Hi, I’m Danielle. 💕

I’m 38 years old, and if I’m being completely honest, I am terrible with money. 😂

I’m working on it, though.

I’m learning how to be more intentional about my spending, figure out why I make the financial decisions I do, and—hopefully—build a life that I love without constantly buying things to create it.

I currently live in Atlanta, Georgia, where I work as a Program Manager for a cultural resource management firm. I genuinely love what I do, but I’ll be honest: I miss my home in Charleston, South Carolina. There are some places that just feel like home, and Charleston will always be one of those places for me.

I’m also lucky enough to come from a pretty big family. I have my parents, two older brothers, and two cousins who I consider brothers. Between all of us, there are 11 nieces, nephews, and great-nieces who I absolutely adore.

And being an aunt is the best.

Why?

Because I get to spoil them and then send them home. 😂

Which is exactly why I need money.

Priorities, people. 😂💕

Outside of work, I love reading, journaling, scrapbooking, doing my makeup, and doing my nails. Basically, if it involves pretty things, paper, books, or glitter, there’s a pretty good chance I’m interested.

Unfortunately, sometimes my hobbies and my wallet have had a complicated relationship.

I also live with bipolar disorder, and it has had a significant impact on my relationship with spending. When I’m manic, I can become intensely obsessed with something and feel like I absolutely need to have it. For me, this tends to happen around the changing of the seasons—especially fall and spring.

And when I say obsessed, I mean OBSESSED.

At one point, I had more than 400 nail polishes.

I’ve bought multiple fountain pens because I was convinced I needed them, only to realize I don’t even use most of them because my preferred writing instrument is a Sharpie S-Gel in 0.5.

And don’t even get me started on scrapbooking and stamping supplies.

The list goes on.

This blog is part of me trying to understand all of that.

I’m learning to slow down, question my spending, appreciate what I already own, and find healthier ways to enjoy the things I love. At the same time, I’m working on building additional income through my notary business, content creation, affiliate marketing, and other opportunities.

It has been a roller coaster of emotions to start this blog.

There have been moments when I’ve felt embarrassed. Moments when I’ve wondered what people will think. Moments when I’ve wanted to delete everything and pretend I never told anyone about my financial mess.

But I’ve also realized that maybe being honest about the messy parts could help someone else feel a little less alone.

So that’s what I’m hoping to do here.

I’m not a financial expert. I’m not a perfectly organized minimalist who has figured out how to resist every pretty thing that crosses her path.

I’m just a 38-year-old woman trying to figure out how to manage her money, build new income streams, enjoy her hobbies, love her family, and create a beautiful life without constantly shopping her way into it.

I’m figuring it out as I go.

And if sharing the good, the bad, the expensive, the ridiculous, and the occasionally covered-in-glitter parts of that journey helps someone else, then maybe this little corner of the internet will be worth it.

Welcome to The Studio of Danielle. 💕✨