The ‘ol Birthday Post! 26 Things About Me

Hello there! Today is a very special day because I turn 26 and more importantly, 26 marks a very big year for me! (Ps. BIG news ahead!!) …So, I decided to share 26 things you may not know about me because for one, social media doesn’t give me a ton of space to write (…and y’all know I love me some novels haha) and two, who doesn’t love lists?! 😉 Thanks for stopping by to read this, writing is really my first love (journalism grad over here) so these types of posts are a lot of fun to create – hope you enjoy!!

1. Why is this year SUCH a big deal?! (Well, one of the reasons..!) …because this gal is GETTING MARRIED in just 6 months! Ahhh, I am SO excited because as you know, I am pretty much obsessed with Blake (like…a lot obsessed haha), so I really can’t wait to put a ring on that finger of his! 😉 I wrote about him in my birthday post from last year, but for those who don’t know, Blake was my first love and I have basically been madly in love with him since I was 17… so, let’s just say walking down the aisle to face him and say some pretty powerful words (and me sobbing the whole time, obvs 😉 ) will be a very magical moment.

2. On the subject of Blake… I feel inclined to say this because first off, it’s the last birthday before I get married (weird to type that…eek) and two, I hope my kiddos read through my blog posts one day and see how in love their parents were… so, here it goes! I never thought I could be so over the moon in love with another person and I am 110% smitten with Blake. Like, the man makes me stupid happy and I basically melt a lot of the time we’re together… (if I melted all the time he’d think I was a nut, as if he doesn’t already haha let’s be real 😉 ). Needless to say, I hope this Beyonce style ‘crazy in love’ thing lasts forever because he makes me one very happy human.

3. Okay last one about Blake, I promise (hey, he’s my bestie and I like to talk about him..then again I’m sure he’ll be thoroughly embarrassed that he makes up 3 bullet points on my list.. 😉 ). Blake works in cancer research and though he could probably land any job out there (no joke he is basically Doogie Howser in his field), he has a passion for working to cure and diagnose cancer and I admire his drive and work ethic so much. True story: I’m convinced he’s an actual scientist-genius-man (just made that a thing…) but for some reason entertains my conversations about The Bachelor or what jeans brand I’m into this week.. Now, that’s love right there. He’s pretty darn incredible and such a humble person – thus, I am happy to brag on him any chance I get because he truly does incredible things for the world.

4. Eek, this is another major announcement for me… I am officially going full time with my blog starting at the end of April! My double job sitch has an actual end date (praaaaaise!) and while I am sad to leave the most amazing workplace in Austin, I could not be more excited to pursue my dream full time and enjoy having a life again. Age 25 was a huge blur of hard work, lots of cry-fests due to stress, an endless amount of learning experiences and overall a serious juggling act to prepare for this new chapter in my life…and I could not be more excited for it to begin! So, thank you to all of my amazing readers and followers, y’all mean THE world to me – because of you I get to pursue this little blog mine that brings so much joy to my life… thank you thank you thank you – I look forward to bringing more content your way each week, and I also very much look forward to being able to sleep in late on a weekend (I have forgotten what that feels like!).

5. Prepare to switch gears here…. This year I spent $70 on under eye night cream….The wrinkle struggle in my mid-20’s is real, especially when you sleep ON your face. Who are those women who can sleep perfectly sound and angelic-like on their backs? I definitely tried and failed that…sooo, overpriced night cream it is! (For the record, I use Yonka Nuit and though I smell like a grandma when I wear it, it’s pretty darn awesome! 😉 ).

6. I was recently interviewed for my old college newspaper (woo the Daily Texan!) and the reporter asked me how I got into fashion and I think I actually figured it out! My mom is a flight attendant and used to bring home a suitcase full of glossy fashion magazines after every trip. We would sit in her room, watch TV and devour the magazines for hours… and that’s where it all began!

7. On that note, I was recently babysitting some awesome kiddos and one of the boys (he’s 12) asked me, “What did you want to be when you grew up?” And since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer for a fashion magazine in NYC. Though Austin stole my heart (primarily because my nieces and nephews and family are all in Austin), I am fulfilling that childhood dream in my own way with LivvyLand. When I told him the magazine writer thing, he said “so you’re basically doing that now but for yourself..” Honestly, that was a pretty cool feeling to realize I am pursuing my dream career…and very funny that a 12-year-old has more insight into my life than me, ha!

8. A lot of people ask me who my photographer is (probably one of the most popular questions for me!) and it’s a mix of friends and family who snap the images I post. I edit all of my photos, but generally my friend Veronica, my mom, my dad or my sister take my photos. It’s fun to see the different photography perspectives each person has and I appreciate their help SO much! This blog is a joint effort between Blake (he developed my site), my photography helpers, the brands I work with and myself. Needless to say, lots of love (and time) go into every post you see! Ps. MamaWatson shot the photos in this post – so cute, right?! She’s a rockstar. 🙂

9. I am a born and raised Austinite (…in case I didn’t tell you that.. 😉 ). This city = my heart. For everyone who comes to visit and then moves here a month later…I understand you and would totally do the same.

10. My celebrity crush is Behati Prinsloo. She is such a stunning rocker chick! Also her vintage engagement ring had me swooning for about 5 solid minutes when E! News posted it. Jewelry nerd over here…!

11. My alcoholic beverage of choice is Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. Pop one of those babies open and find me a patio = happy gal.

