This. Is. Just. My. Face. – “My woman-face does not exist for the world’s collective amusement. I have things to do and life to live — and all kinds of thoughts to think. Sometimes I, too, look like I may be ordering a sandwich while mentally doing calculus, and that is okay. I am not a bitchface, resting or otherwise.”
What’s All This About Journaling? – I’ve been journaling a lot the last few months. The more I do it, the more I want to do it. I use my journal (a navy blue Leuchtturm 1917 covered in stickers) alongside my weekly planner. I keep a One Line A Day diary for each month as well as a page devoted to a gratitude list.
This really made my day: I Just Had The Most Surreal — And Profound — Flight Attendant Experience In My Life“On Thursday, as I boarded my flight, I instantly knew something out of the ordinary was happening when I was greeted by a sweet, 20-something puppy dog of a flight attendant who welcomed every single passenger onto the plane by singsonging the exact same thing ― something like: ‘Hi! I’m Zach! Welcome aboard and I hope you’re having an AWESOME day!’
He was so friendly it was almost violent.”
I’ve probably watched this ten times, and it cracks me up every time.
Hello, friends! I think the first rule of being a blogger is that you’re not supposed to call attention to your gaps in posting, but c’mon, it’s been a year. I couldn’t possibly catch you up on everything, but here’s a glimpse of what my life has been like for the past little while.
Wearing:
Birkenstock season is in full swing here, and I currently have four pairs of Mayaris in rotation: a pair for around the house, a pair for yardwork (read: a retired old pair that I can’t bring myself to throw away), an everyday pair, and a pair I keep nice for dressing up a bit.
Before the weather changed, I was really obsessed with my Prairie Underground cloak hoodie. Yes, I did spend $280 on a hoodie, and yes it was worth it.
Otherwise – I recently got a Style Pass to Stitch Fix, which means I get Fixes for a year for only $49 (no styling fee). That’s been pretty fun.
Watching:
I’m super into Splitting Up Together. I don’t watch a lot of current TV – I’m a slow adopter in this way – but it’s my favorite since This is Us, and I hope it sticks around. (Getting into a show in its first season is risky!)
On the binge watching/streaming front, the last several months, I’ve really enjoyed Friends from College (even though every character is the actual worst), Amazing Mrs. Maisel (obviously), Atypical, Fleabag, and most recently, The Mortified Guide on Netflix, which my friend Kerstyne is in! (Episode 5.)
Reading:
I really enjoyed All These Wonders. Currently reading some fiction for a change – Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo. (A recommendation at my local so-beloved Tacoma bookstore, King Books.)
I also recently read Designer Relationships, which is a worthwhile read for anyone newly interested in exploring alternative relationship structures.
Smitten with:
Concentrated watercolors. These are a new discovery for me, and I am obsessed with them. There are a lot of similarities to the acrylic inks that were my favorite medium for a year prior, but they come in more colors and I find them easier to mix as well.
I remain obsessed with Chic Sparrow traveler’s notebooks. My favorite one (an Outlander Deluxe Time Traveler) has been discontinued, but I’m currently using and loving the Mr. Darcy Buttered Rum.
R.T. and I got this record player for ourselves for Christmas, and it’s… the best. I’ve never been into vinyl before this, and I’m super digging it. R.T. recently told me that I had to stop buying only Paul Simon records, though. What a buzzkill.
Indulging in:
As much time as I can possibly get in my hammock. I. Love. This. Thing. I just bought an umbrella to go over it, too, so now I can read in the hammock without the sun in my face. It’s a beautiful thing.
Creating:
I’m doing the 100 Day Challenge for the second time. I’m really inconsistent with posting updates, but I have been painting every day, both in my little sketchbooks and elsewhere. I’m obsessed with honing my style and making this a bigger part of my life.
I’ve also enrolled in this mentorship program with Annamieka Hopps Davidson, and really excited to see how my work evolves over the next year.
Celebrating:
Since it’s been a hundred years since I posted anything here, some highlights: I had a breast reduction in August, and I don’t think I could over-exaggerate what a profound difference it has made in my life. I paid out of pocket and the recovery was a couple of months long, but even with those details – totally, 100% worth it.
I also had my first powerlifting meet at the end of March. Training for the meet meant 8-10 hours/week in the gym for two months. It was a really incredible feeling to dedicate myself to an extreme stretch goal and see it through to the end. I went 8/9, failed one lift on a technicality (I made the lift but missed the command). I’m planning to compete again, but probably not until early next year.
Looking forward to:
Can I just say summertime? I’m also looking forward to the Womxn’s Strength Summit that my powerlifting coach Maria organized.
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What’s life been like on your end? What are you looking forward to this summer? Tell me in the comments. If we haven’t already, let’s connect on Instagram.
Artist. Serial Life Reinventor. Digital strategist & web designer. I recently relocated to Maine's Kennebec Valley from Seattle. I geek out over good typography, mixed media art, powerlifting, and systems/organization. (Paper planners for life.)
This is my mostly self-indulgent personal blog. Interested in working together? Click here.
![“I am grateful to have a mind that can be changed. I am grateful to have a heart that can break and mend and break again. I am grateful to be growing so quickly each day I look back at yesterday say, ‘I can’t believe I did that.’ I am grateful that I love hard enough to have a life full of grief. I am grateful that I love hard enough to have a life full of joy. [...] I am grateful to finally be learning how to talk sweetly to my most vulnerable self. I am grateful to know that even when the truth isn’t hopeful the telling of it is. [...] I am grateful that I close my eyes when I kiss the same way I close my eyes when I pray. I am grateful to have lived through. I am grateful for you.”
- Andrea Gibson
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what a journey this year between Thanksgivings has been. I’m grateful beyond words for my life, for everything that lead us here, and for every single day this amazing human and I get to grow a bit together.](https://evanleahquinn.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)