Every Sunday, I stop by to share with you a few raw and real stories from my week in The Sunday Edit. Stories where I edited struggles into strengths and found Gem moments when shining seemed impossible. You’ll also find what products have been making my life easier, what new Gem finds I’ve come across, and the best sales going on right now!
**This post may contain affiliate (which means I make a small commission when you shop from them) and sponsored links (gifted items are indicated with a [c/o] and sponsored links with a [sp]) 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.**
Last Week on The Gem:
- He Said, She Said: The Pittsburgh Zoo (we had so much fun!)
- Flattering One-Piece Swimsuits for Women Under $100
- Exploring New Hope, PA & Lambertville, NJ (such charming little towns!)
- The Sunday Edit – Volume 4
Coming This Week:
- How to Wear Wide Leg Cropped Pants – Two Ways
- (I haven’t decided what else is coming this week, lol)
Life Stuff:
When I really got serious about making this my full time thing, two ish (?) years ago, I was definitely in a gloomy place. I had already fell in love with the world of blogging, but everyone was only ever sharing the amazing things happening in their lives (and I didn’t feel like I had much of that to share at the time).
So, I wanted a place that shared fun, pretty, and happy things, but also real stuff, too. Some days, it’s been so hard to seek out the good to share because when you’re in a downhearted place, it’s a challenge to see the world with happy glasses on – let alone share it with others. But, I knew only sharing the real, raw, not-always-uplifting stuff wouldn’t get me very far either. I kept searching for good things to share with you while also staying authentic. I forced myself to put together cute outfits, find cool stuff, and dig out words to share even on days when I didn’t feel like it. This process of constantly creating content to share that helps you live with less stress is exactly what holds me accountable to doing it myself, and it’s helped me find more brightness in my own life. I found some evidence of that the other day!
On Thursday, I was dying to wear these lightweight summer pants, so Shaun and I decided to head to one of the cute streets close to our house to take a few photos. When I went to edit them the next day, for the first time in forever, I felt like I looked happy (and no, I really don’t think it was the ice cream that did it, because most of the photos that you’ll see in an upcoming post were taken before I purchased those scrumptious scoops!). Side note: I can’t find this same pair of pants anywhere, BUT this pair of striped pants is almost identical, here’s a similar cropped style, and this pair of pleated pants is also very similar.
I know you probably can’t tell, but almost every time I look at the photos we take, I think to myself, “ughh, I look so tired and exhausted”. Slowly but surely, I do think my life has been coming together (or maybe I’m just getting better at emotionally managing the craziness?). Looking back on the past few months, it does feel like I’ve had more happy, upbeat moments overall – and I’ve worked really hard to seek out more of them! But to actually look at photos and genuinely see it on my face just gives me such a crazy feeling. It’s tangible proof that I’m getting better at enjoying life rather than stressing my way through it and that feels so, so good.
For some people, happiness is really easy. But for me, even when happiness is there in front of me, I always question if it’s deserved or what might go wrong next or if there’s some other issue I should currently be dealing with (all thanks to my anxiety). It’s a very weary way to live, and after lots of mental work, I’m proud of myself for starting to get to the point where I can choose happiness over stress. My hope is that through this community and the content we focus on here at The Gem, that’s a point you can get to as well. We’re in this together. <3
If this message landed with you at all or if you have had any similar experiences, I would be SO honored if you’d share a little bit of your heart with me in the comments section!
In Other News…
- My friend recently gave me this Cupshe Bikini, and while the top doesn’t fit me quite right, I’m OBSESSED with the high-waisted bottoms (it’s only $27 for the set, so who cares about the top if the bottoms are perfect?!). I’ve worn them twice this week because I love the coverage they give, they flatter my tummy, and I feel so adorable wearing them!
- I’m equally obsessed with the fringe one-piece bathing suit I got this year! In fact, I’m so obsessed with one-piece swimsuits overall right now that I rounded up a bunch of flattering options here and here.
- With dreamy summer pictures and outfits popping up left and right from my favorite bloggers, I literally can’t stop pinning and hanging out on Pinterest! Come pin with me!
- I brought back the Gem Nation Facebook Group!! If you’d like a supportive, helpful group of online besties, come join us here. I need some help getting the momentum going again, so please feel free to pop in with questions on all things fashion, beauty, travel, and life related!
- As someone who is always looking to become more aware of my emotions and how to address them, I thought this article on 25 ways to comfort yourself when you don’t know what’s wrong was such an insightful and time-worthy read.
Latest Finds & Sales:
- Julia Engel from Gal Meets Glam totally knocked it out of the park with her June dress collection. I’m dying to slide this floral maxi dress into my closet!
- If you’re still looking for the perfect 4th of July dress, you can’t go wrong with gingham. This jumpsuit, this dress, and this one-shoulder shirt are all great cookout-worthy options, and they are from Amazon so they can get to you just in time!
- For summer, I always stock up on a few pairs of really cheap (but still fashionable!) sunglasses for days at the beach, pool, or park so that I don’t care too much if they break or get lost. These white retro sunglasses, these red and polka dot cat eye sunglasses, and these oversized ones with cool purple lenses all have awesome reviews and are all under $10!
- H&M has some amazing Fourth of July deals starting at just $4 now through 7/4!
- Have you heard of COS? I just recently fell in love with their essential and functional styles, and they’re having a MAJOR summer sale right now. This black romper is about to be your go-to for everything, and I bet this peach pleated-waist dress is just so flattering when it’s on!
- At Macy’s until 7/8, code FOURTH will get you 20% off of their forth of July sale! Tarte’s Tarteist™ Quick Dry Matte Lip Paints are half off, and this must-have seersucker jumpsuit is less than half the regular price!
