Style at a Certain Age turns 5 | blogiversary

there may not be much to celebrate in recent days what with the COVID-19 outbreak. in the space of a month, we’ve gone from life flitting to and fro to self-imposed isolation. first travel plans were canceled.  then sporting events. and now schools have closed, along with exercise studios and restaurants. the list continues to grow. life as we know it changed overnight. but now more than ever, we need to be here for each other to lift each other up. it’s far too easy for our emotions to run rampant with a daily deluge of information. we just end up feeling overwhelmed and helpless.  but if there’s a silver lining, it’s this:  we can stay in touch these days thanks to blogs, social media, phone, and video technology. so let’s make it a daily practice to reach out to each other and say “hello,” “i’m thinking of you,” and “i love you.” i know i love to hear from you but your friends and neighbors around the world love to hear from you too. so leave a comment below with a quick check-in with where you are and how you are doing.   in the meantime, join us today as we celebrate style at a certain age: blogiversary.

style at a certain age blogiversary

if you can believe it, the blog has an anniversary this month. five years ago, mr. style, and i snapped the first ootd photo, and life has never been the same. let me tell you it’s been a wild ride ever since. at the time, i knew nothing about blogging – zero, zilch, nada. some of you may be curious as to why i  started a blog in the first place. that’s a story i recently shared on a podcast interview with jennifer duvall, the beauty blogger and makeup artist behind JennySue Makeup. if you have a moment to listen, here’s the link.

the very first post was simply titled “step into spring.” but let’s take a jet tour from the inception of the blog. as i said, it’s been a wild ride these past five years. initially, the blog wasn’t even a blog as it got its start on the social media channel Tumblr – a user-friendly space for those of us who aren’t tech-savvy. think of Tumblr as the predecessor to Instagram but with more photos. the only skill necessary was uploading a photo and hitting publish. and that’s just what i did, consistently, five days a week. three months into my new venture, i received a text message at work from mr. style, asking, “have you paid attention to your Tumblr account today?” back then, i rarely checked my social channel. all of my attention was focused on coordinating a daily outfit, squeezing in a photo session then heading off to work. after my husband’s message, i grabbed my phone and logged into Tumblr. this email greeted me.

wow! my blog was splashed on the front page of Tumblr smack dab in between ellen degeneres and nbc nightly news. this was the photo that launched my account into unchartered territory. thanks, Tumblr! you got the ball rolling.

when i returned home that evening, two of my kiddos were camped out on our sofa glued to the computer monitor, spewing advice, and scratching their heads as to how the momster’s blog had suddenly gone viral. but all i could think about was what to wear the following day? suddenly, i had a captive audience that was growing by the second. and i discovered to my dismay i had absolutely nothing to wear… i finally decided on my go-to outfit. can you guess what i chose? that’s right, a blazer, blue jeans, and a sweater. 

after my Tumblr channel went viral, i decided to take things seriously with social media. and i knew i needed to set up a proper blog on WordPress. but the idea of transitioning to the main blogosphere struck fear in my heart. there were many technical aspects on the back end of the blog i didn’t understand and was hesitant to learn (can you really teach an old dog new tricks?). i finally made the decision to set up shop in cyberspace after the lovely deb boland from Fabulous after 40 contacted me for a style blazer interview. thanks, deb! it was just the sort of nudge i needed. now there was a deadline involved. if i didn’t meet that deadline, i wouldn’t meet all the lovely readers that didn’t have a Tumblr account. initially, panic set in as i didn’t know the difference between a link and a plug-in, let alone how to operate either one… a big thank you to all who faithfully stuck by me as i navigated one learning curve after another in those early days. 

 mr. style was a fantastic photographer from the get-go. although we had our hits and misses.

and we started our weekly gig with oscar, watching him grow from adorable puppy to full-grown canine.

there have been some amazing hairstyles along the way. and hair stylists that kept me looking at the top of my game. sometimes the ‘do’ is longer. other times it’s short. life changes hairstyles change, and i like to mix things up.

over the past five years, there’s been more than one adventure. early 2016 Chico’s flew me to California to participate in their first campaign that celebrated fifty-somethings.

shortly after, i hopped on a plane and flew to Minneapolis to take part in several photo shoots with Christopher and Banks. it was beyond fun!

 i’ve had the privilege to work with some amazing bloggers. ty, naty michele, and i worked on the “beautiful eyes confident style” campaign with alcon. the photoshoot took place in chicago.

can you believe i interviewed That Girl marlo thomas in her penthouse apartment?

and i’ve been lucky enough to meet some of my favorite bloggers in person that turned into friends.

nikol from Fresh Beauty Studio

alison from Wardrobe Oxygen, maria from Maria Sadler, and erin from Busbee Style.

and lisa from Silver Stylist, to name but a few.

i’ve shared fitness tips with you. Faster Way to Fat Loss really works! it keeps me on track and focused on nutrition, which is so important for our body and soul. what we eat keeps our minds sharp and our bodies fueled.

this is me january 2018! boy, oh boy, did i need help.

but slowly, over time, i’ve gotten this sixty-something bod back into shape. the key is what you eat –  80% kitchen 20% exercise. but exercise is soooo important as we age. use it or lose it. but fitness begins with food.

the blog continue to grow and improve. there’s a classic style series (after all, i’m a classic style blogger) on Instagram.

and an online book club with Style. last year i added HSN style expert to my resume when i flew down to launch Lemon Way.

and i’ve shared some milestones with you. what i learned after thirty-five years of marriage with mr. style and my sixtieth birthday.

you would never know it but mr. style was undergoing radiation treatment for liver cancer. but boy, did we have fun on this photoshoot!

our oldest son was married in May of 2019.

 just three short months later mr. style lost his battle with cancer, and you all mourned with me goodbye mr. style. 

slowly, but surely we returned to work. jr. style graciously stepped behind the lens. Talbots was my very first collaboration back in August 2015. they’re still one of my favorite brands to work with to date.

but i love working with brands and campaigns that resonate with me, and i know will resonate with you.

Philips Advanced Shaver

Easy Spirit

Low Vision Awareness Month

Walmart

JCPenney

Scenic River Cruises

let’s not forget my faithful sidekicks’ oscar and ollie that show up every Friday along with cocktails, mocktails, and recipes.

but most of all i have all of my lovely readers from near and far that tune in day-by-day offering love and support. thank you, from the bottom of my heart for this incredible journey. thank you for five beautiful, wonderful, challenging years. and even though the world looks topsy turvy at the moment, i’m looking forward to five more because hope springs eternal.

Beth Djalali

is the Founder and CEO of Style at a Certain Age. She writes Sundays-Fridays on all topics ranging from fashion, health, wellness, home design and more.

She’s 63, 5’8, and size 8.

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