The Old Fashion Blog She Ain’t What She Used to Be: Why Blogs Change
You’ve been a blog reader for a long while, long before every single girl in America with a Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC started one. You’ve had favorites who really spoke to you, but lately their blogs are disappointing. What happened to that awesome blog from 2007, 2009, or even 2012 that you loved so much? I’ve been blogging since 2005 and have made friends with many fellow veteran bloggers. We all hear this complaint from old readers that our blogs have changed, they miss the old us. Here’s some of the reasons why our blogs ain’t what they used to be:
Audience Growth
It’s easy to be brutally honest and candid when you’re writing for an audience of 30. But when that audience grows to 3,000 or gosh even 300,000 you start questioning what you choose to share. On top of it, it gets weird when your blog life merges into your real life: work clients mentioning they read your blog, local politicians emailing an “Ask Allie” fashion question, distant relatives “Liking” your blog on Facebook, the mom of your daughter's friend asking if the birthday party the two of you are at will end up on Instagram. Suddenly those pageviews become real people who have influence on your day job, your child, your community, you and your family's future.
It’s not always easy to realize when your favorite blog has grown in popularity. Sure, they may have a few more sponsored posts or followers on social media, but sometimes when the increase in traffic is viral (Google searches, a link on a popular site or feature in a newspaper) that traffic can be hidden to the average blog reader but can cause the blog writer to have a minor freakout when she sees her Google analytics and make her more careful with what is shared.
Personal Growth
When I started my blog I was 29 and thought I knew everything. I had a very definite opinion and voice on this blog, a voice I created envisioning my posts someday becoming a book. As my audience grew, I occasionally did things to be controversial to increase traffic because that bit of growth was so addictive. With time, I’ve gotten to know many of you as people I care about instead of exciting numbers, and my voice and direction for this blog has changed because of it. I also feel that with age comes wisdom and experiences that have changed who I am, my priorities, and my voice. A lot can happen in the years you’ve been following a blog: marriage, divorce, children, job change, religion or spiritual change, moving to a new location, weight loss or gain, health issues… all of these changes will affect not just the blog’s content but how content is delivered. As a blogger grows and experiences things, her voice will change with that personal development.
Life Changes
When I was pregnant I started a baby blog. I thought it would be a great way to journal the journey into motherhood, and maybe I’d publish it into a book that my child could enjoy when she was older. I shared all the vegetable and fruit she was supposed to resemble in my body, a very detailed birth story, problems with breastfeeding, experiences with cloth diapers and baby led weaning. It was all fine and good until she got to the age where she was being potty trained and I realized… this isn’t a sweater, this is a human being that is being raised in the era of the Internet. Do I really want to be sharing her bodily functions with the world? Should I be sharing ANYTHING about her for that matter? She doesn’t really have a say, and I’m here writing posts about her to garner attention and income. I made the blog private, and soon after shut it down completely.
My fashion blog also changed because of Emerson. My personal life no longer belonged just to me. While many readers had become friends, I knew there were a lot out there who were complete strangers, and I knew some readers didn’t like me very much. It felt very wrong to put my family and personal information out there to the universe, not knowing who was reading it and what they were doing with it. It’s a very weird experience being a blogger; the most intimate posts and details are the ones that get the most feedback and “likes.” It’s tempting to share more to get more positive feedback, but there’s this weird point where you wonder if you’re having special family moments for your family or your readers; if you’re infringing on your loved ones’ privacy by sharing that which involves and affects them. I've chatted with many bloggers who also struggle with this balance.
Lack of Comments
The old blog commenter, she ain't what she used to be either. With RSS readers, mobile phones, and social media, comment areas have become a wasteland of, “Cute shoes, check out my blog!” and spam for Viagra and Louis Vuitton. While my subscribers have quintupled in the past three years, the comments on many of my posts have dwindled down to a trickle. It’s hard to be real when you feel you’re talking to a wall. I'm grateful to you readers who do leave comments, and I’ve built up my Facebook community to have a platform to get real with those who use it to follow me and other blogs. But because comment fields have become a place for trolls, spammers, and self-promoting bloggers instead of a venue to interact and get to know readers, many bloggers are shutting down comments all together. I never wish to do that, but the longer I blog and the larger my audience the more I understand their choice. And this gets to my next reason…
The Anonymous and the Creepy
I’m not talking about the activist group, I’m talking about the ability for blog readers to be unknown. Anonymous comments, fake email addresses, tools to hide IP addresses and where they clicked from to get to your blog. Having anonymity gives people a feeling of power, and they sometimes abuse it. This isn’t about the anonymous comments or emails that say you’re ugly or fat; I’m talking about those who take it to the next level. Many of us deal with strangers who have threatened our lives, our careers, or our families and some have acted upon it, contacting places of work, blog advertisers, spouses, and neighbors to harm us in some manner.
Some other readers don’t try to be malicious, but they cross the line from loyal and loving reader to downright creepy. There’s a difference between being a fan and being a Stan, and this doesn’t just happen to the more famous bloggers. I know from experience and conversations with my peers that this happens to bloggers of all size and genre of audiences. We don’t talk about it because we don’t want to look ungrateful or as though we have a big head but it still creeps us out.
When you choose to be a blogger, especially one who works to grow her traffic and monetizes her site, you’re choosing to be a public figure. However, when things start getting upsetting and you’re not famous enough for an entourage to filter out and protect you from it (or have the bankroll to justify dealing with it), you can't help but have it affect what you choose to share on the blog.
Numbers Don’t Lie… or Do They?
We bloggers have a kazillion tools at our disposal to know about our blog traffic. We can see general demographics, location, and we can see which posts are shared the most. If you see that posts about a certain subject perform better (more shares on social media, higher traffic that day, other bloggers linking to it, more sales from your affiliate program, more traffic from search engines), you of course are going to write about that subject more often.
With the reduction in comments and an increase in traffic, stats are what bloggers go by to gauge the temperature of their audience and choose the direction of the blog. If you feel a beauty blog is writing too much about her home décor, it’s likely because her home décor posts are getting the most traffic. Most bloggers try to be authentic, but provide content they believe their audience desires, and we have to use our numbers to figure that out.
