Hey! This post is such a weird one to write because I genuinely cannot believe it hahaha. Yesterday, was my blog's 5 year anniversary! (I am so so upset I couldn't post this on the actual blog birthday, but I felt so ill yesterday). FIVE WHOLE YEARS AGO, on October 7th 2013, I started What Lexie Loves (or Lexie Loves as it was briefly called for around 3 months). To me, it's absolutely in-sane that I have been writing at this blog, without fail for half a decade. I was also looking at old blog posts and my 4 year blogiversary post genuinely feels to me like it was written about 2 months, 2018 has gone fast!
I wasn't sure how I was going to celebrate this blog birthday, so today's post will just be chatting about the importance of this blog in my life, and I will share with you all 5 Things This Blog Has Taught Me. Also, over the next couple of weeks I will upload different posts relating to this blogiversary (like recreating old posts, Top 5s etc etc)
This blog has been such a massive part of my life for so long now. My biggest achievements have been because of What Lexie Loves, and it has given me so much confidence and pride. I am such a loud, opinionated girl and this blog has given me the voice that I desperately wanted and needed. I have made soo many incredible friends on here and I hope my blog will continue to grow over the next 5 years.
5 Things My Blog Has Taught Me (and given me)
People really do genuinely care about your opinions. When I started my blog, the only people who commented were my best friend and my family-friend. As my blog grew, more and more people who I didn't actually know irl would comment on my blog or email me saying lovely things about my recommendations and blog posts. I was scrolling through my old emails to have a little look and I came across one that started like this: 'Hi Lexie. I only recently, like really recently started reading your blog and I love it!!!
. It inspired me to maybe start my own (I'd have to ask my parents permission though)! I'm 11 years old like you so here are a few questions which the answers might help me start my own FAB blog!!' (and then she continued with the questions). Emails like that honestly make my week, and it shows me that people genuinely do care about what I have to say which makes me feel so empowered.
There are some amazing people out there. Because of What Lexie Loves, I have e-met so many lovely, supportive and amazing people. Unfortunately many of my close blogger friends (particularly Noor and Rukiya GALS WHERE DID YOU GO!!) have stopped blogging and I now have little contact with them), however there are still so many bloggers that have been with my from the start, and I e-meet new people everyday! (P.s. if you're a blogger... or even if you're not... I'd love to be friends heheh just send me an email whatlexieloves@gmail.com)
Unique is important. One of the great things about blogging is it's not about following the trends. It's about being YOU and being unique is so important on this platform, particularly if you want to succeed as a blogger. Whilst sometimes it's easy to just hang on to trends and try to follow everyone else, but in blogging it's vital that you're unique, meaning you can be yourself without any judgement.
Everyday it helps me remember my love for reading and writing. Whilst reading + writing will ALWAYS have a place in my heart no matter what, it's definitely hard to continuously remember just how much I love them, as in my 'real life' neither of those things are particularly 'cool'. And despite the fact about 98% of the time I will remember to stay true to myself, if I didn't have this blog I do think I would read and write a bit less and get a bit swept into more 'typical teenager things'. I have found so many amazing books through reading other peoples blogs, and I found NaNoWriMo which is a great project that helps my love for novel-writing.
Opportunities opportunities opportunities! *Not in a braggy way at all*, but I've had so many insane opportunities through What Lexie Loves, including collaborating with two gorgeous hotels and therefore being able to take my family away for the weekend and working with a fab company called The Pineapple Lounge a lot. I've also had a few journalism 'jobs', including writing for a county magazine, writing for Tots100 (a huge blogger network) and writing a one-off article for The Guardian website. Blogging has had so many opportunities for me, and is so much more than me just sitting down and writing a blog post in my room.
