The Blog Before G&N

Hello friends!
I've been telling myself over and over again that I'd share this story with you at some point but I kept remembering how embarrassing it is so I kept chickening out.

   Once upon a time, I had a secret blog. And I know what you're probably thinking: look Lydia we get it. G&N used to be a private blog okay like we're over it. But no. This time, I'm bringing some fresh new content to the table--some fun facts about very-beginning-of-high-school me.

   As a recap, just to understand the timeline, I started Grins & Needles in 2014, right between my Sophomore and Junior year of high school. But believe it or not, I had another blog before that. Yes, it's true. And it was only slightly cringy.

   
​   So if you've been thinking that this blog is extremely personal, prepared to be blown out of the water with this one. My old blog was called Indie Pendants. And it was personal, y'all.

   Now, think about it. When I started this blog, I was super duper into vintage things. So why wouldn't I make a blog with some obscure name like that? Similar to G&N, Indie Pendants included my core interests: life (very broad, I know), style, and beauty. But, while it was much simpler than my posts now, it was still filled with passion and the urge to learn and grow.
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    Right off the bat, when you see the photos above, you can get a little flashback to me rocking the bangs. That was a signature. At this time, 16 year old me was dealing with some slight anxiety and lots and lots of awkwardness. Still am, obviously. But I loved style and I loved writing. I've always had this lucid writing style, ever since I can remember. My posts have always been personal.

   Technically speaking, my photos were usually overly exposed and fuzzy. They were taken with my computer camera most times. But other times, they were on a digital camera I had at the time. I always tried to include at least one makeup photo and a couple of outfit pics.

   My biggest style inspirations at the time were Zooey Deschanel, Audrey Hepburn, Zoella, and my sister-in-law Angie! Such inspiring and beautiful women. So a lot of my outfits were thrifted and were different than what a lot of people at my school were wearing at the time (*cough cough* I'm a true hipster). Even though I was a shy soul at school, I expressed myself boldly with style. And I still give myself props for my fashion choices.

   As far as Indie Pendants went, I never saw it being a public blog. It was literally an online diary for me. I wrote about real people and real events. I wrote about crushes and even bullies. But similar to this blog, I always turned my negative endeavors into positive learning experiences.

   Layout wise, I always wrote the title (usually a pun), the date, and discussed my day. Next, I would show all three or four photos. I'd follow that with a fashion explanation, then a beauty explanation. The posts were simple, to-the-point, and (believe it or not) daily.

   The posts on Indie Pendants are all now reverted to drafts again. They're too personal to bring back to the public eye. But the premise of the entire blog still inspires me today. I'm definitely improving in some areas, minus the set posting schedule. But I'm happy with how in-touch with my emotions I was through high school. It's helped me deal with my nervousness and it's helped me find a love for this hobby. I love combining my love for photography and art to make something that not only makes me feel proud of my growth, but also make my eyes feel happy.

   Thank you guys for joining me through this little tour of younger me. My former, more nervous self always inspires me today. I've been through so much. I've learned so much. And through all this, I'm proud of myself. Cringy photos and all!
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I'll try to get better at posting...oops.

Keep on grinning!

​Lydia