I am someone who isn’t big on change, however I recognize its importance for growth. I also prefer my change to be a slow process, which is why I realized traditional blogging and fashion instagramming wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, but started to feel like it wasn’t really me. Before I started Jill’s Spill I was never really doing things “for the gram” or worrying about an aesthetic, or commenting or liking to advance my own page. I took a break from Jill’s Spill during my transition into college. As more and more came on to my plate, my blog got left behind. I wanted to post, but simply didn’t have the time to go out and take blog worthy photos. Which has really opened my eyes because it wasn’t that I wasn’t doing anything with my life or not wearing fun outfits, it’s that they didn’t fit this view of how “Jill’s Spill” was supposed to be in my mind, or look like what others were doing on Instagram. This rubbed me the wrong way because I realized what I had been posting before may not have been truly authentic of 100% me. I also came to the conclusion that I am more than what I wear and fashion is what mainly had focused on. Dorm life isn’t always pretty or Instagram ready. I wasn’t eating pretty smoothie bowls on a marble countertop with a latte art cup of coffee, instead I was eating questionable dining hall yogurt with a to-go cup of Keurig coffee 10 minutes before my 8 am class.
Living on my own now, too, I had to be more thoughtful in my choices. This led to getting creative at the dining hall salad bar and planning out time in my day to move more than just my 5 minute walk to class. Another struggle that other college students face just like me is learning how to ball on a budget. Not having a job and having new expenses come up meant less shopping money. This forced me to get savvy with how and where I spent my money. It made me take a look at my values and where I wanted to spend my money. I simply couldn’t afford buying as many new clothes or accessories to hype up my insta and keep up with the trends. Therefore the dramatic drop of Jill’s Spill posts. However, I know I am not alone in this. To keep up with the latest and greatest we often go to stores that fill our instant gratification for the moment and the current trend that also fit in our price range, only to throw out those pieces two months later after they fade away both in quality and in trendiness. This doesn’t mean that I am going to let my style slip to running shorts and t-shirts every day, but instead owning why I love fashion in the first place: it’s fun!
One other big change for me this year was my time management and recognizing that what I do with my time is a reflection of my values. That is just a general conclusion I came to, what I do and the choices I make are a reflection of who I am. A lot of people in this world (myself included) talk a big talk and then don’t do what we say. For example, I began realizing what I thought I cared about isn’t reflective in how I spend my time. If you asked me I would probably say that the most important part of my life is my faith, I do believe this, but I wouldn’t say my life always reflects this. If my faith was truly the center of my life, it wouldn’t just be an add on when it was bible study night or Sunday morning. It would consist of a good portion of my time, starting the day in His word and living it out. From the looks of my day to day life at college it would appear that school is the most important thing in my life. I am paying for an education and working for it with the understanding that is my job right now, so it should take up most of my time, but it should not push out my faith. In all honesty, my faith is what makes everything in my life keep going. God’s love helps me to make sense of the struggles and the triumphs. I’ve now recognized that at college, my choices weren’t as conscious as they needed to be. I don’t think that God called us to live life haphazardly; he wants all that we do to be in him and for him. Meaning everything comes back to my faith and my values resulting from my faith. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This led me to a series of self-questioning on different aspects of my life: Are my food choices conscious of my “temple” and the environment? Is the way I am spending my money honoring God or only fueling my own desires? Are my clothing choices produced in a way that are considerate of the people who made them and the environment? If not always, am I wearing them and getting rid of them in the proper way? Am I being intentional in my relationships and reflecting my values of love and care towards people and how I spent my time with them? These are a lot of questions and ones that I don’t think will ever fully be unpacked, so here is my attempt spill it all out here! I would love to have you join me if you also have some of the same questions and a desire to live your life in a more God-honoring and intentional way.
It wouldn’t be a Jill’s Spill post without a bit about my outfit though, so here are the details! I made this dress this spring and couldn’t be more excited to wear it! The fabric is from Jo-Ann and the pattern is from McCall’s. Making this dress was a huge reminder to me just how much work goes into making a garment. It was a bit of a wake up call that I should be more conscious of where my clothes are coming from, as well as being more intentional in purchasing them and caring for them. I bought these earrings a couple of months ago and have had them on repeat ever since. I love them because they are a statement earring but are so neutral that they can go with anything. I have been trying to buy more pieces like these that can be worn for their full value. Although, they were a bit on the pricier side they are so versatile as well as high quality which means I will be getting so many uses out of them. The shoes were my fun summer statement shoe purchase that were so colorful and cheery I couldn’t leave them in the DSW clearance section where I found them. My purse is a Coach purse I bought years ago and use it almost daily. It’s the perfect size and strap style for me. I found the sunglasses a few months ago at Anthropologie when I was home in the cold for spring break and I couldn’t bring myself to buy them considering it was snowing outside. However, they had been on my mind ever since and so I caved and bought them online. One rule I like to follow when I am unsure if I should buy something is to leave it at the store and if I am still thinking about it after a certain amount of time then I should buy it. This helps me to only make purchases that I really love and to spend my money more wisely. My outfit may not be perfectly ethical or fair trade, but it’s my little start at trying to be more conscious of what I buy for my closet and put on my body. Thanks for reading!
With much love & many Blessings,
Jill
