I have been working for myself nearly my entire adult life - ten whole years now. (Yikes!) I had become *very* accustomed to the freedom of being able to take the time to do my hair and makeup, select an outfit, and to get out of the house each day to do something I want to do - not need to do. Frankly, I've been spoiled.
Here's a thrown-together outfit. The photo was taken outside Goodwill about a week ago - whatever Day 2 would have been. We weren't there to thrift for vintage - we needed more storage bins.
This whole process of acquiring the Puttin' on the Ritz consignment - with the added project of soft-launching the website - has really changed my life and how Jesse and I go about our work, and that's been sort of hard to accept. All I own is vintage, a few reproductions and five sets of workout wear. I don't even have normal "just around the house" clothes. So I've been wearing the same five house dresses on rotation for the better part of a month now. All I wear is turbans - I never find time to do my hair. My life has changed. I need to adjust my patterns. I am still working out how to make that happen.
Right now, I'm clocking about 14 to 15 hours of work a day, every day. (Jesse and I have both worked ourselves sick - we have really brutal summer colds that have lasted the better half of a week or more.) If I am not listing, I'm washing clothes, or measuring, or writing SEO for the website, or sewing on buttons, or patching holes, or responding to email inquiries. Since I have a standing desk, I really only sit down these days if I am in the car for some reason, or if I'm eating lunch. Jesse has a similar laundry list.
I made the mistake of going out to Last Thursday, to be supportive of Jesse, who got up and did his monthly stilting (in a custom made tuxedo) at festival. The cool evening and the crowd of people, plus the late night was the last straw for my health. So much for trying to do something fun! Now that I see the photo, I can see that I already looked sick.
Those pants are the other thing I've been living in - my new One Offs from Jitterbuggin. I love snagging prototypes in my size! Best jeans ever.
Damn. Even my turbans don't look good any more. It isn't that I don't care. I just don't have time to indulge my vanity.
As defeated as I might sound, I'm really not. I know that this period of intense work is situational, and unavoidable, with building up the website and settling the MASSIVE inventory that we've taken in. It won't last forever. But I don't forsee a return to the days of total freedom, either. The first step is to move down to clocking ten hour work days.
Then, starting taking one day off a week. To do things that I'm horribly overdue on, like waxing my eyebrows, or having a pedicure, or bicycling with Jesse.
I am going to try to put a couple posts a week, of some kind to stay to connected with you. My challenge still stands for those who started it, you'll certainly deserve the reward at the end! And I will pick up my own personal challenge when I can realistically see a couple hours of free time a day.
Thanks for listening! I know that's one heck of a lot of text for a fashion blog.
xoxo
Julie
Hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteJulie, I totally understand how you feel. We bought a business a few months ago and only now do I get a day off a week, and it is bliss! I love working for us, not 'the man,' and it does all sound desperate to those who don't understand the sheer satisfaction of self employment. It sounds like you are going to make a huge success of this thing and it is just the wake up call you needed (I refer to a post a while back about financial security)
ReplyDeletePlugging for you all the way over here in NZ! xo
Goals need to be flexible and respond to feedback and changes- we only fail with the goals we make when we remain rigid, inflexible and focussed on success or fail. Listen to the feedback your life is giving you, reassess the timelines your giving yourself and all will be well! Your learning and reflections gives each of us a gift and a reminder that life is never a straight line trajectory!xx
ReplyDeleteIt's just a bad time you have to go thru... you will feel better when everything is find its right place!!!! I'm a full time worker and absolutly know what you mean to not be able to find time for you!!!! I usually takes time for me on week-end but my weeks are usually works, works, works!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://lostin1950.blogspot.fr/
I grew up with self-employed, work-at-home parents, so I understand entirely. They usually sneak in an hour of exercise either first thing in the morning (in the summer) or before dinner (in the winter), but they work 9am till 4 or 5 pm, and then again from 7-11 most days. They definitely have a schedule, though! Good luck figuring out a way to eat properly while working (goodness knows my man and I do a lot of turbo cooking) and keeping on track with your goals.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually trying to get my guy to write/update a cooking blog, since he loves cooking, so let me know if you need any new fast meals to add to your regular rotation. :) Best of luck to you, we're rooting for you over here!
Frances, some fast recipes would be awesome! I grew up cooking SLOW - meals with three to four courses. You know, a side salad, cooked veggies and main event, these days usually with quinoa and turkey. Most of the things I excel at take three cooking pans minimum, and about an hour of prep + cook time. I need to leave quick, healthy cooking, for sure!!
DeleteYou have been going through so much lately - in some ways I think it's a bit akin to battle front triage, really - and it's completely understandable that you've had other things (than weight loss) to focus on. Please don't beat yourself up, dear gal. What you guys are doing is so, so fantastic and I'm super proud for you! You look ravishing beautiful in all your posts and are marvelous at any size.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
Julie, I will extend my offer to you again if you need any help at all I am here for you. Just contact me. Also regarding meals, I have had to do a drastic change in the way I eat due to food allergies. There are so many things I can not eat and everything has to be made from scratch. What I do is eat a two course meal meat with vegetables (or a salad) it really helps to simplify things a lot. I had to cut out all sugars, grains except quinoa and brown rice, potatoes except sweet potatoes, fruit except for berries. I cook a lot of things in a crock pot that way you can do your food prep at the beginning of the day and forget about it while it cooks and your meal is ready to eat when you are. The other thing I do because everything I eat is fresh and from scratch (I rarely eat things from jars or cans) I cook up a lot of food all at once for example I made a big pan of about 20 hot wings (not breaded) and I bought a salad pack in a tub so I can eat on this for a few days with out cooking again. Every few days a cook something new so it gets added into the rotation so the meals over lap and I always have variety so that I am not cooking every night. Most of my meals are pretty simple too not to elaborate. I like to post pics of what I cook on facebook if you see anything that looks good ask me about it and I will shoot you the recipe. If these tips seem helpful and you want more just ask me. I have been cooking and eating this way for several months now. I hope some of this you find to be helpful! Hang in there lady, it will all be worth it in the end!
ReplyDeleteHang in there! You still look amazing... better days will come X
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