Wednesday, January 18, 2017

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!

first blogiversary
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.

pinup girl queen of hearts jenny skirt
pug queen of hearts jenny skirt

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.

steph buscema queen of hearts jenny skirt

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!

thoroughly modern emily first anniversary giveaway photo

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26 comments:

  1. OMFG that "compliment" your "friend" paid you! Well, I think you're conventionally pretty, but regardless I'm glad you're more comfortable in your own skin and blogging has been a positive force in your life! I remember first talking to you during Jenny January last year, so happy 1 year friend-a-versary as well!!! Starting to blog is weird, especially the interaction part. I remember before I started looking at girls who would come up with new outfits on various ModCloth hashtags, search their profiles, but not even follow them/like their stuff etc because I was too shy....so I get it! Congrats all around!!

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    1. Yeah, the crazy thing is, it took me years to realize how thoroughly unkind she was! Blogging has been SUCH a good thing, confidence/self-acceptance-wise.

      And yay, it's our one-year friendiversary!! Your photos last year totally convinced me that I needed the lavender lips and roses skirt. I did SO much lurking on social media in the six months or so before I started the blog, and as scary as initiating those first few interactions was, I am SO glad I did!

      <3!

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  2. Happy birthdayyyy! That friend sounds like a dick, but I can't deny you'd definitely be the prettiest schoolteacher in the whole county ;)

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    1. Thank you!! Soon the blog will be walking and talking ;). And thanks for the kind words -- it's still sort of astonishing to think about how much that one remark impacted my entire self-image. But whatever, that chapter of my life is now closed and I don't miss her!

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  3. Wahoo!! Happy Birthday, Thoroughly Modern Emily! I'm so happy you started this lovely blog. It's been so wonderful getting to know you and your wonderful sense of style. :) Also, glad to hear that "friend" is now a formerly close friend. ;)

    I hope you have many more wonderful years of blogging, Emily!

    ~Lindsey

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    1. Thank you so much! It's hard to believe that I've made it to a year already. And I'm so glad that I met you -- my blogger/style community friends are the best part of this whole endeavor!

      I'm in it for the long haul! And I'm just so glad I can see that former friend for what she was: unkind and not worth listening to.

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  4. YAAAAYYYY! Happy 1st Birthday! Here's to another year full of fun and success - and possibly us getting to meet in person for some epic blog crossover action!! whaaattttt!!!?!??!!?

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    1. Thank you so much!! It's so exciting to hit that first milestone! And I'm seriously thinking about going to Nashville Boogie...

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  5. Aw I'm so glad you've gained so much from your year of blogging, it's so nice to find kind likeminded people online isn't it? I too have been blogging for around a year and I've only gained positively out of it + it's just so so fun!

    I'm glad you're doing so well and gained so much confidence, you go girl! xx

    sophieannetaylor.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. Great post as always! I can't wait to read your next year of posts 💖

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  7. Happy first blogging birthday then! Ours is in february... we've done so much since last year. It's great to see everything you've accomplished in one year. So good luck for your second blogging year, I bet it's going to be amazing! xx Corinne from Corinne & Kirsty

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  8. "Living life as my own personal work of art." Love that outlook & again I can get over how much I love your style. Fabulous! Happy Birthday! We're looking forward to reading much more from you!
    Be well

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  9. Yay congratulations! So happy for you.❤️

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  10. Happy blog birthday ! I love all of your outfits! I can't wait to see all of your posts this year ☺x

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  11. Congratulations on one year of blogging! That skirt is fabulous! I also love pin up clothing but have never had the confidence to wear anything too different. Reading your posts has made me realise I shouldn't care what others think & see myself as my own piece of art. Thank you 💜

    - Amy
    www.scarielsgrotto.com

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  12. Happy blog anniversary! Milestones are always fun to achieve and it's great to look back on the past year and how we have changed :)

    Sarah | What Sarah Writes

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  13. Unfortunately, I don't live in a place with a bath, so I can't proper enter the giveaway. That aside, congrats on your first year and birthday! I'm so happy to read that you've had such a good year, met great people, got over some hurdles, and found confidence in yourself. I'm a sucker for happy constants and continuances, so I'm definitely wishing that for you.

    Here's to another great year for you, love.

    mchi | mchiouji — http://blog.mchiouji.me
    ・ω・

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  14. Congratulations, Emily!! I thought you'd been blogging for way longer than a year, just because of the quality of your posts and your photography haha! It's wonderful to hear how blogging has helped you to blossom by connecting you with like-minded people! Recently I've been loving seeing your "matchy-matchy" outfit photos with your friends on IG, your colourful, eyecatching and bloody beautiful looks always bring a smile to my face! Here's to another year of blogging!

    Abbey 😍 www.abbeylouisarose.co.uk

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  15. oo00oo happy 1st birthday to your blog! I'm so glad you decided to start blogging, and that you've stuck with it, and that being apart of the community has had such a positive effect on your life, and helped you out of your funk!
    I can't imagine how hard it is to move so far away from the life you had established.
    Ugh, what a shitty thing for a "friend" to say!! It's not true, and she most likely suffers from her own insecurities, because why else would she say such a thing?!

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  16. Happy birthday!! And congrats for sticking to it, go you!! x

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  17. Congrats on one year! That is such a "frabjuos" accomplishment. I hope I'm doing that right! I can totally relate to your feelings on blogging. Being a blogger has made me live my life fuller and given me the motivation to be the best version of myself I can be. I'm so happy to have met lovely people like you as a result of it. xoxo

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  18. Yay! Happy one year. That's amazing!

    S .x

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  19. Congrats on hitting one year! That's just amazing! (: I'm glad that you've been able to gain so many new friends and meet great people. That's always a positive. Good luck to everyone entering the giveaway.

    Single Vegas Girl
    http://singlevegasgirl.blogspot.com

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  20. Happy blog birthday! <3 Here's to many more to come! <3

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