It's September again! I didn't write a blog post July or August due to unexpected life events that kept me extremely busy, but I'm hoping that this month brings some calm.
I help my mom with the her store on my free time, but I work full time in a very different industry. In May, I left a job I was comfortable in for the chance to work at a top tier company in my industry. To my dismay it didn't make me happy. You always hear change is hard, but I would thrive on change. New beginnings excited me, but this time it was different and I didn't know why. I wondered if it was the pandemic, or the social unrest. Any of those things, could have affected my mood, and my ability to adapt to change. That same month, my dog received a grim prognosis from the vet, and it devastated me to realize that when she needed my attention the most, I had the least amount of time and flexibility. I sat on my front steps and cried one day as I watched her limp around the front yard.
To distract myself, whenever I had free time, I shopped. The Nordstrom Anniversary sale always happens in the summer, and I bought everything from pajamas, loungewear, and towels, to an All Saint's leather jacket, combat boots, and a Barefoot dreams blanket.
Here is a look at two of my buys, the Barefoot Dreams blanket and Nordstrom pajamas. Both are very soft, and comfortable/cozy. The blanket is sold out at Nordstrom, but I found a link at another store to the exact color I bought, which coordinated well with my pillows, quilt and headboard.
I kept perusing sites from Abercrombie to A.L.C. Net a Porter and even Overstock, and clicking the Buy Now button late at night. I like watching fashion related You Tube videos and reading blogs, and I realized that those will always leave you feeling like you're lacking something, and whatever you have in your closet is insufficient. Bell sleeves, Gucci, and skinny jeans are on the way out, over distressed denim was out, unless it's a pair of oversized Moussy jeans, then major rips at the knee are OK - It's confusing and maddening if you take it too seriously. It's a bus or train you will never catch, and if you manage to jump on, you might ask yourself why you ran so hard, because you really don't want to be on there. You have to be careful, and you're probably more susceptible when you're feeling a little lost or down.
Finally I found another outlet. I started getting up a little earlier in the morning and reading. I'd read online books, paperbacks, I wrote, I looked through my coffee table books, and I even started reading a book on prayers that I had at home and had never opened. It was calming and meditative, and I looked forward to my 15 minutes or half an hour every morning. You don't have to read something religious, or educational to find some value. It can be something light hearted that provides a distraction. I read the Happily Ever After Playlist. As with any good book, I was sad when I reached the last page. It becomes like a friend you look forward to spending time with. I also watched Teenage Bounty Hunters on Netflix, and I recommend it. It's about sisterhood, and growing up as women. Social issues are sprinkled in, but it's funny and uplifting to see a portrayal of women finding success in a male dominated job.
Next week I will do a short post focused on fashion, but for now this is it. It was an honest write up about what life was like this summer, and little things that kept me from feeling like I was losing control. All that with a side of good food, coffee, prayers, and brief talks with friends and family, are what kept me going and helped me persevere and stay hopeful and positive that the next half of this year will be OK.