Hey y’all-hope your week is off to a good start. I totally intended to have this blog post with this particular summer outfit up yesterday. However, if you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I felt extremely stressed and overwhelmed yesterday, so that didn’t happen. Anyways, I’ve regrouped and I’m back sharing details of a simple seersucker summer outfit I wore out to dinner at the beach a few weeks ago. In addition, I’m going to share some reflections I’ve had over the past 24 hours regarding my approach to blogging and life. Here goes the scoop!
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Featured Outfit: Navy Seersucker Skirt
One of my go-to formulas for outfits this summer has been a basic white tee with a cute skirt. (Note that the exact white v-neck tee I’m wearing is sold out, so I’ve linked a similar one). A few weeks ago I shared this look with a bright printed skirt. This look I’m sharing tonight is more subdued, but still classic and preppy summer look. My solid navy seersucker skirt by Lauren James’ collegiate line, Team LJ, is the focal piece of this outfit. I’m so glad I bought it on sale several months ago. It was perfect for putting together a simple seersucker summer outfit for a night out at the beach. Honestly, it’s great for any dressy casual summer outing or event. Unfortunately, this exact skirt is sold out. However, Team LJ still has this exact solid seersucker skirt in stock in purple, crimson, and red here. And although it’s not seersucker, Lauren James has this adorable navy skirt with side buttons and a scalloped hem. (Bonus-it’s currently 30% off.) In addition, J.Crew Factory has a navy scalloped hem elastic waist skirt, and LOFT has this navy textured jogger skirt.
Shoes & Accessories
Although I would have rather worn my navy & white classic Jack Rogers with this ensemble, I opted for my Jack Rogers jellies, since there was a chance of rain. You can shop all Jack Rogers here. My pink seersucker headband is Lauren James and is actually a few years old. However, there’s a very similar one currently available from Anthropologie, and it comes in a few different colors too. Check it out here. Whenever I wear a headband, I stick to simple stud earrings. My Kendra Scott pink opal studs are currently marked down to nearly 30% off the original price. I’ve had these since last October and love them! I opted for a simple Kendra Scott Elisa Pendant in Skye Blue Illusion. Side note-can you believe that just 18 months ago I didn’t own a single piece of Kendra Scott?! Then I carried my Tory Burch Tilda Nylon crossbody, which is my new go-to for nights when I want a smaller bag.
Ps. The sunset was unreal this evening at the beach! What a masterpiece by God!
Part Two: Re-evaluating My Life
Normally I would end a fashion post now, but I just feel compelled to share some of the reflections I’ve had over the past 24 hours or so. I want to share them while they’re fresh on my mind, and I simply want to fill y’all in ASAP on some changes I’m making in my life, especially because they will impact my blog. First off, y’all can exhale, because my blog is not going anywhere. I’m simply making some adjustments in order to have better balance and improve my mental health.
Last night after work, I literally started crying in Triple A because I was late for my oil change appointment and they weren’t able to get me in anymore. I thought that my appointment was 15 minutes later than it actually was, so by the time I got there I was about 20 minutes late. Missing an oil change appointment wasn’t that big a deal. It wasn’t like my oil levels were critically low, and I wasn’t leaving for a road trip the next day.
However, I realized the feelings I experienced when I had to reschedule this appointment symbolized the reality that I have felt very stressed and overwhelmed lately. Honestly, I’ve been downright physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted lately. Even though it might not be super obvious to the casual observer, these feelings have been very strong on the inside. Juggling a full-time job, blogging, Beautycounter business, social life, and home chores/errands was really starting to get the best of me. My apartment has been looking like a complete wreck about half the time, which was really stressing me out. In short, it just hit me suddenly that if I continued on this path, I would be on a collision course with complete burnout and breakdown.
Idolatry of the Heart
Therefore, I realized that I needed to make some adjustments ASAP. And one of the biggest things the Lord revealed to me is that my blog has become an idol for me. Over the past months, I have prioritized time working on my blog over time spent with the Lord. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Although we can find rest in Jesus, we do have to be intentional about coming to Him.
And it occurred to me that part of why I have felt so exhausted lately is because I haven’t been spending enough time with the Lord lately. I haven’t been seeking true rest in Him. Instead, I have looked to other things, like blogging, to fill the void that only He can fill. Idolatry isn’t limited to worshipping a golden calf. Seeking worldly pleasures doesn’t only include engaging in sin such as premarital sex and drunkenness. It can be seeking things that are actually really good (i.e. blogging, hobbies, relationships), but when placed ahead of God, they hinder one’s walk with the Lord and are detrimental.
Ps. if you’ve had sex before marriage or gotten drunk, please know that I am not judging you at all. Although I may not have done those things, I have sinned in so many ways on account of the idolatry in my heart. And that grieves God just as much. But the good news is that He freely offers forgiveness to those who lay it all at the foot of the cross and accept Him as their Savior. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
Something’s Gotta Give
In addition to not spending enough time with the Lord, I have also neglected sleep in order to work on my blog. This definitely contributes to my low energy levels. As I alluded to above, I’m not quitting blogging, because I do truly enjoy the creative outlet and the community. However, if I don’t make some changes with respect to my blogging life, I will eventually burn out and quit blogging altogether.
Therefore, to prevent this from happening, I am scaling back to publishing two new blog posts each week. I have simply realized that some of my issues are due to putting too much pressure on myself to get three blog posts up each week. As I’ve continued to blog, I’ve realized a lot of my posts tend to be on the longer side. In addition, I want to be sure I’m publishing posts that I’m proud of and will be beneficial to y’all. And I’ve concluded that it’s simply not feasible to do this three times a week in the long run.
Furthermore, as much as I love the community and connections I’ve formed through blogging, I also don’t want to neglect being present with my real life community. Honestly, I’ve been so tired lately I haven’t had much energy for doing anything social after work this summer. I’ve used needing to work on my blog as an excuse for staying in. In actuality, I’ve felt so tired that I haven’t even been productive on my blog when I’ve stayed in. I definitely don’t want this pattern to continue. Plus BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) will start back up in the fall. Also, I am going to finally get plugged back into a small group at my church in the fall.
The New Normal
So starting next week, my plan is to publish a new blog post every Monday and Thursday. Of course, there will be occasional exceptions to this depending on my personal life and special events I want to cover. This new schedule will give me 3-4 days between posts, and more opportunities to work ahead on future week’s posts so I can be more present in my daily life and not scrambling around. Thank you so much to everyone on Instagram who was so supportive of me scaling back to two posts per week for the sake of my stamina and mental health. This change I’m making is me surrendering and being obedient to God with where He has me right now. It’s also trusting that He will open the right doors at the right time regarding my future hopes and dreams.
If you’ve read this entire post, you’re amazing! I realized this is a bit unusual to have a fashion post blended with a deeper more vulnerable life post. However, I had already planned to publish this outfit to the blog this week. And there’s still lots of content I have planned in the coming weeks. Thus, I wanted to go ahead and get all these thoughts out in the open without delaying other posts I’m wanting to write soon!
-xoxo Liz
