I've been working on this blog post on and off for about 2 months now. It's sat in 'draft' mode as I typed endless paragraphs, only to later hit the backspace button on it all. You all know how much I love a good 'behind the blog' post, but this one feels different for some reason. It's sort of bittersweet and even a little uncomfortable. It's not necessarily one specific topic, but actually the opposite - it's all of those 'behind the blog' posts combined that's led me to where I am today.
I opened up and wrote my
first ever 'behind the blog' post exactly three years ago. It was a time in my life where I was really struggling and could no longer go on as if I wasn't. I quickly realized that sharing that part of my heart with you was therapeutic. And relatable. And simply reinforced the fact that we're all human - all messy.
About two years ago, a lot seemed to be changing in our life and I was in a place of longing to feel content. We sold our first home, packed our lives into a storage unit while we were renovating our home, and everything just felt so unsettling. Most of all - I felt like I lost my creativity within this space. At the time, I had been blogging for over five years and I just felt stuck. I thought that it was because my world was upside down and I would eventually feel back to normal. What I didn't realize was that this shift that was happening inside of me wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
These days, the unsettled feeling is long gone and I'm so thankful for that. Actually, it's quite the opposite. To be completely honest, I think I'm the most content I've ever been. I've become such a homebody and my idea of the perfect night is no longer a 7:30 reservation and a fancy dinner out. It's cooking in, turning the music up loud + pouring a glass of wine, and dancing around the kitchen. For the first time in my life, I know exactly who I am. I know what I want to spend my time doing. And most of all, I know where I want to be at the end of the day. So much of what I've prayed for is right in front of me and I'm so grateful.
However, what hasn't changed over the last couple of years is that shift I felt within the four walls of this space. At the time, I chalked it up to entering a new season of life, but as time passed and that season because my new normal, I could no longer use that as my excuse. I think a lot of you caught on to this urge I had to switch things up a bit when I wrote
this blog post back in December, but even then I didn't fully understand which direction I was heading in, or why. For months now, there has been a longing in me to do something different. I have searched and searched (and searched) for what will make me feel motivated again and what I feel proud to put out there. My closet looks pretty minimal. The desire to continue to travel the world has come to a screeching halt and I've become so choosy about what forces me to leave my happy place these days. What I eventually found out is - that shift was simply growing up over the last seven years. In front of you. That twenty three year old who started For All Things Lovely will be thirty in a few days.
Throughout those years, I've gone from having a super feminine style, to thinking I could be a 'cool girl' for a bit, to finally finding a happy medium of the two. I went from a 20 year-old wife without a clue to one who's intentional about her role as a helpmate. I've traded out most of my beauty products for skincare. I started cooking edible meals. I tossed some of the hand-me-downs and we've filled our home with pieces we love. I've cultivated my tribe with relationships that will last a lifetime. I've learned to live by the 'if it's not a hell yes, it's a no' rule. I'm stronger because I've felt heartbreak. My carry-on has collected dust this year. I became aware of exactly what I don't want to be and ran as fast as I could in the other direction. I started to fully embrace who I am and where I come from. I'm a feeler and an over-thinker who
loves hard, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I think at some point in life, we all feel this shift and somewhere around thirty seems to be pretty common. I've mentioned this before in my friendship post, but it's in this stage of life, this season, that we need each other more than ever. We need to be supported and understood. We don't just need to know that we're not alone, we need to feel it. From your best friend to someone you've never met on the internet - we want the real and the raw. The days of endless outfit posts seem to lessen and we're all gravitating towards sharing our hearts. It's somewhere within this shift that we start to be solely concerned with - what really matters at the end of the day?
FOR ME -
It's LIFE. Love. Family. Moments, and being present for them, rather than trying to capture them. Relationships + friendships. It's surviving. Focusing on what feeds your soul.
I want to focus on creating a space where the conversation is bigger. Deeper. And more meaningful.
After two years of endless prayer, dozens of conversations between J and I of what the future looks like for FATL, and a lot of soul searching - I'm pivoting. In a couple of months, I'll be launching a brand new website - MeganRunion.com. It won't look a lot different than the site you're used to visiting and the old url will redirect you right into the new one, just as the flow from the last seven years has transpired. The name 'For All Things Lovely' has been, and will continue to be, a huge part of my story. However, the girl behind it all has always been Megan Runion. As I've found more of myself over the last few years and grown into the person I am today, I want this space to be the most genuine refection of me that it can possibly be.
So, I'm sure you're wondering - does that include a lot of what you're used to seeing? Without a doubt. Style, Travel, and everything else you've been seeing for the last 7 years is all such a big part of who I am and this brand I've worked so hard to create. I'll continue to post neutral and classic closet staples just like I always have. We will continue to travel here and there, for work and play, and share it with you, just like we always have.
However, I want to focus less on the overall, vague categories and start the conversation about the 'why' behind it all. Less swipe ups and more real life. Less generality and more diving deeper. For example, why do we host + entertain? To gather people around our table. Bring them together. Love on them. Serve them. Fill them up in every way possible. I want this to be a place that inspires you, always. But, I never want those perfectly styled photos of a tablescape to overshadow the reason behind why we're doing it. I want this to be a place that's uplifting and encouraging, all while unafraid to talk about the heavy and the real. A place where we come together and challenge each other to grow, step out of our comfort zones, and find purpose. So, to sum up, I want both. From getting dressed in the morning to what we're struggling with at the end of the day.
These days, and in this season of life, I'm all about intentional living.
So, needless to say - thank God for that 23 year old with a love for fashion and a dream. What started as a style blog over seven years ago has gotten us to this very moment. Pivoting to an all encompassing lifestyle blog with the same promise I started with in the very beginning: to continue to be a real person. One with real feelings, emotions, and struggles that you can relate to. Do I want this space to be beautiful? Absolutely. That pretty tablescape is calling MY NAME. But, the older we all get, we know there's so much more to life. So we might as well embrace it all together.
Stay tuned for MeganRunion.com - it's going to be better than ever.
Thanks so much for stopping by, X.
Meg
