find this cool set (with extra products) HERE on Nordstrom.  And you can find my pajamas on sale HERE for 40% OFF.

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I love your blog.  All of your clothes work for me.  We’re also the same size, so that helps me tremendously!  I’m wondering, what do you wear to church? – Stef

Hi, Stef! I dress pretty casually for church, especially when it’s cold outside.  This past Sunday I just wore black jeans, black wedge boots, and a sweater.  A couple of Sundays before that, I wore a sweater with boot cut jeans and booties.

I also wear a lot of tunics and leggings or dresses and tights when it’s cold.  I don’t think I’ve ever worn a pair of heels to church, so it’s typically wedges in the spring and summer and boots in the fall and winter.

So, this is what I wore last week.  Do you remember this sweater?  This is actually the sweater I wore in the photos I took with Carter!  It’s a really great sweater.   I’m wearing a small, and it’s still a relaxed fit.

sweater / earrings / black jeans / black wedge boots

If you are new to my blog, you must click over HERE to learn about the black jeans I’m wearing.  You need them.  #promise

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Do you still have that leather hooded jacket from the anniversary sale?  I thought you said you kept it, but I’ve never seen you wear it. – Delilah

Hi, Delilah!  I definitely kept it!  I wore it earlier this week to meet friends for lunch and got 2 compliments on it when just walking around the McKinney square!  For size reference, I sized up to a medium (which I often do in jackets).  I love the gold hardware, the removable hood, and the overall style and fit.  It’s a really great jacket and an awesome price point at just under $100.

moto jacket / black v neck sweater ON SALE /hoop earrings / star necklace / jeans / black wedge boots

And I wanted to take my jacket off to show y’all the sweater.   This is my favorite basic sweater in my closet.  Over the last 2 years, I’ve added 3 colors to my closet.  I have it in black, in red, and in mushroom. It’s ON SALE and comes in several colors.  It says to size down, but I stayed in my regular size small.  There’s nothing I hate more than a snug sweater.  It is generously sized, so if you don’t have a large chest, you might consider sizing down as suggested.

black v neck sweater ON SALE /hoop earrings / star necklace / jeans / black wedge boots

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Do you get your eyebrows microbladed? And have you ever considered false eyelashes. – Jessie

Hey, Jessie!  I don’t get my brows microbladed.  In fact, all I do to my eyebrows is tweeze them occasionally.  I definitely need to go to a brow girl for a consultation!

Concerning eyelashes, I would LOVE them.  It’s the maintenance that’s holding me back.  If it was a one time deal, I would have already done them, I just can’t commit to the appointments required to maintain them.

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Okay….so this jacket/cape doesn’t answer any reader questions, but I just wanted to show it to you!  It was sent to me by some buyers at Nordstrom, and I’ve got to be honest, when I took it out of the box I was unsure.

BUT THEN I PUT IT ON.

AND I WAS LIKE, “WELL, THIS IS DARLING.”

It’s fit is more like a cape than a jacket, but I think it’s so much fun!  I think the waist is flattering, and I just love how unique it is.  And I’m of course obsessed with the buffalo check.  For size reference, I’m wearing a small.

buffalo check cape / black v neck sweater ON SALE /hoop earrings / star necklace / jeans / black wedge boots

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Also not a reader question, but y’all need to know that Anthro is 30% OFF EVERYTHING and FREE SHIPPING for over $50.  Anthropologie shipping drives me CRAZY, so I’m always happy to take advantage of a free ship day.  And let’s be honest, I always make it to the $50 minimum.

And don’t forget, all of their candles are 30% OFF too!  And I’m completely smitten with their melamine holiday plates.

I love this cowl neck sweater dress (perfect with leggings and boots) and I know this striped thermal pullover will be super popular.

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That’s all for today, y’all!  Have a wonderful weekend with your people!

Filed Under: Fashion 34 Comments