Trending: 9.30.16-- Celebrating One Year of Belle On Trend!

I can't believe it has been one year! I thought the best way to ring in a year of blogging would be with my traditional #trending report. So, here it goes! It will be slightly different, though. My top ten will have some bits of advice for those of you who might be interested in starting a blog and just some general reflections. Enjoy! (And, I will have some random pictures for you, too! Haha!)

Engagement pics by Meagan Hudak of Blossom Lane Photography. She is the absolute best!

^^^ Time to celebrate 1 year of Belle On Trend! 

Dress: Camilyn Beth.  

[1.0]  As of today, 47,508 people have visited www.BelleOnTrend.com. I honestly NEVER IMAGINED that this blog would reach farther than my dad in the Poland Public Library. hahah! Hi, dad! Love you and your support. I am so grateful to everyone who reads this blog. It has been a rewarding experience all year, and I am extremely grateful for the following! Author's note: I currently have 1,013 Insta followers! OMG!  Follow me on Twitter, Insta and Pinterest: @BelleOnTrend. Also, you can find my Belle On Trend page on Facebook, too!

[2.0] I never thought I could figure out a blog myself, but let me tell you, if I CAN, you for sure can! I always laugh because my kids know I am awful with technology. I can never make the projector work, and 9 times out of 10, somehow I end up projecting my screen saver of Mike and I's wedding instead of their actual assignment. In other words, ANYONE can be a blogger. I promise you that! (It also helps to have a super savvy hubs! Thank you, Mike!). (One of my favorite engagement pics below! He's a genius. Real talk!)

[3.0] I had a "fan" who I didn't know (!) approach me in the park, and it honestly meant sooooooo much to me! I know that I idolize my favorite bloggers (101 Things I love, Barefoot Blonde, Bows and Sequins, Sequins and Stripes, Classy Girls Wear Pearls, and McKenna Bleu), and when I met 101 Things I Love's writer, Johanna, at the Wilco concert in Chicago, I was SO STARSTRUCK!  And, she just so happened to be the sweetest gal ever! McKenna Bleu emailed me back a few times about 2 years ago, and I just have always appreciated her personable nature. These are women who make a living being bloggers. I, of course, do not -- haha! I would never want to stop teaching! But, they have millions of hits each day! They are famous in my eyes!

^^^ Here is the background to my laptop and desktop at work! Haha. Finny!!! 

[4.0] Here's my first ever blog post on our wedding.

^^All the most important little people in our lives (minus Finn because he wasn't on earth yet, haha!)

[5.0] Ask friends and family about blogging. My friend, Krista, helped me set up Shopstyle for my blog. I am currently at $52.71 and will get paid out at $100! I can't wait to celebrate when I make my first real money!

Here's a pic of my good friend, Krista! ^^ and her adorable daughter, Everly Rae!

[6.0] Do it now. Honestly, when else will I be able to write a fashion blog, take pictures of outfits, and just enjoy the time before babes? It's so important to enjoy your own hobbies outside of work. It's also super important to have unique hobbies that your significant other may not share. While Mike drums, I blog :) it's a really nice combo!

^^^ from our 1st anniversary getaway in New Buffalo, MI.

[7.0] Follow your favorite bloggers. I remember the first ever blog I read was Sarah Vickers in Classy Girls Wear Pearls. Jackie showed me this blog about 4 years ago, and I was hooked ever since. Jackie, my super fashion-forward friend and "big sis" is another major reason why I started my blog.

^^ Jackie and me (and my fully sequined crop top baahhaha)

[8.0] Some friends from my 10 year class reunion who I hadn't seen in years approached me and said they loved the blog. That was the best compliment I could have received! I am so thankful for people being so positive. It's so fun to get comments, too!

My besties before our 10 year high school reunion ^^^ 

[9.0] Never let someone discourage your dream. I know that sounds super cliche, but when I told some people I wanted to start a fashion blog, I got a lot of "why?" and "how will you make money on that?" "Wait... what?!" Well, I don't make money... yet! Haha. And why create a blog? Because I absolutely love fashion and writing, so why not combine the two? I've gotten some amazing deals (and free clothing!) to blog about!  That is worth it for me!

^^Images of my favorite graphic tee and my mug (thanks to Megzo!) from The Trendy Sparrow! The cutest online booty-q based out of Chi-town!

[10.0] Reach out to your super talented friends. Katie Carter, one of our family friends from our middle school days, is an incredibly talented designer. She created my business cards and all my icons/backgrounds for Facebook and Instagram. Check her out! She is the most creative gal ever and has worked for some BIG NAMES in the fashion industry! Plus, she's the sweetest girl, eva!

^^ Katie's handiwork! 

I want to thank you (yes, you!) for reading Belle On Trend. Writing my blog is seriously one of my favorite hobbies. I have been a little down in the dumps this week after getting my lower back MRI results. I have a herniated disc and a stress fracture in my back. It means I need another steroidal epidural in my lower back (scheduled for October 10), and I have to wear a back brace 8 hours a day for 3-4 weeks. Not exactly conducive to wearing fun clothes to teach in, right? My kids and coworkers are amazing. Everyone has been caring and kind about it. Hopefully after the 3-4 weeks I will be healed and back to the Barre. (The other bummer-- I have to take this time off Pure Barre. The ladies at Pure Barre Geneva have been sooo sweet about it).

But, this blog lifts my spirits! And all your kind comments on Instagram. So, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Cheers to many more years of bloggin' :-)
xxoo
Mary