Today’s the day: as of this afternoon, I’ve been writing theNotice for the past ten years. Which is… I mean, it’s crazy. This blog is officially almost old enough to go to Hogwarts.
When I started theNotice, I never thought it would become part of my day to day life. I figured I’d blog a few times a week, as a hobby, and maybe (just maybe!) a few of my friends would read it. But it grew like an unstoppable, beautiful force, and it blows me away to be able to say that writing is now my full-time job. (Want to get started in blogging? I have a series on that, now, too.)
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Blog posts you should totally hit up
Throughout this blog post, I’ve linked a few of my favourite posts from the past ten years. I’m particularly proud of my pieces on emotional abuse and IUDs, although I have a few favourite makeup looks, too.
The makeup look that I’m most proud of is this abstract ETOD, but I’ve done a lot of looks with graphic liner. My cut-out eye look gets a lot of game (it was even featured on Buzzfeed!), and it’s really easy to copy. I also really loved this YSL Arty Stone makeup look – it was one of my very first posts on Instagram, and I am forever aiming to one day look that well-composed again.
One of my favourite eye palettes from the years I’ve been blogging was this wonder from Lise Watier – oh man, and this guy from Shu. I’ve mishandled my em-dashes for a decade, and I’ve raved about Clinique Chubby Sticks and Clarins Eye Quartets (RIP the originals) for just as long.
What’s changed in 10 years
Not to be too overtly clichéd, but: everything. And nothing.
When I started theNotice, I was a healthy, able-bodied introvert finishing high school. Now, I’m 25, trying my best to live my brightest, most extroverted life. theNotice was the blessing I never expected to get, and it’s been my crutch over the past decade. It was there when I found out, at fifteen, that I would need to have heart surgery. It was there when, at seventeen, I found out that I had a chronic illness. And it’s here now, at 25, creating opportunities for me to work despite my disability.
I can’t tell you where I’ll be in ten years. What I can tell you is that I consider myself to be unbelievably lucky to have had the past ten. I honestly don’t know if I could have gotten though the past decade without theNotice, and it means so much to me to have an amazing support system here, on the internet, where all of us weirdos can come make sense of things together.
So whether you’re an OG reader (Sarah, Arianne), one of my fellow spoonies (Katie, Alison), you’ve sent me an email that broke my heart (Efraín, Shannon, Anna!) or you’re brand new to the blog, what’s coming up next is for you.
Win $560 of my favourite things from the past 10 years
I wanted to do something really special for my 10th blogiversary, so here’s one incredible gift bundle for one heckin’ lucky reader. (It’s worth $567.22 if you don’t adjust any of the currencies, but that just doesn’t roll of the tongue in the same way!)
Every single product in this giveaway is something that I love and use on a daily/weekly basis. These are the items that I re-buy as soon as I run out, from brands that I support because they’re made up of really beautiful souls.
Here are the amazing goodies that you can win:
- Annabelle TwistUp Retractable Lipsticks in Vamp and Cherry ($9.95 CAD each), and Skinny Brow Liner in Universal Taupe ($8.95 CAD)
- Aveeno Fresh Essentials Moisturizer SPF 30 ($23.49 CAD)
- Lise Watier Twist & Sharp Eyeliner in Platine ($23 CAD) and Féline Eyeliner HD in Vert ($22 CAD)
- Lovetica Natural Lip Balms ($18.99 CAD) and Natural Deodorant ($14.99 CAD)
- Marcelle Translucent Face Powder ($15.95 CAD) and Precision Liquid Eyeliner Pen ($11.95 CAD)
- MIYU Hydrate Mi Deluxe Pairing ($55 USD)
- Pür Cosmetics Eye Polish in Satin, Suede, and Caviar ($32 CAD each)
- SheVibe – Vixen VixSkin Mustang Dildo in Fluor-A-Pink ($140 USD) and Je Joue Mimi Soft External Vibrator in Black ($117 USD)
Giveaway swatches, L-R: Cherry, Vamp, Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Vert, Universal Ebony, Platine, Suede, Satin, and Caviar.
Want to win it? It’s easy – just enter using the giveaway widget below. (Full details in the widget.) This prize is shipping directly from my office, so it’s open to everyone: if you’re legally allowed to enter contests in your place of residence, I will ship it out to you.
Writing theNotice changed my life. Think of this as my way of saying “thank you” – thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, thanking for making my career a reality. ❤️
