Hello? It's me.

If there’s anyone out there: Hi guys.

So I went on an unannounced hiatus for the past year, and even before that I was getting jaded about blogging. It probably shows in my last posts. But why? It’s complicated.

First, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I never fully adjusted to the so-called “blogging world.”

Let me preface this comment by saying that there are some amazing ladies out there who are supportive, amazing and unique. I love reading about them and following up with their lives.

However, there's another aspect of the bloggersphere. There’s so many people out there pushing how tos, how to improve, how to increase readership. I loved reading blogs for years before creating my own. I never thought about the mechanics of writing posts and taking photos, videos, promotion, etc. It became daunting.

It’s almost like blogs are an extension of the type of social media posts, where everything is idealized and the positivity sends you into a lifelong migraine.

Essentially, writing blog posts evolved into a chore. It became a job rather than a hobby. I felt like after awhile, the posts I were writing were no longer reflections of myself. That’s why I created the damn blog. But after stepping away for awhile, I do realize there’s a void. I have a journal that I write in occasionally and I have Facebook, which hardly qualifies as an outlet, but those arenas have their limits. I love writing. It makes my ideas clearer, it brings perspective. I loved to blog. I liked having my own little speck of the internet that was all my own.

I already write for a living and adhere to strict deadlines. Why implement those standards on my free time for free? I want to pursue my own hobbies and thoughts.

I think to compound things, I got a new job that was a better fit for me, but requires a much longer commute. Long commutes eat into free time. Boo.

Looking back, I also put too much of a focus on outfits. I love clothes, and I love seeing outfit posts on other blogs, but I think I’m hardly an inspiration to others. I’m still wearing most of the same clothes I pictured myself in two years ago. Not to say that will go away entirely, but for now, outfits won't be happening as much.

The blog break also came right around the time I realized I gained an embarrassing amount of weight in a short period of time, about 25 pounds over a year and a half. It was showing in those outfit posts. I’ve always been size 12/14 and I’ve been slowly getting better with embracing that. But my old clothes weren’t fitting anymore. I’ve since lost the extra weight and I’m back to my old self.

Let’s get to the point here: I want to blog again. But this time, it’s going to be on my terms. I’m not so concerned about readership as much as just getting to share projects, archive my life, make it enjoyable for me.

I don’t have a crap ton of free time. There’s all that commuting and roller derby happening and housework to be done. (Since I’ve been gone, Mark and I bought a house! Yay!) I will adhere to a once-a-week blog post on Tuesdays. The arbitrary deadline will give me the push I need to generate content, but it will be whatever the hell I want because it’s my space. Even if only three people read it, I hope they enjoy it.

Why not rebrand? Thriftburgher has always been me. At it’s best, it’s pushed me to be better. I want this to be a fun project, but something that’s a little more unfiltered too. I mean, that's what it's all about, is it not? I don't want this space to be limiting for me anymore. I want this space to evolve with me.

That’s enough of that. Kudos to you if you actually read through all of that muck. See you soon. :)