Where do you live?
I’m currently living in the Roscoe Village neighborhood in Chicago with my boyfriend and our black lab mix, Marley. In my single days, I lived in the Gold Coast in Chicago and couldn’t have loved it more. The best location near the lake and walkable to everything downtown! I always recommend to anyone looking to move to Chicago, or even for visiting, too.
After graduating from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, I did a quick stint in Chicago before moving out to New York City. I lived in NYC for three+ years (in the East Village and LES) before moving back to Chicago. It’s a long, unbelievable story… One of those #OnlyInNYC stories. The stars kind of aligned in a lot of different ways and I felt like I was being pulled to Chicago so I trusted my intuition and made the move even though I wasn’t totally ready to leave New York. In hindsight, I think that’s part of the reason it took me so long to adjust to living in Chicago. (A couple of years!) I’ve been back in Chicago for almost eight years now!
Which do you like better… Chicago or NYC?
That’s a loaded question… They’ve both got their pros and cons, that’s for sure! Short Answer: I’m glad I moved to NYC when I was fresh out of college. Some of the best years of my life so far! But I’m very happy to be living in Chicago now, as it’s a more relaxed lifestyle that I appreciate now in my 30s.
How long have you been blogging?
Over TWELVE years! I started my blog in early November of 2010.
How can we work together?
For brand work or sponsorship opportunities on the blog or Instagram, please email me at [email protected].
For consulting projects or other job opportunities, you can visit JessicaSturdy.com.
For styling clients, you can visit StyledbyJRS.com or email [email protected].
What are your favorite stores to shop at?
Online, I’m all about Nordstrom, Zappos, Revolve, and Shopbop. Gotta love fast and free shipping! J.Crew is obviously a favorite, too. When it comes to specialty stores, I love Blue Mercury for beauty and Tuckernuck for the best curated selection. I’d never turn down a shopping trip to Gucci, either.
Who is your biggest style inspiration?
Steve Jobs. 😂 Just kidding, kind of. If it’s lower than 60 degrees, I’m most usually in a (black) turtleneck. (Thank you to Elizabeth Holmes for now ruining this for me… I need to find a new uniform, haha.)
What are your favorite workouts?
Currently, I pretty much only use our Peloton Bike+, the Housework app, and Housework ‘live’ classes on Zoom.
Pre-pandemic, it was all about the classes for me. I love quite a few different types of hot yoga classes, spin classes, megaformer Pilates classes, and boxing, too. And while it’s not a workout necessarily, I keep my mind in shape with guided meditation classes. I’ve found that Class Pass is the most cost-effective way to frequent all of the different studios I go to! (PS: You can use this link to get your first month free and try it out!)
Where do you find cheap flights?
I use search engines (like Expedia!) to find the best deals and I keep my eyes on TheFlightDeal.com, too. When it comes to booking flights, a lot of times I’ll book two one-way tickets (even if they are on different airlines!) to get a better price. I have status with United so that’s usually what I tend to fly. I also try to book on Tuesday evenings, because that’s when ‘they’ say you can find the best deals with dynamic pricing.
How do you pick a hotel when you’re traveling?
Depending on the city, I opt for a hotel or an apartment using AirBNB! Personally, it’s all about the location and the aesthetic for me.
How do you curl your hair?
I actually posted a step-by-step tutorial! You can find it here. I use this curling iron and swear by using a texture spray before you curl so your curls last.
Where do you get your eyebrows waxed?
I actually don’t get them waxed… Tweezed only. Cheryl at Channing’s Spa works her magic on them every 6-8 weeks… I wrote a whole big post about that here!
Who does your hair?
Tim & Tabitha at Nine Zero One if I’m in LA. But I now see Cristina (for color) & Rosemary or Gabby (for cut) at RM|CM Salon here in the Gold Coast in Chicago.
Where do you get spray tans in Chicago?
Anyone at Rae Does Beauty!
Who takes your pictures?
I credit the photographer in all of my blog posts and Instagrams (unless a friend is snapping my picture!), but I primarily work with Melissa Ferrara from Iron & Honey when I’m in Chicago.
What kind of camera do you have?
I have a Canon 5D Mark iii with a variety of lenses (Canon 24mm, Sigma 35mm, Canon 50mm) and a Canon G7X. But I take most of my Instagram photos with my iPhone.
What is #JetSetJRS?
No, it’s not Jet Set Juniors. My initials are JRS (Jessica Rose Sturdy) so I use #JetSetJRS to catalog my travel photos on Instagram.
How do you travel with hats?
I stack them and hand carry them! When I need to keep my hands free, there have been moments where I’m wearing three hats on top of my head in an airport. Zero f*cks. 😂
Are you ever worried about checking your luggage?
Yes! I try to carry-on as much as possible, but with long trips and trips that are for content creation, checking a bag is sometimes unavoidable. When I do check a bag, I carry all of my valuables (camera, computer, designer bags, jewelry, etc.) in my carry-on. I’ve also heard you should document everything in your checked bag in case something goes missing! And AIRTAGS!! (If you need multiple, buy the 4-pack to save!)
I’ve noticed you travel alone from time to time… Tell me everything!
I actually wrote a whole post about this here!
Where’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Tough question! I would move to Paris or London in a heartbeat, but my favorite trips have been the Amalfi Coast and the first time I visited Japan. Caneel Bay was one of my happy places, and I always love visiting Cabo, too. Domestically, I love visiting Nantucket, Santa Barbara, and wine country.
You can find a few past press placements here!
Still wondering? Shoot me an email!
