READER QUESTIONS (YOU ASKED, I ANSWERED!)

A couple of weeks ago I put up an insastory asking for READER QUESTIONS.

And ohhhhhhhemmmmmmmmmgeeeee, y’all brought it with the questions.

Today I’m going to answer several, and next week I’ll answer some more.  LOTS of questions were duplicates, so I’ll  be sure to answer those because it’s obvious that inquiring minds want to know! Of course many of the questions had to do with clothes, but I also picked some more personal ones that I just thought were fun!  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.

Let’s get started!

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GREAT question alexandria.roy21!  Carter just turned 10 last week (pictures to follow soon), and at this time in his life, he thinks the fact that I’m a blogger is pretty neat!  He’s been with me out and around town when people recognize me, and he always thinks that is SO COOL.  When we were on our way to the beach this summer, I even had a reader recognize me at Bucee’s because she saw Carter first, and he felt like a celebrity!

When I was doing lunch duty at school once, I heard him telling the friend he was sitting by how many followers I had on instagram.  It was so cute to see him proud of me, and I love that at this time in his life that he still thinks I’m not totally embarrassing.  I mean, last week he even asked me to do the floss in front of his friend he had over.  So, I of course obliged.  AND I ROCKED IT.  #ifidosaysomyself

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This is easy because I’ve worn this particular item probably over 300 times in the last 5 years.  And I’m not even kidding.

Hands down, the most worn piece in my wardrobe is this jacket.  I named it a MUST HAVE 5 years ago, and it remains a must have today. I wear it once a week pretty much all year long (often times WAY more)…or at least carry it with me if headed to dinner or the movies.

I can’t even imagine how many times I’ve washed it, and it still looks great.  This jacket is without a doubt the piece of clothing that has been on the blog the most because it’s cute AND functional.  The pictures below just represent a small number of times I’ve worn this baby.

I also have the dark wash jacket, but it’s this stonewashed one that I reach for again and again. And again.  What makes this particular jacket so great is that it’s stretchy, soft, and not boxy at all.  I actually have this jacket in a small and a medium.  When I need a little more room (either because I’ve eaten too many tacos or I have something a little heavy layered under it), I go with the medium.

Click HERE to check out all of the available styles from this brand.  This wash and cut is new, AND I LOVE IT also.  If you are not sure about the stonewash that I have, this would be a great option.

 

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Hi, there @dara2713!  This was an easy one for me, and it just expands on the previous question/answer.  1) my MUST HAVE denim jacket, 2)  a blardigan,  3) great undies (I love both Soma and Bliss), 4) a pair of AG jeans, and 5) my favorite earrings ever.

If you would allow me to pick 10 items total, the next 5 would include:  MUST HAVE leggings, tiny wedge UGG boots, my favorite bra, the best strapless bra in the world, and my favorite denim shorts.

All 10 items are items that are still available.  And they are all TRIED AND TRUE.

And just FYI, the blardigan was 2nd in line for my favorite MUST HAVE item of all times (in question #1).  I ended up answering the denim jacket, simply because I wear it out of the house all year long…..but rarely does a day go by that I’m not wearing one of my blardigans while at home.  And Carter has his on almost every day too.

This is the original blardigan, one of the first times it appeared on the blog like 5 years ago.

And here’s the baby blardigan.  I’m wearing it here with loungewear, but I wear this one out of the house during fall and winter months as well.  It has a rounded hem and pockets.  And it’s just plain awesome.  I wear this one a lot with jeans.

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Hi, @adriankitchens!  I can actually never remember a time in my life that I didn’t have bangs.  And I totally lol’d at your “Do I need bangs?” question!

As far as a pros/cons list goes, I don’t really have a list because I don’t know any differently.   I’ve never had to grow them out (which I hear is TOTAL TORTURE), and I’ve never experienced massive anxiety before telling my hair girl to cut bangs either.

I would say seek the advice of a trusted friend and your hair girl before taking the plunge.  Haha!

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I miss Conner’s WORK WEAR posts!  Can she please start doing them again? I work in Human Resources too, and I love everything she picks! – Natalie

Hi, Natalie!  I’ve got great news for you! Conner has a WORK WEAR post this Wednesday!  I’ve seen the outfits, and they are DARLING!

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I got this one a lot, @bethpark888!  And here’s the shocking answer:  I’m not named after anybody.

