11 Questions and Answers About My Life as a Blogger

Today is my birthday, so... a post about me! Ha, so humble, huh?

I still hesitate to call myself a "blogger" like the title suggests; I usually identify myself as a "person who has a blog," as if the official title of "blogger" was too big, too successful for me.  However, I'm coming to realize that I AM a blogger, dangit!  I've put in a lot of work over the past couple years, and I'm going to call myself a blogger!

That being said, I've also hesitated to share blogging tips or talk about the act of blogging because I figured, who am I to write about this?  I'm working a day job.  I'm not a "pro" blogger making a bunch of money off my blog.  But, revelation two, I HAVE learned a lot along the way, things that others can find useful in their own journeys.  I have knowledge to share!

When Jessica posted her 11 questions and answers about her life as a blogger that she found from Bonita of Lavender & Twill, I knew I'd take up her invitation to answer these questions for myself.  Because I. Am. A. Blogger. 

1. When did you first start blogging and why? 
I first started blogging via Flashback Summer in 2012.  I didn't know any other vintage wearers in "real life," and from what I saw, it looked like a blog would be a really great way to make friends. I also realized that vintage was expensive and I was a poor college student, so I hoped to eventually make a bit of money to fund my vintage habit. My dad always told me to find what I love and make money off of it, so that's what I've done! (As for the actual effectiveness of making a blog profitable... Let me just say a blog is probably one of the worst ways to make money! It requires MUCH more non-paid effort and time for longer than most other money-making ventures!)

2. Have you had any past online presence? 
I had previously attempted to start a vintage blog in late 2010, and it was an epic fail. I was pretty much trying to copy more famous vintage blogs... with a beginner vintage wearer's closet.  Obviously, impossible. What I learned from that epic fail: Be yourself when you blog. It works better.

3. When did you become serious about your blog? 
As I mentioned earlier, I was very serious about my blog from day one. I knew I wanted friends and some pocket change to buy more vintage, so I was very intentional from the start in meeting those ends.  I commented on others' posts and got involved in the community. Soon I knew who people were talking about when they dropped names of other bloggers, and I found kindred spirits to be inspired by!

4. What was your first blog post? 
My first post was "And So It Begins..." on 14 October 2014. Oh first posts. I've learned so much since then! At that point I wasn't wearing vintage every day and still very new to it, so I hadn't found my "niche," and I was honest about the cluelessness!


5. What have been your biggest challenges blogging?
I've found the temptation to compare and looking for my blog's "niche" to be the most difficult challenges. Especially before I really knew what my blog was, what it's "niche" would be, it was really easy to compare to bloggers who seemed to have it all together, who had a cohesive look and fancy outfits I couldn't afford. I kept reminding myself that I was new to vintage and blogging, and I was on a journey. I couldn't expect to jump ahead to a five-year bloggers expertise level right off; I was just starting! 
Social media strategy and organization still boggles me a bit. I work in a marketing department though, so I think my expectations for myself are just ridiculously high. (So much conflicting advice out there on how to use social media! Gah!)

This is where I blog.  The ironing board is my chair, and that desk is actually adjustable shelving.  And I'm obviously still figuring out how to organize my yarn.  It's "make do" at its best, and I love it!

6. What is the most rewarding thing about blogging? 
Friends and progress.  Needless to say, I get my vintage fix from the blogosphere, not real life. The online vintage community allows me to interact about vintage things that make the eyes of most people in "real life" glaze over. I hugely appreciate that about my online peeps!  Progress is also hugely rewarding for me. I enjoy learning, and seeing my blog hit milestones and grow little by little is great. It's wonderful to see the fruits of all that labor!


7. What is the most discouraging thing about blogging? 
On the flip side of progress is the lack of progress, and that can be demotivating, too. When numbers aren't as high, or a post didn't get as much interaction as I swore it was going to. Working to come up with good, valuable content is a lot of work, too.  I really love it though, so it's worth it! I've relished the ability to post more often and do higher quality posts now that I've graduated from uni. It's so much fun!

