It might sound like an old cliche at this stage, but my gosh, where did this year go?! Time flies by quicker and quicker, and yet sitting down to write this post on the eve of a new year, I feel like so much has changed.
I’ve been blogging for many years now, most of you know that already. When I started I had NO idea where this little online diary would take me, and since it’s very beginning, this blog has allowed me to document my journey and share it with the world, which is a lovely thing in itself. These year-end posts are never intended to be boastful, but rather a nice way of looking back the achievements and challenges of the last 12 months, to re-focus on the future. Every year I have a little giggle reading back on my 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 editions. I guess thats the thing about time passing, you just never know what’s ahead of you! Anyhow, here is an honest look at some of my highs and lows of the past 12 months:
Travel:
This year I have been lucky enough to travel to some wonderful places, some of them through my job. In February of last year myself and Yoseph spend a magical few days in Budapest (can’t recommend this place enough for a short break!) and at the start of the summer I went to Barcelona for Primavera festival, then on to Limousin, France for some downtime. At the end of the summer I went to NewQuay, Cornwall for a hilariously unforgettable long weekend with my best girl buddies, and in September I traveled to London to shoot the Balmain collection for H&M and again to report at London Fashion Weekend for Ireland AM. Also in September I traveled to Munich on a trip to Oktoberfest with Thomas Sabo. I also managed to visit some new places in Ireland which I hadn’t been to before, I trekked the highest mountain in Ireland , had some downtime for my birthday in the Sheraton, Athlone, as well as returning to Electric Picnic at the start of September for some fun and frolics. Whether you set your sights near or far, setting aside time for a little adventure here and there is one of the most wonderful things in life, and I plan to do much more of it in 2016! Better start saving those penneys now, eh?
Work:
Work-wise, 2015 was undoubtedly my busiest year yet, but in many ways it was also the most challenging. In late 2014 I decided to make the move into freelance work, and I’ve always been open and honest about how hard it was to take the leap. 2015 was my first full year of working for myself, and, wow, I’ve grown and learned so much this year! You can read more about my current work and schedule here in a Q&A I did recently, but despite all the hard work involved, I can honestly say that I really found my feet in the industry this year. I know in my heart that this career move was the right one for me and everything has started to fall into place. A big part of this was Ireland AM naming me on as their official Fashion Reporter, which involved me flying to London to cover London Fashion weekend, as well as doing regular live and pre-recorded fashion segments for the channel. My favourite piece has to be this broadcast, skip to 0:30 seconds to see me fall on my arse while trying to ski on camera, too funny! Walking into Brown Thomas this Christmas and buying myself the designer bag I’ve always wanted to reward myself for a year of hard work was such a special moment for me, you can read more about that (and see which one I picked!) here.
My Blog:
While this year was mainly focused on broadcasting pursuits, my blog evolved so much this year. At the start of 2015 I set myself some blog-related goals, and one of them was to publish only content that I was really proud of, and also to give my readers what they ask for. After recommendations from you guys, I started sharing more online bargains and designer-dupes shopping posts, which you guys really seemed to love. Photography-wise, I invested in a new camera, the Olympus Pen E-PL7 (the best decision I’ve ever made, read my review here) and started only shooting with Yoseph, for my Style Diaries to keep everything consistent. Over time we’ve gotten better and better at shooting, and I’m so proud of where we’re at now! All this work over time has resulted in my blog tripling in hits from last year, I still can’t believe it! To think that there are so many more of you following my journey really is such a special feeling, and I have so much great content planned for you guys in the coming year, you’re gonna love it, trust me!
2016 plans:
Unfortunately I can’t divulge all of my 2016 plans here on the blog, but I wanted to share a little bit about what you can expect from me in the coming year. I will be back on your screens in January with Ireland AM, and we have lots of exciting content planned for you! I will also be blogging more than ever, with a new schedule of content that I’ll be revealing soon. I will continue to bring you guys regular Style Diaries, as well as my favourite online bargains and designer dupes, but I will also be looking at more beauty and lifestyle features too.
One of my big reveals of 2016 is that I will finally be starting a Youtube Channel! I already had one set up here for my presenting work, but after lots of requests from you guys, I have decided to start bringing you regular videos. This is something I will be putting a lot of time and work into, and I really think you will love what I have planned. I’ll be doing more Q+A style videos to share advice and tips for nw bloggers, as well as beauty tutorials, lifestyle videos, travel vlogs, and much much more…. I just can’t wait!
I’ve always said it from the start that you are the most important a part of my blog, and I am here to help, whether its a question you want answered, a piece of advice you need, or a fashion related query. Shoot me an email anytime here or at ciara@ciaraodoherty.com, or find me on Snapchat (ciaraodoherty) on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I love hearing from you, and I try my hardest to reply to absolutely everyone, so please don’t be shy about dropping me a line. And if I don’t get back to you in a few days, just remind me and I promise I will.
I’d like to finish by saying a huge, overwhelming, and very sincere THANK YOU to each and every one of you, my readers. You’re support means the world to me, and I appreciate your presence here more than you’ll ever know. I hope that you have a fantastic new year, and I wish you every success imaginable in 2016. Maybe I’ll get to meet you this year to tell you in person, or maybe not, but either way, thank you for everything.
Here’s to a fresh start, and the best year yet!
Much Love,
Ciara x
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