I always feel more cheerful once November is over. Apologies to all whose birth month it is. As a non-American, November doesn’t have a lot going for it. It’s long, and cold, and dark. December is festive, at least. And January … well, January is still The Worst, but November is a close second. But, hey, it’s over now!
A year ago, I took a break from the blog and while it was absolutely the best decision at the time, my traffic has never recovered. Whenever I feel uninspired these days, the temptation to walk away (again) is all the greater. In the past year, I’ve ditched most forms of social media in favour of Instagram, which more and more is hitting that sweet spot of “easy and convenient” and “meaningful interaction”. I think that Instagram still lags old-fashioned blogs on the latter front, but it’s quickly catching up. For example, as I have started posting Stories more frequently, I’ve been getting a lot more DMs – which are not that different from blog comments.
This isn’t a preamble to a farewell post, by the way. As much as I sometimes ponder ditching the blog in favour of IG, I like having my own platform (domain) and I do occasionally feel the need to navel-gaze in extended format which is much easier to do here. The main thing is that I am learning to pace myself. Conventional blogging wisdom says that posting frequently and consistently is the key to building an audience. And that’s not untrue, but I have to remind myself: why does that matter? I like having all of you to “chat” with – the more, the merrier. But at the end of the day, I’m not here to sell you anything, so whether you click on my website every day, or once a week, does it really matter? Meaningful engagement comes from authentic, interesting content and, frankly, that takes a lot of energy to create. I don’t always have it in me. The fear, of course, is that by blogging only when the mood strikes, I will be left behind, forgotten. Such is the nature of blogging these days. And while I’m not directly competing with anyone else, there are so many other blogs competing for your attention. But, like I said, I’ve come to realize that I can’t get hung up on that. It is what it is, and I’ll be here chugging along. Thank you, by the way, to everyone who reads and comments and makes me feel like less of a weirdo for taking photos of my clothes all the time.
Speaking of which:
First, let me say that I am quite satisfied with this line-up, and each individual outfit. On a few occasions, a pre-planned outfit turned out to be a “meh” once I looked at the photos, but rather than wearing it anyway, I changed it. Wearing an outfit I like makes a surprisingly big difference in my mood, so this was a worthwhile investment of a few extra minutes.
I did think this would be a more colorful collection than it’s turned out to be. I did stick with my pre-determined palette or blue, green, black and grey, but the colours were muted in some cases (I have mostly dark greens) so the vibe was fairly dark overall. Given my recent turn towards the goth side, this wasn’t an issue for me, though it might not make for particularly inspiring blog fodder. Alas.
Next month’s palette is going to be warmer – I’m looking at reds, pinks and purples (and black, of course!) – in line with the season, so the next round-up might be a little brighter. No promises, though, because Goth Adina is still going strong.
Lastly, I think that I’m getting better at consistently nailing my aesthetic (remember the Prince, the Artists, the Adventurer, and the Bohemian?) which is good.
So that’s about it for November. What have you been up to last month?
I’m usually a “lurker” rather than a commenter, but just wanted to say that I was delighted when you came back to the blog! I’ve also been loving the different types of content–especially the posts about finding your aesthetic and about your DIY and knitting projects. Yours is definitely the most interesting fashion blog I read. 🙂
Thanks you! I love having an outlet for all my “creative” hobbies so I appreciate you guys following along even when I’m blabbing about my crafts.
From a reader’s perspective, I was going to say just what you did: I love seeing your Instastories (especially when you have a big thrift haul!), but I also enjoy reading the long form of a blog post. I’m glad this wasn’t a farewell post.
Honestly, I enjoy both a lot (in different ways) but I don’t like the pressure to keep an arbitrary schedule when I don’t have anything to say. With Stories, it’s easy to peace out for days at a time. As far as the blog goes, that pressure was self imposed so I am learning to let go of it.
Thank you for staying with the blog–for years my favorite blog by far. You don’t need to post often, just take your time. But we all do love your posts. Thank you.