ROI
When I started blogging, I’d maybe change my blog’s background or font color but that’s about it for admin work, and that was more for fun. But blogging’s come a long way baby, and to stay relevant you’ve got to keep up with the times. This means templates that are clean, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly. Images that are high quality but not so big it takes ten minutes to load a page. Ways to connect on social media and by email. Maintaining content not just on the blog but on social media. All of this takes time and some know-how. That know-how takes more time to learn, or a very nice person who will do it for a very nice price. Oh, and that awkwardly long blogspot.com URL has GOT to go, which means hosting fees and all that jazz. There’s gotta be a return on investment to make it worthwhile to successfully blog in this day and age.
As blogs have become more popular and more professional, it takes even more time to make a blog successful financially. Advertisers don’t just pick a blogger who writes about their brand. They look at the numbers, see how influential a blogger is on social media, and yes, how pretty the brand will look on that blogger and her blog. They don't just contact you and offer a free dress, now there are expectations for number of photos, word count, Pinterest boards, shares on social media, videos and content for their sites and social media. A regularly updated media kit and plenty of contracts and conference calls. Things that worked great in 2013 are archaic in 2014; advertisers want their brand featured on the latest and greatest and expect more with their partnerships.
And the ways to make money on blogs have changed dramatically. Two years ago, most of my income came from sidebar ads. Took only a couple of minutes to install the code, and it didn't interfere with my content. In 2014 though my traffic is much larger than it was in 2012, I make a third of what I did with sidebar ads. Money is now from affiliate links and “native advertising” (sponsored posts and partnerships). And sponsored posts continue to be more complicated – create a corresponding Pinterest board, lead a Twitter chat, create a DIY tutorial, make a video, have X amount of original photos and a minimum word count of Y. All of this used to be handled with a couple emails, now brands request phone calls, Skype sessions, proposals, and contracts. This means we bloggers need to work more hours and change our content just to make the same money we used to. To keep a blog from being one gigantic ad, you need to work extra hours to fill the space between sponsored content with authentic stuff, which makes that ROI harder to achieve. Vicious cycle, no? And you wonder why all the “good” blogs shutter.
In Summary…
If you are still reading a blog you read five or more years ago, it’s because that blogger is passionate about blogging. They're still here because they love it, and because they love you. In the internet world, if you don’t keep up with the times you might as well be Geocities, Friendster, or LiveJournal. And in the real world, if you’re the same exact person you were five years ago, you need to step away from the computer and live the real life. Blogs are special because they’re (usually) written by humans, not corporations. And humans change and grow, make bad decisions, feel pain and sadness, and learn from mistakes. Our blogs grow with us, and I’m pretty sure my peers would agree that we’re so honored that you have stuck with us through it all.
As for me, I’d love to hear from you. Wardrobe Oxygen is NOT what it was even a year ago, and it will continue to change. But let me know what you love, what you hate, what you miss, and what you wish I’d start including. With Disqus (the tool I use for comments) you can sign in as a guest and use a fake name and email if you wish to be anonymous; I also have a comment form where you can put in a fake email and name if you wish. I also take feedback on Twitter and Facebook. There’s no point in having this site if you don’t enjoy it. I look forward to connecting with you, and I look forward to the future of this blog and your part in it!
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I truly admire with your concept and I think these factors are quite important in today’s world. I used to run a blog and maybe I lack a lot of engagements and interactions with my readers and result I stopped writing blogs. But I was searching about new things and made my mind to write a blog again and I come to your website. I must say you are amazing person who likes to share personal experiences with people and I am going to bookmark your blog for my future needs.
Thank you so much Allie for this amazing informative post!
I only just found your blog, as I’m rebooting mine after a long hiatus. Your “How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe” is going to be helpful to me, as I’m rethinking my professional wardrobe after a year at home. It’s actually a big project, and one that I’m blogging.
Your post has made me seriously reconsider a suit that is lovely, but goes with nothing else in my wardrobe… it may be going back to the store. I will post about that decision soon, and intend to reference your post, with attribution (of course).
Added to my blogroll
Super belated comment (which is why I rarely comment on blogs – I’m usually a couple of weeks behind the discussion!): I find that with fashion blogs more than others I find myself complaining silently that they’re not what they used to be, and it’s generally because the blogger’s style has changed. Which is natural, and normal! But I read for inspiration primarily, and if the style has changed to something I actively don’t like (which has happened) or just away from what drew me in, I will leave, even if I still really like the other parts of the blog. I still miss one blogger who I used to want her entire wardrobe, and then her style shifted dramatically, and it wasn’t interesting anymore. She’s still posting, but I stopped reading.
Still, I don’t think bloggers should have to stagnate! Just that there will be a natural ebb and flow of readers as the things that drew some people disappear.
I’m glad you commented! And I agree, even if I like a blogger if I can’t relate to or get inspiration from them any more I move on. And I expect many do with my blog too, it’s nothing bad. Either the blogger has grown or the reader has and both are good things. Like you said, it’s a natural ebb and flow, it’s not natural to stay the same over time!
Hi Allie, I love love love this blog, but I couldn’t respond earlier because I was reading on my mobile devices….You are an inspirational hard-working blogger. Thanks!
Thank YOU Kate!
Hello Allie! Thank you so much for writing this post. I really appreciate all the insights. I started reading style blogs years ago, and I’ve definitely had a lot of turnover of blogs in my reader. To be honest, I hardly follow any “popular” blogs anymore because I tend to hate when people get so wrapped up into the business of blogging and don’t focus on the original intent of the blog anymore, or if they seem to forget about their readers. I have been blogging for nearly 2 years now, and I have a very small following (VERY small), but to be honest, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love that my blog is focused on what I wear, life in general, and the relationships I’ve been building with some of my blogging friends. For me, that’s what’s important – blogging is a hobby that I love to do when I have free time. I do really love your blog – it’s one of the blogs I’ve followed for the longest times. I love your capsule wardrobes (especially when they’re an edgier style!!) and seeing reviews of clothing. I usually tend to skim or skip over beauty related posts, just because I’m not much of a “product” gal myself, but I know that they’re really helpful for so many other women! 🙂
Thank you so much Brynn! <3
Excellent post, Allie. As you know, I tuned in to your blog in 2007 – when I see you had already been blogging for 2 years! Yours and Kasmira’s were the first fashion blogs I read, and to me you are in a class of your own. I feel like we’ve sort of grown up together! I really like how your blog has changed, but hasn’t changed TOO much – I guess like you. The blog is modern and good-looking but not so slick that it’s not relatable. And well done you for not being a sell-out. I love your own wardrobe style posts, capsule wardrobe articles, True Fashionista series – and most other things you write. I actually also loved your parenting blog but I absolutely see that it eventually felt like an invasion of Emerson’s privacy. Nothing I hate. I am SO glad you are still going. Love you! xxx Gervy
Thanks Gervy, we have grown up together! Much love to you too! <3
Enjoy your blog very much. Read it once a week to kick off the weekend before my family wakes up. I really enjoy posts where you drag out pictures from your past growing up and relate whats going on in your life now to something from the past. Just think those are fun. I really hate the sponsored posts. No matter how well you (as well as other bloggers) write it almost always domes off as very forced. I usually just click past those. Keep up the good work.
