How I Started Blogging

I've been blogging for about 5 years now! Kind of crazy looking back at it.

I've changed my blog name 3 times, met so many friends because of this side hustle and have also learned, grown a lot, and been blessed with many opportunities through blogging in the last 5 years. 

It all started in high school and I was in grade 11, living in Cobourg. I was looking for a work placement in my co-op class and knew that I wanted it to be fun and involve fashion in one way or another. This was when Instagram was just starting to become popular and I was really into editing fun photo collages to post on my feed as well as print out and paste all over my school binders. Photos of Lauren Conrad, Lily Pulitzer dress cut-outs and girl boss graphic quotes from Pinterest were plastered over notebooks and even the walls of my bedroom. Self expression through fashion, photos and writing have always been my favourite things in the whole world.

When I was looking for a co-op position in my hometown (Cobourg), I had very little hope in finding something as fun as I would ideally want - I thought of helping a seamstress, going to our local mall to assist a clothing store - but God had a bigger and better place in mind for me.

Just at the time I had been looking for co-op, I started to learn the magic of Instagram. I saw a photo of a pink balloon-filled window and that this was going to be a brand new women's clothing boutique opening in Downtown Cobourg of all places. It was going to be a pink and gold cat themed dress shop with all the latest trends and accessories. It was owned by a woman named Lyndsay Lazar and the store was called Kittens Den. 

Lyndsay and Kittens Den ended up changing my life.

After getting in contact with Lyndsay, I met her inside the still empty (but almost finished) Kittens Den store and was overwhelmed by her passion and enthusiasm for her work. We bonded over sharing experiences at past retail jobs, the excitement of posting outfit photos on Instagram and she even noticed my photo collage covered binders. I got the co-op position at Kittens Den and couldn't be more thrilled!

I co-oped at Kittens Den until the school semester ended, and then I got hired on as an employee. It became my second home and Lyndsay quickly became the older sister I never had. The shop was walking distance from my high school and I would even go over there on lunch breaks at school just to hang out with Lyndsay! From boy drama to catty girl fights, Lyndsay was always there and helped me feel like I wasn't alone.

At the time, Lyndsay also had a blog, and formerly, a jewelry business. I would ask her about these things from time to time and always very interested to learn how she did it all and what it was like. At one point, she just said to me, "you should start a blog!". I never thought I could because I had never owned my own website - but she assured me it was easy, and then she taught me how to do it.

I was already posting outfits on Instagram, so why not put them on my own personal website too? A blog was something that could combine all my loved interests - fashion, photography and writing - oh and planning too!

Later I would also launch my own handmade jewelry line, called Sugar Coated Accessories.

I created a blog under a totally random name (that I will not repeat here) and later when I moved to Toronto for fashion school in 2015, I revamped it to my initials (MAK Style) and as my style evolved, but one thing never changed (my love for pink) - I then decided to officially change it to "The Pink Life" as of May 2019.

To this day, Lyndsay is a super close friend of mine and I visit her in Cobourg whenever I can. I am so thankful for her showing me the passion behind having a brand, a blog and a love for sharing pink and positivity with the world. 

To this day, I cannot tell you how thankful I am to have met a mentor like Lyndsay who introduced me to blogging. I never would have started blogging without her guidance! It has been one of my true passions and a hobby that I have refused to give up on. I truly do love it. I love being able to connect with other bloggers, brand owners and aspiring social media influencers because of it. 

Lyndsay was someone who has always coached me and gave me the support I needed to get started, and I want to give back in that way as well. I want my blog content to always come from a genuine place and continue to share the love and share the pink.

If you are looking to start a blog or get into the world of all things fashion/beauty & social media, feel free to reach out any time to chat! I am happy to answer questions to help you get started.

You can reach me via thepinklifeofficial@gmail.com or a DM on Instagram.

Thanks for reading today!

Wearing: Reitmans Dress, Poppy & Peonies Bag, Converse Shoes, Reitmans Sunglasses, Kate Spade Bracelet, Michael Kors Watch, Ali Express Bunny Barrette