Sometimes as bloggers we forget that we are a community and many cut down their competitors to rise to the top. But I am not like that; I am competitive but at the same supportive of my fellow bloggers and their rightful rise to the top. Bloggers should support, love and understand each other but many do not know and seek to destroy others self-confidence because they feel insecure in themselves. And this is wrong, learn to love those who are in your community and live in harmony and peace. You only have one life to live so live it with a warm and open heart. That is why I have decided to highlight five bloggers that have helped shape the blogger that I am today and taught me that being open and honest though terrifying is liberating and empowers you in ways that you least expect.
Stephanie Toms In some ways I see Steph as a more established and popular version of myself: Stephanie is a grafter, has a difficult past and works tirelessly to help others and I identify on so many levels. Like Cocochic I have battled a secret battle with depression and anxiety that no one knew about until I started blogging but unlike me Steph said that blogging had cured her depression and although I don’t think you can ever be ‘cured’ I admire her positivity and everything she has done for the blogging community. At the age of 23 Steph has amassed a huge social following, written ‘The Blogger Journal’ and is currently working on 2017’s edition. Steph also posts incredible personal posts on her battle with identity and struggles with digital media.It is clear that Steph is much more than a fashion blogger and proves that you should not typecast someone simply because they appear to fit the archetype and that is why I wholly identify with her brand. Being stereotyped as a fashion blogger has its perks but there are cons too. I have had nasty messages telling me that being a fashion blogger is detrimental to young girls and that I am being a bad role model by encouraging them to spend which is complete and utter bullshit. In fact fashion posts that I do have are usually informative and personal and most of my blog is like Steph’s a personal diary. But enough about myself, we might not be friends (yet but please give me a call lol!) but I respect and admire her more than she could never know. And yes I am being a fan girl so please excuse me while I spew out some incredibly sappy s**t! Just kidding but seriously if you are struggling with getting to grips with who you are and are looking for a grounded, successful and down to earth blogger then CocoChic is your girl.
Emma White
I defy you have a bad word to say about Emma, she is one of the most kindest, sweetest and strongest bloggers that I have come across and I am so grateful and thankful for her friendship. She taught me to love myself like others love me and showed me that it is ok to have had a bad past but don’t dwell in it; use it to carve a brighter future. Emma has bipolar and was ostracized by the blogging community when she first started seven years but since then has proved she does not need the opinions of others to validate her talents as a blogger. As bloggers we think that we relate to bloggers who exist purely in their niche but I disagree, coming from a parenting community Emma has the expertise and the knowledge of blogging that I am still learning and you can learn a lot from a blogger with years of experience. Moreover Emma is more than just an inspirational blogger but a friend who will offer advice and be honest about her own life experiences. Emma has been the victim of domestic violence and bravely set up her blog as an anonymous community for other bloggers to share their stories and offload issues that they have faced in their lives, as well as creating a daily Blogger Spotlight ( You can read mine HERE) which interviews bloggers about their blogs and opinions of the blogging industry. Emma’s kind hearted nature and ability to empathize with people from all backgrounds is what drew me to her blog. I love Emma to pieces and although we have not met in person I feel like I have known her all my life. She is like a mum and friend rolled into one and as someone who craves the love and affection that I lost out on as a child it makes me feel warm inside that some people can be so nice and caring.
Tori- The Adultier Adult
Tori is like Stan from American Dad FYI my favourite adult cartoon; sarcastic, hilarious and underneath that tough exterior is a softie at heart. Tori is what I would call my first proper fan and remains one of my biggest fans to date. In fact on Facebook she was telling me that she has even memorized my URLS- now that is what you call a true fan. The story of how I and Tori became blogger buddies is quite unique. As bloggers we participate in threads where you comment on other bloggers posts and I got upset that people had left non-engaging comments on a post about abuse or bullying one of the two. Anyhow Tori personally messaged me saying how she was one of those bloggers because she thought I was just a typical fashion blogger and realized that I was far from it. Tori explained how she had become an overnight fan after going back to my blog and reading every single post because she could not ‘stop reading’. It brought tears to my eyes that I was able to reach out to bloggers outside of my supposed niche and proved that we should not label each other.I am so grateful to have found Tori and her blog and she has been a huge support for me in the blogging world.
If it wasn’t for Tori I don’t think I could have become the blogger I am today. I have learnt to find laughter in the most absurd situations and remembered to always look ahead and that is because of my dear friend Tori. If you are ever feeling down and in need of a pick me up I guarantee reading-insert post- will help big time. If you’re into sarcastic humour then Tori is your gal. Tori is a laugh a minute and in a world where violence, crime and bloodshed are the recipe of the day it is refreshing to come across someone who looks at the world in an entirely different light. But do not mistake Tori for being a light-hearted ‘airy fairy’ blogger she has also posted some incredibly deep and emotional posts that prove what a strong role model Tori is. She has chronic illnesses yet despite this manages to stay positive and that is an attitude we can all learn from. If you love Tori as much as I do then I urge you to go visit her and prepare for a laugh fest that might possibly end in you peeing your pants!
Christine Xtine Loves
If I had a blogger crush it would be my beautiful big boobed (I mean have you seen my chest it’s like two fried eggs!) friend Christine from Xtine Loves who manages to look stunning all day, every day no matter how s**t she is feeling. I won’t go into much details because I want to respect her privacy but let’s put it this way she has been through a hell of a lot since I have known her and she is one of the strongest people that I know. I first met her last October at a blogger event which I reviewed HERE and since then we have been on countless lunch and dinner dates, blog events and even a spa day which was absolutely heavenly. It is so lovely to know that there are bloggers out there who are real, authentic and above all there for you. She makes me laugh until my stomach hurts and I am so glad to have found her.If you want to see the real Christy I recommend following her on Twitter Here as she has brought up important debates on body image, the media and loving yourself for who you are and not what others tell you to be. As Christy is naturally curvaceous and has large lips she has often been labelled as having surgical enhancements but it is all natural. As Christy quite rightly said she loves to embrace her natural curves and why the hell not? As women we are made to feel as though we should be ashamed of our bodies and why should we? We are all beautiful no matter what shape we are and feeling liberated in our skin is the first step to truly loving who you are as a person. Christy has been blogging three years now and effectively has a lot more experience than I do but she never turns her nose up at anyone and is always there to give a helping hand. She has invited me to events and recommended me to over brands and bloggers and I am truly grateful for her friendship.Must Read Post: Fashion Bloc London
Anna-Maria On The Edge
My Grecian with a heart of gold I love this girl to pieces. She is talented, intelligent and above all is a true friend to have. At 5 ft 1 she is small but her heart is bigger than you can ever imagine, she will always be there for you and has faced adversity and hardship at every turn. After moving here from Cyprus to attend university Anna worked tirelessly to maintain a living in the UK and has battled obstacle after obstacle. Yet despite everything she has been through she will always be there a true and loyal friend. She puts others before herself and would rather make sure someone else is happy than herself and it’s this unfailing loyalty and kindness that makes me so happy to be her friend. Anna organized a small blogger meet up and since then we have sampled more cuisine than we thought was possible; Thai, Italian, Chinese, French, Japanese, Spanish and much more. Ours is an expensive friendship- we have really had scale back on the eating out because neither of us can afford it- but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Her blog posts are insightful, intelligent and well thought out too and she possesses the kind of bravery that makes her stand out from the crowd. I remember Anna once telling me that she would quite like to do a nude photoshoot because she feels it would be empowering and she is completely right. Although I would never have the guts to do a nude shoot because I lack the confidence and suffer with body dysphormia I admire that she rejects all media propaganda and say f***k it I am a woman and I am proud. Don’t cover up my breasts and let the world see me as I really am.
I’m always curious to know who inspires some of my favorite bloggers and why. Maybe it’s the way someone writes .. their style .. or what they cook for breakfast. I’m going to have to check these out .. can’t think of a better recommendation!