Today’s post is long and a break from the ordinary (I warned you). It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while and wanted to do but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. Still not sure if this is the right way but here goes nothing.

Yesterday, I realized that a whole week had come and gone since * lou what wear * had it’s third birthday. Yes, I know my blog is not a person and therefore does not deserve a birthday celebration (although I am always looking for an excuse to eat cake). But it is a little crazy that I’ve been jotting down words on a page and sending them out into the world for three years now.

I didn’t even realize that the three year mark had come and gone until I read this post from Hallie  and then this one from Meaghan (clearly I had some catching up to do on some of my favorites). See at some point in the last few months (or possibly longer), blogging has turned into a routine. Not necessarily a bad one (like the habit of eating handful after handful of peanut butter M&M’s nightly – I blame Drew for that one) but just a routine. And that routine has caused me to fall into a little bit of a funk.

Image: Janet Little

You may have noticed that the posts have been kind of sporadic lately and that’s mostly because I can’t help that work gets in the way a lot of the time. And for some reason or another, those two kiddos of mine tend to take up a lot of time – something about needing a bottle/snacks/the iPad (don’t judge)/dinner/clean clothes. So needy. But really, I want to blog about the stuff I dig and not just create a post full of affiliate links or randomness to fill the page.

I’ve spent a lot of time offline talking with friends (both those that blog and those that don’t) about how blogging has turned into somewhat of a competitive sport of late. Lord knows I love a good competition (just ask anyone who’s played on a team with me) but I just don’t see blogging that way. See I’m not looking to win any awards and I’m certainly not looking to make it rich. Mostly I just want to try and enjoy the creative and fun outlet this site has provided me with. Lord knows I’m already coming in last place in the beautiful styled coffee table, perfect placed peonies and macaroon eating categories of Instagram (although my cute baby game is pretty on point). My follower count and number of c/o items can attest to that.

I’m never going to have the latest IT bag before everyone else, I wish I drank green juice every morning and a pair of $400 shoes look beautiful but I’d rather grab 4 pairs and save the rest of the money for my next inevitable plumbing disaster.

Like many other bloggers out there, I started this when I was in a job that I not only hated but loathed. To keep myself from creating some sort of viral “I Quit” video, I started this blog to give myself a creative outlet. Not quite sure when I exactly came up with the idea of doing * lou what wear * but I thought it would be fun to document the great looks I spotted while out and about. That initial idea has evolved (I don’t go out quite as much as I used to) and it seemed people liked the personal style posts when I began incorporating them as much as the style spotting.

But the personal style blogging arena is big, competitive and crowded. For a while I tried to keep up with the Jones’ but lately I’ve realized that I’m not even remotely good at that and it’s just not worth it. Life (and kids) are expensive; time is precious and as much as I can complain about the stresses of my 9 to 5 public relations job, I really love it. But I also love this blog. And I’m hoping some of you do too. I want to make it and the consistent flow of content better. And I want to write about (and post pretty pictures of) stuff you’re interested in.

Oh and it goes without saying that I love Louisville. Yeah it’s no NYC, LA or Miami especially when it comes to shopping. Here’s the thing though. The people are exceedingly nice (which was a big adjustment for this cold black-hearted gal), the food is delicious, the living is easy and the traffic is non-existent (well except around all that bridge nonsense). So yeah, no big city move in my future anytime soon.

All of this ranting really boils down to one thing: I don’t want to just keep posting outfit pictures for the sake of it.  I certainly don’t want to waste your time with life updates if you just want me to stick to the outfits. I dig doing inspiration round-ups but maybe you think they’re dumb. Annoyed with sponsored content, I get it. I gotta keep the lights on over here somehow but I want to partner with brands and companies you all relate to (although I am picky about who/what I work with on and only feature brands that I actually wear/use).

So I put together a quick survey (seriously, it will take you all of ahhh minute to complete) to get a better idea of what you like and what you frankly just don’t care about. Promise it will only take a sec – so just head over here.

I really appreciate you all reading whether you’re from near or far (sorry, I know you probably don’t care about Louisville’s latest ______) and whether your new here (hey girl hey) or been reading since day one (that’s you Kelly). Last but not least, I used to write Bachelor/ette recaps on my original blog Secondary Embarrassment. They were hella long and took almost an eternity to write (no shortage of secondary embarrassment on those shows) but I loved writing them. So if you’d like me bring a little of that commentary over here, let me know. I’m seriously considering it.