Hi! I’m Crystal and I’m so happy you’re here! I’ve been building up to the creation of That Old Kitchen Table all my life (I just didn’t know it) and I’m thrilled that you’re joining me. This is a space that’s meant to help you find ways to nourish your mind, body, and soul and make you feel balanced, whole, and joyful.
That’s what an old kitchen table does, right? It’s never only about the food. 🙂 While you’re here, feel free to leave comments for me and engage in conversation with other ladies here. Share your stories, inspire each other, and hopefully, everyone will walk away feeling loved and supported.
I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life, raised in a small town before earning my psychology degree at Valdosta State University. I moved to the Atlanta area after that, but I keep hoping to escape to a place with an ocean view. 😉Â
Freelance writing (since 2004) has allowed me to have a down-the-stairs commute to work, which I LOVE. I do copywriting, ghostwriting, and create articles for magazines and websites. I’m also the author of The Couple’s Activity Book: 70 Interactive Games to Strengthen Your Relationship. I’m branching out into all kinds of content creation as I grow my blog.
Random Facts About Me
If you saw my Liebster Award nomination post you may already know some of these, but here we go:
- I’m a shy and oh-so-quiet introvert at first, but I’m really ridiculously goofy (once you’ve known me for a few, uh, decades…Lol). I love changing up the lyrics to songs on the fly and whipping out dance moves no one outside of my kitchen should ever see.Â
- NERD ALERT!!! I’m interested in pretty much everything. I’m always trying to learn more. Topics I’ve been consistently interested in for at least 20 years: psychology, faith, writing, creativity, makeup, skincare, and health.Â
- My dad bought me my first typewriter when I was 10 and I won a statewide writing contest. I haven’t really stopped writing–fiction, essays, web copy, poetry, etc, since.Â
- I have two first drafts of novels sitting around. I’m going to revise them and publish them one way or another, but they still need a lot of work.
- DIYs make me happy.Â
- I love summer but dislike being in the water. I will sit by the ocean all day and night but don’t ask me to get in a pool or jump in the lake.
- Summer nights are my favorite. And I love humidity. My hair doesn’t, but I do.
- I’m a total hopeless romantic with one foot still firmly planted in reality and logic at all times. Okay, most times.
- I always read spoilers.
- Shows I love: Grey’s Anatomy and This Is Us. Then there’s the whole Chicago Fire/Med/PD series. Love them, too.
- I’m working on my personal training, group fitness instructor, and nutrition coach certifications. I’m a certified life coach, working on NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner certifications now.
- I worked in sales management for a few years and mostly loved it, but I never would’ve chosen it had I not been desperate when I ran across the job ad. Playing matchmaker between customers and products was surprisingly fulfilling because I felt like I was really connecting with people and helping them.Â
- I’m an INFJ. Textbook case, down to the walking contradiction part. Lol I like to think I’m good at seeing all the sides to a situation.
- I love pit bulls and have ever since my husband and I adopted one right after we got married. Our first one, Rufus, lived to be 16 years old. He’d had a rough start in life (neglect, seized by the sheriff before he ended up at the shelter) but he had such a wonderful, loving, goofy personality. After he passed away, we got Josephine from another shelter. She’s a little more serious than he was, but just as sweet.
- I’ve been a creator (stories, poetry, jewelry, t-shirt designs, makeup looks…) and “counselor” my whole life. In middle and early high school, I used to stay up all night in the summer, chatting with people who needed someone to listen and encourage them.
- I was 21 when I got married. We met online and had to spend the first six months that way. Then we FINALLY got to meet in person and it was a little awkward, but it didn’t take long for us to figure out that we were definitely going to spend forever together.
- We have a daughter, my Mini Me, who is wise beyond her years, witty, and way cooler than I can ever hope to be.
Why I Blog
I’ve dealt with anxiety, depression, self-doubt, self-loathing, feeling helpless/hopeless/worthless, loneliness, etc., for a lot of the years I’ve been on this earth. I’ve done a lot of reading, journaling, spiritual work, analyzing, stepping out of my comfort zone, and experimenting with lifestyle tweaks (diet, productivity habits, etc) in order to heal and really feel alive again.
I wanted to reconnect with the world in a meaningful way and live a fulfilling life, but what seemed so easy for others was difficult for me. I know there are other women out there feeling lost, afraid, confused, or any number of the things I felt for so long, who are yearning to live a life they’re excited to wake up to every day. I want to share what I’ve learned over the years so you can get to (or back to) living a life you love.
I cover a lot of subjects on this blog, but they’re all tied to feeling better and nourishing your mind, body, and soul. I’ll talk about mindset, faith, nutrition, fitness, wellness, self-care, beauty, productivity, organization, and more.
When you’re working to feel better, sometimes it’s best to work from the inside out. Other times, paying a little more attention to the outside may make you feel better on the inside. And sometimes feeling energized and capable just boils down to how your environment looks. What’s that saying about how a cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind?
Anyway, I hope you find what you’re looking for here. I hope to see you in the comments section! Feel free to email me at thatoldkitchentable at gmail dot com, too.Â
Where to Go from Here
If you’re a first-time visitor, check out these posts: