June 2, 2015

If I could turn back time (aka, in which I join Lookbook.nu)


Gosh, I'm on something of a borrowed-from-a-popular-song title kick lately, aren't I? (See this post and then this one, for other recent examples of this in action.)

It must be something about the return of warm weather, as that always puts me in the mood to crank up the tunes and let the music play out as the natural soundtrack that it is for the summer.

But I digress...today's post isn't an introspective look at great regrets (of which I've had a few - oh, see, there I go again with the song references... :)), instead it's a brief reflection on the fact that after more than six years of blogging, it's safe to say, there are some things that I would do very definitely, if I could turn back the hands of time.

In reality, making a list of such things is largely pointless, as I've either since done them, fully realize that it's too late, or that some of them, objectively, wouldn't have actually been smart moves for my site and it’s better that I skipped them from the get-go. Some, and these I'm rather excited about, can still be done though and that is awesome!

It's easy, very easy actually, as an established blogger to fall into a certain pattern and to forget that just because you're not the freshest greenhorn on the blogging block any more, it doesn't mean that you can't go be newbie elsewhere.

When this blog began life back in in the spring of 2009, for a myriad of reasons (the incredibly poor state of my health at the time and for the first three years of my blog's existence being the biggest one of them), I didn't pen outfit posts on a frequent basis. There were a few prior to 2012, but they were very few and far between to say the least.

I think that had the two gone hand-in-hand from day one, I would have joined the wildly popular outfit photo sharing site Lookbook.nu straight out of the gate. There is zero, and I mean absolutely zero, reason why I didn't do so when I began sharing outfit posts on a regular basis over three years ago now and I do regret not joining back then.

But as they say, there's no time like the present and so I am delighted to report that a few days ago, as part of my very active ongoing desire to introduce some great new changes into my life, I joined Lookbook!



{A quick screenshot that I grabbed mere minutes after joining Lookbook.nu and uploading my first photo there.}




Please feel free to follow/fan me there: http://lookbook.nu/chronicallyvintage


I'd love to connect with those of you who use this site, too, and will try to follow every one of my readers who follows me back (you can always leave a link to your Lookbook page in a comment below to ensure that I can easily do so).

I realize that Lookbook may not be as wildly popular as it once was (especially after Instagram took off like wildfire), but it's still a very thriving site and I'm happy to be there all the same.

This is just one small example of things that I plan to, or are already, change/changing in my life, online and off alike. It’s also a testament to the fact that no matter how long you've been blogging, you can always introduce something new into your world - especially if you've been meaning to do so for years now, as I did with Lookbook.nu.

So while we can't actually turn back the hands of time (epic 1940s shopping spree, if we could!!!), we do have the power to decisions of all kinds of magnitudes right here and now, and that fact alone can help propel change like nothing else!

25 comments:

  1. I have another friend who's already there so... I can hear my mother's critical voice in the back of my head, "If everyone joined Lookbook, would you too?!"

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    1. If you're feeling pulled to give 'er a shot, too, Ally, I say go for it! Lookbook isn't as a popular as it once was (thanks, Instagram), yet even at it's peak, not everyone was on it by any means. It's very uncommon to find folks who wear mid-century vintage on a regular basis there, so in that respect I'm deviating from the crowd. :)

      Happy start of June - and Lookbooking, if you do opt to sign up :),
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. I would certainly follow you were I to frequent that site but I've been trying to cut back on places I spend time at online, so am currently only here at blogger, it simplifies things by far for me so I can dedicate more time to my interests away from the internet.

    I hope the start of June is treating you well, it's awfully nippy here in the UK with high winds and rain, I'm still seeing people in coats and scarves! ❤

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    1. Hi lovely Melanie, believe me when I say that I understand that approach with every last fiber of my being. It's only possible for me to scale back so much from the web, in large part because I draw my livelihood from it, but I have cutback somewhat in the past year and am constantly trying to make smart, calculated uses of my time when I am here (permitting myself a little "just for fun" time every now and then). I don't plan to spend hours on Lookbook.nu each week by any means (I honestly do not have them to spare), but do very much enjoy interacting with fashion loving folks from all walks of life, so I think it could be a good networking tool and source of inspiration all in one.

