Hi friends! I am so excited for today’s post!
Q&A’s are so fun and it’s always so interesting to see what you guys want to know about me. It’s hard to respond to all of the DM’s that come my way, which is such a hard reality for me to face because I always want to get back to everyone, so I love that these posts allow me to answer a lot of your questions all at once. These posts also allow me to share the answers with more people!
So, let’s get started!
General About Me
When is your birthday? How old are you?
I turned 32 on February 25th. I shared 32 of my absolute favorite things in THIS post and 31 things you may not know about me in THIS posts. Birthday posts are always fun to put together.
How tall are you?
I’m 5’3!
What is your enneagram number?
Oh my gosh. I absolutely love that you asked me this question. I discovered the Enneagram last year after my best friend, Whitney, begged me to take it! With that said, I did take the test and, to answer your question, I’m a 9 with a 1 wing. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to take the Enneagram test. It’s essentially a personality test that gives you insight into what the main motivating driver is for your behavior. The numbers indicate a personality type so a 9 is the Peacemaker, whose behavior is motivated by doing what they can to ‘keep the peace’ with the people in their life. They strive for connection with others above all else and it can sometimes be hard for them to own their opinions and stand confident in them when others don’t necessarily share the same view. Every number has strengths, weaknesses and areas that you need to be aware of in order to be your best self. It’s been a really great tool to use to be a little more self-aware in regard to my behavior and use it to call myself out when I’m doing something that is ‘unhealthy’, like not seeing / realizing the value that my opinion holds, whether people like it or not. Take it! It’s really interesting! I’d love to know your number!
What is your typical coffee order?
I typically make myself a latte with my Nespresso machine in the morning with 2% milk and two sugars. When I go to Starbucks, I get a Venti iced coffee with extra 2% milk and 2 sugars. At my favorite local coffee shop, I get an iced honey latte. No sugar needed in that one! It’s so good!
Fish & Chips
What kind of dogs are Fish and Chips? And how did they join your family?
Fish is a pure-bred Dachshund. Chips is a Dachshund / Jack Russell Terrier mix. I shared how Chips joined the family in THIS post and shared Fish’s story in THIS super old post!
Can you do more videos of Fish & Chips? They melt my heart.
Haha! Yes! I think I can make that happen! They melt my heart, too!
I just got a dachshund. What kind of food do you feed yours? Also, do you have any tips for a new dachshund moms?
I feed the boys Nutro and they love it! New tips for dachshund moms … just know that your baby is stubborn by nature, ha, and there’s not much you can do about it so, practice patience and ALWAYS have treats on hand [stubbornness can strike at any moment] and start training them early. Get them into a routine so they know what they can expect from you [when they’ll be fed, when they go outside, etc.]. Hope that helps! Dachsy’s are the sweetest babies!
Nursing
If you weren’t blogging, do you think you would still be an RN at the moment?
Yes! I more than likely would be certified as a Neuro nurse. I could see myself moving up to the Neuro ICU vs. continuing to work on the Progressive Unit unless an Assistant Nurse Manager position had become available. I was seen as a leader on my floor and would work as relief charge nurse when my ANM’s were off or called out and I think if I hadn’t found my passion for blogging, I think I would have put more time and attention in expanding my role on my floor.
Do you ever miss nursing?
Sometimes! I loved walking into a patients room every morning and being able to say I was going to be their nurse that day. I miss sitting down with co-workers and taking report, knowing I was competent and experienced enough to handle most things [although, of course, you are ALWAYS learning!]. But, I think when I walked away from nursing I was very ready to say goodbye, as much as it held a very special place in my heart. I was excited to see what this whole blogging thing had in store and dedicate more time to curating content for readers without any schedule constraints. I don’t regret my decision but I do miss all my co-workers. They really do become like family and you share SO many silly experiences together working in a healthcare setting. Hey … people come into the hospital for some crazy things sometimes, ha! Read my goodbye letter to Nursing HERE.
Personal Life / Dating
Do you see yourself getting married and having kids someday?
