Thoroughly Modern Emily Turns One Year Old!

O frabjous day! Today marks one full year since I first hit 'publish' on this blog, and my goodness, the time has flown by. [Sidebar: I've always wanted to use 'frabjous day' in context, and now I've crossed one more thing off my bucket list!] To mark the occasion, I'm wearing one of my favorite skirts and hosting my first-ever giveaway!

When I think back on the past year, I'm continually amazed by how many awesome things happened as a result of starting this blog. First and foremost, it got me out of the funk I'd fallen into after I left LA and academia for Chicago and an unknown future. Having this blog gave me the motivation to get out of bed/off the couch, get dressed, and rediscover how much I like being productive. If not for the energy I'd gotten from learning about blogging and figuring out all manner of new social media channels, I'm not sure I would've been able to reach out and grab the opportunity for a fabulous job when it finally came along.

I've also made some wonderful friends through the blog, and gained a lot of confidence in social situations. It might surprise those of you who know me from social media, but posting those first few comments on people's Instagram/Facebook photos was a true challenge for me. It felt like I'd Done Something on the order of climbing ten flights of stairs after I finally hit 'send' on those comments. The struggle, as the youth say, was real.

But lo and behold, people did not reply with some variant on 'who are you; please go away!' They were kind and welcoming, and the more I interacted with these lovely folks, the more comfortable I felt. Some of the friends I've met through social media are people I now talk to every day, and I've been fortunate enough to meet others in real life.

Blogging also helped me to jump into the pinup scene, which is filled with so many incredible body-positive, supportive, and stylish people! As someone who doesn't really fit conventional beauty standards, and who was once told by a (formerly) close friend that I was 'pretty, in a 19th-century schoolteacher sort of way,' discovering so many people who build each other up was a revelation. After a year of pinup-style blogging, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my own skin, and my attitude toward food and exercise is so much healthier. I've gotten past the negativity, and embraced living my life as my own personal work of art.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm over the moon about the first year of Thoroughly Modern Emily, and I'm so excited for what the future holds! So to commemorate this milestone, I've decided to have a blogiversary giveaway, featuring some of my all-time favorite jewelry makers: Atomic Lucite, Femme De Bloom, and Nuclear Novelties! I'm also tossing in a Lush bath bomb (my newest obsession, thanks to my Welsh bestie!) and my favorite eyeshadow.

To enter, all you have to do is 1) like my post on Insta, 2) tag a friend who'd love some glittery goodies, 3) follow me, Atomic Lucite, Femme De Bloom, and Nuclear Novelties on Insta, and 4) repost the image below with the hashtag #ThoroughlyModernEmilyTurns1. Easy peasy! You can enter once per day. The contest ends on Saturday, February 4, 2017, and I'll draw a winner at random on February 5. Good luck, everybody!

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