It’s quite the week for my family: my mom officially retired from a job of 23 yrs, today is Mother’s Day, tomorrow is my mom’s birthday, and my birthday is Tuesday. There are parties and drinks and celebrations. Plans for the day, for the future, for this week. It’s crazy and lovely and full of love. How are you? What are you doing today? I hope you let your mom know how much you love her! If you’re a mom I hope you’re spoiled! And if, for whatever reason, today is a hard day for you- I hope you know I’m sending you love!
Wishing us all a week of love and amazing shoes! XO RA
I danced throughout my childhood and high school – ballet, tap, jazz, was on my TX high school drill/dance team, took class every week. I loved it- the discipline, the grace, the beauty. The way it felt to control my body that way. Now don’t romanticize it- I wasn’t great, ballet was never my career goal, but I loved it in that pure way a child can love something. It brought me joy. I grew away from dance in college- just time and other commitments. However, I found my way back to ballet in my 20s- as an exercise, a hobby, something I loved. I found a ballet class I loved and genuinely loved the discipline, the grace- and something we called tutu Tuesday.
Again, I was never great – maybe good- but not great. But this hobby has fueled me- made me more creative, gave me an outlet, taught me things.
This year has been a journey- I’m traveling more, have more than one base camp, and my schedule is a little more all over the place. I still longed to dance but in one of my base cities the classes available are through a ballet company. With great dancers. And loves, I got scared. Told myself that ballet is not something I’m great at, so why risk taking a class?
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of that little voice inside me that tells me I can’t do something. And that was vocalized to me by a friend of mine in Pilates who listened to me say I’m not great and responded, “Isn’t it sad, as women and adults, the things we keep ourselves from doing?” Loves, it is sad. My doing ballet was never about being great- it was creating for creating sake, and something that brought me joy.
So this week I told that little voice inside me to take a hike. I got out my ballet slippers. And I took a class- and I loved it. I was good- and didn’t care that I wasn’t great.
Today is International Dance Day so it seemed like a good fit to share. I hope that today you dance- just to dance. That it brings you joy. And that those things that you love in your life- don’t let any voice in your head keep you from them!
Wishing us all all a week of creative joy and amazing shoes! XO RA
I travel a lot for work (this weekend I went to Tyler, TX for a vintage pop up) and I have more LA and TX trips throughout the end of the month and May. Being so busy there are times when my inspiration can vanish- just in the rush of all the things that have to get done. However, with these trips I’m actually gaining inspiration – new faces, friends, clothes and projects are fueling me, and I’m really excited about some of the things ahead. Below are a list of some of my current inspirations- I would love to know- what inspires you?
Magazines. I know- trite- but I love looking at the editorials! It gives me ideas (and clothes to drool over)
Nature. As busy as I’ve been I have made it a point to really focus on the outside world- whether that be a walk or simply allowing myself to take in the beauty around us. I find it very calming- and no one does a color palette like Mother Nature
Poetry. We know I love to read, but I’ve just recently gotten into poetry books. There’s something about a book you can savor a bit at a time- especially when that bit is pure beauty.
Collabs!! I’ve been blessed to meet a bunch of great people and am working with some amazing professionals. We have new photographers and stylists and artists that you’ll be seeing here soon- and being around creative people is a high for me!!
Wishing us all a week of inspiration and amazing shoes! XO RA
Loves, the only place I do more damage than a shoe store is a book store. It’s a fact. Here’s what I’ve been reading and loving lately!
I’ve needed to hear what the amazing Ms. Rhimes had to say- it was realistically inspirational and have some clear advice. I also loved “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve been struggling with my creativity lately and this was a great reminder of how to seduce it. I also have books by Brene Brown coming in the mail, which I’m super excited about!
I started this book of short stories a while ago and recently picked it back up- and I’m so grateful I did. This isn’t a “typical” pick for me- it’s a bit gritty and raw- but it’s simply beautiful.
I’m into this mystery, already have a theory, and love it. It’s fast, smooth, and just delicious.
This is the first Sunday I haven’t had to be anywhere and haven’t had to be up early in about a month. It’s raining and I’m looking forward to curling up, reading, and maybe indulging in a face mask and glass of wine. I’d love to know- have you read any of these? What have you loved recently?
Wishing us a week of great stories and amazing shoes! XO RA
I used to teach spin, and am still an avid spinner (it’s a word, let’s just go with it). If you’ve never spun, it’s a rhythm based class set to music on a bike–and when the class is good, it’s heaven. However, in every class there comes moments of transition, when one song ends, the next hasn’t quite started and you have just a moment between beats. That moment can be scary. Most teachers, me included, desperately want you to stay up during those transitions. There are plain old work out reasons–it keeps your heart rate from dipping, keeps you mentally engaged, and as one of my favorite teachers puts it “the transitions make you stronger”. And loves, that’s not just true on a spin bike.
As much as we would like to pretend otherwise, life is full of transition. Yes, there are peaks and valleys in there; and yes, some transitions are more evident than others. They can be scary. There are moments between your peaks and valleys when you don’t know what steps to take. But loves, the transitions make you stronger. Transitions are where we find out what we’re really made of, what we really want, and what we can take. The valleys aren’t always great, the peaks can be amazing, but transitions–transitions are where the magic happens.
I’m in a transition right now–which is both exciting and terrifying. And as I try to build a life I love, there are times when I don’t know what to do. Times when it’s flat out scary. Part of why I spin is that, cheesy as it is, I buy into the lessons. So when I’m in a dark room, sweaty, sometimes tired, and pushing myself and a transition happens I trust that even when the beat doesn’t come right away, it will. And I will catch it. And I will be ok. Life is the same way–the secret is to keep moving, not to sit down and be scared. Because loves, all that glorious magic that’s out there waiting for us–it’s in the transitions.
