Chappo Chats - Volume 1

Chappo Chats by Beth Chappo

Hey Gang! Thinking about rolling out a new series entitled, "Chappo Chats," where I answer some of your questions from the week. We'll give it a test run today and see how y'all like it and if it sticks, we'll make it a thing! Had quite a few questions roll in so I did my best to answer as many as I could and those that were repeat offenders : ) Let's tackle 'em....

WHAT GEL DO YOU USE WITH YOUR NUFACE?

First off, I am L O V I N G my NUFACE...been using it in my car after dropping off Calvin at school and with consistency, I can definitely notice a (Lifting) difference. I'm not a huge fan of the gel that comes with the product so my gal Kim at KURR MEDSPA recommended THIS...loving it.

Can you share a good BLACK BLAZER? Preferable long.

Sure can... I'll give y'all a Splurge vs Save options. For the Splurge options I have and love both this ANINE BING blazer and this AMANDA UPRICHARD blazer.....the latter of the two is a little dressier and the AB blazer has a more casual feel. I wore the ANINE BING one to the Smartless Podcast last night, which don't even get me started on Bateman #dreamboat, and it was the perfect modern-chic topper. While I don't own this SAVE option, this Good American Blazer looks to be a solid option with good reviews....as does THIS.

What did the skin cancer spot on your hairline look like when you noticed it?

I've had 3 basal skin cancer spots on my scalp....all removed by way of MOHS surgery. I have bald spots on all 3 areas, but fortunately I'm blessed with Nonnie's thick hair so they aren't terribly noticeable. Wear your damn S P F...PLEASE. The 3 on my scalp all presented similarly, itchy, pearly/pinky, scaly, persistent, and not going away after 2-3 weeks....if in doubt, check it out! I discovered all 3 when washing my hair. I have a new scaly spot on my forehead that I'll be treating with a 5 day gel....the Rx has yet to arrive so apologies, I don't know the name. If it has cancerous cells, this gel will extract them and we should be good to go.....until my next skin check. PS: I go to Dermatology Inc. in Carmel.

Any More Kids in the Plan? I know you were considering another before......

I can confidently say the SHOPETH BE A CLOSEDETH. IFFFFF we could have squeezed a 4th in the mix before I turned 40 (I had Calvin at 38) maybe I would've taken the plunge, but at (almost) 43 and having 3 beautiful healthy critters...I'm beyond blessed and happy with our Party of 5.

Do you still primarily use Beautycounter for your skin or are you still integrating other products.

I'm going on almost 5 years of using Beautycounter and I'd say it encompasses about 60% of my routine....I absolutely L O V E it. I discovered Beautycounter when I was pregnant with Calvin and on the hunt for safer products (BC's entire product line is pregnancy and nursing safe)...the products work ridiculously well with my skin and you can't deny the safety profile Beautycounter offers...plus the company itself is aces and they're continually rolling out new incredible products...if you're a sucker for good branding...they've got that in the bag, too! Some of my faves are the SUPREME CREAM (ANTI-AGING rivals La Mer), No. 1 FACE OIL, All Bright C+ Serum, Antioxidant Soft Cream to name a few. And while in my perfect world, all my products would be as clean as BC....I have incorporated some other lines that offer things BC doesn't....yet...and I've been loving for quite some time. For example, Colleen Rothschild GLYCOLIC PEEL PADS,HYDRATING MASK, MICROMINERAL SCRUB...and here recently OIL NO. 9.....I'm also a bit of a mask (...and face oil) wh*re, so I'll dabble in other brands for masks too!

1970's Theme Bday Party. Don't want to wear go-go boots and a mini dress. H E L P

Oh I love a good themed party, so I was excited to tackle this. And even though it technically takes place in 1980, One movie and actress immediately comes to mind....S C A R F A C E .... M I C H E L L E P F E I F F E R. Think studio 54 glam vibes--just google images and you'll get a ton of inspo. This dress on ETSY nails it and don't forget about a short bob (bang) wig. Accessorize with allll the gold.

Favorite Ripped Jeans that Don't Show too much Skin?

Easy....either AGOLDE Riley or Levis Wedgie. Tasteful, modern with 90's flare....love.

How did you get your eyebrows to grow? Would you ever consider MicroBlading?

I S W E A R by CONSISTENT USE (morning and night) of this SERUM....been a game changer for the fullness of my brows. I did get my brows microbladed about 3+ years ago (I remember because I put Calvin down for his last morning nap right before Brows By Megan got to my house)....and I loved the results....Megan is incredible. B U T, I opted to not do again, as I wasn't a fan of the fade....which they've pretty much faded away; however, there's a subtle gray hue at the ends of my brows I can live with....Megan says much of the fade is due to using serums like vitamin C, which I ain't about to give up--I mean I worked out the next day which is a no-no, so she's come to expect my non compliance.....oh also, she lightly tints my brows and shapes them every 4-6 weeks.

Favorite 3 Splurge Sandals for the Summer?