8. What is your lasting inspiration or motivation (of blogging)? 
Making money is nice, but I'm finding more and more that I'm motivated by my affection for the vintage community.  I want to give you guys good content, because you so often give me good content!  You guys have helped me learn about vintage through your posts, comments, pictures, etc., and I'd like to return the favor.  Maybe there's another vintage newb out there than can benefit from what I've learned.

9. What is your blogging dirty secret? 
I'm RIDICULOUSLY strategic.  Now that I have more time to blog, I'm hugely intentional about the content here and such.  I'm talking editorial calendars, sticky notes, binge writing, the works.
On a deeper note, though, I do sometimes have a rough time with comparison, as I mentioned before.  I think it's a little easier to see someone else's progress and success than it is our own, though, at times. Our own progress comes with a price of work and effort that we don't see when we observe other people's success, so it looks more effortless with them when it's really probably not.

10. What is your current goal as a blogger? 
I'm actually working on more vintage- and sewing-related freelance writing in addition to my blog.  I never thought I'd be a writer, but there are opportunities coming up, so I figure, what the heck. Might as well try! This can help grow my blog, too.

11. Have you learned or become passionate about anything through blogging that caught you by surprise?
It sounds weird, but I'm actually passionate about blogging itself now, and I didn't think I would be.  At the beginning, I figured blogging was just a means to an end, but over the years I've begun liking blogging itself. I like researching and sharing information, and I like interacting about it with you guys! 

There's a bit of insight about myself and my blogging journey.  Feel free to reuse these questions and post about them yourself!

My Blogging Story

In light of my last controversial post about starting a blog to make money, I wanted to tell my story about blogging and talk about the reasons why I continue to blog.  I think they're very different, my motivations for starting and the motivations I had for continuing it until now.  (It's kind of long, but the process has been kind of complex, so I wanted to explain it well.)

You see, I love business.  I love making money.  Not to have money necessarily, but I enjoy the strategy, the creativity, the achievement of bringing an idea to fruition and making it work for me.  My father and grandfather are both entrepreneurs, so I've been raised with sayings like, "If you can't find a job, make one for yourself," "Learn how to make money doing what you love to do anyway," "Want something? Work for it," and "Making money requires creativity."

I love this heritage I've received from my family members, and it has resulted in quite a few business endeavors throughout my life.  It began with a briefcase of handmade items I sold to unsuspecting kids at church (with a 10 cent up charge for personalization), moved to making hundreds of origami flowers to sell, to my pet business in my neighborhood (called "Wag, Walk, 'n' Wash"), doing yard work, selling duct tape accessories for charities, and doing simple alterations and running an Etsy shop as a college student.  Obviously.... I think business is fun.

So when I discovered the world of vintage as a freshman in college and decided to integrate vintage into my wardrobe, I realized I had two huge obstacles to reaching that dream: I had no knowledge and I had no money.

I began to research to learn about vintage styles to overcome that obstacle.  I discovered vintage blogs and pored over them, learning from others who have started this journey long before I did and benefitting from their experience.  Since I had never seen a vintage wearer in real life, I felt like I was discovering kindred spirits.  It was the ladies of the blogosphere that encouraged me to wear gloves and rock the large hats, even if everyone in my town stared at me.  Seeing that vintage was normal to a lot of other people made me feel a lot less abnormal, in the sense that my unique style was good, not just freakish.

The second obstacle was still very real, however.  I didn't have a lot of money, being a college student and all, to spend on clothes.  I didn't have time in my schedule to pick up a "real" job, but I new I could make money other ways.  I started an Etsy shop.  My father always told me the best way to earn money was to figure out a way to earn it without me having to be there, and an online shop available to people 24/7 was a way for my investment to work for me while I was in class, versus trying to create a pop up shop or go to craft fairs or something.  I took the plunge.  

I learned very quickly that selling on Etsy is hard.  An aunt of mine suggested starting a blog to go along with it, with the idea that people have a reason to keep coming to a blog (good content), while they don't necessarily have a reason to keep coming back to my Etsy shop (until I built a loyal following).  Seemed like a good idea to me!  After a hiccup where I realized I couldn't try to be someone else on my blog, I started Flashback Summer.