I don’t blame you for clicking past the sponsored posts, and thank you for reading and providing feedback! 🙂
I’ve been reading your blog since 2012 and I’ve been a fan ever since. My favorite posts are your “Ask Allie” series – it seems like no matter how specific the question, you will take the time to research it and come back with a great capsule wardrobe and even better advice. I also used to love posts where you just picked a topic and ran with it (I have your “Date with Destiny” post saved in my bookmarks bar!) because you hit on so many excellent points. At first I was disappointed when I realized you were phasing out your outfit posts, but your content lately has been so high-quality that it’s more than made up the difference. Your advice has really helped shape my thoughts about shopping over the years and I feel like the pieces I’ve bought during that time are the kind that will last a while and adapt to my changing personal style. I also have to thank you for introducing me to Nordstrom.com – they don’t have a store in my city but now I won’t buy anything without seeing customer reviews first! 🙂
If there was anything I’d change, I’d say I’d like to see more cosmetics and beauty reviews – I mostly buy my makeup at Sephora because a) I believe in spending a little more on products I use every day and b) it’s another site that has lots of customer reviews. There aren’t a lot of reviews I’ve found on typical Target and drugstore brands, but your posts often center on those brands and help me feel more confident about which products might be worth the money.
Thanks for helping me shape my own style! 🙂
I love doing cosmetic and beauty reviews but hate doing them without photos, and I never have time for the photos. I have it on my list to do a few this December when things slow down at work! Thank you so much Brittany! <3
As a part time viewer of your blog, I read this with much interest, whilst it may be difficult in deciding how much of your life, interests, to share, it is after all your choice to do so, and I obviously “get” there is a fine line between fan and stan (funny) I am sure I am not alone when I say this, maybe some of your readers would like a little feedback too. After all, in creating your website, are you not trying to reach as many people as possible? So I kind of feel a bit uncomfortable with labelling people as weirdos or stalkers, when all they may be doing is reaching out. Sorry Allie, I do enjoy
your work, but all this kind of comes with the territory?
When you’re in the public eye, yes you do get fans and you have all sorts, but I think it needs to be said that it sometimes goes too far into what I think can be fairly called creepy or weird or stalker territory. I just wrote a bunch of examples but realized some may be too obviously connected with the blogger and possibly an invasion of privacy. Also I know some bloggers have contacted police regarding the situations and don’t want to affect anything in that regard. But if a situation gets to where you worry about you or your family’s safety or have your career jeopardized or need to contact the police or get a lawyer or consider moving, it is NOT something that should come with this or any territory. And I don’t feel bad calling people who do the things like this as weirdos or stalkers.
Hi Allie, thank you for your reply, I absolutely do not endorse ANY situation where you or your family would be put in any kind of trouble – PERIOD. I just dont like labelling people, but If you feel comfortable with that, then ok. I was trying to demonstrate that its a fine line that unfortunately some people do not know they are crossing. But I wont labour the point, I respect your opinion and taking time out to reply to this, thank you very much. Regards Susan.
Allie, I’ve followed Wardrobe Oxygen for a few years now. I started with your post about postpartum fashion, back when I was postpartum and having trouble with my new body. Your kind and empathetic writing made an enormous difference to me; reading your articulating the feelings I didn’t even have words for, let alone company, made it so so much easier to deal and relearn how to do dress and do my job and move through the world.
I love your writer’s voice, your fashion sense, your capsule wardrobes. I will keep reading as long as you keep writing.
Thank you so much Alex!
LONG time reader here!! I’ve been blogging since 2006 and i miss the way it used to be. For a while I found there to be a lot of cattiness in the beauty blogging world and I almost stopped blogging. Then I realized I didn’t need to respond or tolerate that crap. I respond to the positive and block the negative.
I love the capsule posts. It gives me ideas on what to buy the next time I go shopping.
Yes, I do often miss how it used to be, but blogging is so much more mainstream it would be hard to keep it the same. But like you say, make it your own and focus on the positive! Thanks old friend! 🙂
Why do you have to monetize your blog? If it’s so difficult don’t do it and stop being so greedy.
Sorry for the late contribution. Allie, I have followed your blog now for at least six years or more. As I’ve said before, when I was looking for stock photos of Ann Taylor clothing, your photo kept coming up and I decided to give your blog a visit. I’ve been a fan, and hopefully, not a Stan ever since.
I appreciate your candor (recall that you and hubby had an encounter in a closet on vacation once that made me laugh out loud), your brazen comments to those naysayers that comment negatively, the fact that you’ll spend $100 on a pair of pants and then buy something used on eBay as well as the times when you’re feeling in the mood to be frank, honest and open about your own feelings and thoughts.
I’ve visited and thought I was a fan of other blogs, but over time, I’ve dropped them for whatever reason as their fashion or their style was either not me or had evolved into something I no longer was interested in following.
You are a real woman that wears close to my size (I’m taller, but still a 14 getting closer to a 16, ugh!), with a life outside of your fashions and a voice. My only complaint would be when you go into great detail about the concerts and the shows that you attend. I just can’t relate, but I’m sure others can, so I just read and then wait for the next day’s blog.
BTW, I sign in as a guest, but use my real name and email address. Don’t change one bit.
A Huge Fan
I did not realize comments were important to you or I would have made them long ago!!!!! I read 30 plus blogs on a ton of issues. Reading yours is like coming home. Real, authentic, warmv, friendly. Thank you so much!!!!!!
Aww you are too kind Sheilah, thanks!
Hi Allie! I really enjoyed reading the behind-the-scenes world of blogging. All professions are like that, I imagine, more complex than outsiders realize. I know mine is. I’m glad you’ve stuck with it and found a way to navigate the ever-changing landscape.
