Hello my lovelies, I've got some news for you.
I've been wrestling with my feelings about my place in the world of blogging for a while now, and I've finally come to a good conclusion. Funnily enough I didn't think my very uninterested boyfriend would be able to give me any sage advice about it, then he dropped this analogy on me....
If you're a jazz musician spending all your spare time writing and playing jazz, but you know that it's never going to sell or support you financially because the masses want x-factor songs and Pitbull, would you quit? Would you give up your integrity and join the corporate machine? Or would you carry on as you are because you love and need that music in your life?
He is a wise boy sometimes. He is just describing his own struggle in life but on this occasion it was actually quite relevant.
He asked me if I wanted to have a career related to my blog. He already knows the answer to that question. Fuck no. I adore my job and it is a job that some would give their right arm for and I would never ever give it up for clothes, I worked very hard for a long time to get to where I am, and I know I can't work on this blog in the same way... wouldn't want to even if I had the time!. I have said no to many opportunities I have been offered which would make me and my blog more recognisable. It's been my choice to keep my real work and my blog persona completely separate and it's been quite tricky on occasions! I've always known this would create a ceiling for where I could go with the blog. I've found blogging more of a chore than a hobby recently and the urge to give it all up has finally won-out. I want my beautiful readers to know that I'm very happy with my decision to quit this second job of mine!
I'm going to go from this ^
To this ^
Blogging has bought me some genuine happiness, mainly via the women I have inspired, through my lovely loyal readers and from messages I get on my posts.... laughing at terrible clothing or lusting after beautiful things. The thing is that despite those nice bits I know I was happier before I had this blog. There was far less turmoil and pressure in my life before I had an internet presence, before I had these two lives!. I want to go back to my internet-free life and focus on things that are important to me and the people I love, so that's what I'm going to do.
My Twitter is no more, my Instagram will be going soon and I will no longer be updating this blog as of next week. I'm keeping my plumpparsnip email address though, so I'll still be contactable that way. Thank you so much for reading this, and trust that I will continue to style it out in the real world on a daily basis. I hope you will too! Xx
really sad you are stopping your blog, but understand that it has got to be something that makes you happy. I will keep in touch via email as i think you are a fabulous person who really inspired me.x
ReplyDeleteYour blog is by far my favourite. You have inspired me with your fashion choices and your tremendous attitude. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThat's such a shame.. but if it's making you unhappy then that's that :) you really have inspired me and I have been looking forward to your weekly updates for quite a while now. Take care and stay happy :)
ReplyDeleteHate to see you go ou are one of my favorite bloggers but its great that you have a job you love and anytime a hobby starts to feel like another job its time to let it go. Best of luck
ReplyDeleteThank you Suzanne - I've been so lucky to have such lovely readers! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Vicky - I will do my best to be mega happy (even when Asos curve send me ridiculous clothes!) xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this comment, and while we're on the subject, thank you for commenting so regularly on my posts generally - it's always made my day to get comments, even if my poxy phone / signal wouldn't let me respond to them for ages! Best of luck to you too sweetie! xx
ReplyDeleteOh sorry you're going to stop blogging. I've so enjoyed and looked forward to your take on things. Thank you so much for keeping it real. You've been an inspiration. Best wishes for the future xxx
ReplyDeleteYou will always be my fwiend Parsnips. I'm harder to get rid of than Japanese knotweed. ;) That boy of yours has his head screwed on. xx
ReplyDeleteDammit, I love your blog, your style, your collection of amazing eclectic clothes and above all your leftfield humour. I will miss it LOADS. You've been a real inspiration to me and I've always looked forward to your weekly updates and clothes try-ons.
ReplyDeleteYou have definitely been one of the most real bloggers I read, and even without knowing anything about it, I can tell that your job is massively important to you, so therefore quitting blogging because it's doing your head in is definitely the best thing mental health-wise: life is hard enough without adding a non-essential chore to it!
Good luck Cass!
I'll miss this blog, but I've changed my approach to shopping because of you. Thanks for inspiring me!
