Is it just me? Or are you too feeling nostalgic for things past? A desire to return to more simple times when the world seemed less complicated. Of course it wasn’t how we imaged, things were indeed complicated then as well. But still, something is different, the world has changed. Was it the pandemic? Is it social media? Is it a stratified economy?
The other day I thought about all the blogs I use to read when blogging was in its hey day: Made by Girl, Cupcakes & Cashmere, Design Love Fest, Oh Joy, The Rockstar Diaries and of course The Man Repeller. I decided to look them up to see what they were all up to. Sadly many have stopped blogging all together. Some have websites for their businesses which is good to see, some are on Substack, while others are only on social media. And some have dropped off the radar all together.
But the few that still have their blogs online (even if they are not posting) I was able to have a look around and I went back and looked at posts from 2010-2017 or so, and when looking at these posts I came away with the feeling that things were simpler and definitely less competitive.
I came away with the feeling that things were simpler and definitely less competitive.
Many of the blogs focused on lifestyle and hobbies; of course those hobbies being: fashion, beauty, interior design and in the case of Design Love Fest; art and graphics. But it definitely felt more authentic and less like a sales pitch. Yes everyone was showcasing their best selves and they were aspirational and even dare I say somewhat unattainable for many. But still; it was quieter, kinder and far less intense than it is now.
Though that said, there are influencers/content creators that I really enjoy watching today such as: Karen Britchick, Monroe Steele, B Jones Style, Caroline Vazzana Tamara Kalinic and Lara Violetta. What say you? Do you feel similarly? And who are you watching/reading these days?
This photo of me was from about 8-10 years ago. It was pre pandemic and pre the Tik Tok crazy. My mom was still alive and I was still working in the publishing industry. But time marches on, and that has all changed…
42 comments
It is not just you.
I too miss the simpler times.
That photo of you from when your mum was alive is great.
I love the top and the setting.
All the best.. xx
That’s a very cute top!
I miss living in a free country. It’s not fun being scared all the time about what this regime might do. When will I be the target? It’s sad that blogging has fallen by the wayside, but that just means that those of us still doing it are enjoying this. It reminds me of my grandfather who still had a CB radio in the ’80s. (I believe the CB radio’s heyday was the ’70s.) Less noise out there.
I agree with you. I went on some of my post from 2023 and i noticed a lot of comments from some bloggers aren’t coming up anymore so, i decided to check their blogs and i was sad to see they no longer blog anymore. wish i knew why that happened:(
Annie,
https://www.anniesfooddiary.com/
Boa tarde, Allie
Ótima postagem, as coisas simples são as melhores, aquelas que o dinheiro não pode comprar. Sobre a morte da tua mãe, que Deus conforte teu coração, um forte abraço.
I love this throwback pic of you! Yes I miss those simpler times. But here were are still blogging. I’m glad that I still do it because of the connection I have with other women.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
In life there are many nostalgic moments 😀
What a lovely photo of you. I’m sorry you lost your Mom. That is hard on Mother’s Day. I have also been feeling nostalgic. I’m older than you and often feel as though the world began going downhill after 9/11. One of the things I enjoy most, travel, turned increasingly stressful to the point where my husband and I dread flying. And then the pandemic happened and it added in the whole buying sightseeing tickets ahead of time so that now you can’t enjoy travels without following a strict schedule. I prefer to go with the flow while on vacation.
Same here Allie…I noticed a few blogs that I used to enjoy that don’t exist anymore. Things are changing so quickly.
http://www.fashionradi.com
I definitely feel it too!
Jennifer
https://curatedbyjennifer.com
Things were definitely less competitive.
I miss the old days. I go back often and see how many bloggers there once were. It was once aspirational, now it feels like if I can’t summer in Europe every summer I’m missing out. Love yourself authenticity.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
Wow yes this is so true.
I think that we have this kind of feeling just because we tend to ignore (or forget) the bad sides of the past.
I mean, I’ve got too this idealized idea of the passed days easier and happier, but when I think you could die for a disease (even few years ago) that now is perfectly curable or you didn’t have internet and all the informations and the online services we’ve got now and (especially here in Italy)you mostly believed what the Church said, for me is a big NO THANK YOU!
Is nice to fantasize and romanticize but to me humans always struggled with life
XO
S
https://s-fashion-avenue.blogspot.com
Oh yes of course, I was speaking more specifically about blogging itself, not so much world problems or history.
It would be nice to go back to a time where things were less complicated and things were simpler than they are today x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Oh gosh things were definitely simpler then. I liked how much more supportive it was. Now I feel like it’s all about fame and money instead of fun.
It’s definitely not just you! It all seems to become faster, bigger, better (?) – I am happy that your blog is still here!
It’s true so many good ones closed down.
Lots of love, Miri
I love this pretty photo of you, friend! I absolutely agree, it was such a simpler time back in the day and there are definitely things I miss about it. So many of the people I used to follow don’t blog anymore either. I remember I used to keep a spreadsheet of the blogs I followed (now I use Feedly) and I went back through it maybe last year or so, and so many blogs weren’t there. It makes me a little sad, but of course we know that life happens and things change. Sending you hugs, I can only imagine how difficult it is without your mom, especially during holidays like Mother’s Day!
Wishing you a wonderful rest of your week, Allie!
Make Life Marvelous
Time passes so quickly and everything changes in our lives.
You look beautiful in the photo, a sweet and beautiful memory.
