ask G, part 6.

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1. Can you tell us the story of how you and Jessi met and became best friends? – anonymous

We first met at Liberty Church! Then we saw each other again at a church Sisterhood event, talked about my blondies (haha), went out to a friend’s birthday party afterward, and literally became best friends within a few weeks. And we’ve been ever since!

2. Is there anything you won’t/don’t blog about? – anonymous

I don’t really post about my dating life because it just seems…weird (especially in the beginning stages of dating someone). When I’m in a serious relationship I’ll post about it.

I also try not to post often about (bad) things that I’m going through in life. It’s not that I’m trying to hide anything, it’s just that most of those things are actually pretty dumb, and I hate to put off a “woe is me” attitude when I know that I’m actually very blessed.

3. I just graduated college and ended a relationship with my boyfriend of 3 years. I want to start dating, but I’m so nervous and don’t know where to begin. What’s your best piece of advice for dating in your 20s?? – Allison

I can definitely relate. I went through a similar situation, and honestly I put off dating for years because I hated the idea of it. I have a lot of thoughts on dating/relationships, but I think the biggest thing is just don’t over-think it. I can only speak from personal experience, but any time I over-think I find myself not acting like myself, and being yourself is so very important when it comes to dating (and any relationships, for that matter). Go easy on yourself, enjoy the time getting to know a new person, and observe the interaction/how you feel. I feel like we tend to over-complicate things when it comes to dating/relationships when it should really be quite…simple.

4. Who is your celebrity crush? – Adam

Can I name a few? ;) Bradley Cooper, Jon Hamm, and Charlie Hunnam.

5. Do you have any tattoos? – anonymous

Yes, I have 4. Soon to be 5, possibly!

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts. Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

Do you have/want any tattoos?
Celebrity crush?

ask G, part 5.

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1. I’m moving into NYC soon and know nobody there. How do I find a Christian roommate? – anonymous

If you definitely want a Christian roommate, I would check out classified listings on church websites. I know Redeemer has a great one, as well as Trinity Grace. Getting plugged into a church and using word of mouth is a great way too.

2. Hi! I recently came across your blog and love it! I was wondering how you become successful and what the best blog platform is? I am afraid if I start one no one will pay attention. I currently have Tumblr but only “reblog” or post pics. – anonymous

Thanks so much! I gained a blog audience over a period of about six months, and the top ways I did so was by: social media, befriending other bloggers, and posting content often. I have more blogging tips here and here.

I’m personally a huge fan of WordPress, but I love Tumblr as well. I think you just really have to ask yourself what type of content you want to put out there. I use WordPress for GML because I find it better for writing posts/articles, but I find Tumblr to be easier and more visually appealing for photo posts. Here’s a great article breaking down the pros/cons of WordPress and Tumblr.

3. I am a Christian, blog-obsessing, college freshman in hopes of becoming a doctor one day. I absolutely LOVE your blog and am wondering if you know of any other great blogs for Christian college students? – anonymous

You should check out Andi’s blogroll! She has a handful of Christian and inspirational blogs listed there :) I’m always getting blog/article recommendations from her.

4. What sort of exercise and nutrition plan are you on? Can you share more of that in your blog posts? I’m a college student trying to stay healthy, and you’re such an inspiration! – Alex

Thanks Alex! I really try my best to practice and convey what it looks like to lead a healthy, balanced, and NORMAL lifestyle (more on that here). I see way too many bloggers overdoing it with health and fitness to the point that it seems to take over their lives, and I feel a responsibly to portray a more realistic and healthy view of what that should look like. So yes – I will try to start posting more of that :)

With that being said, I’m not on any exercise or nutrition plan. I try to exercise at least 3 times a week (a mix of strength training and cardio), but I don’t care if I go a week without any exercise at all. As for nutrition, I just…do my best. Haha. I try to get as many veggies in during the day as I can, and I try to avoid wheat/gluten if possible (I find it upsets my stomach sometimes). But I don’t have any rules when it comes to what I can or can’t eat. I also go out to eat often, and I always just order whatever I want and practice portion control. To me, enjoying life is the most important thing, so I never let health/fitness come before that.

