Hey guys, as you've probably noticed I've been feeling pretty uninspired when it comes to the blog. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say that here since this is supposed to be a source of inspiration, but it's probably apparent to long-time readers. I don't know if it's because all of my energy is going into the wedding right now or because it's 90 degrees out when all I desperately want is crisp weather but I just haven't been feeling it.

I've been blogging for three and a half years now (cray) and while there's still a lot I want to accomplish I've come to learn a lot from the blog world. Blogging is such a huge part of who I am now. My head is a constant stream of outfits I want to put together, social media tactics I want to try, blogs I'm inspired by, and unfortunately jealousy and comparison, but we'll get to that later. It's hard to remember a time when I wasn't blogging. I know that may sound strange since in the scheme of things three and a half years isn't that many. However, I feel like I've really come into myself through blogging. Which leads me to the first thing I've learned:

1. I am a creative person. Pre-blog I never would have classified myself as a "creative." That was always my sister, and for some reason I thought I couldn't be creative because I wasn't interested in the traditional channels like drawing, painting, and music. Now, though, I've realized that blogging allows me to be creative, and I cherish that. That constant stream of outfits I want to try putting together, that is creativity to me. Outfit planning is without a doubt my favorite part of blogging. I like being forced to look at clothes in a new way and now I'll take a second look at a piece I may have ignored a few years ago. 

2. Putting yourself out there on the internet is terrifying. I think I've said this before, but the internet is a scary place. When I see the awful things that women are saying to other (very popular) bloggers I can't believe my eyes. I'll never understand why someone thinks they can say hurtful things just because it's the internet. Thankfully I haven't had to deal with much negativity surrounding my blog yet, but that day may come. 

Having a blog, especially one where you constantly post pictures of yourself, feels very narcissistic, which may be hard to come to terms with. Taking outfit pictures in public is downright awkward, but it's just kind of normal to me now. Slowly but surely I'm becoming less and less concerned with what the people biking by while I take pictures think. And that is a very freeing feeling. I think that mindset has transferred over into my everyday life too. I wear what I want now. California is a very casual place, but most of the time I just say F it and wear heels anyway because they make me happy. Moral of the story here is that if putting yourself out there is what's keeping you from doing anything, be it starting your own blog or asking for a promotion, it's never as bad as you think and it gets easier the more you do it!

3. Comparison really is the thief of joy. Who hasn't scrolled through Instagram and thought, "Damn, why isn't my life that beautiful?" Or even "How does she have more followers than me?" Yep. Guilty. Comparison, I've found, can bring out a girl that I don't want to be. This is one that I'm still struggling with, but I'm actively trying to get better at not making comparisons. One thing I heard and that I try to keep in mind is that you can't compare your beginning to someone else's middle or end. You don't know where other people are in their journeys and you can really only focus on yourself and the things you can control. When I find myself making comparisons, I try to ask myself "What is it about myself that's really bothering me?" That's usually the reason I make comparisons, and it helps to address those issues instead of lashing out against someone else. 

If you have a blog, what do you think is the biggest thing blogging has taught you?

xo Catherine 

While I've only lived in California for about four months, I feel like I've settled in enough to reflect on what I've learned from my cross-country move. I know that it's something a lot of people do at some point on their lives, so I wanted to share what I've learned in case it helps anyone else in any way with such a huge life change!

1. We, as humans, are very adaptable. I wouldn't say that I'm particularly good with change (who is?) but I've definitely come to accept that it's part of life. When I first got here everything seemed so strange and different and honestly, I was pretty judgmental about it,. Now, though, it just is what it is. Mark and I were driving home from somewhere the other day and I was musing about how I'm used to our life here. That isn't to say that I don't miss my life in Minneapolis, but I've adapted and gotten used to new things.

2. It's not as scary as you may think! I was terrified to move to California and leave everything and everyone I knew behind, but it really wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Technology makes it so easy to stay in touch with people. I'm in communication with my friends and family in some form pretty much every day, whether it's Snapchat, text, or phone calls. I'll be honest, having someone that I was moving to (Mark) definitely made all the difference. I think it would be pretty scary to move across the country all my yourself!

3. Making friends is hard. Let me preface this by saying that I really haven't tried that hard. I came in with good intentions of asking other bloggers out to lunch, and joining groups on Meetup. Then the idea of actually doing all of these things gave me anxiety and seemed so daunting, and well I just really love Netflix and staying in. The friends that I've made so far have all had Minnesota connections of some sort. Which could be a whole other learned item: it's such a small world! If you do move somewhere new, chances are that you know someone who knows someone there. Reach out to people and find out. Because, honestly I think that makes meeting people way less intimidating!

4. Keeping busy is essential for sanity. In the beginning, before I started working, I just had all of this time to sit around and think about how lonely I was, or how I didn't have any friends or a job yet. Making plans and getting out of the house are so worth it to keep you sane!

5. Take advantage of the time you have in your new city/state. You never know when something will come up and you'll have another cross country move, so take advantage of all the new things to see and do. That's what I love about where we are: there are so many amazing places just a drive away. I think we've done a pretty good job of trying new places so far, but there's so much more to see!

Well, that's all! I'd love to hear if you have any tips or experiences to share about moving cross-country!

xo Catherine 

I like to try and be as transparent as I can here on the blog, so today I wanted to share some of the things that go on behind the blogging scenes. Everyone knows that social media can make us feel inadequate, like we're missing out, or like we need to spend tons of money on vacations, clothes, houses, etc. I personally love bloggers who are honest with their readers. It definitely makes them more relatable. 

1. Even for a small blog, I get a lot of emails requesting sponsored posts, product reviews, and hosting banner ads. If you're a regular reader, you probably know that I'm not at the point where I do tons of posts like this, so when a fun opportunity comes along I jump at it. But for every email that excites me, there are ten that make me roll my eyes. Yes, I would love to make money from this space and all of the work I put into it, but I'm not going to do that with a brand or product that I don't feel is authentic to My Inner Fabulous. 

2. Speaking of branding, my friends and family know that being "on brand" is a thing for me. If you follow me on Instagram, then you've probably realized I don't post a ton of personal pictures, it's mostly outfits, or scenes that are styled just for a picture. While I do like to share personal things here, because I want you to get to know me, I predominantly post about fashion and style. That's "my brand." So I try to be consistent and stick to that brand across all platforms (except Snapchat, but that's a whole other story). That's where the whole social-media-is-not-reality thing comes into play. There are a ton of things that go on in my life that happen off-line. I always need to remind myself of that when I see other people's perfectly curated lives on Instagram.

3. I often get dressed up just to take pictures and then go back and put my cozies on. This is something that I like to be upfront about, however, I have worn most of my outfits IRL at some point. It may have just been earlier in the week, but then it got dark early and I didn't have time to take pictures that day. I do try to keep my outfits pretty "normal" and relatable. I'm not wearing couture, or ballgowns, but sometimes I will photograph an outfit with heels because it looks more flattering, but in actuality I wore flats. 

4. I feel pressured to do more and be better when it comes to the blog. I try to post on Instagram every day, but that doesn't always happen. Life gets in the way, or there wasn't anything interesting going on in my life, etc. I'm sure you wouldn't even notice if I miss a day on Insta, but I feel like I should have done more, and should have been better. It's so easy to make comparisons and feel like you're behind. I started this blog for fun three years ago, and I want it to remain fun for me. Yes, I would love to grow this blog, but I ultimately want to keep enjoying it. So while I do love to post three times a week, you'll have to forgive me if I slack sometimes, because it's for my sanity!

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know about! I'm an open book ;)

xo Catherine