Lilac Midi Dress & Pearl Barrette // Have I Peaked?

Lately I’ve been having the scary feeling that I’ve peaked in my blogging career. I know this might sound strange, but the reason I’ve been having this feeling is because too many good things happened too fast last year. Last year was my second full year as a full-time blogger, and in my mind I was still just starting out. But somehow, last year I got my first press trip, first big collaboration where I was flown out to speak on a conference and paid really well for it, and first big press feature in Buzzfeed. All of this felt like a dream to me as a mid-level blogger at 50K and just having done this for 2 years. I found myself at intimate events where I was the only blogger under 100K to be invited, and all of this made me feel exhilarated. But the downside to receiving so many amazing opportunities is the inevitable question of where do I go from here? How do I beat all the highs I achieved last year? 

So far, this year has been slow but steady, and I definitely have not encountered a high yet like I did last year. If I let myself sink too deep into this mindset, it always leads to me feeling depressed and hopeless. It has become increasingly hard to grow in Instagram, so I find myself thinking “What if this is as good as it gets?” But lately, I’ve come to realize that not every year can be a “high.” In what will hopefully be a longstanding career as a fashion blogger, some years are going to be better than others, and I just have to accept that. Yes I achieved a lot of highs last year, but that shouldn’t diminish my accomplishments moving forward. The most important thing is to focus on creating amazing content for all of you, and hopefully the opportunities will keep coming. 

Now moving onto this outfit – I’ve been so into lilac for Spring. Purple has always been one of my favorite colors, and lilac is an especially feminine shade that’s so fresh and pretty for Spring. I picked up this lilac midi dress from & Other Stories and it checked all the boxes, with the ruffle straps, buttons down the middle, and breezy linen material. Since it’s still a bit chilly in New York, I layered it over a green pleated top. For my shoes, I chose pink sandals paired with pink socks for a cute and quirky look.

I added a feminine touch with the hottest accessory trend this season: a pearl barrette. I love how easy it is to transform my hair with the simple addition of a pearl barrette, and it’s so sweet and feminine too! I completed the look with a vintage handbag, gold earrings, and layered gold necklaces and bangles.

Shop the Look:

Dress: & Other Stories
Top: NA-KD (similar here)
Shoes: Bill Blass
Bag: Vintage
Pearl Clip: Astrid & Miyu
Necklaces: SEQUIN
Bangles: SEQUIN (here & here)
Rings: Miranda Frye

Thanks for reading,
Mary