HOW WINNING A BLOG AWARD CHANGED MY LIFE

If I think back to this time last year, I was riding on the high of being nominated for the Amara Interior Blog Awards. For those outside of the interiors blogging community, it's pretty much like our versions of the Oscars. Super glam and an honour to be a part of. I'd been nominated for the Best Fashion Inspired Blog and I was trying as hard as I could to spread the word and to see if I could be shortlisted to the final five. My persistence and endless plugging paid off as I made the final and attended the glittering ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London - what a venue. My life pretty much changed that night as my name was called out as the winner. I still to this day can't recall what Sophie Robinson, the presenter for the evening, read out as she described my blog and why the judges felt I should win. It's was all a blur, except at that moment I was the proudest I've ever felt. 

It has given me the confidence to believe my blog is worth something. Trust me, when you've been working away on something for eight years, day in, day out and you feel like you're getting nowhere, it's tempting to just sack it all off and step away from blogging. I was close to that point. But winning at the Interior Blog Awards - or the IBA's as I'll call them from here on - gave me the confidence to carry on writing. I made the decision to have a complete blog overhaul with a new logo etc and I'm absolutely in love with my little space of the internet now. 

I've gained friendships with some amazing, inspirational people. The interior blogging community is such an amazing place to be a part of. The fashion blogging community seemed so cliquey, competitive and unapproachable, I found it a difficult place to be at times. But boy, these guys couldn't be any different - to being 100 per cent honest about what we charge for a sponsored post to putting other bloggers forward for an opportunity we have to miss. These guys turned into blogs I admired from afar to genuine friendships and that wouldn't have happened without being shortlisted.

Having the win behind me meant I was suddenly being approached by some fairly big brands and this year has seen me team with up the likes of Vera Wang for Wedgwood, work with DFS on their Rio Olympics 2016 campaign, become a Rose & Grey style ambassador and write for some amazing websites like Good Housekeeping and Wayfair. I've been able to register as self-employed as I make an income on the side of my normal 9-5 and I've been able to invest money into creating an office for myself and really up my content level from what it once was. 

It's been an amazing twelve months since I was crowned the winner. So when I discovered I'd been nominated again for the 2016 awards - this time for the Best Design Inspiration - I felt torn. I'm still riding on the wave of my win and I don't want that to stop any time soon. If someone can experience everything I've done this year, then I'd be happy. So with that said, I made the decision last night to bow out of the voting process and see what happens. What I don't want is for this to sound conceited in a way that I assume I'll win this too and I'm simply giving other people a chance. Quite the opposite. I'd rather cheer-lead for the girls I would like to see win and maybe experience some of the amazing things I've been blessed enough to receive twelve months on. So here we go...

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#TidyLife - Antonia, the founder of #TidyLife, is totally relatable, informative and inspiring - and pretty ace in real life too. If you have your own home and renovation is on your mind then there are ideas a plenty over on this blog. Vote for #TideLife here

Graphique Fantastique - I met Natasha way back in 2014 when we attended the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards and it's been amazing to see her career and blog grow since. She took the leap into freelance life earlier this year and her blog is incredibly creative - and so different to the norm. Natasha's passion lies in graphic design, which blends almost seamlessly with her love for interiors. Vote for Graphique Fantastique here. 

Decor Envy - I've read Decor Envy since the beginning, and was so pleased with founder Lucy was highly commended in this very category last year. From new product launches to taking us inside exhibitions and trade shows where we might not get to, this blog is a little peak into the world of interior design with Lucy's engaging style of writing keeping you hooked from the start. Vote for Decor Envy here.

The Edited - I was up against Erica, fashion editor and founder of The Edited, for the Best Fashion Inspired blog last year and I was like 99 per cent sure she was going to win. I absolutely love her effortless, eclectic style and this translates from her wardrobe right down to her interior design style. Vote for The Edited here.

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There you have it. If I made the shortlist that would be absolutely amazing. It would probably make my year. But I'm not pushing votes or asking people to help me out. If it happens it happens, but in the meantime I definitely think you should check out these four beauties.