by Joey | Sep 18, 2015 | beauty, Loves, Real Life
I’m pretty brand loyal to
Julep these days. To be honest, if you’re going to spend more than $3 on a nail polish, they’re just the way to go. They last the longest, apply the smoothest, and I really just love the whole concept of
receiving new polishes in the mail every month.
But my first love, back when my obsession with nail polish started
with this particular shade, was OPI. I’m not sure I see any difference in quality over my beloved $1.99 wet n wild Megalast polishes (in fact, I think the megalast polishes last longer), but I am a fan of the shade selection OPI offers.
While it’s still way too hot to dive into fall fashion, I’m all about the fall nail polish shades these days. Overexposed in South Beach is an old favorite!
What are some of your all time favorite fall shades?
Happy Friday, friends!
**Julep links are affiliate. Julep is a monthly subscription service. Using the link, you can receive your first customized box for just $2.99. Cancel or skip a month any time!
by Joey | Sep 17, 2015 | Throwback
I could tell you about how I went out to dinner at a new Ramen place with Kim, or how I’ve been trying to snap (johodgespodges) my days to decide if I want to vlog again. I could talk about how I’m anxious to start writing another book, or I could thank you all so so much for all the well wishes and support on yesterday’s post. But instead I’ll tell you that the husband came home from work with the vomits.
I’m literally locked in my not-big-enough-for-a-twin-bed-office, hiding. We all know how the vomits go. I give myself less than 24 hours.
I stupidly went to bed after midnight last night then dreamt that not only was I weathering a literal tornado while outside, but I was also having an unfortunate encounter with my former bff as our shelter (read: picnic table) was blowing away. I could draw so many parallels between that dream and my life right now. I’m choosing to ignore it, I think. That cocktail left me feeling less than awesome all day. And now I’m having a hard time convincing myself that I won’t lose that expensive Ramen dinner in the middle of the night.
Mind over matter, Joey. Mind over matter.
I’ve also managed to lose something in our 1000 square foot apartment. I’m not even sure how that’s possible. Needless to say, I feel a little like I’m losing my mind.
So with all of that said (or not said, rather), I’m going to sign off and wish you all a happy vomit-free Thursday!
I can hope, right?
It’s too late, isn’t it?
Get out of here while you can.
**insert face-mask emoji**
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by Joey | Sep 16, 2015 | Throwback
I’m twenty-nine years old, and I’m still trying to find myself. Fifteen year old Joey would be very disappointed in that fact. The old insecurities that you feel when you’re in high school tend to follow us into adulthood. We fight them off, one by one, with accomplishments. Am I the only one who feels like with each accomplishment, we’re fleshing ourselves out little by little?
I’ll admit that I wandered around lost for a good long while. My resume is an embarrassing display of one mistake after another. All the while, I knew writing was what I wanted. But I’m not the kind of girl who gets what she wants. Ugly thoughts on repeat kill dreams. You’re only standing in your own way.
Staring down monsters, swallowing the fear of failure, I pushed myself out of the miserable cycle. I was tired of taking jobs, marking time. I needed direction. I needed a plan.
What you might not know, the move to Charlotte was my fault. A football family from the start, each of our moves up until this point had been for J’s job. But Charlotte was the result of a plan that was barely a skeleton sketch at the time.
Back at the end of February, in the midst of a kind of chaos I can’t find the right words to describe, I asked myself an important question. I was so afraid that life was about to launch me back into an exhausting existence, doing everything but what I wanted.
What do I want?
I wrote it all out, plain and simple. I answered the question, following up with the steps required to make it happen. A direction. Nanny full-time while building the business. A plan.
I’m not sure I’ve ever shared this part of our story, but J found the listing for the job I currently have. He sent it to me on a Friday. I had a phone interview Sunday. In person interview Monday. Job offer Tuesday. I moved the following Monday. I was desperate for a sign that I was making the right decision, moving in the right direction. The sign came loud and clear.
When life took off, seeming to spiral out of control, I forgot all about that plan written in my paper journal. But somehow, deep down, I must have memorized the steps. And little by little, things have fallen into place. I only recently stumbled upon that journal entry written by a scared, unsure girl. I’d forgotten I’d written it. And if I’m honest, it was a humbling moment. I can remember that girl, the one who was so afraid of it all. And here I am, standing on the other side. Not to get all self-helpy on you, but friends? If you want something? GO AFTER IT. You can do it. And you deserve it. Your happiness is important.
Anyway…
After a lot of hard work, I’m really excited to share with you what I’ve been up to the last few months.
I’ve launched a freelance communications business! I still can hardly believe that I’m actually a business owner. I’ve shed a lot of layers the last few years, stripping down to the purest version of myself. And I am nothing if not a writer.
The website, which I designed and built myself (holy freaking cow) can be found
here! I have a photographer booked for late November to take personal images, so until then the site is a little bare, but it has everything it actually
needs. I’m a simple kind of girl, and the site was definitely a labor of love!
LLC paperwork has been filled out and filed, and I’m well on my way, friends!
I owe a huge thanks (gosh sometimes thanks doesn’t seem like big enough a word) to
Kat, who has been in my corner since day one, and who initially inspired me to stop dreaming and start
doing.
