Two Years of An Old Fashioned Girl

“The "Old-Fashioned Girl" is not intended as a perfect model, but as a possible improvement upon the Girl of the Period, who seems sorrowfully ignorant or ashamed of the good old fashions which make women truly beautiful and honored."
-Louisa May Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl

Two years ago, on March 14, I hit publish on this little website. I prayed that it would make a difference, that it would be a comfort to someone, that people would be reminded of days gone by.

I started this blog as two things, a place for me to share my writing, and a place where I could be my true self. I started this blog while a member of The Young Writer’s Workshop and was hungry for a quiet place on the internet that was full of all of the things I love - history, literature, and Jesus. 
    
​The blog started out small, and guess what it’s still small! But I am full of gratitude, gratitude for each of you who reads my posts every week, for those of you who take the time to leave comments, and to God for giving me this platform and allowing An Old Fashioned Girl to grow.

This week we are celebrating all the Lord has done with this little platform.

The Last Year in Blog Posts -

I posted many a blog post this year, here is a list of some standouts 

The Best Post -  In Search of Wisteria - this post was an intro to my England posts, but it also serves as a little window into my heart.

The Worst Post - honestly I don’t have one I hate from this year :)
 
My Favorite Post - Who Can Ever Be Tired of Bath? - this post was where I recorded one of the best days of my life which easily makes it a favorite. 

The Weirdest Post - Ranking Every Disney Channel Movie I’ve Seen - what was she doing here? I don't have an answer for you.

The Post I Had The Most Fun Writing - Unhinged Thoughts on Pride and Prejudice 1995 - watching this movie and taking note of all the weird and wonderful things was so much fun (even though it ended up being highly controversial).

Celebrating -

If there was one thing I'd have you know about me, it's that I love to make the little things important. I love celebrating small wins as well as big accomplishments. So, on Friday for the blogiversary I bought us a cake. I hope you can take a second to imagine me standing the bakery waiting for the cake to be finished in my floral dress and sweater, and I hope you can imagine the casual embarrassment on my face when two random ladies read the text on the cake without any context (and also look me over from head to toe).

But despite that, to me cake is how you celebrate. And even though it feels weird for me to celebrate my blog turning two in this way, I realize that hard work needs to be appreciated. Even if it means buying myself a cake.

Birthdays and blogiversaries aren't complete without gifts, so I bought myself a book. It might surprise you to know that I never have owned a copy of the book this little blog is named after. 

An Old Fashioned Girl is a tender and beautiful book by my favorite author Louisa May Alcott. The message of the book guides this blog.

​So I bought a copy.

This baby girl is from 1903, and is in wonderful condition. It's something I will treasure and page through often. I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to purchase this edition.

The Blog Going Forward

I started this blog out to be a safe space, and I want to continue to do that. I promise to not get into politics, social issues, or to talk about topics that are controversial (other than books of course). I want to keep this space clean and beautiful by fostering a kind community. I want to talk about Jesus’s love for you, I want to share about the things that bring me joy. I want us to talk about books, movies, music, the things that inspire us to be creative. I want to go back to why I started this blog, return to the original mission, to remind you that there is beauty in everything, especially the small and insignificant things. I want this to reflect in my continuing blog posts and everywhere that I expand my platform. 
  
​ I also want this blog to be for you, even though I’m the one doing the talking, An Old Fashioned Girl is here to serve you <3.

An Old Fashioned Girl isn't me, the Old Fashioned Girl is any girl who sees life a little differently, who sees the beauty in the small things. Any girl who like Louisa's Polly Milton " ...thought that insignificant as she was, she yet might do some good, made her very careful of her acts and words, and so anxious to keep her heart contented and her face happy."

What Does An Old Fashioned Girl Mean To You?

Last week I asked my email list subscribers this question, and the responses warmed my heart (and made me cry). This blog isn't about me, but you. So here is what An Old Fashioned Girl means to you, (and me.) Thank you to everyone who shared!!

"I found this blog through YWW, and it never fails to bring me a sense of coziness and peace. I rarely skip over a post, and I've found some wonderful book recommendations from this blog! The posts are very thoughtful, engaging, and aesthetic. :)"
-Anna

"I found this blog after I discovered Belle's writing and after she left the writing community we were both a part of at the time. It started as a way to sort of keep in contact with her. However, it quickly became more than that, instead turning to my favorite blog! It offers such a calming environment on the internet (both her blog and her YouTube channel) that I honestly use to relax. Oftentimes I'm having a rough day and it just makes me so much happier to find an email notification for a blog post in my inbox."
-Haniah

"I found this blog because I was searching for beautiful newsletters to sign up for,and this is certainly just that!"