Soon I discovered... Hey, I actually like blogging... for blogging's sake!  I saw how it helped me develop my style and figure out what my "niche" is in life.  It helped me, again, feel normal in my uniqueness from the encouragement of others in comments.  I did conclude, also, that blogging is actually a terrible way to try to make money!  It's so slow going, especially nowadays, and hard work doesn't necessarily equate to more success.  At all.  Mostly it's just hard work.

But I kept blogging!  I like how it has helped me develop and I like the people I have met.  I enjoy writing and having motivation to practice it often.  I relish the chance to share the things I've learned with others.  This motivated me when it was difficult, when my numbers weren't growing, when I stressed about getting posts out, when I was jealous of others' success, when comments were less than encouraging.  It wasn't the chance of money that kept me putting one cyber foot in front of the other, it was blogging itself.  I actually put my Etsy shop on the back burner and eventually closed it because I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as blogging.

Then after a while of developing my readership and figuring out who the heck I am as a blogger, I figured maybe I can make a bit of pocket change off of this.  Why not?  I could at least offset my coffee bills while I write!  That family advice of, "If you love something, make money of off it" came to mind.  Nowadays I make a little bit of money off of sponsorships and such, but it pretty much is still just coffee money and money I put back into improving the blog.  And I'm great with that!  If opportunities come my way, I'll take advantage of them.  If they don't, I'm quite contented with the benefits blogging provides.  It's a success in and of itself.

So what's your blogging story? What do you feel is your greatest motivation to keep blogging?

If you aren't a blogger, what made you decide to take the vintage plunge?  What encouraged you to keep on keepin' on when it got difficult? 

Controversial Post: I Want My Blog to Make Money. There. I Said It.

(This is my blogging desk, btw.)

As a blogger, I often get asked the questions, "Why do you blog?" and "Why did you start a blog in the first place?"

I've sugar coated my answer for fear of coming off as a heartless money-grabber.  But I'm going to be straight-up real in this post.  I've come to find out that there are only a few "acceptable" reasons for blogging:

"I blog to meet people and interact with the community."
"I write for myself and to express who I am."
"I enjoy the process, the journey, the discovery of blogging itself."

These things are usually paired with comments like:

"I don't care how many views I get; I'm just blogging for myself."
"I haven't been posting much recently, but I only blog for fun, so it's okay."
"I write posts I want to write.  Stats don't make much difference to my content."

If you have said any of these things before, it's totally okay.  They aren't wrong things to say about blogging.  All I'm saying is... Those don't describe me.

Do you know why I started a blog?  I wanted to drive sales to my Etsy shop.  I wanted to monetize it and make money.  I wanted a way to support my vintage habit.  I kinda wanted to meet the community, but I could do that on Facebook or by following other blogs.  The thing about being a blogger is that I could meet the community and make money.  Eventually, that is.  (Very eventually, all my fellow bloggers say!  Ha.)

Do you know why I continued to blog?  I actually enjoy "the journey" and the community quite a lot (more than I realized I would at the beginning).  But I am intentional about my blog now because I'm building a platform.  I want it to thrive and grow.  I plan, spend money, research, and work toward a goal of generating income that will help me blog more and afford the vintage lifestyle, to help me legitimize all the hours I put into it.  I enjoy seeing my views go up and figuring out ways to adapt when they go down.  I notice which posts get the most shares and comment-conversations and that affects what I write.  I enjoy taking a stand on things and sharing the knowledge I have, and I enjoy the idea that every day I work on my blog I'm developing my platform a little more.  While I am by no means raking in the dough, having a blog has earned me some freelance writing opportunities, and I like seeing the fruits of a lot of labor!

We don't fault bakers that start bakeries for wanting to earn money.  We understand that they probably love baking bread, but they can't live or justify all the time they spend doing it without being paid, even if they do just love "the craft itself."  We don't write off entrepreneurs for going in with a business plan and long-term goals of making revenue, but a blogger that starts out treating her blog as a business is often seen as materialistic.