I absolutely do! I just haven’t found that special someone yet that makes me feel like I can be completely myself, who has shared values, who loves to travel, respects what I do, loves my dogs, makes me laugh, is silly, etc. This isn’t a checklist or anything 😉 No, seriously. I don’t have one but those are things that I think would be attractive to find in another person.
Style
Which pair of shoes could you not live without?
My Tory Burch Miller sandals in Sand Patent.
What was your first designer handbag purchase and do you still love it?
My first designer handbag was a beige Valentino satchel. It’s featured in a lot of old posts. I think THIS was the most recent one. I still have it and absolutely love it. I don’t think I’ll ever sell it! It’s an oldie but a goodie! The outfit details aren’t there anymore because of the blog redesign so I apologize for that!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with clothes and purchases?
This sounds bad but, yes! It’s part of what I do to consistently have new products come in from my personal purchases to PR companies sending me new press packages. However, it’s the nature of what I do so I do what I need to manage the chaos and the ‘clutter’ that can quickly accumulate. We donate and sell clothes, I have a chest of drawers that I store trial skincare and makeup products. It’s not a bad problem to have but it does take some time to figure out how to manage it all.
Blogging
Can you tell us how you edit your photos for Instagram?
I use the following app’s: Color Story, VSCO, Snapseed, Darkroom .. although I don’t use every app on every photo. It just depends on what the photo needs in terms of editing.
UPDATE [1/9/19] I’ve been using Lightroom to edit my photos since September / October of last year and it has been SUCH an enjoyable process. There is a bit of a learning curve but once you find presets that work for you, or develop your own, which I did eventually, it makes the overall editing of your IG photos so much quicker and easier!
How do you do the ‘swipe up’ feature on IG stories? Is that only for influencers?
I think you have to have a business account on Instagram!
Do you keep all of the clothes you purchase / style?
I keep the most versatile pieces and pieces I know I want to have as an option for an outfit in the future. I keep almost all of my plaid button-up’s, because I love them, and white, gray and stripe tee’s. I also keep a lot of nice blouses because I think those can be hard to find. Anything that I love but know I won’t wear as frequently, I want to go to people who will give it so much more use than I ever will so I’ll sell them on Shop Alyson Haley or we’ll donate them to a women’s shelter or my church’s thrift store.
What advice would you give first time bloggers on where to begin and how to get started?
I have five main pieces of advice for people who want to be a blogger:
• Do it for the right reasons!
• Have fun!
•Know that it takes time!
• Be yourself!
• Keep your eyes in your own lane!
I expound on all of these points in this massive Blogging FAQ post HERE!
I shared the 5 things I’ve learned after five years of blogging in THIS post!
What is your favorite part about blogging?
There are so many things that I love about blogging! I spilled them all over on my FAQ page!
Can bloggers really make enough money (salary) to live a good lifestyle? I’m really curious how you’re able to make money doing this job.
There a lot of bloggers who have been able to live a very comfortable living. It’s important to realize that a lot of blogs, as they grow, become businesses so the business makes money and the blogger pays themselves a salary. They also pay photographers, contracted or full-time employees like assistants, partnership managers, creative directors, co-content creators, etc! So, yeah! Blogs can definitely generate enough income to support the blogger and other people which, in my opinion, is such a blessing knowing that what I’m doing supports other people and their families. So, thank you for the support you show my blog! It means a lot to more people than just me 🙂
Would you ever be willing to mentor / help out new bloggers that live in Jacksonville?
Unfortunately, at this time, I am not available for professional mentorships. I am not completely against it. My team and I are in a season of growth, which is super exciting, but it’s really important to be intentional about stewarding this growth well by putting new team members and processes in place in order to meet the needs that are being placed on us. So, I don’t feel like the experience would be rewarding for any party involved while we are juggling and growing accustomed to so many new things. I am hopeful that this changes in the future, though!
Beauty
Do you get Botox? Your forehead looks amazing.
