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About

Hi! I’m Vera – the mom behind Lady and the Blog. I’m so thankful you want to get to know a bit more about me. 

I was born in NYC and raised in Queens. The same goes for my husband, Bill. We married in 2001 and moved out to Long Island after having our second child together. Now, with three kids and a brand new rescue pup, we can truly say that time FLIES when you’re having fun.

Lady and the Blog is actually not my first website. I started blogging with a celebrity gossip site called “I’m Not Obsessed” which I started it in 2005. At one point, we had 7 employees under our belt just to help keep it afloat. It was a juggernaut and way too much for one person to handle. I slowly shifted into the mom/fashion space in 2009 and haven’t looked back since. We closed “I’m Not Obsessed” a few years ago and I don’t miss it. Is that mean to say? Celebrity gossip ruled my life and I am so grateful that I am not attached to that neverending spinning wheel anymore. Nowadays, I focus on food, fashion, and family. That’s exactly where I want to be. My drive on this website is to create a space for women to visit where they can get advice to help them live a stylish life without the stress. I love clothes. I love to host parties for my friends. I even love to decorate (and redecorate) my home whenever I find the inspiration. But I want to do it with EASE and without breaking the bank. This site is for the everyday woman who wants to still stay on trend and feel good about herself without constantly feeling like she has to play catchup with the rest of the world. Easy BREEZY. 

You will find a lot of the items I tend to blog about are from the stores you probably shop in on a weekly basis. I won’t push a $4,000 bag on my blog because that’s just not realistic. I never want to make women feel bad about themselves because I hate it when I read magazines and them bum me out. So, the recipes are easy, the travel tips are manageable, and the fashion is all obtainable. I hope this helps. I truly do. 

My husband is even a blogger! A few years ago, he started Guy and the Blog so he could have a platform of his own to share his voice. I was so happy for him when he finally decided to kick off on his own two feet. I’ve been a professional full-time blogger since 2007 and it was about time that Bill got to experience some of that magic as well. Together, we both stay at home and have done so for over ten years – making a living online and loving every second of it. Our children do not know any other way. Two stay at home / work at home parents who are always home for dinner. A true blessing. Our greatest gift. 

Let’s Get Social:

Instagram – @VeraSweeney

Twitter – @VeraSweeney

Facebook – @LadyAndTheBlog

YouTube – @LadyAndTheBlog

Pinterest – @VeraSweeney 

View my Media Kit here

New Year New YouFun Facts About Me:

  1. I love to travel. It is my goal to take my kids to as many countries as humanly possible before I set them off into the real world and on their own. 
  2. I’m a gamer mom. I’ve owned every gaming console that’s been created since the beginning of time and I’m not ashamed about it. I buy games for my kids and then end up playing them more than them. It’s in my blood and I will never ever change. 
  3. I’m a sucker for a good deal – ok a GREAT deal. I love fashion but I hate to pay full price. So, while I like to stay on trend… I will NEVER pay full price. I don’t care HOW much I want that sweater. 
  4. We are a church going family and proud of it. 
  5. I spend way too much money on caffeine. It’s my one addiction and I am aware of it. 
  6. My family loves to go to the movies. We are HUGE fans of the theatre. In fact, I would say that it is one of our top hobbies. 
  7. I’m a first generation American. My mother was born in Malta, Europe. I’ve been to that country a dozen times. 
  8. My children want me to have another baby but it’s never going to happen. Never ever. Ever. That’s not fun. I just have to say that out loud. 
  9. I am a firm believer that a woman can never have enough shoes or bags. So, don’t come to me if you need me to talk you out of a purchase. I am the wrong person for that kind of advice. 
  10. I’m super spontaneous. Like… I can wake up on a Saturday and start pricing out tickets to France. There’s something in me that just wants to go. But at the same time, I also don’t like to leave my house. So, go figure. If you dig too hard, I make no sense. 
  11. I am a huge, huge, huge, huge horror fanatic. It’s all I watch. Every single day, I clock in a new horror movie thanks to all the services we have at home. My husband is NOT a fan, but he tolerates it because he knows how much I enjoy those types of movies. 
  12. I believe in aliens. My mother is a straight up conspiracist theorist. 
  13. I believe in the power of thought. I talk to myself a lot and I encourage myself when I need it. Sometimes when I am shopping, I realize that I am doing it in public and that people are catching me doing it. It’s kind embarrassing, but I can’t help it. If you need a friend… become one. 🙂 

