I began the year still suffering from terrible mental illnesses, which had basically taken over control of my life. I never left the house, I felt guilty over eating a 68 calorie yoghurt and I was just completely lost. It was around the start of this year that I really threw myself into blogging. I did initially begin my blog back in June 2014 but I barely posted a thing until this year. My blog was originally on Wordpress and I used to write beauty posts (let me know if you were a reader then) even though I honestly barely know a thing about beauty haha. It was my new hobby, my new distraction and I loved it. Photographing things and writing and just concentrating on something other than all the dark emotions I was feeling was so nice.
I spent a long time writing reviews and 'haul' type posts but I guess that that wasn't really my blogging niche. I don't really remember what happened but one day I must have just thought 'No, I should be writing about fashion'. So, that's what I began to do. Off I went. I curled my hair, grabbed my all black outfit, whacked on some red lipstick and headed into my garden. At this point, no one on my blog had ever seen my face before and I was taking all of my photos on my mobile phone so I had to get my Mum to help me take the photos that were actually of me haha.
After a while of having my blog on Wordpress, I was starting to get a bit fed up with my layout and all that jazz and really wanted a change. So, I took a leap and moved over to Blogger which my blog is on now. This allowed me to buy my own domain name and official have 'www.hollylovesthesimplethings.co.uk' all to myself! I feel like this was such a big step in terms of blogging for me, because it just really showed my commitment to what I was doing.
In March 2015, I posted some of first outfit photos and well, you guys went crazy for them. At the time, I had just over 1,000 instagram followers and these photos were getting 300-400 likes. I was in complete shock aha!
Around the same time as this, I went to an event with one of my Mum's friends who's a make up artist (Natalie Robinson - check out her Facebook page here!) and weirdly found myself considering something I'd never really thought about before. I went with the initial intention of maybe becoming a make up artist, but I know now that that's not the right path for me... Anyway, she basically took me along with her so that I could watch what happens backstage. I remember being in awe of the models there. I was completely distracted from what I was meant to be doing and this thought just popped into my head saying 'I want to do that.' That might have seemed strange considering the illness I was dealing with, but honestly, I knew that I wanted to do it. I saw the confidence the girls had and I just thought 'I'm going to be that confident one day'. I wrote a post about the event the next day and was searching for which agency the models were from as I wanted to reference them. I found an agency and instantly became obsessed. They were so cool and edgy - I immediately followed them on Instagram and kind of one day hoped that I'd be able to apply there myself.
Now in about August, I shot an outfit post in a particular spot in my garden and people really seemed to like it. It's just a little spot in my garden that has now ended up being posted on the likes of Boohoo's instagram, as well as just receiving so many positive comments from you guys here on my blog. I've shot my outfits there ever since and I feel like it's kind of become a signature thing to Simple Things haha. Also, from that point on, I threw myself into fashion blogging and became primarily a Fashion Blogger. Fashion is definitely always going to be a part of what I do with my life and it's not that I don't still love beauty and make up and all that jazz, but I just know that fashion is my thing, it's what I'm passionate about.
In September I attended 2 very exciting events: London Fashion Weekend and The Bloggers Blog Awards. London Fashion Weekend was my very first Fashion Week experience and honestly I loved it. I loved everyone who adores fashion getting to celebrate it all in one place and well, I got to do it along with my Mum and bestie Annie. I remember there was a bizarre moment whilst we were there too, when all of these photographers started taking photos of me whilst Annie was shooting my blog pictures and I honestly felt like Kate Moss or something haha. It was so cool sitting front row on the catwalk and just feeling like I was somewhere where I fit in and it wouldn't be weird to drool over how gorgeous a pair of high heels were aha.
The Bloggers Blog awards were amazing too! It was so surreal to meet other bloggers in the flesh and not to mention the fact that I won Highly Commended Up & Coming Fashion Blogger...like say what?! I remember walking in there sooooo nervous with my legs shaking and then by the end of it I was sat giggling with Charlotte, Lauren and Jordan like we'd been friends for ages!
Soon after this was when I really began to feel like 'Me' again. I started to go out with my friends and just have fun and it literally was the most liberating thing to just laugh and get a little bit tipsy haha! I remember after one night out, I'd gotten a little too drunk and well... vommed a little (lol sorry for the TMI). But the next day, despite feeling incredibly rough and hungover, I just felt really 'free'. Like all I could think about was the fact that I was doing things normal teenagers do now and not having a care in the world!
