Happy (Early!) 2nd Birthday, A Sparkle Factor!

Soooo… A Sparkle Factor is two years old! (Well… let’s be honest… A Sparkle Factor WILL be two years old on FRIDAY. But, since Friday is also Black Friday, and I have tons of sales and scoop to post, I thought I’d celebrate a little early here on the blog.) Hope you don’t mind. I love that my blogiversary is always around Thanksgiving. It reminds me to be grateful and makes me reflect on how far I’ve come since the year before. Gratitude is such an important part of life. You get into trouble when you begin to take the blessings in your life for granted.

A Sparkle Factor was actually born ON Thanksgiving, two years ago. I had been planning on doing it for a long time, and after filing all the proper paperwork, I found out that A Sparkle Factor LLC was officially registered with the state of Florida on Thanksgiving Day 2013. That’s so significant to me.

A Sparkle Factor was born out of something sad- my dad’s passing, having to leave my “dream” job. (If you’ve never heard that story, read my Meet Stephanie page!) But God made sure that something good came out of that loss. He gave me the opportunity to forge my own path, pursue a dream I didn’t even realize I had, and build a business and brand all my own. He worked both in my life and in my heart to change me for the better.

A lot of people ask why God allows hard and sad things to happen to us, when He could stop them. The truth is, we as Christians don’t have different experiences than everyone else. We do experience them differently, though. I think it’s comforting to know that God is always working things out for our own good, even we don’t know or see it. (By the way, some of that is gleaned from an amazing and powerful message this past weekend at my church, Christ Fellowship. If you’re interested in hearing more about it, check it out here. It’s worth a listen!)

On A Sparkle Factor’s 2nd birthday, I’m so excited about how far we’ve come. I’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing brands, met and built friendships with other wonderful blogger gals who are #GirlBosses. I’ve honed my vision for what I want A Sparkle Factor to be. Thought a lot about the future.

I’ve learned that sometimes you have to just say no for the sake of your brand. I’ve learned you have to stand up for yourself and what you deserve… even if it means walking away from a project you were excited about. Hard work and organization are the key to success in blogging. You have to hustle for it. A lesson I’ve LONG learned but has since been reinforced- the world is a small one. Don’t burn bridges. 

Most importantly I’ve learned that you know your own brand best. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It should be unique to you, containing the fingerprints and DNA of your personality, dreams and values. Thank you so much for reading and supporting A Sparkle Factor these past two years. It has meant the world to me to have this space where we can meet and chat and share the things we love.I hope this space has been a place you are excited to come to and you feel like you get more than just style. You’re my FRIENDS! Nothing makes me happier than reading a comment from a reader or an email or tweet asking a question. I couldn’t do this without you and I can’t wait to share more with you over the next year. I love you!

Outfit Details

• LC Lauren Conrad sequin swing dress, also available in white sequin, on sale for $46 with promo code: TURKEYTIME
• Baublebar mason x ring, $32
• Nars lipstick in Schiap, $27