All my life, I’ve discounted myself. I’ve pushed what I want aside, scared to face the inevitable failure, judgement, opinions. If you’re anything like me, let me leave you with this. Whatever it is, do it. Stop marking time. Stop putting everyone and everything else first. You deserve the starring role of your own life.
by Joey | Sep 15, 2015 | beauty, Loves
I’m trying with the whole fashion thing, friends. I am. But I’m just discovering that I’m a very simple girl with very plain style. I’m okay with it, I think. I mean, the point isn’t to push myself into being someone I’m not. The point is to curate my style to look nice but to also still be me, right?
So I’m finding out something I already knew about myself. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. I prioritize comfort over all else. There’s a right way to maintain that style while still looking put together. I’m still working on it. How do you girls do it?
Simple doesn’t have to mean frumpy, I’m learning. I’ve found myself craving certain pieces of jewelry (a new experience for me, I can assure you). I’m always going to gravitate towards the $9 super comfortable, casual cotton tops at Target. I’m forever going to hunt down the perfect pair of jeans. It’s just who I am. But a few pieces of simple jewelry can tie everything together. Thank goodness for that. I look slightly ridiculous when I edge out of my comfort zone. Ridiculous isn’t exactly what I’m going for here.
Lately, I’ve been loving this charm bracelet. Since I was a kid, I’ve had an obsession with personal expression in this way. Remember the old, chain style charm bracelets? I had one that I just adored. I collected charms that meant something to my life at the time. I specifically remember the flute, book, music note, ballet slippers, and the snowman. Yeah, I’ve always been this cool. I’m not sure whatever happened to it. Mom?
While I really love the simplicity of the Pandora bracelets, I can’t justify the price tag. This one is extremely similar, and it does actually fit Pandora charms (you know, in case I ever pull the trigger on one) and the Soufeel charms fit the Pandora Chamilia bracelet (but cost much less). I chose Murano glass charms because they reminded me of my mom. She spent a few weeks in Italy a couple years ago and came back raving about all of the Murano glass. The pieces are all made with 925 sterling silver, and they have new, pre-sale charms every month.
I’m still on the hunt for a few dainty, long chained necklaces (recommendations?). And I do believe my next step will be to invest in a nice pair of earrings. I tend to lose earrings freakishly fast, so I think my only real option is to invest in a pair I can always wear (I’m lusting after a pair of diamond studs).
I think as long as I make the effort to accessories and wear the right shoes, this whole simple style thing might just work out. Here’s hoping, right?
If you love
this bracelet as much as I do, use the
coupon code 5Joey for 5% off your order!
**Soufeel offered me the opportunity to select a bracelet and charms to be sent in exchange for a post. I only accept offers that I’m truly interested in, and only share my honest opinions. They offer a 365 day return & exchange guarantee and free shipping worldwide on all orders over $50.**
by Joey | Sep 14, 2015 | Throwback
Hurdle after hurdle, this year keeps throwing twists and turns at us that should trip us up. I saw this image a few weeks ago, on a particularly hard day, and thought…yup.
But the truth is, the only real option is to just keep moving forward. It’s to the point now that when we hit a hurdle, J and I just look at each other, hold hands, and jump. We know what it’s all for. And no matter what the situation is, we have each other’s backs.
I get asked a lot about our marriage, our relationship. And the truth is, we’ve never actually had an easy go of it. From day one, things have been hard. A kind of hard that I’m not even sure I can articulate to you. The kind of hard that’s a book waiting to happen. But in reality, it was the best preparation for a happy, healthy, and strong marriage.
We joke sometimes that the one thing that was determined to destroy us only set us up to be indestructible.
We stand together, always. Our life is almost always chaos. We’re both constantly chasing after dreams, doing whatever it takes to make those happen. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. Every single day is different, producing some new unknown. And everything seems so damn scary almost all of the time. But it all seems possible with someone standing next to you, whispering in your ear the reminders you need to hear.
I’ve had this friend since I was thirteen. This boy who saw my future even before I could. The man who knew I’d become this woman, who practically pulled her out of me. The husband who taught me that I could do more, be more, have whatever I wanted, and helped me along the way. He’s stood by me, even when I wasn’t the best version of myself.
Failure is easier to swallow when you come home to someone who pushes you back out the door the next day, promising it’ll be better this time. And when it isn’t, they have ice cream waiting.
Life is hard, friends. And sometimes I think we have it harder than most (why? seriously, why?) but this hard life feels easy with him.
People ask me what to look for in a future spouse. They ask me but how do you know for sure? I’ll never understand why I’m the person these people ask; I know nothing about dating. I married the boy who sat behind me in 8th grade PE, who practically stalked me into dating him (who I then pestered into marrying me). But if I had to offer some words on the topic, I’d say to think about what could possibly be your worst day ever. Then think about the kind of person you’d want there with you in that moment. You’d probably want someone who could comfort you, listen to you, understand you even when you can’t say words. In my case, I wanted the guy who could make even my saddest heart laugh.
Find the person that even on your worst day, you can look at them and say you know, it’s lucky we still really like each other.