ReplyDeleteSo sad that you're giving up the blog but it's right you've made a decision that will make you happier. I will miss your posts a lot - yours is one of the few blogs I read regularly as I love how you write and I have especially enjoyed your Wardrobe Weekly posts. I'm sure the comments here will warm your heart - you will be missed <3
ReplyDeleteThank you Bev! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Kate! I can't even tell you how nice it has been to not think about having to take a photo of my outfit for the first time in years (even though it is fierce, obviously!). xx
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome Tanya! Thank you for all your comments xx
ReplyDeleteThey really have made me realise that it was worthwhile. I got an email that made me cry yesterday! I'm proud of what I did with this little blog of mine, even if I don't want to do it anymore. Thank you for being so super supportive! xx
ReplyDeleteHe has his moments! Oh and p's (just in case I've never said it) I think your blog is friggin' ace - the way you write is so good, you make me laugh like a drain!
ReplyDeleteI think that was the last thing I expected to read! Sorry that you weren't enjoying blogging anymore. I seriously check your blog 3 or 4 times a week for the past few years, and I'm so so so sad you won't be updating it anymore. I hope sometime in the future you'll let us know you're doing well! xxxx
ReplyDeleteThanks boo! xx
ReplyDeleteOh parsnip so sad to see you go. :-( you are one of my favourite bloggers of all time. Your quest not to settle for the mundane is brilliant and inspiring. When it stops being fun it's time to call it quits so it's understandable. All the same my reading list will never be the same again! x
ReplyDeleteCass I am genuinely devastated to read this! Yours is my favourite blog by far- I love your weekly wardrobes, I love your photos of every angle and I love that you don't just wear fashion, you have STYLE and that is something that's hard to find. BUT, that said, I know exactly where you're coming from and if something isn't fun anymore then what's the point? I wish you all the luck in the world and hope to bump into you at an Anna Scholz sample event at some point (you can quit this blog, but you'll never stay away from there) xx
ReplyDeleteAh Cass, I'll really miss your blog, but I'm glad you're leaving it behind if it has become a chore. Your writing- and your photos especially- have meant a lot to me over the past 18 months or so. I became fat very quickly, after a severe illness, and had to figure out (and am still figuring out) how to dress this "new" body, and how to feel comfortable in my skin. I remember feeling such a surge of joy and relief when I stumbled across your blog, because here was a fat woman showing what a belly looks like in jeans, and bemoaning the crappy sizing of certain ranges, whilst looking totally amazing in prints and colours and Deathly Hallows earrings- and without ads or sponsored posts... so I just want to say thank you, really, for being inspiring and for keeping it real and for making me laugh. You're a grand dame, and I will always think of you fondly. All the very best. :-)
ReplyDeleteI will miss your blog (which I follow as often as I can even now I am on holiday and I am not even plus size), but I think you are doing the right thing: personally, I need to be a viewer only online. I find the level of commitment, judgement, anxiety, expectation coming from having an online presence unberable. So my attempts have always been extremtly time limited (which make your blog even more of an achievement as you posted regularly for so long!). Respect to you for realizing in the first place and for coming out about this not making you happy: you could have tailed off with less and less frequent post but had the strenght of actually say goodbye. Well done!
ReplyDeleteIt's bad that you decided to stop writing your blog. I have been followed it just for last few weeks and I love it. Your outfits are great, ok sometimes their aren't ;) but still You inspire me :). I understand your decision but I will miss Your writing :). All the best for You:).
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely message Wendy! It seems this blog was time well spent after all the comments I've had! xx
ReplyDeleteHA! You are so right there Charlie - I've been holding back on Scholz this year 'cause I wanna do some sample shopping!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this lovely comment! I'm particularly glad that you appreciated the lack of money making antics on my blog, I could never bring myself to water it down to be less then the real me! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, you've put the reasons I wanted to stop into words perfectly! I have been seriously enjoying the lack of online activity so I know it was the right decision! I've even started reading again, which I never had time for when I was involved in blogging. I've cut right back on the blogs I follow too so I only follow people who inspire me rather than people I felt like I HAD to follow. Freedom is sweet! xx
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed my blog, and all the best to you too!
ReplyDeleteThat is truly too bad because I really loved your clothes and your writing! But of course, you gotta do you and I'll just have to imagine all the great clothes you're wearing! I think what was so enjoyable about your blog is that you didn't do any of the things the more "blog as a career" folks do that can be annoying and while I understand their hustle, you always did just seem to not give a fuck and do what you wanted and I loved that.
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