The Studio Edit 04: A Return To Writing

A timely reintroduction and update on all that I've been up to – it sure feels nice to be back, Substack friends

Welcome to The Studio Edit, a weekly digest with a few favorite things and thoughts that I hope add levity to the latter half of your week and help inspire the weekend ahead 🤍

Happy Thursday morning – I hope you’re waking up bathed in sunlight and looking forward to the day ahead. But if not…that’s quite alright, too.

I say this from experience, because after an incredibly long winter (both literally and metaphorically), I’m beginning to find the familiar rhythm in my days again and feel more connected to my inner voice than I have in a long while.

I didn’t mean to take such an extended break from writing here on Substack, but it just happened. These things happened, too:

My daughter, Margot, transitioned from being a sleepy and slow infant into a full-blown baby, which has been such a joy and steep learning curve all at once.

I made an exception against my decision to take on less work this year and completed a brand and website design project that I’m so proud of – more on that here!

We traveled to Denver and Atlanta this spring and also hosted family and friends in St. Louis, which felt so rich and fulfilling.

I’ve indulged in nature and outside time ever since the weather warmed up, with lengthy sunrise walks now a staple of my morning routine with Margot.

I’m continuing to explore my relationship with social media and all things digital, and find such peace in the stillness of living life fully offline.

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After spending time away from Substack, I’m returning with the intention of writing for myself rather than writing in hopes of building an audience.

The online business world has screamed “build an audience!!!” a bit too loudly over the last decade, and to be honest, I’m done with that rhetoric.

I’m not writing here to build an audience – I’m writing because it’s the most natural inclination I’ve know.

I’m excited to share more parts of myself through essays and weekly edits, and look forward to learning about and connecting over the parts of you that we share in common, too.

Thank you for being a part of The Slow Studio.

I cried several times while writing this week’s essay, which has been months in the making as I’ve processed the tender changes in my relationship with our two incredible dogs, Brooke and River.

Welcome to my must-shares: the weekly things that have brought little bits and pieces of joy into my day-to-day and might just do the same for you, too.

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Heirloom tomato caprese…
Tomato season is official upon us and I couldn’t be more overjoyed! While I wait for my own cherry, San Marzano and beefsteak tomatoes to grow in the garden, I’ve been enjoying weekly hauls of juicy heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market. I have a longstanding habit of choosing the “ugliest” heirlooms, which have proven to be the tastiest time and time again.

And oversized button-downs thrifted from Goodwill…
I’ve really enjoyed reading about Alisha’s rediscovery of her personal style postpartum on

Downtime

, which is the same spot I find myself in at the moment. Although my “before clothes” still physically fit, they just don’t fit the feeling of who I am now. I’m still loving the quiet luxury vibe (sue me!), so recently thrifted some cozy oversized button-downs that I’ve styled with shorts for summer.

Here’s what I’ve enjoyed plugging into recently –

• Album: “Yard Sale” from The Brook & The Bluff
The Brook & The Bluff is always a comfort listen, and this album from 2021 is no exception. It instantly transports me to days spent trekking through the woods of Georgia, which I’ve been missing lately.

• Playlist: “Good Morning Jazz”
I never thought I’d become an instrumental-only music listener, but here we are! A little side of jazz while making breakfast in the morning helps romanticize my life in a simple little way that I can’t get enough of.

• Podcast: “Morning Microdose”
Morning Microdose offers up a condensed version of Almost 30 podcast episodes, which is what I usually listen to for the 10 minutes that it takes me to apply my makeup in the a.m. With episodes covering wellness, relationships, mindfulness and more, it’s a short listen that helps center me for the day ahead.

Thanks so much for reading! How are you spending the start of your summer, and what are you most looking forward to this season? Comment to let me know and we can continue the conversation.

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