Being Honest.

For the past year I've had mixed feelings about Yellow Paper Dress.
I'd sit down and open a blank document just to fill it with things that didn't really matter that much to me. I was typing just to fill space and inserting snapshots that I didn't really like just because it had been a while and I felt obligated to share something.

I started to flip-flop and throw ideas around.

Should I push through what must be a creative slump and continue writing even if I didn't have much to say? Make one final entry, then be done? Change up the content for some renewed inspiration? Create a posting schedule to encourage dedicated writing time? Try videos?

Even after extended absences (which can be really necessary) I've never felt ready to completely walk away from this space. Yellow Paper Dress has been my corner of the internet for almost five years and you lovely people who have read it and contributed to it's existence through e-mails and comments have been there for me through the many important and not-so-important moments I've shared here. This blog has been my favorite creative outlet since it began back in September of 2011 - - even before that in Tumblr form! I never could have imagined the kind of curve balls life would throw at me between then and now and the direction my writing would take.

This blog's voice has inevitably changed over the years, as I think it should. When I look back at early posts sometimes I'm laughing/cringing my way through them and other times I feel like I'm reading something written by an entirely different person! I feel like my style and interests changed significantly within the last year and rather than trying to fight that to continue putting out the same type of content I always have, I've decided to embrace a little change and write about the things that currently make up the framework of my life. The blog is going to grow up a little bit, I think. And I hope you'll be excited to watch it develop into it's updated and honest self.

As you might have noticed, Yellow Paper Dress received it's most recent facelift a few weeks ago. I'll probably continue to tweak it here and there as I go but what you're seeing is a reflection of what I hope to publish - true life, simplified and authentic.

I want to put out the kind of things that I currently love to learn about. Things I'm passionate about. Things that have helped me in my life and might help you. Things I love. Things I'm proud of.

Thank you for checking on me when I'm not updating and for sharing kind words about what you've read here. It means more to me than you know. Thank you for being patient. Thank you for being part of this. I'm so grateful and so excited to breathe some new life here.