Teeth of the Matter
A year ago today, I was sitting in my kitchen with one of my best friends, designing a website for a blog idea I'd had for ages: Sage and Vice.
It would be a darling place to share all the ways I balance nice, clean living with a little bit of naughty in between. My secret tips for living a magical life.
I was so excited because a) she's a fantastic designer, and b) I was finally "going live"—at last launching a dream I'd had.
"Now you just have to really do it! And…keep doing it," she counseled as we finished the last page.
"I can't tell you how many people I help make a website, and it sits there fading away into a black hole. Nothing ever happens with it."
Of course, in my mind, I brushed that off. There was no way that was going to happen to me. I had more ideas than I knew what to do with.
We pulled off the design I’d been coveting for years. I had fifty blog posts ready to go and enough tips to post daily if I felt like it.
Spoiler alert: I rarely felt like it.
Her words ended up haunting me. I was super proud and stoked, however completely unmotivated. I didn’t understand why I fell into the category of Doomed Blogs from the Start.
Reluctantly, I let the blog go… along with some of my health goals. Rather than dive into launching a new brand I focused on my one health priority (a tooth situation) and my family.
It ended up being:
✨ The Year of the Teeth
✨ The Year of Reflection
✨ The Year of Epiphany
Far from The Year of Daily Sharing.
We traveled a bit, and I supported my son through his toughest year yet, as he faced exclusion and bullying. He needed me In Real Life. My very simple mouth surgery turned into a series of never-ending complications. There was no time for social media.
While I’m glad for the progress I made—with my teeth and my connection with my now-teen son—I figured out those were not the reasons I dropped the ball on my passion to write and connect. I could have easily written about all of those topics.
A few months ago, I stumbled on an article about Imposter Syndrome. That dreaded curse of feeling you’re not what you truly are.
That. Was. Me.
How could I share wellness tips when I myself wasn’t well?
How could I, at my age, influence anyone in a world of youthquakers and Before & After super duper success stories… when I haven’t hit my own major shift yet?
How could I build community when I completely lost mine?
My magical life has felt anything but magical. Where are my friends? Where’s my manifestation mojo? Why am I suddenly feeling my age?
I’m a Gen X (I never say old, but you get the picture), curvy, stay-at-home mama who doesn’t love gyms, hasn’t achieved a recent significant fitness goal, and lost her mojo a while back.
What could I possibly offer the masses?
But then I realized I needed to recast my net and remember:
✨ I’m doing this for me. ✨
Because I really, really love to share and give my sage advice.
I can't help myself.
It's Who I Am, love it or leave it.
I am an expert on many things—like where to find the best of the best.
And what holistic methods actually work.
I research everything, so you don't have to.
I’m learning to age gracefully.
I am still to this day the Hostess-with-the-Mostess
And I’m healing myself. Slowly but surely.
This past year, I’ve learned a lot about myself—things that explained so much about why I sometimes get stuck and why some of my friend relationships unravel unintentionally. It’s a discovery I’m still processing and will share more about someday, but it’s changed the way I approach everything.
I’ve learned a lot about myself and those lessons are part of what I’m ready to share now.
These are things I know—things I’ve lived. Will Sage and Vice thrive in 2025? That’s a resolution I’m determined to keep this time. Stay tuned!
What about you? What have you learned in the last year? Have you experienced your own shift, or are you still figuring it out, too? I’d love to hear your stories, reveals, and resolutions—let's connect in the comments below!