March - Between the Seams

Spring Sprung

Hello friends, and welcome to Between the Seams, where creativity, routine, and self-care intersect. This newsletter is where I share the inspiration, musings, and insights that keep me going. Inside, you’ll find a mix of book recommendations, rituals, vision boards, playlists, and even a little sustainable fashion inspo.

Routines and Rituals

I’m really proud of myself because I’ve been going to the gym 3+ days a week. I made a friend through my Middle Maker Meetings (which was the whole point of starting it! community!) who I’ve started meeting up with, and having an accountability partner has been crucial. Seeing her routines has pushed me to challenge myself in ways I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.

I’ve been eating more—and better—because of my gym days. I sleep deeper. Normal things that used to feel like a huge chore now happen with a lot more ease. Overall, I’m realizing something I already knew: being active helps every aspect of life. The only annoying part is the extra laundry, the constant showering, and washing my hair more often. But it’s worth it.

I also started doing puzzles on my dining room table. Instead of scrolling, I put on music and zone out. I forgot how really fucking good I am at puzzles—and how much of a high it is to do them. Sometimes I catch myself trying to talk myself out of it, telling myself it’s a waste of time and that I should be sewing or doing something more “productive.” But the real point is getting into that meditative zone I crave. The same place I can reach when I’m sewing or doing anything creative.

There’s something so satisfying about the quiet focus of it. The little reward of pieces snapping together is wonderful.

Currently Reading:

During my last trip to Sou’Wester, the books I packed for my stay just weren’t speaking to me. I decided to see if they had a little library of sorts in the lodge. On my way in, a stranger stopped me in my tracks.

“Okay, this is strange but… are you Softpaw Vintage?”

Not to be up my own ass, but this does happen sometimes. Folks I don’t know recognizing me from the internet. They mentioned they’d seen me the night before during the live music and that they’d read my Substack. They told me they were a writer working on a novel.

I always feel a little naked when someone approaches me like that. Like someone has walked in on me in an exposed state. And a real writer saying they’ve read my writing makes me feel seen in ways I don’t want to face.

But after chatting for a bit, my guard went down and I came back into my body. We were popping off, having a great conversation. I mentioned I was heading inside to see if they had any books, and their face lit up.

“Wait, hold on. I have a book you should read. It’s a signed copy though, so I’ll need it back.”

They pulled a pen from their pocket, clicked it and added their name and phone number inside the cover.

“Hit me up when you’re done reading it. Let’s get the dogs together.”

A meet cute — friend style. Well, thanks to the internet. But still, it counts?

The book they loaned me is The Late Americans… I’m about 90 pages in now and keep finding myself thinking about it throughout the day, curious about what’s going to happen next. I love a book that inspires me to become a better writer.

It’s even got me considering looking into a creative writing class.

If you know of any, let me know.

What’s I’ve been listening to:

I’ve been going to the gym a lot, so I mostly listen to my “Taylor’s Taylor” playlist, which is my favorite Taylor Swift songs :/ sorry not sorry.

I’ve been watching the Hulu show Love Story about JKF Jr. and Caroline Bessette, and I am obsessed with it, which has inspired me to listen to the soundtrack aka a lot of good 90’s music.

Outfit Inspo:

Current staples:

• Yuzu yellow French tips with silver balls — always gel!

• My ever-growing trucker hat collection.

• And I’m on the hunt for some cute, dressy blouses to thrift. Somehow my closet is 90% vintage tees, crewnecks, and hoodies.

• Mixing metals by incorporating gold rings in with my silver. My all time favorite jewelry maker is Mountainside Made

• I am bringing back my classic cherry red lipstick vs the darker pomegranate shade. You can find both on either my — link tree and I also have a SHOPMY now! which I share my favorite sunglasses and outfits on.

What I’m Working On

The next Middle Makers IRL meeting is at Moody’s Coffee on March 21st at 10 AM, and we’ll have a Zoom meeting March 22nd at 10 AM PST.

All I want to do is quilt, but financially I know I need to work on items for my website. This month I want to write more. drive to the beach more. read more. puzzle more. gym more. and thrift more.

If becoming a monthly subscriber here isn’t your thing, you can always buy me a coffee instead 🤍 Thank you, always.

Take care. OKAY BYE.