Year End Wrap Up

As the countdown nears it seems perfect time to do a
year end wrap up. 

Until just a few minutes ago I was not quite sure what to write a blog about today or even if I was going to do a blog today/this week at all; the last few have had low readership, not that past a few times where an author helped spread the word, it has ever had that big of one. In this instant satisfaction world we live in, people much prefer Instagram, Twitter or even FB to reading a blog, yet I carry on. The other day someone on Fb even told me she liked my blog, when I asked if she had meant the FB page as it says "personal blog" under the Ruby's Musings header or my actual blog, she stated that she meant the FB page. Over 5 years I have been typing out a blog, changing what I wrote about, centered on, depending on what life was dishing out, something new and different every so many weeks or months, trying to gain readership and never having an uptake last for long. I have often thought I would just give this up and make my FB page the actual blog of sorts. I would be tempted but never pulled the plug, since even that was never very busy, rare comments, and a few likes, the followers, most likely, forgetting they even followed my page, seeing as FB likes to make us page owners pay to have our posts seen by more than 10 percent. Oh just like this blog the subject matter would change, in an effort to gain followers, appeal to a new demographic, get people to comment, interact after all even if a lot of us bloggers write for ourselves first, we do like to know people appreciate the time and effort it takes, but up-ticks never seemed to last for long. You can not make everyone happy. Recently however I have seen a huge leap in followers on the FB page, and comments, shares and liking of posts! It was all thanks to a shout out from a wonderful young woman by the name of  The Vintage Emily Doll  , look her up she is on every platform out there and even has just started a blog too! I am honored that she choose to share my little page. Over night my following on FB jumped 48 percent! One of my posts that normally would only get  a couple of likes, no comments and not a single share suddenly was shared 1200 times, received 345 likes and was seen by by nearly 217 thousand people...still only a few comments, mainly to tag others, but still it just blew my mind!! My phone was going crazy for two days strait!! My husband when I said something about the phone chiming non stop, "be careful what you wish for"..so very true. But I am grateful...and excited. It did make me stop and take account how I got to this point and where I would like to see things go. 

A year ago I could not even imagine what this year was going to be like. I had been searching for answers in so many areas of my life, especially since I would soon be entering the last year of my 40's. I took an online style personality course, read the books that were based on it...or maybe it was the other way around, I forget...I had joined the Fb group for it, changing out my whole wardrobe, purging everything I owned. Listening to how I was supposed to dress based on my personality traits. That lead me to another style course and another purge, one I kind of regret, the purge, not the course, and I landed on trying the current sporty chic look and cut my hair into a super short pixie. I colored my hair, let the color grow out again, changed my wardrobe again here and there, but was just not feeling it. during this time I changed my blog to be nothing but French Girl Friday posts, same with my FB page, if it was not French I was not posting it...this peeved some that liked all the home, garden and fairy posts of the previous couple of years, but delighted others. Life, my blog and my FB page was a mess...and though it was me in a nutshell interest wise, nothing was fulfilling. I did not like what I saw in the mirror. I was even trying to learn how to speak French and that was a disaster too, and I did not enjoy it! 

One year ago. Brows natural, little to no makeup,
and red-ish lip balm

A little Coco Chanel

As time went on, I found myself, upon reading magazines, following a few style blogs, and loving some of the more feminine looks on other ladies within the group I was in, a desire to add back a more retro look, but maybe still with a French flair to my closet, to my blog and FB page as well...what started with purchasing a few floral A line skirts before too long lead me leaping back to a style, not only in my closet, but here and on FB, that I had enjoyed on and off since the age of 16...that of what is now labeled under a blanket title of Pin Up. I started following pinup models on all the social media platforms, I looked up all the online clothing stores I once shopped at and then some, and slowly it became obvious that I was most happy with myself, my FB page and yes this blog when influenced by eras from the past. I had my daughter create a new blog look for me, and while that was happening I began working on my new look as well. 

My first A line skirt 

Still a pop of French, but the
vintage is emerging, as is the
inner pin up

My hair became more and
more 1960's as I "fell" back
in time style wise.

Photo shoots were becoming the norm

Each month that passed was an
opportunity to tweak my look more.

My first pinup style dress..no petticoats yet.

I discovered the world of circle skirts and custom
made clothing. 

I no longer cared if I looked like someone stepping out
of an old photograph

Flash forward and if I am in a skirt there is always a
petticoat, even for going grocery shopping! 

As my journey continued, I discovered that there was a sisterhood and an acceptance with being a pin up girl, and there was also a need to have an identity, a signature of sorts to stand out, pin up girls had a theme of sorts to them. I thought about what I could do to brand myself merging my fashion style, my blog and what I was now posting to all my social media platforms and then one day while I was cooking dinner and taking care of a few chores, I could incorporate what I did and had done, and have been for my entire adult life, a housewife, but with a pin up girl spin . There was already the "Retro Housewife", the "Glamorous Housewife" even a "Modern Retro Housewife" , each with their own take on things, but after looking at them all, none really put the pin up spin on it....so I landed on that I could be "A Retro Housewife in a Modern World" and it would kind of go unsaid that I would have a sub title of a modest pinup wife. I started combining pin up poses with household chores, or when sharing my cooking and baking as well as in my selfies. I started sharing on guest blog posts what it meant to me to be a retro housewife, and especially one that was nearly 50 years of age. I then started sharing products that might appeal to not only pin up girls but also to housewives and especially to retro housewives and that included on FB sharing images of daily life as a pin up/retro wife and throw back images from the 1950's depicting the same thing. So in less than a years time I transformed  myself, my image, my FB page and my blog to be in line with an image and apparently people like it and are taking notice. 

So where do I see this going? I have a few dreams, I would like to be a promo girl that can represent a clothing company that sells clothing to the retro minded lady and represent the older set, as there are quite a lot of us 40 and 50 somethings out there that enjoy dressing and living the lifestyle...I already am a promo girl/lady for Twinkleburst jewelry ( find them on Etsy), and though small, it is a start. I would love to do a real photo shoot pinup style. I would really enjoy seeing the numbers of readers and comments climb not only here, but across all my social media outlets, to know that what I do here and elsewhere is being enjoyed. To connect with others and inspire them and in turn continue to inspire myself. I want my brand to be my life and my life to be a brand. It will take work, it will take sacrifice and time, but considering what has happened in the last few months and even the last few days, anything is possible right? 

So as I look back on this past year, I can see the path I decided to travel down is the right one, and am hoping as I look forward to not only 2016, but my 50th year on this planet, my 6th year as a blogger and my second as a "retro housewife in a modern world/ pinup housewife" that the path I am on leads to bigger and better things but also hope that I can remain true to myself and be strong enough to glide easily over the hurdles that may come and do it all with my winged eye liner on point, my red lips un-smudged and a twinkle in my eye. I also hope you will enjoy the journey with me and tell your friends *wink*