2014 in Review

It's hard to believe that 2014 is coming to a close. Between graduate school, conventions, working, and personal projects, it's been an incredible -- and incredibly busy -- year.

Blogging is like a time capsule -- looking back, I wrote over 100 posts in 2014! My blog has evolved and grown as my life, hobbies, and priorities have shifted. A blog is a continual work-in-progress, and I can't wait to see where I am at the end of 2015.

To send off the year, here's a look at some reader favorites from 2014, as well as a few of my own!

Favorite Costume

Photos by Aperture Ashley, AC Cosplay, The Nerdy Girlie, Mel Shardae, and Agent Topanga Lawrence Cosplay

To my surprise, I had 9 new costumes in 2014! (See all my costumes here.) While I loved all these costumes for different reasons, my favorite was definitely heart-eatin' Daenerys. I felt like a super tough warrior queen! I was also really proud because I made the costume from top to bottom, almost 100% from scratch!

Favorite Outfit

Other than this outfit containing all my favorite things - boots, floral print, lace, and my cat purse - I had the opportunity to talk about being body positive and my experiences wearing clothing I'm not "supposed" to wear. 

But at my core, I believe that anyone should wear whatever they want. I believe that dressing in a "flattering" way means concealing parts of your body that others deem less than perfect - and that sometimes, that's not the way you want to dress. And when it comes down to it, I dress for me, not for other people - so I'm going to wear what I want.

Most Popular Post of 2014

 

I must not be alone in my love for Margaery Tyrell, because my Style Icon post about dressing like Margaery was my most-viewed post this year! I can't wait for the new season -- and I want to do more Style Icon posts, especially for the Game of Thrones ladies.

Most Popular DIY of 2014

Ahh, the somewhat awkward topic of the layers beneath the costume. Before I started cosplaying, I knew very little about shapewear, bombshell bras, and dance tights, but now that I've learned so much, I wanted to pass along what I've learned to you all! It turns out that shapewear isn't discussed very much, so this post blew up!

Most Personal Post

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I made a conscious effort to talk about things that are important to me this year, even when they are hard to express. From body positivity to mental health, I covered a range of topics, and I'm planning on sharing much more next year. My favorite of these posts was my post about deciding to begin a medication for my depression and anxiety. I was so nervous about posting this, but your responses blew me away. Thank you for all the support. Starting medication was probably the best decision I made this year.

Happy New Year! What was your favorite memory from 2014?

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