I have read your blog for 2-3 years. I love your capsule wardrobes, the Ask Allie advice, your reviews of beauty products, when you summarize sales (love me a good bargain), and your outfit posts. I think what keeps me coming back, more than anything, is the way I feel I have honed my personal style and my confidence in my taste in clothes through reading your writing. I have a long way to go – three babies in 5 years (yes, we’re a little crazy) and the changes in weight and budget that have gone along with it have slowed me down a bit in stepping out the door loving what I wear every day, but I’m getting there. I’m pickier when I shop and I know what pieces I want and why I want them, in many ways thanks to this blog. I enjoy your voice and your style, plus I feel bonded to anyone who’s done Whole30, so I hope to read your blog for years to come!
Thanks,
Jennifer
Thank you so much Jennifer! And you are my hero, three in 5 years? Go girl! And so glad to hear you’re honing your personal style! <3
I’ve been reading your blog for a couple years and love it. You have fun with fashion while still putting forth a polished look, and you have great outfit ideas. And I love your writing. It is smart, funny, and engaging. I keep coming back because you seem like the type of woman I would actually like to be friends with. Thank you for sharing you life with us readers. We appreciate you more than you know!
Thank you so much Linds! <3
Four years ago, my husband moved me and my son to Arizona for a school year while he was on sabbatical. I had a job in retail which renewed my love for all things fashion-related. When I came back home, I looked for lots of fashion blogs to scratch my fashion itch and started following several. Yours is the only one I still keep up with. Part of it, from my point of view, is that I am 50-something, living in a rural area and have a very casual lifestyle. I don’t need work clothes or hints on building capsule wardrobes since I’ve been doing that for 30 years (without knowing that’s what it’s called!). And although we wear similar sizes, I’m tall and could never wear a petite anything, but your advice is interesting, kind, and often works across wide age ranges and lifestyles. I appreciate that you are a real woman, giving real advice, and that your blog is well written.
Thank you so much Jan, your comment made me tear up, best to you! <3
Hi Allie! I love your blog so much and comment now and again. Not only does it help me with fashion because I really need help with fashion (love the wardrobe capsules) but I just really enjoy the way you write. You’re a darn good writer! Thank you for the good work and keep it up!
Thank you so much Patti!! <3
Hi Allie. I’ve been following your blog and several other fashion blogs for about 2 yrs. What attracted me were the wardrobe capsules you did, as well as daily outfit shots, since I’ve been trying to get new ideas for maximizing the use of clothes I already own. While readers like me may have specific reasons for following certain blogs, I respect that bloggers have their own agendas and reasons for blogging, hence I’m not one to typically leave comments. As your post today states, we are all constantly changing and growing. Like Wardrobe Oxygen, there are some blogs I’m still following 2 years later, and other blogs that have come and gone from my daily-read list over that time. No matter what you decide to do going forward, I’m glad you took the time and effort (I can only imagine how much effort) to share your fashion lessons learned, experiments, and favorites.
I take it as a compliment when someone says they have outgrown my blog, it means they have found personal style and fashion confidence. There’s many blogs that I no longer read for advice but because I love the blogger, her writing, her style. So I totally agree with what you stated. Thank you so much for your feedback, Julie! <3
Hi Allie! A first time commenter and an over-the-pond admirer from Latvia writing here. I have been reading your blog on more or less regular basis since 2011. I think so, but I cannot say exactly. I also cannot say how I found your blog – it was at the same time I started reading thoughts of Sally (Already Pretty), Autumn (The Beheld), Kate (Eat the Damn Cake) and Mara (Medicinal Marzipan). All of you ladies helped me through a really hard time when I had to rediscover who I am and reestablish my selfesteem. For that I am very thankful. Now I would like to give something back through my feedback.
I love your style and how you are able to write a very thorough posts without giving too much personal information away. As mentioned, I only started reading your blog in 2011, so I do can’t say if your writing was more personal before. At least, it feels warm/personal enough for me, keeping in mind that you have a family and a child to protect from the internet creeps (I am not a fan of oversharing). I also love how you can look into very different issues (issues that are not your issues), and give really good advice (I checked my bookmarks, most of them were “Ask Allie” posts which means that often your advice for problems of other people is spot on). I like that the advice is always something useful, something I can figure out how bring into life (as opposed to “horizontal stripes make you wider” kind of advice). Moreover, I sometimes search for topics in archive, and I can say that there are some that seem like a timeless advice. There aren’t any things I hate; I am little interested in the music posts, but as mentioned above, they’re you, so I don’t mind and just skip over. I also don’t miss anything and don’t have any unmet needs, as in general I like what you are doing with this blog. So, there, hope this helps.
Your writing has kept me here for 3-4 years now, and I think I will stay. Because I truly, really like this place you have created. All the best for you, Allie!
Oh thank you so much Signe, I am so honored to have helped you through a difficult time, and to be in such company as those other amazing and inspiring bloggers. My best to you, and thanks for the feedback!
I like the balance that you’re at right now. I stopped reading for a while when you were posting your outfits everyday, but I like seeing them sometimes. My favorite are the advice posts, and you do a goo djob with your candid reviews.
I hate typos! “good job”.
Thanks Kate! It’s funny I had so many people upset that I reduced the number of outfit posts, but that was the easiest way to simplify my life and make blogging less of a slog. On the finance level it reduced my income greatly, but it increased my quality of life tenfold. Thanks for this feedback!
Thank you for your very honest post. I’ve been reading your blog since Emerson was an infant. Like someone else here, I’d been reading petite fashion blogs that were not relevant to anyone who wasn’t a 000P. I found your blog and have read it regularly ever since. I’m 62 and don’t work in an office, but I enjoy all of your posts even if the outfit isn’t one I’d wear myself. I especially like your posts about what to buy on sale – I’ve found quite a few pieces that I wouldn’t have even noticed otherwise. The only posts I skip are the ones about beauty products – not that I mind them but I just don’t wear a lot of makeup since I live at the beach. And since I broke my wrist not long after you broke yours, I learned some tricks from you that I might not have figured out for myself.
Oh yuck regarding your wrist, Marcia. Hope it’s healing well. And thank you for your valuable feedback, I’m honored that you continue to read Wardrobe Oxygen!
Hi Allie! I’m just one more reader who rarely comments (I need to change that) but who really enjoys your blog. I’ve been reading for about two years now and have noticed your blog evolving over time, but the good things about it are still here: your warmth and support of us “out here” and your helpful advice.
