I’m Alive, Y’all!

I know y’all have probably been wondering, what in the world happen to Eboni? I kinda just fell completely off the map, but I can’t really apologize because I reaaaaally needed the break. The mental break actually started a while ago before the physical break when I wrote this post about gaining 12 pounds, only at the time I didn’t realize it. It didn’t really hit me until Fab and I headed to Denver for my job’s semi-annual conference. Usually, when I travel for my job, I enter into a really disciplined work mindset. I prepare myself mentally for long days on my feet working the conference, and late nights working on blog stuff. Even when I’ve scheduled guest posts in the past, I still spent my evenings in my hotel laying out the guest posts…or sourcing content and preparing for upcoming blog posts upon my return. But, this time Fab came with me and for part of the trip, we were visiting with some of his friends from law school, which meant I had to close my laptop, leave my iPad in my bag, and minimize my social media time….in other words, enjoy the good company of our friends and stay off the damn internet! Lol. Normally, that would totally stress me out because I’d try to enjoy myself, but it would be nearly impossible to escape the nagging reminders about all the things I had to do when I got home…but you know that mental break I mentioned earlier…well, little did I know it had settled in an made itself comfortable. You guys…I felt soooooooo FREE. I mean, seriously, I didn’t even think about the blog. I wasn’t totally unplugged, but if you follow me on Instagram, you know I posted a ton of pics of me and Fab having a great time in the Mile High City….but barely any of those posts were about fashion or what I was wearing…they were just about enjoying life. Then I came back to Atlanta, and I didn’t want to let go of that feeling of freedom. Every morning, I told myself that I was going to jump back in on the blog….and every night, I cuddled up on the couch while my laptop lay shut and powered down on the desk in my office. Then, I told myself I’d get started on the weekends…but the weekends came and went while I hung out with my friends, playing board games and jumping from one brunch spot to the next, and my my camera just continued to collect dust on my bookshelf.

I finally surrendered. I let myself take a break. And, I’ll be totally honest, I considered shutting the blog down altogether quite a bit during this time. Going back to my post about gaining 12 pounds, I really think that was a wake up call for me. I work full time, and I would be lying if I told you guys that I haven’t considered the possibility of this blog setting me free from the my life-sucking nine to five. I mean, I’ve seen it happen….I personally know bloggers that have made the leap, so I know it’s possible. And, maybe that’s why I pushed myself so hard. The fact of the matter is, replacing my full-time with blog income would be impossible to achieve while still working, because I just can’t make the time commitment needed to pump out enough content to call myself a “full-time blogger”….but, if I could just get close enough…maybe I could make it happen?? And, this my friend is where the problem lies. This line of thinking is what caused this blog to become a source of stress and pressure instead of a source of joy. Taking a break really allowed me to get back to why I started the blog in the first place. When I started this blog, I didn’t even know what a sponsored post was…and I definitely had no clue that people were actually making careers out of blogging, so that was never my goal. I blogged about fashion because I loved it. I LOVED shopping. I LOVED reading fashion magazines. I LOVED seeing all the latest trends on the runway. And I especially LOVED seeing those runway trends translated into unique, personal style. And of course, I LOVED sharing my love for all these things with other fashion lovers. Having an “OMG, yes! That is soooooo cute” moment with people all over the world who totally get it was exhilarating. I mean, with you guys, I never have to worry about a puzzled “ummm, why is she wearing sweatpants and heels” stare. Nope, you…my fashion friends…are like “Duh. Sweats were made to wear with heels” Lol.

But anyway, I digress…the point is, when I looked up and realized I had gained 12 pounds, it hit me…what I was doing was just not sustainable…at least, not without me sacrificing my own personal health and sanity. The bottom line is, my day job isn’t going anywhere any time soon. The blog has to come second, which means I can’t try to do what a full-time blogger does while still working a nine to five (which in my case is really more like a nine to nine.) I can’t continue to sacrifice sleep, food, gym time, and quality time with my family and friends. I can’t continue to let blogging consume me. Not only is it not sustainable, but it’s turning something I love into something that just stresses me the hell out….and when that happens, what’s the point?

So, all of that was to say that I’m back, with no plans of shutting down anytime soon. I guess I just needed some to think and get back to what made me fall in love with blogging in the first place. Oh, and so far… I’ve lost 11 pounds. Woohoo!! And beyond feeling healthier, going to the gym daily has been so good for me mentally. I seriously arrive at the gym sometimes with a headache, and 5 minutes into my workout, it’s gone. And, y’all know how I feel about my legs!!! They are my favorite feature, and they are looking even more toned than ever, if I do say myself. YES!!!!

Oh, and this outfit? These photos were taken just before I left for Denver for a feature on the JustFab blog. I, along with three other bloggers, showed off three ways to wear JustFab’s Neri platform sandals. I’m also wearing a cuuuuute pineapple print button up that my friends at Talbots sent over, and I’ve been wearing NON-STOP ever since. In fact, you can download the Glam Style app to see how I styled it for a casual work look in their September Issue which should be available on September 1. You know, now that think about it, this shirt was featured in BOTH of the last two outfits I shot before my unplanned break started. I guess that tells you guys how excited I was about the pineapple craze this summer. Lol!

What I’m Wearing: Talbots Pineapple Print Shirt (on sale for $17) // DIY Shorts // Thrifted Belt // JustFab “Neri” Sandals (also available in black) // JustFab “Industry” Bag