2016 – A Year In Review: Highlights and Heartbreaks

Well, I’m more than aware that 2016 has been a doozy. A very interesting year, 2016 has bestowed upon me more opportunities than I can handle. It has also been a hard year – for politics, celebrities, and humanity as a whole.

January 27th will mark Style Domination’s second anniversary (insane!), and I have officially sat back and wondered to myself: “What next? How long am I going to blog for? Now that I have two full-time jobs, is one going to break? Please God – let it be the one where I spend way too much time in a grey cubicle! Should I narrow my blog’s focus even more? Ha! Gardening – my true passion, but takes up way too much precious blogging time. How can I incorporate more creative writing into my blog? HOW CAN I MAKE MORE MONEY DOING THIS???” MY PASSION!

My “passion”.  Sigh. I can’t believe it. At 30+ years of age, I have finally found my passion. It fell in my lap like love does, when I least expected it. I’ve come to love every single aspect of Style Domination, from meeting new and interesting people, to the nitty gritty of editing thousands of pictures to show off “the essence of my ponytail”, “the essence of my new handbag” and the curvature of a boob in gorgeous lingerie (we abandoned those pics as I did NOT like the southward view).

As I look forward to 2017, a year in which a radioactive, tantrum-loving, bright orange buffoon will take the office of the most “powerful” country in the world, I look at myself and wonder how I can strive to be better. I can make the same old boring, tired resolutions such as drink less (I officially drink less, thank you), exercise more (I officially exercise more – thank you, Dailey Method), read more (well, do more blogs count?), so on and so forth, but I really wanted to make some seriously important resolutions that I need to keep such as:

1. Saying “no” more. I took on way too much in 2016 and got sick…a lot. I got so sick in November with what I call “flumonia” that there was a point where I was seriously worried for myself.  It was an eye opener – a huge warning to rest more.
2. With saying “no” more comes evaluating what is really important to me blog-wise…lifewise in general. A huge corporate campaign that I don’t agree with at all swept through my city and a few bloggers were enlisted to promote it. This campaign was a huge wake up call for me. As I received the email to participate in the campaign, I thought to myself: “Omg. I’m actually an influencer who influences people. I really need to be more careful of what I put on this website.” As I fired off the rejection email, I made a mental note to completely overhaul how I accept work and who I choose to work with. I’m grateful I got that email though. I’m not perfect and it made me realize that I’m promoting some stuff that I don’t really care for myself.
3. GET MORE FREAKING SLEEP. I’m so tired.
4. Get help for my social media addiction. I am so helplessly addicted to my phone that I can no longer watch a movie without checking my phone a hundred times, I get the sweats when I have to leave my phone at my desk for meetings, and I check instagram so much that I think I have eye strain. Correction: I have eye strain so bad that my eyes need to readjust forever after staring at my phone for so long. Maybe that’s where the headaches are coming from. Oh God!

Now, my highlights of 2016! There are so many, but I’ve narrowed it down to these:

1. The biggest one of all: becoming an entrepreneur. Style Domination if officially registered as a business and “Style Domination” is officially trademarked. So, it looks like I cannot change that unfortunate name, and I will still get 20% of my traffic from perverts looking to be dominated in style…and people will still jokingly call me “Style Dominatrix”. Oh! So funny!
2. Overhauling www.styledomination.com. Thanks to the help of a very talented web developer, my little site went from real basic to real fabulous. I love it, it reflects my personality, it’s easier to read and just makes blogging more fun.

3. Interviewing Marc Bourgon of Iconoclast – my best performing blog post of the year. Who knew that interviewing a stylish old friend who just happens to rock out professionally would be such a hit? I don’t know why I’m wondering that. Marc is interesting, Iconoclast rocks, and for all of you who asked, the dude is MARRIED. Sorry.

4. Finding a workout that I really like. Seriously. Running is great…to a point. You know – that point where your lungs feel like they are on fire and you’re questioning your will to live? Yoga is relaxing, but then you slip into a coma because it’s so boring. Weights make you look sooo good…but they are sooo heavy. Sigh. The Dailey Method swooped in and opened my eyes. You don’t have to go to a stinky gym to get fit, yoga can be fun when you throw in barre work, flexibility, pilates and a dash of “awesome teachers”, and all fitness studios should do what The Dailey Method does: incorporate a boutique so good that you can’t really leave without buying something cute.

