It has been quite a year in dresses for me. As I think back to last year at this time, so much was different. My mother was about to go into hospice after a six-month stay in the hospital after having a brain aneurysm. I was nearing the end of Dressember, a month-long campaign to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. While I was 3-months in, I was such a baby blogger.
Now one year later, I think it’s fitting that this post includes a giveaway. In this year since, I’ve seen a growth in traffic and engagement on both the blog and my social media platforms. I’ve worked with some brands and small businesses, and continue to have people reaching out for collaboration. I feel like I’m in my solid sophomore year of blogging and there is nowhere to go but up. And it could not have been possible without you all. So thank you for reading, liking and commenting. It always brings me joy!
Of course in the realm of my personal life, I made a big move to Spain. I arrived in Granada, Spain with just two suitcases and an Airbnb reservation. I had to do so many daunting things in my second language: find an apartment, set up a bank account, get a phone plan and apply for my residency card. And if that last sentence were made into a checklist, you’d see a check by every single one. But man, that first week was tough.
My year in dresses
So I thought I would show you my year in dresses. I want to highlight some of my favorite outfits. And at the bottom, we have a $60 StyleWe giveaway! What is StyleWe? StyleWe is an online clothing and accessory shop with an almost endless amount of options. You all know about my obsession with love of dresses. They literally have maybe 12 if not more pages of dresses. So one lucky winner will receive $60 to spend at StyleWe. Who doesn’t love that? Make sure you enter!
Anyway, back to the dresses.
January
This dress was actually from my old Gwynnie Bee subscription box. It was so comfy and I’m not going to lie … I would have probably worn it a lot if I had decided to keep it. Oh well.
February
This purple dress is so much fun. Sadly, it is one that got stored away in my big move to Spain. And same with the scarf … or it got given away. I really cannot remember.
This photoshoot was fun. I met with my photographer friend Hillary in the Mariemont Square in Cincinnati.
March
So I just could not pick one look from this month. I absolutely love both of these looks. The first one was taken at Iris Bookcafe. I met my friend Pamela there for a coffee and a quick photoshoot, and then I headed to a bachelorette party. It was a fun day.
The second outfit was a dress that I re-worked into an office professional look. Near my parents house is the Anderson Heritage Center and it is beautiful.
Dress one did not come with me but dress two did.
April
So much happened in April! So much! Maybe that was my month? I did a small collaboration post with Kismet OTR, a local boutique in Cincinnati (photos 1 and 2). I had a ridiculous photoshoot with my friend Cece in the woods (picture two). And I was a bridesmaid in my friend Sara’s wedding. Overall, it was quite an eventful month.
May
May was also a good time and a time of healing. My dad, brother and I went on a vacation to Florida. Growing up, my grandfather had a condo in Indian Rocks Beach. We spent lots of summers down there visiting him and spending time on the beach. After he passed away about eight years ago, we kept the condo in the family. So it was neat to spend time down there and also just … different. Very different without my mom. So the one on the beach is of that.
The other photo is from my shoot with my friend Hillary on the Purple People Bridge in Cincinnati. The Purple People Bridge is a pedestrian bridge that connects Ohio to Kentucky. It was a cool place to shoot a few photos.
June
June is birth month! I ended the month with a little black dress fundraiser party that in all honesty just flopped. Being a blogger is odd for sure. On a day to day basis, I never pressure my friends to support me in different ways (i.e. why didn’t you comment on that blog post? Why didn’t you like that Instagram photo?). Because that is just silly and unnecessary. My friends are all there for me in support me in different ways, and I them.
The downfall of a blog following for an event is that half of your supporters don’t live in your city. So while the event was fun and many came out to support, it’s something I will learn a lot from. That’s all that you can ask for in life, after all.
The black dress photo is actually from a collaboration with Irresistible Me. I created some awesome waves with their diamond flat iron.
And look number 3 … oh the sun burn.
What I learned
That first half of the year was crazy busy. I look a second job to help save up money for all my Spain expenses. I probably didn’t eat the healthiest and started having some car issues.
I got my placement for Spain and all was told I could live in Jaen (the city with that castle). While it was not my first choice (at the time Malaga was), I made my peace. Little did I know that in late August I would have the option to live in Granada. Life is funny, isn’t it? Looking back, I now would choose Granada over Malaga. It’s less expensive but yet still a decent-sized city. It’s absolutely beautiful and I always have things to do. And it’s not a long ride to the airport. Overall, I’m more than content with how my year in Spain has turned out. I count myself lucky.
I learned (and am yet still putting it into practice) that I need adequate late. And I really got into my blogger groove during this time.
And with that, here’s our giveaway with StyleWe!
This contest is open to participants in the USA, UK, Australia,
What was your year like?
Today we are linking up here.
