Mirror, Mirror - Special Anniversary Photo Shoot

Once upon a time, one year ago today to be exact, I decided to "put myself out there" and start my own blog. It all began with a little introduction:

"Hello! I'm new to this blogging thing, so bear with me until I can get the hang of it. First, let me introduce myself. My name is Bonnie, and I live in a small rural town in Eastern North Carolina called Kinston. I am 32 and a wife and mother of three children ages 8, 5, and 2. I work full time as a Database Analyst. The reason I started this blog is because I enjoy reading fashion blogs and thought it would be fun to do one myself. Also, my shopping has really gotten out of control lately, so I thought starting a blog would give me another outlet for my love of fashion other than shopping. I hope it works, because if if doesn't, I think my husband may kill me! LOL! Fingers crossed!"

Alot has transpired since I wrote those words. I am a very different girl than I was a year ago. They say change is gradual, but sometimes it can happen in the blink of an eye, or in this case, over the span of a year. I've been through alot of self-discovery over the last year, alot of which has been documented through this blog. What may have started out as a light-hearted fashion blog turned into a personal journal of sorts at times. I like to say this blog is about life, Anthropologie, and the pursuit of fashion, but it has also been about the pursuit of happiness.

You all know I've been struggling with being unhappy and unfulfilled in life over the last year. There was a time when it seemed like every post I made was all doom and gloom and then it stopped. I started focusing more on the fashion and music and less on my feelings. I'm sure you guys noticed. I think the blog has suffered for this. I love sharing my honest feelings with you. I think you guys get more out of it, and it's therapeutic for me. The reason I haven't talked about my feelings much lately is because, well, I've been making alot of changes in my life the past couple of months to try and find that happiness I so desperately want. I'm still not ready to share certain things with you guys, but I do want you to know that I have found happiness, and it is better than I could have ever imagined. I am being true to myself for the first time in my life, and it feels wonderful. Of course, as with everything in life, there is always some bitter with the sweet, and the bitter has been equally as intense. There have been times and probably will still be times to come when doubt sets in about the road I'm taking. I'll need your support during these times. I've decided that I'm ready to start documenting my feelings again. This post is the first step in that direction.

When I thought about what I wanted to do to commemorate my 1 year blogging anniversary, I was stumped for ideas. I was talking about this dilemma with my girlfriend and photographer, Nassim, on the way to the gas station photo shoot. She came up with the idea of using mirrors outside. It would be a way of showing how far this little blog has come from taking pictures of myself in my bedroom mirror. I also like the idea of mirrors as reflecting back on the person I was a year ago. So, we loaded up my old bedroom mirror and an antique hand mirror borrowed from my sister and made our way down to the pine tree farm. For this special photo shoot I decided to pull out the big guns and wear my brand-spanking new Mompos Dress. Words can't describe how happy this dress makes me. It was worth every penny.

My friends at a-la-mode photography took these awesome photos. I think these are some of our best yet. We had such a great time taking them. I even frolicked in the woods! I also did some spinning again, but I got a little carried away and got really drunk. LOL! At least, they got a really big, toothy smile out of it. I'm so excited to share these with you guys. I hope you enjoy them! I look forward to sharing many more photos, feelings, and fashion advice with you all in the months (and maybe years) to come.