I continue to get my butt kicked by every week I think will be nicer to me than the last, and at this point I am ready to call it: it’s not me, it’s them. I’m not the problem here. I’m doing my best, and just because it’s not good enough in the context of *waves hands in every direction* all of this, doesn’t mean it’s inherently subpar. I’m actually getting better at life; it’s life that’s getting worse.
Oddly, that’s comforting. Well, as comforting as things get these days.
Sorry to be a downer. I’m generally all about finding joy in small moments, and beauty in overlooked things, but I think it’s also important to acknowledge that life isn’t all sunshine and lollipops. That is what makes that small joy such a radical act, and it is important to see it as such. And value it accordingly.
Last week ended on a high note: I received an amazing response to my IG announcement that I decided to pursue self-publishing. [More on that next week.] Then the reality set in. It’s an enormous task; I don’t know much about the process, haven’t got the budget to hire professionals, and will have to figure it out as I go. It’s waaaay out of my comfort zone (that’s part of the reason why I chose trad publishing in the first place) and as such, feels really overwhelming to my AuDHD brain. And because that doesn’t put enough on my plate, I also decided to start writing my next book. Procrastination at its finest, you say? Shhhhh.
I’ve been (inwardly) grumbling a lot lately about the state of thrift, and how meh / mid it’s been feeling. I had a good wake-up call this past weekend though. My daughter needs sweatpants for the fall/winter season, and she’s particular about what she wants. We hadn’t had a lot of luck at the thrifts so, in extremis, I decided to send her off (with her dad, because I was busy) to check out a few retail stores. That was a mistake. They came home with 2 pairs of sweatpants and a plain t-shirt from Garage that cost … are you ready for this? $180. From Garage!! It was definitely a case of retail goggles; they struck out at a bunch of stores, it was late in the day, and these sweatpants were the closest thing they’d found to meet my daughter’s checklist. When she got home and tried them on again, she changed her mind. I think by that point, the cost had also sunk in and she realized that they were not a good value proposition. [My daughter has grown up thrifting with me, so her shopping mentality is very much secondhand-coded, if you will.]
Needless to say, we returned everything. But, wow, did this give me (and my daughter) a refreshed appreciation for our thrift stores. As a nice coda to this story, the day after, I found a pair of sweatpants at Value Village that checked all the right boxes and cost $11. And get this: they’re from Garage.
Have a great weekend!
Okay, I’m now obsessed with that giant round labradorite (?) pendant! Gorgeous! Also love the outfit with the brown jacket and green dress.
Thanks! It’s a pendant I picked up on Poshmark and repurposed/upcycled. Posh is where I find a lot of my jewelry these days. You have to be patient and browse a lot, but it’s possible to find killer deals on Sterling silver and semi-fine jewelry.