Hello?

So, a month? Is that too long for an unexplained, unplanned blog break? I worry that it is, but hopefully it’s not. I’m so sorry, dear internets, for being away for so long.

How to begin to explain where I’ve been? I’d love to show you photos, but I can’t, for reasons I’ll explain later…

*We have turned our apartment upside down. It started with “Hey, let’s re-paint the bedroom!” And once we had done that, we thought, “Hey, let’s get rid of some of this junk!” Which then turned into, “Hey, let’s get rid of some of this furniture and find some new stuff!” So for the past month, people, (a month!) we’ve been repainting, de-junking, furniture shopping, and spring cleaning. Every night, every weekend, has been spent either elbow-deep in junk or out and about looking for the perfect bed. Or couch. Or ottoman. Or table. Finally, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We have gotten rid of a TON of junk…a futon, a bookshelf, our kitchen table and chairs, blankets, clothes, games, books, doodads…we are having a tag sale with some friends on June 9th, so it all should be gone by then. We still have a few bits of stuff hanging around, but we’re working on it. There’s a lot more room here in our tiny place now, and it’s so much more inviting to us. Though I’m still looking for the camera USB cable.

*Work has been super-hectic, with lots of new business and not enough employees. Everyone is loaded with tasks and stretched super-thin, but I think that will smooth out soon enough. We are hiring new people and the summer rush should be over soon. Sometimes I’m at work late, and other times I get home so fried that all I want to do is sit on the couch and stare out into space. But I’m learning to manage it all now, finally. I can’t believe it is taking me this long to adjust to working full time. It’s been 6 months already! But I try to remember what my friend Lindsay says: “It will never be easy, Crystal, to work full time and have a well-kept home.” There is just not enough time in my day to commute, work, cook fabulous meals, sew, knit, write letters, blog, clean, pack lunches…I’m beginning to come to terms with that, I think. My little apartment will never be as perfect as my home was when I was growing up, when my mom stayed home to take care of us and make our lunches and bake us cakes and keep everything clean and wonderful. Not if I want to work, too. And that’s okay.

*I’ve started freelance writing for the local Onion, writing little blurbs about restaurants. Believe it or not, I worry about this a lot — something that should be simple and quick turns into an evening-long affair. I want to visit the place several times. I want to find great hidden details. I want to write the perfect blurb. You know me…if good is great then perfection is better. 🙂

So now I’m making a new plan for my time. We all know how good I am at sticking to plans, but let’s give it a shot nonetheless.

1. I will not buy junk. I will buy only what I love, what makes me happy, and, in the case of clothes, what will easily match with black or gray. (I’m horrible at matching.)

2. I will realize that many of the amazing bloggers out there with fabulous crafts and fabulous food may not work full-time, may have more time on their hands for crafts and cooking. I will not compare myself to them.

3. I will not restrict my blogging to just food and crafts. This will be simply a place for me, my thoughts, my life. Though that may include food and crafts.

4. I will not torture myself over making “blog-worthy” food or new recipes every day. I’ve been inspired by Molly’s post here, about eating simply and enjoying it more.

5. I will not feel defeated when my house is not spotless, when we don’t have perfectly packed lunches, or when we go out for dinner because we’re just too tired to cook.

6. I will not agonize over every article or blog post I write.

7. I will just be.

Let’s see if that works.

13 responses to “Hello?”

  1. I really sympathize with your feeling of there not being enough time for all the things you value! I too love to cook and sew and knit and I love when my house is shiny and organized.
    Now that I have 2 small kids, I am overjoyed when I can get a whole load of laundry finished and put away in one day AND I can clear a path through the toy cars to safely make my way to bed at night. For me, the housework is the first to go.
    I applaud you for simplifying your list of expectations and working hard to make your home more lovely.
    I recently tagged you on my blog to do a 7 weird/random things about me meme. If that sounds like fun, check out my blog.

    I wish you the best in your search for balance that is satisfying and nourishes your soul.

  2. This is exactly what I needed to hear! You made my day and have given me faith to blog again. Thanks.

  3. Twas a great day when I said:
    If we don’t need it, we’re not buying it.
    I don’t care about antiques.
    I’m done collecting crappe and we are only buying good
    quality NEW furniture.

    The rest of the stuff I’m still working on…

  4. I agree. Life is to short to stress about the little things. Espeically, in many cases,
    when the little things that we worry over are the details that most people don’t
    even notice. In honestly, it’s an extreamly hard concert to grasp and i wish you luck!

  5. You’re back!!! Yes, taking it easy is hard. And taking it easy with a kiddo can be even more challenging. But bravo to you two for taking the time to declutter and reorganize!! It feels wonderful doesn’t it? Wish I could be at your tag sale. But alas, we don’t need any more stuff, especially since we’re moving to Colorado!!! woo!! Glad you’re back!!

  6. sounds like feng shui is in the air. excellent.

  7. Very glad to see an update from you Crystal! It sounds like life is keeping you quite busy – I also like the sound of your list!

  8. glad to hear from you again, crystal! me and c have been talking about really thinking about the lifecycle of everything before we bring into our house…it certainly makes you think about what you really need. love your list! inspiring.

  9. Courtney and Freya

    It’s great to have you back, Crystal! Ironically, I, too, have recently made a similar list as I am not able to be the perfect person I long to be. Here’s mine:
    1. Responding to Freya to never give her doubt that she is unconditionally loved is more important than everything else.
    2. A happy mommy means a happy baby. I have to remember to care for myself.
    3. Say, “And so it is,” as often as possible. Just accepting what is and not trying to change it or make it better.

    I’m constantly trying to keep my list in my mind to remind of what’s best for our family.

    We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!

  10. I’ve been having a similar experience lately. We’ve been replacing our older furniture, organizing our space, and purging our unnecessary items. We made a big delivery to Goodwill this weekend. And I definitely feel the same way about having the “perfect” home- always clean, filled with the scent of home cooked meals and goodies in the oven. I just try to do what I can, when I can, and the rest can either wait for me to get around to it or just sort itself out without me.

  11. Fabulous, honest post. I think every one of your readers can relate. Bravo to you for being so real.

  12. Girlfriend! What’re ya doin’ puttin’ so much pressure on yourself?

    I L-O-V-E your blog and am always very happy that you give me a peek at your life. Your blog is my break for tea, my restorative breath in the middle of the day.

    You seem like a fun person who I’d like to know. and that is why I continue to check for updates.

    Glad to have you back ;o)

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