After reading this, what is your first response?  Does it come off as greedy or realistic to you?  Do you identify?  Why or why not?

If you are a part of the blogging community, does it seem to you that people are less likely to state their desire to make money off a blog?  Why do you think that is?

If you are not a blogger, what are your thoughts on bloggers that make money off their blogs?  How does that affect you as a reader, if it does at all?

Controversial Post: Can You Trust a Vintage Blogger?

WWII poster, source

This post is short and sweet, but I hope you guys will share your thoughts with me! I've seen a couple posts floating about on how blogging is changing, and I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

One article I read exhorts bloggers to remain true to blogging roots, by sharing our opinions freely and honestly, compensated or not.  Another--which I can't seem to find, so sorry--talks about how blogging is more and more becoming money-driven.  The idea in these posts is that bloggers are expected to monetize to be considered "real bloggers," and the use of affiliate links, sponsored posts, etc. is "watering down" the authenticity of blogging and hurting the trust between bloggers and their readers.

Personally, this came as a bit of a shock to me.  Plenty of bloggers I know have monetized, but it doesn't mean they've sold out and accept any sponsor that comes their way, whether or not it's good for their readers.  In fact, every blogger I've talked to is very careful in accepting sponsorships that are appropriate for their audience.

However, I know this isn't the case with all bloggers.  Some don't disclose their affiliation with sponsors.  Some jump at anyone who will give them money to post.  Others don't curate their post content and come off as "sponsor-spammy."  In fact, now that I think of it, there are some blogs I don't really "trust" when it comes to product reviews.  Not even necessarily because they're unethical, but usually because the blogger just has a different style than me.

So what do you think?  Do you feel you can trust bloggers, specifically vintage bloggers?  Do you find the use of sponsored posts, affiliate links, etc. to be breeches of trust or useful to you?  How do you determine which bloggers' opinions you can accept as honest and authentic?

Vintage Wearers Speak: Have you developed any new skills as a result of your interest in vintage style?

This post is part of the "Vintage Wearers Speak" series. Read more about the series and find the other posts here.

Q: Have you developed any new skills as a result of your interest in vintage style?

Liebster Award!

This week I received the Liebster Award from my friend Sharon of Freely Ronnie!  How sweet is that?!

The Liebster Award is for bloggers to recognize and get to know their blogging peers, especially the beginning ones (like me!).  

Here are the rules for all nominees:
1. Post 11 things about yourself
2. Answer the 11 questions created by the person who nominated you
3. Create 11 questions of your own to ask the bloggers you decide to nominate
4. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate and link to them on their blog post
5. The nominated bloggers must be notified of their award!6. No tag backs! 


11 Random Facts About Moi!
1.  I did archery for fun as a kid and shot many an innocent box in my backyard.
2.  I'm LOVING the heeled tennis shoe trend.  (Is it vintage.... not in the least... but I like them!)
3.  Two of my favorite TV shoes are M*A*S*H and Frasier.
4.  My dad's side of the family is into car racing, so I've been to a few races and spent some time at the track.
5.  I love climbing things.  Rocks, buildings, trees, you name it.
6.  I was never on any sports team until here in college (where I play intramural powderpuff football).
7.  I do a Crossfit-type class at my school gym with some other ladies.
8.  I'm getting a degree in International Multicultural Studies (people, pretty much).
9.  I can't stand hairballs in showers.  Anything else in the world I can deal with, sure, but not those.  BLECH.  I have no idea why.
10.  My favorite furniture item to sit on in all the world is a Lovesac.
11.  Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy is my favorite family recipe.  YUM.


11 Questions from Sharon:
1. Favorite movie?     "Gladiator", "Pride and Prejudice", and "What About Bob?"

2. Starbucks order?   Hmmmm.  My sister ordered something really delicious the other day... and I can't remember what it is..... 

3. Childhood memory?   I would pick random leaves and store them in a pouch.  When I got a scrape or something, I would chew up the leaves and put them on the scrape.  I was convinced this is how Native Americans used to do it and that it would help!

