It’s Only Fashion will be four years old tomorrow. It all began with this post with me wearing a dress I had worn for Gidge’s New Year’s Eve Party. I didn’t know what I was doing and had no idea how to get someone to actually read my blog. I posted a few times. They were perfectly lovely posts that nobody every read or saw because I had no idea how people got other people to look at their blogs. That is one of the reasons Gidge and I did the Marketing tutorials for Bloggers. There was the World of SL feed but new people were not being added, so I floundered. Then, in April, I heard about IHeartSL – the new feed that welcomed newcomers and inexperienced bloggers with open arms, giving them access and exposure. There are many other feeds and they each have their own particular personality, but IHeartSL will always be the one that opened the door for me. I am sure I am not the only blogger whose entree to the blogging world was facilitated by IHeartSL.  And of course, Gogo has been free with lots of good advice and help over the years as well.  Her generous help to new bloggers has made the community much larger and more open. 

I was a decent photographer, but I learned a lot from others who generously shared their skills. I read Vint Falken’s photo tutorials and later on looked to Strawberry Singh for good advice on viewers and photo tutorials as well. Sasy Scarborough taught me all about VR Studio and invited me to my first fashionista party. She has been generous with advice and introductions for so many bloggers. I wonder if there were a show of hands, how many there would be? And of course, there’s Gidge whose friendship and companionship on this long adventure made it all fun and worthwhile. I doubt I would have continued four years without her because she makes it an adventure.

Of course, thanking all the folks who helped make It’s Only Fashion a successful blog, I have to thank the many designers whose skill and imagination and creativity are the inspiration for the blog. Without their work, Second Life would be a quiet, dull and drab world, wouldn’t it? And then the event planners and organizers who add so much excitement to the world of Second Life fashion – from Modavia Fashion week to Relay for Life to Vintage Fair to Fifty Linden Fridays, they are the shots of adrenaline that give us all a jolt of excitement from time to time. I am very grateful, as well, to Kelkels, Gala, Olela, Acha, Hybie and the others who have joined It’s Only Fashion over the years and added their unique perspective and style. When I was so sick and cutting back on everything, they stepped in and added new voices that made it easier for me to rest easy, knowing that It’s Only Fashion would keep going strong while I was recovering. I am so very grateful for that and for the fresh, invigorating energy they bring.

But most of all, I am thankful for you, the reader. Without you, there would be no reason to blog. Blogging is always a bit of a vanity project, but blogging without readers – well, it’s not for me. So I thank you for giving me your time and indulging my silliness and following my fashion foibles. I hope we can continue for another four years.

And now, dang it, come to the 4th Anniversary Party or I will sic Oscar the Cat on you.