Hello, Gorgeous! Thank you so much for stopping by Blush & Camo because today I’m celebrating my TWO year Blogiversary (where does the time go?!). In two short years I’ve created a little piece of cyber space I am so proud of, have a community of Blush Babes who I adore, launched my own e-course, and have worked with brands I would have only dreamed of when I first hit the “publish” button!!

I am looking forward to this new year filled with amazing content for you ladies and continue on this crazy blogging journey.

To celebrate my two year Blogiversary I wanted to be totally open about why I started blogging! I thought it would be fun for you ladies to get to know me a bit better and it’s one of my blogging goals this year to be more transparent for you beautiful Blush Babes!

Thank you so much for following along this journey and supporting Blush & Camo! YOU are the reason this blog is so successful and why I continue to blog every single day.

Let’s start at the beginning (like, the very beginning)…

THE VERY (VERY) BEGINNING

Way back in 2009 I found out (much to my excitement!) that I was going to be attending the United States Military Academy at West Point which is an Army College. I didn’t know back then that this was the biggest, and best, decision I have ever made. Going to West Point was the most challenging four years of my life and I wouldn’t take back those four years for anything.

While attending this college was extremely rewarding it did come with some downsides. The entire four years I was there I was always in a ugly uniform, couldn’t chose the food I ate because everything was served to us family style for each meal (I totally gained 20 pounds while I was there due to the food and thankfully lost it right after I graduated), and had little say in my academic/personal schedule because everything was planned for you. Even your room had to be a certain way and it wasn’t until my senior year that I could even leave West Point every weekend.

To sum it up, West Point was extremely regulated. I didn’t have time or the resources to really do anything creative.

After I graduated from West Point I was ecstatic because I knew I was going to be moving to Seattle to start my new job in the Army and live in the same area code as Chuck! I had waited four long years to finally have all this freedom back and get to spend time with Chuck (who was my boyfriend back then- now husband!) after doing a year and a half of long distance.

This excitement of graduation and spending time with Chuck died pretty quickly as soon as I got to my unit and found out I was deploying to Afghanistan in four months. I was excited for this new experience and to deploy with my new unit, but again, I was left with very little free time to spend with Chuck and really get settled into my new city while gearing up for deployment.

THE MOMENT I REALIZED I WANTED TO BE A BLOGGER

While getting ready for deployment I started an Instagram account because there was all this buzz around this new social media platform. After scrolling through the “search” tab I came across Julia Engel’s Insta and was blown away by her handle. I couldn’t believe how gorgeous all her pictures were and what a dreamy lifestyle she lived.

I had no idea at the time that she was a fashion blogger- I just knew that I couldn’t wait to get to her handle everyday to see the next dreamy picture she posted and stare at it in awe.

After a few weeks of looking at Julia’s Insta handle I started to do some digging into what a blog was, (I honestly had NO idea) and after a few Google searches I found all the information I needed to make up my mind that- I too was going to be a fashion blogger.

There was only one little problem- I was deploying in three weeks so this dream of mine was going to have to wait.

With two weeks left until deployment I went to Barnes & Noble and bought every single blogging book I could find and made them all fit into my carryon I would take with me on the deployment. Books ranging from “Blogging for Dummies” to “How To Use a DLSR Camera”, I had them all. I was determined that as soon as I got back I too would be a fashion blogger.

On the trip to Afghanistan, and throughout the entire deployment, I would spend every waking free moment I wasn’t working pouring over these books and figuring out which blogging platform was best to use (was it WordPress, SquareSpace, or Blogger?!), what server company to use, and most importantly- what would my blog be called?!

(**Fun Fact- I wrote on a rather large napkin all the names I could possibly think of until the last name I thought of stuck- Blush & Camo. It was perfect.)

It was almost to the end of my deployment and I was SO ready to start this process that 8 months ago I dreamed of starting.

AFTER THE DEPLOYMENT

When I redeployed, I will be really honest with you ladies- I wasn’t in great shape mentally and spiritually. From 2009-2015 I did not feel entirely in control of my life. From what to wear, what to eat, where to live, to what my day to day schedule looked like- the Army decided those things for me. There is nothing wrong with this- after all, this is what I signed up for and love to do! But, I needed an area of my life that was entirely untouched by the Army. Something that was all mine.

The day after I redeployed back to the U.S I purchased my domain name and set up my blog. I couldn’t believe that I was finally starting this journey I had dreamed about for so long. It took me a few months to find the perfect photographer (Thank you Courtney!), find a web design team, and figure out how to do everything (books are one thing, but actually putting a blog together is entirely different and way more challenging!).

Then, on February 22nd 2014, I pressed “Publish”. My blogging journey finally started!

Over the past 24 months this little piece of cyber space has been therapeutic for me.

Blush & Camo has been something that I am the creative director of.  I have so much fun creating content, writing posts, working with brands, and running all my social media sits. This glamorous piece of cyber space and sharing style tips to make women feel and look their best was, and still is, my ultimate goal.

The real friendships I have formed with other blogger babes and the amount of support you ladies give to the blog are my favorite aspects of blogging. When I started Blush & Camo I had no idea how much this blog would mean to me. And you ladies have been there every step of the way to support my journey from the very beginning.

In the past two years I’ve worked with brands I would have only dreamed of; Dove, Biore, Coach, Draper James, Hudson Jeans, Vera Bradley, Bauble Bar, and Francesca’s to name a few. I truly feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have this blog and the blogging community in my life.

I cannot thank you ladies enough for the love and support! I am also beyond excited for the future of Blush & Camo.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR BLUSH & CAMO

As Blush & Camo continues to grow and I am excited to continue creating content you ladies love and feel inspired by. My goal is to continue building this community of amazing women and produce the best content possible!

If I could reach through the screen and hug every one of you ladies for the love and support you’ve shown me over the past two years I would totally do it. I am so excited to continue growing with you and can’t wait to see what this next year has in store!

Sending you all SO much love today!

xx Julianna