I’m one of those creatives who has a LOT, and I mean a METRIC BLEEP TON, of ideas. Its the only way to describe it, though in my mind that word rang VERY loudly. So imagine my brain, (which just tried to spell that word as “brian”) on a daily basis with all these ideas. They sound great. I want to do them immediately. Then, I break back to reality to discover its 9:56 a.m. on a Tuesday and my daily check in meeting is about to start. Mental note to work on that idea later.
Rinse. Repeat.
If you could see my home studio, you’d understand. It looks great, until you look closer. Upon further inspection, you’ll find a large repotoire of projects started, and then promptly set aside because I found another I wanted to do. Or, I was terrified of messing it up, and never even bothered to start. That happen’s a lot. I promise I’m getting better with this.
So, you’ll understand when you look at this blog and see that it hasn’t been updated since March. I promise you, I think of it daily. I think of all the amazing things I could write about. The creative writing pieces I could create and post and share. The projects I could do, and then talk about, post on Instagram, and share with the world. I genuinely think about this on the daily and still very much want this.
I recently participated in an event (socially distanced, masked up, and thoroughly doused in 70%+ hand sanitizer on a regular) that seriously rekindled that fire I needed under me bum. Its been a rough year for everyone, but that’s a story for another day, another post. For now, I’m focusing on the good it has brought.
This year has brought a lot of life lessons. A lot of reformed goals, re-realized dreams, and a whole lot of wine, if we’re being honest. How else would I deal with the massive cluster this year has been? Dying my hair blue and purple?
My rebrand was meant to be a launching point, but it never quite launched. I guess there’s no time better than the future… er present. Or, is it past…?
Reverie Castle Studios. A castle full of sweet memories that you hold dear. That’s what my brain will always be. (Yes, BRAIN. You’re spelled BRAIN. Not brian, get with it. And who’s Brian?)
So hi again! I hope you still like me, you’ll be seeing more of me on this site. And this time, my hair matches 😉
I’ve told what seems like a million people about this little online/app obsession since I started, and I’m probably not going to stop any time soon. A little background for you: I used to work at my absolute favorite retail spot until 2015. They offered a killer discount, so I ended up with a TON of clothing and accessories. I absolutely love the items I purchased in the 4 years I was there, but some of it just isn’t me anymore. Not to mention a lot of it doesn’t fit, or isn’t something I can really wear on a regular basis. Its sad to see the items sit in a closet and not see the love they deserve. When I say a lot of clothes? I mean like I probably had about 50 dresses, 30 tanks, another 20 tops, plus another 20 skirts… plus more. I could have clothed a small army of really edgy teenagers. They would have looked great. I tried the usual Facebook sites and such, just wasn’t getting what the clothes are worth to me. While I did try a couple other apps, and I just didn’t like them much, or seem to catch on.
Enter stage right:
This app/site is amazing. Not only is it a fun way to get rid of some of your old wardrobe and make some extra cash, but its a great community. As an added bonus, you can shop some great deals on there from some absolutely wonderful sellers. Personally, I’ve been selling on Poshmark for about 2 years. I’ve made enough to help pay bills and introduce some new pieces to my wardrobe. I’ve also found some really great gifts on there. If you’re not looking to sell anything, but looking for brand name items for cheap? Seriously, checking it out. You can like all the listings you want, get notified when the seller drops the price, or they can offer private discounts to users that like the item.
Bundle discounts are a thing, too. So if you see a few items in one closet you’re dying to have, you can add them all to a bundle, only pay one shipping price, and the seller can offer you a discount for buying more than just one item from their closet. Keep in mind, that when buying from Poshmark, you’re buying from private user on the site. Just like using Amazon, check out the sellers before purchasing. I’ve yet to have an issue, but other people have. I’ve sold a lot of items that will have new homes to love them, and I’ve purchased some of my new favorite articles of clothing on there. I even found my fiance an identical replacement for his favorite winter coat last year (at a fraction of what it cost brand new, in pretty much new condition!) I’m always working on my closet, and since using the site I’ve become a Posh Ambassador so that other Poshers know my closet is legit 😉 Its also improved my item photography game quite a bit. As with anything, the better the item photo, the better chance it has to sell!
Want to check it out?!
If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them. Check out my Poshmark closet here, and if you want to sign up, follow this link to download the app on Google Play (use this one for App store!), and use the code MEGTOR. If you sign up using my invite code, you get a free $5 credit!
Please note that I was not paid in any way to write this, I’m just sharing something I love. Its a great way to make some extra money, clean out your closet, or refresh your wardrobe.
