Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Three!

Three years ago today, I started a little blog called Polka Spots and Freckle Dots and nervously sent my first outfit post in to the void. I never imagined that three years later I would still be blogging in this little corner of the Internet; I guess a part of me thought I'd lose interest within a few weeks, posting less and less until I got bored and moved on to the next bright idea, like I often did.

Yet, this time, I didn't.

I'm still here.

By some miracle, I've continued to blog regularly for three whole years. And you know what? I'm so very glad I did.

When I published that first post, I never could have imagined the impact this blog and the wonderful world of blogging would have on my life; not for a second. It may sound cheesy, but I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through the last three years without it. It's been a real life line to me during three of the most difficult years I've ever had to face.

It's kept me occupied during the long hours I've been bed ridden, and it's given me something to do and aim for every day. There's always something to write, photograph, edit, promote, tweak, or reply to, so even though I've been house bound, I've rarely been bored since I began this blog!

It's offered a distraction from the pain when it's been raging, and during the moments I've struggled to deal with losing almost everything from my old life; all those things that made me who I was; even those little things I took for granted, like my freedom and independence.

It provided me with somewhere to go after so many appointments with doctors and physiotherapists left me frustrated, disheartened, and upset. It gave me a place to vent my emotions or just throw myself in to to shut those bad experiences out.

It may sound weird, but it's even given me a place where I feel less alone and less isolated, even though I am often alone, and almost everyone has stopped calling. You lovely guys make me feel so welcome, and I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made through blogging!

Polka Spots hasn't just helped me to deal with my health and the impact it has had on my life; it's done all that and so much more.

My self confidence and body-confidence have both improved enormously since I wrote that first post. I'd be lying if I said I was completely body confident, but I've come a very long way in the last three years.


Rewind a few months more, and you'd see a girl with pretty much no body-confidence or self-confidence. I was the girl who hid from cameras, untagged herself from photos, and cut the tags out of her clothes. I was the girl who didn't have the confidence to wear tights or leggings in public, so wore jeans under dresses instead. I'd spent twenty-six years hating every last thing about my body. I was self-conscious and embarrassed of my body from a very young age, and truly believed I was hideous. I don't think my painful shyness helped. I was so shy, I did everything I could not to draw attention to myself, and in the end, I just ended up shying away from life. It wasn't until I was twenty-four or twenty-five that I was beginning to come out of my shell. Then the spinal pain began in September 2011. I discovered body positivity and plus size fashion blogs on Tumblr soon after, and they helped me to see myself in a new light. It was as if a light had been turned on. I began to feel comfortable with who I was, my body confidence started rising, and it's those blogs that inspired me to start Polka Spots and Freckle Dots. They inspired me to share my personal style, and to start my journey down the road to body positivity, and the rest as they say, is history.

I could never have imagined how far I would come in the next three years. I can barely recognise myself sometimes. I never thought I'd be a person who voluntarily shared her outfits (and her face) on the Internet, and actually enjoyed doing so! It's you guys, my lovely readers, that have given me the confidence to keep sharing them. You guys have helped me along the road to self-acceptance, and that's something I'll always be grateful for. I'm further along the road to body confidence than I've ever been before, and though I'm not one hundred percent body confident yet, I have learned to accept myself for who I am. And that's something I never thought I'd be able to say! I never thought I'd learn to be comfortable in my own skin. That's the power of blogging!

Moving away from health, body, and mind, I think my blog has come a long way over the last three years, too. I think the quality of my posts has improved since day one. I try to write posts I think you'll enjoy, and I'm always striving to improve everything; that's the perfectionist in me! Blogging has helped me improve my photography, editing, writing, and computer skills, and definitely broadened my horizons.

I've been so lucky to have had some amazing opportunities over the last three years, and have worked with some fantastic brands. I'm not a famous blogger, I don't have a million followers, but I'm grateful for every opportunity I've had, and love where this blog has taken me. I've been able to share the things I love, the experiences I've had, and the things I know, with the most amazing readers and blog friends. I.e. you! I appreciate every last one of you for reading and commenting on my posts! It's you guys who make me want to keep blogging.

And I don't plan on giving up any time soon!

I want to keep blogging. I want to keep sharing my outfits, my experiences, and the products I love. I want to keep sharing the photos I've taken, and the thoughts in my head. And I intend to keep going! I've had so much fun blogging these past three years, and I can't wait to see where the next three years take me!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting Polka Spots and Freckle Dots and I over the past three years! I appreciate your support and love more than you'll ever know!

What would you like to see more of on the blog in the future? What posts do you enjoy best?