Do you need a prenuptial agreement?

I'm a BIG fan of wrapping bows around things. Relationships, activities, conversations - I like to pull all of the loose ends together to create a nice little package. It memorializes what was and helps you bring it through with you into what comes next. In this newsletter, I'll be talking about three ways I've been doing this recently -

Capturing memories
Documenting my house
Learning about prenuptial agreements

Capturing Memories
In the past, I have been notorious for always having a camera out. I have thousands of photos saved on my computer from 9th grade through just this week. So many moments captured in time.

As I have been organizing and editing my photos, I've been sending people pictures that they might not know existed and creating storyboards to share with friends of great memories and great times that have been had. Sending these photos via email has been a great opportunity to have a quick ping of gratefulness in the middle of my day. No matter how crazy things get at the office or what the current firedrill of the day is, there's still a great community of people are you that you can rely on who love you.

Documenting My House
This was actually one of my 2021 goals for the year - documenting my house. This is the first time I've ever lived in my house alone, and I've created many spaces that feel so cozy and like great representations of who I am as a person right now in life. I don't want to forget what this looks like or feels like. So this past weekend I spent all day Saturday running through my house taking photos. I took about 300 photos and narrowed it down to the 134 that I think it takes to truly show off the house the way it is right now.

Here is a peek at some of my favorites:

One of my favorite things about these photos is how many memories and friends are captured within them. The crafting shelves in my room contain dozens of gifts and notes from friends over the years tucked away on them (don't worry, I have close-up shots), when I look at my closet I will think back fondly on how much flannel I was able to get away with wearing to work during the year of 2020, there's a memory behind each stuffed animal, photo memories on the mantel - and all the way down to the little "love you" and flower that my mom drew on the black board in my living room the last time she was over.

I now feel better as John and I start to house hunt knowing that I have captured my house and many memories along with it that I can continue to share with friends and family in the future as I reminisce about what it was like to be a single girl living in Philadelphia.

Learning about Prenuptial Agreements
While I'm not 100% sure if a prenuptial agreement is in my future, I'm very aware that one of the reasons it is appealing to me is because it captures a moment in time. It takes all of the assets that I've accumulated in my single life and ties about bow around them. It's something that's able to take me back to a certain time and place that I can always go back to and have the comfort of relying on if need be.

Not sure if a prenuptial agreement is for you? I've got just the podcast episode for you. Episode 4 of season 2 of the Things I'm Working On podcast.

Podcast News:

That's right folks, this week is the episode you may have found yourself waiting for - discussing Prenuptial Agreements with Mindy Previtera from Petrelli Previtera law firm here in Philadelphia, PA. We talk about what is included in a prenuptial agreement and who should be getting one. If you're getting married (or know someone who is), this episode is for you:

Listen Now

If you haven't yet, I highly recommend listening to all four episodes of Season 2 that have been released so far - they talk about goal setting and building your future. I'd love to hear what you think of them!

Have an idea for an episode this season? Reply to this email and let me know.

Things to Check Out:

Here are just a few resources from around the internet I’ve loved in the past few weeks related to community building & personal development:

I loved listening to Brené Brown's podcast interview with Priya Parker talking about The Art of Gathering. I had heard some of the stories before, but hearing Brené's perspective added so much - like hearing her wedding mission statement: We just want this to be a celebration of who we are as individuals and the life that we want to build together, and if it doesn't fit that, we're not doing it.
This YouTube episode by Friendship Coach Danielle Bayard Jackson sums up everything you need to know about how to make new friends in less than 11 minutes.
A great article on the best way to make your old and new friends hate each other: when merging friend groups, keep in mind these seven do’s and don’ts.
Another great article on how the pandemic is forcing some men to realize they need deeper friendships.
I just sent out another invitation to work friends about hosting a follow-up Social Justice Accountability group in May. A low-key way to talk about social justice activities in which we are participating and how we want to continue to help moving forward. There's no link here - just a reminder that with all of the racial violence happening in the world and George Floyd's trial currently going on that we all still defintiely have some work to do. Find some friends to stay accountable with and to support each other.

Thanks so much for hanging out on the internet with me. I hope that this newsletter inspires you to connect more with the people in your own world and to continue to build your awesome community of people.

xo Chrystina