5. Do you have any pets?

Nope, and I don’t plan on having one any time soon. If I were to get a pet it would be a big dog (a boxer, probably), and that’s just not conducive to living in a small NYC apartment.

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts. Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

What about you – any pets? If you could get a pet, what would it be?

ask G, part 4.

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1. What are your favorite and least favorite things about blogging? – Sarah
Favorite things:
1) Having a creative outlet and being able to post/write about the things I love.
2) The interaction with my readers.
3) Getting free stuff. I’m not sure if most bloggers would admit that, but it is pretty awesome.

Least favorite things:
1) Being so transparent. Sometimes I wish people didn’t know so much about me.
2) It requires a lot of attention, especially for growth.
3) Getting negative feedback. I’m a big baby with that.

2. Are you dating anyone? – anonymous
Yes. Nothing serious right now.

3. What’s your favorite type of cuisine? – anonymous
Hmm, I’d say Mexican. And breakfast, if that counts :)

4. If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? – Jen
There are a few things I would change…but not in a woe is me, sort of way. I really do love my life! Right now I’d have to say I really wish I had the money to travel more.

5. What made you decide to start a blog? Did you want to do anything else for a living before that? – anonymous
I had read blogs all throughout college. When I graduated and moved back home, I went through what I call my “quarter life crisis,” so I thought it would be a good idea to start a new hobby. I ended up loving it even more than I thought I would. I’ve always loved writing and sharing my thoughts, so blogging was the perfect fit for me.

Growing up, I really wanted to be an actor. The passion faded as I got older, though, so I thought about Broadcast Journalism. I still love the idea of being some sort of correspondent or doing something in front of the camera.

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts. Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

Your turn! Growing up, what did you want to do/be?
What’s your favorite cuisine?

the sunshine award.

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I was recently given the Sunshine Award from Teri, which I had seen swirling around in the blog world for a while. Thanks, Teri! :) It’s a fun opportunity to get to know fellow bloggers more, and Q&A is just always a fun way to mix normal blog posts up, don’t you think?

Rules:
1. Include award logo in a post or on your blog.
2. Link to the person who nominated you.
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award and ask them 10 questions.

Here are the questions Teri asked!

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1. What’s your favorite holiday and why? I have to go with the obvious one – Christmas! There’s just no other holiday that is filled with so much love, joy, and reflection. Not to mention it’s like a month-long holiday, haha. I must say, though, as I get older I have much more of an appreciation for Thanksgiving and how it brings people together without the need of decorations or gifts.

2. If you could go any place in the world, where would it be? How can I pick just one?! I’ll go with a few – the South of France, New Zealand, Iceland, and Fiji.

3. Are you an introvert or extrovert? What’s an trait you have that obviously proves it? I’m an introvert in the sense that I need alone time to regain energy and “pull myself together,” so to speak. BUT, I don’t like being alone for too long. I love being social and much prefer experiencing things with other people than by myself.

4. What was the first-ever blog you read that wasn’t a close friend or family member? Carrots N Cake.

5. Why do you keep blogging? Mostly because I love having a voice and platform to express myself. It’s pretty awesome to have a “job” where you can just share about things you enjoy! I also love being able to interact with like-minded people on a daily basis.

6. What are you looking forward to during the rest of 2013? The holidays, of course! As well as a week in Florida visiting my sister, my first visit to Washington DC in November for the Visionaries Retreat, and some other adventures in the works. Not to mention that this is just my favorite time of the year.

7. What is a goal you are working on right now? Growing GML, improving my fitness, and saving more money.

8. Do you believe in fate? Yes…well, sort of. I believe in fate/predestination, but I also believe that we all have our free will, which can change circumstances. But then even the outcome of those circumstances is fate, if that makes sense ;)

9. If you had unlimited money, how would you fill your time? I would travel much more, become a full-time blogger, do more to help other people, and take up hobbies/activities I’ve always wanted to try.

10. What’s your favorite TV show? Right now – New Girl! And Modern Family. I’m also a sucker for The Bachelor…yeah I said it.