12.  (…Speaking of drinking…)…my bachelorette party planning is currently in the works (special shoutout to Erin & Banj for being amazing organizers!) and at the moment we’re thinking destination…tropical…COSTA RICA! Fear not, Style Me Pretty will be covering the whole thing… 😉 EEK CAN’T WAIT!

13. I post lots of coffee photos (me and my neutral rug are Instagram BFFs if you didn’t notice… 😉 ) and lots of folks ask what coffee we brew! The answer: Starbucks Columbia – yep, this coffee snob totally buys Starbucks ground coffee. I grew up with my parents drinking it every morning and it’s pretty much what I was raised on…there’s nothing like familiarity and the taste of home, it’s my favorite!

14. On the subject of coffee – on any given day you can ALWAYS assume I am working from a coffeehouse. I do not like to be alone for too long (definite people-person over here), so even though I’m not technically “with” people while working from a local coffee shop, I don’t feel isolated or alone when I’m surrounded by a full house of people. Thus, my sad bank statement = coffee and clothes.

15. When I’m not blogging or at work, you can find me with my family. I soak up as much “Auntie O” time as I can get! 4 nephews and 2 nieces… I am in LOVE with my little angels!

16. If there’s one song that can instantly make me feel better when I’m having a bad day: “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston. 80s music = instant dance party.

17.  You know you’re getting older when home decor shopping becomes one of your favorite things to do… ha! I remember as a kiddo my sister and I would tag along with my mom through TJMaxx and Pier One and basically sit in a cart for over 3 hours hating our lives while my mom relished in that time to find decorations for the house, etc. Now that I’m older, I TOTALLY understand my mom. Give me a coffee and maybe like a thousand bucks and I could stroll through World Market ALL day long.

18. My current fashion trend obsession is off-the-shoulder tops (…if you couldn’t tell by the photos in this post 😉 ) because they’re so feminine and I love the flirty exposed shoulder look, so cute! Not to mention half of the year in Austin we have summer temperatures, so really it’s just a practical yet fashionable top in this heat!

19. Blake and I watch Vine every night before we go to sleep (I wrote this one last year, too) but it’s STILL happening and yes, Vine is definitely STILL a thing (I will defend Vine to no end! 😉 ) and it’s SO FUNNY! Honestly, if you need a mood boost that takes less than 6 seconds (that’s how long the videos are), then register for a Vine account and go scroll through the Popular Page. I promise you instant happiness and a ton of laughing!

20. I have been obsessed with blogs for a long time (long before I started one of my own!) and I feel kind of creepy saying this (but hopefully it’s also a little bit endearing for her?) but I’ve been following Love Taza since before she got married! …and now she is living in NYC, married and has 3 kids…and I still head over to her site daily to read her posts and see what’s new. And yes, I LOVE mommy blogs – they’re my favorite to read and so fascinating. Also kids are seriously the BEST, so it’s basically all the best things in one: adorable babies, fashion, home decor, food… see, all good things, right?

21. I am currently debating whether or not to sell the ‘ol Versa (my 2012 Nissan Versa that was the first car I ever purchased on my own – proud moment!) and upgrade to a bigger car (photo shoots = often changing in my car… I need more space!) to a VW Tiguan or a Nissan Rogue. Any and all thoughts/comments/opinions on this one are welcome!! 🙂 Do you have one of these? Do you like it?

22. I finally found THE perfect nail polish for everyday and it’s also super magical for a bride: Tuck It In My Tux by Essie.

23. Every year Blake asks me what I want for my bday…and it’s always the same thing… sunglasses! Hello Nordstrom, land of frivolous purchases that make me very happy… thinking tortoise shell this time around. 😉 Will of course post asap once I put them on later today!

24. Though I made the resolution on Jan. 1 to stick to a fitness routine, as you can see by my lack of fitness posts all around, I did not keep to that goal.. womp womp womp. (Please forgive me!).  However, once I am full time on the blog I will do my best to make it an ACTUAL priority and do something active daily. Not to mention there are so many pools and natural springs in Austin that spring/summer = swimming all the time. And swimming is hands down my favorite form of exercise!

25. My favorite gift to receive is coffee mugs. I basically hoard these things! For one, they’re inexpensive and two, SO useful… we go through mugs like crazy in our abode. Not to mention, if it’s funny/snarky/silly, it gets top priority when I select my mug of choice each morning. 😉

26. Sappy final post headed your way… obvs! 😉 Lastly, I am truly humbled by and SO thankful to all of my readers who come back to my site and keep up with me and my posts, no words can describe my gratitude for this opportunity. 25 was a pretty incredible year for me with my blog and getting to know my followers (to all of you Austin gals who came out to meet me at events, that is seriously THE coolest thing ever and I appreciate you!!)  and I look forward to another year of building these relationships and putting forth more effort and authenticity into my blog. I could have never imagined where LL would take me just one year ago today and I am crazy excited for what this next year of my life will bring!

At age 26 I will become a wife, self employed and perhaps start driving a mom car (not because I’m becoming a mom but because the Tiguan and the Rogue really are mom cars, let’s be honest..) and I could not be more excited for what’s in store!

Ps. As y’all know, pasta is my favorite food and I’m not even kidding when I tell you I had 3 different people text me asking if Blake was taking me to Olive Garden for my bday dinner tonight… LOLZ! We shall see where the night takes us..! 😉 OG and that Tour of Italy platter, we may just be comin’ for ya!

dress – CHICWISH / shoes – DOLCE VITA / sunglasses – NORDSTROM / ring – KENDRA SCOTT / necklace – KENDRA SCOTT