Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017 - A Blog Recap!

It is the 31^st of December, 2016. I woke up and pinched myself. I couldn’t believe that this is the last day of 2016. This has been a crucial year for me because it’s the last year of my college/uni. I graduate in a couple of months and I have to be grown up and serious and figure my life out. I have to gather my dreams and ambitions and make sure I actually work towards them and not away from them.

It has been a phenomenal year for blogging too. I had my first post go viral (I doubt I can call it that haha but for the lack of a better word, let’s call it that). My ‘DIY Chokers for Spring/Summer: Six Designs’ post has over 34,000 views now which is so incredible compared to any other post I’ve written so far. I realized that if you put work into something, it always pays off! That one post took over 12 hours to make and I’m glad I did it.

On the flip side, my blogging has seen some lows too. Inconsistency, life getting in the way and my pending thesis has really stopped me from doing so much that I put down in my ‘blog’ notebook almost every single day. I hope 2017 will be the year I can finally devote a lot more time to blogging and give it a proper shot! What got me through some of these low days? Lots and lots of wonderful internet discoveries which I’ve documented in the ‘Bookmarks for Crappy Days’ Series this year.

I did manage to do quite a few looks this year and some of them were really appreciated so thank you for the love and support if you've read my blog this year and left lovely comments. I also got to work with so many new brands especially for fashion posts and that was a delightful experience!

I put together some advice for the shopping obsessed like me about ‘How to successfully go on a spending ban’ earliar in the year. Not only did I write it, I tried and tested it for myself too and I definitely spent a lot less on useless, trendy items I won’t wear more than once.

I started developing my personal style since then & the post – ‘How to be trendy and still keep it personal’ talks about it in a little bit more detail. I am slowly growing into a smart shopper and I’ve been able to save so much money in the process (to be spent on makeup of course!)

Lace Tunic & The Perfect Red Lipstick The Yellow Coat & Leopard Flats Ruffled Smock Dress Ripped Denim Overalls Monochrome Hearts Scalloped collar and cropped pants Crisp White shirts & Bumblebees The Blue Gingham Skirt The White, The Black & The Brown Plaid Shirt Days Checked Shirt Dress & Neckerchief Boho Dreams Spring is in! Sweetheart Pinafore Dress Pussybow Tunic & Ripped Leggings Utility Vest & White Dress Gingham Checks and Grey Sweatshirt

My interest in beauty, especially skincare has grown so much over the past couple of months. I’ve always been a makeup junkie but I’ve been experimenting and trying out a lot more skincare than I cared for before.I’m looking forward to chatting more about this newfound love! I did my first makeup look – ‘Autumn Rose Makeup Look’ which is really different from my regular content but it surprised me how much I like doing looks and coming up with new ideas. I hope I churn out some more creative ideas this year.

Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Beauty Lover L'oreal Color Riche Le Vernis A L'Huile Nail Polish Review Avene Cleanance Hydra Soothing Cream Review The Avene Cleanance Range Review How I did my makeup in high school challenge Nyx Ultimate Shadow Palette : Warm Neutrals The Perfect Red Lip Duo LA Girl Pro HD Pressed Powder Vs Freedom Makeup Pressed Powder Rainy Day Beauty Essentials 3 Favourite Drugstore Highlighters Bio Oil Review & Experience Artis Foundation Brush Dupe Review Irresistible Me Diamond Hair Straightener Review Freedom Pro Decandence Eye Shadow Palette Autumn/Winter Drugstore Lipsticks

I talked about seriously upping my reading game in ‘My Birthday Resolutions’. Reading is something that really puts me in a positive zone, changes my mind set and also something I've been ignoring this past year. I feel glad to say that I have started reading a lot more since October. I’m still in my comfort zone and reading the books I generally like but there has been progress and I'm one step closer to becoming more like my old self who would read more than one book a week.

Netflix has been a huge thing this year, in general and in my life! I’ve gone from an occasional watcher to an addict because they’ve changed the TV show scene and it has been refreshing. I had been yearning for some fresh shows and they did just that. They delivered! It has been surprising to see more indie shows and small productions make the cut because I absolutely love discovering lesser known shows and tracking them before netflix was very difficult. I've gushed about some of ‘My Netflix Addiction’ on the blog but my list is ever growing and that post will be getting a refresh soon.

It was the year of ‘Harry Potter & The Cursed Child’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’. I never thought such a day would come but JK Rowling made it possible and brought back some of my childhood magic to this year which is why I’ll probably remember this year more than I expected to.

Christmas Tree Iced Biscuits What's in my Mini Backpack? Five Scenes in the Gilmore Girls that made me cry Bookmarks for Crappy Days #3 Mysteries of Instagram I'll never understand My Summer Favourites Wild World by Bastille: First Impression Rewatching Gilmore Girls in 2016 Bookmarks for Crappy Days #2 The Back to School Wishlist The Eleanor & Park Soundtrack My Spring Favourites Bookmarks for Crappy Days Trust TV Shows that got cancelled too soon Six Instagram Accounts I'm Loving How to Spot Frenemies Winter Favourites Thoughts on PLL: Five Years Later

Last but not the least, there are some bloggers I'd like to mention who inspired me this year in so many ways. Whether it is their content, dedication to their blogs, their photography or their support for me and other bloggers, they've managed to add positivity to my blog life. Just enough to keep me going when I was lacking motivation or doubting my creativity. There are some that I've talked to a lot more on social media & blog comments while others I secretly admire from afar, but the love I have for their work is just the same. I keep going back to their blogs and you should too!

Me and Orla, Call Me Amy, The Nerdy Me, A Glimpse of Glam, Stacey Louise White, What Olivia Did, Face to Curls, Kandice, Kate La Vie, Miel and Mint, Pretty Geekery, The Bright Bazaar, From Roses, Classy Girls Wear Pearls.

Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017!