"I came across your blog because I know you, but I stuck around because it’s just a really cool space. It’s like stepping into a slower, more thoughtful world—where books, faith, and the little joys in life actually matter. I love how you bring that old-fashioned charm into everything you write. Whether it’s talking about literature, life, or just random thoughts, it always feels genuine. It’s refreshing, and I think a lot of people appreciate that."
-Ben

"I found An Old Fashioned Girl through Pearl Christine's blog. As soon as I saw the title and realized it was taken from my favourite novel, I knew I'd found something amazing! I've loved reading how you analyze novels, authors, and movies, including many of my favourites, and I look forward to reading your posts." 
-Olivia

"It's a mesh of old and new! With vintage inspiration and modern ideas, it's the perfect place for old souls living in the 21st century."
-Molly

"An Old-Fashioned Girl blog is a weekly source of delight. The content is very wholesome, each post is very enjoyable to read and shines with Belle's beautiful worldview and I'm always reminded of where my focus needs to be – on God. Belle is very thoughtful and has beautiful views on how to live life to the fullest. I am very grateful for every post! ❤️"
-Oceana Rose

"I love Old Fashioned Girl so much! The posts are always so helpful. The overall vibe of the blog is so aesthetic and vintage and peaceful. "
-Bella

"It's such a sweet blog! Belle covers a spectrum of lovely content, from book reviews to travel to encouragement for the growing girl to idyllic things you can do to make life beautiful :)"
-Lillian

"I found the blog through an email list swap about a year ago, and I have loved it. My favorite posts are often the ones on Little Women and Jane Austen, and I loved the multi-part series you did a while back breaking down the similarities and differences in the 1994 and 2019 Little Women film versions. I also have enjoyed your recent recommendation on the website with recipes for single-serve cookies and other baked goods. As someone who often house sits, it is nice to have something that I can do for just me without having to make a whole pan that I won't eat!

All in all, I love the focus on older and classic stories for girls and women, and I do enjoy the occasional post about life as well. I would love to see even more thoughts on evaluating different adaptations of classic girls stories for film and radio drama. I'd like to hear what you think of the Focus on the Family Radio Theater Little Women version, since several people I have talked to loved it and it is also one of my favorites!"
-Anna

​(a note from Belle - how have I never heard of the Focus on the Family Little Women?! I will find it as soon as possible and write a post about it!!) 

"From its meaningful name, reminiscent of the old days, those values, those more humane ways, Polly Milton was the embodiment of all of this, of that simple, yet beautiful, and meaningful life; to its inspiring posts, by its creator, Belle, I think An Old Fashioned Girl is a unique space. I discovered this blog about a year ago and loved the mix of so many topics; and I can't forget that post from last year, "Something for the Girls." It came as a response to something I truly needed, and now I'm truly grateful for it. I think that's all there is to it. Greetings from somewhere in the world.🌷🌷🌷🌷"
-Ellen 

Something I mentioned in my post last year was that I write to fourteen year old me. In the blogging community people often talk about your blog persona. Who is it that you write for? People tell you to write all about her, figure out what she looks like, what her day looks like, what she eats, where she shops, what music she listens to and so on and so forth. I always struggled with that prompt, because the girl I end up with always looks a lot like me. 
    
​I always come back to me at 14. She was anxious, alone, and she discovered classic books for the first time. She wanted to fly away to the Victorian period because then maybe things wouldn’t seem so hard. That girl had to learn to rely on Jesus, she had to learn how to find joy in the life she was placed in. I write for her and for the thousands of girls who look a lot like her. If that portrait of me at 14 sounds anything like you, then know that you’re in the right place.

With all of that in mind, I wrote my own response to the question "What does An Old Fashioned Girl mean to you?"

"Belle, I just want to share how proud I am of you. How far you’ve come. Remember being that anxious little 14 year old girl who found solace in Louisa May Alcott and L.M. Montgomery? Remember how alone you felt. Now you have the power to help other girls overcome that pain. I know it hasn’t been easy. I know you’ve doubted your abilities, been stressed about so many analytical details. I know you’ve had so many anxious days and cried so many buckets of tears, but you’ve impacted the life of at least one girl (you), and that makes everything worth it. What does An Old Fashioned Girl mean to me? Well An Old Fashioned Girl is me. It’s the place where I am truest self, a place where I can pour out love onto other girls who also feel trapped in the 21st century. It’s my home, it’s my heart, it’s the one thing that I will continue doing as long as I possibly can. It won’t be easy, but you know that already. I’m so proud of you. Imagine if we only knew how far we would have come when we launched back in 2023.

I’m listening to “Letter to my 13 Year Old Self” by Laufey right now and feeling so emotional, so proud, so grateful.
Jesus has carried you and helped you through so much to do what you are doing now.
I love you.
Thank you for changing my life."
-Me

“And Polly didn't think she had done much; but it was one of the little things which are always waiting to be done in this world of ours, where rainy days come so often, where spirits get out of tune, and duty won't go hand in hand with pleasure. Little things of this sort are especially good work for little people; a kind little thought, an unselfish little act, a cheery little word, are so sweet and comfortable, that no one can fail to feel their beauty and love the giver, no matter how small they are."
-Louisa May Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea. ​​​ ​​