I Made It Through To The Other Side!

Hey everyone! Ack! I’ve been gone so long and have missed you all! Those two weeks have turned into what? 6 weeks? Gosh, I’ve lost track. What a tunnel I went through. Honestly, I look back on the last six weeks and I just feel exhaustion!

New Haircut! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

To catch you up, I haven’t actually moved yet. We did get the house in Michigan packed up (mostly) and all the  projects that we’ve put off for 15 years or did halfway or just learned to live with, have been finished. I live in a perfect house with no “honey-do” list. Can you imagine that? It’s blowing my mind! I know everyone says this, but why didn’t we do these things earlier so we could enjoy how beautiful this house really is? Well, thinking of my family, we actually wouldn’t have been able to maintain living in a perfect house anyhow, so that’s probably why!

New Haircut! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

So, now that the house is perfect, and on the market, we’re now in the phase of having to keep the house (and barns and land!) show-ready. At the same time, I’ve come down to North Carolina to get the ball rolling here. As you know, my husband has been in NC since the end of April, which has been hard on all of us (though I’ve become very familiar with power tools during that time!). He’s living in a sad bachelor apartment (only one fork, spoon and knife — his choice!) and definitely needs his wife and family. Someone over 4th of July asked him if it felt weird coming back to Michigan to visit and he said no, it actually feels weird living in North Carolina away from home. So, that was my signal that I needed to get down here and start making things happen. At least this is a lot more fun!

New Haircut! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

Right now, I’m in Charlotte, but we took these photos over 4th of July in my super-photogenic studio. How come we’ve never photographed here before? Because it had turned into a storage area. Many years ago, before our kids activities took over our life, I had a hobby. Like many people, that hobby (fiber art) took a backseat and my cute little garage-turned-studio became quite un-photogenic. Now that every part of our place is clean, organized and perfect, I’ve discovered a great place to photograph!

New Haircut! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

I’m wearing a really pretty but classic black tunic. It reminds me of a ballet teacher with the dip in the back and sides. It’s the perfect example of when I say “make sure it skims, not clings”. The fabric is a knit and it has some weight so it falls straight without blowing around. It’s also available in several other pretty colors like gray and olive.

I paired it with my J Jill jeans from many years ago and my Sam Edelman sandals from many years ago (these are similar). You can see I was playing around with the necklace length to see which I liked best. I also made a conscious decision to not wear my black sandals. They would have looked fine, but I didn’t want to be too matchy-matchy, a look that is a bit out-dated.

New Haircut! - www.whenthegirlsrule.com

And finally, I got my hair cut! I’ve been wanting to do it for awhile, but just couldn’t make the time. The day after we listed the house, I treated myself and my daughter to a haircut, facial and pedicure. We deserved it! Both of my daughters were so integral in getting the house ready and I couldn’t have done it without them. My eldest had to leave immediately to be a working-student with a professional horseback rider and missed the day of pampering. I will be making it up to her, though she would have chosen what she’s doing now (riding horses and cleaning stalls) over a spa day any old day!

I’ve loved reading your comments during this time and will be responding soon as things (sort of) settle down here. Thanks for hanging on and being patient while I got through this. I have no plans to stop writing and photographing any time in the future, so I think you’re stuck with me!

This post contains affiliate links which give me a few cents for each purchase and each click which I funnel right back into this blog! Thanks!

 

You may also like

31 Comments

    1. Jodie, you commented before I left how exhausted you felt when you last moved and that kept going through my head, making me realize that others felt the same way. I couldn’t believe how much work there was to do and at the end of the day I was so physically spent. I missed reading your posts too so I’m hoping to catch up!

  1. You look fabulous. Your hair and outfit are very flattering. Perhaps moving and doing home-improvement projects have been good for you.

  2. Yay! We missed you. You look wonderful!! Love the hair, love the outfit. Wish I had a studio like that for photos…I will just have to stick to my front porch for now. Welcome back!

  3. Love the outfit. Glad you are finished getting your property ready. Been there several times over the years. Not fun!
    Love the outfit! I never think of this combo. I always feel that dark should be on the bottom but it looks fresh and modern on you. Thanks for the post. Missed you.

  4. Missed you very much. You look great,love the outfit. We are in the middle of moving north in California. There are boxes everywhere. I take stuff to the Goodwill everyday. Our new house is half the size of the house we lived in for 26 years. I feel your pain and fatigue. This house is wonderful. Will be so thankful to get settled. Have a blessed week,

  5. So good to hear from you Julia! I’ve missed you and wondered when you would be back. Looking good with the new haircut and love the tunic top. Intrigued by your former hobby, Fiber Art…will you get back to it when things settle down?? Hope you
    find a nice place to settle down in NC!

  6. I’m so glad to see you back, Julia! What a six weeks you have experienced!! My hubby and I can relate a bit–we did similar “fixing up” and moving last year. And you’re right–why didn’t we do all that fixing up before? The house looked so good before we sold it. Anyway, I hope all goes well with the sale of your home and the rest of this journey ahead is smooth sailing. I’m looking forward to seeing you explore your new life!

    Best wishes,
    Sherry

  7. Yes, moving is the worst. Our house is still a sea of boxes, but we’re getting things put away a little at a time, and making a pile of things to take over to our favorite charity resale place.

    You do FIBER ARTS?? What kind? Me, too!!

    1. I am excited about exploring and learning a new city, but really dislike this unsettled feeling. So, fiberarts! I weave and dye and felt for my crafty side but for my artistic side I draw with thread on fabric. You can go to my fiberart facebook page (from many years ago) under “Julia Millies, fiber artist” to see. What kind of fiber art do you do Bells?

      1. I spin and knit, mostly, but I’ve done felting and other things with fiber. I’m sure there’s a great fiber arts community where you are now!

        For the first day or so after we moved, my knitting basket was the only thing I really could find right off. Priorities, you know. 🙂

  8. This outfit is great! The shoes are much better in the neutral (lengthening your leg) than black would be. Black shoes would have looked clunky and we don’t need that! One slight criticism–the bag, while very pretty, seems too small–out of proportion. I believe a slightly larger satchel or clutch would be better. So good to have you back!

    1. Oh gosh yes Cheryl! This purse is such an impractical, fun, silly accessory. I rarely use it b/c it doesn’t fit much! I totally agree a larger bag would look better but I like to bring this little thing out occasionally! Thanks for commenting!

  9. Hair cut looks so polished! Love it! The layers will be your friend in the humid south! I really like the length of the necklace, too! Good luck with the move.

  10. Julia, welcome back! You have been missed as evidenced by the number of clicks you received on my link up last week! You will be a featured favorite on my newest blog post coming later this afternoon. And you look amazing in this black and white ensemble with your gorgeous new hair. That studio is fabulous for photographs, too. I hope the rest of your transition goes smoothly!

    Shelbee
    http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.