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10 bloggers I nominate: (sorry if you’ve already gotten this! You can just ignore or answer the questions again if you’d like.)

Your questions: (I’m stealing some of Teri’s because they were so good!)

1. What’s your favorite childhood memory?

2. What are your top 3 favorite things about yourself? Go on, brag ;)

3. What inspired you to start a blog?

4. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

5. What’s your number one guilty pleasure?

6. What’s your biggest pet peeve?

7. Who is your celebrity crush?

8. What goal are you working on right now?

9. What makes you feel the absolute most loved?

10. What are you looking forward to during the rest of 2013?

 

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Your turn – pick one of my 10 questions to answer in the comments section!

ask G, part 3.

by 5 Comments

1. Where did you get the layout for your blog? I really love the way everything on yours is categorized, yet very simple. Any ideas on where to get a great layout would be wonderful! – Ashley
I use the Atahualpa theme, which I found via WordPress Themes. That’s my suggestion as the best place to look – there are thousands of themes to choose from!

2. What are your top five blogs to read? - anonymous
In no particular order, my favorites are The Londoner, How Sweet It Is, 20-Nothings, Polish My Crown, and Cupcakes and Cashmere,

3. How does grocery shopping work in NYC? - anonymous
Pretty much the same as anywhere else! Minus the luxury of having a car. I typically only grocery shop for a few days or a week at a time so I don’t have to carry too many bags. If I make a trip to further grocery store (like Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods), though, I’ll get as much as I can and just take a cab home. A lot of people get their groceries delivered too.

4. What hosting site do you recommend for a blog? I already have my own domain name (bought from WordPress), but I want to, like you, work for BlogHer in the future! Also, any other tips on gaining readers would be great!
I’m hosted on Sectorlink, which has been great. I’ve also heard good things about BlueHost. I suggest having a domain on a site like one of those and using the WordPress software, available on WordPress.org (although, I don’t think being on BlogHer is dependent on where/how you’re hosted :)).

Some other tips for gaining readers:

* do guest posts on other blogs/websites
* interact with other bloggers and readers via social media
* have content that people want to share with others
* be relatable and likeable! give readers a reason to come back for more
* host giveaways

5. Who are some other bloggers that go to your church? – anonymous
A lot of people have personal blogs, but Jen from Made By Girl is the only other one I know of that does it professionally.

6. Where do you go to color your hair? – anonymous
I bounce around sometimes based on where I receive gift certificates, but my go-to is definitely Nadia at Arrojo. Actually, she’s offering a 25% off discount from 9/30 – 10/6, so let me know if you’d like me to put you in touch with her!

7. Is your real name Gracie or Grace? – anonymous
Grace! Although I consider Gracie just as much my “real” name because it’s what people have called me since I was born.

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts. Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

What are your favorite blogs? I’m always looking for new ones!

ask G, part 2.

by 2 Comments

1. Makeup tutorial.. You look flawless day or night… So maybe some tips on what you do or recommend with your routine for either? – Dana

Wow, thanks Dana! Honestly, I’m not super talented or experimental in the makeup department, and my routine has been the same for as long as I can remember. If you check out my beauty category you’ll find a handful of posts I’ve done in the past about makeup reviews, my routine, etc. But to sum it all up, here are my top makeup tips!

  • in general, but especially for daytime, less is more.
  • I know this isn’t for everyone, but I try not to use foundation. My face feels better and my skin happier when I stick to some concealer under my eyes and on my nose, plus some blush or bronzer.
  • use eye shadows that compliment your eye color. For my blue eyes, that means I stick primarily to shades of brown (for liner, mascara, and shadow).
  • my go-to look for nighttime is smokey eyes. To do that I get a thin eye shadow brush and apply a dark drown shadow to my eyes as if it were an eyeliner.
  • if I want to have some fun or be a little more experimental with my look, I do so by changing my lip color rather than my eyes. Would rather not mess with a good thing, and a good shade of lipstick goes a long way!

