Q&A

Lately I've been receiving quite a few questions via Instagram and email, with everything from "What's your go-to order at Starbucks?" to "Is Bear your son's real name?". I've tried answering them all but have missed some and haven't been as thorough as I'd like on others. So I decided to compile them all into one place and answer the most frequently asked questions here on the blog! The first 12 or so questions I'll share below were sent to me by a reader who is writing her college final; I finally answered them this morning so in lazy fashion, I'm copying and pasting them into this post. Maybe some of you will find them helpful if you're wanting to start a blog, and if not feel free to skim right over to more personal topics. My photos have also been lacking some color lately and this post should fix that. :)

DRESS | CLUTCH | SHOES | NECKLACE

photos by Elisheva Golani Photography

1. What inspired you to start your blog? My son was 2 at the time and becoming more independent; as a stay at home mom, I wanted a creative outlet for myself where I could have something to turn off "mom brain" for and still be able to stay home with my son. I had always wanted to start a fashion blog and it just felt like the right time.
2. How did you build your blog and follower base? I had already built somewhat of a following on Instagram (a few thousand followers), so that gave me a way to direct people to my new blog. Bear was my main subject back then since he didn't mind his photo being taken as much; I started with small shops sending product for Bear to wear in turn for me posting about it.  Honestly, it just took time. Giveaways help build a following, as well as creating a Facebook page. My biggest blog traffic source for a long time was just friends and family clicking a link I'd share on Facebook.
3. What trends are you most excited for in 2018? Ooh, good question- so many! I'm loving all the velvet right now and know that will carry over into 2018. I'm also excited about the comeback of the statement necklace; I feel like statement earrings have taken over for the past several years and while I love them, I also love a good chunky necklace.
4. Have you had any jobs in the fashion industry before your blogs? Before, no. But after about a year of blogging, I was hired to style on the app, Snap+Style. I've been at it for about 2 years now and love it!
5. Do you sponsor any products or brands? I'm not sure I understand the question- I don't sponsor any but they do sponsor me! I have several long term contracts with jewelry brands and work with companies like Chicwish, Baublebar, Charming Charlie, and others regularly.
6. Do you contact brands or do they contact you? I'm lazy so I don't do any reaching out- all of my collaborations are because the brand/PR company reached out to me. I really should start doing some reaching out though because I have friends who get big collabs by doing this!
7. What is your typical day like? I'm not a morning person at all, so I try to sleep in as late as possible. I'm up around 8am most days to take Bear to pre-k, then I'll go home and spend a little bit answering emails and getting ready for the day. I'll usually meet a friend for brunch, then run errands until it's time to pick Bear up at 2:30pm. We'll go home and play for a little bit, then I'll do some work until Zach gets home around 6pm. We'll cook supper, watch TV and play, then go to bed and do it all again the next day! I also stay up really late (usually just on social media or working at my stylist job) and rarely go to bed before midnight. There are also routine things thrown in, like I talk to my Mom and Grandma both on the phone pretty much every day, try to take an evening walk for about 30 minutes, and spend time doing homework with Bear. Yes, he has lots of homework in pre-k! I dread high school- at that point it'll be WAY over my head. We're already almost there.
8. Do you have any tips or tricks for achieving an aesthetically awesome Instagram page? Any social media tips? Oh I wish- I could use tips on this! I always hear that consistency is key- posting time, using similar filters, etc.
9. Who is the coolest person you have ever met? Oh man, that's a hard one! As far as bloggers, I loved meeting both Christine Andrew of Hello Fashion Blog and Amber Fillerup Clark of Barefoot Blonde. They're both incredibly sweet, down to earth, and just amazing women. Total goals!
10. Do you have future plans to grow your blog/brand? Yes, that's the goal! I hope to really expand in 2018 and do even more with styling. I also have some big partnerships in the works that I'm extremely excited about and will be able to share soon!
