It's been a long time coming...
As I sit at my desk writing this post, I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to take the dive into this blog. This is something I’ve been dreaming of doing for years now. I sound like a big procrastinator. I’m really not – promise.
Honestly, I think the big problem was that I’ve been scared of what people would think of me. Would they judge me? Would people talk about me behind my back? Would my friends and family roll their eyes, believing that I’m wasting my time by creating a blog? Far too often, we worry what others will think. By we… I mean I.
But, I’ve learned two things:
- 99.9% of the time, it’s all in my head. People actually give ZERO F’s what you do. And if they don’t support you, then they really aren’t the people you want in your life anyway, right?
- It’s none of my business what other people think about me. — that one took me a while to grasp.
Okay, but who is Jess?
Right… so, back to the actual point of this post. I’m not sure if anyone… ever… will read this, but I thought this would be a good kick-off point when you arrive at my little corner of the WWW.
I’ve been writing in one form or another for about 10 years now. I contributed to a blog as a college student then did some ghost writing directly out of college and it just… never stopped from there. I guess you could say that college really lit a fire under my ass when it came to tuning into my creative side. I majored in communication studies at UNCW. Living in Wilmington, NC for 4 years, my love for the beach really grew and I find it pretty hard living 3 hours away from the coast these days.
After I did the whole “crazy college girl” phase, I moved very briefly to the West Coast. I worked for an entertainment agency in Los Angeles and this was when I really became an internet addict. I also started my first (incredibly embarrassing) blog during this time. My California days didn’t last long; I was broke as a joke and couldn’t cut it in the city at the time. Before I reached a year in LA, I moved back to North Carolina and dove into the fashion world.
My Fashion Addiction
Before I knew it, four years had passed. I worked as a manager in two high-end clothing boutiques and was fortunate to become a clothing and accessories buyer. Considering my addiction to shopping, this was truly the dream. In these whirlwind years, I planned local fashion shows, styled clients, and flew to NYC and ATL for buying trips with the greatest bosses.
My love for fashion started long before these roles; I was constantly reading fashion magazines when I was younger. My sister and I loved shopping together. You’ll see a lot of my fashion obsession here on this blog.
Where I am Today
I left the boutique world a little over 3.5 years ago and moved to Raleigh, NC. Let’s be honest — I partly moved for a boy (never thought I would say that) but also for a job in the marketing world.
Moving to Raleigh and really starting to “adult” was a harder adjustment than I expected. That’s when I really began focusing on my wellness and self care. I’ve followed some of my favorite creators and adapted different practices from them and have also developed some of my own methods along the way. I love learning about ways to improve myself and how to really optimize my life. You’ll see tons of wellness topics covered here on the blog, too!
I’m no longer with the boy… or the job. But, I do still have a passion for creating and so that brings us to today and By Jessica Lillian. After being laid off (another thing I never thought I’d say) during COVID, I had extra time on my hands and all I could think about was launching a blog and, well, I bit the bullet.
What Else Can You Expect?
If you’re still here reading… kudos! I promise that most of my blogs won’t be rambling this much, but this seemed like a great way to introduce myself.
In addition to your fashion fix and some perspective on life as a millennial with wellness tips, there are a few other things that you can expect to find here on the blog. First, BEAUTY! I’m truly addicted and cannot stop buying makeup and skincare products. I love talking about recent beauty finds with my friends and I’d like to consider any readers my friends, too. So — let’s share our makeup obsession, k?
You can also expect to see a little bit of “lifestyle” content from me – think home decor, travel, life hacks, snapshots of my daily life, and recipes for strong cocktails, sweet treats, & delicious dinners.
Please feel free to introduce yourself in the comments! I’d love to hear from you! x
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