And some of my favorite makeup products that I always use are:

  • mascara: Rimmel Lash Accelerator
  • bronzer: Benefit Hoola
  • concealer: Pur Disappearing Act
  • face: Almay Smart Shade Mousse
  • eye shadow: Urban Decay Naked and Almay Intense i-Color (bold nudes)
  • eye liner: I try new ones all the time, but always stick to browns
  • lip balm: Maybelline Baby Lips
  • lipstick: NARS Schiap (bright pink), Sephora Rouge (red), and Loreal Colour Riche Mering Mauve (light pink)

(FYI, most of those products can be found on GML’s Amazon store!)

2. How do you change your life when you realize it’s not working anymore? I’m 27, very unhappy, in a job I don’t like but more importantly I don’t like the relationship I have with myself. – Anonymous

I’m so sorry to hear that :( I’m definitely not an expert and can only speak from times that I’ve felt I wanted to change something about my own life. For me, the most important thing was having someone to talk to about it. Simply letting our what I was feeling was the first step in making a change. I confided in people close to me so I knew that I could trust them, and they knew me well enough to give sound advice.

As far as your job goes, have you tried looking into other options? It can’t hurt to just see what opportunities are out there and maybe sending your resume out. Changing jobs can be a really scary and difficult thing to do, so it’s okay to take your time and really think it through. But when I was in that position with a previous job, I came to the conclusion that my quality of life was more important.

Lastly, I would suggest you start journaling, if you don’t already do so. Journaling as been pivotal in my own life because it helps me pinpoint what areas of my life I’m happy with, which ones I’m not happy with, what I want to change, and how I plan on doing so. Simply starting to write down your feelings can really help bring clarity to your situation.

3. Do you still use fresh diet? – Anonymous

I wish! I can’t afford it right now.

4. Where do you get your hair cut? – Anonymous

Nowhere. I have my mom or a friend trim it for me about once a month.

5. How long did it take you to build a blog audience? Would you say that is one of the harder parts of blogging? –Andrea

Yes – absolutely. The difficult part isn’t just building the audience, but also keeping yourself motivated to keep up with it even when barely anyone is reading. When I first started blogging I was constantly asking myself “why am I doing this again?” I decided to stick with it no matter what, and it paid off after about 6 months.

I would say that the most important things for building a blog audience are 1) consistency 2) relatability and 3) aim to make friends, not just readers.

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts.

Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

ask G, part 1.

by 17 Comments

1. What do you suggest for someone visiting the Big Apple - best places to see, can’t miss, or foodie recommendations? – Dana

This is definitely one of the top questions I get, so I actually made a full page dedicated to NYC – my favorite tips, restaurants, and other attractions. Click here to view it!

One of my biggest recommendations for visiting New York is to check out the more local attractions (especially downtown). The touristy things in Midtown can be fun, but to get the real feel of NYC you should explore places like Greenwich Village, West Village, and Soho.

Also, taking a bus tour is a great way to see most of the city in just a few hours.

2. Dating for a Christian girl, tips & advice or what you’ve learned? – Dana

This is a great question and something I’ve become quite passionate about lately. I hate to leave you hanging, but I actually have a handful of posts coming in the next few weeks about this topic (as does Jessi). Stay tuned!

3. How do you balance blogging and work? – Marissa

Well first of all, I work from home (real estate appraisal administration for my dad’s company), so that makes balancing the two much easier than when I had my office job. I work from 9-5, so I try to write blog posts in the morning and/or evening. And since I work on the computer it’s easy to keep up with GML and social media throughout the day.

Something else that I’ve found helps a lot is scheduling and pre-writing posts. I try to have at least two or three posts saved at any time so if I have a particularly busy day, I can still put up some new content.

4. How do you balance work and play, and what does a typical day look like for you? – Emily

Balancing work and play is definitely an art form, especially when there’s just so much of both to be done ;) I’m lucky in the sense that my job isn’t project based, so it’s pretty easy to just shut my computer and be done for the day. And then other aspects of my work (like blogging) just naturally feel like play to me. Not to mention that networking is of huge importance in New York, so just about any social event can be beneficial to your career without intending for it to be.

I tend to have something social going on most nights of the week, with much more on the weekends. I do try to have at least one or two nights at home to just relax.

