Happy New Year! So much love to you today, it’s the start of a brand new year and so much opportunity lies ahead. I’m feeling full of optimism, happiness, hope and joy – I hope you’re feeling the good stuff too 🙂
Firstly, to those of you who’ve been visiting a little while now – thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support in 2014. You have been amazing, and I’m so very grateful for all your comments, likes, follows, submissions, kindness, joy and amazing, inspiring love stories. I mean this in all sincerity, and I promise my team and I are going to work as hard as we can to continue inspiring you through 2015 and be one of the most beautifully written and curated, most reliable and trustworthy wedding blogs in the world.
2014 was a standout year for me personally, and for Love My Dress® – there were amazing travel, adventure and memory making opportunities, beautiful new friendships (the kind that will last a lifetime), 12 months of good health and precious time with my family. There were even some awards thrown in for good measure (for which we are immensely grateful!).
The year ended on a bitter sweet note as we lost my dear Grandpa Norman – I take comfort however knowing that he wanted so much to be reunited with his beloved wife, my sweet Grandma Edna.
Happy memories, circa 1979/80?
From left to right, Grandpa Norman, my sister, me and Grandma Edna
2014 was a year for several personal and significant milestones for me – I celebrated my 40th birthday with wonderful friends in September and got through a whole alcohol free calendar year. I become a non-drinker half way through 2013 when I realised I’d become an exhausted, stressed, burned out wreck. The many late nights spent working on running a growing business, writing and self-promoting my first book and trying to be a decent mum and wife had taken their toll. Publicly I put on a brave face. Privately I had completely depleted my coping strategies and I felt like a rabbit in the headlights – caught out, scared, vulnerable and unsure of which way to turn next. Something had to give, so, 17 months ago, I quit alcohol completely and decided to throw my all in to living a more mindful and healthy life, fostering better friendships and being a better mum, wife, daughter and business owner.
What I’ve learned since, is that accepting and being honest about your weaknesses is the boldest step you can take in learning to truly overcome your vulnerabilities. It’s OK to fluff up or fall to pieces in your life. We’re not all super human. We don’t all live the Instagram perfect lifestyle (remember folks, people will only ever share what they *want* you to see on Instagram). But all jigsaw puzzles can be put back together again with time, patience and commitment.
It’s OK to admit that you’ve completely over committed and set yourself unrealistic targets (er, hello end of 2013 year post!). How, after all, can those that love and care for you know that you might be in need of some help and support?
Photograph taken by my dear friend Naomi Kenton at my 40th birthday party
Click here or on the image to see more photos and read my reflective post – I also adore this post by my friend Emma
In 2014 I took a little rest from sharing personal posts as I focussed on healing and becoming stronger and healthier. This year however, I am excited about sharing more personal thoughts and musings with you – Love My Dress is just as much a place for me to document my experiences in life and business as much as it is a place to share beautiful love stories. This kind of honest and authentic way of writing, of being ‘me’, is what I know truly inspires others and makes authentic connections with our readers. Writing openly already about my journey into motherhood and experiences in self employment are proof of this. It feels right now to think about sharing some of the valuable business and life lessons I’ve collected up to this point in time – I love to think that what I’ve learned might help or inspire others.
I’d also like to formally introduce you to my new, extended team! In 2014, I took on my first ever Interns as I set out to explore ways I could better support and grow Love My Dress ‘the business’, as well as insure I was leaving time for my own personal growth and development. It was a pretty tough call to be honest – I was frightened about letting the opportunity to write from my perspective go to others, that readers would abandon the blog because they didn’t like the change. It turned out to be the best thing I ever did. I kept on 3 of the writers as permanent members of my team and took on 5 new paid Interns in December this year. Meet my team…
You can visit our ‘About’ page to learn more about each individual team member
An extra special set of love and thanks to my two right hand ladies, Lyndsey and Tamryn – two dear friends, two brilliant, fun, loyal and hard working women who truly understand and embrace the notion that when women support each other, incredible things happen.
We’ve worked really hard this year to ‘bed down’ and make Love My Dress a much better version of itself. It was always my strategy to stay grounded and focussed on improving our content and customer service levels before branching out in to new projects that would develop our ‘brand’ and make us ‘bigger’. I wanted to be ‘better’ before I thought about getting bigger. Better email response times. Better submission to blog post publication times. Better quality written content. Better considered in the wedding community. Better reputation as a great business and blog to work with. Remembering how hard my Grandpa worked as an entrepreneur is part of what drives me. His work ethic and values have influenced me hugely…
I’m immensely proud that through focussing on getting these important basics right in 2014 and putting our readers and sponsors before our own business aspirations first, that we have become much better than we were 12 months ago. Love My Dress now feels like a well-oiled machine – everything works beautifully and everyone who works with us, hopefully, has a really good experience. Which means that now, it feels right and ready to start exploring new projects and opportunities.
We will soon be launching ‘Annabel Adores‘, a beautifully designed, styled, helpful, informative and trustworthy supplier resource like no other. We have bigger, bolder adventures up our sleeve too, but I’m being sensible about shouting about things too soon. All in good time my friends, all in good time 🙂
I’d like to finish this post by announcing the winners of my recent Instagram competition to win a framed piece of Love My Dress art. It was my way of celebrating 5 years in business – and I’m so touched at some of your responses.
The winners are, @gooseonluce, @reallovespink, @kragnarsdottir, @emilythompson1992 and @mrsleaneys. I’ll be connecting with you on Instagram later lovely friends, so that I can organise shipping of your prizes next week – I hope you love them 🙂
I wish you all the best and so much love for 2015 – I hope you’re feeling the same sense of hope, optimism and joy as I am right now and if not, then I hope you can draw some strength and comfort from this feature. Don’t be afraid to be you. Don’t be afraid to admit your vulnerabilities and reach out for help and support. None of us are perfect but we all have a chance just being here today of making our lives more loving and meaningful, of living a more mindful, authentic and personally rewarding existence. I’ve got your back – always 🙂
That just leaves me to say – don’t forget to bookmark our 2014: A Year of Wonderful Weddings post to enjoy over a long cup of tea and slice of Christmas cake – it’s my ‘labour of love’ post for 2014, packed full of a year of beautiful blogging memories.
2015 is going to be a magical year, I believe it in all my heart. There’s no holding me back Grandpa…
Peace and love to you all,
Annabel x x
