Sarah J. Bray sent an email this week about how she’s been spending a lot of time writing but not much Writing, and so she hasn’t been hitting the “publish” button much…and I read her words and thought, hey! Me too. I’ve been having tons of fascinating thoughts and ideas…but haven’t really had the capacity to publish them in a coherent format that will be helpful. Yet.
Believe me, it’s coming, and this blog will be a-bloomin’ like you never did see…but right now the ideas are still working their way out. And you’ll see what I’m working on in the meantime, if you read on in this long and winding post. So that’s where I’m going to settle, for just a little while longer.
But I have announcements and links!
I have so much to say. Buckle up for maybe possibly my longest blog post ever. (Sorry, or you’re welcome, depending on how that statement makes you feel.) If you get bored, you have full permission to skip entire sections. I recognize how absurdly long this post is. I just can’t help it today.
Consider it making up for lost time. (This is what happens when I stay away from you for too long. It all gets pent up and spills out in a cluster.) I hope you will forgive me because it is laced with enthusiasm and great news.
1. I am now self-employed
I promised an exciting announcement in my last post, and here goes. It’s the explanation for my relative sabbatical from the blog, and why I feel so confident the next stage of Rosy Blu will be epic.
After a decade of post-college full-time go-to-the-office-every-weekday career…I am now self-employed.
Just saying it sounds crazy, like I’m making it up. I’ve been working towards this (rather quietly, but diligently) for years. And, oh, my! It’s here! Like the wedding day you thought would never arrive, then all of the sudden it did, and it’s magical and it’s happening right now oh my I want this moment to last forever! Except with this, it’s kinda gonna last forever…at least, it’s going to last perpetually into the foreseeable future, and I’m done with the waiting part and it’s time to celebrate!
So now that you know all the surreal/awesome feelings I’m having about this, I’ll tell you how this affects you, dear person reading the internet, who for some blessed reason out of ALL THE MILLIONS OF WEBSITES ON THE INTERNETS you decided to toddle on over and visit MY website. And THEN, you read something that made you think, “I’m going to read one more article while I’m here” because maybe you thought I said something funny or entertaining or handy. And then you thought, “I’m going to come back to this website again someday, and more than once!” (a miracle) and you DID (another miracle! Good heavens, we’re lucky).
Point being: you’re here, and that means that YOU LIKE ME (I like you back SO MUCH!!!!) and you like what I’m serving up on this here website, and so it would probably be super cool if I wouldn’t stay gone forever, and gave you something awesome to prove I’ve been using my time off well. Which leads to my next [two] announcements.
2. I have a new business!
I’d like to introduce you to Hello Blu Studio, my brand new bouncing baby business. She’s off to a great start and has been keeping me very busy. Hello Blu Studio is where I will help businesses (well, people, really) spread their message using the internet.
Hello, because that’s how to start a conversation, and so is…marketing. Oh, hello! You, there? I think we have a thing in common. {fascinating exchange ensues}{both people think, Golly, that was nice!}.
Marketing is just a conversation…gone large scale. Human connections still rule the lands, and I help people carry their messages to the dear internet strangers that have something in common with them.
And Blu because, B-L-U. You all know me well enough by now that I love to stamp “beautiful-loved-useful” on everything. Stuff. Habits. All that. And marketing, too. If a marketing conversation leaves one or both parties feeling like they’re a little better off than when they met, well that’s beautiful. But marketing sometimes looks and feels…icky. Right? That’s because people aren’t approaching it like they care about the other person. That’s like one person saying Blah, blah, blah, you don’t get to talk, and I’m going to talk about things that annoy you, and then I’m going to put a pop-up window in your face and ask for your money even though we just met. That’s because there’s no love in a one-sided conversation. And useful—that part’s just plain obvious. If your website isn’t helping your business grow and spread your message, well that’s just silly.
Hello Blu Studio specializes in web marketing strategy—specifically, WordPress website design, email marketing, and business consulting. I’ll be starting a blog over there in the next few months too, so if you’re interested in any aspect of this new gig (you know my style—I love to teach, and I will be sharing tons of good stuff!) just sign up here. Or if you’re interested in how I got from working at a full-time job to being self-employed, I’ll be having that discussion there, too.
I’m beyond grateful to announce that September is BOOKED (how lucky am I?!) but if you’re interested in working with me in October or beyond on creating a WordPress website, a blog or a strategy for getting your message out to the people who want to talk to you, head on over here and shoot me an email.
3. Anyone who signs up for the Rosy Blu mailing list will get the next online product I release for free.
The blog (and therefore, my emails) will still be quieter than usual the next month or two (meaning: I won’t be visiting often, but I do promise I’ll come back.) And after that, if I ever send too many emails? You can unsubscribe after you get the present, and I won’t even be mad. PINKIE SWEAR.
Everyone who’s on my mailing list will get my next product for free (so if you’re already signed up—hi friend!—you don’t have to sign up again).
I don’t know when I’m going to publish it, and I don’t know the particulars, other than to say it’s tentatively titled:
101 Ways to make more time in the day
Or maybe,
10 Ways to make more SPACE in your day
Because it amounts to the same thing, really. What would you rather have, more space or more time? We should’ve asked Albie Einstein about that.