I have never met another Sheaffer either, although I have been told that there’s a woman on the radio (I think she maybe does traffic?) whose first name is Sheaffer.  My mom was a school teacher and didn’t want to name her kids after any of her students, so they had to get creative!  My sister is 8 years younger than me, and her name is Conner.  Now there are lots of little boys named Conner, but when Conner was born, there weren’t any other Conners either!

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Hi, Brittslb!  I received different forms of this question several times, and I totally understand why people are curious about this!

I definitely spend more than most, but you have to remember that I don’t keep everything you see on the blog.   Now, I am constantly ordering new items because I’ve come to find out that the majority of readers don’t want me linking to “similar items”, they want me linking to the exact items I have on.  In order to do this, ordering and showing new items is required. However, there are sometimes that I might show a new item that I don’t keep myself.  For example, the military jacket you saw me in last week (with the striped tee and black jeans)…I didn’t keep that.  I explained in the post how I already had several military jackets that I owned and loved, so I wanted to show you a current one, but I didn’t have a need for a new one.

Now, I will say that sometimes just ordering an item to show backfires on me and I end up keeping something, even though that wasn’t my original intention.  (I’m looking at you camo jacket at the end of today’s post.)

Also, sometimes I’ll show something because I know it will be great for some of you, even though it’s not great for me.  Off the top of my head, I’m thinking of a sleeveless vest/cardi from last year that I just felt I was too short for.  Still, I loved it…so I showed it and called out that it would be a great option for my taller readers!

Here’s the takeaway:

Posting 3 days a week, 52 weeks a year does mean that I have a lot of new clothing that has to be purchased.  Much more than the average person. However, I do repeat favorite items ALL THE TIME.  In fact, I have received comment from readers in the past that say things like “We get it…you love those jeans…can you show us some other jeans now?”.   And I totally understand that perspective too.  This whole blogging thing is a delicate balance.  I want to be giving you new content and new pieces all the time…but I also want to be showing you new and different ways to wear items that you already have.  I don’t always achieve this balance, but I’m always striving for it!  And I’m obviously not recommending everything I’m showing for every single person…I’m just hoping to serve as inspiration and that you’ll pick up the things you really love!  I hope this answers your question!  (In next week’s READER QUESTIONS post, I’ll talk about how I keep my closet organized and keep all the clothes under control.)

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Okay, so I got a question sometime in the last couple of weeks from a reader who was wanting an option for leopard flats that weren’t calf hair.  At the time, I didn’t have any options for her, but I found a pair over the weekend! So, to the girl asking for these types of flats, here you go!  Click HERE.

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YES.  The answer is YES.

Call me @nicolegsilva.

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Like you, I’ve been searching for a good tote for awhile now.  You showed your new Madewell tote one day last week just laying on your table, but can you show yourself carrying it?  – Linda

I had lots of readers asking me to show the Madewell tote that I teased in a flat lay last week, so here it is!

This is a great bag.  I love the cross body option, and the cognac color is so pretty and versatile.  If you are considering this bag, you need to know that the straps are more like handles and aren’t big enough to go over your shoulder.  I do prefer carrying it on my shoulder as an option, but since I liked everything else about it soooooo much, I just went for it.

slouchy hoodie / Madewell tote / earrings (type “rhett hoops” in search bar and make sure you are shopping the Sheaffer Sims trunk show)/ jeans (destructed jeggings)  / camo wedge sneakers /

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Hey, Sheaffer!  I’m a bag snob.  I love great bags.  Problem is, my budget doesn’t allow for expensive bags.  Can you give some bag options for those that don’t want to spend over $100 but still have a great looking bag?  Camilla

Hi, Camilla!  This is a question that I get on a pretty regular basis.  So when I was at the mall a couple of weeks ago, I knew I wanted to check out bags below the $100 price point.  There were actually tons of bags to choose from, which surprised me… but truth be told, I didn’t love most of them.

I did find 2 that I liked a lot. I liked the color, the size, and the shape…and I thought they both looked more expensive than they actually were.

