Sunday Q+A Sesh

So many of you ask me questions on a daily basis – usually in my Instagram DM’s. I get around 100-200 questions a day about everything from raising kids, home decor advice, to blogging/business + more. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but Emma came up with the greatest idea to hold a Sunday Q+A Sesh each week. I’ll answer any question, and if I decide to focus in on a certain topic, I’ll let you know ahead of time so that you can ask me all the appropriate questions.

What do you all think about this? I love hearing what you have to say and questions you may have for me. It tells me more about who you are and what really matters most to you. So let’s not talk anymore & get on with the questions. If you have a question that you’d like me to answer for next week, ask below in the comments.

 

Q+A

 

Where is your sectional from? 

For those who don’t know about ‘sofagate‘, I struggled with finding the right sofa for my family room. The shape of the space is funky & narrow, and the T.V. is positioned to the farthest left corner of the room, which made viewing and placement of furniture really difficult. I started with one sofa + two chairs and did not like that, and then decided to switch to a curved sectional from West Elm. Emma and I loved the style, but the seating was not deep enough for Jeff.  The third & final sectional (if you have watched my stories then you’ve seen it, but I will writing a more in-depth blog post about it this week) is from Restoration Hardware.

 

Do you and Jeff ever fight? 

Hate to sound unexciting – but we really don’t fight at all. We have never fought and we agree on almost everything. We both support one another and respect one another, which I think makes our relationship work the way it does. I don’t even know what I would ever get mad at him for.. One thing I did have to set straight after we were married 2-3 weeks was that he needed to open up and talk with me more. He grew up in a house with 4 brothers and none of them expressed their emotions very often. Typical boys! ;)

 

Where do you usually buy your house/home decor? 

I shop everywhere.. from the most expensive stores (mostly when they have sales) to consignment stores & flea markets. No holds barred when it comes to shopping for me. You never know where your treasure is going to come from! But I’m always about finding that great deal if I can help it. Jeff always says I’m going to save him allllllllllllllll the way to the poor house because I find so many sales. LOL ;)

 

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

To not care so much about what everyone thinks of me.. to believe in myself and to take risks more often. I wanted to go into the interior design field or hotel management but I wasn’t very confident. As social as I was and appearingly strong, underneath I was more shy and afraid to do things by myself. Group settings (why I probably became a flight attendant) is where I was most comfortable and it wasn’t until I became a mom that I changed some, and then… to be perfectly honest it wasn’t until the last few years that I really became more willing to take chances like I have with my blogging/social media career. I have learned so much about myself through this process and I wish I could have simply told my 25 year old self that everyone feels insecure sometimes, but it’s not worth pushing your dreams aside.

 

How do you keep your home sparkly clean all the time… Other than Jeff doing the dishes? 

LOL. I clean a little everyday. I think that’s the secret for the most part. We never leave dishes in the sink, we make our beds every morning before we leave the bedroom, I clean the bathrooms 2x a week if I can, wash the sheets and vacuum once a week. Because it’s just the two of us that live in the house now, it doesn’t get as messy as quickly. I steam clean my floors every other week and dust when I remember. ;) What’s nice is that I work from home, and the office is my living room so I am able to clean while I work.

 

What made you decide to become a flight attendant? And what was your career beforehand? 

I graduated with an English degree from college and thought I would go into teaching, but after a year of subbing, I knew I didn’t want to spend much time with kids until I had my own. My mom purchased a travel agency located in the University Center at UCSB (Santa Barbara), and after I graduated I went and worked with her before getting I got married. That’s what sparked my love for travel.. After I got married we moved, and knew I didn’t want to continue being a travel agent without working for my mom. The next best thing was becoming a flight attendant. I loved that this job would give Jeff + I the chance to fly everywhere for free. We had so much fun in all the years that I flew. The second best part to the job was it’s flexibility. I was able to drop trips and pick up trips whenever I wanted (as soon as I got off reserve), which made my life very cushy.

 

What makeup brands do you use? 

I’m going to be posting a whole blog post about this soon, but I use a combo of designer + drug store brands in my everyday makeup routine. I always use a primer before I put on my foundation, the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. I know it’s pricey, but I only use a tiny drop daily and it helps my makeup stay on longer.  I use the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Liquid foundation because of it’s longevity in wear plus it has SPF 15 in it.  I also use the Ulta Tined Moisturizer occasionally as well.  I use a combination of  Revlon ColorStay Concealer as well as the Clinque Line Smoothing Concealer  for under my eyes and color correcting. I’ll finish with the rest of my favorites in a post this week – but it is ever changing.

 

What are your projects/goals for 2018? 

Well I have both personal and professional goals for 2018.

Personal goals – I would like to have more ‘me time’ for my health, hitting the gym at least 3-4x a week, and getting more sleep. I’d also like to spend more time with my friends & family.

Professional goals – I would really like to blog more. I’d love to get to the point where I blog consistently 4 – 5x a week. I’d also love the opportunity to work with more brands – large and small. I’m planning to write a blog post about how I turned my fun hobby into a lucrative business, especially since July of 2017 soon. My daughter, Emma’s moving to the area has really helped. She has become a huge asset and she is a great partner in my business. I love having a partner in crime.

