Cheryl Shops

In case you were wondering, the editor is me! Hi, dear readers. I feel compelled to warn you that this is going to be a somewhat introspective and very personal post, but hopefully one that you'll appreciate. I know what you're probably thinking and no, I am not going to stop writing this blog, at least not anytime remotely soon. I feel just as inspired as ever, and restarting Cheryl Shops nearly five (!!!) years ago has given me a wonderful creative outlet that I wouldn't give up for the world. Not to mention, I've met a bunch of friends both IRL and on the Internet, and I love the support I receive from my fellow bloggers, Pinners, and Instagrammers (sorry not sorry, I'm not going to use the I-word). The past year has been the strangest one of my life thus far, and I don't think I would have made it through without you. It has also given me a lot of time to think about where it—and my life—is going, and to become very conscious of how I'm spending my time and energy. So I'm going to make a few changes around here. 

I'm going to post just once a week

Believe me, I would post every day if I had time to—I love writing, I love shopping, I love writing about shopping. But I also started a very demanding full-time job a couple months ago, and after an intense full day of work, often the last thing I want to do is get back on my computer after dinner (or on the weekend) and work some more. I really value my "family time" with Sean and Zuni, and as life starts to return to normal, I'm hoping I'll be able to see more of my friends (and possibly the pilates studio) again. This past year has made me realize how important human interaction is, and how I really don't want to spend my entire life in front of a screen. For context, the simplest of posts takes me at least a couple hours to research and write; I generally spend 4-5 hours shooting, editing photos, and writing my outfit posts. Again, I truly enjoy creating everything, but sometimes I need to prioritize self-care. I'm hoping this will allow me to focus on creating one really good post a week for you to enjoy—and to take a little pressure off of myself. 

I'm going to post less about fashion

Ok, this is kind of a big one. I'm still going to post about fashion, just not like 85% of the time. I am probably going to do way fewer outfit posts—again, I'd rather have one amazing outfit post a month versus one good one and three mediocre ones. To be honest, there are still a bunch of amazing fashion bloggers out there, and a gazillion influencers (whoops, I used the I-word), many of whom can put an outfit together way better than I can. I know this sounds like imposter syndrome, but I do struggle with whether I'm really bringing anything interesting to the table. The other (and perhaps bigger) issue is that I've been buying way more clothes than I need, under the guise of needing new things to feature here. It's not sustainable for me or my budget (or the planet, for that matter), and it feels inauthentic for me to encourage you to do so. There are other things I'd love to be spending money on—renovating my bathroom, for one—but know that I will never stop posting about fashion. It will always be my first and greatest love. And as you may have gathered from Tuesday's post, my closet is about to undergo another big shift, so I look forward to bringing you on that journey with me. That said...

I'm going to post more "lifestyle content"

I took a poll on my Instagram stories a few months ago, and the overwhelming majority of you wanted more "lifestyle content," which could be anything from what I've been cooking for dinner to how I redecorated my bedroom. Here's the thing—this blog is called Cheryl Shops, and while, yes, I love shopping for clothes, I pretty much love shopping for anything. So I'm going to feature more beauty, more home décor, more travel, hopefully (you do technically "shop" for a vacation, right?). I'm going to incorporate fewer screenshot collages and more original photography of things I've actually bought, in real life, in my own home. Think of it as as a return to the essence of Cheryl Shops. Again, by posting less frequently, I'm hoping that will help me bring you better, richer, more authentic content. And I'll definitely keep writing Honest Reviews because you guys obviously love them—they're by far and away the most read posts on this blog. 

So that's the big news. I hope you'll continue to read this blog and shop with me. You can also follow me on Instagram, but TBH, I don't post as much as I used to (that's another story for another day). Thank you for reading, and for your support—it means more to me than you could ever know!