My daily routine can look completely different from one day to the next, but typically it looks like:

- wake up around 7am
- have at least 30 minutes of time with God
- squeeze in a workout if I can
- work on GML and social media for church
- start work at 9am, eat breakfast
- I take a 30-60 minute break around 1pm where I either go to the gym or run errands
- eat lunch around 2pm
- throughout the whole day I do social media and GML stuff when work is slow/caught up
- finish work at 5pm
- evenings/nights I either have some sort of meeting, stay home and watch TV, or go out with friends

5. What do you mean when you say “part career?” I love blogging and am no way in it for the money, but making money for something I love would obviously be awesome. Do you actually make a reasonable income, and if so, how did you get into that position? - Nicole

When I first started blogging, I never anticipated it becoming part of my career. I had no idea it was even something you could monetize! But when I realized that blogging is something I wanted to do long term and that I could make income from it, it was an easy decision.

At first I was part of the Foodbuzz ad network, but now I’m part of BlogHer Publishing Network and have been for about 2 years. I LOVE BlogHer and highly recommend them. My income comes from the ads you see on GML’s main page, as well as sponsored posts. Right now blogging makes up about 1/3 of my income. If you want to learn more about making money from blogging, definitely check out Katy Widrick’s blog – she has great tips and advice.

I do want to note that even as my income from blogging continues to grow (and yes, it’s something I would love to do full time), it’s very important to me that GML never looks or feels like a “professional blog.” To me, that takes away from what a blog is supposed to be! So I really make it a point that the products I review are always ones that I truly love and use myself. I never want to come across as a saleswoman.

6. What would you suggest if you realize that you and your friends don’t mesh anymore and that you would like a new friendship group? – Anonymous

This is a tough one. Friendships do change as life goes on, either by getting closer or drifting apart. First of all, remember that those seasons are normal and a part of life. But with that being said, I personally wouldn’t cut them off completely. You can always add friends to your life, but it doesn’t mean you have to entirely cut ties with others (if the friendships were unhealthy or something detrimental happened, though, than that’s a different story!).

I think the best thing to do is to open yourself up to more opportunities to meet new friends. Start getting involved in things you and enjoy and are passionate about. For me, that meant finding a church that had young people with similar lifestyles to mine. For other people that might look like taking a new class, joining a gym, volunteering somewhere, etc.

I also think that the most important thing about making new friends is getting over the fear of rejection. At some point you’ll have to take the initiative and ask someone if they want to meet for coffee, for example. Putting yourself out there can be scary and feel weird at first, but you’ve got to start somewhere!

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Please note that I’m *not* an expert and that this advice is based solely on my own experiences and thoughts.

How do you balance work and play in your own life?
Have a question? Feel free to leave it as a comment on this post or ask me anonymously.

ask G.

by 7 Comments

A couple of months ago I wrote a post called “why blog?” Now that I look back, writing that post was the first step in falling in love with blogging in a whole new way. It helped me to connect to my readers more than ever, and it changed how I view this once-hobby (now passion/part career) of mine.

Since that post, I’ve received more reader emails than ever with questions about everything from beauty products, to dating, to moving to New York, and anything in between. And I’ve got to say – I love reading and replying to those emails!

Because of that, for a while I’ve toyed around with the idea of doing an “Ask Gracie” series on GML. I would always instantly decide it wasn’t a good idea mostly because a) I’m not an expert in…anything and b) I was nervous about how it much honesty it would require on my end.

…but isn’t honesty what it’s all about? And while I’m not an expert, I do think I’ve experienced at least some of life’s highs and lows, and learned a heck of a lot from them.

So here’s what I’m going to do.

I’m going to do a trial month of opening up the floor for a little Q&A action. You can either:

  • leave your question as a comment on this post
  • email your question(s) to me gracie(at)girlmeetslife(dot)com
  • or *gasp* ask me anonymously

Disclaimer: While I’ll definitely do my best to answer all of your questions, I can’t promise I publicly will for every single one (depending on how many I get). Inappropriate questions probably won’t get a response, and if I feel the question is too personal I’ll reply letting you know.

So let’s do this, shall we? Ask away…!