The awkwards

shirt, cardi: H&M
jeans, flats, hat: Target
necklace: VeryJane

That last photo there? That's kind of how I feel whenever I talk about my blog IRL. Whether it's with extended family at the holidays or a friend of a friend as we sit and chat over lunch, the second someone brings up my blog, I break out in a major case of the awkwards. It's not that I am embarrassed of VM by any means. It's just...well, it's kind of a weird thing to talk about. "Oh hi! Let me tell you all about the pictures I take of myself and how I talk about my clothes all the time on the internet." All I can ever think is how conceited I must seem, like I'm constantly preening and showing off.

But then I remember that that isn't why I blog. Yes, I have an inherent need to mindlessly spew whatever is currently on my brain. But that's not it, either. It's about the community you get in the blogosphere. I've made amazing connections with so many interesting people over the last 22 months. And it's about personal growth. When I started this blog, I had no idea what I liked. I had no sense of personal style...not in the clothes I wore, or the way I attempted to decorate my apartment, or in the food I was making. I also had a completely screwed-up sense of personal finance. Through blogging, I've grown in all those areas. Both through self-discovery, but also through discovering what works (and doesn't) for others, too.

I know this sounds like a wrap-up, "it's been fun but I'm done" kind of post. And I promise, it's not. I've just been thinking a lot about why I blog, and I wanted to share with y'all that you're part of the reason. And, you know, say thanks for that :)