Online/offline selves

I've been a busy bee these past few weeks, I thought I'd share a little bit of what I've been working on. In addition to doing my assistantship/internship/school, I've also been in graduation mode and have tried to be proactive in updating my online portfolio (which is here if you're curious). I know I've discussed blogging privacy and my hesitations with linking my online self with my personal identity, but I think I am finally at a point where I'm comfortable merging the two. Part of it is because it's so important in the adpr/social media industry to have an online presence, and part of it is because I no longer feel like I have to hide or make light of my hobbies from people in my real life. I've introduced my online self to my real-life friends -- so now online friends, here is a peek at my offline identity. I don't really think there is too much of a distinction with online/offline identities anymore because of social media. 

P.S. If you want more talk on blogging identity, the comments on this past post are pretty insightful. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving. I wish for you a belly full of good food, a warm home, and most of all, that you are in arm's reach of the ones you love.

Keeping it real: finding my voice in blogging

Throughout most of college and in some of my work experiences, I've spent a lot of time writing news and pr-related pieces. It worked well for my analytical, observer personality -- I'm not shy, but a wallflower often by choice. Some of my past writing was based in unbiased, dispassionate stone-cold facts; some of it, on the public relations side, was based on other people's quotes and events. But with the clamor of all these voices wanting to be heard through ink and online, the hardest voice to find in it all was my own.

Writing this blog has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences I've ever had. I started it shortly after my undergraduate years so that I could still have a place to experiment with my personal writing and style. I had done opinion writing before, at school and at internships, but never really focused on what I, singular little me, thought.

It has not been easy. As much as I have written about photography advice, perhaps the hardest part of blogging for me is how to do reflective, personal writing. I have struggled with what I've wanted this blog to become, and I oscillate on what features to keep doing, what parts of my personality I want to funnel through. Can I be funny? Serious? Is this too weird/awkward/vain/morose to talk about? Should I consider using this as a career-building vehicle? How much of my life do I share and how much of it should be kept under wraps? These are things I think about every day when I write.

I know this is primarily a style blog, but I find personal writing inextricably linked to it. For me, it's impossible to write about my clothes without examining the life lived in them. As much as I sometimes would rather have the photos speak for themselves, I know that doing so, on a personal level, is allowing my fear of public speaking to come through.

Why am I writing this? I guess this is meant to be a thank you to all of you, for continuing to read this blog through the changes I've put it through over the last several months, through tone and aesthetics.

Sometimes it is easier for me to go back into observer mode and clam up whenever I blog. I still daily struggle with what my writing voice is, but I know that the practice of continued writing is further chipping away the banalities and trepidations and getting closer to me being more genuine. I don't really plan on anything new and shiny to add yet to this blog, except for the promise of trying to be more comfortable with sharing my voice here in this space.

On blogging privacy

It's been pretty wet and rainy over here, and despite my best efforts, I have no outfit photos for you today. Instead, I thought I'd mix things up a bit by creating an open thread and discussing a topic I've been thinking about for awhile: blogging privacy.

In the last year and a half of blogging, I've managed to keep my blog pretty private in my real life -- some of my closest friends know, and that's about it. I don't really publicize it on Facebook, for reasons of not wanting to be too over-exposed on everyone's news feeds. I blame growing up with social media in college, where almost all party pictures, job changes and relationship statuses are publicized right away, and my desire is to remain brief and mostly impersonal on the site. Now, this isn't a criticism of those who do use social networking for their businesses and websites, because it is a fantastic marketing tool (I do use twitter in a separate account just for Sidewalk Chic). I just choose to be very controlled in my blog exposure, especially with people I know. I suppose my views will change if I switch jobs or school opportunities open up, but for right now, I don't mind keeping my blogging pursuits low-key.

With that said, I'm interested in your thoughts:

How important is blogging privacy to you, and does it affect the way you blog? Do you keep your blog private or open to people in your real life, and why? Does your work/school/living situation affect whether your blog is private, and why? What would change your stance on whether to keep your blog private/open?

A blog by any other name ...

Way back last year, my sister and I created this blog as a way to channel our different sartorial perspectives. The hardest part of the entire process was trying to come up with the right blog name that fit both our personalities and shared history with each other. Sidewalk Chalk began this way, and at the time it made sense because it seemed to have the right ring to it, the right amount of whimsy.

It made sense then. But a lot has changed in the last year. Sidewalk Chalk has gone from two authors to just me as my sister moved onto explore different interests. The blog has gotten a bit bigger too in ways that I couldn't have imagined, and that's thanks to awesome readers like you.

