I can hardly believe Closet Luxe launched 5 years ago today. Time has flown, and even though I stepped away from posting regularly, I wanted to celebrate this milestone (and a return from the abyss!) by sharing 5 lessons I’ve learned from blogging:

1. Always support others.

As my good friend, Mel, always says: “a rising tide lifts all boats.” It costs nothing to be kind, and especially in this case, supporting other bloggers is always a win-win scenario. By sharing blogging friends with PR contacts, it helps companies expand their reach in a community they are interested in. And by sharing your knowledge, you encourage others to pay it forward. There is nothing you can gain by not supporting someone else, except earning a reputation of being that girl who doesn’t like others playing in her sandbox. I will never forget the people who helped me find my footing 5 years ago, and I strongly believe the universe will return what you put out!

2. Stop being your own worst critic.

I struggle with this all the time, but it’s important to remember in order to keep a healthy perspective on things. As a designer, I am trained to notice the smallest details, and this works against me because I constantly look at photos of myself and wish I posed a little different, was smiling a little bigger, etc. And because the nature of blogging and Instagramming is to post good photos with a well-written caption, it’s easy to develop an unhealthy obsession with seeking “perfection,” even though chances are, no on else will even notice a fraction of what you see.

3. It’s okay to be not okay.

As I mentioned in my last post, I suffered from situational depression for most of 2017. I still feel pangs of embarrassment whenever I mention it, because I never want to admit I went through what I went though, but when I was in the thick of it, I remember pressuring myself to put on a brave face. I kept telling myself to continue blogging, to keep posting about outfits on Instagram, but the truth was, I was struggling to find reasons to get out of bed. Pretending that everything was fine was actually more damaging than helpful, because I wasn’t allowing myself to focus on what I really needed to concentrate on: self-care. That’s when I disappeared from blogging and social media, because I finally realized my mental state needed me to press the reset button… and it was okay to do so.

4. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Fear holds us back from lots of things, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that if you want something, sometimes you just need to ask. The worst thing that can happen is that you get told “no” and you move on, but sometimes you’ll get the outcome you were hoping for! Example: I discovered True & Co‘s True Body bras a year ago and literally refused to wear any other bra after that. I posted a review on my IG stories and converted several women to wearing their brand, yet I was afraid to email them to ask if they’d like to partner with me. Since then, my True & Co bra count has gone up to 7 (all purchased myself), and last month I saw that my friend, Christine, collaborated with them. Immediately, I fangirled and asked her if she could introduce me to her contact, which she was more than willing to do (see learning #1). And here we are… the lacy bodysuit I’m wearing in this post is courtesy of them!

5. Push yourself forward.

Humans are creatures of habit, but it’s when we push ourselves out of our comfort zones that we see the most growth. Some people find it easy to live outside the comfort bubble, but it’s not like that for everyone; definitely not for me. It’s been an ongoing theme of this blog to talk about my body insecurities and about seeing myself as the woman I am now vs. the girl I once was. Going lingerie shopping in Paris was a turning point in this journey, but even 3 years later I still struggle with seeing myself clearly. I never thought I would photograph myself wearing anything remotely sexy for the simple fact that it’s not a word I associate with myself. But when True & Co sent me this beautiful lace bodysuit, I was instantly in love. When I put it on, I felt beautiful—flat chest and all.

I had originally planned on shooting a flat-lay of this stunning piece, but I changed my mind and wanted to capture how pretty it made me feel instead. I hadn’t used my camera or tripod in a long time, but I challenged myself to take these self portraits, something I’d never done before in the 5 years I’ve been blogging! It took me 170 shots and 1 hour of running back and forth from the camera to the bed to finally get the shots I was happy with, and I’ve never felt more proud! I couldn’t think of a more fitting day to share them with you than on this milestone date.

So to that end, push yourself forward and try new things, because you’ll never know what accomplishments you’ll miss out on if you don’t!

Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me! XOXO

The Details

Bodysuit: c/o True & Co
Sweater: Barefoot Dreams
Necklace: H&M (similar styles here)
Blush throw: Pottery Barn
Wall art: Georgianna Lane

Note: This post is in collaboration with True & Co. All opinions, creativity and material expressed are 100% honest and my own!