Oh this is an easy breezy one too. Have all 3 of these...absolutely love all 3 of these. I size up a 1/2 size because of my long spider toes and I get uber skeeved if my heel is too close to the edge. The Dior Dway Slides, The Hermes Oran Slide but IN A FUN COLOR...not the tan that everyone has......and my tried and true, ride or die, Tamara Mellon FLATLINES....wore. all. over. Italy. zero. blisters. the. end.

Do the Girls call John 'Dad'?

Quite a few of this question, which I thought was interesting. They do call him Dad....and they call him John...and Johnny. Depends on the day, but he'll answer to all 3. But what's very funny is a month or so ago Calvin called him, "John" and it occurred to me we're gonna have some explaining to do before long!

Favorite Thing about living in Zionsville, IN?

I love this question. First let me say as a born and bred Floridian, had you told me when I left Fort Lauderdale, in 2005 for Kentucky that I would eventually land in Indiana -I would've said you're damn near crazy and there is nothing for this beach loving girl in the Midwest. Man was I W R O N G. I absolutely L O V E it here. I refer to it as a Midwestern hidden gem. I'm totally converted. There's such a thing as Hoosier Hospitality and Indianapolis and its suburbs have it in droves. It's charming where we live....cobblestone streets with darling Mom and Pop shops lining our downtown and I tell my family and friends back home...there's just a town pride that Zionsville has which you don't find very often. Johnny and I met the sweetest couple/empty nesters who had recently relocated to Zville from Chicago when we bellied up to the bar at Salty Cowboy and they just fell in love with it as instantaneously as I did. The schools, the mature horse farms, the nature preserves, the downtown fairs and festivals, the P E O P L E, the walkability, the parks, the Rail Trail....the seasons...I could go on and on...and did in my INDY GUIDE. I get asked often if we'd ever move back to my hometown in Florida and while Jupiter forever and ever holds THE most special spot in my heart and I hope to have a little joint down there someday, Zionsville is my home.

Did you have a backup name for Calvin? Desperately seeking baby boy names.

I LOVEEEEEEED Clark. Clark Chappo. Old school, but strong....but this kid is a total Calvin through and through and we knew it the moment we set eyes on him.

How/when did you get started in this business? What changes have you noticed/made?

Saving the longest response for last.....I'm coming up on my TEN year blogiversary this year which is simply wild!! Never ever would I have predicted when I started this as a creative outlet/hobby that it would turn into a dream career. I was in medical sales for ten years.....I loved my job don't get me wrong...I met some incredible people and it provided a good life for myself and the girls during my time as a single mother, B U T it certainly didn't fuel my creativity! On a whim, and without telling a soul other than who I'm about to introduce you to, I approached my friend and photographer, Kristin Tatem.....may sound cliché, but I have ALWAYS always loved fashion (I still remember my purple culottes and red polo shirt I wore on my first day of Kindergarten that I spent the night before picking out). My approach sounded a little something like this...KT...what if I hired you to shoot a few outfits once a week and I, in turn, will post them on my (newly purchased $50 Etsy template) blog? You could tell she wasn't really sure what the hell she was signing up for (see our very first shoot together) but fast forward to today and I suppose it all kinda makes sense now : ) I was juggling both my medical sales career and the blog for almost two years. I remember sitting in one of my client's offices when she said, "I saw you in Better Homes and Gardens magazine....we have the page hanging on our bulletin board in the break room!" To which my manager shot me a look as he, or any of my coworkers, had ZERO clue I had this side hobby!@#? It was in that moment I realized oh shit, I think it's time to take the leap!! I was a single mom and on paper the blog wasn't exactly where I needed it to be financially but I K N E W if I could devote 100% of my time and energy into it...to this hobby I became so passionate about....it would be so worth the risk. My parents thought I was completely insane giving up a relatively secure career, a company car, benefits, etc. for this hobby that not many people understood what it all entailed. I remember when we shot the cover of Redbook Magazine (oh how I miss that mag) Nonnie said, "Alright hun, you can say I told you so." Mind you the woman never admits she's wrong. Like ever...love you, Non. Ok so fast forward and how has the industry changed? I think a better question is how hasn't it...I mean it is V A S T L Y different than when I first started. Here's the deal...when I first started, the industry was pretty one dimensional...meaning there was a clearly defined way to be 'successful' for lack of a better word and now?? Goodness there are soooo many ways to skin a cat in this business....the landscape has evolved drastically and there are a boatload of different paths to success (which mind you is a relative term, but you know what I mean). I could truly write posts and posts on this topic....but the moral of the story I suppose, if you want to take the leap, then L E A P my friend......don't wait for all the stars to be aligned because I'm not quite sure they ever perfectly do.

Well that was fun....speaking of how things have changed...I've been loving loading up content on the site, something I used to do religiously back in the day and have committed to doing so consistently once again this year....I hope you found this a worthy read--please know it's never lost on me that questions/posts like this would be nada if it wasn't for this wonderful crew...y'all have made this journey such a spectacular one---thank you for being here and thanks for taking the time to submit your questions....make it a great one, Gang!

PS: Shop the look below... loving this $25 AMAZON TOP, paired with my favorite JEANS, and DESIGNER HEELS.