one year with LOLO

This August feels like a very special one for me. It's been exactly one year since I put in my two weeks notice at Neiman Marcus, and made blogging with LOLO my full-time career. For those of you who don't know me or how I got started on this whole blogging endeavor, I want to share that with you today! Not only so you can get to know me better, but in hopes that this story will inspire you to pursue your dreams and trust that God is so good and so sovereign!Previous to my blogging career I worked full-time as a Merchandise Coordinator in the Fine Apparel buying office for Neiman Marcus Direct. It was an amazing job, loved the people I worked with, and I got great experience. There was a part of me though that felt so unfulfilled by it. I don't think your job needs to "fulfill" you - only Christ can do that. But, I felt like I had a passion for creativity and writing and photography and helping women and fashion and so many other things that weren't being put to use at Neiman's. I started praying that the Lord would give me wisdom with my career and open up a door for me to do what I love - even though I wasn't sure what that would look like.I got connected with the wonderful Lauren Scruggs Kennedy a little over a year ago and I knew from our first phone conversation, that the Lord's hand was in this, and working with her/blogging for LOLO was my exact dream job. I discussed it with my husband and family and prayed over it, and made the decision to quit my job at Neiman's and give this blogging thing a whirl.To say the least, this past year has been "immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine" (ephesians 3). Making blogging my career has not been easy - it's been a ton of work, a lot of vulnerability, getting out of my comfort zone, and a big risk. But I have loved every second of it. From the outfit planning to the photoshoots, the google analytics, the styling, the amazing brands I've worked with, and best of all...the amazing and wonderful feedback I've gotten from you all.I'm sure most of you follow tons of wonderful fashion bloggers (as do I), that post adorable outfits and are super talented. I want to share with ya'll though why I truly love blogging and what my heart for this is. Fashion has always been a passion of mine. Since I was a little girl I remember twirling in dresses and loving when my mom would buy me new clothes. I realize that not every girl loves clothes though or shopping or putting outfits together. I love blogging because it allows me to help other women learn to love fashion like I do, and see that it can be a part of anyone's life! Not just fashion models or people living in NYC. But fashion can be a way for you to express yourself and feel your absolute best everyday - whether you're sitting in a cubicle or chasing your little ones around a playground.I fully believe that true beauty lies so much deeper than the outfits that we wear. But I also think there's a lot of value in putting your best foot forward, and caring enough about yourself to put on a pretty dress, or take the extra 10 minutes in the morning to give yourself some beach waves. And I want to help you do that and make that easy for you! I am fully aware that fashion can be intimidating and make you feel like you don't measure up to the girl next to you. My heart for fashion and blogging though is to make you realize that you are absolutely beautiful, and you don't have to measure up to the girl next to you. Because you are your own person, with your own unique set of physical features and character quirks - put on this earth on purpose, and for a purpose.

(from Scarlet & Gold)

I long for us as women to truly  believe that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made", and for us to feel beautiful in our own skin. True beauty comes from within and from being rooted in your identity in Christ, but one way to show you are thankful for that beauty is to put your best foot forward, and put on a twirly dress or an outfit that makes you look and feel your best! I want to help women learn how to love fashion and put outfits together that they can incorporate into their everyday lives.So, if you've been following along either on here or following me on instagram, I want to say thank you. Thank you for following and for the kind comments and e-mails you've sent me. Those mean more to me than you know! And if you're in a place where you feel like your passions and dreams are sitting dormant, I encourage you to take time to pray or seek counsel about how you can put those to use and do the things that make you come alive!Here's to another amazing year of fashion and creativity and encouragement. I'd love to hear your feedback about your favorite parts about this blog, and things you'd like to see/read more about!xx, Lauren