Listen in and Let’s Talk
If you followed #VAeditorsretreat on Instagram, then you know that the four of us Velvet Ashes editors had an amazing time together last weekend. We went into the weekend feeling like it was an extravagant gift for us to be together. And it was. But we came to realize that this kind of in-person time and planning is […]
Keeping Up Appearances {and Then Not Keeping Them}
Thankful. Joyful. I hung these words up on my wall, written on cute little bunting banners, a year ago. I wanted them to be the defining aspects of my character. I want thanks and joy to cover me, to be a seal over my life. But no one, not one person, would have described me […]
Outward Competence Nearly Killed My Soul
“I didn’t let myself fail.” With those words my tears flowed freely. I had been numbly staring out the window while sitting on the couch next to the man I hope to one day marry. Two hours into a conversation about our future plans those words slipped out of me. The tension between us evaporated. […]
When a Façade Keeps Us from Redeeming Culture
“Saving face” is a value that is deep-seated in the culture where I live and work. It carries the meaning that the way you appear to the outside world is of utmost importance. So, the way you look, the way you dress, what you drive, and where you work are all status symbols which are […]