I looked at the calendar yesterday and gasped. Greg and I had completely forgotten about YLF’s seventh birthday, which was a few days ago on April 5. I’m sentimental and nostalgic, so I really don’t like to forget this sort of thing. Our forgetfulness is certainly not an indication that YLF is becoming less important. Quite the contrary. But I guess that YLF has become such an integral part of our lives that we forget to stop, step back, and remember its history. Well. I’m going to do that today just for fun. 

As you’ve probably heard many times before, it all started seven and a half years ago with this exchange between Greg and I on a flight from New York to Seattle:

Greg: “You should start a blog.” 

Angie: “Okay!”

(pause)

Angie: “What’s a blog?”

I had a lot to say about fashion and style and began posting my daily thoughts on a tiny blog that was born on April 5, 2006. Greg created YLF for me while working full-time at Microsoft. I really didn’t imagine the full potential in those early days. And it took more than two years to reveal my identity on the blog because I did NOT want YLF to be about one person’s style, size, age and budget. YLF had to be about you, not me. I wanted it to be a place where we could ALL share our style challenges and triumphs, be creative, be mischievous, and most importantly, have fun and support each other along the way. Greg says we have reached this goal. 

Here we are seven years later. A tiny blog (complete with the caricature of me below) has evolved into a sophisticated fashion site with a very engaged and bustling community. In 2010 Greg left Microsoft to work on YLF full-time. Inge, a dear friend and longtime YLF supporter works with us part-time. Morgan, another dear friend, works with Greg on the iPhone and Android apps. And I continue to love working with my clients, writing content for YLF and chiming in on the forum. I am very proud that we haven’t missed a weekday post in seven years. Whether we are sick, traveling, super busy, heartbroken, or in crisis, the blog posts have gone out. I don’t know how we manage it sometimes, but there you have it. The YLF Team is a robust and well-oiled machine. 

I still kick myself sometimes. I never believed that YLF could become what it is today, but Greg, bless his heart, had the vision. And who knows how it will all unfold, but we are looking forward to the adventure. One thing is for sure. YLF would not exist without YOU. Your intelligence, compassion, energy, wit, wisdom and passion energize me each day. You inspire me to be a better person and enrich my life in infinite ways. For that I am most grateful. THANK YOU for your ongoing support.  

Cheers to another seven years!