Thank you for reading (and your encouragement) – always means a lot 😊
I’m glad that you keep writing, and I love reading your posts as well as seeing pictures of your outfits. I can’t stand the “here’s what I’m wearing because I’m so stylish” posts or “how to get the perfect stylish wardrobe like me” posts, on blogs and especially on Instagram. There is just so much blah from most of those people. I love the photos of your clothes because they’re always interesting aesthetics, and that’s how you present yourself. It makes me think about my own wardrobe in a different way.
Yeah, I learned a long time ago that I’m not comfortable presenting myself as an authority on anything, especially on the internet. That’s why I’ve stopped doing “how to” type posts or I preface them with “this is my take”. Also, my style philosophy has evolved to “wear whatever TF you want and makes you feel good about yourself” so 🤷🏼♀️🤣
Hi Adina, I’m glad you’re not contemplating shuttering the blog. I get the impression that you first and foremost do it for yourself anyway (although I’m sure you love to get feedback!). Fashion is simply an abiding interest of yours and I imagine writing about it is a nice break for you from your normal work. I’m actually in awe of the outfits you come up with and the depth of thought that goes into them – I don’t work outside the home, so, although I love reading about style and fashion, my ‘look’ is pretty simple and, probably, boring. Anyway, all this to say that as long as you’re writing the blog, I’m here for it! 😊
I do, for sure (the same as with picking what I wear) but as a writer you want to feel like there is an audience there and not just an empty room. So I do appreciate those who choose to come and read my posts.
Hi,
I’ve come across your blog more recently (a friend recommended it!) but just wanted to say that I love reading both your long posts and the quicker insta stories/outfit updates. Hope you keep doing it because it’s wonderful to read but if you decided to step back for your own needs and purposes, that’s always okay! 🙂
Thanks for reading! I think I will need to slow down my posting schedule to give myself the time to come up with interesting content. It’s going to be a change for me (after keeping a consistent posting schedule for 8 years) but it’s long due.
I like following you on both platforms. Your insta-story thrift hauls are great, and I also enjoy your writing style and always pause to read the blog posts. And I’m glad you’re not selling anything – that’s such a bonus! I don’t have to do any scanning to see if I should skip a post, because I know there won’t be a disclaimer in tiny print at the end that says “all opinions are my own.” Eye roll.
Sometimes, I wish I did because I would be set for post ideas this time of year. Gift guides for you, and you, and you and you!! 😂
Wait, I would love to read a gift guide from you, if only because I know it would be genuine! I lurk too but love your blog and the thought you put into style.
Adina, I was a little worried you were going to say you were stepping away from the blog. I’m glad to hear you will still be posting, although I would completely understand if you needed to take a break. I enjoy seeing your outfit choices and how your style has evolved over the years. Your Instagram stories are also fun to watch. Thanks for all your hard work!
It’s honestly not hard work at all, it’s only hard to come up with new and interesting topics 3x per week. Between my job and family (neither of which I blog about), I just don’t have a sufficiently exciting life, lol! But I do love writing when I’m inspired, and it’s not a chore at that point – and it’s extra fun when people read and respond to it 🙂
I lurk here, and follow both of your Instagram accounts! I completely understand last year’s break but I’m thrilled you’re back. I’ve been following this blog for a couple of years. You and I are close in age and while I initially visited for the fashion and thrifting, I love the book chat and everything in between.
Keep doing what you love and not what you feel is an obligation. You’ll always be boss.
Thank you, that means a lot.
Another mostly lurker here. Really glad you’re blog is back & you’re not thinking of closing it altogether. Although I enjoy instagram I pretty much always prefer the longer format of blogs. I hope you don’t feel a pressure to keep up a schedule, I would always rather read interesting posts, no matter how intermittent!
I really enjoy all your musings post and appreciate you taking the time to write out your thoughts so eloquently.
Thanks! I’m a lurker by nature as well, but I will take this opportunity to make a little pitch for the comment section. I really do love reading comments, answering questions and generally interacting with y’all so please don’t be shy!
I am not much of an Instagram girl. I like reading about how you make decisions, rather than trying a specific Look.
Hey, if you like my navel-gazing, stick around – I got you, girl 😉
In all seriousness, thank you for reading here and taking the time to comment. I always appreciate it 🙂
I’m glad you blog! Irregular posts when you have something you want to post are fine– much better than someone posting regularly just to shill.