I don’t get it consistently. I got it once in early 2017 and a second time in April. It wears off after a few months and I think I just got busy after it wore off the first time. I can be really consistent with some beauty upkeep type things like getting my nails done [I go every two weeks], getting my roots done [I go every three weeks] and getting my eyebrows done [I go once a month, maybe] but it can eat up so much time out of my day, depending on what it is, that would be better spent doing something more pertinent to work. But, in case you’re in Jacksonville and wondering, I go to CMA Medicine for Botox and their office is 40 minutes from my house so, to go to and from on a work day doesn’t always make sense so I can be a little inconsistent with stuff like Botox and spray tanning, as much as I think it does look good / make a difference!
Do you have an eyeliner tutorial anywhere? I would love to see how you do yours!
I don’t have a dedicated eyeliner tutorial but I did do a everyday makeup routine tutorial on the blog a few months ago that you can check out HERE. I have since changed what eyeliner I use regularly now, though.
Your eyeliner is always flawless. What brand do you use?
First of all, thank you! Eyeliner is my biggest every makeup routine STRUGGLE. Ha! I feel like I can never get it symmetrical on both sides!
I use the Karl Lagerfeld liquid eyeliner that I reviewed in THIS post. I allows me to easily get a good wing at the end and some others I’ve tried don’t work as well or I end up making a huge mess of my eye makeup! Highly recommend!
What is your favorite everyday perfume?
I’ve worn it for YEARS. Whenever I’m around friends that I’ve been close with for a long time and I spray it, they’re like ‘OMG whenever I’m around someone who wears this, it reminds me of you!’ haha! I’m super picky when it comes to perfume because I get headaches really easily from them. I only have three that I wear regularly: Versace Bright Crystal, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb and Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris
What curling iron do you use for your short hair now?
I use the same wand I’ve been using lately, the L’ange Lustre 32mm Titanium Wand! The absolute best thing about this wand is that it’s currently on major sale! Go HERE and scroll down. You’ll click on ‘Any Lustre’ and you can pick and choose what color you want and what size barrel. Regardless of your choices, you’ll get the wand for $59.00! That’s over $100 off it’s normal price and such a good deal for a high quality wand!
What temperature do you set your curling wand to? How many seconds do you hold it? What barrel size do you use?
I set mine to 430 degrees. I hold for about 4-5 seconds. I use the 32mm barrel which is essentially an 1.25″ barrel.
Travel
Will you be traveling to any of the beautiful US states anytime soon?
Yes! I have a family reunion in the mountains of North Carolina next month. Then, I’m making two separate trips to New York in September / October and tacking on some extra time up there to check out Vermont, New Hampshire and maybe somewhere else. I also am going to try and swing some time in Colorado this year, as well, because it’s been too long since I’ve been there and it’s one of my favorite places in the States.
Would you ever live in London permanently?
I would! The trouble is finding a VISA that works best for my line of work. I’m also not completely confident that my business would be as sustainable there as it is here as 95% of my audience is American and I’m not sure how well I’d serve you if it was really challenging to shop at a lot of the stores y’all shop at. Import taxes are also really, really expensive there, as well as living expenses. SO … it would be a dream come true and I don’t believe God put that desire in my heart just to let it torture me so I’m intrigued to see what my future holds. I will always be continuously looking for ways to get there, ways to change the business in a natural way to where I could live there and also serve others in some way that paid my bills hah! So, anyway, stay tuned. I talked a little bit more about this in THIS post from a few months ago. It has to do with the fear I have about this whole thing. 🙂
How many countries have you been to?
I think 18:
USA, Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, Wales, Curacao, Germany, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Greece and Spain. [updated – 8.24.2018] I’d love to include Bermuda but it’s technically not a sovereign state. It is self-governing but it is still a territory of Great Britain.
What is your top bucket list destination?
Well, I have a long list but I think Hawaii & the Maldives are two places I’m saving to experience with my special someone! And then, aside from those, I have been REALLY wanting to go to Jordan. It looks UNREAL. Look up Petra if you’ve never heard of it. I’d also love to do Istanbul, Turkey and a bunch of different places in Croatia and Montenegro.
Do you have any Denver area recommendations?
