TheStyleGeek.com

Boundaries.  In case you were wondering, I have none.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I said no to something.

I say yes to everything. I accept every invitation.  I volunteer when asked. I work extra hours.  Until something overlaps.  Like the jewelry party I RSVP-ed to this weekend and then forgot to back out of after I discovered I had a work conflict (yes, a work conflict on a Friday night). Or, I go until I have a personal implosion, which usually ends with an emotional explosion on poor Hubs.  The explosion sounds a lot like this:

Me: I’m just so stressed right now.

Hubs: Why?

Me: I’ve go to do (insert long lists of items here) on top of work and nevermind any personal things I might want to do for myself (like blogging), there’s never any time for those.

Hubs: Why did you say yes to (insert long list of items I just rattled off here)?

Me: Because I would feel guilty if I said no.

And there it is. Guilt: the root of my lack of boundaries and the cause of my current stress. Even as I type this, I feel overwhelmed by all the things I’ve told people I would do, yet I feel guilty that I’m not doing more.  I always feel that I could be doing more.  And more always comes at the expense of me.

So why am I telling you all of this? I’m sharing this because to the outside observer of this blog, I’m sure my life looks pretty charmed.  And let’s be honest, I have had some amazing experiences in the two and a half years since I’ve started The Style Geek, but I’ve also had some less than stellar moments–some that I chose to share and some that I did not.  The impetus for wanting to start a series called The Style Geek In Real Life (TSGIRL, which I mentioned last week) is to demonstrate to those of you reading my blog or any of the other fabulously curated lives available online, that sometimes we as bloggers paint a picture of our existence that is far rosier than the reality.

Here’s how this is gonna work.  True to its original intent, The Style Geek will begin to focus exclusively on fashion and technology related content (not much of a switch from what you’re already seeing).  Peppered throughout most of my posts, however, you’ll find links to posts on my new blog jennprentice.com that will give you a behind-the-scenes look at that particular event, day or week in my life.  Jennprentice.com will also become a hub for the long form content I often shy away from sharing on here.  In other words, The Style Geek will be a place to share the glam; jennprentice.com will be where I share my heart.