Welcome To My Closet

If you were describing me to someone, I imagine you might say things like, “home cook,” “hospitality enthusiast” or “business owner.” While all of these descriptors are accurate, today I want to formally introduce you to a side of me you may not know.

This side of me is part of my daily life, but rarely part of my public work. It has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember, and it is equal parts creative and practical, with an added twist of personal expression. What is it?

I have a fashion-loving, style-savvy, accessory-aware, ball-skirt-and-big-earrings-loving side of my personality, and I want to talk all about it with you!

Fashion is a large part of my private life, and my closet is a happy place where I find inspiration and amusement. Fashion provides a source of creative joy for me, and I absolutely love getting dressed. My idea of fun is creating outfits, and I have enjoyed developing a sense of personal style over the course of my life.

If you know me even a little bit or have followed my blog for a while, you probably are not surprised by this revelation. I share photos of myself from time to time, and my wardrobe rack occasionally serves as a backdrop for videos. Even so, it feels a little strange to declare this side of myself publicly, particularly when most of what I am know for happens in the kitchen, not the closet.

I have long wanted to write and share my thoughts on fashion and my approach to personal style, but have never taken action. I believed (wrongly) that this part of who I am isn’t legitimate or acceptable for reasons that are grounded in layers of fear. Instead of following the fear, I am choosing to follow my heart, embracing what sounds fun and creative and interesting.

Part of coming to terms with this new creative direction involved having a heart-to-heart conversation with myself. The brave part of me had to sit down with the scared part of me and remind her we would be okay. It can be terrifying to try new things, and I was comforted by remembering that while the idea of posting about clothes is new, my love of getting dressed is not. This post is evidence of the fact that all parts of me, even the afraid parts, are excited to begin sharing more fashion and style posts with you.

Yes, I am going to begin writing about clothes and how I approach personal style and why I care about the art of getting dressed, but don’t worry. I won’t stop posting about hospitality. In fact, getting dressed is a vital part of my hospitality practice, which means we have a lot of fun things to talk about together.

So…welcome to my closet! I can’t wait to see what we learn along the way.