growth mindset

My first year as a teacher (7th grade Science) is now packed up nicely in boxes, waiting on my return in August. People warned me about how much the first year of teaching would change my life, & in my true stubborn nature, I actually believed that the experience would somehow be different for me.

Alas, I am not the special snowflake that I would have liked to believe, & my first year of teaching was a long, dark tunnel of terribleness. One that I am happily signing up for again next year. Does that make it like child birth? Completely painful while you are going through it, but a wonderful accomplishment once you are finished!?

As silly as it sounds, I think I have found my "calling" in teaching. Yes, 7th graders are a particularly challenging bunch of humans. Yes, over these past 9 months I have never worked harder, slept less, or cared more about other people at the expense of my own well-being, but I think it is the start of something good. Great even. 

When I sign up to do something, I have to do it with ALL of my being. There is no half-assing it in my book. This bull-headed perfectionist personality that I have is in many ways a good thing, but it also means that when things are not getting done to my standards, there is a fair amount of self-guilt inflicted as well. Which brings me to the state of this blog over the past year…

Over the last year I quit grad school, got married, moved (3… or was it 4 times… I lost count!), & started a new career. Somehow, I naïvely thought I would be able to keep up with my hobbies along the way. Well folks, I couldn't even successfully keep up with the dishes piling up in my sink, & this blog definitely took a back seat to life. 

October to February was the hardest stretch of this new life chapter. It got dark early. I was sleep deprived. I had a husband that I wanted to hang out with. Mid-term grades were due. It was cold. I got sick. Basically there were a million excuses I was really to deploy for why I wasn't posting on the blog. In 2013, from October to December I posted 100+ times compared to 55 in the same time period for 2014. I was half here, I was half into it, but I was fully pretending that my life wan't in shambles behind the scenes. I felt guilty for not posting. And I was also afraid that if I took some time off, that what I had built for the past few years would turn back to dust. 

Some people put a lot of emphasis on growing their blogs. Getting bigger, amassing more free stuff, reaching more people. And while yes, I would like to ultimately reach more people, I am happy with the size my blog is now. Here&Now has not grown in the last 12 months, but is hasn't gotten smaller either. I am grateful for those of you who are still here, still reading, still commenting, still encouraging me in this corner of the internet. 

I am now on Summer break, looking forward to 6 weeks of catching up on sleep, my reading list & responding to emails. We have some travel booked, but really I am just allowing myself to not feel guilty about relaxing. 

Since I haven't had much time to shop for Summer clothes, my style these next few months is going to be very pared down. I have been finding inspiration from these posts:

The minimalist's guide to setting & achieving goals
30 Day Minimalism Challenge
Being Content With My Closet
How To Take Your Basics From Day To Night

My Summer outfits are going to feature a lot of: natural leather, Panama hats, denim, white, minimal accessories. My top favorite pins right now are: 1 // 2 // 3

What would you like to see on Here&Now this Summer? I do have quite a bit of time on my hands :)

back to basics

Shirt // Jeans // Shoes // Photo by Kate Davis Photo

Thank you for all your sweet words & feedback on yesterday's reflection post. 2014 was a wild & crazy ride, & I am looking forward to being a little less go-go-go & a little more present in each moment during 2015.

As I have been reading my blog roll lately, I sense that I am not the only one that is looking to shed some layers & get back to basics.

I really love what Hallie said in this post about moving forward into the unknown.

"Girl, we’re all faking it. Don’t let not knowing where to start get in your way. It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed by possibility, the uncertain and the fear of failure. But you’ll never have everything figured out – just keep going." - Hallie

And then my blog friend Lauren has been taking a more intentional look at her life, & came to this conclusion which definitely resonated with me: 

"What I learned, is that minimalism looks different for everyone. But the basic philosophy is this - the best things in life aren't things, and clearing the excess out of your life allows you to focus on what matters most." - Lauren

With the rise in popularity of "capsule" collection blogs, & the current style mindset that less is actually more, I too am inspired to reduce the stuff in my life in order to enjoy what I do have more. My 2015 goals: fake it till I make it & re-focus what is important in my life.

What are your 2015 resolutions? Anyone else feeling a serious shift in your need to stockpile stuff just for the sake of having "more"?

Reflections of 2014

Well, 2014 was certainly one for the record books of Jessica. I imagine that when I look back on 2014, I will remember it as the year that everything changed.

2014 was the year that I quit a PhD grad school program, earned my Master's degree, switched careers, got married, changed my name, moved 4 times in 2 months, jumped head first into teaching 7th graders, learned how hard it is to teach 7th graders, fell even more in love with my husband, said goodbye to old friends, welcomed new friends, & finally realized that it is ok to just be a work in progress.

