In This Post: Don’t get me wrong, outfits are important, but so is talking about real life and everyday moments, too. That’s what my Sunday Edits are for – connecting with you on the not so Instagram worthy moments that happen each week. I also include a few of my favorite things!
**This post may contain affiliate links (which means I make a small commission when you shop from them) and gifted items because we all have to pay our bills, and I’d rather keep creating awesome content for you than get a real job. All opinions are my own.**
New on The Gem:
- A Stay at Hotel Indigo Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Where to Stay in Winston-Salem: Kimpton Cardinal Hotel
- Where to Stay in New Bern, North Carolina: The Jarvis at 220
- Exploring New Bern, North Carolina
- The Sunday Edit – Volume 38
- Fall Wardrobe Essentials for 2019 That Should Be in Your Closet
- Most Read Post: Structuring Your Daily Routine to Promote Strong Mental Health
- Most Purchased Gem Find: Gal Meets Glam Jessie Dress
- Most Clicked Gem Find: 2020 PowerSheets are Coming!
This Week in Life:
Ohhh Gems,
Where do the hours go? Where do the days go? Life feels like its suck on “fast forward” right now.
On one hand, I’m okay with it because this is not my favorite season and I am so set on moving that I just cannot wait for that time to come. On the other hand, I have no idea how to fit in all the things that need to happen before I move! I keep saying I’ll dedicate more time to purging, packing, and house hunting, but it seems near impossible to find that time when I’m constantly playing catch up. Life feels like it’s in a very delicate balance right now. Everything is just barely working and if I prioritize the wrong thing, miss a deadline, or spend too long or too little on one area of my life, it might just all fall apart. I’m just kind of coasting along trying to find moments of happiness in between some really intense personal/family stuff that’s going on.
I am doing a better job though of carving out time to enjoy more of life and take care of myself even when my capacity seems maxed out. I sat work aside this weekend to spend lots of time with my niece. I was able to shoot two different sets of outfit photos this weekend while out exploring with friends. I even (finally) started physical therapy for pain that hasn’t really backed off since I got rear-ended last year. I also haven’t had time to take workout classes, but I have been carving out 30-45 minutes to workout at home almost every morning which has been a really efficient and effective alternative compared to not working out at all.
It’s really cool to write these words while reflecting on my week because it has made me realize that maybe I’m doing a better job at coping and keeping all the plates spinning in the air than I thought. Sometimes going to therapy every week or the work that I do day-to-day to try and manage my stress levels better doesn’t always seem like it’s making a difference. Then I’ll have moments like this where I can look back and see things that I handled differently than how I would have before and I can tell it all pays off.
Keep scrolling for this week’s shines and struggles, what I’m loving, photos from this week, sales you don’t want to miss, and what I could use your help on!
Shines:
- I just love my new camera so much. It makes such a difference in the sharpness of my photos and I’m really grateful that it performs much better in less than ideal lighting situations so that I can continue the photography aspect of my business when it becomes too cold to take photos outside!
- I have a dermatology appointment tomorrow! This is really exciting because I haven’t seen a specialist yet about the adult acne that I’ve been dealing with for years.
- Gal Meets Glam Collection is launching OUTERWEAR. Every one of these coats is just so dreamy.
- I spent a good chunk of the day on Thursday with my friend Alex at Simmons Farm (I highly recommend going there to pick apples in the fall!). It always feels so good to be around someone else who is fueled by creativity. I feel so happy and inspired after our days together. One memorable moment was Alex saying, “sometimes flowers are nicer than people” and I’m putting that in here because it will make me giggle (since it’s quite true) when I come back to read this again someday!
- Yesterday, I discovered a new ice cream place and coffee shop in the Pittsburgh area called Churn and it was completely noteworthy. First of all, I was already impressed that their ice cream was homemade, but their flavor selection was a home run, too! I opted for a waffle cone with a scoop of s’mores and a scoop of salted caramel cookie dough, but honestly, it was really hard to narrow it down to two flavors and I cannot wait to go back to try more. The best way to enjoy an ice cream cone in the fall is by having a cup of coffee in your other hand, so I ordered a cookie dough latte which was just as tasty as the ice cream! Also, the staff was just happy and delightful, which I greatly appreciated!
Struggles:
- There are so many things I want to do and there’s never enough time to do them. I’ve always struggled with this to an extent because I’m a creative and I’m always coming up with new thoughts and ideas, but it seems especially bad right now.
- Recently, a lot of my energy and emotions have been tried up by the ripple effects of someone else’s actions. As hard and exhausting as it is, it’s also made me realize how much power our decisions can have in affecting the people around us. Even decisions that feel really personal – decisions that we feel like are only ours to make – have impacts that we are often completely unaware of. I’m not saying that we need to make every decision or any decision based on what’s best for other people in our lives instead of ourselves. However, I do think that moving forward on those decisions (especially when they go against the popular opinion of our inner circle) with grace, compassion, and acknowledgment for the emotional tolls they take can really go a long way in maintaining relationships and respect.
This Week in Photos:
6 month photos of the cutest little lady, previews of a cozy fall outfit that you’ll see on The Gem soon + mini sessions from last weekend that I photographed!
Asking for help on:
- I need tall boots and I can’t find any that fit! I have muscular calves that never fit into regular boots but they aren’t big enough for “wide calf” boots. Any recommendations?
- Please let me know if you ever see typos in my content! I’m a one-woman show and it’s always so helpful when people catch the mistakes a miss.