4. Biggest challenge you face with blogging?  Trying to keep good perspective.  Blogging success means being in it for the long haul, so I need to remind myself not to compare to bloggers that have been at it much longer than me!

5. Soundtrack?  Jane Eyre

6. Favorite Quote?  "Dream manfully and nobly, and thy dreams shall be prophets." -Edward Bulwer-Lytton

7. Where do you get your inspiration?  historical sources and other bloggers!

8. Last tweet or status?  "I just heard this coming down the hall, 'ALL HAIL THE BEST ROOMMATE EVER!  SHE GOES BY JESSIE KUE! ALL HAIL THE BEST ROOMMATE EVER! SHE GOES BY JESSIE KUE!' Such a great floor. - Amber and Jessie"
9. Snow Day plans?  Sit, chill, snuggle, and watch movies while sipping hot chocolate or tea.

10. Biggest fear?  Hating my job in the future and being stuck in it.

11. Greatest accomplishment?  Coming through culture shock successfully in Egypt and Sudan as a teenager.

11 Questions For My Nominees:
1. Most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
2. If you could add one item to your wardrobe (money is no object!) what would it be and why?
3. Top three places you'd love to visit?
4. Favorite kind of cookie?
5. Favorite song?
6. If you could play any instrument masterfully, what would it be and why?
7. Sweet or unsweet tea?
8. Favorite holiday to celebrate?
9. Favorite tattoo idea?
10. Strangest/most random thing you like?
11. What would your dream kitchen look like?

My 11 Nominees:
Helen Mae || Lovebirds Vintage
Aunt Ruthie || Sugar Pie Farmhouse
Mary || Mary Van Notes
Miriam || Miriams Kafferep
Katie || The Little Red Squirrel
Nabby || This Old Life

Beth || V is for Vintage

Fawn|| Instead of the Dishes

Nancy || There Is Grace

Sandi || AdaLou
Hometown Victory Girls

Guest Post: How to Meet Other Vintage Lovers

The following is a post from Helen Mae of Lovebirds Vintage on ways to meet other vintage lovers.  I wish I had read a post like this early in my vintage journey!  UK vintage lovers may find this post especially helpful as well!

Meeting other people who love the same things that you love is great. Talking about things you enjoy with others who are passionate about those same things is one of the best things about a good friendship. Personally really love meeting other people who like old things, and I am making it my goal for 2014 to connect with more people who share my interests. Here are some of my suggestions for places for meeting people who are interested in vintage, whether that be clothing or décor, for example, or even people who are interested purely in the history.

Social Networking

Social networking is a growing part of modern life, and there are even social networks and similar sites designed purely for those with an interest in days gone by. 

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Vintagers is a relatively new site designed to allow vintage wearers and sellers all over the world to connect with each other, discuss vintage and recommend places to shop. You can find my profile here, and they are also running a competition to win a KitchenAid which you can enter just by signing up for the site and becoming an active member. 

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The Fedora Lounge is a forum aimed mainly at the gentlemen, but which also includes a space for the ladies to converse. There is some really useful and interesting information contributed over several years by vintage lovers. I particularly recommend the hairstyling thread and the vintage underwear thread.

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The 1940s social network is mainly UK-based but does have some members from all over the world. This is a great site for finding out about events, chatting with people interested in the 1940s including re-enactors, and sharing photos and blog posts. You can find my profile here.

Re-enactment

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Re-enactment is a great way of connecting with people who are passionate and knowledgeable about the past. Here in the UK, there are events which take place all over the country. You can read about some of the events I have attended here.

If you live in the UK, Rod’s 1940s Events Calendar  is a great way to find out about the events that are happening in your area. Also try checking the events calendars of local attractions such as museums and National Trust properties. Alternatively I have found some events by Googling phrases such as “1940s events [place name]”. 