Part of this incredible year of growth, was coming to terms with not being perfect, with letting some of the cracks show. One way that this manifested, was having to let go of a few things, infact, 2014 produced the least amount of posts since I started blogging 3 years ago.

By the numbers:
2012 - 436 posts
2013 - 374 posts
2014 - 286 posts

I hope that this new blogging schedule works for you guys. It lets me post when I want to, when I feel like I have something to share, & not simply push publish on a "ok" post, just so I will have something gracing the blog each day. Blogging is supposed to be fun!

In terms of the blog, this could also be called the year of photographers. I had the great privilege of working with 4 incredible Nashville photographers. I love the creative eye with which each helped me shape my vision for this space.

Photo credits from L to R: Kate Davis (I love the street style photos we achieved here) // Zipporah Photography  (she was a rock star during this conscious consumerism series shoot!) // Alyssa Torrech  (I'm obsessed with how she captured the light in this work style post.) // Rae Marshall (I really love this wedding guest style post that we did together.)

As always, I had fun looking back at my style evolution in 2014. Below are my 12 favorite outfits - everything from my everyday jean style to some that are bit fancier!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

And in full disclosure, there were some outfits that looking back, just weren't me. Behold these 6 "flops":

1 (too tight skirt) // 2 (I had to always adjust this dress & felt uncomfortable) // 3 (those pants are doing me NO favors) // 4 (I greatly dislike the finish on that skirt's fabric) // 5 (not a fan of this print mixing after all) // 6 (just a mess!)

One area of the blog that I was especially excited to develop in 2014 was the addition of new Series. While I need to continue to work on maintaining these, I loved introducing the Sip, Shop, See Series for highlighting my favorite Nashville areas, the Teacher Wardrobe posts showing my everyday teaching style, our Wedding, Nashville's Sweet Treats, Holiday Happenings, & my favorite monthly collaboration -  Bloggers Who Budget.

Getting notifications of the comments left on blog posts seriously make my day! If you are looking for some great discussions in the comment sections, check out this post about appropriate interview attire, this one about the best dress pants (so hard to shop for!) & this one about how your personality dictates what you wear.

Some of the most "Pinch Me Moments" of 2014? Hard to narrow down the list, but they would have to include an awesome Nordstrom Rack collaboration, including flying out to San Francisco to meet the team! Shooting with Le Tote (love everything about their business!), making the Macy's "American Icon's" video (posts about it here & here). Meeting Because Shanna Said So (the SWEETEST lady in the biz!) Our wedding on Style Me Pretty, attending the Southern Blog Society Conference & working with the Nashville Style Collective. 

To be honest, I am still blown away when brands want to work with me. I love putting my perspective on a project & sharing with you all! And 2014 was definitely studded with working with some amazing brands! Including (click to see the posts featuring each brand): Aerie, The Impeccable Pig, Zappos, Murad, Dillard's, Levi's, Of Mercer, Nordstrom Rack, Macy's, MiH jeans, Gigi New York, Boden, Daisy Gem, Redesigned by Two, Chicwish, Living Proof, Le Tote, Kendra Scott, Onze Boutique, Vera Bradley, Lisi Lerch, Mickey Lynn, Lulu's, Shop Dress Up, Maidenform, Fresh Produce, Half United, Shoe Carnival, Kohl's, White Plum, Style Lately, Off Broadway Shoes

While 2014 was a pretty spectacular year, I do have some big blog goals for 2015. 

- I would like to make more "pinnable" pictures (putting labels on pictures)

- Create a better organized tagging system for easier searching on Here&Now

- Continue exploring my new motto: "less quantity, more quality"

- Photograph more of my everyday style

What would you like to see on Here&Now in 2015? (I really do want to know!!)

How was 2014 for you? What is your big goal for 2015? 

get more

In 2014, I'm not making any resolutions, but trying to change some mindsets instead. Including shopping local & supporting businesses that give back. I had great fun planning this photoshoot featuring some of my favorite Nashville businesses that not only produce beautiful goods, but operate with the understanding that blessings are better when multiplied through giving back. Conscious consumerism. Shop local, support global.

Today, I'm focusing on fashionABLE - the brand behind these gorgeous scarves.

{ What I Wore: fashionABLE scarf (borrowed) // J.Crew field jacket (similar 1 // 2 // 3) & socks // Old Navy rockstar skinny jeans // Nisolo tote & chukka boots (borrowed) // hat ℅ Surfdome // borrowed sweater, but crushing on this one! }

More on the jewelry & shoes featured in coming "conscious consumerism" posts.

The fashionABLE mission is to create sustainable business for Africans so they aren't dependent upon charity, but instead earn the dignity of a job, with a primary focus on empowering women. Statistics show that when a woman is empowered, she will have a life-changing impact on her family, community & herself.