Those are 5 things this blog has taught and given me in the 5 years it's been around!! Watch out for a series of blog birthday related posts over the next couple of weeks:) Bye for now<3
Lexie x
I wasn't sure how I was going to celebrate this blog birthday, so today's post will just be chatting about the importance of this blog in my life, and I will share with you all 5 Things This Blog Has Taught Me. Also, over the next couple of weeks I will upload different posts relating to this blogiversary (like recreating old posts, Top 5s etc etc)
This blog has been such a massive part of my life for so long now. My biggest achievements have been because of What Lexie Loves, and it has given me so much confidence and pride. I am such a loud, opinionated girl and this blog has given me the voice that I desperately wanted and needed. I have made soo many incredible friends on here and I hope my blog will continue to grow over the next 5 years.
5 Things My Blog Has Taught Me (and given me)
People really do genuinely care about your opinions. When I started my blog, the only people who commented were my best friend and my family-friend. As my blog grew, more and more people who I didn't actually know irl would comment on my blog or email me saying lovely things about my recommendations and blog posts. I was scrolling through my old emails to have a little look and I came across one that started like this: 'Hi Lexie. I only recently, like really recently started reading your blog and I love it!!!
There are some amazing people out there. Because of What Lexie Loves, I have e-met so many lovely, supportive and amazing people. Unfortunately many of my close blogger friends (particularly Noor and Rukiya GALS WHERE DID YOU GO!!) have stopped blogging and I now have little contact with them), however there are still so many bloggers that have been with my from the start, and I e-meet new people everyday! (P.s. if you're a blogger... or even if you're not... I'd love to be friends heheh just send me an email whatlexieloves@gmail.com)
Unique is important. One of the great things about blogging is it's not about following the trends. It's about being YOU and being unique is so important on this platform, particularly if you want to succeed as a blogger. Whilst sometimes it's easy to just hang on to trends and try to follow everyone else, but in blogging it's vital that you're unique, meaning you can be yourself without any judgement.
Everyday it helps me remember my love for reading and writing. Whilst reading + writing will ALWAYS have a place in my heart no matter what, it's definitely hard to continuously remember just how much I love them, as in my 'real life' neither of those things are particularly 'cool'. And despite the fact about 98% of the time I will remember to stay true to myself, if I didn't have this blog I do think I would read and write a bit less and get a bit swept into more 'typical teenager things'. I have found so many amazing books through reading other peoples blogs, and I found NaNoWriMo which is a great project that helps my love for novel-writing.
Opportunities opportunities opportunities! *Not in a braggy way at all*, but I've had so many insane opportunities through What Lexie Loves, including collaborating with two gorgeous hotels and therefore being able to take my family away for the weekend and working with a fab company called The Pineapple Lounge a lot. I've also had a few journalism 'jobs', including writing for a county magazine, writing for Tots100 (a huge blogger network) and writing a one-off article for The Guardian website. Blogging has had so many opportunities for me, and is so much more than me just sitting down and writing a blog post in my room.
Those are 5 things this blog has taught and given me in the 5 years it's been around!! Watch out for a series of blog birthday related posts over the next couple of weeks:) Bye for now<3
Lexie x
Loved this post! I agree with all of these x
ReplyDeleteAHHH HAPPY FIVE YEARS!! THAT'S CRAZY!! AND ALSO YES WHERE DID NOOR AND RUKIYA GO I WANT THEM BACK LIKE A LOT.
ReplyDeleteNabila | Hot Town Cool Girl
Wow thats amazing, you have achieved so much! I have had my blog for 3 and a half years now and just like you I didn't tell most people i knew for almost the first year! Well done you love!
ReplyDeletewww.sophiapatel.co.uk
Aww happy 5 year blogiversary!! That is AMAZING. *sends you all the cake* And it is one of my favourite things about blogging (when I started and even now!) to get to chat to people and give recs and discuss opinions. I think blogging is so wonderful for that!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's an incredible anniversary to celebrate. Congrats! You should be very proud of your dedication to your blog - those opportunities were more than well-deserved. Hard work pays off!
ReplyDelete