11. What is your favorite and least favorite thing about blogging? My favorite thing has definitely been the friendships I've made. Some of my very closest friends are other bloggers I've met through this community, and the overall support and love in this field of work has blown me away. Everyone is so kind, helpful, and encouraging. My least favorite thing is probably the Internet trolls- just a few nights ago a random stranger (and mom herself) commented two really nasty comments on my Instagram photos about my son, Bear. She was blocked immediately. Say whatever you want about me, but my kids are off limits. Mama Bear will come out!
12. What are a few of your favorite trends right now? I absolutely love midi dresses- they have such a classic, vintage feel and are really easy to wear while I'm pregnant. I'm also loving block or chunky heels because they're so much more comfortable than stilettos. As a mom, I'm all about the comfort!
13. Is Bear's name really Bear? If so, how did y'all come up with it? Yes, that's his real name! It was actually Zach's choice and I loved it too; we knew we wanted to call him Bear and thought it'd be easiest just to name him that. We think it fits him well! His full name is Bear Clayton Fullwood. Clayton was my grandpa's name who passed away two years before Bear was born. I really wish they could have known each other- I know they would've been big buddies.
14. What is your order at Starbucks? My go-to is always a tall nonfat vanilla latte. If I'm not wanting coffee, I love to get the caramel apple spice...it's so yummy on a cold night!
15. Do you have a makeup blog post? I have a few but need to do an updated post on all of my very favorite products currently. This will be a goal of mine to get published in January! A few of my must-have products are Laura Mecier Silk Crème Moisturizing Photo Edition Foundation (honestly the best foundation/coverage I've ever used), Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss (really does make your lips fuller..tingles a little but is a great plumping gloss), and Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner. 
16. Have you had any problems with your pregnancy? Do you enjoy pregnancy? Also, do you know what you're having? Oh man, we could be here all day but I'll try to stay positive on the topic. This pregnancy has been HARD. I hate complaining because I feel like it sounds so ungrateful and that couldn't be more untrue- Zach, Bear, and I are all so unbelievably excited for this baby boy and feel incredibly thankful to be meeting him in February. It has, however, been a really tough 7 months. I was throwing up multiple times a day for the first 22 weeks or so, feeling nauseous almost constantly, and have kept a bad cold almost the entire time. I've lost count of how many times I've had to go to the emergency clinic for sinus and ear  infections (amongst other things you don't even wanna know about). For the past several months, my back has absolutely killed me as well and this is something new as I never had this problem with Bear. I'm going to the chiropractor tomorrow and hoping to find some relief. So, all that said....I wouldn't say that I technically "enjoy" pregnancy as it's hard to do so when you're extremely sick and uncomfortable for pretty much the entire time. I do cherish and love all of the little kicks, hiccups, and milestones along the way and I know I'll miss the bump after he's born. But I'll definitely be so happy to have him in my arms! And yes, I must've mentioned somewhere above that Bear's getting a brother!
17. Where do you get your hair done in Houston? I get this question quite a bit and honestly, I'm a Supercuts kind of girl when it comes to just getting a trim. I will however NOT go back to Walmart for a haircut as I went there several times and the last time, ended up with a mullet. If you know Zach, have him tell you the story- you'll be in tears laughing by the end. Nightmare stories aside, I did get baylayage in my hair back in July and I love it; I had it done at Vanity Salon in The Heights which I do highly recommend. I had an amazing experience and have lots of friends who use the salon regularly, as well.
18. Do y'all have a name picked out for this baby? We do, but we aren't 100% so we aren't sharing until he's born. There's always that chance that he'll come out looking like a Bob or Joe or Sam instead of ____ so we want to leave our options open. Plus, with my line of work we have to share so much publicly- it's nice to keep one or two things to ourselves. :)


I have more questions I could put on here but I feel like this post has gotten crazy long and if you're even still reading this, you're a champ. Thank you! I'll do another Q&A soon with more questions, especially as it gets closer to baby time. Speaking of, I'm 30 weeks pregnant today and in total shock that we're already that close to meeting our little boy. This pregnancy has absolutely flown by and I can't wait to have our baby boy in my arms.
Thank you again for sticking with this long winded post; if you have any questions to add, please leave a comment or email me and I'm happy to answer!
xo, Britt