5 THINGS
February 1st, 2013
Photos by Erica
I just wrote this, in short, on instagram…but I thought I’d share it here as well since I normally don’t do this sort of thing. Here are 5 things you might not know about me (a chocolate bar for those who make it all the way to the end!) :
1. I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 11. I had seizures…violent shaking and sometimes foaming of the mouth. I had no idea it was happening, other than feeling really sore and fatigued the next day. I think it took a bigger toll on my parents who worried about me constantly, wondering if it was something I would have to battle with all my life. Or if it would eventually cause me some sort of brain damage. I remember going into middle school my mom had to inform all of my teachers of my condition in case something was to happen in class. I was put on an anti-seizure medicine called depakote for 2 years, which caused me to gain weight pretty quickly. I was always a runt, so I remember those years feeling even more shy, awkward and unconfident than I already was. By the grace of God my seizures went away before high school and were labeled as juvenile onset, with no clear explanation.
2. I’m a slob. I don’t share a lot of pictures of my house because more often that not it is scattered with clothes, art supplies, toys…you name it. It’s gotten worse since I’ve started working from home. I’m good at making messes, and not so good at picking them up. Sometimes I just wish I had a house keeper following me around all day. My husband on the other hand is a neat freak and overly minimalistic (he gets rid of everything!). So basically, I am his biggest pet peeve. I’m kidding, kind of. I’m by no means a hoarder….but I do like to save my Christmas ornaments for the NEXT year! Yeah, it’s that bad.
3. I was kind of a jock in high school, though most people would never guess it. I played basketball, volleyball and softball year around. I actually played travel ball (softball) since elementary school with my 2 sisters who are 1 year older and 1 year younger than me…and our dad was always our coach. I traveled all over the place for tournaments with my family….dad as the coach and mom as the snack lady… and I remember that being a big part of my childhood. I see now how lucky we were to have parents so invested, but back then I just thought it was normal. I love that I am able to throw a football like a guy and school the boys in a game of horse….in heels. I think my dad’s way of accepting the fact that he had a house full of women was to at least get us into athletics. He sure did and we loved it. Since then, I have fallen off the athletic wagon in a bad way. I despise the gym and find every excuse not to go, though i’ve been trying to motivate myself for years. It just doesn’t compare to the thrill of competitive sports, and a lot of times, I really miss it.
4. Sometimes I dream about packing my bags, moving to the country, and living a simpler life. Maybe in an old southern house with a big porch and a lot of land where my kids could run and play. But then I think how much I would miss the post office being down the street, Trader Joe’s around the corner, and the beach just 5 minutes away. And oh, not to mention the weather. I think I would miss that the most. And then, when I flesh out all the things I would miss about home, I realize I am better off staying put! But boy, sometimes that big porch is all I want.
5. I call Rylee my miracle baby. Not because it was a miraculous conception (although it was close to that too….surprise!) but because she healed me. Before I got pregnant I was battling severe food allergies. It was back when the “gluten-free” isle at the grocery store didn’t exist and most digestive problems were diagnosed as IBS. It was a long time before I discovered that gluten and dairy were the culprits of my pain. I was put on a strict diet and tons of daily supplements. When I first discovered I was pregnant, I was just barely beginning to feel better, so my first reaction to the news was fear. I just didn’t know how my body could grow a strong healthy baby, when I didn’t feel healthy myself. But I slowly discovered as I was pregnant, that those foods that used to leave me curled on the couch for days, no longer had the same effect. It was like a reset button was pushed….and it literally changed my life. Rylee changed my life. I picked up some pretty terrible eating habits while I was pregnant because I was finally able enjoy the foods I was deprived of for so long…..but that’s beside the point. My allergies never returned. And hopefully they never will.
I decided to add 6….because there’s more.
Since becoming a mom and quitting my full time job, i’ve struggled a lot with the direction I want to take with my career. If it would be better to invest more time in this blog and grow it as a business, or if I want to invest more time in my art and design, and have that be my source of income. As a new mom, I found it really hard to do both (i’ve talked about this before). To be honest, I havn’t made a dime off this blog. Not counting the occasional free clothes or products I get. Some people think i’m crazy for declining sponsorship opportunities….but there has always been a part of me that doesn’t feel like it’s right to be taking people’s money, when I wasn’t comfortable yet with devoting 100% of my time and effort here. Does that make sense? You still probably think i’m crazy….but it’s just how I feel. I told myself I wouldn’t take on any sponsorships until I felt like this space was exactly how I wanted it….re-branded and 100% me. I talked about re-designing my entire site in early 2012….and obviously, a year later, that still hasn’t happened. I feel like last year I failed in a lot of ways…..but I also think I know so much more about what I do want because I’ve contemplated this decision for so long. But I’m sick of thinking…tired of worrying. I finally feel like I am ready to take the strides to make things happen, and i’m more motivated than I’ve been in a long time. Changes are a comin’.
If you are a blogger and you haven’t already read Megan’s re-cap of Alt Summit, you ought to. I didn’t go to Alt, I wish I would have….but so much of what she wrote rang so true for me. I love what she said here:
“The truth is, keeping up is not what matters, instead just do what you love. Tell the story you want in the way you think it should be told . There is no mold or formula to success. Create what you want to see, work hard, and be nice. That is it.”
