Never, Ever.

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Polish & Sparkle: The Year In Review

With 2013's arrival, here's a look back at the best of Polish & Sparkle in 2012:

Body Image

♥ 5 Reasons to be Body Positive
♥ You ARE Beautiful NOW
♥ Body-Shaming Hurts Skinny Girls Too
  
Fashion & Beauty

♥ Comfy, Cozy, Stylish Sweaters
♥ Go For "Baroque"
♥ Matryoshkas galore!
♥ Winter Nail Polish Picks
♥ Like many fashionistas, I looooved colourblocking!
♥ Poodle Skirts & Ponytails -- my 50s-inspired What I Wore post
♥ How To Wear Neon
♥ Simple & Chic in Atlanta
      
Travel

♥ I went to Buffalo, NY-- 3 times!
♥ Niagara Falls (ON): 1 Day, On Foot
♥ NYC's Museum of Sex
♥ Snapshots from my trip to New York City & Washington, DC.
♥ I went to Florida-- one of my favourite places.
♥ Toronto's One of a Kind Christmas Show
   
Finance & Career

♥ How To Get Great Job References
♥ The Smart Broke Girl's Guide To Money
♥ 7 Indispensable iPhone Apps for Bloggers & Creative Business Owners

Mental Health

♥ What To Do When You Can't Sleep
♥ 10 Little Things To Do For Yourself
♥ DIY manicures changed my life!
♥ What is Trichotillomania?
  
Me

♥ I celebrated my birthday in style.
♥ I had a major existential breakthrough
♥ I wrote an open letter to 15 year-old me.

Other Stuff

♥ I explored Health At Every Size & shared why you should, too.
♥ I discovered 11 of the best things about being single.
♥ I interviewed Emilie Autumn.

And I was published at other sites, including Examiner, Kind Over Matter and Florida Homeschooling.

Here's hoping 2013 is even better than 2012!

Hello, "Polish & Sparkle"!

This blog is a work in progress. Proof: its name has changed for the 3rd (and last!!!) time since its inception 2 and half years ago.

And as much as I'd like to say I'm a polished, perfect person, I have to admit... I'm a work in progress, too.

I've learned a lot, running this blog. Most notably:

1 Creativity doesn't come just because you want it to. Quite the contrary. If you wait for your muse to appear, she probably won't.

2 Churn out a whole bunch of ideas, and you'll say something brilliant (eventually). Keep working at it, and a gem will be borne.

3 Honesty is vital. I'm kind of embarassed by all the times I've changed things up here. But it's important to me to be transparent with you. Besides, some of those new things have really stuck, not mention they've been really great.

So back to the name change. Polish and Sparkle -- because those are the two things, I've learned, that every girl needs. Polish: refinement, class, sophistication. Sparkle: fun, glitter, glamour, whimsy. It's like yin and yang or chocolate and pretzels: put together two different but complementary things, and they'll shine.

- Polish is business, elegant, time-consuming (but totally worth it).
- Sparkle is fun, flirty and exciting. A perfect match.

More importantly, Polish and Sparkle are two traits every woman can have, even if she's battling a chronic or mental illness. I'd like to dedicate myself and this blog to erasing the stigma attached to invisible disabilities, to sharing my struggles and helping you with yours. You can live the life you've dreamed, no matter what obstacles you encounter.

Other than the name,the niche and my new, improved, deliciously beefed-up editorial calendar, this site hasn't changed at all! My attitude- optimistic, witty and helpful- hasn't changed, either. Your (near-) daily dose of inspiration, encouragement, news and fun is here to stay!

I love you. Thank you for standing my me-- and this site. It's all for you!

-Rebecca Esther