My Gear: 

Sometimes I get asked what I use to blog/vlog. This section is dedicated to all the equipment and software that I love. I will try to update it often! Please note that if you purchase any of these items that I will get a small kickback at no additional charge to you. I appreciate the support. I love what I do and this community is the only way that I am able to make it happen.

And Just Because I Am Sure You Are Curious

Yes, you can make a full-time living off of blogging. Like I said, I started blogging in 2005, but didn’t consider myself a full-time blogger until 2007. That’s when my husband became a stay at home dad so I could fully pursue my online career. He hasn’t gone back to the office since. For many years, I was the only one who had a job, but Bill has been kicking butt with his site over the last few years and he’s been really ROCKING IT! I can say that since 2017, we have become a dual income family which is beyond incredible. Less stress on me, right? 

How does a blogger make money?

  • Sponsored Content – companies ask you to write a detailed review of their products on your blog
  • Social Media Campaigns – you post a picture on your social media account promoting a brand 
  • Affiliates – when people make a purchase through one of your affiliate links, you get a small kickback from the company 
  • Ad Revenue – The ads that display on a site pay out per 1000 views. So, for every 1000 times an ad displays online, the site owner gets a few dollars. The price depends on what the CPM is and varies from site to site. But that’s pretty much how it breaks down. 
  • Newsletter Sponsorships – Some companies want to just reach people through newsletters 
  • TV Appearances / Magazines Shoots – If you check out my media page, you will see that I work a lot with traditional media. Brands hire me to speak on their behalf on the news. 
  • Spokesperson Opportunities – These are long-term relationships that you have with brands that enable you to truly get into detail about your partnership. 
  • Per Click Campaigns – I don’t do these. Some blogger groups pay out per click on a link that you have in your post. I don’t opt in for these campaigns, but they exist. So, I wanted to be sure that I included them on this list. 
  • Selling courses, e-books, printables – This is a great way for a blogger to show their expertise

I am sure there are more ways than what I’ve listed, but I am pretty old school and don’t do much more than the above. Nowadays, there are a lot more IG stars that probably have different partnerships that I don’t know about. LOL! Just being honest. But the above list is pretty nuts and bolts. It’s a good look at how one would make money online. 

 

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[…] are looking to save a few dollars along the way. To help them, lifestyle blogger and TV personality Vera Sweeney of TLC’s “What She Said” offers the following tipDon’t shop too far in advance: It can be […]

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Wendy Montes de Oca

Saturday 9th of August 2014

Hi Vera, My name is Wendy, and I work as a web marketing specialist for BuyerReview.com.

Buyerreview.com is a popular, independent consumer product review website. Our editors review and write about health and beauty products including anti-aging creams, facial cleansers, acne treatments, moisturizers, and supplements.

I’ve been researching high rank/high traffic and synergistic mommy blogger and female-focused websites and came across your blog.

We’d like to know if you would be interested in reviewing one of our products?

Here’s the details and value proposition: --We send you a product --Try/review it on your site --Link the product review on your blog to our review page of the product on BuyerReview.com --You can keep the product and use as a give-away to one of your fans/followers (great incentive to bond with existing followers and gain new ones!)

In addition, please advise if you have advertorial opportunities (where we write an advertorial about one of our products with link back to our site) and what those rates may be.

Looking forward to your response.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Wendy Montes de Oca ~Buyerreview.com marketing specialist

vanessa

Tuesday 6th of May 2014

I'ma kinda new at this and I can't find your link to subscribe to your blog, could you help me lol. I'm following you on networked blogs, Twitter and Pinterest. I'm so glad to have found u and thank you for all you do!

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