Hey and welcome back to the party. That was mostly to myself, as I took an accidental break in blogging. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day, right? Right. Which leads me to talking about blogging.
Today you might notice something a little different… it's a fashion post! Well, sort of. Let me start by saying I didn't create Sweet and Modern to be a style/fashion blog. So this is uncharted territory for me. That being said, when I find an outfit/shirt/whatever that I really love (and it's from a local shop- bonus!) I'm probably going to talk about it. So, that's what's up with being all fashion-y today.
But it really made me start thinking. I created Sweet and Modern as a creative outlet for me, but also so that I could talk about things that I love to do and enjoy trying. Blogging was (is) supposed to be a fun way for me to express my thoughts.
And suddenly lately…. it just wasn't.
And I had to ask myself why?
So I'm sharing with you what I came up with during my soul searching… haha…. so deep. It's really not. But read on if you are interested.
If you are a blogger yourself, or follow blogs, you know there are MILLIONS out there. So many. I probably find 20+ blogs per day on Instagram that intrigue me or I am interested in following. And I do follow as many as I can! But because of this, my newsfeed and general thoughts about blogging have been kind of messed up lately.
For example: I find a new blog I love. I think to myself "what an adorable shirt!" I read the post. The blogger is excited because the shirt is "less than $100". My first thought? I can't remember the last time I thought it would make sense to spend $100 on a shirt. The same shirt that I will probably accidentally spill coffee on? Yeah… no.
And then there are the handbags. Now, please don't be offended if you are handbag girl. I'm just not. I know and love plenty of people who go nuts for a designer handbag. But I'm kind of over here like…"Oh! Love that color. Saw a very similar one at Target/Walmart for 1/8 of the cost and bought it because sometimes I put food in my purse and disasters happen…." Am I the only one?
And the sunglasses. Please don't get me started on those. Maximum sunglasses purchase price: $28. I say that because last year I spent that much on a pair and it pained me inside. Why? Because the lifespan of my sunglasses is approximately 2-4 weeks, tops. If you do the math, it adds up. A few years ago I found an aviator at Target that was $8. I just kept breaking them, buying them, breaking them, buying them. It worked out really well for me. I think a small part of my soul would die if I accidentally sat on a pair of $300 sunglasses. And apparently I don't have enough class to behave differently…
But…we all have our things. I imagine some of you ladies/guys who read the above and thought "Hey! A good handbag is worth the investment!" feel the same way when you walk into ______ (insert favorite designer handbag store) as I do when I am perusing under the bright lights of Sephora. To each their own.
My purpose in saying all of this is not to make fun of or belittle any bloggers who love this stuff. I mean, clearly there is a market for it. Clearly. But I find myself drawn to the bloggers who are like "hey, found this cute shirt at Old Navy on clearance for $3, might want to check it out!" Now that, I can totally jump on board with!
My point in all of this is that when you start comparing yourself to other bloggers, you lose. No, I don't have a professional photographer taking pictures of my make up and palettes every week. Hell…. most weeks I barely have time to blog. And no...I didn't create Sweet & Modern to make money. And no...I'm not interested in finding out how my blog can become my full time job. I pursued a degree to take a job in a field that I truly love - and that's my passion! Again, I LOVE you ladies who blog full time. Your pictures are beautiful. Your blogging schedules are fantastic. I look forward to reading what you put out there for us everyday. You kind of make the blogworld go round.
This is not to tear any other bloggers down. It's more of a reminder (to myself!) of why I wanted this little space on the internet. Not to spend more money than I have in order to post a photo with a handbag that I don't even want… but because of the fun discussions, the connections you make, the amazing ideas you get, and the relationships you form with people over common interests. The day Sweet & Modern becomes a stressor in my life is the day it will have to go! And that is simply never what I had in mind for this space.
So… in conclusion… you probably won't find me posing in an alley anytime soon (but man do I sure admire my friends and fashion bloggers who do this WEEKLY!) because it is clearly not my forte. But I'll still be here, sampling products, trying the latest under eye concealer, and attempting new recipes. Because that is what I love to do.
And I might even snap an I-phone pic, or two. :)
Lastly… if you made it this far, my super fun romper is from Foi Clothing and was a birthday present from my favorite sister. A few reasons why I love this romper? My butt cheeks don't hang out of it. It has flowers. It is flowy and not tight on my thighs. Highly recommend! The girls at Foi (an Omaha boutique!) are wonderful and I love browsing their online selection. Check it out!
And you can get my exact romper HERE (but navy appears to be sold out!)
xoxox
