A Review Of 2015

Happy 2016 dear friends! Another year has come and gone, and while I always say that the year went by quickly, when I think about it, it didn’t. 2015 turned out a lot better than I hoped it would, and I tried to savor every single moment of it. Only in the last couple of months life seemed to get away from me, but time management is something that I need to work on this year. I really wanted to recap 2015 but I didn’t want to do it too early- something that you guys might not know about me is that I am rather superstitious. Now that’s its officially 2016, I can look back on 2015 and sort through what happened in those 12 months.

Luckily my blog is like my virtual scrapbook, so grab a cup of coffee and join me on looking back on the ride that was 2015 😉

January

I started 2015 out with a family trip to Balitto. We usually go down every year and it’s my time to relax and get ready for the New Year. I also took part in the Sunglass Hut 94 Shades Of Summer campaign, which was a lot of fun and I loved creating different outfits for different colors.

February

The month of love was rather underwhelming for me as I dealt with some personal issues. I did really enjoy this outfit post though, and now I wonder(like I do all the time) where those legs went because they seem about 10 times bigger to me now.

March

Things started picking up around March, and while my blog took a few knocks in terms of missing out on campaigns and coverage, I knew that something big was coming. I took part in judging the Miss Veet 2015 contest and was featured by GAP on their international Styld.By website. In terms of the beauty side, I finally took the plunge and decided to ombre my hair. I also got to visit Cape Town for a little getaway(sadly no pictures as my computer crashed shortly after I got back).

April

I feel like this is really when my year started, because a huge dream came true for me. I was invited by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Board South Africa to join in on a trip of a lifetime to Dubai! It was a fashion themed trip with 4 of South African celebrities, 3 magazines and 2 bloggers(myself and Dimi) and it was the most fabulous trip. I knew about it from the beginning of the year but was too scared to say anything incase plans fell through, but just before Easter weekend we got our airplane tickets and it was confirmed- we are going to Dubai! We stayed at the magnificent Fairmont and Madinat Jumeriah hotels, visited the Burj Al Arab, went on a Dessert Safari, took a yacht cruise around the Dubai Marina, ate at the best restaurants and attended Fashion Forward. We were there for a week, and it was an experience that I can never forget!

When I got home I had another highlight- my own reader event with Stuttafrods. I invited 50 of my readers to join me on a fragrance journey where we were treated to a fragrance talk with Liz Ferret, amazing food and cakes and gifts for every guest. The evening was a huge success and we trended on Twitter without us even realizing it. I got to meet some of my readers and spend the evening with them eating cakes and smelling perfumes- does it get any better?

May

After the high that was April, I didn’t expect much form May, but again life brought me many surprises.I made another quick trip to Cape Town, started my partnership with the Ted Baker South Africa brand and won an exciting competition. Bvlgari South Africa recognized my post as the best one and I was gifted the most gorgeous Bvlgari handbag, sunglasses and perfume. My Isabella(as I like to call my bag) is one of my most prized possessions and she is gorgeous! In May I also booked tickets to my dream destination, which I planned on visiting in June!

June

My little baby, I’ll Take It All turned 2 this month and it was a month of celebrations on the blog. I felt like my blog achieved a lot of things for under 2 years, of which of course Dubai was a highlight. I have gotten to work with most of the brands that I set my mind to and by that time my blog even started to make a little income which was more than I bargained for.

Then I headed off to the place of my dreams- Paris! I had the most amazing trip with my mom, and I can still remember that feeling that I got when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. We were walking around and as we turned a corner, there she was-full of beauty and grace! It was a proper girls trip where we ate croissants, walked all over Paris and had plenty of girl talk.

July

I spend half of July in Russia, getting away form the cold South African winter. I spend time with my family, made a quick trip to Moldova and explored the streets of Moscow. I will really miss this time, because now that I am at work I can’t just take so much time off to visit my parents! If you want to know more about Moscow, read my post over here.

August

After having a few such amazing months, I really took a big knock in August emotionally. I took some time off blogging and tried to deal with my anxiety as best as I could. In hindsight, taking a break was what I needed, because I needed to re-access where I’m going with my life and what I wanted to do with it. I had some major doubts about turning 25 as I felt like I haven’t achieved enough for that age. Some time off did me good and I came back feeling a lot better and more refreshed. On a happier note, Steve and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary, which was the highlight of August for me.

September

September marked a new page for my life and my blog. I did a little re-design around here, worked on a few exciting campaigns with Giorgio Armani, Juicy Couture and Kiehl’s, and the day before my 25^th birthday I went on my last interview at L’Oreal Paris. I wasn’t really looking for a job just yet, as I planned on getting started with the job search in 2016, but at the beginning of September I was invited for an interview for a position in the L’Oreal Luxe division. I wasn’t expecting much from it at all, after all who gets a job after their first interview for a dream position straight out of varsity? I focused on opening the 25^th chapter of my life, with a big party of course!

I had a 90s themed bash at home complete with karaoke, trolls and 90s candy, It was probably the best night of 2015 for me as I got to celebrate with my best friends! On the actual day of my birthday I had a wonderful high Tea at Belles Patisserie with my friends. In terms of beauty posts, I think that was my favourite post that I did in 2015, and for a good reason. This post even feautred on the Clarins International Yearly report!

October

I was out shopping and eating Cinnabons with my friends when I got the call-I got the job! I was taken by surprise because I didn’t expect it at all, and at the back of my mind I was wondering- am I ready for this? Am I ready to leave my comfy little student life and finally join the big ranks? I decided that the answer to that was Yes, and took the job! I also got to meet the amazing Carolina Herrera and joined in on a fun Fossil campaign.

November

Finally this was the month that I started my job and joined the big world. It was (and still is) a little scary, because often I feel like I don’t know what I am doing as this is my first job and first working experience. I know I haven’t discussed yet what exactly it is that I am doing, because the brand that I will be marketing is not in South Africa yet. I am super excited for it to open and even more excited to be part of the team who will be brining it to you. Can you take any guesses as to what it is?;) The South African Style Awards are always a yearly highlight, and this year was no different.

December

Finally, we are at the end! Last month I mainly focused on finding my feet at work and trying to find time to blog, live and do human stuff all while having a 9-5! I think that’s a challenge that I will be trying to tackle in 2016, because time management is something that I need to work on. I really loved this outfit post(which was also featured on the Cosmo website) and I spend Christmas with my boyfriend and his family and New Years Eve with mine.

As I look back in 2015, I say again that it was pretty awesome. Yes I dealt with some personal issues, but it only made me a stronger person. The blog grew more than I expected it too, I got to travel and I got a job! I can only thank you, my readers for keeping me and my blog going, because without you guys I wouldn’t have this wonderful little space on the Internet. I wish you all the best for 2016 and I hope you stick around to see what this year will bring for me and I’ll Take It All!