5. Two words: Ford and Lincoln. A huge thank you to lending me two cars sooo amazing, it turned me into a bonafide gearhead. From the Ford Edge that got me to Fashion Art Toronto in style with a gifted photographer and hot model in tow, the Edge made the weekend. AND THE LINCOLN. Omg. It left me wondering how I can afford a $63,ooo car and a chauffeur. It also made me wonder why I’m not driving a much, much, MUCH faster car.

6. Rediscovering lingerie. I won’t lie. I do NOT like spending money on pretty little things that don’t cover much and that people don’t see. When I was invited to the Simone Pérèle viewing in Toronto, my eyes were opened. The lovely Simone Pérèle team dropped a ton of knowledge on me and sent me out the door kitted out with stunning lingerie that left me feeling supported, uplifted and separated. Not only was the lingerie a work of art,  they made me feel like a VIP. The experience was so great, it truly changed how I get dressed.

7. My road trip to Saratoga Springs, NY with my husband. Doesn’t sound glamourous or too exciting, but the road trip down was so fun with us blasting music from the band we were going to see, staying in a turn of the century hotel that was so beautiful, enjoying cocktails on a patio in 100F weather, rocking out at one of the best concerts we’ve ever seen…. That trip was so memorable, and for that, I thank my best friend who is King of Spontaneity.

8. Making lasting friendships. While I’m open and love meeting new people, I’m careful about who I truly open up too.  Chalk it up to some horrifying highschool mean girl experiences. This year though, I have met some new people that have become true friends. People to hang out with and eat bombolones and sip lattes, people that you can sit with in a corner of a nightclub and laugh at guys dressed up as Macklemore macking on unsuspecting women, people that you can sneak out of an event with and grab a cocktail and discuss all the shoes you shouldn’t be buying, people that you can enjoy fine art and culture with…not to mention fashion and food, and people whose decks you can crash and sip great wine with. A really good year for friendship.

Lowlights of 2016:

1. Getting f*cking robbed. I haven’t discussed that at all here, but at the tail end of 2015 actually, some jerk ass broke into our home, ransacked our master bedroom and stole all of my camera equipment, a bunch of watches and all of my designer bags. ALL OF MY DESIGNER BAGS. Stab me in the heart, why don’t you and twist it around! It would feel better! My treasured collection of purses and wallets that I had been collecting for years disappeared in one fell swoop. Poof! Hey – no one was hurt, and we were insured…which led to some pretty little highlights.
2. Having to give up my cat buddy Jones due to terrible allergies. I think about that every single day. Thankfully, he is now living with my mother-in-law’s best friend so I can still see his furry butt.
3. Donald Trump. ‘Nuff said.
4. Celebrity deaths. WOW. David Bowie, Alan Rickman left us (Hans Gruber, the best movie villain of all time), Phife Dawg of a Tribe Called Quest (shaped my teen years), Prince, Muhammad Ali, Bill Cunningham, Sonia Rykiel, soul-singing powerhouse Sharon Jones, Zsa Zsa Gabor, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and the list goes on.
5. The countless terrorist attacks. Planet Earth – can we please get our sh*t together and love each other?
6. Brexit. Thanks, David Cameron. Good one!
7. A whole lotta Kanye West. When you think someone is acting strangely, maybe take the time to see if they are doing ok.
8. Pokemon Go. If you are sitting next to me on the bus, and you elbow me or jab me because you are playing Pokemon Go, you are going DOWN. It is too early for that f*ckery.

Well Dominators, that is my 2016. Care to share your highlights and lowlights with me? Any major events you think should be listed here? The comments section is your friend! And with this, I raise a big glass of Dom Perignon to you! Thank you so much for reading my blog and following my antics. It means so much. Couldn’t have achieved this success without you and for that, I’m so grateful.

Happy New Year!