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Thoughts On Blogging
When I first started blogging I was fresh out of University, struggling to find a job and navigate adult-life, simply wanting somewhere to express myself; write some rambles and share my favourite things. Fast forward four and a half years (!) and I'm finding it harder and harder to do so. It's not like I've grown an enormous following and struggle to share things without being judged, because I've never actively tried to grow my following and in fact have probably curbed this by being inconsistent and not following the trends. But the atmosphere and the attitude to sharing your life (even small parts of it) online has changed exponentially in recent years. Heck, my attitude to sharing your life online has changed.
We all love a thinkpiece; something to read that's got some substance to it, that's a bit gritty and more than just 'how to style a white tee'. But in the age of relatable content how sincere are your thinkpieces when you're churning them out week on week?
And this isn't simply limited to thinkpieces either is it, because how sincere are your ~hashtag relatable~ instagram posts captioned with a tale of how this is actually a candid today? How sincere are all these 'posed vs relaxed' images where slim girls are forcing stomach rolls to preach body positivity? How sincere are all the 'it's ok to talk' messages shared for mental health awareness when you're rude and nasty to people in person?
I'm regularly unfollowing and 'curating my feeds' but this week I culled over 150 accounts on Instagram alone, and last month I spruced up my BlogLovin feed with a few unfollows and some new discoveries too - I still find this the best place to have my favourite blogs all in one place. And while it's nice to get a refresh like this, it's becoming tiresome seeing people force clickbait relatability in an attempt to succeed in an oversaturated market.
It often becomes embarrassing to call yourself a blogger when you see and hear how others are behaving.
There are plenty of people who do this whole blogging thing well and I'm simply trying to surround myself with those; to be one of those. My favourite people online are those who share their insights and thinkpieces sporadically, when inspiration strikes, interspersed with ~normal content; who don't hop on fast-passing relatability trends; who simply put out good content consistently.
Maybe now I've got this off my chest and am feeling inspired with my fresh new feeds, I'll get back to some kind of regular posting!
Loves. Emma.
2019 in outfits
The end of another year means another round-up of my favourite outfits that I've worn in the past 12 months! There actually weren't as many to choose from this year because I've been far less consistent in sharing my outfits over on the gram. I've just not found myself wanting to be on there as much as previous years, not wanting to really get into the whole ~influencer~ thing; I stopped actively trying to grow my account and stopped accepting ADs because I'm just not sure where I want to be in this whole blogging thing right now? So maybe 2020 will bring some clarity and a big ole ramble of a post about this. But for new, enjoy a photo filled post of my best worn clothes!
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Which is your favourite?
Loves. Emma.
Loves. Emma.
A Small Business Gift Guide For Christmas 2019
It can get long seeing gift guide after gift guide, I know, but I'm such an advocate for supporting small businesses that I couldn't not feature some of my favourites in the run up to Christmas. Shopping small makes a real impact on peoples lives, it doesn't just add more money to a billionaires pocket, so especially at this time of year, if you can, please try to buy your gifts from somewhere small!
Of course the brands that I've mentioned in my sustainable series are all great for Christmas too; Organic Basics for underwear or loungewear; Lucy and Yak for bold and colourful additions to any wardrobe; but I want to focus on the even smaller guys who I've not previously featured.
*all images taken from the linked sites*
Trying to cut down on plastic waste, I've been using solid soap bars for the past year and in that time have discovered The Soap Tree Yorkshire. They offer handmade soap of every variety, with many vegan options and even shampoo bars too! You can get a soap pouch or rack to go with it, making for such a lovely little gift.
If you're looking for somewhere new to pick up a candle this Christmas then Nest Candle Co is definitely the one! Luxury soy wax candles which are hand poured in London, vegan, eco friendly and paraben free; what more could you want?!
After following Allie online for a couple of years now, I was aware of The Hippy Rose which she and her mum run on Etsy. They have the most beautiful handmade bags (as well as make-up bags and travel accessories), one of which I picked up earlier this year and bloody LOVE! They would make such a cute gift for your gal pals!
If, like me, you love both embroidery and plants, then Sew Botanical is the one for you! They have the most beautiful embroidered wall art available and even offer embroidery kits and designs for you to make your own.
If you're local to Leeds and haven't been in Village before then you're missing out. It's the nicest little bookshop offering up such a unique selection of books and magazines, complete with house plants outside and an artspace upstairs! Definitely hit them up for a new book discovery to give to your favourite people this Christmas.
Typegal are the place to go for typography prints but they're currently selling hand-painted baubles too and everything is just so striking. You can get personalised prints and baubles adding that extra special touch to a gift but really, does it get better than a boob bauble?!
One for everyone, is Mutiny Shaving. I picked up one of their mini Mutiny boxes for myself earlier this year and I've not looked back! So much better (for both yourself and the environment) than a disposable plastic one, their razors provide a clean shave and along with their shaving soaps are vegan, eco friendly, cruelty free and contain no harmful chemicals. The shaving option we all should opt for!
I only recently discovered The Moonlit Press through Instagram but honestly, I just love everything they have! Original prints, handmade jewellery, luxury stationery, they have it all! Everything looks so fresh and neat and just how adorable are these monstera earrings?
Loves. Emma.