Hey there, friends!

Today, I thought it’d be fun to do something a little different and just share five things on my mind and / or heart today, in addition to this cute outfit!

+ In case you missed it, I am heading to Spain in a few weeks. One of my best friends, Whitney, and I are flying to Madrid and venturing immediately up to San Sebastian, a spot I have heard nothing but amazing things about. Then, we’ll head back down to Madrid to spend a few days exploring the city with Whitney’s good friend, Brenna! If you have recommendations for either of these places, I’d love if you could email me here.

+ This is the trip I was referring to when I shared an idea I had about having other bloggers take-over my blog while I’m gone in an effort to share other bloggers [that I love] y’all may find serve you in areas I don’t as well as give me some guilt-free time away! I have sent emails to the bloggers I’d love be a part of this and am really looking forward to seeing how it all pans out! So far, I have two confirmed “yes’s”! I’m doing my best to make sure the blog posts that these ladies will be sharing are posts that you have asked me to share in the recent past as a way to get those answers to you sooner and by ladies who are just as, if not moreso, equipped to answer them! Can’t wait to share more!

+ Speaking of taking time off, I always seem to experience burn out after the launch of Nordstrom Anniversary Sale’s Public Access. I always put in so many extra hours to ensure the coverage I’m offering y’all is the best and, while I have been a little hard on myself for various reasons on my coverage this year, I always just think it’s a good idea to take a few days off to breathe. If I’m honest, even though I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else for a living right now, I do sometimes struggle with the idea that because influencers work in social media, that they have to always be ‘on’. They always have to be sharing on Instagram. You can’t take days off, whatsoever. It’s such an unhealthy thought and way of life and, sadly, I really don’t think that many influencers allow themselves to ‘clock out’ completely for more than a couple of hours. They believe the lie that they HAVE to post and it makes me afraid that that feeling, that need, is tied to something deeper. A book that really spoke to so many of my feelings was “Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist. She speaks a little bit to that here:

I have most certainly been guilty of allowing the work and hustle and, maybe, being seen as a ‘successful’ blogger would prove my worth. And, I think, when I took a step back in London, and was forced to really invest in relationships and experiences, I started to 1. freak out a little bit that I couldn’t continue to try and earn this love / validation and 2. realize that it matters more to be present in life over being seen as perfect. So, this book was such a helpful and good read for me and I thought about it this past weekend and how I needed to read it again. While I know now the importance of stopping and allowing yourself to unplug and connect one-on-one with people, I think the words that Shauna uses in the book will certainly be positive reinforcement for me partaking in that behavior, especially when it’s most certainly not the norm in my industry. Also, I’m by no means saying I’m a pioneer and I’m the only one who takes time off in my industry. I’m sure there are other bloggers who do and don’t feel the need to call out that they do but, for whatever reason, I feel really convicted to say something because I want other influencers to know it’s okay if they really want to take time off but also worry about being penalized by Instagram or just live by this idea that you can’t take a day off. Some influencers share every day because they genuinely want to but others, like myself, sometimes do need to recharge completely and that’s okay, too. If you want to take time off from time to time, but are afraid to, just remember … what we lose personally by always putting our work ahead of our own mental well-being, personal relationships, etc. is far greater than what we lose professionally. Taking care of YOU is the only way you can take care of your relationships, friendships, household and ultimately the audience that follows, loves and cares for you. So, don’t feel guilty!

+ Here are some of my favorite quotes from ‘Present Over Perfect’:

“Present is living with your feet firmly grounded in reality, pale and uncertain as it may seem. Present is choosing to believe that your own life is worth investing deeply in, instead of waiting for some rare miracle or fairytale. Present means we understand that the here and now is sacred, sacramental, threaded through with divinity even in its plainness. Especially in its plainness.” 

“What kills a soul? Exhaustion, secret keeping, image management. And what brings a soul back from the dead? Honesty, connection, grace”

“[Present over perfect is] about rejecting the myth that every day is a new opportunity to prove our worth, and about the truth that our worth is inherent, given by God, not earned by our hustling.”

“Many of us, myself, included, considered our souls necessary collateral damage to get done the things we felt we simply had to get get done – because of other people’s expectations, because we want to be know as highly capable, because we’re trying to outrun an inner emptiness. And for a while we don’t even realize the compromise we’ve made. We’re on autopilot, chugging through the day on fear and caffeine, checking things off the list, falling into bed without even a real thought or feeling or connection all day long, just a sense of having made it through.” 

+ Before Spain, I have a lot of fun blog posts coming y’alls way, including some travel diaries I owe you guys, my first cruelty-free beauty post, and a home decor post! Which one are you most excited about?

Don’t miss this cute top! It is great for Summer, as well as Spring and Fall! I’m wearing an XS and it runs true to size. These jeans are an old favorite! Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below!

I still owe y’all giveaway winners for the beauty giveaway I did over the weekend! I apologize for the delay! My list was super long yesterday and I’m currently writing this at 1:00AM so I promise I’ll pick them today and add them to this post by this afternoon! I appreciate your patience! Have a great day, lovelies, and thanks so much for stopping by! xo.