On the morning of Thursday, April 26th, I sat on a lounge chair, burying my toes deep into Florida’s white sandy beach, luxuriously flipped through the latest issue of Vogue magazine while drinking an ice cold beer, and listened to the continual crashing of ocean waves. It had been months since my last vacation, and year since I had been on the beach. I exhaled a content sigh, and immersed myself in the Florida sun. At that moment my mom turned to me and said, “Wow. I haven’t seen you this relaxed in years.” I sat for a few moments, pondering the statement, and realized she was right- I hadn’t been that relaxed in years.
Those who know me personally describe me as driven and ambitious. I’m consistently reaching for more; whether it is for my career, education, fashion, friends, or family, I’ve always got a full plate. I’m also a perfectionist. If I do something I do it right- always giving 110%. I’ve accomplished a lot over my lifetime and I’m proud of what I’ve done and who I’ve become. However, there comes a moment when you realize you need to step back, relax, and refocus.
In the past few months I finished my last Doctoral class, passed my Doctoral comprehensive examination (i.e.- wrote a 57-page research paper in one week), began working on my dissertation, and taken on new responsibilities at work with a promotion to Interim Department Chair for the Fashion & Retail Management and Interior Design departments at the Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville. In an effort to simplify my life in other ways, I have neglected Nashville Fashion Blog over these past few months. And to my readers, I apologize.
Nashville Fashion Blog was created in August 2010 to fill a void in our local industry. At that time, there was no one-stop-shop for Nashville related fashion events. I aimed to fill that void, educating readers, creating awareness for, and chronicling the Nashville fashion industry by highlighting local events, retailers, designers, and employment opportunities. Until recently, I’ve done a good job achieving these goals.
Keeping up with every and all Nashville fashion happenings became a time-consuming and arduous process, and a process I could no longer do. I love Nashville, love our fashion industry, and am proud of the collective work we have all put in to create a fashion city on the rise. But as a one man show, I no longer have the available time to run a blog that focuses on everything. Therefore, I have decided to re-shift my focus of this blog.
Nashville Fashion Blog will now serve as a platform for commentary on our local fashion scene and provide updates only on major event happenings. Content driven posts will provide readers with a deeper insight into our fashion world and meaningful articles will provide thought provoking substance.
I look forward to the changes Nashville Fashion Blog will undergo, and I’m glad to be back.
See you soon.
-Amber C.
Nashville Fashion Blog
