Archives for August 2012

A break from routine

August 27, 2012

Sometimes a break from your routine is the very thing you need.

I’ve decided to step away from the blog this week to recharge my blogging batteries. August has been a particularly stressful month for me, from dealing with Levi to dealing with self-doubt. In an attempt to not overthink myself into a stress spiral, I’m giving myself permission to not think at all for the next several days. Hopefully, I’ll greet September feeling renewed and excited to blog again.

(PS: I have another really exciting giveaway in the works for the beginning of September, so set yourself a reminder to come back!)

In the meantime, you may be interested in my latest post for Lifetime Moms on the pros and cons of the Mirena IUD. And since I can’t completely cut myself off from social media, you’ll still find me tweeting, posting photos on Instagram and updating Bunny & Dolly’s Facebook page. Are you following me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook? You should, especially because I have a cute Levi video that I’ll be uploading later today!

I hope you enjoy the unofficial end of summer. Why not take a break from your routine, too?

{quote: source unknown / original image: girly me}

Style: denim shirt and patterned skirt

August 26, 2012

As somebody who has a hard time defining her style (but who still loves fashion), my eyes widen when I see a head-to-toe look I would want to wear. I recently came across the above photo and was so inspired by the denim shirt and floral skirt combination that I started tracking down similar pieces to see if I could recreate the outfit.

Now, I know I don’t normally do fashion posts on Bunny & Dolly, but I hope you’ll let me indulge my inner sartorialist just this once! (Or maybe more often. You’ll have to let me know what you think!)

J.Crew Western denim shirt / Topshop full skirt / Kate Spade ‘Leslie’ pump / Danielle Nicole ‘Madison’ clutch

{original image via the New York Times}

Why I’m not attending Alt Summit NYC (Part 2)

August 24, 2012

As I mentioned yesterday, the primary reason I wasn’t able to attend Alt Summit NYC was logistics. However, I might have fought a little bit hard to make it work if there hadn’t been a second, more complicated, reason…

Reason #2: Who am I to be there? (No, really, who am I?)

My post on the business of blogging initiated a sort of blog identity crisis. As I try to identify my future goals, both professional and personal, I can’t stop questioning the purpose of this blog. Since I haven’t been able to come up with any definitive answers, I’ve just been plugging along as I did before I wrote that confessional, all the while feeling a bit unsettled.

I worried that if I were to attend Alt Summit NYC, I wouldn’t know how to promote this blog–or how to market myself. Bunny & Dolly began as a pregnancy blog, and after Levi was born, the topic naturally evolved from pregnancy to motherhood. So does that make me a “mommy blogger?”

I ask because I don’t think I want to be labeled as such. See, I’m more than just Levi’s mommy. I’m a 32-year-old woman with interests outside of parenthood. At least, I want there to be more to me than just Levi’s mom.

Like many women my age, I’m still trying to figure out who I am and what I want to be when I grow up. I’d love to write about my likes, dislikes and hobbies on the blog as I discover more about myself, but I don’t know if this is the forum for those types of posts. That would make Bunny & Dolly a mommy-slash-lifestyle blog, but I’ve been getting the feeling lately that you are all more interested in reading about Levi than about me. Which is totally OK. After all, he is a lot more interesting–and a lot more adorable!

But does that mean I should start yet another blog to avoid blurring the line between niches?

I know what you’re going to say. “PJ, you should only put in the time to blog if it makes you happy, and you should write about whatever you want.” (Am I close?) And my response is that blogging does make me happy. Writing is not only my creative outlet; it’s also a form of therapy for me. As you might have noticed, I have the tendency to over-think just about everything. I struggle with perfectionism. It boils down to this: Blogging is fun for me, but it can also be stressful because as much as I want it to feel easy breezy, I also want it to be perfect.

In short, the second reason I didn’t go to Alt Summit NYC was because I didn’t know how I would fit in among the fashion, foodie and lifestyle bloggers in attendance. But I’m not giving up on myself or on this blog just yet. You see, I bought a ticket to attend Alt Summit’s flagship event in Salt Lake City in January. Yes, I’m scared shitless to go, but I know I have a few months to get my act together and sort through this identity crisis.

I value each and every one of you and thank you again for all of your thoughtful, constructive feedback.

{bottom image via Alt Design Summit}

Why I’m not attending Alt Summit NYC (Part 1)

August 23, 2012

Alt Design Summit is hosting their first-ever New York City event today, and I’m not there. I was supposed to be there — I even bought a ticket to attend — but I’m not. So why am I not attending Alt Summit NYC? Two reasons…… READ MORE!

Levi’s second state fair

August 21, 2012

Nearly a year to the day of our first-ever excursion to the Iowa State Fair, Levi and I got to experience fried food and farm animals for a second time… … READ MORE!