Going Forward + Responding to Some of Your Feedback

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Football started, so it was all good in the Da Silva residence. We’re finally getting settled into the new place. Boxes have been unpacked, but we’re still a long way from actually furnishing and making it our own. Stay tuned for more updates.

As mentioned last week, I received an overwhelming number of responses to the survey I posted a couple weeks ago. I can’t thank you enough for sharing your feedback and support. Reading all your responses has not only re-inspired me to bring you the best content yet, but has made me feel so much closer to you. I’m so excited to get back to work and bring you more diverse content. It will be slow process, just because of the move, but you’ll see more personal, beauty, home, fitness, food, behind-the-scenes, and even tips on the business of blogging. With your help, I’m feeling more excited about blogging than I have in years and I hope we can continue having this dialogue. I hope that by sharing my feedback today to the most asked/commented responses, you’ll be able to understand where I’m coming from and get answers to some of your questions/concerns.

{Fun Fact: We spend a lot of our time away from work staying active. We both were workout people before meeting, so we definitely bond over it.}

1. I like posts where us readers get a glimpse of your daily life. For me, it’s inspiring to see what bloggers are doing daily. Perhaps that is why I like your Instagram Roundups a lot.

I’m glad you mentioned this because Instagram Roundups are making a comeback! I’m also starting a new series called Real OOTD, where I’ll share what I throw on to run errands, lounge around in, or what I’m wearing while working from home- even if it’s the same grandpa sweater for a week straight or my workout clothes I never got out of.

2. Your style is your style, but sometimes I feel like I’m seeing the same outfit over and over. Maybe it’s because I’m subscribed to your instagram and blog. You seem to have a lot of lacey white tops….

You are a thousand percent correct. I do wear a lot of similar outfits and I have a ton of white lacey tops. This is something I’m working on. It’s a hard balance when you’re trying to stay true to who you are but also make your readers happy and keep them inspired. I naturally gravitate toward a neutral color palette (especially white tops), so oftentimes I’m going with my gut and wearing things I love. But, I understand you want more from me. I totally get it.

{Fun Fact: These 2 are my life. Lola and I have full on conversations in english (I’m a crazy dog lady)}

3. More decor posts please!

You’re in luck because we just moved and I will be documenting my decorating process on the blog. I’ll be sharing more about our move later this week!

4. I know you need to make money and Liketoknow.it helps you do it, but half the time it doesn’t really work right. Couldn’t you just put where everything is from in the picture description so we can go look?

LTK is a great feature because it allows you to get ready to shop emails that take you directly to the products I wear. I can’t respond to every question/comment right away, so this way you can get details emailed to you right away. It saves you time and the hassle of trying to search for the exact products.

For those of you who don’t like LTK, don’t understand it, or don’t want to sign up to get more emails, you can now shop my Instagram outfits on my blog in real time. Simply click Instagram Outfits in the menu bar and you’ll find my latest Instagrams. I also have the direct link to this page on my Instagram profile.

5. I hate to say it, but I agree with your post. I have noticed a change in the blog and I miss the way it was before. To me it seems like more of a business instead of content coming from you. That being said, I do still love your blog.

Thanks for your honest feedback. You’re 100% correct, the blog has transitioned from a passion project to a full blown business. With that being said, I’m working on finding the balance between the two. This is my full time job, so in order for my business to succeed, I have to take on collaborations, etc. but I also want to stay true to who I am and continue sharing the things I love and know you will love. I’ve received such great feedback from this survey, I’m hoping with a few tweaks, you’ll start seeing more of what you loved in the past.

{Fun Fact: We sing-talk to each other all day long. We’re also a killer beer-pong duo.}

6. I LOVE your “SHOP” section, where you put your current faves, essentials, what you personally have, and budget items! It makes you feel more relatable; your style can be a source of inspiration without breaking the bank.

Thank you! I’ve actually slacked on keeping this part of the blog updated. I wasn’t sure if people found it helpful or not. Knowing you use it as a source of inspiration, I will definitely do a better job at keeping it current.

7. I know that the blog has to make money, but a lot of the sponsored posts feel forced. I don’t believe that you shop at Abercrombie or Express, so that content feels like you’re trying to make something happen that’s not natural. It doesn’t feel honest. I don’t mind there being sponsored posts, per se, but if those brands aren’t in your typical line up and I don’t really see you wearing them again, then I feel like i’m reading a commercial when you say how much you love your new whatever. It doesn’t feel authentic.