      We had a fabulous thunder and lightning storm here (I adore storms so much!), so while not the driest note to usher in the month on, it sure was a great one all the same.

      Wishing you a sunny, fabulous June!
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. This reminds me a bit of Polyvore, although Polyvore focuses more on putting together outfits off your person, rather than posting your own outfit photos. How exciting to have one place to collect all your outfit photos for inspiration!

    I agree with you about looking back. When I was going through my divorce (whose third anniversary is rapidly approaching), I had to stop myself and really think about how my past led me to where I was in the present. Without my past mistakes, if one can call them that, I would have likely missed the opportunities that have made me so happy in the present. So I also try not to think about might-have-beens and focus on how my whole experience has made me who I am today. At the very least, I've learned a lot about myself.

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    1. Very true regarding the fact that there are some similarities with Polyvore. I love that site and suspect that if I wasn't so busy online with my blog and shop, I'd be a regular there, but I've only used it occasionally over the years and even then, not in ages (we're talking five or so years for all intents). I was more drawn to Pinterest though, and so focused (when I had more) some of my free/lightly productive online time there. I don't plan to throw myself into Lookbook.nu like there's no tomorrow. I see it as a potentially helpful networking tool and cool way to pick up some further fashion inspiration from a diverse group of folks from around the world.

      Thank you very much for sharing such an intimate story and how it relates to this topic with me, I sincerely appreciate that, lovely lady.

      Have a fantastic start of June,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Id follow you of course if I join and I love the looks you posted but I kind of feel with instagram hmmm, but maybe I am afar all a vintage addict

    retro rover

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  5. Oh yeah! Lookbook is definitely for you! It's easy to like and connect with a lot of other fashion people most of them bloggers. :) And it's pretty easy to find your niche.

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  6. Oh gosh, not sure I can follow you onto this one - I feel like I'm already in a million different places online! I post often to the Modcloth Style Gallery, which I guess is a similar kind of thing - I think it suits my vintage-style-modern outfits quite well, as that's what Modcloth themselves tend to sell. I think it's great that you signed up though - particularly if you'd long been thinking about it. It's SO satisfying doing something like that - and hopefully rewarding too :) x

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    1. Hi sweet dear, I completely understand. No worries at all! I'm not a member of the Modcloth Style Gallery, as I've never bought anything from Modcloth and my understanding was you had to wear their products to be a member, but I heard that secondhand years ago, so it could totally not be the case. Objectively that would be a more natural fit for what I tend to wear, too, so if you don't have to be a customer (which, for the record, I do hope to be one day), maybe I'll join up there, too.

      Have a wonderful Wednesday!
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Denise @BuyRVintageJunkJune 2, 2015 at 6:51 PM

    Jessica, you are SO inspiring! The way you describe things and share your business perspective is just amazing.

    Those of us that do what we love-such as collecting vintage and selling vintage-must learn as we go and to hear your perspective helps ease the way. I'm about a year in on selling online and it's a whole different world. When you wrote above about 'constantly trying to make smart, calculated uses of my time' that just nailed it!

    I missed your 1 year Etsyversary in May so congrats and Happy Anniversary. I hope Etsy is turning out to be all you wished it to be. :)

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    1. That is incredibly kind - and truly touching - of you to say, Denise. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not only for your wonderfully sweet words about my perspective and work vision, but for the beautiful Etsy anniversary wishes.

      You more than made my day - thank you again immensely!

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Dear Jessica, I guess everything happens for a reason! All we can do is learn from it!
    http://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

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  9. I've never heard about LookBook before, and just took a quick look. I will be back when I have more time to go through it. At first I thought "but Jess, you don't need more on your plate, dear". But it seams like you can just copy an outfit photo from a a blogpost you've already written, so I suppose it is quick and easy for you, except from all the following. I hope you have considered it before joining, because your plan was to scale down. Sorry for sounding like a mom, but I do care for you and worries about your health. But anyway, you are a big girl and make your own choices, so congratulations. Perhaps we can connect there, when I have taken a closer look. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. Hi sweet Sanne, you're spot on there and I wouldn't likely sign up for any site that I thought was going to take up a lot of my time, but as this will just be a quick post and share when I have a new outfit blog post and a little socializing there from time to time, I don't suspect it will have any negative impacts on my already heavily laden schedule.

