Sugar Blaze

Hey, guys! I bet you all thought I died or something, but alas, I am alive and kicking. This site has been in a coma for months, but enough of that, I say!

Since you last saw me, I changed my hair, so I’ll update you on that first:

It’s grown a bit, and obviously, it’s much lighter in color. I wanted something that would compliment my natural skin tone, to get myself out of the tanning bed. Truthfully, it was because I wanted to free up the time I spent in there, not really for my health, but I take that as a bonus. The new color goes well with light skin and blue/green eyes, so assuming the upkeep doesn’t wear my wallet down too much, I think I’ll keep it this way for a while.

The other big thing to happen while I was away: Summer! It’s my favorite season, by far, and I’m taking full advantage by living in sundresses, skirts, and sandals (high-heeled, of course!). I’m excited to get back on track with my Styles of the Week series, because summer clothes are so much more fun than winter sweaters! Expect to see the next volume soon.

Lastly, I feel I should explain my absence, so here goes. When I started this site, I had a grand vision for it. I spent weeks reading everything I could about how to run a successful blog. I read about how to gain a ton of readers in a short time (hey, without readers, there’s not much point, is there?), I read about how to rank well with Google, I read about how to make money off your site, and all sorts of other things. There were schedules, formulas, mottoes – you name it, it’s out there. There were people who seemed to know just how to do it, and if I followed all their advice, I could do it, too.

A lot of the advice I read was very credible, but I took too much of it to heart. I got so caught up in the “rules” of the game that whenever I slipped off track a bit (if I went a few days without posting, for instance), I felt the whole project was sinking. Whenever something went wrong on a Monday or Tuesday, I considered it a trashed week and gave up, saying to myself, “I’ll get it right next week.” But the same thing would happen again; something always went a little differently than I’d planned. Eventually, I just felt I didn’t have time for the site, not noticing that my definition of “time for it” was based entirely on someone else’s idea of what my schedule should look like.

Looking back over this site and seeing how great it is, I really miss writing for it. I miss babbling about clothes, advising readers on color choice, talking about the struggles we all go through with our self-image… I miss Sugar Blaze.

I’ve realized that to keep this site alive, I have to play by my own rules. The posting schedule has to be according to my time table, not the one of some guy who says I have to post at least once a day, if I ever want to be a success. My definition of success must also be my own, and it’s not really to make a lot of cash or to become the most famous blogger. These lessons seem so obvious in hindsight, but the phrase, “Hindsight is 20/20,” exists for a reason: it is always harder to see what is right in front of you. Maybe if you’re cross-eyed, it’s easier, but for me, a little distance was just what I needed to focus my vision.