Thankful Blogger Friends Tag

This tag was created by the beautiful  Karen of KPsays but I was

tagged by Betti from Makeup'Asylum & Renny from Sincerely Renny

Now just to warn you, this is a long tag blog post so just make sure you are not sitting on a bus or train, I don't want you to miss your stop now! 
I got my big glass of vino and my chocolates here, now shall we start?!?

Photo courtesy of www.kpsays.com

ABOUT YOUR BLOG (Please be specific in your answers, so we can all learn something!):

1. How long have you been blogging?

My very first beauty blog post went live on July 2012.

I do have other blogs that I started before I focused on beauty blogging before July 2012, but those have all been on halt since I focused more on this blog.

2. Are there any bloggers who helped you out/encouraged you when you first started your blog?

 I never really found any other bloggers to confide to not until recently. But hubby was very supportive of me all the way so I have to say he is that person that is very encouraging and supportive of me since day 1!

3. What Social Media has given you the most traffic to your blog? Is there a platform that you don’t use?
Recently, I am getting most of my traffic from Pinterest and Google+ Communities. I do use Instagram, Twitter, Ipsy profile and Facebook also to promote my blog. I do have a Tumblr account as well but not for blogging purposes. There's so many social media websites out there that I cannot keep up with so I am sure I am missing a few of them.

4. How often do you post? Do you have a regular schedule?

I try to post every Mon/ Wed and Fridays. If I'm on a rut then I'll post what I can since I won't publish something I am not happy with. I usually would read it a few times before hitting the "publish" button. So a post can come up late at night or in the afternoon because I want to double and quadruple check everything! 

5. Where do you blog?

In our living room on the couch. We have bought a nice C-shaped side table so I can comfortably work on my laptop while Keiko (my Shiba Inu doggie) sleeps besides me. If I work on the desk, she sleeps on my lap and its not comfy for me. So we are all more comfortable on the couch, with my big cup of coffee or tea!

6. What camera do you use? What photo editing software do you use? 

I try to use my Nikon D40 if I want to show more details on my pictures, and use iPhoto to crop and watermark them. And for my FOTD looks and simple pictures I use my iPhone5 and iPhoto to edit as well. 

7. How did you come up with your blog name?

I give that credit to my hubby. I decided one late night that I want to start blogging and before we went to bed we were brainstorming what I should name my blog. He loves to tease me and call me "five two" and so I went for that as I do embrace my height and added "certified" because it is a blog that I do beauty review posts and share you all my opinions on it!

8. Do you do any regular “series” posts on your blog?

Right now I am doing the Beauty Crown Awards series with 3 other lovely ladies, Lily from Beauty With Lily, Liz from My Pretty Obsessions and Shalunya of The Chronic Beauty.
 I also had Battle of the Products series earlier this year but I have not done one lately, but I do plan to keep that series going. 

9. What draws you to a blog?
When a blog has great pictures with well written content. 

10. What turns you off of a blog?

Miss Betti of Makeup'Asylum wrote it well so I will leave her answer and add on some more to it:

"I hate when a blog seems to contrived and that the person is trying to be someone they are not, It's called "QUIT BLOWING SMOKE UP MY ASS" because I truly can sense a phony a mile away and I consider that trait an "EPIC FAIL." People want to hear the truth, not what you think they want to hear. If we as bloggers are not honest about the pitfalls of products how can the cosmetic industry work harder to improve on something if no one ever say anything negative about it."

In addition to her answer, here's a few more I will put on bullets:

• blogs that are all over the place (beauty review one day, a lifestyle post the next???)
• blogs that only features sponsored posts (how do I know you are telling your honest review on it?)
• blog posts that comes off as a lecture (I am not here to read my professors notes!)
• blog posts that are on the negative side (sharing your negativity is not healthy so I will avoid that) 

11. How many blogs do you subscribe to? Are they all beauty related?

I am subscribed to a lot of beauty blogs which I will not count right now. I will admit tho I have not been able to keep up with all of them but I try my best to get to everyones blog and comment and read them, when I get a chance.

12. When do you generally read blogs?

On the days I am on a funk I will just read blogs. I try to do some reading on the weekends and on weekdays/nights when I am not working on a blog post.

13. What is your favorite type of post, and why?

I like posts with a lot of pictures. I go look at the pictures first then read the content, but if I see the writing is long I usually jump to the conclusion part of the post. 
I like reading beauty product reviews because I learn so much about a product and the blogger and get some tips on how they use it.

14. What is your least favorite type of post, and why?

Posts that has no personality at all. I read blogs because they are more personal than reading a fashion magazine. I am reading your blog because I want to learn more about the person as well and not just to see what her opinion is on a product.

NOW ABOUT YOU!! (If any are any you prefer not to answer, just skip!):

1. Where do you live? Tell us a bit about your city!

I live in Brooklyn, NY with hubby since 2006. Before that I used to live in Westchester, NY. Our neighborhood is more of a residential 'hood than skyscrapers and has a mixed of Italian and Asian families. NYC is only a 45-minute subway train or a 20-minute drive with no traffic. I love my 'hood as I can walk to Dunkin Donuts, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, CVS, Outback Steakhouse, a bakery and our grocery store but still have that nice space in our 2-family house.

2. What about your home?

We live with hubby's mom but live separately from her. We take up the 2nd fl and she has the basement and 1st floor. 

3. Single or taken?

Married since 2007

4. Do you have children?

yes
My pets are my children! 

5. Do you have pets?

Our cat, Winston is the eldest. He's 7. Next is our 5yr old Shiba-Inu, my only girl. And the biggest baby, Major, our 3 yr old German Shepherd. You will see them pop up sometimes on my Instagram pictures =)

6. Do you have a “day job”?

I have been a full time home maker for three years now.

7. How tall are you?

5'2

8. Do you have siblings?

Yes

9. 3 words to describe yourself.

I'm a (1) chocoholic; (2) frank (I'm gonna tell you how it is with no sugar coating!); (3) talkative (hence why I need to edit my posts a few times because I can go on and on and on!)

10. Who is your style icon, and why?

I love Angeline Jolie. She has a bad-ass style side and a sexy side - I like mixing both! 

11. 3 favorite bands/musicians.

Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Eraserheads in the 90's (Filipino band)

12. 3 favorite movies.

The Notebook, Full Metal Jacket, Black Hawk Down

13. 3 favorite books.

Wizard of Oz, Gone Girl, The Sociopath Next Door

14. 3 random/weird facts about you.

• I'm a coffee geek since hubby got me my own espresso machine so I don't have to spend money outside!
• I can't follow a cookbook and always end up adding my own thing to a recipe! So don't ask me to cook a dish again since I don't know what I have put in them in the first place! 
• I love to overanalyze everything! People, situations, movies -- anything! *Is that a weird fact enough for ya?!?

Phew! And we finally have reached the end! Just in time as my vino is kicking in so before I ramble on while intoxicated I will end it here. Thank you again to Betti and Renny for tagging me. I do enjoyed this tag and hope you all enjoyed these tid bits about me!