Welcome to Simply, Liv
I’m so glad you’re here. This page is the long-haul. The full picture of why slow living, in all its nuance and forms, is so important to me. It goes back to the beginning of my self-discovery journey, which of course, is deeply steeped in motherhood. I hope you find yourself at home in some chapter of my story as I share its pages in this blog year after year.
Olivia's Journey into Simple Living:
Like any story, mine isn't simple. Life often has it's unexpected turns- but without the plot twists, simplicity wouldn't be nearly as meaningful.
AJ and I met the summer of my sophomore year of college on a trip to Latvia. It was a whirlwind summer that moved quickly into decisions we weren’t prepared to make. What I credited as intense nerves over college midterms turned out to be morning sickness — I was pregnant.
Terrified and confused, we both had a lot of deep water to tread and a lot of hard conversations to have. Telling my family was one of the hardest moments of my entire life. I remember the looks of shock and disbelief that me- their only daughter- would be having a baby before she got married, graduated college or really had any experience "adult-ing".
Though we knew we wanted to get married, we decided to wait until after the baby was born so that we could have a semi-normal wedding and so we wouldn't feel like we rushed into anything.
Fast forward a few months to the most amazing day of my life- November 27th 2013- the day I became a mother. I was 20 years old — I didn't even know how to hold a newborn — but there I was, completely in love with this little person who I had grown inside my body and worked tirelessly to bring into the world.
We were married three weeks after she was born with a not-so-normal, spur of the moment wedding. It was only AJ, me, both our parents and the pastor. I remember not caring about my wedding (or lack there-of) as long as I got to be his wife. It made the picture feel complete.
When Evie was 11 months old, I was pregnant again. And 9 months later — on a hot July afternoon — Mara joined our family. (Read more about her birth story here). And lots of ups and downs and 5 years later, Aria joined us. (Read her birth story here).
Then there were the two years in an RV; a time of clarity for us where we diligently worked towards our goals and learned what true “minimalism” is. A few months after that, we felt doors opening to pursue my lifelong dream of owning a coffee shop and, with a 6 month old baby strapped to my chest, Simple Coffee Co. was born. (Read that birth story here). The cafe is the culmination of so many things that I love — things that I write about often in this space too. Community, craftsmanship, slowing down, simplicity, sustainability.
Those are my loves, my babies, my passions. And they inspire my simplicity-search day after day.
Why simplicity?
I believe my love of simplicity stemmed from the times when life wasn't simple at all (and when is it ever, really?). I love the fact that even in the midst of chaos an unexpected change, we can intentionally choose to simplify — to focus on the immediate moment, to cling to what really matters.
Simplicity covers every area of life — from our possessions, to the way we think, to the way we speak to our spouse. And I think a life lived with it in mind will make an impact that isn't simple in the least.
Why Ethical Fashion?
I'm not one to compartmentalize my life. Once I began my journey into simple and intentional living, I was quick to analyze the other areas of my life as well, to see where I could eliminate and be more mindful.
I first heard about the "slow fashion movement" after diving deeper into the capsule wardrobe community on social media. It felt inconsistent of me to be mindful about my possessions and carefully curate each item in my limited wardrobe without caring about how it was made or who made it. I committed to shop only from ethical retailers in the Spring of 2016 and since then, an entirely new fashion industry has opened up and nothing excites me more than to see the way ethical fashion retailers and advocates are changing the world one garment at a time.
You can read more about my transition into ethical fashion here.
The Blog, in 2021
Although in past years, I settled cozily in the “sustainable fashion blogger” niche, this year, I plan to broaden those horizons and share a more holistic approach to slow, intentional living. You can expect posts about how those intentions play out in my real life, with my business, in my closet, and in my motherhood. I hope I can inspire you along the way.
My work
I work as a freelance copywriter/social media manager/influencer outreach coordinator and blogger.
If you’re an ethical brand and want to learn more about partnering with me or using my freelance services, click here.
