hello again!

hello again old blogging friends!  i thought it was about time to pop in and explain my absence and my plans for the future.  at the end of august through the beginning of september, my parents came into town for a visit and i put my daily outfit picture taking on hold as my usual picture taking space in my room was used to place their suitcases and it felt like too much of a hassle to discretely move their things each afternoon just to snap a picture of what i was wearing that i may or may not decide to post on this blog.

the week after they left, i just still didn't feel like taking outfit pictures.  i've been trying to manage some annoying anxiety lately and i just haven't felt like doing much of anything.  i finally feel like i'm past my mental health hump and i'm getting through my workdays and i'm content with my usual routine in the afternoons and evenings and i'm getting back into exercising and with that i've been trying to determine if this hobby is something that i want to keep up with... if it brings me joy, if it's a good distraction, if i want to put any of my energy toward it.  and the answer is kind of, well, not really.  and i think i am okay with that decision.  there's no point in pursuing anything that doesn't bring you joy or that feels burdensome especially when you are trying to lift yourself up and maintain a sense of clarity and peace... which i am really trying hard to do right now!

the bigger decision to step away from this blog, however, is because i'm not so sure i need this platform anymore to help inform the decisions i make about my personal style or shopping habits.  i know what i like and i'm going to wear those clothes with confidence.  i think this was exemplified this past sunday when i went to our state fair with my sister and some friends.  it was forecasted to be hot-hot-hot and i felt so dejected when i tried to figure out what to wear.  i've always had body issues related to my legs and i haven't worn a pair of shorts in public since probably my sophomore year of high school, and even then i may have only worn shorts 1 or 2 days the entire school year and never during the summer.  summer... in georgia.  really.  and to think i was way thinner then than i am now!  i'm pretty particular about my skirt and dress hem lengths but i didn't own a pair of shorts until i recently ordered a pair from oldnavy.com just to see what they would be like... and after trying them on i promptly put them back in the bag with the receipt.  but i hadn't made it over to a store to return them yet, so i tried them on again the night before the fair.  i looked at myself from every angle in the mirror and told myself that i needed to wear those shorts.  i needed to be comfortable in the heat and i needed to finally be comfortable with myself.  so i did it... and it may not seem like a huge deal to anyone reading this, but it was monumental to me in my own journey of clothing selection and fit and body acceptance.  and that's what i have been searching for all along with this blog.  i did it - i finally did it.

so, with that:  thanks for visiting & thanks for everything from all of you over the years!  i don't think of myself as an indecisive person, but this may be a decision i reverse in the future as i have felt a great deal of joy putting together this post and "talking" to you all, so i leave it up to you if you want to keep my blog on your reader or you can reach me at literateandstylishblog[at]gmail[dot]com.  i still enjoy scrolling through my own reader and connecting with ladies whose blogs i enjoy visiting, so i hope you will still welcome me in the comments!

i'll leave you with a big virtual hug and a casual friday picture from a couple weeks ago!

 

j crew factory blouse {exact}

j crew factory scarf {exact}

merona jeans {thrifted}

restricted slice it wedges

this tee is so cheap right now and i wholeheartedly recommend it... i love the solid cotton body and interesting detail on the sleeves.  definitely takes the concept of jeans & a t-shirt up a notch in my opinion!