Good morning! Hopefully all of you had a great weekend! I hope you'll excuse my lack of a blog post on Friday, but I am back with high hopes for a week of good content. That said, here are 5 things I would have shared on Friday, had my schedule allowed:
1. Up until this year, I thought that nail polish looked strange on my hands. I'm not sure why, but I have worn it on my toes for 25 years and yet rarely on my fingers... until now. I think I'm going a little crazy to make up for lost time, and just bought two shades of Essie polish that I love! I highly recommend
Penny Talk (a coppery rose gold) and
Tart Deco (a summery coral).
2. This past Friday was my last day at the company I worked at for 5 years. I cried when it came time for goodbyes, but am really excited to start work at a new company today. It feels like the first day of school, and I've been making outfits in my head all week long. As I write this (Sunday evening before True Blood), I've not yet decided what to wear but am drawing inspiration from blogs like
Corporette (workplace fashion) and
Lilly's Style (fellow blogger rocking what I call "sensibly brave" outfits at work). So far, it looks like my stand-by ensemble of dress + belt + cardigan will be in effect since my new office is very casual with dogs running around - really! The colored pants can come out next week once I get a feel for the place. :)
3. Maybe it's because I'm going to be 29 in a few weeks, or because everyone and her cousin is pregnant right now, but I'm starting to get baby fever. Not enough to make any big life decisions this summer, mind you, but enough that seeing sweet little sandals like
these from Cole Haan (for $27 at 6pm.com) makes me want to click "buy" and engage in hoarder behavior for a hypothetical daughter. I haven't done it (yet) but it's touch and go sometimes. Do any of my pregnant friends want these for a not-surprise gift?
4. One of the best things about my new job is that it will take my commute from 30 miles each way down to 3. Rather than spending 45+ minutes in the car on the way home, I'll zip down some back roads to my house. In anticipation of this change, I joined a gym nearby because let's just say that things have gotten a little out of hand thanks to all the time I've spent absorbed in books this summer. Not all of my pants look good on me anymore, and I must nip this problem in the bud before they don't even zip! Since I'll be working out in front of other people, I'm picking up another pair of the best workout pants EVAR - the
GapFit gFlex capris. They make butts look smaller, and you don't get swamp ass. I'm sure the more expensive options are magical, but I don't spend $90 on regular pants, much less ones to wear on the elliptical trainer. Try them!
5. Now for slightly more serious thing. I've debated writing this because I don't want it to be perceived as a cry for attention, but I decided that honesty is always a good idea, right? I highly expect some of you to disagree with me, but...
I have realized, over the past several weeks, that I just don't love blogging like I used to. It has started to feel like a chore sometimes, and on those days I decide that I'm just not going to do it. I feel like the landscape has changed over the past 18 months or so to one of overwhelming self-promotion, with all urls coded to guarantee commissions, and most public interactions resulting in some sort of mutual exposure. I know there are still tons of amazing women generating unique original content because they love doing it and love the community, but it is sort of sad to see blog after blog with similar design posting the same J.Crew outfits we saw on Pinterest, then promoting the heck out their site to instant acclaim and tons of followers. I'm not innocent of this behavior, and have posted affiliate links here before, so I can't begrudge anyone for earning money for the exposure they offer. On the other hand, it's become so prevalent that I am starting to doubt that every person on the internet only gets excited about things sold by companies who work with rewardStyle (an amazing company that I work with, too, mind you).
Perhaps because I only have 4-5 hours per week to devote to both writing and reading blogs, I'm just jealous. But on the other hand, the thought of having to promote a blog post via 5 social media platforms every day makes me want to vomit. (
This article, for example, if full of great advice but it's also kind of daunting to realize there are people doing all of that.) I am so thankful for the opportunities that my little blog has brought me, and for the people I've met because of it. However, it's been both liberating and depressing to realize that I'm never going to be a big time blogger. I simply don't have the time or the ambition to put in the necessary hours on top of a full time job and a marriage and the desire to just relax and read a novel.
Because I've written 700 posts (!!!) with very little to show for it, save satisfaction, some free clothes and jewelry, and a small but lovely audience, I did a lot of thinking about what my next steps will be. The verdict is that I enjoy creating content and playing stylist far too much to walk away entirely. However, 5 posts per week is more than I can handle right now because more nights than not, I sit at my computer racking my brain to think of something compelling to write that I haven't already seen somewhere else. At least for the next little while, I think Cardigan Junkie will be updated about 3 times per week. If I have ideas worth sharing, I'll post them, but I want to spend more time doing what I feel like doing and reading what other people post instead of throwing together a post at 11:00 because I don't want to disappoint anyone. Sound good? Good.
I hope you understand my dilemma, and
please keep sending me reader request emails because those are my favorite posts to write and they make me feel like I'm helping you! (Other requests and post ideas are also welcome!) I love meeting people through this blog, so don't be shy!
Have a great week, ladies!
