10,000 hours

 

Life takes time. Good things take time. Yet I feel like so many of us, including me, especially me, want things to be right, right at this moment. And I forget this key piece that things, good things, hard things, don't often just happen. 

Sure, there are models who are discovered in a mall, chefs whose first restaurant makes it big, a random invention that changes lives. But for most of us, life is more fits and starts, failures and small successes and long, grueling hours where we want to say forget it all. Just forget it. I will take the easier path. It is not worth it. 

I'm telling myself lately, and maybe I'm telling you, that it is worth it. Even if you're not on the cusp of some big idea, you have to put the hours in. Maybe it's just running a 5k, reconciling with someone, writing a novel, whatever it is, I don't know that it will be easy. 

But as Macklemore sings, "put those hours in and look at what you get...nothing that you can hold, but everything that it is."

some deep thoughts for a friday, right?  

how about some lighter notes:

- next week is the list link-up, where you can share the best of the previous month and the goals for the upcoming month. Rather than making New Years the only time to reflect, join Beth and I the first Friday and share your post. 

- also, if you're interesting in sponsoring, I have a July extra-large spot open and a few large spots open. If you have a small biz or an awesome blog, (which I'm sure you do,) I'd love to work with you to promote it.

happy weekend!

xo, erika

p.s. do you follow on rouge + whimsy on bloglovin' or feedly? Google reader, as you may know, is biting the dust, and I'd love to have you stick around. :)

thoughts on what I wear.

I hate offending people.
I hate it if people don't like me and I often think people don't like me.
I don't say this because I'm looking for attention, I say it because it's true. This is why I have avoided talking about bigger issues in blogland. But I've decided today to write on something that has been on my mind (and heart) for awhile.

It's about clothes.

I like clothes. I love putting together outfits. I like shopping and I have for a really long time. But lately, I have been trying to think about what I buy.

You see, fashion has become indispensable. Places like Forever21 and Target sell cute clothes for nearly nothing, making it so we can buy the latest thing without thought. Then we can toss it out when it's no longer in style a month later. Clothing (and the people who make it) no longer really matter at all. This has created an attitude in me where I can just buy something on a whim. It's no longer a big deal, I no longer save up, I no longer think about the purchase-- I just buy it because it's cheap, because it's cute.

 And I don't want to do that anymore.

I don't want to buy things without thinking. I want to think about who made that cute shirt so cheaply and I want to think about why I'm even buying it in the first place.

In this, I'm not trying to tell anyone that shopping at Forever 21 or Target is wrong. I do it, too; I've done it too. But I don't want to fall into that trap as easily anymore.

Lately, I'm trying to edit what I buy. I go to thrift stores first and see if I can find what I'm looking for there first. If I can't, maybe I should think about if I actually need it, if I'll actually wear it a month from now, or if it will be something that I'll get rid of in six months.

I'm also trying to look at my closet. I know that I have lots of things in there that I never or hardly wear. Things that maybe with a little bit of altering, a little bit of re-accessorizing, could be cute. (To get better at this, I'm linking up with Jen for her Closet Challenge on Wednesday.)

My heart is telling me to try to do a better job of thinking about what's in my closet. Your heart may not be telling you the same thing, and that's completely fine.

 As a indie shop owner myself, I can see how hard it is to compete against the cheap retailers of the world. Sure, you like my clutch -- but maybe you could find it cheaper elsewhere.

But if I really want to believe in my business, then I need to live in a way that shows it. Those handmade earrings on Etsy I'm eyeing -- I could try to find them at Target, but I want think about my purchase, and who I would rather support. Sure-- Target is easier and it's just as cute, but what is better? 

Thank you for getting through this post and let me reiterate, this is just what's on my heart lately and what your heart may be telling you could be completely different.

xo, erika