Looking back on things you wrote years ago is a funny thing. Some of the pieces you find create instant nostalgic vibes, some of them make you laugh at yourself, and some of them are just straight cringe and you immediately want to burn them/delete them from existence. (For some of my current or past writings that I didn’t completely hate, check out the creative writing category of my blog here.)
I recently found a blog post I wrote when I was 22, and just considering starting a blog. This piece is actually what made me decide on my original domain name, 22andclueless.com. After some research, this domain is owned by Stephanie (and her adorable cat, Kate) and is a new blog about mental health and her life journey. No, I don’t personally know the new owner, but oddly enough, the direction of her blog is along the lines of what I had in mind when I owned the domain.
The front page of what is now 22 and Clueless. I like her tagline and enjoyed her first post, so I thought I’d share.
I still stand by what I wrote, and I think its still relevant even years later as I navigate adult life, so I thought I’d share the thoughts that 22 year old me wrote with you all. Feel free to laugh at me (well, with me. I’m definitely laughing at myself!) Also, feel free to comment and share what the hardest lesson you learned when you first moved out was.
Life at the Age of 22: 22 and Clueless
Unless you know something that I don’t, learning how to “survive on your own” as a young adult can be a rather trying process. A fun one, I will admit, but trying nonetheless.
When you move out, there’s suddenly so much more to do. On top of the standard bills, groceries, mail, and trying not to forget to feed the cat, (or feed yourself, for that matter…) there’s more that you have to do on your own that you realize you never really thought about.
There are a lot of lessons you kind of learn right away. These are my top 5.
1. Food doesn’t just appear.
Okay, so maybe I didn’t just learn this. But I didn’t realize how time consuming the whole food thing is. When you get home, a home cooked dinner isn’t waiting. You actually have to make it. And unless you plan on eating out of a box for the rest of your life, its a little more complex than just throwing something in the microwave. It takes chopping and mixing and measuring and sometimes, a rather extensive (and expensive) grocery list. Basically, unless you plan on starving yourself, search for some “quick, cheap, and healthy” recipes. You would be amazed at the plethora of recipes available online if you’re just starting out.
2. This place is WAY dirtier than home was.
Not that I thought things cleaned themselves. Besides those fancy ovens (yeah, don’t have one of those.) Its amazing how dirty a place can get so quick when you don’t have a mom who cleans it, or tells you when you need to clean something. Or a younger sibling who’s forced to clean it as a chore. Be prepared to wield a sponge and spray bottle a little more than you did with your assigned chores. I really hope you’re not afraid of cleaning a toilet, either. Otherwise, a rude and smelly awakening is coming, and quick.
3. The shampoo doesn’t refill itself.
Remember when you were almost out of toothpaste one night after you brushed your teeth, and in the morning there was a new tube waiting? For some reason, that doesn’t happen when you live on your own. You actually have to remember to go and buy the things you need. There’s no magic backup bottles of shampoo and conditioner under the sink. Bars of soap don’t seem to last quite as long. Oh, and the milk? It expires sooner than you thought it did. Might want to add that to the grocery list we were just talking about.
4. My TV stopped working.
Dad isn’t around to fix things, tell you what exactly is wrong with your car, or move the couch out of the way so that you can vacuum all the dust monsters that keep appearing. Yes, I said monsters. Those things are NOT bunnies. Suddenly, the things that were so easy to do because you had help, aren’t so easy anymore. I recently discovered that when you dye your hair yourself, your neck ends up a little more pink afterwards than when mom helps you. Not really sure how to prepare for that one. My neck is still pink though…
Prioritizing daily tasks have become far more important than they used to be, don’t you think? You realize now how much you took for granted when you didn’t actually have to do it, or you were given direction on doing it. How much you were used to having around, how much your siblings did around the house, or maybe just how much mom and dad did for you while you were still living at home. Which brings me to our 5th and final lesson for today:
5. You no longer have a human alarm clock
You wake up and look at the clock, only to realize your alarm clock didn’t go off/you slept through it, causing you to oversleep. Now, you’re supposed to be clocked in, in 10 minutes. So you jump out of bed, dress yourself, brush your teeth so your breath no longer smells like a small animal slept in there overnight, and fly out the door. On your way to work, you make a mental note to make sure your alarm will fully function from now on, or will be a LOT louder. These things seem much more important when you don’t have mom to open your door and yell “BETTER GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” Suddenly, you remember her saying something along the lines of “What are you going to do when I’m not there to make sure you get up?” and realize she’s been right all along.