In October, I got to collaborate with two super exciting brands, Clarks and We Are Cow. Clarks is a huge brand and for them to want to work with me had me in complete shock. I remember receiving the email at a time when my friend Sophie was working for them and it just felt really weird to think that a brand that has one of my best friends working in retail, wanted me to promote their stuff on my little ol blog! Then, We Are Cow is a brand that me and my friends love. We always pop into their store in Manchester and when they emailed me I got super emotional haha. Again, it was just crazy to me that a few years ago I stumbled into their Manchester store and thought 'ooo this place is so cool' and now I've bloody collaborated with them! October was a pretty exciting months in terms of collabs!
Then November just took me on whirlwind. At like the middle of November, I was looking on the J'adore Models website at the 'Become A Model' page and thinking, 'I need to get some photos taken and send off to them off soon'. You see, for a while i'd been getting a taste of the modelling world. I'd been to a casting in London, I'd been to an agency in London and I'd even done a little bit of work for a clothing brand, so I kind of finally felt ready to apply to the agency I'd been gushing over since March. At the exact moment of that thought, I got a freaking notification from them on my phone. WHAT?! They'd commented on one of my photos asking for my height and where I was based. I literally shouted 'NO WAY?!' and began typing back like a giddy child in a sweet shop. Basically, they asked me to come to a casting the next day and I was like YES YES YES.
At the casting, It was me and two other girls - both of whom were bloody gorgeous. I immediately thought, 'what am I doing here? they're not going to want me over these two'. I was sat there, head to toe in black, with no make up on and messy wavy hair whilst these two beautiful tanned girls sat either side of me. We each went in one by one. They just asked a few questions and took some photos and then we sat waiting to see what happened outside. They called the two girls in one at a time before me and they both came out like 'they said no' and I just kind of thought 'shit, it's a no for me then'. Although there was a little thought in the back of my head that thought 'save the best till last...they might want you!'. Finally, I went in and kept myself ready and prepared for rejection. It completely had me in shock when they handed me a contract and asked me to do a job for them that Thursday. I HAD BEEN SIGNED TO A MODELLING AGENCY! I ran outside to my Mum who was waiting in her car and waved the contract at her through the window. I was so so giddy haha!
Now, it's December and this has been the craziest year of my life. Like what the hell? How have I been through so much? I actually feel like a super hero. It's weird to think of how i started this year and then the position that I'm ending it in. I'm incredibly excited and ready for 2016. There are so many things I want to do, so much I want to achieve and well... I'm gonna do it haha, just try and stop me!
I do, of course, just want to take a second to just say Thank you. Thank you to all of you who have read my blog and stood by me this year, you have honestly helped me more than you will ever know. And also, thank you to my Mum, Dad, brother and my friends for putting up with my annoying ups and downs but also for not getting embarrassed every time that I pop up on their instagram feed promoting something AGAIN haha.
I honestly love this blog and everything that goes with it with all my heart and can't wait to see where it can take me. And so, with nothing much else to add... I'm coming for ya 2016!
I loved this post and I'm really happy for you; you've achieved so much this year!! Have a great 2016 :) xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Sophie! You too xxx
DeleteYou're amazing! Been reading your blog for ages (when it was at Wordpress too) and I've loved it ever since! You are such an inspiration and your drop dead gorgeous lol. You'll do great things in life, I just know it!
ReplyDeleteAw yay, you've been reading for so long haha! Thank you so much! x
DeleteI am SO FREAKIN' PROUD OF YOU <33
ReplyDeleteHonestly this post gave me all of the feels and the goosebumps and I'm so happy and excited for all you've achieved this year and all you'll achieve next year too you beautiful woman xxxxxx
LJLV
A Manchester Fashion & Lifestyle Blog
OH YOU ♥ Thank you so much! As will you! xxxx
DeleteWow, this is amazing, I'm really happy for you! x
ReplyDelete113-things-to-say.blogspot.com
Thank you Mira! x
DeleteMy best Christmas present is reading this post and seeing how far you've come xx
ReplyDeleteLove Dad
This was so so lovely to read - congratulations on all you've achieved this year! I started following you in maybe March and it's been so awesome watching you gain such a great following and continue curating your blog over this year. Keep doing what you're doing!
ReplyDeleteMegan xo
www.meganalamode.co.uk
Aw thank you so much Megan and thank you for following me for so long! xx
DeleteI am so happy for you Holly! You have achieved so much year and are such an inspiration. I loved reading this post and your blog is amazing!
ReplyDeletexx Isabel
http://bellasfashionjournal.com
Thank you so much Isabel! xxx
DeleteWow this is incredible!!I'm so happy and proud for you,for everything that you achieved :)You deserve it 100% after your hard work!!I wish 2016 brings even greater thing in your way ^_^
ReplyDeletexoxo Afrodite ~ BubblyBeauty
Thank you lovely, that's so kind of you to say! xx
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