What to Expect from Style Charade in 2018

Happy New Year’s Eve! It’s hard to believe it’s the last day of 2017. Instead of recapping my favorite looks from the past year, I wanted to do something a little different and share details of what to expect from Style Charade in 2018. In the past, I’ve remained pretty tight-lipped about any plans and ideas for the blog and social media. Given that both my husband and I work full-time, it’s somewhat daunting to share big ideas. There’s always a chance that schedules won’t allow for certain aspects, but that’s just life, right?!

Additionally, I’ve included a lot more long-form content this past year, such as travel updates, family traditions, and more. All of it has been met with immense kindness – thank you for the supportive and encouraging messages. It’s been truly overwhelming.Jennifer Lake Lemon Print Dress

Dress: Ella Moon Lemon Print Dress {under $100} // Shoes: Loeffler Randall Espadrille Sneakers

Bag: Kate Spade Lemon Bag {last worn here} {similar bag here} // Jewelry: BaubleBar Earrings

Eyewear: Kate Spade Krystalyn Sunglasses


 

Okay, so here’s what you can expect in 2018:

VIDEO, VIDEO, VIDEO

…and a LOT of it. From vlogs to other creative endeavors, expect an array of videos on the blog, Instagram, and other social media channels. Think travel, style-related videos, personal Q&A sessions, and more. Subscribe to my YouTube page and be the first to see it all! You can view a few of our recent videos here, here, and here.

TRAVEL

Travel as always played a huge role in my life, on Style Charade, and on social media. It’ll play an even bigger role in 2018. Beyond being passionate about exploring the world, travel content has been a part of a concerted effort to evolve my content from being exclusively about street art and murals. Don’t get me wrong, fun walls and colorful places has always been and will always be the DNA of Style Charade. However, I’m thrilled to continue to bring the beauty of the world and new destinations to your screens. I’m excited to differentiate the offerings you might find on the blog and beyond.

2017 brought more travel opportunities than I ever anticipated – both via my full-time job and the blog, including Maldives, Portugal, Miami, Finland, Nantucket, Serbia, Austin, Mexico City, Houston, Mayakoba, Dallas, San Francisco, Napa, Las Vegas, Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, Mérida, Detroit, New York, Connecticut, Istanbul, Palm Springs, London, Los Angeles, Montreal, and San Diego, to name a few. 2017 was also the first time I hit Premier 1K status on United (it’s the little things, lol)!

I’m especially excited for 2018 travel content, such as coverage of destinations, airlines, luxury resorts, spas, excursions, and hotels. In fact, I already have seven work/blog trips lined up for January and February alone (with a few more on the way… eeks!). To be transparent, I’m a bit nervous about the amount of travel next year (my boss and I joke we’ll hit 1K status by summer). At the end of the day, I’m forever thankful to my husband for being willing to catch a weekend flight and to family and close friends for supporting me and my “living out of a suitcase” lifestyle.

With that said, I’m excited to announce a new Instagram handle, @TravelCharades! I created the hashtag #TravelCharades on Instagram a long time ago, and I’m excited to have a channel specifically focused on all things travel, hotels, resorts, travel products, destinations, airlines, and beyond. Following the channel here!Shopbop Lemon Print Wrap Dress

LONG-FORM CONTENT

As you’ve seen this past year, I’ve shared a lot of long-form content on the blog. In the past, I haven’t done much writing on Style Charade, given the extra time it takes. When possible, in 2018 and beyond, I’ll be doing more frequent long-form posts and personal updates!

WORK / BLOG BALANCE

One of the most common questions I get: “Are you planning to leave your job to blog full-time?” The answer is simple – no, I’m not planning to leave my job. I absolutely love what I do, I’m thankful for my agency and boss, the colleagues with whom I work, and the clients we represent. They will continue to be my top priority, and I’m especially excited for our agency this next year. We have some AMAZING projects coming up. If/when work gets busy, I may not post as frequently to the blog or social media. As my role evolves at the company, the expectations and commitments elevate. I’m ready to face new challenges head-on and take things to next level at our firm.Best Resort Yucatan MexicoKate Spade Wicker Lemon Clutch

GIVING BACK

Blogging should also be about doing good, right?! I have some ideas on ways to give back to non-profits, the community, and beyond next year. I hope you’ll join me in those efforts as well. Stay tuned for more!

