Losing Focus

     Do you ever start something having the best intentions but then somehow lose focus? I feel like I started this blog with a very clear purpose in mind last summer.  This blog was created primarily as a sort of promotional tool for my vintage clothing shop on etsy.  There were many other aspects of having a blog that I was excited about too, such as making friends, having a creative outlet in which to develop my writing and photography, and having a place to share a little bit more about my life, my style, and who I am with others.  I feel like the original goal of my blog has been overshadowed though by all of these fun secondary benefits I have gotten from it.
    That is not at all to say that I do not love all of those other parts of blogging.  I would not continue this if I did not love exploring other people's blogs for inspiration, getting to know some of the lovely people who write them, and especially, getting amazing comments and kind words on a daily basis from kind strangers and friends alike!

   
     Blogging can open up so many amazing opportunities, and though I feel like I am still getting the hang of the whole thing, this has already proved to be true.  For example, last month while I was traveling in Hawai'i, I got an email from someone who I had never met before.  I had commented on a photography tutorial she had done, which brought her to my blog, and through that she figured out we would be vacationing on the same island at the same time.  Though we did not actually get a chance to meet up, we got to texting and were able to even recommend places to each other.  It was such a cool experience that I would never have had without this blog!
     I hope to be able to keep these wonderful aspects of blogging intact, while taking a minute to step back and think about what all of this was for though.  My original idea of a vintage and recycled clothing shop came from my passions for both fashion and environmentalism (along with my addiction to thrifting, I might add).  So, while I love sharing my outfits and thoughts and one hundred percent want to continue doing so, I want to put more work into my shop too! It has been hard for me to put in the extra "work" during these cold winter months, but I am feeling inspired and motivated to get everything back on track! You can look forward to seeing some pretty new things from The Braided Bandit Vintage in the near future!

Thanks for listening to my rant!
xo Hannah
*Note: All above images are past items from my shop (already sold).