Vintage Fairs

Lou Lou's source  |  Judy's source

As well as being great places to shop, vintage fairs can also be good places to meet new people. I have found that shop owners as mostly quite happy to discuss the items they have for sale, which can be a good conversation starter. You might also find that you run into the same sellers at multiple events, and they are more likely to remember repeat customers. If you live in the UK, you can try fairs such as Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair or Lou Lou’s Vintage.  Google is also a good tool for finding events like these in your area. 

Rock and Roll Gigs

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If you enjoy music from the 1940s and 50s, rock and roll gigs make a great night out. If you can swing dance, it’s a fun way to practice and enjoy your dancing, if you can’t swing dance then it might just be the place where you can learn. Check out local pubs and clubs to see if they have any live bands, or if you live in the UK, you can try the Rock and Roll gig guide. 

Blogging

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Blogging has been one of the best ways for me to meet new people and although most of the people I have met live a long way away from me, I still feel like I have been able to build some good online friendships. If you don’t currently write your own blog, I’d really recommend it. Blogging has helped me in lots of ways, and I’ve only ever found the online vintage community to be welcoming and friendly. You can check out my blog at www.lovebirdsvintage.blogspot.co.uk.  

6 YEAR Blogiversary!

Wow, guys.  I just can't even believe it: October marked my SIXTH blogging anniversary!  I published my very first blog post on October 14, 2012. (You can read it here if you'd like a chuckle and hopefully appreciate how far I've come, ha!)

5 Year Blogiversary

This month is an AMAZING milestone for Flashback Summer!  As of October 17, I have been blogging for five years.  FIVE YEARS!

Most blogs don't last more than a year, and I'm honored to be celebrating my five year "blogiversary."  I laugh now when I got back and look at my first post and, well, pretty much anything from that first year!  How far I've come in knowledge, skill, and relationships.

It's been an honor getting to know many of you through this blog and sharing my life with you.  While I have many changes coming up in my life, I hope that this blog will continue into this future.  You guys have made it such a wonderful adventure, and I appreciate every comment, share, and like more than you know.  

I've got some of my various "first posts" and "top posts" of all time below in case you guys would like to walk down memory road with me. :)

Love you guys!

Top blog post by comments

Top blog post by views

Top-viewed video

First outfit post

First video

First sponsored post

First tutorial

Vintage Military Ball Outfit

As some of you may have seen on Instagram, Jacob and I went to a military ball last week! As you may also have seen in Instagram... I posted about it on the blog Jacob and I co-author, Lead With the Left. 

Skin-Deep Honesty

Since I began blogging last October (it's almost been a whole year!), I have found the online vintage community to be welcoming, encouraging, and a heck of a lot of fun.  I have learned so much from all of you, not just about vintage hair techniques and clothing, but also about life.  I appreciate the genuineness and authenticity that I find on a lot of vintage blogs, and I have decided that it's time for me to talk about something that I feel pretty vulnerable about: my skin.

Now I realize that more often than not, subjects like weight, build, etc. tend to come up more among women these days, but everyone has something they're insecure about, and mine is my skin.

You see, since I was a young teenager, I've had trouble with acne, and in my freshman year of high school I developed psoriasis, an eczema-like condition that causes my skin cells to reproduce too quickly.  This makes my skin itch, flake, turn red, and perhaps swell a bit in the affected area.  (That was a thorough explanation there, sorry!)

I've always felt very self conscious about my skin, because it seems that the other girls and women around me have not had so many problems.  Especially now that I'm going to be 22 this year (two years out of teen-dom!) and I'm still dealing with acne, there are just some days that make me want to hide inside with a giant hood over my head.  (These are what I call "bad face days", like a bad hair day.... but for your face.)

Of course, I have tried many different things to help my skin, and it is healthier now than it has been in many years.  I have a prescription cream and lotions to help with the psoriasis (it really is loads better than it used to be!), and I take birth control and use other creams to help with the acne every night.  The clearness of the skin comes and goes, of course, as the hormones fluctuate, but I'm feeling much more positive about my skin than I have in a long time!

