personal essays - Page 2 of 16

update #3 about my no shopping challenge

November 9, 2018November 8, 2018By JoannaPosted in fashion, personal essays

It’s been a hot minute since I shared an update with you about my No Shopping Challenge! Between the kitchen renovation and planning the wedding, I haven’t really had the time, energy, or resources to do much shopping… which is sort of awesome because it’s really helped me to get back into the groove of this challenge. The last time I checked in, I had slipped up a little over the summer with my shopping and was hoping to get back on track. Let me just say… having all your money wrapped up in a renovation is a great way to avoid buying new clothes!

Continue reading “update #3 about my no shopping challenge” →

update #2 about my no shopping challenge

August 1, 2018December 17, 2018By JoannaPosted in fashion, personal essays

Full disclosure: I am a bit nervous about writing this post and have actually been putting it off! My goal with my no shopping challenge for 2018 was to share quarterly check ins with you guys. But, as you can probably guess from my silence about it, I’ve gotten off track. And when I say ‘off track,’ I mean really, really off track… The last time I shared an update, I was doing so well, but I think between travel and a few really tempting sales, I have lost sight of my goals. So it’s time to come clean with you guys, confess what I bought, and set some intentions for moving forward!

Continue reading “update #2 about my no shopping challenge” →

how I (try to) find peace

June 29, 2018July 4, 2018By JoannaPosted in personal essays, wellness

Wow, I’m really crankin’ out the personal essays this week… but with Wednesday’s news of Justice Kennedy’s retirement, I went into a full blown tizzy. While I was traveling, the news of what our government is doing to immigrant children broke and I got upset. I’m not proud to admit this, but the news felt distant because I was abroad. I was able to stop crying about it, donate to the ACLU, and put it out of my mind until I returned. Same with the passing of Anthony Bourdain. Now that I’m back into my day-to-day routine though, it feels like I risk feeling constantly overwhelmed our dumpster fire news cycle. It is so hard to find peace these days, but a few things have helped me and I wanted to share them with you in case you feel the same way:

Continue reading “how I (try to) find peace” →

musings about creativity & my trip to Italy

June 25, 2018June 27, 2018By JoannaPosted in personal essays, travel

Here’s the thing about travel that we all know, yet often forget: it’s life changing. By that I mean that the simple act of traveling alters your perspective on so many things. Lifestyle… priorities… even the acceptability of eating cheese and cured meats for dinner instead of a planned-to-the-T meal. My trip to Italy brought inspiration in a two-fold fashion: creatively thanks to the workshop and personally thanks to a week and a half of exploring. I had a whole other blog post scheduled for today, but pulled it because writing this post felt more urgent and necessary. So let’s start with my creative takeaways…

Continue reading “musings about creativity & my trip to Italy” →

how to go on a shopping freeze without turning into a hermit

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018By JoannaPosted in personal essays, entertaining

Ok, today’s post is going to cover a question I’ve been getting lately regarding going on a shopping freeze. I think it’s a super legitimate concern and one I’ve had myself, so it deserves its own post.

The question: how do you go on a shopping freeze without completely turning into a hermit?

To be frank, I think every situation is what we make it, and it’s no different for a shopping freeze. For me, I try not to make it a big deal to myself or others. If I keep a more relaxed perspective, and not worry about things like becoming a hermit because I want to spend my money more wisely, then the pressure to avoid it kind of floats away. That’s not to say I never have those thoughts, though. So when I do find myself in certain situations, this is how I’ve been handling it:

Continue reading “how to go on a shopping freeze without turning into a hermit” →

reflecting on the year after my accident

May 8, 2018May 8, 2018By JoannaPosted in personal essays

A year ago today I almost died. I actually don’t know if that’s true or not but in my brain it feels very true. You can read about the details of my accident here, but essentially breaking my leg kept me from pitching forward another 12’ head first. I think about that fact a lot. I don’t profess to be an expert in trauma or PTSD or even anything really, but the past year has brought some of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced and, as I share more and more with you guys about my personal life, I wanted to also share this.

Continue reading “reflecting on the year after my accident” →

update #1 about my ‘no shopping’ challenge

April 26, 2018December 17, 2018By JoannaPosted in fashion, personal essays

When I decided on my no shopping challenge back in January, I had no idea what to expect. Would I feel a crazy impulse to buy buy buy? Would I unlock some magical, zen approach to getting dressed? Would I get so tired of the same pair of jeans that I’d go nuts and buy 15 new ones? When I initially wrote the post, it seemed like a lot of you felt the same way I did about shopping, that you were totally spent and needed a shift in attitude toward the entire idea of buying. I wanted to check in with you guys to not only update you, but also to share some anecdotes about these past 4 months of going without buying clothing, accessories, or jewelry.

Continue reading “update #1 about my ‘no shopping’ challenge” →