When you purchase a fashionABLE scarf (or their new leather goods collection), you help create sustainable business in Africa. fashionABLE is committed to long-term solutions to fighting poverty. That means that your purchase of a scarf creates jobs, so that the women are not dependent upon charity, but instead are a vital part of a developing economy.

More than just giving back to the communities, fashionABLE works with women to help them start small business cooperatives, in addition to requiring their partners to employ women with fair wages & fair hiring practices.

Shop all the gorgeous scarves here (swear you can't want just ONE!) And they now have stylish & functional leather goods too… including a clutch, iPad sleeve & wallet.

This post wouldn't have been possible without some wonderful partners. Thank you to fashionABLE, Nisolo & Fringe & Lace for lending items.  Zipporah Photography for capturing all the little details. Jordan Duncan for working as our fashionABLE liaison & shoot stylist.

Live Simply : Project PURGE

My New Year's Resolution was to "LIVE SIMPLY"... simply put: less stuff, less worry, more appreciation, more creativity

To start the year off to a clean start, I decided to get rid of 100 things in January!

As daunting as this seemed at the start of the month, I easily completed my goal & if I am honest with myself, I could easily do it again!

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I donated un-loved books. Passed down clothes to my family & friends. Tossed out stacks of magazines. Sorted through all the stuff that had been weighing me down.

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Is living simple on your agenda for 2013?

Are you looking to clear out the clutter from your life too?

Here are some PURGING tips I picked up this month:

- Do 1 round of BRUTAL purging & pick a collection place (I had one of those giant blue Ikea bags for mine)

Ask yourself: have you used it in the past 6 months? Is it clean & prominently displayed? Do you love it?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, put it in your collection zone, be brutal

- Over the next two weeks (give yourself a set time period), if you miss any of the items, pull them back out of the collection zone & enjoy your rediscovered item

- Anything that is left in the collection zone, figure out what is the best resting place for it (i.e. trash, donate, sale it on Poshmark, given away to a family/friend) & then act on it. DO IT THEN. Don't wait, or else those things will slowly find their place back into your home (no bueno!)

- Bonus round : now that you have started to get rid of the junk, you will be able to see what you have, what you need & what is just bringing. you. down. Use the joy you have from rediscovering some of your long-lost possessions to keep them clutter free!

- Make a rule for bringing in future stuff. Maybe institute a 1-in-1-out rule, or only buy things that you LOVE, that you will USE, & that will add VALUE to your life.

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Let's all stop accumulating stuff & start curating a life of simplicity!

What is the junk bringing you down right now?

That dark hole corner of your closet you have been meaning to clear out?

The stack of books you know you should pass on?

The desk top that you can no longer see?

Happy New Year: 2013

Happy New Year! Time to talk about our resolutions!

Last year I gave myself 12 resolutions for 2012... & loved the motivated they gave me to energize my relationships, my hobbies, my health, & my blog { read the posts about my 2012 resolution check-ins here }.

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This year I only have one resolution, & it is a big one: { Live simply }

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What does "living simply" mean to me?

Well, many things actually, including:

 - Buy only what I love (i.e. those 50 closet staples I have been talking about!)

- Purge : exfoliate unused items

- Organize, so I can know what I have, & appreciate my pretty things!

- Work smarter (not necessarily harder)

- Eat simple foods that nurture my body

- Enjoy simple moments (ahem...live in the Here&Now!!)

- Create more (DIY baby!)

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I hope to share more about my goal to "Live Simply" in 2013 in the months to come.

What are your resolutions for 2013?

Any one else craving a little more simplicity in their lives?

September 2012 Roundup

Happy September! 

This month I had so much fun testing out some of the big trends for Fall including:

 // peplum // camo // burgundy // leather //

I also enjoyed traveling to France, hosting some fabulous giveaways for my lovely readers (YOU!), picking up a piece that I have been on the hunt for, hosting amazing guest posters, and transitioning my summer clothes to Fall

9 months in, and my resolutions are going ok, but have definitely been a huge learning experience too!

Traveling caused my spending and eating goals to be thrown out the window... hurmph!

While Ty and I have been trying to get into P90X, we haven't gotten into a routine yet (i.e. more than 3 days straight)... but I have did actually enjoy it while we were doing it... and maybe once travel/wedding season is over, we can get into more of a habit... always a reason to procrastinate, right!?

The other resolution that has been nagging me is my plan to learn how to sew this year. Unfortunately my machine is infinitely complicated... I know that if I could just get that needle threaded, phenomenal things could be created... just. need. to. get. over. that. hump!

How has your September been?

Trying any new trends for Fall?

Making a second go at your resolutions?