I’d love to see you post about The Witch Elm when you finish it. I recently read it and would be interested in your thoughts on it.
I am only about 1/3 of the way in and … I have some thoughts. I am sure I will be writing about it at some point soon.
Let me just state that I adore your voice and content. It’s been such a treat to see your style evolve! Please keep sharing both on Instagram and in the form of blog posts. Your fangirls have your back!
Thank you, Kayley! I am sure the style evolutions will keep coming, so I won’t entirely run out of topics any time soon 😉
Hi, I’m so glad this isn’t the end of your posting. I read for the writing and love your mixing of clothing items. You come off as authentic and true to who you are. You don’t need to post all the time. Your loyal readers will be patiently waiting until you are ready to write. Even when you weren’t posting we were checking regularly to see if you were coming back. I admit, I really enjoying reading about the treasures you find thrifting.
Thank you so much, Clarisa. It means a lot to know that people enjoy coming back to the blog even all these years (and so many style evolutions, lol) later ❤️
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Even if you decided to only post every three months I would still enjoy feeling like I have a friend in Canada.
Aww, thank you so much! I kinda feel the same way – like I have fashion friends all over the world 😊
There must be something in the air because almost everyone else I follow and I have been feeling a bit weird about social media and blogging, and have been writing about it! Most of them have decided to keep up with blogging, for which I’m very thankful because I enjoy all their blogs so much! My own post about this was a bit click-bait-y sounding because I actually was mostly thinking about changing my habits with certain things on Reddit, Twitter, and Instagram and not on the blog. I guess things develop and change so quickly in the world of social media (most recently I was reading about the jaw-dropping amounts some people make on Youtube in genres that sound odd to me) that it’s natural for people to feel disoriented.
I really enjoy following you on both Instagram and here, and I’m really glad you’ll continue writing here! I can’t quite figure out how to make Instagram work as a platform for me (I suspect I never will), but I do like seeing people post outfits there, and can appreciate that it’s become a wonderful platform for daily outfit-style “blogging”. I happily follow tons of people on it, though alas, I don’t think I’ll ever post much there.
I saw your post (I don’t have Disqus so I can’t really engage, unfortunately) and I hope you will continue blogging even if you’re pulling back on other social media. I love your writing and the thoughtfulness that goes into your posts. I might be an old relic, but I will never get tired of old school blogging so I hope those who still do it, won’t stop no matter how much the landscape around blogging keeps changing.
That said, I have complicated feelings about IG. I mostly follow small accounts (and some of my Hollywood crushes lol) so I don’t face a huge barrage of curated feeds but even so, sometimes I get frustrated. I don’t get the value that some of the popular accounts (cough shopping bloggers cough) bring, and it bugs me that they have a much bigger audience that people I think are infinitely more creative and interesting. But then I have to remind myself that other people might be looking for different things from IG “influencers” and that they do find value in what those people have to offer. I just have to be selective about who I follow on IG so I don’t get pointlessly annoyed, lol!
One thing I’ve noticed about IG (though I’m definitely no expert and follow such random genres of people – or dogs and cats! – that I may be off about this) is that IG success seems a lot more arbitrary and random to me than blog success used to be. I follow so few people on IG that I mostly see this in the IG presences of big bloggers I used to like and who were already pretty big back in 2009 ish (and who still, to this day, blog about as frequently and with the same general approach to writing and photography as they did back then). Their relative level of success on IG seems to vary wildly. And to me, as an outside observer, they tend to use very similar-looking IG strategies on top of their similar approaches to blogging, so it’s very hard for me to understand why they’d have such dramatically different levels of IG success in terms of follower counts and engagement.
I, too, am very glad that was not a farewell post. I am not like you at all (in my life, my body, or my clothes), but I do enjoy reading about a real woman’s experience.
If you ever want a silly break – let me know and I could send you a few photos of my outfits (also, quite a bit of thrift..) to amuse your audience…
I mostly lurk and I appreciate your blog posts. 2018 has been intense for me but I’m hoping to blow the dust off my blog and keep it going. Thank you for introducing me to M gets dressed. She reminds me of what blogging used to be like 5-10 years ago. Do you mind sharing your IG name?
It’s @bcrladinaj 🙂