My favorite posts: the “Ask Allie” and your outfit posts. Even though many of the “Ask Allie” questions don’t pertain to my situation, I really enjoy reading your advice, which is always useful and thoughtful. It’s obvious that you put a lot of effort into answering those questions, and I take away great tips.
Your outfit posts inspire me, even though we don’t have a similar appearance (I’m blond, 60, and 5’8″). You have such flair with how you style and accessorize your outfits!
Allie, I admire and appreciate your courage and honesty in writing this (and many other) posts. Thank you so much for putting your heart into this blog. ! I wish you much continued success!
And thank YOU Linn for reading, and for providing such fantastic feedback. It means more than you can know, I only want Wardrobe Oxygen to be a great resource for all women! <3
I started to read your blog when I found it searching for vacation wardrobe advice. I was tired of looking frumpy in vacation photos or even worse, feeling like I did not want to even have a photo taken. With your advice on capsule wardrobes, specific clothing recommendations and insight on the how and why you choose your pieces I am feeling so much better about my wardrobe choices, how I present myself and how I look in photos. It has been nice to get out of my wardrobe rut. Success! I have even begun enjoying clothes shopping again- in small doses!
Your blog is one of just a few that I make sure I read the comments I read a post I connect with. I really enjoy the conversation and the exchange in your posts; I can see how not getting comments or feedback would really throw off the balance. For me, a blog post with no comments or discussion is more like a magazine article. I enjoy what you do and simply read lightly the topics that don’t apply to me. I don’t follow you on Twitter or Facebook.
Oh gosh Cathryn, your comment made me tear up. I am thrilled that you’re enjoying fashion, and I really thank you for this valuable feedback and for being a Wardrobe Oxygen reader! <3
I’ve only followed Wardrobe Oxygen for about 2 years, but I fell in love with it right away. You were responsible for making me realize how sad I was and how I had let myself go, and you helped me through a difficult time and helped me take the steps to get it together.
I have noticed a change, but your voice still comes through and you are still the best blogger out there.
Thanks so much for keeping at it!
http://www.yousaucyminx.com
Thank you so much Kat, and you too have a great blog. I’ll admit I’m a bit of a lurker, guess I need to walk the talk and start commenting more often myself!
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Thank you Sarah for this great feedback! <3
I appreciate your blog because I can tell you take time to really provide quality content. It is not just a photo of you in some clothes stores sent you with a one line summary just so you have something written there.
Speaking of which, have you seen the article/blog post below? Almost a million dollars a year just by posting a photo of herself online with sponsored clothes?? I am in the wrong business.
http://jezebel.com/fashion-bloggers-make-millions-journalistic-ethics-be-1590457800
It also bothers me when fashion bloggers just show pictures of themselves dressed in very expensive clothes holding very expensive bags that you know they got for free. I can’t afford a Celine bag and I know most people can’t so how does that help us? Also, most people can’t wear really high heels every day all day and I know these bloggers aren’t wearing them either so it is just painting a fake unrealistic picture.
Well I surely am not making even a fraction of that money! It’s not as easy as it looks to create a highly profitable fashion blog, there’s a lot of behind the scenes marketing, shmoozing, SEO, social media, and promotion going on and most have a team of people to make it look effortless. On top of that you have to provide something that’s not already out there, and do it perfectly 100% of the time. Sounds like a souless and stressful existence, and makes me happier just making enough to cover some bills and let me experience some new brands and products and share with you all!
First of all, THANK YOU, for getting me out of a lifetime fashion rut and helping me figure out, simply, what to wear. I would probably still be wearing black and white from head to toe every day if it weren’t for you.
I am a new reader, only been reading for maybe 2-3 months (found you by googling “wardrobe capsule”), but I haven’t been disappointed with any of your posts.
I don’t think your blog would suffer if you omitted more of your personal life. Maybe it’s just me. I come here to educate myself, to learn from you. I don’t need to know what you did this weekend (but it would be cool to see photos of what you wore!).
My favorite posts are those which have images of your outfits, answer “what to wear” questions, and give us a leg up on online sales (thank you for the Nordstrom sale post as those silver pumps, which I never would have DREAMED of wearing before reading your blog, were on my wish list).
But the best thing about your blog, Allie, is that you are shaped like a regular person and not a stick figure and you give us – at least ME – the courage to wear clothes we may not have worn without you showing us that it’s OKAY.
So, thank you. 🙂
Oh Katerina thank YOU for this comment! And go rock those silver pumps you fabulous woman you! <3
My first comment also, excellent post Allie! Your blog is one of my favorites and the only one that has moved me to actually make a purchase. Your posts speak to real women, living in the real world who have to dress for real lives. I find myself continually going back to your “What I Wore” posts for inspiration!
Thank you so much Kristin!! <3
What I like most about your blog is that you work the psychology, appropriateness and fashion confluence.
If you read magazines, the advice they give is to cover up as you get older and I found that I have more confidence to wear short skirts as I get older. When I was younger I would get harassed all the time when I wore even mildly sexy clothes. Now my posture has changed, my legs are still great and people – mostly men – leave me alone anyway.
That is what you seem to understand and most of the fashion media misses – readers are people, sometimes vulnerable, in need of someone who can step to our level, be caring and friendly. You have your personal style, which is great – but you can give good advice to people in different situations and with different body types than yours.
The other major thing you get right is when you do posts like this – baring some truths that most bloggers would keep under wraps. Like when you told us about a sponsored post that went terribly wrong – I think it was about a hair cut. You have a great brain and that is the most beautiful thing. 🙂
Those are the main things that keep me reading your blog and they haven’t changed over the years. Even though I can’t buy the clothes you suggest – and sometimes wish I could – I keep reading from way out here in Brazil. I don’t comment more because saying – great post – to every post would turn me into a stan. 😉
Thank you so much Leticia. It’s funny when I started this blog I had this very holier than thou voice, one should NEVER do this, NEVER do that, but the thing is, we don’t live in a black and white world. We have such different lives and bodies and budgets and circumstances, having absolutes makes fashion unattainable for so many. Everyone can be stylish and on their own terms if they see the possibilities. That’s what makes blogs great, we’re real people interacting with fellow real people, and I am so honored when someone tells me they rediscovered fashion or have a better sense of self thanks to this blog. And LOL on the Stan comment! <3
Hi Allie. Just to say that I don’t really identify with your blog but I enjoy it. I am in a different country, a different age, childless and probably a different shape as well. But I like the insight into a different life. (And I thought that ‘chub rub’ was my own shameful secret until you wrote about it). I think blogs can make you feel that you ‘know’ somebody, when of course you don’t. I quite understand that you let people in so far and no further. And i think you are so right not to post too much about Emerson. She is now at an age when she might like you posting, but regret it in 10 years’ time. I often see friends posting about their children on Facebook in ways I think unwise, and in a blog which, as you say, may attract trolls, it seems doubly important to be careful. Keep up the good work – and I like the posts that seem irrelevant to me precisely because of that – the which shoes to wear if you need steel toecaps was a prime example. What I don’t like? I’m not at all interested in your music posts, but that is your interest and it’s your blog – I don’t have to read them.
