Fresh Beginnings in 2017

December 2016

So long, 2016! What a year it was! Blake and I got married (ohh the love!), I traveled to 8 countries (bliss!), worked so hard I cried (a lot!), and we finally started turning our little apartment into a home (yay #adulting!). 2016 was one for the books and while it will always hold a very special place in my heart, I am excited for fresh beginnings and new goals as we dance our way into 2017…because come midnight, this granny (yes, admittedly I can’t “hang” like I used to, ha), will certainly be feeling toasty from champagne and happiness as we ring in the new year with our closest friends. (…And probably Beyonce if we get to make some DJ requests.. 😉 ). Bring on the bubbly and perhaps a mannequin challenge!

Do You Remember Your First Date?

July 2016

Do you remember your first date? Just thinking of mine gives me the jitters and makes my stomach a little queasy…ha! Such a strange mix of anticipation, awkwardness and a fun kind of “newness.” I remember mine from start to finish – from the moment he picked me up from theater rehearsal (I was prepping for our high school production of Chicago – so he had to pick me up on campus) to when we got out of the car and shared our first kiss before he walked me to the door.

It’s funny to think that my first and last kiss will be with Blake. Yep – Blake was my very first date and very first kiss! (Well, “real” kiss – I’d kissed boys for roles in plays, but not with someone I liked like that). He was 16 and I was 17 (proud late bloomer over here, ha!).

((^^That’s one of my favorite photos of us when we were teenagers…We look SO young!))

Finding Your Sources of Happiness (…And Unhappiness)

June 2016

This morning as I was listening to the radio (big fan of talk radio over here), the hosts were chatting about sources of unhappiness – and the main one being comparison to others. Due to the nature of my career (blogging), let’s just say that small bit of information hit home for me because I am immersed in the strange world of social media daily – at all hours of the day – “social media never sleeps” they say…and it’s absolutely true. I’ll admit, even when I feel really great and full of confidence (which I actively have to make an effort to stay in this mindset), simply seeing someone else’s gorgeous, perfectly cropped and filtered Instagram photos immediately goes to my head and that confidence level (already in constant limbo) drops to the floor. Anyone else get this way?

The ‘ol Birthday Post! 26 Things About Me

March 2016

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!!

Reflecting on 2015 & What’s Ahead

January 2016

Moment of truth: these photos were snapped about a month ago when it was not yet 40 degrees out in Austin (more like 78 degrees during this shoot..!). I partnered with Style Me Pretty as a featured blogger in their #20DaysOfThanks social media campaign (see that here) and I shared a photo from this shoot on their Instagram, along with my “what I’m thankful for” caption and in a nutshell, I chose to share my appreciation for being able to work and live in a growing and thriving city that has provided so much opportunity to me – woo Austin! Anyways…back to this blog post.. 😉 But…hence the skyline shots…now it all makes sense!

Life Lately – Ohh, Stress!

October 2015

Good morning! It’s finally the weekend and I could not be happier! These past few weeks have been pretty darn hectic and stressful, and it’s actually gotten to that point where the song “…Everybody’s workin’ for the weekend” is starting to feel more real than ever in my life..which is something I hoped I’d never have to say! (Ps. Isn’t it funny how songs often just click once you’re in the same situation as the lyrics?…always so interesting when you’ve listened to a song for ages and then all of a sudden it resonates more than ever..!).

5 Signs You Know Time Is Flying & You’re Out of Your Early 20’s

August 2015

As I dip into the latter half of my mid-twenties (okay okay, so I’m only 25), I’ve come to notice quite a few things that make me instantly realize I’m getting older. Well not exactly that I’m “getting old” per se, but that time has certainly flown by and I wish I could slow it down for j u s t a s e c o n d…Here a few things that I’ve been jotting down in my notebook recently – 5 signs I’m definitely not in my early 20’s anymore/that time is just zooming by me:

Strong is the New Pretty

April 2015

This morning I woke up to an email with the subject line “inspiring,” sent from one of my best friends in Chicago. (It’s Kayla, my Chicago road trip buddy from this post a few months back). Well, of course that immediately sounded like something I muuust start my day with, so I opened it right away. It took me to a Huffington Post article about a photographer named Kate Parker who is showcasing some truly beautiful and authentic photographs of little girls – two of which are her own daughters. So why was this newsworthy? Because these images showcase an accurate depiction of what little girls are and not what society broadcasts in ad campaigns, and that’s something you don’t see everyday. The article begins with, “Messy. Loud. Athletic. Joyous. Fearless.” I’m beginning to think we can learn a lot from these photos!

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