Gosh, it’s been so long since I lived there so I’m sure I’m not as up on the newest places but I always loved Marg’s [their prickly pear margarita is so good!], Lucky Pie, Highland Tap & Burger, and Illegal Pete’s. They opened The Kitchen in LoDo right before I left and I heard it is SO good, but never got a chance to go myself. You HAVE to go to Snooze for brunch. Their pancakes are everything! And, stop at Little Man Ice Cream for the best ice cream ever!! Also, the Ale House has an amazing view of downtown from their rooftop!
Where is your next travel destination?
I’m answering this in the Ask Alyson Haley newsletter this week! Subscribe HERE!
How do you decide where to travel?
It depends on who my travel buddy is. If I’m traveling with a photographer for a trip that I want to go on, I have a little bit more of a say on where I go. I have a long running list of places I want to go during certain times of the year. So, actually, I kind of already know where I am heading next year [at least some places] because there have been places I’ve wanted to go for awhile but previous trips worked out before those did. But, if I’m traveling with a friend of mine, then we talk through where we might want to go and spread out our potential travel dates and just see what places come up as the most affordable! That’s kind of what happened with this trip I just booked!
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Questions
Why is it that some of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale items are featured by so many bloggers?
The first few days of Early Access is tough. Honestly, as bloggers, we don’t want to be promoting all of the same products that other bloggers are. We want to share things that are unique, that y’all want to engage in and that you ideally haven’t seen before, but our only option on those first couple of days is to go to our local stores and buy the items that we like out of the merchandise that is in the store. I think you’d see more variety if we had as much merchandise to choose from if our stores had as much merchandise as the online store does. There’s no other reason than that! There’s just a limited number of products to choose from and when so many bloggers are promoting the sale, there’s obviously going to be crossover! I hope that helps make sense of it!
I’m just curious. During the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, do bloggers have to buy their own items?
Yes! We buy all of our own products from Nordstrom during the Anniversary Sale. We shop the sale just like you do and spend our own money on all of the sale items that you see us promote. Whether or not they’re promoted because they actually like them or not is up to you to decide!
Will you share your favorite men’s options or bloggers’ who have shared their favorite menswear options from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?
My friend Courtney Shields did on her blog, I believe!
Alright, that about does it for this Q&A! I hope you enjoyed it! I’ll be answering a few more questions on IG stories today but, if you’re interested, I share a weekly Q&A newsletter called Ask Alyson Haley. It goes out on Wednesday mornings and allows me to tackle the questions that y’all have for me via DM that I can’t always get to throughout the day and it allows me to answer them and share them with more than just that one person! If you haven’t subscribed, I’d love for you to join in on the fun! My newsletter subscribers are privy to insider information that not everyone gets to know about me. They also get exclusive giveaway offers and, if you think about it, your chances of winning are much higher because you’re competing with less people than you are on Instagram and IG stories!
Subscribe HERE.
HEADS UP: ‘All Access’ subscribers are the only subscribers who get the Monthly Favorites newsletter on the first Tuesday of every month.
One thing that I’ve learned about myself as I’ve gotten older is that I love to get to know people and just sit with them over a cup of coffee or wine and just share … going back and forth, asking questions, etc. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures and I don’t think we do it enough these days! Something that I realized recently, and I shared this on IG stories, is that I feel like I share so much with all of you and I oftentimes don’t like that it’s one-sided so I started asking y’all questions in Instagram posts! I think it’s a really fun way to get to know you guys, even though it’s not as personal as I wish it was. At least it’s something! With that said, it’s YOUR turn!
Giveaway
Answer all three of the following questions and answer them in the comments below! I would hope I didn’t have to twist your arm too much BUT … I’ll be selecting 10 people from those who DO comment and gifting them a $50 gift card to Nordstrom in honor of Public Access starting in a few days! Good luck!
What’s your name? Where do you live? How did you find my blog?
Have a great day, y’all! I’m heading down to Miami for the LIKEtoKNOW.it x WeWork event! I’ve never spoken on a panel before and it’s a little nerve-wrecking but so flattering and I can’t wait to share how I navigate the 9 to 5 with everyone who is attending! If you’re coming, I can’t wait to see there! It starts at 6:00pm. If you can’t make it, don’t worry! It’ll be live streamed on the LTK Instagram account! xo.
