Yo yo yo – happy HUMP. This is a big week. Namely because my best friend AND husband’s birthdays are back-to-back, so it’s a PAR-TAY! It’s been a hot sec since we did an #AskE post, so here we are! These posts actually end up being super fun to put together, so I hope they’re genuinely helpful for those of ya asking Q’s. Speaking of that – got a Q you want A’d? Drop it in this easy lil’ form for a future #AskE post!

Fun fact: On the day we shot this post, it was maybe 12 degrees outside, windchill of -24. No bueno, yo. The roses died immediately upon bringing them back indoors, the poor things. And we were actually *only* able to shoot this one look before my mom’s hands completely froze and I was totally numb. Winter in the Northeast ain’t no joke! And now I’m sitting here at our kitchen table, watching the snow fall in a sheer winter wonderland in our backyard – days like this deserve a fireplace and no work amiright?? 😉

($26 lookalike for a $108 Free People sweater! I am SO IMPRESSED with how this is made! I wasn’t sure what to expect quality-wise, but it’s such a good, soft, chunky knit.) // (SUCH a good pair – one of my all-time faves. They’re slightly high-waisted, SUPER flattering, and under $40!!! // (sold out, but I also have – and this pair is on sale for $30.50!!!!!) // (c/o) //

What kind of camera do you use?? //

What camera do you use for your blog pictures? What tool do you use to edit them?

I use a Canon Rebel t6i, and I edit in Adobe Lightroom. Occasionally I’ll use PicMonkey online, too, for minor edits!

How do you get your hair to look that pretty all the time?

That’s so sweet! A few tips up my sleeve…

Take biotin daily
Wash only twice a week
Condition with every wash
Minimal heat styling – I heat style the day after washing to get things sleeker + styled, and then do as few touch-ups as possible thereafter!
Heat protectant spray (I use and !)
Leave-in Conditioning sprays – I prefer light mists
- – Smells so dang good and does literally 10 things for your hair! It’s a light dry oil mist that works wonders.
- – Also smells like a dream and makes your hair just feel good.
- – This has been a favorite of mine for years now. It’s suuuuuper lightweight, so it tames frizies and truly conditions without making your hair feel greasy or weighed down at all. V. important!

What does a day/week in your life look like?

A full blog post on this will be coming, cos I’ve gotten a LOT of requests for this sorta content, from day-to-day behind-the-scenes to my weekly schedule, etc! BUT, for now, a quick overview…

Monday’s are more catch-up/admin days for me. I spend it handling any emails from the weekend, going through contracts, and tying up any loose ends before diving into the week’s workload. It’s also a big planning day for me; while I spend much of Sunday night planning out the week ahead, I finish that up on Monday. The rest of the week is a wild combination of content planning, content creating, connecting with you guys, etc.

On any given day, I block out my day in chunks – 7 am to 9 am, 9 am to noon, noon to 2 pm, 2 pm to 5 pm. Granted, often stuff isn’t necessarily happening in its designated chunk, because my discipline needs some work. 😉 But I try to time block so that I don’t get ahead of myself, listing #AllTheThings that need doing and inevitably accomplishing minimal. I start my day finishing up the day’s blog post (if necessary), publishing that, and promoting it across social media. After that, I review my list for the day to make sure I’ve got priorities straight and know an order-of-operations, so to speak. Typically then I get ready for the day (ie. put on real clothes) before jumping into my inbox. Any pending deadlines come before the inbox, otherwise they just won’t happen – ha. The rest of my day is a combination of content creation and planning/emailing/negotiating/etc. So oftentimes, it’s a whole lot less glam (at least for me) than what a lot of folks think “fulltime blogging” is – I just hibernate in a room with my laptop 24/7. 😉

Favorite workout pants?

My favorite workout pants differ depending on the workout I’m doing, of course. If I’m doing a CorePower Yoga workout (more on those here), I sweat a LOT and prefer something lighterweight slash wicking. If I had to choose ONE fave, I’d probably say the brand – their stuff is a light material that doesn’t feel totally gross after a workout, and it’s also super cute! is another fab brand. I have ; yes, they’re on the pricier side o’ life, but they’re made SO STINKIN’ WELL and thicker in material, so you can really wear them comfortably when you’re just rocking an athleisure look for the day, too, and not just during your workout.

Another fave is – I first discovered this brand during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and picked up a few pairs since they were on sale and TREAT YO’SELF. The is high-waisted and one I rely on a lot for workouts, since I just prefer things to be high-waisted across the board. And then their are truly the bombdotcom cos they’re perfect for workouts AND everyday wear. They’re wicking, making them awesome for workouts. But they’re thick enough to wear out and not feel uncomfortable. These are cheaper than Alo Yoga, too, so if you’re looking for a pair of workout pants that would effortlessly double for just lazy Saturday’s or running errands – ! I talk more about ’em (+ favorite leggings in general) in this previous #AskE post!

Where you should be at as a blogger when you attend your first NYFW?

There’s not a “should” there! I attended my first New York Fashion Week in September, and it. was. crazy. In the best sense! I had a thousand and one Q’s before going; so hopefully these quick tips help. (This blog post and this blog post recapping my experience should also help!)

Show invitations are a mystery. From my own experience and from talking to girlfriends in the industry, there really doesn’t seem to be too much of a trend that would/could connect the dots. Some shows were the most RANDOM assortment of attendees. Of course, not everyone in any given audience is a blogger – you’ve got magazine editors, publicists, designers, the works.
Pitching yourself is key. SO, this was really really important! As soon as show schedules are released, I recommend going through and identifying which shows you’d be interested in attending. Then, do your due diligence in researching brand contacts, and PITCH PITCH PITCH. (Need help pitching? !).
Having connections is REALLY key. At the end of the day, SO MUCH of NYFW is just who you know. I experienced this firsthand – I ended up backstage at Alice + Olivia and getting into that show with under 35,000 Instagram followers; that show is one of the most popular, and it had a line out the door not even letting folks in at one point because it was too far past capacity. You weren’t allowed in unless you were a celebrity, literally – the guards at the door would ask who you were, and if they didn’t recognize you, you weren’t allowed in (during my time walking around the exhibit, Victoria Justice was one of the C-listers granted entrance). And how did I get in? I knew someone. I had a connection with a beauty brand working backstage with the models, so it got me back in the action pre-show AND front of line for the actual exhibition. That was by NO doing of my own!