I started my blog as a Junior in college in April 2011. I didn’t know about the blogging world and I had no clue of what I wanted to do with it (or what I wanted it to be), but I knew I needed to start something. I woke up one morning with the urge to create a website and without hesitation, I signed up for Blogger, came up with the name ‘Gal Meets Glam’ (thanks for the help, mom!) and wrote my first blog post. I loved it so much! I felt a rush every time I hit “publish” and released a new post out into the world for anyone (or maybe only my parents and girlfriends at the beginning) to see and respond to. Each step was a learning curve and sometimes I would spend hours on the simplest things (like trying to center my header), but that drive is what kept me motivated and moving forward. It’s evolved and has grown so much over the years as I graduated, got married, moved to San Francisco and started working on it full time in 2013.Getting started and keeping up a consistent schedule of posting are the most difficult parts of the early lives of blogs. It’s important to not go into it with high expectations of becoming the next big blogger. That pressure alone could ruin the whole experience for you. Starting a blog should be fun and you should do it because you’re passionate about a topic(s)! I often get emails from girls saying “I want to start a blog, but I don’t know where to begin or what to write about?” Well, stop right there. Ask yourself, why am I creating this? If you can answer that question, then just start! I live by this quote: “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”I make money two ways: sponsored content and affiliates. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to work with some amazing brands and if I’m ever being paid for a blog post, it will be disclosed within the post that it’s “sponsored” (any gifted items will be marked with ℅). I’m also a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on my site or any related social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest), I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. I’m extremely selective when working with sponsors and I will only feature products and brands that I love. I turn down opportunities (and lots of money) all the time because it’s very important to me to include and only show products and companies that fit my life and style.
It took us a while to settle into a good routine in Las Vegas but I think I’ve figured it out. I just discovered Orangetheory and we are loving it. I try to go at least 2-3x a week and try to fit in other exercises on 1-2 additional days. What’s great about the workout is that you can see how you are doing in real time thanks to the heart rate monitor you wear. It pushes you to work harder and harder each time. On the days that I don’t do Orangetheory, I will do a LVAC workout. Alternatively, you can do what I did and go get the few pieces of equipment necessary. If I am looking for something a little different I will do a workout from DailyBurn, which we stream at home on my Apple TV. They have a wide range of classes including some fun dance classes that are great if we’ve felt like we’ve been on the couch a little too long. I’m also trying out a few new classes with friends to switch things up.
We could put together 100 tips for traveling, but I think the most important thing to remember when traveling is why you’re traveling in the first place. No matter what stage you are in, you can be in the planning stage or you could already be on your trip, the purpose of your trip should always be top of mind. Here’s why, when we travel, we are presented with a plethora of options. The sheer amount of things to do, places to stay and food to eat can be overwhelming. This combined with the ticking clock of our time expiring creates a perception of scarcity and can force us into a rush to consume everything. So the next time you plan a trip, make sure most of your itinerary reflects your purpose and I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.
At its roots, photography is all about lighting and composition. When you decide to take a photo, think about how you can make the lighting better. Small adjustments like moving your subject closer to an open window for brighter light or shading your food by blocking light with your body can create more even light that’s more pleasing. Once you’ve figured out your light, think about your composition. Composition is the arrangement of visual elements in a picture. It’s not just how the physical elements are arranged but also the distance from the subjects, the angle and the focal length of the lens. Composition is all about experimentation. I’ve never taken just one picture, I always play around with the composition, moving items in the photo, changing the distance or the angle. Afterwards, I review all of the images and select the ones I find the most visually appealing or tell the best story. I then edit those.