      I am always so sincerely touched when you care about me and appreciate the voice of reason and concern immensely.

      If you do sign up, let's definitely follow one another there. I've noticed a massive lack of mid-century vintage wearers, so we could really help bolster that demographic! :)

      Tons of hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Hahaha I have a funny relationship with lookbook, its very love/hate. Everyone on there is SO RUDE and always just comments "HYPE MEEEE" or "FOLLOW MEE" I can't stand it, to me that's bad blogging manners :P

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    1. That would get grating quickly for sure. I would never personally solicit for followers there and agree that it seems quite rude - or at least desperate. I understand that everyone wants followers (that's social media in a nutshell), but flat out asking for it on someone else's photo is very disrespectful to me for sure.

      On a more cheerful note...I hope that June is already off to a marvelous start for you, my dear. It's been stormy and grey here, but I actually rather love that kind of weather (save for the headaches it can sometimes bring on) and don't mind a bit more damp weather before summer finally gets fully underway on this side of the world.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. Oh how interesting - I've never heard of Look Book before!

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  12. This is very nice,dear Jessica! I think learning or joining new things is always amazing! I love it, and I like when people are open to new things, as I think I am too. As an example, I have some dregrees and two Masters and the natural path would be a doctorate. But instead, I decided to go back to college again. People tell me "what??? You are wasting time" and I think "what??? I am learning new things!" I am not part of Lookbook or Instagram, but I think your page on Lookbook looks very sweet! I am glad that your health is OK now (I assumed), and that blogging helped you with that!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Hi lovely Denise, thank you very much for your great comment. I'm with you entirely there! For those of us who are so driven by inspiration and connecting with likeminded folks, I see sites like Instagram, Lookbook, Polyvore, Pinterest and such as incredible tools for bringing those very things into our lives. That doesn't mean we have to, or should, spend every waking hour on them (and goodness knows that I don't do so), but I really like the invaluable resource that they provide in terms of inspiration and a sense of community alike.

      At present my health isn't actually doing that great, as a bad flare-up with one of my conditions (I've been severely chronically ill for about thirteen years now and have over 15 different chronic medical conditions) has left me on bed rest for the last eight days now, unable to even sit up, but I'm still able to do some typing while laying on my side, so I'm catching up on emails and writing blog posts, when I have the strength to. Thankfully I got in a couple of outfit photo shoots in May that I haven't shared here yet, so one will be coming up this week and another later in the month.

      In general though, yes, my blog has been a truly great help and comfort to me with my health, which was responsible for my site's name way back when it sprang to life in early 2009 (see this post for a very intimate look at what inspired Chronically Vintage's name: http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2015/02/what-being-unique-means-to-my-life.html).

      Many thanks again & have a fantastic week!
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. I have tried a few times with Lookbook but decided in the end it just wasn't for me! I hope you have better success with it xx

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    1. I sweet gal, I get that big time and don't have rose coloured glasses on about this site. I think the fact that I'd been wanting to join for ages now spurred me on to do so more than anything. It can't likely hurt and could help (grow my blog/SM audience), so why not give 'er a spin, I figured. :)

      Big hugs & happy Thursday/Friday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I have not been to Lookbook in ages… i had forgotten it existed :(

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    1. I don't think you're alone there - it has dropped in popularity in recent years for sure, especially because of Instagram, which in a roundabout way accomplishes much of the same thing. I'd just been wanting to join for years now, so I figured, why not finally give it a go? I only plan to spend a little bit of time there each week and hope that it will help grow my blog and social media audience a little, while also being a fun source of fashion inspiration, too.

      Lots of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Not on lookbook, but have visited quite a few times. I found it a bit confusing, but then again some things confuse me easily when it comes to social media. I have yet to fully understand twitter.

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