I thought I would put together a few things I am occasionally asked in one place – if you have any other things you desperately want to know, drop me an email at [email protected] or tweet me – @hayles
Personal…
Where Are You From?
I’m from Chester, which is in the north west of the UK, just below Liverpool and on the Welsh border. I have lived in 2 other places in the UK – Aberystwyth for Uni (2002 – 2004, 2005 – 2006), and Bristol (2004 – 2005, 2008 – 2017)
In June 2017, I moved to Bellevue, WA with my husband and our three dogs. We moved because of his job and love it here – most people always mention the weather, and yes, the weather in the Seattle area is very similar to back home!
What Did You Study?
I studied Business Finance at University of Wales, Aberystwyth (2002 – 2006, which included an optional year in employment – one of the best things I did!) and earned a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree, and more recently have gained a CIMA certificate in Business Accounting. Was going to university the best thing ever? It was for me, but looking back, it felt very expected that everyone in my class would go to uni, and I think it’s important to look into other options.
How Did You Meet Your Husband?
We actually met via Twitter, way back in the day. I actually wrote a blog post about it years ago, because I kept getting media requests (yeah, I know, it’s kinda weird, but back then people were still like OH MY GOD MEETING A PARTNER ON SOCIAL MEDIA?!) and I didn’t really want to do them because it would be weird so why not just write what I wanted in my own words?
What Do You Do For Work?
Since moving to the US, I haven’t worked (turns out moving around the world is pretty complicated and takes a lot more work to get things sorted out!)
Before I moved, I was working in accounts payable for a property management firm. In the most basic terms possible, I paid the bills for other peoples buildings. I loved my job, and would probably still be there had we not moved!
What Tips Would You Give For Someone Moving From The UK To The US?
It’s going to be different for everyone depending on the situation why you’re moving, and how much support you’ll have, but I have put together a document for a friend who was moving under the same situation, so if you’d like a copy, feel free to send me an email (and ask any other questions you might have!)
Online Life
How Long Have You Been Blogging?
I started blogging around 2000, on my own self hosted website that has unfortunately been lost, even from archive.org. I don’t think I even called it a blog back then, it was just somewhere to write about what we got up to at school!
ceriselle.org has been around since 2007, so I am well known as being one of the first fashion/lifestyle bloggers in the UK. I just love to write! The word ceriselle doesn’t actually mean anything, I was trying to think of a random word to use, I like cherries, and translated it to French and then added the elle at the end. I’m glad I made up a word because it means I don’t feel restricted to any one niche.
Because I have been blogging for so long and have gathered lots of knowledge, I started a site to help others out and called it Bonjour, Blogger! which has been around since 2013.
Which Platform Do You Use?
Both of my websites are self hosted and use WordPress – I have been using WordPress since at least 2007 so I am very familiar with it! Prior to that, my blog used a bespoke CMS, which meant I couldn’t import all of my old posts – probably a good thing! I love WordPress but for new bloggers just starting out, I recommend trying out Blogger as it’s much more cost effective. The most important thing to spend money on when you’re starting out is a domain. There’s much more about this topic over on Bonjour, Blogger!
Do You Have Any Tips For Blogging?
Far too many to go into here – head over to my blogger guide website, Bonjour, Blogger! or tweet @bonjourblogger for anything you need to know!
Can I Use Your Photos?
Sure – just make sure you credit me and link to my site, and I’d love to see what you use them for!
Please don’t reproduce my blog posts in full or use anything from my site that I have created for commercial purposes without getting permission first.
Which Camera Do You Use?
Most of my photos at the moment are using the iPhone 13 Pro Max, because it’s actually pretty excellent! Older photos will use the Sony NEX-5 (love this as it’s small and has changeable lenses) or my trusty Canon 400D (it’s an old beast from 2008, but I love the 50mm lens!
Random Lifestyle Bits
What’s Your Workout Routine Like?
I’ve blogged about working out a few times – you can see all of those posts here – but generally, I love using my Peloton Bike+ for cardio (with a few walks on the treadmill and walking the puppy outside) and then weight lifting.
How Would You Describe Your Style?
Fairly classic, with some girly bits, although the pandemic made me embrace the legging life.
What Are Your Clothes Sizes?
Depends on the store, of course, but I tend to hover around a US 12 (UK 16), and shoes EU 40 / UK 6.5 / 7 / US 9.
Where Do You Shop?
I love Nordstrom, and you can’t go wrong with Target. I still order from ASOS for some of my favourite brands (New Look, a long time staple of my wardrobe) and Boux Avenue for my undies because I still haven’t found anywhere that sells matching sets over here!