Thank you so much Ruth! <3
Allie,
I am so happy that your blog exists but if/when you want to quit, I completely understand. Yours is the first style blog I read and yours is the one I read every day, along with Already Pretty. Lately, I’ve been so busy at work and at home that I have no time to do what I want on the computer. On the days I don’t skip lunch at work, I sit at my computer and read your blog. Some days it is the only time I can do it.
No offense to the other bloggers but I think yours is at the top and will remain so. You give so much to so many. I think more of your fans don’t comment than do. So your audience is much larger than the stats show.
I sincerely thank you for everything that you do!
Chris
Thanks Chris, for being such a loyal reader and over the years an email buddy. I love your feedback and questions, they make me think deeper on subjects. I appreciate what you bring to this community and to me!
Hi Allie,
I wrote a long comment about how much I appreciate your blog, but then my iPad deleted it. Drat! So this is a short comment to say that I like your mix. I feel like you protect your family’s privacy while giving enough glimpses to keep it real. As a size 12-14 professional woman, wife and mother of a five year old, I find your blog one of very few fashion blogs that I can identify closely with. Keep up the outfit posts! And know that I’m reading even if I’m not commenting.
LOL darn iPad! Thank you so much Deb!
I am a diehard blog lurker in general, but I just wanted to say that while I do enjoy the fashion on this blog, it is your authentic voice and real point of view/advice that keeps me coming back. I only found your blog a year or two ago, but it’s one of my top picks. Thanks so much for the insight on “behind the blog” and thank you for continuing to write.
And thanks Katie for coming out of lurkdom to comment! <3
I love your blog. The only other fashion blog I check on a regular basis is “Already Pretty.” I like that your feminist values and real life experiences inform your writing. And writing – you area such a skilled writer. That doesn’t happen everywhere either. I respect that you went private with your daughter. I don’t like when moms put so much kid stuff on their blogs. These “mom confessions” could embarrass the child at a later date. We don’t own our kids and I think they have a right to their privacy. I think you strike the right note with your daughter.
Who could possibly hate you? You are so sweet and helpful. Those people are probably just looking for someone to harass and somehow landed on you.
I don’t feel good about my body. Seeing someone who looks like me has renewed my interest in fashion.
A big cyber-thanks.
Thank you so much JJ! And this is why I have this blog. We truly are gorgeous human beings, and the diversity in our looks and shapes make us even more spectacular. The way society makes us feel bad about ourselves because we aren’t shaped like Kate Moss or Marilyn Monroe isn’t fair, there’s nothing wrong with us! Nothing makes me happier than to know you’re enjoying fashion again! <3
Hi Allie, as a fellow blogger I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I found myself nodding in agreement. It’s funny, though, what I have found lately is that my comments have skyrocketed, and I’m not sure why. Interesting that you have had the opposite happen. I also rarely get spam comments (knock on wood). Having comments makes SUCH a difference in taking the temperature of your audience and gauge what they want to hear more of. It also can get very encouraging to keep writing because you know people are listening. No matter how big your blog gets it can still feel like you are talking to a wall sometimes. Even though my blog readership grew by over 500% in a year, when someone tells me they read my blog regularly I still get giddy.
Anyway, I can’t thank you enough again for writing this. Running a blog is like running a major publication with a staff of one. In fact, someone told me recently that a lot of blogs that are solely outfit type blogs are shuttering because they’re just not sustainable. It makes sense, if everything in life was to suddenly become a photo shoot it has to get exhausting. I love it when I get the opportunity to shoot a photo of what I am wearing, but if I had to think about it constantly it would drive me crazy, not to mention all the people I’d have to beg to take my photo.
Thanks again, my friend. xo
It is like running a major publication with a staff of one! Just cleaning out my inbox every morning takes a good hour or more, and that doesn’t include the emails I need to reply to! But it’s so rewarding, and like you said, when you get someone who says they regularly read or love your blog it’s the best feeling in the world. Gosh I love my little corner of the internet and the people I’ve connected with thanks to it!
Oh you actually clean out your inbox? Haha. I think my count is at like 34K emails. It’s crazy. Inboxes are like laundry, it’s always piling up. And, I agree, that little corner of the internet feels like an addictive drug!
Hello! I’ve been reading for … not sure how long, but certainly pre your pregnancy, if that helps date it?! (Gosh, I have no idea how it’s been that long – and as a result, no idea how I found you in the first place…) As others have said, I really like the fact you keep it ‘real’ – I’ve stopped reading a few blogs recently where everything is all “and then I put on this whimsical sleeveless dress and stilettos in the winter in order to pop to the supermarket”. I’m sorry but everyone wears sweatpants or sensible shoes every so often! I also like the fact that it feels like you really care about your readers in terms of responding to emails and comments, makes it much more interactive than reading a magazine equivalent and is probably part of the reason I keep coming back.
My favourite parts are the Ask Allie posts (even if it’s not relevant to me, it often inspires me to take a fresh look at my wardrobe), some of your cosmetics reviews (for the same reason, very easy to get stuck in a cosmetics rut), and I really loved the series of posts you did a while back when you were redecorating your house? (We have the same approach to bold paint colours – love love love!)
I don’t have kids so the stuff about Emerson doesn’t really interest me much but it doesn’t bother me either. As I’m not in the US, some of the posts about shopping and sales aren’t really relevant either as we don’t have the same stores here (or such big sale reductions!), but it’s always interesting to see what sorts of things you’re looking to purchase each season, and more interestingly, how you’re thinking about your wardrobe! I like that you don’t just blindly suggest to splurge every season, and you encourage me to think sensibly about what I actually need rather than coveting impractical things.
