one year

Dress: Windsor | Shoes: Steve Madden (similar here)  | Handbag: Anne Klein (similar here) | Sunglasses: Versace 

Hello Everyone!!!

I can’t believe it’s been already a year, since I re-launched my blog. Yes, you heard me right “re-launched”. Many of you might think that this is the first time that I started a fashion blog, but in reality I started my fashion blog long time ago. 

My fashion blogging journey has been a long one, which started back in 2009, while I was still in college studying Fashion Design. I was doing an internship for a fashion designer in Chicago, and they gave me so much freedom, where they let me design some of my own pieces; which included 3 different dresses and a sweater.

This internship experience is what gave me the inspiration to start my own fashion blog. I thought by starting a blog I could have a place where I could showcase my work, and build friendships, with others who love fashion.

Unlike with my online portfolio, which I had as well, where I could only post pictures of my designs, and where people could just view the designs and images, but could not interact with me. With a blog, I was able to still take pictures of the items I designed, and have the opportunity to be more connected with others who love the same thing as I do.

So, I started the blog in 2009, using a free template from Blogger.com. I posted only the pictures of the designs I designed. I sent out the emails just to my classmates to check out my blog, and then that was it. I posted those 3-4 outfits I designed as a Fashion Design Intern, and that was the end of blogging for me at that time. I am not sure why I didn’t continue to post more. I think I was not motivated enough at that time, especially when I saw how much work it actually took to produce a post. Of course everything else was more important at that time too, like making sure I got good grades in school and graduated, than running a blog. Also, at that time I was not the one modeling the clothes. I would have my sister or another model, help me with modeling, and I would be the one behind the camera. Finding someone to model for me was always a challenge, which was also another reason why I did not continue blogging.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2011, I felt the urge to start my blog again, but this time I was more passionate about it. I was really motivated. I started researching about how to start a blog. I was gathering all the information I could; sometimes I even stayed up until 3 am researching.

Unlike today where everyone you meet is a blogger or has a blog, and there is tons of information out there on how to start a blog. At that time it was really hard to find any information on blogging, there wasn’t that much out there on how to start a blog, because the blogging industry was relatively knew in 2011. This is why this phase of research and preparation took one year. Obviously I did not have the time to research everyday, but I did work really hard at it whenever I had the time.

Finally in 2012, a year after all this research, I felt confident enough that I read a lot of books and gathered enough information that there was on Blogging, and I was ready to start my blog. I took a lot of outfit pictures with my sister modeling them. When I was ready to set up my blog, I realized that I did not have a NAME for it. I had to give it a name, but I did not want to give it just any kind of a name, and later down the road not be happy with it. It had to be a perfect name; meaning it had to meet my standards and few criteria:

1.  It had to sound great    

2. Start with a letter “B”       

3. It had to add up to the number 24

 I was always intrigued by numerology and the energy that numbers project, so this was really important. This process of naming my Blog took TWO long years. It was nearly impossible to come up with a name that added up to the number 24, which also sounded great. At one point I thought of giving up on the search for the perfect name, so I could already start with the Blog. Two years later in July 2014, one evening I sat down just writing all the different letter combinations that add up to 24, and again it was impossible. Until all of a sudden I felt like the letters just aligned themselves, and there it was spelled out BAILY LAMB. 

Spending 2 years on choosing the perfect name, which to some of you might sound hideous, and a waste of time, but to me the name was the most important. 

Looking back at it, sometimes I feel bad that I didn’t start my blog when I originally intended to, because at that time not everyone had a Fashion Blog and there would have been less competition. By the time I was ready to start, there was already so much competition; literary everyone and your momma had a blog, or everyone you meet is a blogger LOL.

But I guess it was not the right time for me, to start in 2009 or 2011. I did not want to just start a Blog and not be able to deliver the best of my work. At times I can be very hard on myself, where I have to produce only quality material. If I know that I cannot produce and deliver quality work, then I won’t do something until it is up to my standards, and until I have all the resource to produce that quality work.

I remember how producer James Cameron, who produced Titanic, had his idea for the movie Avatar in 1994, and it took him almost 18 years to actually produce it. When he was asked on one of the late night shows why he waited so long to make the film, he said that he did not have all the equipment and special effects at that time that could fulfill his vision. He did not want to create a mediocre Film with the special effects they had at the time.

Thank goodness it did not take me 18 years, to start my Blog, but it was long enough. I think, September 2014, was the year to start my blog. I had all the resources to produce quality work and everything else fell into place, even the blog’s name.

Finally, I was able to make my dreams come true. In only one year since the blog has been established as a way to just showcase my fashion design work, and personal style, Baily Lamb had the opportunity to collaborate with many brands including but not limited to Target, Amazon, eShakti, OASAP, Rocksbox, Pima Doll, Sherri London, The Mint Julep, Irresistible Me, and Envicase.

Why am I telling you this long story of how I started my blog? Well, it is because, you will hear people tell you if you have a dream, then just go for it. I could not disagree more with this statement. There are two kinds of people in this world; the ones that just go for it, without thinking things through or having a plan on how to get there, and the ones who look at the opportunity and figure out what the best plan would be to accomplishing that goal. It is like having a goal to jump of the cliff into the waters, without putting any thought into how you will land. You don’t want to just go for it and jump, make sure you examine the situation to secure a soft and safe landing into the waters.

Thank you to everyone for supporting my blog one year, one year blog anniversary, beige body con dress, nude body con dress, beige fitted dress, special occasion dress, Windsor special occasion dress,