Please note that this post may contain affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward us a small commission – at no extra cost for you.
Catch up on day 1, day 2, & day 3 if you’re new here and wondering what this is all about. If you’re returning, welcome back to my 5 days of giveaways to celebrate my 5 years of running this website!
Who doesn’t love a good behind the scenes and general FAQ? 😉 I know I do!
Behind the Scenes
Being a work-at-home mom means learning to balance both kids and work (literally). I’ve had to get good at balancing a baby on one leg and a laptop on the other. Oh, and typing with one hand!
Below shows my goodies from the first brand I ever worked with. They offered to give me some free socks in exchange for posting about them. I remember exactly how I felt when I got that email. I thought I made it haha! It’s what kicked off the future of my brand partnerships because I started to see more and more that this was actually possible. Oh, and here’s that first post for those that are curious!
At the beginning of my business, I didn’t have a lot of extra money for clothes, so I had to get creative by making them, plus, I thought it was fun. I would take my sister’s old clothes or scour Goodwill to find clothes to upcycle. I was my own little fashion designer!
My sweet husband and my sweet Will! Titus has been there from the beginning, helping me out and yep, even lint rolling my clothes for photo shoots haha! Will has learned to do this as well, just by watching his daddy. I certainly feel like a queen to be so taken care of and supported. We’ve started to pay Will (50 cents haha) for his help in the “family” business.
On day 3 I talked about all the work that taking photos entailed when we didn’t have a home that allowed us to take good pictures. It was basically like moving my closet outside.
I’ve got about a million photos on my phone like the one below. I would (still do) try on my outfits and take pictures of them so I remembered how I wanted to style them later. I’ve always got a photo bomber in them! I’m about 10 weeks pregnant with photobomber #2 in that photo. 😉
There’s mama…just doing her thing. And oh, what do you know? Will is there too! 😉
Keeping it going, even while I’m cooking baby #2! But don’t worry. I found times to rest too. 🙂
Oh, the reality of what taking pictures with a kid was like!
FAQ
Who takes your pictures?
Titus takes them! Truthfully, he didn’t really like it at first but hiring a photographer wasn’t an option so he semi reluctantly obliged. Now, he actually enjoys it. Not to the point where he wants to pursue photography or anything, but it sure makes our photo-taking days a better experience for all. 🙂
Does Titus work with you?
Yes and no. He has a full-time job, but he does work for MCO too. It’s not seen as “my thing” anymore. It’s ours. He of course doesn’t do any writing or anything remotely related to fashion (ha! That would be funny!), but he takes pictures and handles back-end things like contracts, finances, and other business things I find too boring to even type here!
How do you make money?
Like any other magazine, a large part of my income comes from advertising. So every time you let an ad load on my page, I get paid for that and it helps keep this going! I also make money through product sales, brand collabs, and affiliate sales.
How much do you work?
It’s hard to say because I don’t really keep track. Usually, it’s just stolen moments between raising my kiddos or nights and weekends when Titus is done working. Each week is different but maybe around 20-30 hrs/week. Some less. Some more. It depends on what I have to do that week. I have hired an assistant (more on that on day 5), and she’s amazing, shaving off 8-9 hrs/week of what I would normally do.
Where do you like to shop?
Okay, not business-related, but I do get asked this quite a bit! Some of my favorite places are Madewell, Everlane, J.Crew, H&M, TJMaxx, Quince, and Amazon.
Speaking of places that I like to shop, this brings us to today’s prize!
Thursday’s Prize: Gold-Plated Hoops + Gold-Plated Necklace Set + 100% Cashmere Scarf
These are a few of my favorite things. La la la la la. That’s me singing. Julie Andrews style.
*I used my own scarf to photograph
One of my favorite simple styling tips that I talk about frequently on this blog is adding simple, gold jewelry to your outfit. It can dress up even your most basic tee and it’s one of the easiest ways to add some style and interest to your outfit! I’m giving you my personal favorite pieces that I wear over and over again. Okay, not personal personal…don’t worry; I bought you new ones!
This toggle chain necklace set can be worn together or separately. Oh, the possibilities! I love to mix and match and layer with my other jewelry too.
These gold earrings are a staple. In my opinion, they are some of the best hoops. Not too small, not too big, and they’re not heavy. The jewelry is from Madewell so it’s, high-quality, gold-plated, and sustainable, ensuring it’ll last you for many, many years.
Now let’s talk about this scarf. 100% Grade A cashmere. Every girl needs a little bit of cashmere in her wardrobe and this neutral and luxurious scarf will make you look oh so effortlessly chic this fall and winter.
How To Enter*
To enter to win today’s prize, comment on this blog post with your answer to the question below + follow me on Instagram + follow me on Pinterest + follow me on Facebook.**
Question: How has the information you learned at MCO helped your fashion life?***
Happy commenting and good luck!
Can you believe it? The last day of the giveaway is tomorrow! I’ve really enjoyed pulling back the curtain a bit. But I won’t get all emotional yet, because I’ll still see you in tomorrow’s blog post for day 5- The FINALE! Plus, I’ll share about the future of MCO too!
Au revoir!
*Winner will be selected at random, picked from the best quality answers, and chosen by the end of the week. The winner will be notified by 9/13 via the email commented with. If the winner is unable to provide a shipping address by 9/17 then another winner will be chosen.
**Selected winner will be asked to send screenshots to verify
***Some answers may be used in a testimonial capacity
