About Me

Where are you from?

I was born in Wilson, North Carolina, and spent my early years in a tiny suburb of Wilson. (That is, if you consider a town like Wilson big enough to actually have a suburb!) When I was about three years old, I moved to the triangle area, where I lived until my junior year of high school. Then, just to throw a kink into everything, I returned to my home town of Wilson to live with my dad and completed my last two years of high school there. After graduation, I moved to Chapel Hill, where I attended the University of North Carolina for undergrad. After receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Spanish, I lived in Durham for a short stint, then I finally settled in Raleigh, NC where I have been ever since.

What do you do?

In my imaginary dream world, I would be a full-time blogger. Unfortunately, the blog doesn't pay the bills. In real life, I work full-time as an attorney. I have been doing this type of work for almost ten years.  At my firm, we handle all types of criminal charges, ranging from traffic tickets to first degree murder. People are often curious about what it's like to interact daily with people charged with crimes. I try to be honest.  While some may picture a day in the life of Dana to be like an episode of Law & Order, it's really far from it.  Rarely do I deal with hardened killers. Most of my clients are people just like you and I who have made dumb decisions. On top of that, many of them have very sad back stories. They constantly remind me to appreciate the things I have in life that many people take for granted. I enjoy what I do, because I have the opportunity to advocate for people who are often marginalized by the rest of society. A good lesson in life is that there are always two sides to every story, no matter how cut and dry something seems. Our job is to help people charged with crimes get their side heard. There are definitely many days that try my nerves, but for the most part, it's a rewarding career where I genuinely feel like I regularly help make a positive difference in people's lives, no matter how big or small that difference may be.

Why did you start a blog?

A lot of people ask me why in the world I chose to start a blog during the busiest time of my entire life. The answer is quite simple: It was something I wanted to do, and that particular time in my life happened to be the time when I decided that I wanted to do it.  I had been reading the blogs of other people for years, and about six months ago, something inside me just clicked and I decided that I wanted to write my own blog. I haven't looked back since. For some reason, the idea of my life being so meticulously documented appeals to me. I know I'm going to love looking back on these posts 20 years from now.

                                                                      What do you blog about?
I love fashion, and I enjoy reading fashion blogs, so when I started the blog, it was supposed to be strictly fashion. However, as time went on, the logistics of finding time (and photographers) to take my pictures with my crazy schedule became increasingly difficult. Furthermore, as passionate as I am about clothes, I realized that I had a lot more that I wanted to talk about here than just fashion. A couple of months ago, I started publishing full-length articles about once a week.  I write about all kinds of things, including money, law school, fitness, books, and whatever else inspires me. 

                                                                                When do you post?
At this point, I typically publish outfit posts on Monday, full-length articles on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and short fun posts at the end of the week. Without fail,  life can have its special way of interfering with my blogging, so I may occasionally miss a post.  Nevertheless, I've somehow managed to be pretty good about sticking to a schedule since I started Stone Style.

Do you make money with your blog?

I am going to be 100% HONEST and let you know that at this point, Stone Style is in the red. I spend way more money on my blog than I make from it, and I'm totally OK with that.  The blog is currently my favorite hobby and creative outlet. I find writing articles to be therapeutic, and few things compare to the sense of accomplishment I feel when I finish a post that I am truly proud of. My only payment as of yet is your positive feedback, so keep it coming! Your comments are the wind beneath my wings, and I promise you that I read each and every one. I continue to feel overwhelmingly humbled by the idea that people voluntarily choose to read my blog because they think it's interesting. Just knowing that I have regular readers who actually enjoy viewing the content that I love producing is rewarding enough to keep me motivated. That being said, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel compelled to inform you that should I receive any wonderful financial opportunities from my blog in the future, I am totally taking them!