Have you ever needed an idea or some inspiration and jumped on a food blog or Pinterest or a design site to get your creative juices flowing? Maybe find a little inspiration? That's something I do on a pretty regular basis. I poke around looking for an idea, but most of the time I end up feeling more uninspired and overwhelmed than ready for action. The problem is I have a love/hate relationship with the concept of lifestyle. I define lifestyle as any content from web sites to blogs to … [Read more...] about the lifestyle trap
authenticity
step away from the blog
On Saturday we leave for our annual beach week. Last year I broke down why I love this vacation so much and you can read that here. This pre-vacation week of physical preparation has included replacing lost swimsuits, waiting on the porch to make sure the beach house t-shirts arrive on time, and stocking up on spray sunscreen before it gets pulled from the shelves. I've also been by studying my vocab words for Bananagrams, mentally preparing for living with 20+ other people, and coming to … [Read more...] about step away from the blog
the full picture
This past weekend I took a personal day. I decided to do something that I've been wanting to do - visit the Barnes Foundation, an art museum in Philadelphia. It's an old collection of mostly early 20th century art housed in a fairly new, modern building. And I wanted to do it completely by myself. I like looking at art and have looked at a lot of art. I studied art history in college, and I've always been drawn to museums working and volunteering in a few at different points in my career. At … [Read more...] about the full picture
independent & united
I value independence - the personal freedom that has been given to us in this country, often at great cost, to act and speak and think freely. Even though I've daydreamed more frequently than I like to admit about living in other places, other parts of the world that consume less and value health and balance more than the bottom line, I realize that the beauty of independent thought and action is that we have the freedom to opt out of the parts of our culture that don't serve us. We have the … [Read more...] about independent & united
coming home: recovering from vacation brain
As soon as school ended, I packed up the kids and went north to a family wedding on the coast of Massachusetts. We stayed a week in a beautiful home on a rocky coastline where we watched boats go in and out of the harbor, caught crabs and explored winding lanes of seaside cottages. I wanted to move into each and every one. And then there was the lovely wedding, seeing a couple joined in marriage and visiting with family. It was the best kind of vacation - easy, memorable, comfortable. I … [Read more...] about coming home: recovering from vacation brain
wedding advice you didn’t ask for
Now that I have children, the thought of planning a wedding makes me want to curl up in a ball on the floor. Wedding? Who needs a wedding? Park me by a pool (in the shade of course) in a tropical location with a never-ending line of frozen beverages. How many nights at the Four Season Punta Mita and $17 daiquiris could I have bought with the bill from my wedding? Don't answer that. But there is a reason that we celebrate weddings with so much hoopla. Weddings are magical because they are the … [Read more...] about wedding advice you didn’t ask for
five quotes i stole from yoga that apply to everything
Since I started going to yoga a few times a week, I've been collecting quotes from yoga teachers. They'll say something in class that hits me a certain way, usually right between the eyes, and I'm thinking, has this teacher been talking to my mom? Have they been secretly private messaging my husband on Facebook? That's really weird. How do they know that is exactly what I'm dealing with right now? Oh wait, there are these things called universal truths which basically mean that I'm not as … [Read more...] about five quotes i stole from yoga that apply to everything
i am a writer
I was in a webinar earlier this week about building your audience. And the first step to becoming a writer is to own your identity as a writer (Thanks Jeff Goins!). For over the past year, I have been writing nearly every day. I've written over 136 blog posts, thousands and thousands of words strung together in various degrees of success, and as of last Thursday, I can officially say I've completed a draft of a book that will be published this fall. But I don't call myself a writer. I haven't … [Read more...] about i am a writer