Behind the Scenes and Messy.

I have been down right under the weather. As much as being home would normally mean DIY and productivity, the last three days have been stark opposite. My weekend was a blur of catching up on Project Runway, a tangled mess in pillows and blankets, and the ever constant downing of liquids. Thank you to all of you who have sent me wishes to get better! And a special shout out to Dacia for her amazing suggestion of Organic Tea remedies. I thought that maybe today I would have the strength to muster up some painting, at least for 20 minutes. Yeah, no. That's not happening. I was able, however, to muster up the strength to take some photographs of the messy behind the scenes that comes with DIY, thrifting, and well, lack of housekeeping do to a full time work schedule and this recent head cold.

Amy, my good friend from 20minutemom, wrote an encouraging yet humbling post last week. It was on blogging and perfection (You can read it HERE). I could really relate to what Amy said about how we tend to hold a high unrealistic standard for ourselves as bloggers (or even just as women) as we browse and look at what others are doing, what they are writing about, and the projects/stylings they come up with in everyday living. Especially with being under the weather, the standards of making things, designing this and that, and posting about it had to go on the back-burner for PPP this weekend. Normally I get ahead of myself and work on DIY, thrifting, and projects on the weekend to get a head start for the week. I love doing this! Yet I had to ask myself as I sat in frustration, sick, and unable to work on anything this past Saturday and Sunday: Am I keeping it real? Am I frusterated due to my high standard of wanting to achieve perfection? Am I creating an untrue sense of reality for the audience of my blog? Am I comparing myself to others,  and making an idol out of all this?

In reflecting, I had to take a lesson in humility. I am not perfect. And I want to keep it real. So, here's the reality: I am lacking creative brainpower and energy. My house is a mess. My posting thoughts are jumbled. My projects are on hold and piling up. I haven't cooked Matt a good meal in days, maybe weeks. I have found myself falling into the trap of feeling inferior. I ran out of milk and creamer, yet have no willpower to get to the store. But this is all okay. This is where I am at today. All mess, all jumble, all congested, all fatigue. And to keep it even more real, I am still working on the defeating high standards bit. (Hence challenging myself to photograph the unorganized, messy, and not so pretty). I want to continue to challenge myself in regards to what Amy said about holding unrealistic standards for ourselves. As more than just a blogger, I am a friend, a wife, a swimmer, a daughter, a doer, an educator, an artist, an explorer, and a frozen yogurt lover. And I want to challenge myself to give all those parts of me more quality time (which means prioritizing and embracing imperfections, even when it comes to this little blog). Anyways, I hope you feel inspired to meet other's where you are at, to be honest, vulnerable, and to stop comparing yourself just as I have been challenged (even in the little world of blogging) Thanks again to Amy for her inspiring post!