What is a “Haphazard Guide to Happiness”?

Well, it’s not a “guide” as much as it is an encapsulation of my (ever-so-slightly disastrous, but generally pretty positive) approach to life. I think that perfection is not only an unattainable ideal…it’s also just not very interesting, or very much fun. The learning – and the joy – are more often than not found in the mistakes that you make along the way.

What’s your favorite thing to write about?

You can check out all of my very favorite posts here (don’t worry, there’s only about 10, and I think you’ll notice a theme pretty quickly).

What’s your educational background?

I went to high school at Dalton, and then majored in cognitive neuroscience (basically, the biology of psychology) at Harvard. I’ve also studied at Lee Strasberg (acting), the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (acting), Parsons (fine arts), and University College London (my semester abroad), and have completed half of a Master’s in Hospitality at NYU (a very expensive moment of total career confusion).

How did you decide to become a blogger?

You can read about my (very roundabout) path towards figuring out what in the world I wanted to do with my life here.

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming bloggers?

Oh yes! Check out all my Blog Advice posts here, and my advice for those in similarly creative fields here.

How do I collaborate with Ramshackle Glam?

Just shoot me an email at jordan@ramshackleglam.com and I’ll point you in the right direction, or contact my management team at Digital Brand Architects (mymanager@thedigitalbrandarchitects.com).

What is Jordan In The House?

Jordan In The House is part of the Meredith Video Studios-produced YouTube channel called DIGS. The show chronicles my move from Manhattan to suburbia, as I visit all the places that I love the most (from bed and breakfasts to beaches to bars) in search of decor inspiration. (Meredith, by the way, also owns Better TV, for whom I work as a freelance correspondent.)

How did you and Kendrick meet?

We met on Myspace when I friend-requested his band (I’d gone to high school with two of the members). We went on our first date when I flew to NY for a Fashion Week job (I was living in LA at the time), went on our second date when he came to LA on tour, and got engaged six weeks later, in Vegas. Read more about what all this taught me about love here.

Do you disclose whenever you get a free product or get paid to write about a product?

Yes, and I have from the moment I started blogging in August 2009 (pre-FTC regulations). You’ll know that a post is paid for if you see a “Sponsored Post” button and/or a statement clearly stating that compensation was provided by the advertiser (these can be found in the tags at the bottom of a post; you need to click on the URL of the specific post in order to see all of the tags, as I frequently put content “after the jump” to keep the home page experience streamlined and quick-loading).

If I am working as a Brand Ambassador for a company (which is basically a sponsorship that extends over a significant amount of time) you’ll see an image in the sidebar of the home page of Ramshackle Glam disclosing my relationship with the company in question (this is in addition to the disclosure statements in the tags associated with a given post’s URL, which is a bit redundant, but I’d rather there not be any confusion when it comes to relationships with brands).

I also indicate products that have been provided gratis by writing c/o in the product info found at the bottom of a post.

What’s your commenting policy?

The comments on my site are open – you don’t need to register, and are free to comment anonymously – but new commenters must be approved before they are “Whitelisted”. Once you are a regular commenter and are Whitelisted, your comments are posted without prior approval.

I choose not to approve comments only when they fall into one or both of these two categories:

1. They display rudeness and/or aggression. Stay on-topic and keep things civil, and we’re all good.

2. They disclose my – or anyone’s – personal information (this is a safety precaution).

If a commenter persists in posting inappropriate statements, he or she may be blocked from commenting on the site in the future.

Also, just FYI, comments occasionally get stuck in the spam filter, so if you leave a totally innocuous comment that doesn’t show up, it’s not because I’m in a bad mood. Just shoot me an email, and I’ll fix it!

Do you have a trust fund?

No.

How do you make a living?

I make a living in a variety of ways, including through my show, Jordan In The House, sponsorships on Ramshackle Glam, brand ambassadorships with select companies, and freelance hosting and writing work.

What’s your relationship with Dove?

I’m the first-ever brand ambassador for Dove Hair; read about it here.

What does Kendrick do?

I don’t discuss how Kendrick makes a living, because he didn’t choose to start a blog – I did. He used to be in the band Harlem Shakes, though, and you can check out his own music here.

Do you have children?

Our son, whom I refer to as Indy on RG (you can read about why I choose to use a pseudonym here), was born in October of 2011.