Celebrating Nine Years of Blonde Bedhead

My blog turns nine years old today, proof to myself that I indeed can commit to something for an extended period of time. Read on for musings and nine outfit photos representing each year of blogging.

2018. A year of taking a deep breath and doing exactly what I wanted to do and finding exactly what I needed. I committed to another year of consistent workouts, a little less travel and motor home buyin’. I spent more money on house renovations so I have even more of an excuse to stay at home. It’s the year I spotted Matt on a sidewalk and made every shameless effort to date him. He is now mine. The year I started fostering dogs and realized I have a lot more patience than I give myself credit for.

2017. The first year, in many years, my hair didn’t look like complete shit. Learned new things in a relationship and said thank you, next. The year I finally felt confident in my skin and stopped comparing myself (as much) to others.

2016. The year I realized I was unhappy with a ton of things in my life and the year I turned 30. Ended a long-term relationship, moved twice in one year and bought my home. So many challenges, weight gained, weight lost and so many fun travels with my mom like Nashville and a week long road trip through California. This photo above is from New York City, just to prove how cool and hip I was the year of 2016.

2015. The year I found my Jamesy pup and the phase of pink hair. And the year I started working for Martin Waymire, ending a two year internal struggle of not feeling like I was growing or learning at my previous job.

2014. I was midway through my masters program, hated my job, but found cute dresses that I wore throughout the year. This is also the time I started taking on more freelance work and finding joy in things outside of just my day job.

2013. Colorful pant phase and the year of dating a string of turds, but mostly had a lot of fun meeting new people, making new friends and getting involved in new activities like joining kickball teams. I drank Miller Lites and a lot of cheese that year.

2012. The year I moved back to Michigan from Chicago realizing I was broke and needed to get my shit together. I was 25 and a bit of a train wreck, but it didn’t take me long to get back on my feet. I left Chicago with a lot more confidence that I had when I arrived thanks to my ad agency job that threw me to the wolves and I felt prepared and confident for a new role at an employer I previously worked for.

2011. The year I learned big cities weren’t for me. I’ll always appreciate this year of financial stress, heartache and finding lifelong friends who were there for me through all of it. Chicago wasn’t for me, but not a single regret for taking on the wrong jobs, dating the wrong people and taking a big risk that taught me so many life lessons.

2010. The year I spontaneously started the blog since I liked photography and perceived myself as stylish (LOL.) Just one of the years I lived in the coolest loft apartment and took my own blog photos on the reg with a self timer. I was so shy and timid at my job, my first job out of college, and this helped me feel more confident–and the start of something I’m so glad I launched on a whim.