Thanks Emily! I do plan on have a bit of the home in the future. 2014 has been ca-ray-zy and we’re thrilled just to vacuum a room every so often, but once we’re all healed up (K broke his foot before Labor Day) we hope to do a couple house updates and share here on the blog. And thanks for reading so long and always providing honest feedback in your comments! <3
Hello Allie….just to let you know that I read your blog on a regular basis. I used to run a gardening blog and a food blog so I know that (positive) comments can be fun and interesting. Exposing your e-mail on a public site can also invite spammers and negative comments. Try to ignore them and don’t let them upset you. I commend you for your sincere, genuine writing style and fashion sense. It’s one of the main things I look forward to checking. Please continue to share your natural fashion style – it’s all about perspective and how you evolve. These things will influence your styling and that’s a good thing. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much Astrid!
I’ve been enjoying your blog for maybe 2 years. I started reading petite blogs but was unnerved by a growing trend of “woe is me, I’m so teeny NOTHING fits” and “let’s all buy the same statement necklace/rockstud shoes/Prada bag”. I’m petite but am a 4-6. I have a mom figure so I need to balance my look, not mope about how I wish 000P was a size. And, as a mom I wanted a carefully curated wardrobe not endless consumption.
I found your blog when I searched capsule wardrobe. I find my favorite blogs are ones where I develop a relationship with the blogger. I geek out when a blogger quotes me in a post. But I guess when you get popular, one can’t do that.
Your laid our the income streams really openly. One of my favorite blogs has changed from being just a “quest for fashion that fits” to often being a sponsored post.
I like how as a mom, you post realistic outfits. So many of the petite blogs had sky high stilettos with skinny jeans for “running errands”. My weekend days are in mom mode and that means a separate wardrobe not repurposing my work shirts with a frilly tutu and heels!
I’ve often thought it would be fun to blog but I don’t have a thick skin and would probably get so worked up over comments. I can’t even imagine the nightmare of GOMI as a blogger.
This sums me up perfectly too. Also, as a mum, although to older kids, I enjoy the mentions of your husband and daughter. I know my family is central to my life and it’s fun to get snippets from yours.
Thanks Elizabeth! I do think a bit of background (family and lifestyle) is necessary to understand my point of view on this blog, I’ll continue to provide snippets 🙂
Oh I’ve sported a couple tutus in my days, but I just feel foolish in them now, and they really aren’t useful attire! I just don’t have the time for that kind of wardrobe any more, and I know I am not alone. And I surely do not have a thick skin, but the past two years of blogging has taught me more than a therapist on how to take and filter criticism!
Count me in as another huge fan of your blog! I am not exactly sure how I found you–I think through something on Pinterest a few years back. I look forward to my daily email from you & often find myself searching Wardrobe Oxygen’s older posts for excellent information. I am a fan of all of your content–the Ask Allie posts, capsule wardrobes, make up experiences, recommendations on new products, & your family time too.
Just in the past few months, I’ve used several of your posts to guide my shopping. I love my new straight jeans from Gap but would never have given them a thought without reading your blog. This past week, I finally purchased the Loft Lou & Gray burgundy stripe shift dress that you helped another poster with a while back. I’d wanted it for months but couldn’t figure out how to wear it for winter. Thanks to your blog, I got it & love it!
Your post today certainly opened my eyes up to all the work that goes into blogging. Please you know you are appreciated!
Thank you so much!!! <3
I usually don’t comment on blogs but I really do appreciate your blog. Just wanted to say thanks for the great content – I especially enjoy your outfit posts. Keep it up!
Thank you so much!! <3
Great post and so true. . .many bloggers have fallen by the wayside because they forgot the reason why they blog. I blog for Fun and enjoy reading many blogs, and when they loose the passion they loose me. Thanks for writing!
And thank you for commenting! <3
Echoing others, I appreciate how “real” your blog is. I am probably 20 years older, but your advice is good for all of us. I also appreciate your photos are good but not an attempt at something on the cover of a magazine…who the heck lives that lifestyle? Sponsored posts have gotten tedious on a lot of blogs…I know they help blogs pay for themselves, but it does get old.I am so impressed with your sensitivity to your daughter’s right to some privacy. Keep doing what you are doing!
Thank you so much!
When I started blogging I actually built a static website all about shopping in Toronto (hence the name), but I haven’t spent a lot of time updating it in a long time because quite frankly the ROI just isn’t there. Plus walking the same neighbourhoods and reviewing yet another store was getting old. I felt like I was saying the same thing over and over. Which is why in the past few years I have focused more on the style blogging side of things. But even that is getting harder to be as excited about all the time. I am looking to diversify my content because I want to test the waters and as I get older there are other things I want to share. I have tried very hard to stay away from the whole Mommy Blogger thing but adding some lifestyle elements will allow for a bit of diversification.
As for Wardrobe Oxygen I love that you keep it real and are a realist when it comes to your perspective in your posts. It is why I keep coming back!
It makes sense to diversify, there is no point in blogging if you don’t enjoy it. And while some of the administrative aspects of blogging are a slog, the rest still gets me uber excited every day. Write and share what gets you uber excited and you’ll never feel as though it’s a slog. I love that you share your personal style, it’s inspiring to many!
Thank you Allie – and you are so right, sometimes you just have to talk about what makes you happy to keep it fresh.
I’ve been reading for several years now, and I still get happy when I see your post pop up in my reader. I enjoy how honest you are, and how you acknowledge that everyone has different needs/tastes when it comes to a wardrobe. I also love that your blog is one of the few that my daughter and I (she’s 23) both like to read so it gives us a fun way to connect.
Oh that is too awesome, thank you Jenny (and say hi to your daughter)! <3
I don’t comment very often, but I do read your blog regularly and I do it because it is relatable. We are about the same age and I spend my weekends taking my daughter to various activities too! I appreciate your fashion choices and I love your “Ask Allie” caspules. I’ve noticed a lot of bloggers strive to make their life appear perfect and that isn’t something I connect with or want to emulate.
I don’t mind reading sponsored posts, either. I didn’t realize how much work it is on your behalf, but I have found that you take the time to explain the product and the pros and cons. If it isn’t something I would buy, I still read, and if it is something I would buy, I pay more attention because I hate researching products, Too lazy, I guess! Anyway, just wanted to say I appreciate your blog!
Thank you so much Leah! And yeah, my life is FAR from perfect, and I think faking that it is doesn’t benefit me, or my readers. I get the love of aspirational blogs, but I love finding relatable blogs that make me feel better and realize I’m alone in my situation or feelings!
