Every Monday afternoon, I get my Botanical Brothers delivery - a gorgeous, chaotic bouquet of flowers that’s different each week. I spent the next 15 minutes snipping and arranging the blooms in various vials, flasks, and tubes (you can take the girl out of the chem lab), and I place the arrangements throughout my home. It’s a small ritual that brings sparks of joy throughout the week.
I lost a lot of my confidence last year, feeling frozen in my fear and insecurities in publishing writing or starting any of the projects I’ve long dreamed up. Thank goodness for my fearless friend
. who informed me that we would be starting a podcast/show where we would talk about romance novels and the issues we cared about. We pressed record and hit publish on , a weekly show where we do just that. It’s imperfect, a little bit messy, and very fun and exciting.
In an effort to push through my fear/insecurity/icky mental blocks, I posted whatever I felt like on Instagram - my villain origin story, my pre and post-Super Bowl selves, and my insights from a personal branding masterclass I attended this week.
While it feels chaotic, there’s something freeing about fully letting go of your usual routine and rituals. Mine was a result of battling a nasty cold while solo parenting this week, but it helped me identify what I need to do (meditation, mood journaling, getting my steps in). I didn’t lift a single weight, failed to make my bed most days, and fed my kids Bareburger and pizza most nights for dinner. But looking back on it, loosening the rules helped me be ‘fun mom.’
I’ve been living in my Armoire rentals since my January case arrived - these faux leather pants (I might be buying these), the infamous sweatpants jeans (also may be buying them), and the most flattering sweater dress in an unexpected shade. Instead of impulse shopping, I’ve been scrolling through the Armoire app and saving the items that match the trends I want to try. If you'd like to give it a try, my link gets you 50% off your first month and two bonus items.
These next few weeks are going to be slightly chaotic (the usual work chaos, going into production for a dream gig, travel, and the kids’ mid-winter break). Expect more weekly letters like these, and I’ll be trying out a slightly different format for #5SmartReads to keep things manageable.
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As always, take exquisite care of yourself this week.
xo,
HPN
Re: posting whatever you want on Instagram - have you asked ChatGPT to (lovingly) roast your grid yet? It told me that mine is "Your grid is chaotic, cozy, and weirdly sophisticated—like if Anthropologie had a personality crisis. I love it." And that makes me feel good :) I bet yours would, too!