One of my long-term goals has been to have my own url on the blog. And in choosing my own website, it seemed an appropriate time to change the name to something that better reflects my style, my life and what this blog is about.

After a lot of thinking and brainstorming, I've decided to do a slight name change. I'll slowly be transitioning over to www.sidewalkchic.com over the next couple of weeks. I'm really excited about this change and it felt very natural, and I think in many ways I'll be much happier with my own little corner of the Internet.

What does this mean for you? The childhoodchalk.blogspot.com address will redirect to www.sidewalkchic.com, and of course, I'll obviously be calling it by the new name, so hopefully this will be as smooth a change as possible. But most everything will stay the same -- the outfits, 30 for 30, giveaways, Reader Showcase, etc. -- so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Thank you so much for supporting Sidewalk Chalk for the last couple of years, and welcome to Sidewalk Chic!

One year

Dress: vintage, thrifted, Jane Baar;
Shoes: Target;
Belt: Ann Taylor Loft.
Photos by Jeremiah.

Happy birthday ... to this blog! Sidewalk Chalk has been around for one year (tomorrow). And what's a birthday celebration without balloons?

For this week, I wanted to do an extra-special outfit post. I saved my prettiest dress (a thrift find from a couple months ago) and wore it last weekend to one of the most scenic places around -- a cotton field in the outskirts of the county. Jeremiah and I had so much fun putting this together, from buying the balloons to finding the perfect spot, to watching the cars slow down by us as their passengers tried to figure out what we were up to.

This particular outfit and photo location are indicative of how much my life has changed in the last year. A year ago, my sister Nikki and I started this blog. Actually, my sister started this blog specifically for me to get started in blogging. I had spent a few years obsessed with reading style blogs, but couldn't muster the courage to do it myself until forced. At the time, I was a recently married college graduate who was unhappy with the job market, my internship and just my overall way of being that I needed a new creative outlet to express myself. Back then, I knew what kind of person I wanted to be, and how I wanted to dress, but I just hadn't bridged that gap yet. Jeremiah encouraged me to keep pursuing blogging, and so I gave it a try and a here goes.

What's changed in a year? Certainly I've gained a newfound sense of confidence in my sartorial choices. I can wear all the weird and delightful dresses in my closet, and put things together and wear them, and feel absolutely myself in those threads. I can now go through life not caring what the "invisible audience" thinks of how I look. But that confidence extends to more than just my wardrobe. I've been able to come out of my shell and find a way to be myself -- whether it was through my writing voice, or making some life (grad school!) decisions. I'm still growing and learning those things, but I'm glad that I've been able to use this space for that.


The one thing I could not ever prepare myself for was this blogging community. My life has changed because of you, and now I cannot imagine my life without your words, e-mails, comments, and most importantly -- your friendship. It's hard to imagine that some of the nicest people I've ever met have been online, and if anyone has any doubt about the kindest of strangers, they only need to create a blog account and communicate with you all.

Thank you for everything in the last year.

Weathered planks

Dress: Sangria;

Shoes: Zigi Soho;

Sweater: Merona, borrowed from Nik;

Belt: Ann Taylor Loft.
Photos by me.

How I've worn the dress before: here.

Thank you all for your very sweet comments and virtual hugs on my last post. I'm sometimes a little afraid to publish posts like that, because it seems like I always have a gratitude post every couple weeks because I wrote about something really depressing, and I don't want my blog to become this thing of sadness. Sometimes I wish my blog could be this shiny, happy place all the time, just full of fun outfit posts, but it wouldn't really be depicting reality if I did that.

I really do, though, appreciate everything you guys said in the last post about J. It's so strange how someone can be in your life for a fraction of time, impact it and then you mourn that person's disappearance from your life. It was so meaningful to read all of your words -- from condolences and personal stories. I feel like this "virtual" world has really become such a wonderful, supportive community, in such a way that I feel like many of you have become such good friends, too. Sometimes I feel like my readers may know more about me than some of my college friends or family members, because I think blogging (and journal-writing) can offer more insight to a person's life than other stuff. Some of the people I know in real time don't understand that style blogging isn't just some vain construct where we fashionistas just post pretty pictures all day...it is a living, breathing community full of awesome, encouraging people. Like you.

Anyways, I thought I'd talk about today. I have today through Thursday off, and there was no way I could bring myself to waste any of today lying in bed with unwashed hair and just watching reruns. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. I woke up still feeling really sad, but I just got in the shower and got ready. I spent most of the afternoon at my mom's house -- she and my sister are coming back tomorrow from their month-long trip in the Philippines, and I wanted to do my laundry there (I am shameless) and clean up around the house (I can be nice though) before they got back. 