Allie, I will echo the love for your blog! I appreciate the time you take to interact with your readers and the unapologetic way you live your authentic life in a way that is true to you and your values. I am happy to click on links on your blog that offer you a monetary benefit because I appreciate the work you do to reflect your real opinions about products and share them with your readers. My favorite postings are your capsule wardrobe posts, more of those please!
Thank you! And the capsule wardrobes are the most fun for me to make, they just take the most time. So when I have a free afternoon I’m hopping right over to Polyvore! <3
Awesome post, Allie! I’ve been reading your blog since the beginning…it was the first fashion blog I found, the only one I’ve really ever read, and continue to read now. I’ve always been inspired by your fashion choices and appreciate your honesty and authenticity–today especially. I started blogging in 2003 and blogging has been my full-time job for the last 7 years. I really am passionate about it and my topic (turquoise!). Everything you wrote about why blogs change is so spot on, I’m so thankful for the time and thought you put into this post. The part that especially resonated with me was about sharing personal information. I used to have a personal blog, that’s where I started blogging, but once I knew it had more and more followers, pretty much everything you wrote I thought about/happened and I lost all motivation. I still feel guilty about it, I know a lot of my family miss it, and I miss being able to go back and read what I was up to. But in the end I’d rather live my life than blog about it–I already spend way too much time at the computer as it is!
Anyway, thank you for all that you do…I love your blog and love following you on other social media as well. I don’t know how you put together such an amazing blog with great content every day, and have a full-time job AND a family! You truly are an inspiration!
Erin I just realized I didn’t have you on my blogroll though I lurk/RSS. Guess I too am part of the blogging problem! 🙂 Thank you for commenting, it means a lot especially from a long-term blogger and a blogger I respect! <3
I like reading blogs where I feel like the blogger is authentic and someone that might be a friend. I
have noticed that blogs have changed -there’s more sponsored content, links, etc. Which to some extent I don’t mind, but when in a matter of a day or two, every blog you read is talking about the same sponsored product, I doubt the truth in the statement “all opinions are my own”. There are a number of blogs I’ve stopped reading because of too much advertisement or changes to format/ layout (I hate
the “click to continue reading”), change of the content focus, or frankly, my loss of interest, which as with bloggers, comes from changes in my own life, focus, and interests.
I suppose the blogs I enjoy the most are those that still seem like it’s someone’s hobby or passion.
I get that blogging takes time and effort and that to get income for doing that is appealing and rewarding. I just have trouble with the blogging-as-a-business, because at that point, it’s not a blog, it’s a magazine blurb with ads.
I read your blog because I like your fashion sense and advice. You post how you dress for real life and it’s a life that I can relate to. I like your beauty product reviews, wardrobe capsules, and Ask Allie advice. It all doesn’t always directly apply to me, but I appreciate the thought and time you put into your posts. I enjoy seeing the outfits you put together for work and casual wear and seeing outfits that feature items worn in other posts. It makes me think about how I can purpose items in my own closet in different ways. I’ve tried beauty products you’ve recommended – some good, some where I didn’t have the same experience as you. I’ve added items to my wardrobe based on your recommendations. And I do enjoy your posts when you mention something you’ve done, a concert, a place you’ve been. I grew up and live in the DC area, so it’s fun to recognize a place. I would imagine that balancing what to share from your personal life is tricky – I think you and anyone else should share only what they’re comfortable with.
I’m so glad you’ve kept with blogging – it’s clear you enjoy fashion and sharing it with others.
Thank you so much Dee! And gosh I’d love to be able to make enough from my blog to quit my day job, but I don’t see that happening any time soon plus I’d worry the content would suffer. I appreciate your feedback, thanks for taking the time, it helps me stay on track! <3
This is the only fashion blog I read, so obviously I’m not a real fashionista! I read you because I like the ‘real life’ feel to your blog. I like that you share real issues that women face in fashion (chub rub, anyone?).
Over the years, I’ve seen you make the mistakes you’ve mentioned. I’ve seen you post things that I’ve cringed at. But I appreciate so much that you continue to grow & change & admit to things that you’ve reconsidered. And I REALLY appreciate that you value the privacy of your family.
Topics I enjoy: reviews of beauty products, “slice of life” posts.
Topics I don’t like: the ones where people ask you about very specific wardrobe questions, because they almost never apply to my life! i.e. “what to wear when you’re traveling to Bali & have to wear flats because of a foot problem” (yes, I made that up, but you know what I mean!)
I’ll keep reading, Allie!
I know you’ve been a longtime reader and I appreciate your feedback, and am glad you’ve stuck around through it all! <3
Hi Allie! This is my first comment, as I am not a commenter type person. I am 60 years old, and started reading fashion blogs two years ago when I lost 30 pounds and had to replace 100% of my wardrobe. I read many blogs, and yours was and continues to be one of my few favorites. I love your authenticity, down to earth approach to fashion, and gutsiness to wear what you love, f**k it. (That JCrew factory mini-pleat maxi skirt inspired me to get one even though I am 5″3 and a size 12–not a natural frame for that sort of skirt, but the swish is so fab!)
Those polished photo shoots on granite steps or beside a park bench? C’mon people, let’s get up, get dressed, and get going. If I want a fashion spread, I will look at Vogue. I want to know what to wear for every day real life. I got many ideas from you and your essentials list of how to re-build my wardrobe.
So thank you for the time and effort you put into this blog. Knowing that there are not enough commenters to provide some affirmation makes me feel for you. Keep it up! I bet you have lots of readers like me who never comment, but read you faithfully. Hugs and kisses to you, Emerson, and Karl. Susan
Hooray for swishy skirts, f**k those who say we shorties can’t wear maxis! And I must say I’d love to have the time to take photos on granite steps or a park bench, I know the brands prefer it and I think it does make the clothes look better but heck, I prefer spending time with my friends and family! Thank you for taking the time to comment! <3
Yes, yes, yes! Wardrobe Oxygen is the only blog I’ve been following consistently since the beginning of my blog reading days. I get all of the issues – from appealing to the masses, to monetizing, to spammy comments and trolls – but I can’t help but feel that almost every single blog I used to follow religiously now lacks the authenticity that attracted me in the first place. Congratulations to you, Allie, for keeping it real, for making me look forward to your posts, and for inspiring me to write from a place that’s real.
xo Liz
http://www.wisewomenmontreal.com
Oh thanks so much Elizabeth! Means a lot <3