Blogaversary!

It is my three year blogaversary!

I have been blogging my wedding and professional photography for almost a decade now, but it wasn’t until three years ago that I started blogging about my travels, the New England lifestyle, wellbeing, and simple living. This past December and January I launched my new blog, Live Lovely Travel, separate from my wedding site, livelovelyphotography.com. It has been a wonderful three years!

I consider the month of April my blogaversary because that is when I dived in full-time three years ago. I had just quit a toxic job at a retirement company where myself and a few co-workers were being severely bullied by a new employee and the management and HR were covering it up instead of addressing the behavior. I took it as a blessing and a message from the universe to stop working for a bad company and instead go out on my own for my photography. I took up a part-time job at a law firm and dived into full time wedding photography and blogging.

The wedding photography has grown so much over the past year and this year I had more weddings booked than ever before. Unfortunately, they have nearly all been postponed due to the recent pandemic, but I’m resilient and I know that we’ll all get through this together. Thankfully, through this crisis, my blog continues to be a place where I can connect with my readers from all over New England and the rest of the world. It is also a place where I get to be myself, have fun, and be creative. I am so thankful to each and every one of you for reading along with my journey. Thank you.

I know that when I switched my blog’s name and domain, I lost about 90% of my monthly readers, but we’re bouncing back. I have done my best to redirect all of my past links and my social media accounts to my new website. If you made it from my wedding site to my new blog and have been with me all the way, I cannot thank you enough. I feel that everyone has a voice and deserves to share their ideas and having a community to share that with has been so wonderful. You have been with me when I started out for fun and throughout the highs and lows as I have suffered through anxiety and depression. You’re also here with me now as the long winter of my past two years has opened up into a beautiful and blooming spring.

My husband Matthew and I have always gone out for spontaneous drives and I typically bring my camera along. A few years ago, going through my rough patch at work, being able to still take photos for fun was what kept me afloat. On a trip to Mystic and Stonington Borough I realized that I could share my trips and photographs with other people who love exploring New England and for the people I know in Connecticut who were looking for hidden gems nearby for weekend and day trips. My Connecticut Charm series was born. I also realized that I could share my journey and hopefully other people would feel less alone through reading about how I have overcome obstacles such as my career shifts and anxiety due to the emotional abuse I’ve endured in the past. I started writing about wellbeing, looking for ways to help people like myself who were going through their own ups and downs. I also started sharing my travels abroad and other passions and interests from wedding planning to style, organic products, simple living, and even recipes. Before I knew it, I became a lifestyle blogger. I have always loved writing and photography. This blog feels like a part of myself and I am so thankful that I am able to share that with you.

So what can you expect from the blog this year? 

I had a whole bunch of Connecticut and New England posts planned out for this spring, but with the pandemic most of those will have to wait. Instead, I will be sharing a lot more wellbeing posts, simple living content, recipes, book recommendations, and lifestyle posts from home.

This year I also want to delve deeper into my love for sustainability and natural living. I’ll be sharing more of the natural products I use and tips on how to lower our impact on the environment. I haven’t given up minimalism completely, but I’ve realized that taking a simpler and more minimalist approach doesn’t have to be an extremely strict and regimented lifestyle. My husband is not a minimalist and to be honest, I’m not 100% myself. I love my large book collection and I enjoy personal style. I will continue to use many minimalistic ideas in my simple living posts this year.

I have also been asked to make more fashion posts. I love personal style and every time I travel or go out I always dress for the location, the weather, and the activities I’ll be doing. I love styling my looks based on where I am going, but I never saw myself as a fashion blogger. I want to make a living from blogging, but I didn’t want to become salesy or feel the need to sell people products continuously when I myself take a more sustainable and intentional approach to shopping. I have learned that it is possible to do both. I’m making a lot more style posts this year, but using clothing that I already have in my closet. In the past, I felt it wasn’t relevant, but I have discovered that most women are like myself. We don’t always need to shop for new clothes to love fashion and enjoy personal style. I’ll be making more style posts this year for my readers that always ask about my outfits.

And there will be more travel and the New England lifestyle…. eventually.

Thank you so much for being a part of my live lovely community! You can join my community further by following me on Instagram @LiveLovelyTravel, my new YouTube channel, and my Live Lovely Facebook group by clicking here.