Hi Smile Darlings! I can’t believe the end of 2018 is upon us. I feel like this year flew by in the blink of an eye.
Before I dive into today’s post, I wanted to take a moment to thank ALL of you. Smile Darling started just 9 months ago. I feel I was given this platform for a purpose. My blog would truly not be possible with the support and love of my readers (aka, you babes). Your messages push me to work harder, and they remind me I am on the right path.
The year of 2018 really has challenged me in the best way. I was able to take the leap of faith and start my blog, which was something I only ever envisioned. I met so many new people along the way, whom I am happy to call some of my closest friends to this day. I traveled and attended my first Create & Cultivate conference in Chicago, I attended Greensboro and Charlotte Fashion Week, I spoke on a panel with a few other local bloggers (like sayyy what), and I changed my whole feed aesthetic. So many great things have happened that really help outweigh the negativity I have felt in my life.
Today’s post is really only made possible because of you. To cap off the year of 2018, I wanted to reflect on the work I’ve created thus far. Today I am sharing my MOST READ blog posts of twenty eighteen! YAY!
For time sake, I will be sharing my top 5 most read articles.
Coming in at #5 on the list is was my experience at Create & Cultivate Chi. So many people wanted to know what I was up to, and what it was all about. This was probably my favorite day of this year. I had an amazing time. Check out my experience here!
Next on the list at #4 was my post called “Do More Things That Make You Forget To Check Your Phone”. This post shared some of my favorite self-help books at the time. It was a way to remind us all that sometimes we just need a break from social media and our phones. You can read it here!
Jumping to #3 on the list, this post caused a lot of DM’s and comments. It was my first “controversial” post I had written. I was fed up with how I was treated while waking to work each day by gross men, so I decided to put it all in a post. Read, “Where You Goin’ Beautiful” here!
We have made it to my top two posts! Coming in at #2 is a VERY personal post that I really struggled to share with you all. Sharing this post, meant opening up wounds of my past that I really thought I was over and have tried not to remember. I feel like I was a different person back then. I made a decision to share this post, to help so many other women and men out there who could be dealing with this situation. I wanted my readers to know it’s not all roses and sunshine for me, and just because I am a “blogger” I have endured real things. With this platform, I have the ability to help others. This post is it. It is definitely not for the kiddos to read. You can read this top post, here!
The most read post on the blog is another personal post. You guys seem to like when I share real life struggles and my personal thoughts. Coming in hot at #1 is a post that was shared over 600 times. It was shared all over America and read by readers around the world. This is my favorite post I have shared thus far, and is still something I battle daily. So many people can relate. I got sooo many DM’s, messages and comments about this post and your struggle with it as well. This blog piece really started a conversation. Read my number one, the big numero uno post here! Breaking The Stigma.
There you have it! My top five posts of 2018! Thank you for an amazing 9 months! I can’t wait to see where 2019 takes us!
xx Courtney