Things I have (re)adopted in the last year 🪉🩰 ‧₊˚ ⋅*
- Katie
- Apr 14
- 4 min read
To take a break from all the overthinking I've done on here lately, I realized I hadn't had a chance to share how happy it has been to follow through with some things I've implemented in my life this last year. When I came home from working as an au pair in Ireland, I was missing home and family like I never had before. Being an au pair was a wonderful experience I will never forget, but there were many times I felt like I needed to suppress myself. This only made the thought of home and freedom more exhilarating, so I finally did what I wanted to do but never really thought long enough about to make happen. :) I followed through with a very special childhood dream of mine, finally went full analog and got a flip phone, designed some embroideries and entered them in the local fair, updated my spring/summer wardrobe with lots of colors, and fully allowed myself to re-enter a childhood joy of mine. Here they are <3
♡
My Barbie flip phone (feat. cutesy wardrobe upgrade)!
Last year I had gone down the digital minimalism rabbit hole and found myself really inspired by young people reclaiming their time. I had already taken the first step, deleting my social medias, but I wanted to experience full liberation. My only standard, was I wanted to be able to have access to Google Maps and I wanted to be able to use Spotify and Whatsapp. Now I was not able to find a Spotify/Whatsapp flip phone because yes - those are apps, but I just use them on my laptop now. I've come to realize that there is a workaround for everything: Venmo, Uber, whatever - it can all be done ahead of time from my laptop. Everyone has smartphones as well so if you're really "stuck," you can just have someone help you. No biggy. The amount of time I've gotten back for the small price of immediate convenience made it beyond worth it. Sure, it may take me a couple minutes longer to do something, but I am not a slave to my device anymore :) Wonderful. I also updated my wardrobe to feel more "me." Flowers, soft and happy colors. ♡
Harp & YouTube community
Ever since I was a child I’ve always thought the harp was the most beautiful instrument and always wished I could play one. I never really considered pursuing it though because it just seemed too expensive and inaccessible. After a low effort attempt at starting towards the end of high school and then being haunted by harps my whole year in Ireland, I saved up enough to buy a cheap 22 string as my starter and joined online classes. :) It has been magical. I feel like an angel, and never have I experienced a community more kind, non-judgemental, and genuine. After seeing a lot of my peers uploading their progress, I decided to start as well and it has been so fun finding pieces I love and learning to play them for whoever cares to hear.
After I was playing for a few months, I knew I was serious about it so I began to save for a larger, higher quality harp. The day it finally happened is honestly one of the happiest days of my life. It was like the day I got my first pair of pointe shoes <3 It just comes to show that if you set your sights on a dream, you can make it happen eventually. Nothing is truly out of the question and you will discover a world of loving people if you dare to seek.
American Girl Dolls
Let's be real - there is nothing weird about this. They're iconic. The amount of history you learn from their stories, the girlhood of it all, the nostalgia, the beautiful quality... come on now. I had to save up and buy my own as a kid, so they still have that aspirational air about them for me, but now I'm an adult and there aren't as many strings attached - it's just all fun :)
My childhood doll Kanani getting cleaned up & restored, Homemade St. Lucia outfit for Kirsten
(photos taken from my flip phone lol)
Embroidery
I took up embroidery two years ago after I got a kit from a trip to Hobby Lobby. To feel more excited about being back home, I decided to enter some tiny original designs into the local fair. I had so much fun making these little pieces and what do you know - I got best in show. It was a very happy day, but also so fun to come up with the designs. :)
Tulips, Swedish fika (middle), sushi platter & Sapporo (top right),
my bicycle, & pointe shoes (referenced from a photo of my own feet lol)
To name a few other things, I started collecting super cute pajama sets with cocktails on them and other girly things, I decorated my car with CDs, seat covers, pillows, and charms, and I began making regular trips to the library. Sometimes I forget how nice life is when I haven't felt the sun in awhile, but counting the good things in your life like this is an excellent reminder. What are your favorite things you like to indulge in? What makes you feel happy? Count them one by one. You are so lucky and blessed. ♡
A few things I'm grateful for:
Opportunities arriving! It's stressful, but to know they are here is exciting. :)
Taking a course on pearls - fascinating and beautiful. The world is miraculous ♡
Spring ♡ I love the sunshine!!
Medication keeping me healthy after the hundreds of bug bites I got in Thailand - eek
My faith to keep me on a happy, healthy path :)
Messages:
"The way God looks at you is meant to become the way you look at yourself." ♡
Luke 7:50
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