Spill!

xx

Jessica

August in review

Phew - August was none stop action including:

Boyfriend's birthday, vacation to Oregon, friend's wedding, my 25th birthday, and the bestie's bacheloretty party on the beach

... Needless to say, I wasn't home very much, and I totally blew it at keeping to my resolutions,
but I did manage to get dressed everyday, so I'll re-cap my month of outfits

From pattern mixing, a slew of shorts, simple sundresses, and savoring every last drop of summery goodness... here I be clothing myself 18.5 times (boom)

How was your August?

Was it a whirlwind getting ready to go back to school, or shift out of summer mode?

Any other Leo babies out there celebrated their birthdays?

xx

Jessica

30 before 30

 Today I am 25... I have lived a quarter of a century. To me age is simply a number so I welcome and celebrate each and every birthday (maybe I say that now), and I have certainly enjoyed my 25 years... but am looking forward to the next 25. Where will I be? What will I be doing? I can't even venture a guess, for the next few years as I complete my degree are very up in the air... but I look forward to finishing my 20s in style.

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Here are 30 things that I would love to tick off before I reach my next decade:

{Do}

{ 1. } Make a signature cocktail (Champagne + St. Germain)

{ 2. } Find my perfect shade of red lipstick (Nars "Heat Wave)

{ 3. } Have a progressive dinner party

{ 4. } Re-learn how to knit

{ 5. } Define my style aesthetic (working on it here)

{ 6. } Invest in a classic handbag (December 2013 - this MK one)

{ 7. } Learn to french braid my hair

{ 8. } Complete my Ph.D. (Graduated with my Masters January 2014)

{ 9. } Start stretching... I want to be able to do the splits again! 

{ 10. } Ride in a hot air balloon (29th Birthday, see evidence on Instagram here & here!)

{via}

{See}

{ 11 .} Visit NYC (completed June 2013)

{ 12. } Party in Vegas (Bachelorette Party, 2015)

{ 13. } Play in Disney Land (completed during our 2016 road trip - evidence on Instagram here)

{ 14. } Travel to all 50 states (21 more to go! Over half way there!)

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

{ 15. } Attend a real life fashion show (Nashville Fashion Week, 2014)

{ 16. } Go back home for my 10 year high school reunion 

{ 17. } Go back to Europe (maybe with Ty !?)

{ 18. } Take a road trip with Ty to Oregon (Instagram evidence here)

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{Live}

{ 19. } Learn all the constellations
{ 20. } Read 20 new books (passed the mark & still going!)
See my Summer 2015 Reading List + Reviews here

{1. The Paris Wife 2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? 3. Little Bee 4. Bel Canto 5. Truth & Beauty (highly recommend!) 6. Where'd You Go Bernadette 7. The 5 Love Languages 8. Gone Girl (messed up, in the best possible way) 9. The Fault In Our Stars (if in need of a beautiful cry, dispatch this book) 10. Hyperbole and a Half (SO my humor, I laughed so hard I might have tinkled a little bit) 11. The Goldfinch 12. All the Light We Cannot See (beautifully heart wrenching) 13. Bossypants (I think Tiny Fey is my spirit animal) 14. The Girls of Atomic City (an interesting historical non-fiction read, especially if you are from/live-in Tennessee) 15. Grace, A Memoir (MAN! She has lived the life, loved getting a peek behind the front row of fashion) 16. Room (such a gripping story - haven't seen the movie  yet, but it is on my list!) 17. The Night Circus (strangely beautiful, transported me to a different time) 18. Me Before You (I dare you to read this and not cry!) 19. Modern Lovers (I love the characters & their individual story lines in this) 20. The Woman in Cabin 10 (Being my anxious self, I read the last page of this book & it still took me for such a twisting ride!) 21. In a dark, dark wood (perfectly dark and suspenseful) … }

{ 21. } Find a church that I enjoy going to (gave up on this one, but found a new respect for nature here in Colorado)

{ 22. } Get plugged into regularly volunteering (Realized that as a teacher, my job is also a LOT of volunteering)

{ 23. } Finally stop biting/chewing my cuticles (January 2014 thank goodness for wedding planning and gel manicures!)

{ 24. } Live outside of the South (even if for just a little bit!) (Moved to Denver, Colorado Summer 2016)
{ 25. } Color my hair (I've always wanted to be a red head)  January 2013

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{Blog}

{ 26. } Get a custom design for my site  Completed October 2012

{ 27. } Have a blogger meetup  First one August 2012

{ 28. } Get a regular blog series up and running Blogger Spotlight

{ 29. } Interview one of my favorite big-wig bloggers

{ 30. } Attend a blogger conference Southern Blog Society Conference (2013, 2014, 2015)

I might not accomplish them all, but maybe I will be able to look back on this list in 5 years & smile at the memory of a fabulous decade!