While I was there, I played around in my backyard. My whole outfit is a tribute to my backyard -- the dress is pretty reminiscent of the tree bark and the planks on the treehouse, and of course the yellow sweater is a close color match to the swings and the slide. Nik and I have posted some photos of our treehouse before, but I wanted to show them again. When we were younger, my brother and I told my dad that we really wanted a treehouse, but he really exceeded our expectations by making it as big as it is. My dad built it for us in 1997, and it is a two-story behemoth in the backyard.  A yellow slide and swingset came with the house when we moved in, and my parents just added on to it. It's technically not a house in a tree -- it's concreted to the ground with support beams and the second floor wraps around the tree. The second floor has no roof, unless you count the tree's branches and leaves as a shelter, which was so smart of my parents because we really got to see nature up there. My dad affixed the old yellow slide to the back area of the first floor. We asked for a treehouse, and our dad built us a Frank Gehry piece of art, in our eyes.

We kids were so lucky growing up. We became popular in our neighborhood, and many treehouses were built around our road the following summer, but none as cool as ours. Many of our friends wanted to spend hours up on the second floor with us. We played games, acted out stories, watched leaves fall and change colors up there. When I was 14, we got a trampoline, and we pushed it next to the treehouse so we could perform the daredevil stunt of jumping off the second floor and landing on the trampoline. Looking back, I could've broken my neck doing that. It's crazy to look at the treehouse and be reminded of all the acrobatic leaps I used to be able to do.

Now, the treehouse is aging. Some of the wood has rotted so that the second floor is probably too unsafe to climb in. The blue "Welcome" sign I made and nailed to the front of the treehouse can now barely be read. But I like going out to it, and tracing my hand down the weathered planks. I'll be sad when the whole thing will eventually have to come down. It is still a happy place, and I still swing out there.

Dressing my best, part one

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft;

Shoes: Aerosoles;

Leaf pin and jade bracelet: Finder's Keepers.

How I've worn the dress before: here.

I am so humbled by your responses yesterday. It was very hard to hit "publish" on that post, so to read through all of your wonderful, thoughtful and kind comments was like receiving a giant group hug. I've kept these feelings so bottled up, so it was rejuvenating and amazing to read new perspectives on the situation. I can't tell you how much this blog community has meant to me in the last few months, and I am so grateful to have you not only as my lovely readers, but as my friends. You all really are so wonderful. Thank you so much.

I've already started work and I'm slowly getting used to the differences between 9-to-5 office environments and retail. Like getting my "weekend" days off during the week instead of Saturday and Sunday, and not being in front of a computer all the time makes me much more time efficient with it when I'm at home. So far, it's been pretty easy to listen and talk to customers -- as Closet 365 commented, perhaps my journalism background has made it easier to be outgoing (or at least fake it). So I've got that going for me, which is nice.

I thought I'd show you my work outfit from last night. I thought I would dress up a bit because I only had to work a few hours, so wearing Aerosoles heels and a dress wasn't uncomfortable, and it made me feel great to actually incorporate my own style into the dress code.

I also dressed up because it's Academichic's "Dress Your Best" week, in which the ladies of that blog have encouraged everyone to dress for their best attributes, instead of  dressing to hide perceived flaws. I'm dressing for my legs today. For most of my life, I've had an antagonistic relationship with my legs. I spent most of my childhood and teens trying to hide or cover them because of the many scars I had from eczema, from mosquito bites during summer camp and from being naturally ungraceful. It took me a long time to get over the fear of being judged by my legs' appearance, when really, I should have appreciated them for what they were (and are): strong and capable. The marks became battle scars in my mind, and became reminders of how much I've gone through. My legs have done so much for me: they've survived preschool ballet, and middle school cheerleading. They've survived four years of being a summer camp counselor, and countless hiking trips. They've survived a summer of walking all over Manhattan, taking me to different wonderful nooks of the city. They've survived Diamond Head. They can handle eight hours of standing at work, and they can handle a pair of heels really well. And because of all those things, and many more, I'm going to celebrate them.

How long til my soul gets it right?

Listening to: "Galileo," Indigo Girls.

Photo from this shoot.

