his Saturday, July 19th, will mark 6 years since I sat in my parents' kitchen, opened up my laptop, signed up with blogger, and started delightfully-tacky.blogspot.com. I started with a point and shoot Canon Powershot that I'm pretty sure was a gift from my parents, balanced on the microwave in my college apartment. I had no idea what fashion blogging really was, I'd just discovered blogs randomly one evening while browsing the internet and thought they seemed cool. I wanted to be a part of a creative community, so I figured starting my own blog would be a good way to do that. While naming things is usually one of the hardest things for me when starting something, "Delightfully Tacky" came to me instantly and it felt perfect. Months before starting the blog, I'd been doodling the 70's pattern of my couch while laying on the living room floor of my apartment and I scrawled, "Delightfully tacky, as always..." next to the pattern. The image came to mind and the phrase became something I'd type thousands of times in the next six years.
Now my fingers probably type "Delightfully Tacky" faster than they can type my real name! I've been a blogger and college student, blogger and 40-hours-a-week worker, blogger and road-tripper, blogger and barista, blogger and designer, blogger and photographer. I've traveled to New York Fashion Week, St. Louis Fashion week, Chictopia 10 Conferences, IFB Conferences, Texas Style Council conferences. I've spoken at conferences, led workshops, created online e-courses. I've driven from Alaska to Florida and back to Washington. I've had black hair, brown hair, red hair, pink and teal hair, brown and black hair, brown hair, and red hair again. I've had hair down to my butt, and hair just below my ears, bangs and no bangs. I've lived in apartments, duplexes, rental houses, winnebagos, childhood homes, and become a homeowner. I've dated guys, been single, and married. It's a bit wild to look back on all the life that has been lived while I've kept this online journal of sorts. Even if it's just an outfit post, I can almost always go to a blog post and remember what I was doing that day, or how I felt, or who I was hanging out with. It's a little weird, a little crazy, and a lot awesome. I've been able to meet people I would never have met in my limited local circle, people from New Zealand, to Austin, to NYC. For all it's faults and all the times I roll my eyes and sigh, "oh, internet", it has touched my life in a profound way in the last 6 years.

dress/courtesy of modcloth :: shoes/courtesy of lulu's necklace(similar)/francesca's collection
One of my favorite things about blogging and personal style is that it's never locked in to one thing. It can change from day to day and that's totally ok. Magazines like Vogue or Nylon have a specific aesthetic they cater to and when you pick up a magazine, you know what you're getting when you flip it open. Blogs don't have to be that way. I don't feel the same way every day, so I don't dress the same way every day. I've always been a bit of a rebel against dress codes and uniforms, so I really enjoy the freedom to wear whatever I want, regardless of whether or not it's my typical style, or if people expect me to wear it, or if it's considered "flattering" or not. Nicki Minaj one day, Fleetwood Mac the next, Dita Von Teese the day after that. Who cares! Some days I don't even want to blog about what I'm wearing, so I get to write about a DIY project or recipe instead, or I could just word-vomit what I'm thinking about and post that. Or, I could put on a pink wig and purple lipstick and go out in public with a tripod and camera and make weird faces. Options! Freedom! Instead of eating a cupcake for my blog birthday, I thought I'd look like one.

I wanted to do something special to celebrate another blog-birthday, so I partnered up with some of the amazing shops and companies I've had the pleasure of being able to work with over the years to give away over $1000 worth in prizes to 16 lucky readers! I've loved being able to work with companies I truly believe in, as well as supporting smaller businesses started by creative ladies. I mentioned it on Facebook a bit ago, but I recently revamped my sidebar ad prices to be more simple and small biz/blogger friendly. I lowered the ad prices a bunch and instead of having 1 and 2 month options I just have one monthly price per ad size.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (stop babbling and get to the good stuff, right?). Here are all the goodies I'm giving away! One person will win each item.

I’m giving away…

$100 gift certificate to Lulus.com

$50 gift certificate to MooreaSeal.com
-The Moorea Seal store curates beautiful accessories and objects, highlighting handmade artists from the United States alongside carefully selected goods from across the globe. They seek to do good beyond the material, creating a community that empowers and supports others. 7% of all proceeds from our store benefit five non profit categories!

1 pair of shoes from Minnetonka Moccasin

3 pairs of socks from Emerging Thoughts (Butterflies, Cats, Lips. Worth $39)

$50 gift card to Ruche

1 UP24 band (worth $149) from AT&T
- a wristband and app that work together to help you understand how you sleep, move, eat and feel, and how those activities affect one another so you can makze choices to live better!

$100 gift card to For Elyse

1 pair of shoes from BC Footwear

1 Necklace from Musana Jewelry

1 Month Featured Ad Space on Delightfully Tacky (worth $200)
-Advertise your blog, site, or shop with a featured ad, which includes a giveaway post!

$75 gift card to ModCloth

1 Signature Hoodie from Albion
- Comfy, cute and classic! Its supple spandex blend material feels smooth on the outside and soft against your skin, while contrast-stitching, Albion's signature logo on the reverse side, and sporty thumb-sleeves bring darling detail to the design.

1 pair of shoes from Minnetonka Moccasin

1 REFRESH Blog E-Course (worth $25)
- My blogging e-course for beginner and intermediate bloggers! 50 sessions in areas from Blogging 101, Photography, and Blog Design, to Monetizing and Social Media. You'll get videos, how-to tutorials, links to other resources, plus bonus content about organizing your wardrobe and other style blogging tips!

1 pair of shoes from Blowfish Shoes

$50 credit to Nikolette Bags

There are a ton of ways to enter, just follow the directions below and start entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway