From Blank Pages to Blog Posts: Thanks, Professor Burton!

Who is Professor Burton, and Why am I Thanking Her?

It’s a simple question with a simple answer—but where’s the fun in that? I love a little suspense. Smiles.

My blogging journey starts here. Today. Right now.

First and foremost—welcome to CeleBelleVie! Thank you so much for stopping by. I wish you mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness on your own journey. My name is Celeste, and I’ve spent over a decade pursuing internal peace, happiness, and the best version of myself. Every day, I climb closer to that goal. CeleBelleVie is my way of discovering the beauty in life and personalizing it.

Soooo, I have a confession. This isn’t exactly the beginning of my blogging journey. It actually started 12 years ago. Picture this: I was fresh out of a breakup and deep in the throes of depression. I needed an outlet, and I turned to the things I loved—writing, shopping, and food. Blogging seemed like the perfect combination. I’d review restaurants, highlight the makeup and outfits I wore, and pour my heart into a creative space.

I even bought a domain: Thickthighprivateeye.com. Yup, that was my first baby. But between the draining effects of depression and the not-so-user-friendly WordPress interface, my creativity fizzled out before I even wrote my first post. After a year of paying hosting fees for a blank page, I let it go. Sad face.

Fast forward to 2012: I made a life-changing decision. I decided to be happy. Sounds simple, right? It wasn’t—but it was powerful. Anything triggering my depression was met with positive thoughts. I changed what I could and reframed what I couldn’t. I started striving daily to be better than the day before. That year, I began “microblogging” on Instagram. It was cute. Family and friends hyped me up, but I was too afraid to make my account public, so it never grew beyond my small circle. Sigh.

In 2014, I was living in a city with an incredible food culture. I frequented top-tier restaurants, experimented with high-end makeup, and took so many pictures. I had so much content waiting to be shared, so I gave blogging another shot. This time, Foodiesochic.com was born! My first post was a glowing review of Mr. John’s Steakhouse. My homepage showcased a lamb chop photo from my 29th birthday in Las Vegas.

But here’s the kicker: what good is a blog no one knows about? I kept it to myself. After a year with only one post, I paid to renew the hosting again, determined to do better. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. By year two, Foodiesochic.com joined my list of abandoned creative dreams.

Then came 2020. COVID-19 turned the world upside down, and creativity seemed to flourish all around me. My closest friend (shoutout to them!) had spent three years encouraging me to “JUST DO IT,” so I finally did. I created CeleBelleVie using Squarespace, complete with a student discount. But... it sat untouched for 13 months. Life happened, including my return to college to finish what I started years ago.

Now, here we are in the present. I’m a senior (yay!) taking a Marketing class taught by Professor Burton. For an assignment, we were required to create a blog and post content. Imagine my relief when I realized the hard part—setting up the blog—was already done! The assignment reignited my motivation, pushing me to share my thoughts and stories once again.

So, Professor Burton, thank you. Not just for the assignment but for giving me the nudge I needed to restart this journey. My plan is to post regularly—about the things that make me happy, challenge my thoughts, and bring me joy. I hope you’ll find inspiration here to personalize your own beautiful life.

Welcome to CeleBelleVie. Let’s begin.

Until next time, happy reading!