As I currently sit getting lovedrunk on a tub of celebrations it’s got me thinking about how far this blog has come this year. 2016 was the year I really wanted to ramp up the blog. And whilst I’m no pro-blogger (& slightly fell off that wagon in August / September) I know hand on heart I worked very hard to get to a point where I feel the content I’m creating is where I want to be. I’ve spoken a lot this year about doing “my own thing” and finding my own style, which I really honed the last few months of this year. People compliment me on my Instagram and how it doesn’t fit the mould and I really like that. I think we can all agree that sometimes you need your ego feeding (even if it is just a tiny compliment like that) to make you feel like you are achieving some sort of success.
Having had opportunities to travel to Madeira & Dominican Republic with icelolly.com and to Nice with University Rooms for the vast travel section on my site, this has lead to three amazing opportunities already that I am incredibly excited about.
I’ll be heading to Oxford in January with Mercure Hotels as part of the #CitySwappers campaign. A variety of bloggers are being sent to various cities around the UK to experience what we each consider to be a fab thing to do in our home town. I’m excited to see who has been given my sacred place of birth, York.
In February, I’ll be making a trip to the Lake District with Darwin Escapes to enjoy the Cumbrian Countryside whilst taking in all the glorious spa treatments and food the lodge escape has to offer. It’s no secret that the Lake District is one of my fave places in the UK to head away for some well needed RnR. I can’t wait to indulge all weekend.
And finally on my travel agenda we head across the pond to Rome. I won some free flights with the Bloggers Lounge & Match.com earlier this year and have since been planning our romantic, Italian weekend getaway. The last time we were in Italy was for our honeymoon back in 2014 so it will be lovely to head back and eat as much pizza and pasta, whilst washing it down with a peroni / prosecco (or ten!) each evening. We are still on the hunt for accommodation so if you have any recommendations please do let me know.
I’ve also worked with some super fashion brands this year, namely FatFace who have been a constant support of my blog and content this year. Their morals always make me feel so proud to work with them on a continual basis. FatFace’s Black Friday campaign was a true testament to their ethics and just proved once again why they are a brilliant company (who also do it fashionably too!) I really do hope that I am one of their Bloggers for 2017 again, because it’s been an absolute blast working with them this year.
Moda In Pelle’s #BootCamp campaign was brilliant. A team that really appreciates the exposure that a blog can give them. A simple regram of my images meant my platforms were also being shared with their avid fans too. A simple retweet or share can really make a difference to a Bloggers confidence and working on this campaign instilled a sense of pride in the content that Matt & I created. 2017 will be the year that I really believe in my work on QueenBeady and project myself in a way that is much more confident in my ability. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt this year its that I apologise far too often for myself than deemed acceptable, I need to stand tall and make no apologies for who I am.
I am already planning content for 2017 that not only matches but exceeds what I created this year. Travel & Fashion is where my passions lie so I will be curating more content around these areas, that’s not to say that lifestyle won’t feature, it most certainly will. I can never not post a deep and meaningful every now and then when I want to share my inner most feelings with the world. I will just be more wise, knowing what I know works for not only my readers of my blog, but also what I feel comfortable writing about.
Whilst I really tried not to make this blog post sound like a classic #humblebrag but I really want to do more of what I love in 2017 and all of the above have paved the way to leading to one of the most exciting years yet on this little space on the web and despite that 2016 was a difficult one for me at certain points, it gave me the chance to re-evaluate what I want from both my blog & life. It became so much clearer towards the end of the year and I’m so grateful that it did. So, two thousand and seventeen needs to be a year of keeping my head above water and realising when I need to step back a lot sooner and indulging in the things that really matter and what I enjoy!
What are your plans for next year?
I hope you all have a super Christmas & a very happy New Year!
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