 

How do you stay so positive all the time? 

To be honest, I am not always positive every single moment of every single day. However, I am so fortunate in that I am in great health, and I have amazing friends/family who love and support me. When I’m down, they lift me up, and believe me – I have those days. I notice that on the days I’m not feeling as positive, I’m usually more tired due to lack of sleep or I haven’t eaten enough.  I try to pay attention to those cues and not overthink the negative. It’s so easy to go down that slippery slope if you let yourself. Another thing that helps me is to watch a favorite movie that makes me feel good… Read a good book. These sorts of escapes help me forget about the world and give me my all important moments alone. My doctor tells me that the most important thing that I can do everyday for mood is to work out, whether it’s just taking a brisk walk or hitting the gym hard.

 

Your taste and style is classic/timeless. Do you ever look back and go “what was I thinking?” 

Oh my goodness.. all the time! A lot of what my style represented in the past was reflected in the times. When I first got married, the “southwest” style was huge. I had peach + green everywhere in my home. Also the “French Country” inspiration was everywhere.. I had my share of roosters in the kitchen. ;) I now realize I’m not so much a theme girl when it comes down to it. I don’t like to lock myself into one specific style. I lean toward things that are more classic and timeless.

 

What pillows do you have on your bed to sleep on? 

We buy pillows everywhere, but when it comes down to the type of pillow.. Jeff likes a soft goose down, and I like a tempur-pedic firm. We have a queen bed and use the queen size pillows.

 

What is something that we don’t know about you that will surprise us? 

I’m pretty much an open book but there are a few funny stories in my past…

One summer when I was just 15 and very bored at home I “borrowed” my parents car (I didn’t have my license) to go to my girlfriend’s house. Right in front of the police station one of my tires blew. I remember freaking out and driving home in tears on 3 wheels praying that I would make it home.  Every neighborhood kid out and about saw me and followed me on their bikes screaming “Why is Kristy driving!”. I called my girlfriend, who had her older brother came over and change the tire for me so I wouldn’t get caught. What I completely forgot about was that he placed the shredded tire in the basement. Next thing you now, it’s a week later, 6am and I hear my dad storm into my older brother’s room screaming about the tire. Once my brother denied blowing the tire they came into my room. When my dad asked what happened I looked up at the both of them and said, “It was Rob! Don’t you remember taking me to the mall and the tire blew..?”  LOL… suffice it to say I’m not an actress and I didn’t get my license until I was 16 1/2 as a result.

I can’t lie and I can’t get away with anything. Who takes the car out at 15 then has a tire blow in front of the police station? ;)

 

Where does Jeff buy his clothes?

Jeff’s favorite stores are J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Nordstrom. Although, I have to admit he almost always comes home with something from Costco. Last week it was a North Face pullover, and I loved it!

 

Is your business profitable?

It is now! It has taken years to build, but I am finally in the position where I can make a living doing something that I love. Not only do I have partnerships/collaborations with companies to market their products, but I also make money off of affiliate links. I love what I do so it’s nice to finally be in the green. :)

 

What are your favorite foods to eat? 

I love a good steak.. but if I could eat pizza every single day of the week I would.

 

What are your favorite “splurges”? 

I love to splurge on shoes and handbags. Those are my most expensive items.

 

What sparked your interest in interior design? 

Living with my mom. She is one of the most incredibly talented people I know.. every house growing up has always looked like a model home. She always mixed high end pieces with great finds, which I’ve learned so much from.

 

How did you get started on Instagram? 

I blame Emma for this! When she was getting ready to leave for college, I was worried I would get bored. She showed me how to find some of my favorite styles and interior designs with hashtags on Instagram. I started to take pictures of my house and learned from others on Instagram how to feature different spaces..  the rest is history!

 

How old are you? 

53 until next month.. ;)

 

What lipstick do you have on today? 

Today I have a combination of Revlon Sassy Mauve and a Jouer lip topper in “Frost Bite”.

 

What kind of dog is Maggie? 

Maggie is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rescue. They are known to be very loving & sensitive. If you’d like to learn more about her story, click here.

 

What kind of floors do you have? 

They are from Pravada floors. The style is Chateau Blanc.

 

How do you handle being friends with people who have different parenting styles? 

You have to make a decision whether you are going to be around them a lot or not. If it drives you crazy, I would suggest you just meet for dates without the kids. Sometimes, it’s best to avoid things. Most parents don’t change their parenting styles much so if it bothers you,  you might need to make new friends. That’s a toughy. I have a lot of friends who don’t let things like that get in the way but it just depends on what you want your child to be exposed to and how much you can handle.

 

What was the most important lesson you’ve learned about yourself since you started your blog/social media?

Not to sweat the small stuff.. I’m learning everyday. Whether it’s a negative comment, or if something isn’t received as well as I had hoped, then I try to not take it personally and simply let it go.