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Monday, May 11, 2015

When It Rains......


This was my lesson for today, folks. If it could go wrong, it DID go wrong. It started with being up all night and not falling asleep until after 6:00 a.m. Then, after finally getting a few good hours in, I woke up (in a good mood, amazingly!) ready to take on the day. I got out of bed, into the shower and  at about the five minute mark, the shower curtain and rod fell down and hit me in the head. So; naked, wet, and cold, I tried to put it back up. I attempted this foolish task for about 10-15 minutes. Again, I'm naked, wet, cold, now on the verge of tears, yelling expletives at the top of my lungs, oh, and let's not forget, in a slippery tub...with the hot water running...and wasting away....I never did get the shower curtain back up (as a matter of fact, it's still laying on my bathroom floor in a heap). So, I decided that a bath would have to do. Unfortunately, that was a FREEZING COLD bath because I had let all the hot water run down the drain. I get out, my phone falls off the counter into water, but that, by this time, is no big deal compared to everything else. So, I start off on my day. I figured after the morning I'd had so far, my safest bet was to not leave the house (because I wasn't sure what other types of havoc might ensue) and put on my pajamas. And that is exactly what I did. I didn't get the laundry done, or the dishes, or the sweeping, dusting, or mopping. But here's the lesson: it's easy to look at your day, your week, or even your life and point out all the parts of it that are bad. All the parts of it that are wrong, in your mind. And all the parts that aren't exactly what you want them to be. What's difficult is looking at a situation where nothing is going right and finding the good. Being determined to not let the circumstances get you down or derail you completely. For someone like me who has anxiety, that can be harder than it seems. But making a conscious effort to do so makes a huge difference. So instead of dwelling on bad things when they happen, just throw up your hands, have a laugh and move on! Remember: even if your day ends up not being productive, that's okay! I may not have gotten everything done today that I wanted to, but you know what I did do? I watched a lot of Fixer Upper (I love Chip & Joanna-relationship goals...for real), I ate delicious pound cake with fresh fruit compote on top, I took the loveliest nap, and I didn't have to interact with people. And there is nothing wrong with that. Praise the good Lord in Heaven above for days that end up being full of nothing to do. Those are the very best kind. 


                                                                               ❤❤❤



Sunday, May 10, 2015

Mother's Day

I didn't have a whole lot of time to write today, but as you all can see, I spent mother's day with my mommy at Disney World. We didn't stay long (it was 96 degrees and CROWDED) but the time we did spend was cherished. I hope you all had a lovely day celebrating and being celebrated. All I've ever wanted to be was a mom, and I can't wait until I have my own little girl to spend this day with. But until then, I'm pretty content with this arrangement ;)




❤❤❤

Friday, May 8, 2015

Change Is On The Horizon


Hello my lovelies! It's been quite some time and I have a few things to say. First, a lot of (exciting) changes have recently taken place in my life and many more are about to occur. Second, I am committing to making my blog a main focus from this point on. I will attempt to write every day, and hopefully, it will be about things that interest all of you (but if not, that's okay too). My little corner of the internet is about to get a big overhaul (as soon as pay day rolls around) a la an entirely new look, new focus, and new url! I couldn't be more excited about the decision to take my space, my ideas, my dreams and passions and run with them, full steam ahead.

New Job- You all know that I work in a jail. It's been my life for the last three years, and I have changed and grown into a very different person than the 21 year old girl I used to be when I started. I have learned so much and made so many lifelong relationships while working there (but, I will write a separate, more in-depth blog post about all of that on my last day). However, now it's on to bigger and better things (and a pretty sweet pay raise)! I will be moving from the jail up to dispatch where I will be assisting officers and the general public as a 911 operator. Excited!

New Blog-As I said before, I am beyond excited to throw myself into this project and commit to it. I am changing my focus from beauty to things that have always interested me (instead of passions that are fleeting). So, if you like yummy recipes, funny stories, reading about my personal life, watching an apartment slowly come together, pretty pictures of a 24 year old's adventures, and motivational/ranting/random posts about growing up and getting my sh** together, then this is the blog for you. It'll be a myriad of wonderful awesome randomness and I hope you like it.

New Digs- I think the biggest change I've experienced through this whole phase is moving into my own apartment! It's not exactly the way I want it yet (so no full house tour until it is...perfectionist) but I'll show you all the little bits and bobs along the way as I slowly make this little place feel a whole lot more like home.

