Okay, first things first - these are my favorite shoes for the upcoming season!! If you like the Chloe Glyn espadrilles, you will LOVE these dupes at less than 50% of the designer price tag. You're gonna be seeing this shoe everywhere - that I can guarantee. I was kinda busy when I first saw them, and when I went back to order them (only 1 hour later) they were sold out in every size and color on 5 different websites. I highly suggest getting them if they're in stock! (PS - I linked them to multiple websites in the widget at the end of this post in case some places are sold out)

Anyway, today is my one year anniversary of blogging!! AHH I can't believe I've been doing this for a whole year! I distinctly remember the day I decided to officially create my own website, and after I did it I ran to my room and hid from my laptop & phone, hahah! Needless to say, I was super shy about it, felt kinda silly, and was afraid of the response I would receive. Read below to hear more about my journey :)

I had followed other blogs for about a couple of years and always wished I could have one too. I never thought I had the courage, confidence, or "what it took" to be a blogger - I was so intimidated by it and completely underestimated myself. Looking back to my senior year of college, I remember telling friends and family I had no clue what I wanted to do career wise. Now, months later, I realize I did know all along...I just didn't think "blogger" was a possibility. I didn't know how to build a website, how to grow a presence online, or even just be consistent with posting. Before my blog, I only posted on IG every couple of weeks! With all these doubts swirling around in my head, I didn't even consider it. I've learned that blogging is where my passions truly lie, and it's something I would love to turn into a full-time career.

I've celebrated several blog-related milestones in the past year, including:
- Reaching my goal of 1,000 followers on Instagram
- Doing my first paid campaign
- Collaborating with local clothing boutiques
- Getting invited to join the rewardStyle team

Joining rewardStyle is my proudest achievement thus far. It's an invitation-only influencer program, and through it I earn a small commission each time someone buys something I post either in the LIKEtoKNOW.it app or on my blog. Monetizing my material was a HUGE step for me, as I put countless unpaid hours into my content before then - I had been working towards getting accepted with LTK.it for a long time!! When I got an email inviting me to apply, I was absolutely shocked - I didn't think they even knew my page existed!

Although it may not seem like it, blogging requires many hours of work each week...20, 30, 40+ hours. Planning posts, writing posts, proofreading, shopping online, linking shop-able items, taking photos, editing photos, planning photo locations and what to wear in those photos, and being active on multiple platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc).....all of that takes a LOT of time and creativity. So finally earning some money off of my hard work made me feel much more validated, not to mention motivated. It's not to say that I don't have doubts and feel like giving up at times, because I definitely struggle with questions like, "Why am I doing this?" or, "Am I totally wasting my time?" But creating posts and interacting with people constantly encourages me to continue to pursue blogging.

With all of this said, I am extremely grateful to be able to work at building my own brand - if it wasn't for my family, I would not be in a position to put so much effort into it. And I want to thank all of you who continually read my posts & support me online - it truly means the world! I wouldn't be able to do any of this without a following. Especially after having several "friends" unfollow me, it makes my day to have loyal readers on my team. I don't know where this blog is going or if it will ever be a success, but I am so appreciative of the opportunities I've been given up to this point.

Love you all! Here's to another year of blogging ❤️ xoxo