Muy cierto, yo tambien extraño a lo que eran los blogs de moda o belleza antes, como que eran mas cercanos y calidos, saludos:D
Nice
I miss the days too when not everyone wanted to be an influencer. It seems that everyone now wants to be internet famous and they are all fighting for their share of the views. Back then everyone just blogged for fun or for connections to those with similar interests. I fear those days are long gone. That’s a lovely pic of you. The setting is so pretty!
A lot of the bloggers I used to read have stopped blogging now, and yes, I do feel nostalgic for the heyday of blogging eight or so years ago when I first started out. SEO – who is she? ????
It’s true, the world is changing. It’s getting more comfortable, and yet we’re less and less understanding of each other. Strange times! But I guess every generation looks back at its past with nostalgia.
Hello,
That’s still a beautiful photo, despite the time that has passed!
Many of the blogs used to be authentic, now Instagram has swallowed up the blogosphere!
Now they only think about followers and likes, it’s not my thing, I’ll keep visiting you! Hugs
http://www.marisasclosetblog.com
Lovely photo! I’m sorry you lost your Mom.
There was something special about the blogging era—it felt more personal, more connected, and less curated for engagement. It’s bittersweet looking back, knowing how much has changed. But nostalgia aside, I love finding creators today who bring that same authenticity.
very beautiful post, have a nice sunday
A very nostalgic post Allie, it’s hard to see how things can change so much in such a short time. I like to see how many of us are still here, for me it’s a great escape from the routine 🙂
I was just thinking about some bloggers I used to follow the other day, and many of them stopped blogging several years ago, and a few even deleted their blogs. Things were simpler back then, and even thinking about when I first started blogging in 2016, I was blogging for fun, and I didn’t even know about SEO or ranking on Google. Now it seems all about competition.
It’s a beautfil photo 😀
Things were better in the past I think. The world is crazy just now.
I actually miss those days, it felt more authentic and less competitive. Bloggers just having fun while doing what they love, sometimes I wonder if the ones who fell off the radar are actually fine. Nice photo of you.
http://www.benitajames.com
I was just speaking about this with a friend of mine who used to have a blog himself, he said, “When bloggers were grateful and had real personalities back then!” haha. I don’t know about that but, yes, things were indeed simpler yet I felt more meaningful then, for some. People seem to only be about the numbers now. I am glad that blogging OGs like myself, some others, and you included have still kept a blog. I thought about deleting it so many times, but I still enjoy writing and sharing.
the photo of your mom house and her garden are great….. sweet memory.
I totally agree- it was a simpler time in terms of the blogging industry. Some of your reads back then were my go-to’s, too!
Love this shot of you. I feel like I had a very similar shirt and wore it all the time!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Yes, Allie! I am constantly nostalgic for the simpler days – silly little things like collecting magazines from the shop and writing stories that my housemates would read on my free WordPress blog. I started and closed down three blogs before Intentional Lucie, but part of me wishes I kept the first one alive and kept going rather than stopping and starting new ones, just so I’d have the memories to look back on (however embarrassing they were!) ✨
Intentional Lucie | intentionallucie.com
I was thinking the same a few months ago. Sometimes out of the blue I search for my fave OG bloggers. A lot can really happen with time. I remember the fashion posts of Rumi Neely, she was still smiling in her old fashion editorials. Ahh those were the days!
Lovely old photo! And the wild flowers in the front yard is so beautiful!
Yes, totally with you on this. I looked up some really old UK bloggers the other day and they had stopped blogging too. They are more involved with social media or have other priorities – which is fine, but I do miss the golden oldie days a bit when everything wasn’t about an AD.
I much prefer raw writing content to social media.
http://www.zoeyolivia.com xx
We taught us that social networks are the new form of work and sales, so overall I think “we forget” that everything can be more fun. I miss those times where my thinking was not in creating content, but in my hobbies and general interests. I think we could try to make the blogosphere be more “Oldschool” again…
XO
https://falacatarina.com/
I think feeling nostalgic is just a part of being human. I also think we tend to feel more nostalgic in confusing times. The times we live in are chaotic and difficult. Of course, life has its challenges and that is true for every decade and time period. Still, economic problems and uncertainty are something that affects everyone. In those decades when economy goes crazy, everyone’s life are affected one way or another. We are not robots, we can see that the world is changing and not always for the good. We can see people struggling and it is normal to compare this present period with previous ones.
I see many people from all generations getting nostalgic about the past. It is not just one generations, not just Boomers and Millennials, but pretty much everyone.
I agree that blogging felt less like a sales pitch…and social media in general. Especially, since almost nobody made money through blogging and social media initially. Algorithms in particular feed on negativity because that’s what gives views. I think you were definitely on the right track with your posts about Stephanie. Influencers are turning onto each other. There is a lot of drama in the world of social media because that is what sells.
So, feeling nostalgic about the good old days of genuine content and people writing about their hobbies or interest is understandable.
There is also AI to consider in terms of blogging and social media.
Still, with the flood of AI content and comment, it is possible that blogging in particular will return to its origins. Social media is flooded with AI comments. Maybe people will be drawn to more real texts and images, as opposed to those generated by AI. We’ll see.
Beautifully written post and absolutely beautiful photo. I miss those times too and have the same thoughts. I do think that it’s a shame that many of the blogs I used to really enjoy have disappeared. Times have changed. I’m sorry for your loss.
Enjoy the rest of your week
Gemma x
https://www.jacquardflower.uk