I still have scarring from the years of skin-struggles past and still have those off days where I don't feel as confidently as I'm typing now, but more and more every day I'm taking hold of the truth that God has made me beautiful despite what I see as my flaws.  He has hand-crafted each of us women to be the gorgeous masterpieces that we are, inside and out, and we have value and worth because of this careful, loving attention.  

While we aren't beautiful or worthwhile simply because of our looks, I think there is something that needs to be said for them!  A woman that is comfortable in her own skin (in this case, quite specifically in her own skin) and has embraced the fact that she is beautiful both inside (character and intellect) and outside (the bod), and works to develop that beauty more to become who she wants to be..... Dang, that woman is a force to be reckoned with, in a great way.

Thus, I am striving to be authentic and real with you guys on this blog.  Sure, I don't have the incredible skin that lots of other ladies are blessed with, and, sure, some days I will use that "retouch" button on my blog photos because I'm just not comfortable with posting them how they are.  However, I'm hoping that as my skin does continue to heal and get better, and as my confidence deepens and my beauty becomes more real to me, that those "retouch" days will become fewer and further between, and I'll learn to be truly comfortable in my own skin.

Trouser Crisis and Small Steps

I had recently taken a blogging break as I sought to navigate the murky waters of a wardrobe identity crisis, and in the midst of that time I determined that my greatest obstacle in achieving my ideal wardrobe dreams was trousers.  For a week or so I couldn't find ANY that fit my ideal shape and fit while also small enough to be my size.  They were terrible, dark days.  My husband was nice enough to throw my own words at me and tell me that my body wasn't the problem, the clothes were the problem.  That didn't put pants in my closet, but it is true and it was good to be reminded.

You see, in my fervor to revamp my wardrobe I began selling like crazy (and still am) to get the "seed money" for my new look.  I sold many of the pairs of pants I owned in this process, believing that the lack of trousers in my closet would simply motivate me to find replacements more quickly.  Little did I realize it would only leave me pantsless. (Which just meant I wore skirts, never fear.)

 I went to EVERY store in my local mall looking for high-waisted, skinny trousers in my size. Nothing. I looked online... nothing was small enough or high-waisted enough.  I ventured out and bought my first Freddies of Pinewood jeans... only to try them on and realize the rise needed to be adjusted.  Off they went to the tailor!  Still pantsless.

I tried sewing some from a pattern. It didn't work out, and I still can't figure out why. I found some pants in a store that were close to my size and tried to alter them... and they wrinkled weirdly.  I FINALLY found one lone pair of pants on a sales rack at Charlotte Russe that was close enough to my size, and here they are in these photos!  I brought them in at the waist, and now I love them!

Still, these are the only pair of pants I own that fit in the new look I want to have.  I was all ready to go gung ho on creating this whole new wardrobe all at once, but I've realized it's going to be much more of a "peach pit" process than I thought it would be.

So, I'm starting with trousers and summer shorts.  I need nice trousers for work, and I also need jeans for the rest of the time.  It's going to be slow going, but I've gotten denim fabric and the Ginger Jeans pattern, and I'm going to get to work making what I want.  When I get all the fit alterations right, I'll be able to churn these babies out in all sorts of fabrics!

I'm also going to work with a 1960s pants pattern I have made before. I like the fit of them, and doing them in some edgier fabrics will make them work beautifully in my new wardrobe.

I will admit, this slower process to build my new wardrobe is a bit frustrating. When I decide to do something, I want to do it all NOW.  I want it to be finished NOW.  Having this delay in adding to my wardrobe because of sizing issues is frustrating, but I'm embracing the slowness as an opportunity to increase my sewing skills and design pieces I absolutely love.  It will take several weeks to make a couple pairs of pants since my day job happens to get in the way of my sewing time (anyone identify?!), but I know it will be worth it in the end to have a perfectly-fitting me-made wardrobe.

Outfit Details
pants: Charlotte Russe
shirt: Wet Seal?
hat: handmade by a friend
lucite purse: gifted
heels: estate sale
lipstick: from F21

I've heard from several of you that you are also having wardrobe issues lately or have had them recently. Did you encounter any hang ups along the way? Have you had to slow down to baby steps with any of your goals lately?