A bit about Consume or Consumed

Consume or Consumed is a personal style blog cataloging my outfits, dealhunting, wishlist, travels, and other (mostly) consumer aspirations. The blog began in 2008 with the intent to archive purchases and make sense of my consumer and material desires. Eventually, as I was already photographing them for the flickr group Wardrobe Remix, I began blogging my outfits too.

Some occasionally-asked-questions are below.

What do you do for a living? 
I am a university professor on the tenure track. I teach at the small liberal arts branch campus of a research university outside of Pittsburgh. I recently finished my doctoral degree and am working on some grant proposals as well as my book project. I study the history of advertising, media, and consumerism in the US.

How are you adjusting to motherhood? 
Every time someone asks me this, I tell them that being a mom is at once much more difficult and much more wonderful than I ever could have imagined. I am pretty sure that my daughter, Emilia hung the moon. She brings so much joy to Chris (my husband) and me, as well as our parents and siblings. I had a baby in November 2012 so I know that I have a lot to learn but as a lover of learning, this is a positive thing. I have tried to be open minded, flexible, and research-oriented. You get a lot of advice when you are a new parent so I spend a lot of time listening and reflecting on how or whether I can integrate bits of advice into our situation. I really love being a mom and feel so lucky to get to spend a lot of time with this tiny, fascinating human.

I went back to work full time for the fall 2013 term. Thankfully my on-campus schedule is condensed so I spend a lot of time trying to work from home when my baby is sleeping or napping. Finding a work-life balance is more difficult than I anticipated but I am doing my best to juggle everything. I am lucky to have a lot of support. Thank goodness we have extended family that are local!

What does the "Pgh" in Jesspgh reference? 
Pgh is an abbreviation for Pittsburgh, where I live.

How do you afford your clothes and things? 
One of the great things about Pittsburgh is that it is a very affordable city with a low cost of living. My husband and I were able to buy a home back when we were both living on graduate student stipends. So the first key to the financial puzzle is that you can live well in this city for less than you can in most places.

I am an avid deal-hunter and never pay retail. If I link to something, it is likely priced higher than what I paid for it because I never buy without coupons, % off promotions, or other incentives that lower the price. I use ebay (my favorite sniping service is Just Snipe and I have strategically saved searches that alert me about listings) and I also turn things over in my closet regularly (via ShopJesspgh or other online marketplaces). I use the funds from sales of items I'm no longer using to buy new-to-me things.

Finally, I am employed gainfully as a professor with a side income from freelance writing and other consulting work. Prior to my current job, as a graduate student teaching fellow, I hustled to secure additional income (supplementing my stipend) via adjunct teaching and grants.

Can you help me find good deals? 
I try my best to help people out by tweeting or describing deal opportunities on my blog. The best I can suggest is that you comparison shop, know that some stores will price match, and always check for a coupon code before buying online. Retailmenot and ebates are helpful in that regard.

Be patient and remember that sale goggles are a powerful drug. If it isn't meant to be, I promise there will always be another dress, another bag, another whatever that will appeal to you.

Do you wear all of your outfits in the classroom/for teaching/to campus?
You can usually tell what I wear to campus based on where the photograph was taken. If I'm under fluorescent lights or in an otherwise wooded area, then I wore it to campus and class. I also try to specify where I wore what in the text. Some of my shorter or more form-fitting dresses are not appropriate for campus. They are items I wear when I go out to dinner or for drinks around town. But unless I am debating about whether to "keep or return" something, you can trust that I wore the outfit somewhere. As fun as it is, I don't have a lot of spare time for playing dress up.

Do you accept advertisers, sponsorships, or compensation for blogging? 
Occasionally I do have advertisers or marketing firms contact me about partnerships. If I decide to pursue the partnership it is something I've considered carefully. And it is something that will be disclosed in the tags or in the text of the entry to comply with FTC guidelines and to ensure transparency with my readers. I generate a tiny bit of income through affiliate links as well. The modest revenue generated through these opportunities are put back into the blog.

If you are an advertiser interested in a potential partnership, please email me (jesspgh@gmail.com) for more information.

Thank you so much for reading! 

Note that this was updated in September 2013.