This cognac tote is only $64.95 and it also comes in black and olive.  It’s a large tote, and the handles are long enough that will let you carry it comfortably on your shoulder.  You could definitely fit a laptop in here with lots of other stuff.

navy floral blouse/cognac tote /  gold statement earrings / leopard belt / stem hem jeans / nude flats

 And this tote is reversible!  Black vegan leather on one side and camo on the other.  There are no interior pockets (since it’s reversible), but it’s a great size and can hold a lot as well.  And it’s a great price at $78.

navy floral blouse/ black vegan leather.camo tote/  gold statement earrings / leopard belt / stem hem jeans / nude flats

And this grey satchel is from the Anniversary Sale, but it’s now available again and ON SALE!

grey satchel / earrings / sweater / step hem jeans / booties ON SALE

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I rarely buy items if I don’t see them on you first.  I’m one size smaller than you, so ordering is so easy.  If I like how it looks on you, I just go one size down and it’s always perfect on me.  It makes shopping so easy, and I’m a mom of 4 under 7, so that’s invaluable to me!  A couple of weeks ago you  said that you had ordered a green sweater, a leopard sweater, and a fleece pullover.  You haven’t shown them.  Did you order them?  If so, do you like them?  And can you show them? – Melissa

Hi, Melissa!  Yes, I ordered all 3.  I’m undecided on the leopard sweater (because it seems a bit short…even though I sized up to a medium), but I’m definitely keeping the popover and the green sweater!  See below!

This popover is a FIRM YES from me.  In fact, I love it so much that I’m definitely going to get it in another color.  It comes in 6 choices, but I’m thinking the light blue is what I’m going to grab next.  I sized up to a medium based upon reviews, and I’m glad I did.  I like it roomy!

asymmetrical snap popover / favorite denim shorts

I. LOVE. THIS. SWEATER. It comes in 8 colors, but this Kelly green is one of my favorite colors in the world, and I rarely find items in this shade of green.  I’ll definitely be styling it with leopard…like my new leopard booties!  For size reference, I’m wearing my regular size small, and there’s plenty of room.  This is a great sweater.

roll neck sweater / favorite denim shorts

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This is another question I got a lot @carolecoll!

When Chris and I got married, we both always said we wanted two kids.  We even had kid’s named picked out for both boys and girls.  However, we never even tried for a 2nd kid!  Carter was a great baby and is a super kid, but neither one of us ever had a strong desire to add another member to the family….and Carter never wanted a sibling.  I think if any of the 3 of us would have wanted another kiddo, we would have been able to get the others on board…but none of us did.

I will say that I sometimes panic about Carter not having a sibling (not necessarily now, but in the future).  We are very thankful that he’s close to my sister’s son (Brody) and his bestie (Carson) is actually a 3rd cousin, so he has very close relationships to these other boys that are also family.

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Hi, @bfriar1!  Such a fun question!  I’ve hosted a couple of shopping parties at Accessory Concierge over the last couple of years, and I’ve had so much fun meeting y’all at those events!

Is a meet and greet something that y’all would be interested in?  If so, please leave a comment!

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What made you decide to get 2 dogs?  My husband is lobbying for 2 dogs, but I’m not so sure.  Help!  – Stephanie Z.

Hi, Stephanie!  I totally get it!  I was a nervous wreck about getting two.  Click HERE for the story and some super cute pictures.  There’s also a link to the most precious video you will ever see, where we tell Carter that he gets to pick out 2 pups!

And fyi, I would highly recommend getting 2.  Maybe I’ll write a post about this in the near future.  The pups are the best of friends, and I cannot imagine them not having each other.

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Last week I talked on the blog about the many different military jackets I had, and I styled one with black jeans and a striped shirt in this post.  After that post, I got this request from Kaylee:

I thought I would show this angle too….

And you get a mirror selfie too, because I actually think it gives you the best look at the jacket, the hardware, and the collar.  For size reference, I’m wearing a small, and there’s plenty of room.

striped tee/ camo jacket/ colorful tassel necklace / earrings /cognac tote / favorite denim shorts / TOMS slides

And PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE pay attention to this long sleeve stripe tee.  Seriously, sit up straight and focus, because it’s just that good.

The feel of the material kind of reminds me of the Soma Cool Night’s Pajamas.  Which is obviously awesome.  It comes in 5 different stripe combos, the v neck isn’t too low, and the high low hem is perfect.  Also, if you click over to the site, make sure you take a look at the cut of the back and the way they are laying the stripes in the pattern.  SO COOL!

And since I took off the camo jacket here, I thought I would add the camo bag.  I love stripes and camo together.

striped tee/ colorful tassel necklace / earrings  / favorite denim shorts / TOMS slides/ monogrammed camo tote courtesy of Barrington

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