New Mindset- Since moving out, preparing to leave my old job, and stumbling upon my independence, I've realized a few things.

  • I am much more resourceful than I ever realized
  • Being an adult is HARD
  • Being an adult is WONDERFUL
  • I adore having my own kitchen to cook in, mess up, and clean
  • I enjoy the little things, like a breeze blowing through the windows and birds chirping when I wake up in the morning
  • I am capable of amazing, far reaching things that can inspire and touch so many people 
  • And most importantly, I'm great just the way I am. I'm still growing, and I'm still changing, but there is nothing wrong with me 
I am so excited to embark on all the new little adventures that are about to take place in my life and I'm so happy that some of you will be coming right along with me. I can't wait to read about all of your new little adventures, too! Off we go, into the wild blue yonder. 


♥︎♥︎♥︎


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Anything Can Happen, Child


It's nearly 4:00 a.m. and I'm still awake, so I figured this might be the perfect time to write. I just finished doing my Bible study on Esther by Beth Moore, which you can buy here. Something that has been weighing on my mind lately is this: people doubting your tenacity, over-analyzing the circumstances of your situation, and people telling you that you can't do things, or that there's no point in pursuing something that is of importance to you because it just cannot be. But let me tell you something. It can be. Just like the quote above (from one of my all-time favorite authors) "anything can happen child, anything can be". What a lovely and comforting thought to both children and adults alike. If you want something in your life, go and get it. Don't stop doing something that you know is right, something that brings you joy, love, happiness and the like. If you believe in it, and yourself, you can have it. Because that's just it...anything is possible, and anything can be. You just have to make it so. Whether that thing for you is a job, a home, a vacation or a personal relationship matters not. But don't underestimate yourself or what your life will become just because things aren't great right now. Have faith in your future and hope for the greatest life you can imagine. 

Sweet Dreams 

♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ 

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Pink & Blue Bridal Shower Lovelies

Today, I hosted my very first (and hopefully, my last) bridal shower. It was so fun and rewarding, but very, very exhausting! Nobody tells you that part... ;) This shower was for my cousin Devyn who will be getting married next month. As her Maid of Honor, I took my duties as party planner extraordinaire very seriously...as you'll hopefully be able to tell. I've never had to entertain 20+ people before, so this was definitely a new challenge. But, I have to say, it went off without a hitch and everything looked lovely...including the bride to be. Enjoy these pictures from our little shindig today, and make sure to read all the way until the end for vendor information!




Our amazing spread! 

I used vintage postcards (some with very personal family love notes scribbled on the backs) hung from 
fishing line to create this look. It took up a little visual space and it was a nice unique touch.




Sorry...but baby cheeks are for squeezin'

We made the cake topper out of her invitation!




Big, magic eyes





Lovely vanilla cake with swiss buttercream icing that Mom & I made 


The group!










Do you love those vintage dishes, or what? They really added a certain feel to this shower that I couldn't have captured without the help of the amazing company that I found - Southern Vintage Antique China & Furniture Rentals. This company is based out of Georgia and will deliver to Florida. Other than that, you'd have to check the website. At any rate, the owners of the company are so sweet and willing to work with first time party-planners like myself, all while displaying oodles of patience, kindness and understanding! How about those little thank you favors? I made those! Simple treat bags from HomeGoods or Michael's + Washi Tape + a cute stamp + gold ink = fabulously simple favors that everyone will love. Ours were filled with chocolate covered cranberries...yum! As for the food, including the cake, that was made by myself & my very talented mommy. 

I hope you enjoyed being a part of our special day through pictures! I've been running around for hours on end and after browsing through these pretty snapshots, I think it's just about time to call it a night. I've finally stopped running and come down with a sore throat...figures! Till next time.


♥︎♥︎♥︎

Monday, September 1, 2014

Lessons, Emotions & The Bank


Happy September, everyone! Finally, the fall months have arrived. We won't get a cold snap here for a little while longer, but what we do have is Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Pumpkin Spice equals the onset of fall. Always. I haven't had my first one of the season yet, but that will be happening soon! I thought I'd write a little post about the current state of things in my life. I'm sure this isn't the sort of thing people like to read on a blog like mine, but it's therapeutic to write, so I shall. Here we go! 

