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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2013 in Review

The past year has really been a whirlwind for me, but in the best way possible. Like most students, my life transitions with the semesters. First, working too hard and graduating (with honors!) in the spring, full-time interning and traveling in the summer, and then the challenge of grad school in the fall. It's really been a blur!

With so many life changes this year, my blog has evolved SO much. I'm so thankful for all of you who stick around to read what I have to say. I wanted to sum up my best posts of the year as a way of looking back on who I was this year and welcoming the new year.

So let's review what happened this year - in high school superlatives, of course.

Favorite Outfits of Each Season

I decided to pick one per season because narrowing it down to my absolute favorite seems impossible! There are so many other outfits I am proud of or happy about for one reason or another, but here are some of my favorites.

• Spring: Is it cheating to say my favorite outfit of the summer were the two I wore for my graduation ceremonies? I think they are simple for the weather but classy.
• Summer: This Fluttershy-inspired ensemble was my favorite of the hot, Texas summer.
• Fall: I experimented with a lot of different (for me) colors this year, but this wine and beige ensemble was one of my favorites!
• Winter: My first time wearing thigh highs became one of my favorite outfits! The combination of my new favorite dress and the heels I never get to wear really pushed this outfit to my favorites list.

Most Popular Post of 2013

The post with the hits published this year was my Style Icon: Ramona Flowers post. Especially popular for Halloween costumes, but just popular in general since so many want that effortlessly cool and mysterious style, I can see why you all loved this post!

Most Popular DIY Post

After salvaging a ratty wig of mine, I wanted to share the method I used. My post about detangling a wig is now one of my most popular posts! I hope lots of people found it helpful.

Favorite Costume of the Year

I didn't debut a lot of new costumes this year, but by far, my favorite was Ramona Flowers - Video Game version! I loved making my first prop and have reworn this costume many times already.

Best Beauty Discovery of the Year

I had the opportunity to try a lot of new-to-me products this year, especially as I transitioned to using vegan, cruelty-free makeup and beauty products. By far, my favorite discovery was e.l.f. - their products are so inexpensive and pretty decent quality! After my first order, I have made three large orders from them so far and have discovered a lot of favorites.

Most Overlooked Post

When I went to the Texas Style Conference, I was blown away by how welcoming the community was. I wrote a post called Eliminating Blog Envy afterwards, discussing the realities of the blogosphere offline. It didn't get as warm of a reception as I hoped, but it marks a point where I began sharing more personal thoughts through this blog.

Most Likely to be Repinned

Aside from the most popular DIY post above, my DIY Flower Crown post was successful on Pinterest as well!

Have a happy new year! What was your favorite memory of 2013?

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