Happy One Year(anniversary) !

Happy New Years Eve! Exactly one year ago I became a blogger and launched S&S. It was a huge leap of faith, and even though I was scared about a million things, I also had this sense of calm, like this was something I was born to do. Here we are 12 months, 365 days later and I made it through my first year, hooray! To be honest in the beginning a part of me didn’t think I would make it a year. I think it’s normal to feel like that though when you are about to experience a huge change. Thoughts like are people going to like me, like my content, will I ever create the platform I want etc. started flooding in. However, with a lot of persistence, humbleness, and lotsss of chai, here I am writing this post!

Looking back on this year I learned and grew in so many ways, personally, professionally and spiritually. I’m a firm believer that God puts opportunities in front of us but it’s our job to take them. Even though this year brought the most change, it also brought the most growth. Below I listed the top 2 questions you guys asked and 4 things I learned about blogging in my first year.

Top 3 questions:

1. When did you start think of Blogging?

I started thinking of being a blogger when I was in college, but didn’t really know it was possible or what being a blogger even was, or meant at the time. I always knew I wanted to do something with fashion, but was unsure what that looked like. At first I started following random people on Instagram, who would travel and share their life with their cyber family, envious of what their life looked like. I always thought that would be so cool to be one of those girls, and be able to share my love for fashion with others but didn’t fully understand that literally anyone could do it. It wasn’t until I had graduated college that I knew I wanted to be a blogger and started doing research everyday on how to start. Even though I wanted to jump into it, I kept just telling myself “it’s not the right time”. If I’ve learned anything in my life it’s that they’re really is never a ‘perfect’ time to start anything, you just have to do it. One day I decided I was tired of waiting and took the plunge!

Is it hard or do you love what you do?

I think this question goes hand in hand. Is being a blogger hard? Yes! Besides the comparison game that will never go away and the planning and preparation that goes into every single thing, I think there’s a lot of pressure that society puts on us; Posting every single day (something that one day I hope I have the flexibility to do), posting things that we think you guys will like and just having the time and organization to have another part time job. Sometimes I spend all day (yes all day) writing out a post for you guys because I want it to be perfect. I am such a firm believer that you shouldn’t put something out on your platform unless you 100% believe in it and love it.

With that being said, it truly is all worth it. The joy that I feel when you guys engage in my content, whether that is answering my poll question for that day, or commenting on an insta story post, or liking or commenting on my pictures is the reason I wanted to start blogging in the first place. I truly feel like I’m starting to create this amazing platform for people who share the same passions as me and it’s the best feeling ever. What I do is hard work (really hard work), but at the same time it’s so hard for me to think about what my life was like before I started my blog, it just feels so right.

4 Things I Learned About Blogging:

1. The support I have received was way more than I thought. I don’t know what it was but I truly didn’t think anyone from my past would really care about what I was doing. SURPRISINGLY a good chunk of my followers are old friends that I’ve known for years, especially guys! Go figure! I don’t think I will ever get used to my guy friends genuinely asking about how my blog is going lol #maybeoneday. However, I truly can’t thank those people in my life enough for really caring about me and what I’m passionate about.

2. Blogging is a lotttt harder than people think. In the beginning I don’t really think I knew what being a blogger would really entail. I follow girls who have full time jobs and blog full time as well. PROPS TO YOU GIRLFRIEND! I don’t know how you do it. There’s so much more that goes into it then people think. Behind that picture is hoursss of planning, researching, shooting and writing, things that no one ever really see’s, which leads me to my next point.

3. It’s so unglamorous behind the scenes. Behind that ‘perfect’ picture, are a thousand retakes, trashcans, people, shadows, sneezes, wind and several other factors that were not picture perfect at the time. All I have to say is thank goodness for amazing photographers! Haha. (Nicole and Diana you guys are literally the best)

 4. Blogging brings amazing friendships and relationships. When I went to my first blogging event I was so scared there were going to be ‘mean girls’, and the comparison game was going to scare me away from wanting to pursue my blog. It’s funny even writing this because as soon as I walked in, I was greeted with the most overwhelming welcome and felt so loved and accepted right away. I left that event, with the biggest smile on my face and a purse full business cards, numbers and friendships that were just starting to form. I can honestly say the people I have met through blogging are some of the most genuine, caring and overall amazing people I have ever met. Blogging is so much more than meets the eye and I am so grateful for every single one of you who are a part of my small little corner.

Thank you to each and every one of you who have made 2018 such a great year. Cheers to 2019 I have a feeling it’s gonna be a good one!(:

All photography done by the amazing Nicole Quiroz

www.nicolequiroz.com