Wishing us all a week of magic and amazing shoes! XO RA
You may know that in the past two weeks I’ve had two deaths in my family: an uncle and my grandma. I appreciate everyone who has reached out–and if you haven’t please don’t feel any way about that. Death is hard. Loss is hard. When I started this site, and decided to do an editorial segment on Sundays, my goal was never to get too personal. I was hopeful that we could build a form of community together, but although my pursuits have always been public (acting, etc), I am at heart a private person. I hate being checked in places. I fear opening up too soon or letting my guard down too much–being as a friend calls it “emotionally slutty”. But what I’ve learned is that it’s impossible not to get personal–and that if I hold things in for too long I end up unloading on some unsuspecting stranger. And I’m hoping that my being vulnerable is a way for us all to be vulnerable with each other–because we all know loss, we all know pain, we are all acutely aware of our flaws. These things can only mean that we need each other.
Let’s be honest: loss sucks. You can’t control it, you don’t dictate it’s terms, and you don’t chose what you’re willing to lose. Loss simply takes. It’s hard. My grandma lived a full and happy life; she was 97 and ill and ready to go—and yet it’s still hard to have that hole, even while holding the thought that she’s in a better place. My uncle was ill as well–and is now at peace, and yet the hurt that the peace is bought with can leave you wailing. We don’t get to chose when we lose people. I can tell you platitudes about how we should be grateful for any time at all with loved ones, and we should. Not all loss is death and that doesn’t minimize the pain, it shouldn’t. Loss is hard to talk about because none of us has answers. So here’s a list of things I know to be true about loss:
We all grieve differently, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. And the appearance of grief is not a comment on the feeling
Grieve comes in waves and the only thing you can do is ride them out
We all lose things:people, dreams, things. One loss is not bigger than another.
Loss is one of the hardest things I know of to talk about. It can feel too raw. It can be hard to comfort someone–or even know what to say
We need each other through loss. The most powerful thing is the knowledge that people care-it helps.
We heal. Often it’s around the wound, like a tree grows around concrete. There are losses that forever leave a tender spot, but we go on.
I’ve been dealing with my loss by trying to be kind to myself. There’s been some shopping, tea, and red wine. There’s been time around family and time alone. Many books, movies, some tears. I’m so grateful for all of you–for this blog has helped as well.
Wishing us all a loss-free week and amazing shoes! XO RA
Happy Easter! No matter you’re practices I hope that today finds you surrounded by love and celebrating new beginnings. I know this week has been a lot for us as a humanity- the attacks, the hate, the uncertainty. I had a death in my family this week, and no matter your belief in an afterlife, death is hard. However, being around family was a great reminder- love is healing, new beginnings come from painful endings, and anything is possible when we stick together. So Loves, let’s love each other extra hard this week.
There’s a favorite saying of mine “People worry about wasting money, worry about wasting time. Time is not a renewable resource. Money is”. While is this not a call to be careless with your money, it is a call to be aware of your time. Tomorrow is leap day–the one extra day that we get every four years. A whole extra 24 hours (and yes we could complain that it’s a Monday–but time is a gift). No matter what you value or what you like to do, time is what makes up our lives–and it’s finite. So what are you going to do with your extra time? From work to relaxing to pampering yourself, I hope that you get to take this gift of an extra day and do something special with it–what ever that means to you!
Wishing us all a week of meaningful time and amazing shoes! XO RA
Friends! It’s been a week, hasn’t it? I’ve been busy with work and commitments, and have also been battling sleepless nights. That’s not always bad- I’m a little Type A and I like being busy. Which is good- we live in a society that glorifies busy. I’m sure you’ve heard that before – but have you ever taken a moment to think about how true it is?
We love busy. We encourage busy. We are all supposed to have jobs we love and activities we love and when we aren’t doing those things we need to have plans- with our friends, or learning a new skill or something. The main point? We aren’t supposed to have time unaccounted for- we should always be doing something. I love my job, I love spending time with friends, learning skills – all of that. However, the busier I become the more I cherish doing nothing – and long for unaccounted time.
What we forget is that doing nothing and unaccounted time are both actually good for us. They let us relax, unwind, recharge- and believe it or not become more creative. If you were to start a new workout regime your trainer would talk to you about rest; that recovery is an essential part of the program, and how you wouldn’t see progress without it. So, how did we get so far away from that truth in every other area of our lives?
I don’t have the answers friends. However, I do know that this week I’m giving myself permission to do nothing. To have some time set aside for nothing. And whatever shape that nothing takes- reading, movies, art, relaxation- I’m going to let myself enjoy it!
Wishing us all a week of nothing and amazing shoes! XO RA
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! I know- if you’re not into football this may not be an exciting day for you. However, between parties, halftime, and commercials- it is a day when football fan and non-fan alike can come together to eat nachos and enjoy “America’s Game”. What are you doing? I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of big parties- I really like to pay attention to the game. I’m having a small group of friends and family over, and we plan on experimenting with nachos and other snacks!
I do have to admit – this day makes me a little sad, it’s the end of the Football season (yes, I’m that much of a fan). The upside? It means we’re closer to summer! I will still mourn a little next week with no football to watch- and marvel at all my extra time. As for today? I plan on enjoying what I hope is a great game and eating my fill!
Wishing us all a week of exciting water cooler conversation and amazing shoes!