I totally hear you on this and can see how some things may seem forced. For me, I like to team up with brands I feel fit the aesthetic of the Crystalin Marie brand. This may be designers I wear consistently, but it may also be ones that you don’t see a ton of, but still lines up with the basics, classics, and neutral style you see on the blog everyday. If I only teamed up with the brands in my typical line up, it may get boring. I also make it a point to work with brands I know my readers will love or benefit from. Abercrombie for instance, was a huge part of my childhood. When they asked to team up I thought it would be cool to show the evolution of the brand. I shopped with them in the past because they had great basics and still do. A&F may not be my go-to shop, but I still wanted to show you guys some of the classic pieces that were worth purchasing.

8. More night and business casual looks, please!

You asked and we’re answering. We’re starting a new series where I will style one piece for day, night, and work. We’re still trying to figure out what to call the series. If you have any ideas, let us know in the comments.

{Fun Fact: Wine is my drink of choice, but I also drink a secret $5 wine from Trader Joe’s on a regular basis!}

9. Please respond to emails and Instagram comments. I have emailed you several times, yet never received a response. You also seem to only respond to comments of people you already know and not new followers.

I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you. I do my best to respond to all comments and emails, but understand I receive hundreds per day and can’t get back to everyone. Also, feel free to send me a follow up email, yours may have got lost in my inbox.

10. Love your casual yet beautifully pulled together style, your neutral color palette with a shot of color, the way you pair favorite items in different and recurring ways, your willingness to try new styles.

Thank you! It means so much to me to hear feedback like this. Understanding what it is you guys like and want to see more of really helps me stay focused and inspired. This comment has been a reoccurring theme among the feedback, so it’s been noted and I’ll be sure to create more exciting content around it.

11. I really do enjoy your classic style, it was quite refreshing when I first found your blog to see how you elevated basics/neutrals and always looked great. I feel like lately you have been trying to incorporate more trends, and while I’m not opposed to it, I think that if it becomes overdone, you become just like all the other bloggers and you lose your unique point of view. I say stay true to your sense of style, that’s why your readers are loyal to you.

Thank you so much for your feedback! I have definitely tried some trends that probably weren’t for me. But, I think that’s what style is all about. Trying new things, seeing what works for you, and sticking with what you always fall back on. Also, as I evolve as a person so does my style. I’m into so many things now that I would have 100% said no to just last year. Because I know many of you come here for outfit inspiration or to get inspired, I try my best to experiment with trends without losing my classic neutral style.

{Fun Fact: I’m a huge reality-tv junkie. Bachelor, Housewives, DWTS, Kardashians, anything on Bravo (I can already feel the eye rolls and unfollows lol)}

12. I enjoy seeing pieces that are reasonably priced. I really love the shopping posts. Things that you are trying on in store. That is really helpful to see it on you and know that it is current and in a store accessible to me. Even if you don’t buy anything, I think the shopping posts are still fun.

I’ve received so many positive comments about my Nordstrom Anniversary sale Dressing Room Diaries posts that I will start to incorporate more going forward. I’m going to make it a point to document my try-ons at least once a month.

13. In general, the more real you can be the more I appreciate your content! It seems paradoxical, because so much online feels like it’s trying to project perfectness. But I love anything showing the behind-the-scenes of how your blog works, sharing life updates, showing your apartment designs, etc. Those posts resonate because they feel more authentic.

I’m so glad you feel this way because I do too! The blogs I continue to read are those that share life updates and personal stories. I shared more when I first started out, but I guess I’ve slowly phased these kinds of posts out. You will definitely see more personal, life updates, and behind-the-scenes posts!

14. Please share more BLOGGING TIPS: You may have posted about this, but I haven’t caught any of the reads yet. WordPress tips, SEO, marketing, photography, editing photos. I always look for ways to improve the overall look of my site, and I love reading up on stuff like that.

I’ve always wanted to share more on this topic, but wasn’t sure if you guys would be interested. I definitely have a story to tell. I struggled to find a job out of college (worked as a waitress for a couple years), got hired at a social media startup, left that for an online marketing job (which was the worst experience of my life), left that to start my own social media and blog design company, at the same time got hired to work from home for Google, all while running this blog. Right before my wedding I took on what I thought would be my dream job at Popsugar / Shopstyle, but ended up leaving after 1 month to take my blog full time. It’s been a whirlwind, but I’ve learned so much through it all. While I left college with a Marketing degree, blogging, running a business, photography, blog design, and editing are all self taught. I have so much to share and I’m excited to do so in a new series about the business of blogging. Stay tuned!