♥︎Current Favorite Activity: Baking! I've been baking cookies lately...and banana bread. Apparently, the best banana bread a good handful of people have ever tasted. I got a new loaf pan at HomeGoods (best store ever, I just found out!) the other day which I still have yet to test run. It's sitting in the cupboard just waiting for me to fill it with yumminess. 

♥︎Current Favorite Show: Mork & Mindy, hands down. In the wake of Robin Williams' tragic passing (yes, I cried), I decided to start watching things of his that I'd never seen. This show was one of those things. Wow. Just wow. You can really see how much of a comedic genius he was. Hilariously funny with a heartwarming message at the end of each episode to give you all the feels. Nanu-Nanu! 

Current Annoyance: The Bank. I apparently was involved in a security breach/information leak and my debit card was suspended. They called, and gave me the routine spiel about ordering me a new card, 5-7 business days, blah blah blah. Simple enough, right? WRONG. SO WRONG. A week and a half goes by and I'm sitting around wondering why my card hasn't shown up yet. A little worried, I call to ask what the hold up is. "Nobody ever ordered you a new card" said the young man I was speaking to. Uhh...excuse me? Nope. That answer just did not work for me. They said the earliest they could get a new card to me would be by Tuesday. Not realizing I had called on a Saturday at 4:00 in the afternoon, I said I'd do it myself. I later realized that I'm an idiot. The bank is closed already and it's not open on Sunday either, smarty pants. Oh, and Monday? Yeah, forget that because it's Labor Day. OF COURSE IT IS. So, Tuesday it shall be. Thankfully, that's tomorrow. Oi Vey. 

♥︎Current Blessing: My Mom. She swooped in at the last minute when I finally humbled myself enough to call her and ask for her help, advice and expertise. The woman is a party planning machine. She can do it all. I'm not just saying that because she's my Mom. She just happens to be ridiculously talented. I'm planning a bridal shower for 35 guests that's going to be taking place 5 days from now. If you don't know me, you should understand that I take things to the extreme. It's all or nothing. If I'm given a responsibility, I will turn it into the biggest most wonderful most stressful thing ever. For example: "empty the dishwasher" means "clean out the pantry and organize everything into color coded baskets with labels". Yeah...that actually happened. So, suffice it to say, I got in a little bit over my head, financially. Having to pay for other things that popped up the past few months (ahem...hospital bills) kinda threw me. I was having severe anxiety about how I was going to pay for food, flowers, table linens, dishes. The list was long. But I called and she immediately said "I'll handle it". The exact words I needed to hear. And handle it she did. I'm actually excited about the party now because a good portion of the stress was taken off of my shoulders. Can't wait to take pictures and post them here for you guys to see. I'm sure it'll be beautiful! 

♥︎Today's High: Knowing that I'm going to get to see my other half tomorrow (♥︎!!) and my best friend making me feel a lot better about something that was really bothering me. 

Today's Low: Having a bad dream that really shook me & crying over things that I can't ever put into words or explain. I suffer from anxiety and depressive episodes, and today was rough at the beginning. But, I'm okay now as I'm blogging from my big comfy bed. 

Today's Lesson: Start using your words to really tell people how you feel. Stand up for yourself and your beliefs and the things that are important to you. Don't simply do something nonsensical because you feel bad for someone, or because you think it's what they want you to do. Don't say something dishonest because you think it's what someone wants to hear. Anyone who goads you into doing something by playing on your emotions is NOT someone you want to be particularly close to. People like that aren't in it for you, they're in it for themselves. Know when you're being manipulated. 

Well, that's all for tonight! I hope I brought a little insight, laughter and light to your evening. Goodnight! 


♥︎♥︎♥︎

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Final Days Of Summer

Here in Florida, we have summer year-round...for the most part. It really doesn't start to get chilly until about October. Sometimes we even have to wait around for January! At any rate, school's back in now, and summer is just about officially over. Even though there will be plenty more trips like this in the near future :) Today my cousin Landon and I went to the beach, I got (mildly!) burnt-of course, and then we ate lots of yummy Thai food. I'd call this afternoon a success. I have to say, I love where I live.









loving those rainbow umbrellas!





bye bye, beach

mmm edamame :)

pad thai woon sen-my fave!

dragon roll...trying to enjoy sushi

hi!



♥︎♥︎♥︎