by Joey | Oct 23, 2015 | Throwback
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Is it shameful that I’m already planning grab sushi (and mcdonalds fries, don’t judge me) on my way home, immediately change into my pajamas and veg on the couch the rest of the evening? Because holy smokes, it’s been a long week. And trust me, after working my 10 hour day today, I’m probably going to have to throw some wine into that mix. Who’s with me?
Some things from this week:
Christine
removed emails from her phone and it changed her life. I’ve been contemplating this for some time now and think I might give it a try next week!
Carly
answered pretty much every question you could possibly have about Blue Apron while sharing her
very real experience.
Happy Friday!! What do you all have planned for the weekend?
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by Joey | Oct 22, 2015 | Throwback
You’re waiting for something to pan out. You’re waiting for a decision to be made. You don’t know where you’ll be in a year. You’re waiting for a sign. You’re waiting for courage. You’re waiting.
Something you want to do is contingent on all this waiting. You won’t make the decision until the future is clear.
You’re waiting for the divorce to be final. You’re waiting for your parent to get better. You’re waiting for the next pay check. You’re waiting until you’re done with all these weddings. You’re waiting until work dies down.
Guess what? There’s always going to be something. That’s the way life works, friends. The stars don’t align, I’m sorry to say. There is no grand moment when the universe smiles down on you and says
Now, dear. Now.
You have to make your own now. You can’t live your life waiting. If the future messes with the decisions you make today, that’s okay. You’ll figure it out. Or maybe these decisions you make today will help you make those decisions in the future.
Your life is a collection of decisions made in the now. You can’t wait for everything to be perfect or you’ll be waiting forever. And living your life waiting is no way to live, trust me, I know.
I wasted most of my twenties waiting for whatever came next. I didn’t realize that I could control it, like my very own choose your own adventure book. Life is going to throw things at you, and that’s okay, too. You’re strong enough to handle them. And you’re confident enough to make the decisions that need to be made.
So make them.
And stop waiting.
Take control.
You’ve got this, okay?
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by Joey | Oct 21, 2015 | Throwback
When Kristina blogged about this Old Navy dress, I didn’t hesitate. I immediately ordered it. I’ve never done that before–ordered something a blogger suggested. But it seemed so easy! And hey, it was on sale. Win-win.
Okay, story time.
When it arrived, I couldn’t wait to wear it. I had plans to go out to see Who Rescued Who with ATA that night, the perfect opportunity. This little number was going out on the town! Oh, yes!
I slid it over my head, my arms outstretched. And then…it stopped. The rolled up sleeves wouldn’t go over my elbows, and I couldn’t put my arms down. Now, something you might need to now about me is that I’m not necessarily claustrophobic, but if I can’t move my arms or legs, I panic.
I yelled for J. I need your help! I tried to stay calm and trotted out into the hallway, dress half on, underwear exposed, arms halfway up.
He was on the couch, turned around and laughed. You’re ridiculous. He started to get up, but he wasn’t moving fast enough and panic started to settle in.
Get me out! I need to get out! I…I…I…I can’t breathe!! Before I could stop myself, I was in full blown panic attack mode, sobbing and all. Because I was stuck in a dress.
I couldn’t get out of the dress fast enough. Chuckling, he moseyed over to me and pulled the dress up over my head.
See! I yelled. A T-shirt wouldn’t ever trap you!
And that, my friends, is why I’ll never be a fashion blogger.
Because I get stuck in my clothes.
by Joey | Oct 20, 2015 | Throwback
My junior year of college, one of our friends confided in me that he’d bought a ring and was proposing to his girlfriend. Instead of feeling happy and excited, I was overwhelmed with jealousy.
It didn’t matter that we were only twenty years old, but my boyfriend and I had been together for 4.5 years, and I thought it was only fair that I get a proposal, too.
It was like a switch had been flipped. Suddenly, if it wasn’t a proposal, I was miserable. I was poison. Toxic. I missed out on every experience because I was too busy pouting over something that in the end wouldn’t matter.
He didn’t propose until spring 2009. One year after college graduation. And the moment he handed me a ring, the switch turned off. It was like I woke up from this haze and realized how much time I’d wasted being miserable over something that I knew would eventually come when the time was right.
Despite how isolated I felt, I’ve learned in the last 6.5 years that I was definitely not alone in this feeling. My self inflicted misery might have lasted a little longer than most (cough, thanks husband. I kid…sort of), but apparently a lot of girls can relate to the all consuming impatience that I felt all those years ago.
I watched many of my friends get engaged. I stood at their sides when they tied the knot, a diamond embarrassingly lacking from my left hand. With every wedding, every holiday, every gathering, the questions and comments flooded in, fueling the fire. You’re next…or are you? So, when are you getting married. …tick tock tick tock tick tock.
I felt this enormous pressure over something I had absolutely no control over. It didn’t seem to be enough that J and I had gone through hell and somehow still survived. It didn’t matter that we were 100% committed to each other. I needed a piece of jewelry to validate our relationship to the world.
A few weeks ago, while on a coffee date, a new friend confided in me, sharing her feelings on her situation. Suddenly, I was sitting across the table from the twenty year old version of myself and my heart instantly recognized that suffocating, uncontrollable impatience.
Well, she asked. Do you have any advice on the situation?
I wish I did. I wish I had the magic words to make that feeling evaporate from her heart, from your heart. But I don’t. All I can tell you is that in the end, it doesn’t matter. The moment J handed me a ring, the evil sitting in my soul deflated in a single, relieving breath. I instantly regretted it all. I think back over every event, every date, every supposedly fun outing that ended in all consuming sobs, and I want to shake the former version of myself, telling her to just let it be.
Try to be present in the moment. Celebrate your relationship in its current season. You don’t get this time back. I missed out on the last two years of our dating relationship because I was blindly trying to navigate it to the place it was already heading. Instead of speeding up the process, I missed everything in those last moments of our journey.
Don’t be like me. It feels nearly impossible to just trust timing, I know, but take it from me there’s no going back. I’m not proud of the person I was in that season of my life. But I learned the lesson so hopefully you don’t have to.
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by Joey | Oct 19, 2015 | Throwback
I hit Target the other day (are you even surprised?) and saw that the Airwick fall scents were on sale for $4.99 (two inserts and a plug in). I didn’t even think twice, boop boop boop, in to my basket went three different packs, thank you very much.
When I got home, J and I were in a hurry to pop out for a much overdue date night (thanks to my sweet bosses who insisted they treat us to dinner one night this weekend) but while the hubs took the pup outside, I ran around the house switching the warmers out. And then I forgot all about it.
We walked over to Tupelo Honey (I’m still in awe of the fact that we live somewhere that we can walk to date night. I think living in Buies Creek has scarred me for life). It was absolute bliss. It’d been entirely too long since we’d purposely gone on a date. We put the phones away, shared a bottle of wine, ate incredible food (I had the maple glazed salmon which oh my gosh yes yum!) and chatted about all things life. Our walk back home was almost freezing. I loved it.
We raced upstairs, and when I opened the door to our apartment, fall smacked me in the face! Bliss!
Since the weather and our apartment were reflecting the wonderful season of fall, I was inspired to rock a casual fall makeup look on Sunday! Bring on all the golden shadows and berry lips!!
Fall is here, friends!!
