Welcome to Arlynsays.com
Here we are friends, my first post on Arlynsays.com. Well, I uploaded all my past newsletters as posts, so not “technically” the first post here, but the first post exclusive to my new website.
I talked about this a bit in my newsletter that announced this website, but you might be wondering why I ventured out of the warm, cozy bosom of email into the cold, often-scary world that is a dot com. In short, I felt limited by email. I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to write about something deserving of your inbox. I knew there were a variety of topics I wanted to touch upon—design, food, clothes, skincare, general life musings—but every week, I felt as if I would be alienating a big chunk of subscribers no matter what I decided to write about.
Not to mention, I found myself really wanting to connect with you all more. I received a few emails a week and some comments on Instagram, but mostly it felt like talking into a void. And while I know a comment section can be brutal (part of what I took away from a few years of working at Apartment Therapy…talk about savage), I think it would help to satisfy that writer-reader connection.
And if I’m being completely honest, starting a blog or website was always the intention. I was hiding behind the intimacy and privacy of email. It felt less showy, less LOOK AT ME STARTING A WEBSITE, and more “hey, maybe check this out if you feel like it, k thanks.” I’ve shared about my imposter syndrome, but yeah, getting here took a lot of looking in the mirror and having to answer the “what makes you worthy of this?” question that stood in the way of me moving forward.
Well, as I’m coming to learn about myself, who I am and what I have to say is worthy of an audience. Everyone has their own experience to share, their own voice, their own story. I do not see enough of me out there; what’s that they say about being the change? Look, I know I’m not necessarily out here being revolutionary or pioneering talking about duvet covers or pizza dough recipes, but if just one Latinx person sees me and thinks “dang, maybe I can do this, too,” then this will be worth it. Heck, they don’t even have to be Latinx, but it’s my default as the experience I understand.
Anyhow, here I am, finally. Thank you for being here. Let me walk you through what’s here and what you can expect from Arlynsays.com.
Navigation:
DECOR STUFF: Anything design related will live here, obviously. I have a whole slew of topics ready to write about, but this section is also going to be tailored to what you all NEED to read. Please drop some ideas of posts/topics you want to see me tackle in the comments below! Also, under the sub-menu “My Home,” I’ve tagged all the items in my living and dining room. You can find those resources whenever you need them.
CLOTHES & BODY: One guess what’s here! I likely will never get too fashion-y around here, but I do have plenty of things to recommend. Expect to see the occasional shopping-oriented post or essays on dressing a not-size-2 body.
FOOD: Kitchen tool favorites, recipes I’ve tried and loved, what I’m cookin’ + shopping lists, head-to-head tests, and beyond.
LIFE: If you’re just joining, I love myself a good essay. I’ll write these regularly, and this tab is where all of those will live.
MY FAVES: This section is two-fold. Anything I write that can be categorized as a tested-and-approved favorite will live under “Faves From Posts.” Groundbreaking. The “Shoppable Faves” section is an easy-to-shop, categorized listing of, well, some of my favorites. I’ll try to keep these up-to-date and fresh, but some things are evergreen (specifically the kitchen items). I’m always happy to test new products, so shoot me a note with anything you’d like me to look into!
As for the homepage, the top 3 most recent posts will always be up top; the newest on the left but also once you scroll a little down where you’ll find a listing of all my posts.
Speaking of new posts, when can you expect to get some? Glad you asked. Here’s where I’m starting.
Post Schedule:
Wednesday: Decor Stuff, Clothes Things, Body & Skin Things
Sunday: Food, Life Musings, the occasional double-dip in Decor Stuff. I also plan on publishing a monthly roundup of general favorites (kind of like what I used to post at the bottom of my newsletters).
Once I get into a groove and also get a sense of what you’re all into, I’ll probably tweak this schedule, but Arlynsays.com had to start somewhere!
So that’s your quick little introduction. I hope to grow this site with you, and can’t wait to see where we are in a month, 6 months, a year.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for the first Sunday post! If you’re signed up for my newsletter, I’m still planning on creating something a little special over there. Until then, you’ll get a poke in your inbox anytime I publish a new post. Thank you for being here, have a look around, leave a comment or two, and I’ll see ya mañana.