It’s going to be full of fun little experiments to try on for size, to see if we can’t bring more ease and space in your day by applying the BLU theme to your seconds and minutes and hours…what are you seeing that’s beautiful, loved or useful when you look at your day? Can you enhance those things and make them bigger? And what can we find that is distracting from the pretty things, and bringing you down? Then we talk about how to get rid of those.
Some will be little things like scheduling 15 minutes on your calendar to get up from your desk and take a break. And POUF! The space appears for you to go stretch your legs, just like that.
Some will be medium things like saying “no” to the person who asks you to be on a committee, because you already feel stretched too thin.
Others will be big ole things like trying to figure out which habits make you feel more like yourself, the you that is in control and loves her life and has time to stop what she’s doing and pet the cat. Because she’s not in a hurry. So you can learn to feel more like your wonderful self, filled up with that blissful ease-y feeling in all the spaces of the day.
(Sounds fun, doesn’t it?!)
So mosey on over and sign up here to get it when it comes out. Or don’t, that’s fine too. I will still like you, no matter what you decide.
4. I’m making space all over the place…and it feels really good.
In the midst of a crazy career transition, and the loss of one of my beloved pets earlier this summer, and too-much-to-do-in-not-enough-time, I’m remembering to look around and remember that I’ve accomplished a lot. I’m in a pretty good spot. I feel very, very good, a whole lot of the time these days.
It’s the year of making space, and I have gotten better at saying no. I’ve found a new barometer for knowing when I need more space. I’ve made a huge space in my life by leaving a job that no longer fit me. I’ve made space for new ways to make money and give value in exchange. (Because really, exchanging money can be the exact same thing as saying, “I get you and I like you”.) And ways to spend my days creating value for people in a new way. There’s space in my fridge, because it’s not so chock full of wasted, moldy food I can’t eat anyway (still working on it…but getting closer).
I even have some extra space in my yoga pants, which feels pretty darn good, considering I wasn’t actively trying to lose it…I’m not feeling good because I lost weight, I lost weight because I’m feeling good. And that is a niiiiiice feeling.
I’m making an extra effort to taking care of my basic human needs, and it’s paying off by me feeling good. Amazing, right? And I’m trying to relax more, and have more ease. And I just made a big huge career change that gives me complete freedom over how I spend my time. That feels amazing. Oh! Heavens. Look at me, loving what I have. Love, love, love.
5. The fun stuff
I have a million billion links and things I want to share with you. Links and happenings and recipes and thoughts. Read them all in no particular order now:
Here are some things about me:
- I got a kitten! She’s so cute it hurts. I post way too many pictures of her on Instagram (it’s pretty much the only thing I share lately) so follow me on Instagram if you like adorable kittens.
- Also, I’m visiting my sister and my adorable 16-month-old godson, so for a limited time only expect my Instagram to explode with adorable toddler pictures.
- I have this amazing health coach Meg Worden. Meg gets a lot of points for coaching me toward the #4 “feeling generally good and taking care of my human needs” thing, and she also unwittingly gave me the idea to 1. Number 2. My 3. Thoughts 4. in blog posts when I have a lot of (random) things to say.
- I adore you, and the fact that you’ve read this far in the longest blog post ever. Really. There are no words.
These links are all in relation to my LOVE OF EATING DELICIOUS THINGS:
- Yellow watermelon is delicious, and so is all the produce we get from our Suncrest Gardens CSA.
- This summer squash gratin is delish.
- I’m going to make homemade paneer soon! For curry. Nom.
- How bad do you want to make a pie after looking at this?
- This is a wonderful quinoa salad to make with the last of the watermelon harvest.
- I canned homemade tomato soup with my cousin Molly and it was AMAZING.
- I’m kind of thinking about doing a class of some kind, sometime soon. In the flesh. Winona readers, if there’s a topic you’d be interested in learning from me, email me and tell me so. I am thinking maybe How to make DIY household products, How to …but that’s kind of up to you guys. So spill. MEEEEEEP
And here are some awesome things other people have been writing that inspired me lately:
- This makes me laugh every time. (Warning: jumping goats.)
- Laura from Create as Folk is done with dreaming big…and I get that. Little, everyday dreams can feel pretty damn satisfying, too.
- I love this post by Gala Darling telling us to Just Stop Doing It! File it away in your “permission to not do things you hate” folder.
- Remember this video of an adorable little girl crying because she doesn’t want her little bro to grow up? Yeah. I get that, little girl.
- This is a conversation that needs to be had, and Danielle Laporte got the ball rolling: Females trash-talking males (and why it’s holding us all back)
- Also from DLP: Questions to ask yourself before committing. You will have more space and bliss in your life if you make your yesses a little more intentional.
- Kate Northrup discusses listening to what your body is telling you, even when your mind is saying something different. So simple, but so profound.
- I’m loving Nisha Moodley’s 15 ways to make your home a sanctuary for your success, especially number 2: In 10 minutes or less, put 10 things you don’t absolutely love in a bag, and put it by the door to be donated.
- It’s safe to say I adore Anthropologie…but THIS is effing hilarious. (HT to Meg Worden for putting this in my way!)
Can you believe I’m out of things to say…finally? Oy. ‘Til next time, friends!
