HAPPY 1 YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY

One year ago, September 5th, 2012 marked the day I first started this blog! I never expected it to grow so quickly and to receive so much support from you all! I'm truly grateful and very humbled by all the feedback and love. Thank you so much everyone! <3

I made my first blog post the day I got my 50 mm lens for my 16th birthday, which basically had test photos from the lens, and soon after, my first outfit post. Initially, I started out taking most of the photos on my own using my tripod and remote, but now my sister is always so kind to help me out. (She does get lots of free stuff that I no longer want in my closet though! :P) It's also been very interesting to see the way my style has evolved. I used to have a very bohemian, gypsy-like taste, and now my style is a lot edgier and darker.

Some of my favorite old looks!

For the first few months, I only used Lookbook as my outside platform. Eventually, I joined What I Wear and Chictopia as well. By the end of 2012, I hit 100 blog followers and now one year later, I can't believe there's 700+ of you guys! Even with Lookbook, my goal was to earn 2000 fans after one year, and now the 7900+ fans also astonish me. 

The growth was not overnight though; of course, there are users on Lookbook who shoot up to the Hot page within their first few looks, but it took me 5 or 6 months until one of my looks ended up there. Then in April, my following shot up extremely rapidly after I posted the looks of the collection I designed for the school fashion show. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to see that my brown lace dress had become the top look on the Hot page! I actually scrolled past it because I didn't think it would be in that spot! xD It was the first time that had ever happened to me and I was elated that it occurred with one of my own designs.

My Spring 2012 collection for the school fashion show.

From posting on What I Wear, I won the first photo contest they held in February and the first place prize was an iPad 2, which I gave to my mom, and she bought me the JC Lita Spikes in exchange :3 This July, I was even selected as one of the three Chictopia Style Icons for that month!

I started getting contacted about sponsors in January 2012, and some of the first sponsors that I worked with were Oasap, ShopSosie, and Sugarlips but in time, as my following grew, I eventually started working with Romwe, Motel Rocks and ShopAkira. More recently, I worked with Lulus, Shoppalu, and In Love With Fashion... but never in my wildest dreams would I imagine I'd have the chance to work with my favorite store of all time, Wasteland! This would have to be the holy grail opportunity of them all. @_@ I still think I'm dreaming about this one in particular!

Looking back in retrospect, it's crazy the things that can happen in only one year, and even more unbelievable how the original whim of starting a fashion blog can grow into something like a part time job for me now. As I look forward into the future with my blog, I'm only excited about the opportunities that await and the wonderful people I will get to meet! And of course, come spring time next year, I'll find out if all my hard work paid off and see if I get to fulfill my dream of going to school on the east coast to study Fashion Design. As always, I'll constantly be keeping you guys updated! :)

Lots of love to all of you,

Jennifer

PS: Any suggestions for other posts you'd like me to do, let me know in the comments! It's also my 17th birthday this coming Thursday! <3