GIVEAWAYS

I’ve been “anti-giveaways” for the longest time. Don’t get me wrong, I want to share new and fun things with my readers, but I’ve struggled with it feeling “on brand.” I know it sounds odd, but it’s true! In 2018, I plan to try some curated giveaways from time to time, especially for larger ticket items and exciting experiences. These won’t happen often, but they’ll be interspersed with other content.

EXPANDING INTO NEW VERTICALS

Expect blog content featuring new verticals – think restaurants (like this), food and drinks, events/parties (like this, this and this), interior design and home content. I’ll only be “dabbling” in these verticals, but I’m excited to try new things! Style and travel will still reign supreme : ) Anything else you’d like to see? Comment below!

COLLABORATIONS WITH CONTENT CREATORS

I’m really excited to collaborate with more bloggers and digital content creators in the new year. We recently completed a home tour with Kelly Lee of Kelly Golightly, and I’d love to create similar posts in 2018 (think profiles of people, brands, etc.).

Jennifer Lake Chable Resort Spa

WALL GUIDES

Expect more Style Charade Wall Guides featuring new cities/destinations and updated Wall Guides for those that already exist. Murals/street art constantly change, so I’m excited to refresh everything and bring you new resources. Plus, I recently remembered that I have at least three cities worth of content that can be added to Wall Charades!

NEW SITE, NEW BRANDING

Work is already underway on a new website and Style Charade branding. I’ve been working with partners on both aspects for some time, and they won’t be ready until the latter part of 2018 (there are a few reasons why it’s taking so long, but I won’t go into details yet). It’ll be worth the wait – promise! In the meantime, you’ll see some tweaks here and there, and I’ll keep you posted on the big reveal!

Chable Resort Jennifer Lake

Dress: Ella Moon Lemon Print Dress {under $100} // Shoes: Loeffler Randall Espadrille Sneakers

Bag: Kate Spade Lemon Bag {last worn here} {similar bag here} // Jewelry: BaubleBar Earrings

Eyewear: Kate Spade Krystalyn Sunglasses


 

Anything else you’d like to see from the blog in 2018? Please share below! Wishing you an amazing start to the New Year, and thank you for following along on this journey!

 

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View All 6 Comments

  1. A

    omg jenn yes to all of this! i am so excited for what 2018 has in store for you! and i seriously cannot wait for all of your travels…all of those trips right off the bat!? you go girl!! cannot wait to keep following along! may 2018 be the best year yet!!

    xo
    allie

    pretaprovost.com

    Published 12.31.17 · Leave a Reply
    • J
      Jenn Lake wrote:

      Yay! Thank you Allie! Excited to collab next year – you for sure need to be featured!! Can’t wait for all that’s in store for you in 2018 – you continue to impress and amaze!

      Published 12.31.17 · Leave a Reply
  2. D
    Dana Mannarino wrote:

    JENN! I am so excited for you, and I love the direction you’re taking Style Charade. You continue to inspire me to push boundaries and make me realize that we can continue evolving our brands even with our full time jobs! Cheers to 2018!

    The Champagne Edit

    Published 1.1.18 · Leave a Reply
  3. M
    Mary Fremeau wrote:

    I am soooo excited for you!! And the year ahead! And all your endeavors!! I will continue to be a devoted fan through and through! I so admire you, and I love reading all your writing. SO awesome that you can work full time and also run this successful blog! You have to be so proud!
    xxoo
    Mary
    http://www.BelleOnTrend.com

    Published 1.1.18 · Leave a Reply
    • M
      Mary Fremeau wrote:

      Oh! And one other thing I would love to see is maybe more of “an inexpensive version of this…” or something similar that is more affordable — I adore everything you wear, but it would be amazing to see similar items for less if you had time/interest in doing that! Just a thought!!

      Published 1.1.18 · Leave a Reply
  4. C
    Carrie Colbert wrote:

    It’s clearly shaping up to be an exciting year here! Happy to follow along and be a part of it in any way. Xo

    More color please,
    Carrie
    http://www.carriecolbert.com

    Published 1.2.18 · Leave a Reply

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