Because of Instagram, I am truly thankful for the opportunity to befriend such passionate, ambitious, and hard-working individuals who share the same interests as I do. One of these individuals include the kind-hearted and bubbly Eva, otherwise known as @simplyevahxo on Instagram. Eva literally started blogging just a couple months back and has published so many blog posts in such a short amount of time - her work ethic is seriously off the charts! Seeing Eva's burning passion, dedication, and time commitment for blogging within these last few months has seriously inspired me to push myself further, work harder, and explore California more. So to Eva, I sincerely thank you for being such a supportive blogger friend that I know I can always talk to, be my true self around, and share future collaboration ideas with. In this blog post, I have summed up a few realizations that I have learned the hard way as an aspiring lifestyle blogger.

It's alright to be a silly blogger.
First off, I love how Eva is not afraid to showcase her true personality, such as when she posts silly pictures. She is one of the few people who has gotten me out of my sheltered little blogger shell, as you can tell from a few of our goofy macaron pictures. Honestly, I LOVE looking at silly pictures - like when Eva sticks out her tongue in her graduation photo in her blog post here! (LOL, sorry if I embarrassed you girl, haha). In my honest opinion, the bloggers who post silly selfies and candid pictures stand out to me a lot more than your average blogger with the perfect poses and facials. After all, candid and imperfect photos say a lot more about an individual's personality. As a blogger, I want to get to know my audience as best as possible and vice versa. If you're looking for a blogger who is the literal definition of perfection, then you're definitely on the wrong page. However, I can promise you that if you stay up-to-date with Missmisschelle, I will always strive to work hard and publish more inspirational posts that tie in with fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle topics. And yes, I plan to publish all of these posts while staying silly and true to myself because that's what it's always been like :)

Passion over everything.
Throughout my blogging experience, I have also learned that I cherish quality over quantity. If I had to choose between being famous versus being impactful, I would choose being impactful in a heartbeat. I mean, what's the point of being famous if you're not making a beneficial difference in anybody's lives? I'm not in this journey for the fame/followers, for the money, or for the freebies - in the end, my goal is to inspire. You'll notice that people burn out and drop out of the blogging field much earlier in the game if their fuel is comprised of anything other than passion. Making people smile, convincing others to chase their dreams, and lifting individuals up with positive vibes will always be my life-long objectives and I will never ever give up on any of these goals.

Respect all, but trust few.
Being a part of the blogging community has taught me a lot about trust as well. Let me share with you the cold, harsh truth about blogging. There will be bloggers who send you compliments non-stop on Instagram, but won't even look your way at a private blogger event. There will be bloggers who follow you just because you are considered "Instafamous". There will be people who only talk to you with hidden intentions. As a blogger, I will always be nice and respectful to those who treat me likewise, but it is definitely not my obligation to befriend everybody - that idea is just not possible in this flawed world that we live in. Chances are, there will be bloggers out there who won't like you or your work and you'll just have to accept that fact. However, this disapproval or negative energy should never stop you from doing what you love. So my advice to you aspiring bloggers out there - be respectful to every individual you encounter, but also be cautious with who you trust. If you try to befriend or trust every single individual, there will be a high chance that you are bound to get hurt by the wrong people who aren't worth your time, energy, or love. In the end, it's better to associate yourself with a few close-knit friends versus trying to befriend everybody who may not even see you as a friend.

I agree that there is still a lot I have to learn about lifestyle blogging, but these are just a few things I have noticed throughout my journey. Again, I am over-the-top grateful for all of the people and companies I have established positive relationships with and cannot wait to see what else is in store for me! Also, be sure to check out my girl Eva's blog post on our Ketsourine Macarons collaboration here! She talks about standing out among the crowd of bloggers - it's definitely a read you don't want to miss out on! Thanks Eva for this fun collaboration and I had such a great time shooting these pictures with you! :)