Uh oh…. What other things has mom been right about…?
When you’re trying to do the adulty thing and be more organized, sometimes it requires a planner. A lot of people prefer to use their Google Calendars (you should see my boss’ Google calendar. Its remotely terrifying to look at), a lot of people prefer to have it all written out. I’m in between these two groups of people. While having your Google calendar constantly reminding you of your schedule is nice, I love the idea of a physical planner. I can write myself notes, write in appointments, make to-do lists, and who doesn’t love color coding?!
Pros and Cons of Planner Types
The problem is, there’s like 10 bazillion different planners and planning methods available. It might sound like I’m exaggerating the number, but I’m honestly scared that its not an exaggeration. I’ve tried quite a few, but in comparison I’ve only tried a small portion of what’s available. I’m a creative person. I’m crafty; I LOVE making things my own. A big con to this is that I’m a perfectionist when it comes to projects. I want perfect, I want to do it ALL. So I learned after a few tries, that a planner that I had to put any work into setting up or making pretty, was a really bad idea. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it! But when you take more time making your planner look pretty than you do actually filling it in, it might be a problem. So, simple might be better. The other issue you run into, is price point. There are some absolutely gorgeous planners out there! But, some of the “designer” planners cost me 1/10th of a paycheck, and that is so not okay in my book. I’m ballin’ on a budget, and I can’t fathom spending my ice cream money on a planner. The thought hurt my soul. So I compiled a mini list of a few of my planner experiences, as well as links to find them if you want. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them! After all, what’s a creative-but-trying-to-be-adulty gal to do without a new planner to try next year?
The Happy Planner: Create 365
I LOVED THIS SYSTEM. Its so fun to make different themed layouts and put all the stickers in the boxes. Since it uses a specific ring bound system, you can add and remove pages as you want and it makes it super customizable, though it already comes in a variety of themes. You can even make your own cover! It’s a great set up, and there’s an entire community surrounding it. It makes getting inspiration and ideas for layouts super easy.
I stopped using this system because I was having way too much fun (and taking way too much time) making the layouts. However, I still follow a few Instagram accounts who post content using the Happy Planner, and love seeing what people come up with!
Bullet Journaling
I probably liked this even better than the Happy Planner because it was 100% customizable to my needs. You just get a grid dot notebook and create your layout yourself. For me, this was a LOT of fun and took less time than the Happy Planner did because I would overthink it less. Plus, you can make it as decorative as simple as you wanted. I got a lot of my inspiration for my bullet journal from Pinterest. There’s a basic system you use by creating yourself a key, and an index, and then you can add whichever features you want. One of my personal favorites was a habit tracker, like this one.
You can add whatever “habits” you want to a habit tracker. I added things like making sure I worked out, took my vitamins, ate breakfast, or posted to my blog!
I used a bullet journal for a full year until I decided to try something different and a little less time consuming, but I still love the bullet journal planner method.
Erin Condren Planner
The Erin Condren planner isn’t one I personally used, but a close friend did and LOVED it. It offers a really nice hourly layout, as well as a weekly, monthly, and yearly spread. It also comes with fun stickers and you can choose from an assortment of colors and themes. That’s always one of my favorite parts about picking out a new planner! The Erin Condren planner is one that I couldn’t bring myself to shell out the extra money on, but its still definitely on my list of planners I want to try. They do offer a petite planner now as well if you want more of a cross between structure and a bullet journal type vibe. They also have a few niche planners for wellness and budgeting, which I always think is a plus to have.
The Bloom Planner
The planner I currently use is one I found on Amazon, The Bloom planner. I chose this one this year because it offered a lot of the same features that some of the bigger planners offered, but in a smaller size and nicer to my budget. The fact that it offered more than just schedule planning, like goal setting was also nice. I did wish it had an hourly view like the Erin Condren planner, but for the price point its at I couldn’t complain too much.
When looking for my next planner before choosing the Bloom, I did a lot of comparison shopping. You have to find something that works for you. Make a list of all the things you need from a planner, if you have to. Maybe you have to have that hourly layout (looking at you, students!), or maybe you need a bunch of extra note spots for all the lyrics in your head. Maybe you really need a pocket sized planner. Its a personal thing. I’d love to hear what paper planners you guys are using or suggest! After all, 2020 isn’t all that far off.
Or maybe, you’ll choose to just stick with a Google calendar, and create one to rival even my boss’ absolutely insane calendar. If you do, all my positive vibes are being sent at you. You’ll need them.
