It’s been a rough week, my friends. My thoughts about it are not all that coherent or eloquent, and I would normally keep them off the blog, but for reasons that will become apparent, I’m going to go ahead and share them.

So, in no particular order …

Over the last six months or so, the stress levels associated with the quotidian challenges of my life have been slowly creeping up. I’m not sure why that is (or why it’s happening now) but the impact has been manifesting in ways that are increasingly difficult for me to manage. I’m tired all the time; it’s a mental and emotional exhaustion as much as it is a physical one. It has left me in a place where even minor annoyances – or a bad news cycle, which seem increasingly routine these days – can feel like the proverbial last straw. It is not a good place.

Since last week, I have been following the Harvey Weinstein story (as reported in the NYT, New Yorker, and elsewhere). It has brought up a lot of feelings; their intensity took me by surprise. Living in the Trump era has desensitized me to many things, including things like this; or so I thought. Again, perhaps this was no more than a last straw. I believe all women have met at least one Harvey Weinstein in their lives, be it the personal or professional or both. I always thought I had a good handle on my own experiences; I’m starting to think that might be just something I told myself. A compromise. I wore my cynicism like a badge, not seeing it for what it was: complicity. Every time I didn’t speak up and smiled instead, hoping to disappear into the background, I was acquiescing in the status quo. With the guilt comes anger – anger for the fact that complicity felt like my only option. The public reaction to the Weinstein revelations has been no less emotionally taxing. There is so much more I could say about this, and want to say about this, but I’m going to leave it at that because this is not the place for it. And that’s a whole other story.

Earlier this week, my husband and I were subjected to a very troubling episode of online trolling/harassment which crossed into real life. It was not related to this blog. I hope that it has come to an end, and nothing more will come of it, but the whole experience was deeply upsetting. It has made me feel very vulnerable, particularly in relation to my online presence. It was, in its way, another last straw.

The fact is that I cannot continue with this blog right now. I have no emotional bandwidth left for it. It has been my passion and my creative outlet for over seven years, and it’s strange and a little scary to think of it not being a part of my life. It used to feel like a safe refuge; it doesn’t now. So, for now, I need a break.

I am not writing this to elicit your sympathy or comments. I appreciate that many of you have been following for a long time, and I believe you deserve a few words of explanation for my absence. I am going to miss your comments more than you know. I’m going to miss this corner of the internet — yeah, that’s hokey and I don’t care. Thank you for the community you helped to build. It’s not farewell; let’s just say … till next time.

I loved this blazer+blouse combo last time I wore it — with a psychedelic print pencil skirt — so I decided to try with a more demure outfit. Well, as demure as things get when leopard print is involved. I feel like that was a necessary touch of “extra”, otherwise the outfit might have come a little too close to “staid” for comfort. We can’t have that. Minimalism is all fine and good, but we have to have a little fun, no?

I suppose pink might be considered “fun” as well, especially in a business environment. I always think twice before wearing a lot of pink to work, because it does tend to stand out and I’m wary of Legally Blonde associations. I’ve come to realize that I am going to stand out at my office no matter what — even my new neutral-loving, print-eschewing aesthetic is far brighter than most of my colleagues’ — so I might as well just embrace it. And hey, people won’t forget me in a hurry, which is a bonus when you’re the newbie at a large organization. Right? Right.

There is a bit of poignancy to finding a pretty summer frock late in August; it only serves to underscore the changing of seasons. I was determined to give this one a whirl before it was too late, but I definitely felt a chill the day I wore it. There’s been talk of an Indian summer here, but I am not getting my hopes up. Winter is always just around the corner. Edmonton is basically Winterfell. But, you know, minus the King in da Norf. Alas.

This dress was hanging on top of a rack at Value Village, but the fabric felt nice to the touch, so I pulled it down to have a closer look. Sure enough, it proved to be an Anthro brand; I haven’t lost my touch entirely. It was also $25. I had to think twice about getting it, as a matter of principle. Value Village, we have a problem. This dress would sell for something like $35 at my local consignment store; if I purchased it there, I would be supporting a local business, and enjoying a boutique-like shopping environment at the same time. Neither is something that applies to VV. Just saying.

Leaving that VV nonsense aside, this is a lovely dress, so I’m glad I bought it. It has a tie in the back which is a feature I usually despise, but this one doesn’t bother me too much. The dress is a size Medium, and loose, so it feels more like a swing dress than anything else. And we all know I love me a good swing dress. I also appreciate that while the dress is on the shorter side, the neckline is not scandalously low. It’s getting hard to find a casual dress that doesn’t feature a deep v. As someone who doesn’t have a cute bralette to flash, I appreciate the extra coverage.