I have some serious life updates that I wanted to tell you all, because at this point we're friends and it feels weird to omit this info from my blog, because it's going to affect it a bit.  I just found out recently that I'm not going to graduate school, at least not this fall. The news was devastating, and I am still sad because it was my huge life goal for this year. But I'm going to reapply to more schools until I get accepted into an international affairs/policy track program. In the meantime, I've decided to take a full-time position as a sales associate at a national department store retailer to make money/learn more about the business/keep myself busy during the year. 

I really have to say, I was pretty freakin' scared -- and still am a little --- to be making all these changes. I've mostly worked internships/jobs related to journalism (news writing, editing) and politics (mostly public relations), and my last job was an internship at the state Capitol (it ended a couple months ago). To be honest, I've worked in mostly media-related positions since I was in high school, so to do anything different feels like going off track or losing part of how I define myself. It's been hard to admit that the media industry has been tough for me to navigate and break into this past year.

Suffice it to say, I've never worked retail before. I know that many of you work or have worked in retail before, and I admire that. It's just that when you've never done something before, it's kind of scary to jump into the fray. After a lot of crying and soul-searching, I think this will be a good change and possibly a great learning experience for me. It also helps that the managers who hired me are really nice and seem to be very friendly and open to helping me with my goals. They mentioned a possibility to turn this experience into a career in retail management or fashion marketing, if I decide to go that way. I'm not sure how I feel about doing that yet, but it's nice to feel like I have options, which didn't seem possible a couple weeks ago.

As for blog changes, you'll see some variance in how I do my outfits.  Per my work's dress code, I have to wear all black, so you'll be seeing some of that on the blog. For a girl who loves to wear lots of color, this will be a huge sartorial challenge, but I'm going to make the most of it. I promise I'll still do outdoor shots and dresses and fun outfits, too, and I think, if anything, my posts will become more prolific as I navigate this new job and try to stretch the limits of this dress code.

It feels better just writing this out and telling you all. I spent a lot of time writing and deleting various drafts of this post, because it felt like I was pouring too much of my soul out, but sometimes things just need to be said. It's been hard not to mention it on here for the longest time, but I had to know for sure what was going on before I said anything. This blog has been one of my only creative writing outlets in the past year, and it's been incredible to have so much support from many of you. I hope you'll continue reading as I start this strange, new adventure. :)

Love,

Blog changes

Nik and I had a long talk yesterday about the blog, and with her busy schedule of school and sports, she won't be able to be a part of the Sidewalk Chalk blog anymore. It was a little sad because this began as a sister style blog, but the change was necessary.

So what does this mean? I (JoAnn) am still going to be writing for Sidewalk Chalk, and since I'll be the only author, much of the tone and focus will be geared toward my style and sartorial interests. I hope to expand the blog with a few projects coming up, and I'm really excited to put these ideas into play.

Most of all, both Nikki and I have really enjoyed getting to know you these last few months and have been so grateful for your comments and support. I didn't think when I first started blogging here that I would actually make new friends and feel a part of such a wonderful community. You (all of you awesome readers) have made blogging so much fun everyday.

I really hope you'll continue reading Sidewalk Chalk in the future!

Make a little birdhouse in your soul

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and kind words of support. You have no idea how much they mean to us and it was incredible reading through them -- it felt like receiving a group hug. We may have been blogging for a short while, but the friends and bloggers we've made are really cherished and make this community so wonderful.

So, thank you. All of you.

The next couple of days this week will be spent tying up loose ends and spending time with family, but I definitely plan on posting as regularly as I can. I also do have quite a bit to look forward to this week -- Tuesday is my 23rd birthday, and I plan on, well, perking up a bit and enjoying it. Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend at least part of the night at trivia and since we won first place this week, we'll be eating free Taco Mac food on birthday! It really is the little things, eh?

No outfit photos today. However. I've been thinking a lot about Madeleine Albright's brooch collection (you can read my thoughts on it here) and how I really need to step up my wearing of them:

 Brooches from Nikki (and in case you're wondering, 

the background is stationery from a designer named Vivian Clarke -- so pretty!)

Leaf, turtle: vintage store in Lawrenceville. Horse: formerly Nikki's.

From Goodwill. I used to sail during high school 

so I am a sucker for anything nautical themed.

Thrifted. It's missing a little bead but it's still loved.

I've collected quite a bit over the last couple years but never seem to find a way to incorporate them into my outfits enough. I think part of it is because I'm paranoid I'll rip up my nice blouses and dresses with teeny holes, but I'm trying to find new ways to wear them.

What kinds of jewelry do you collect and why? And if you wear brooches, do you wear them in other ways (besides the lapel look)? I'd love any new ideas for wearing them.