2016: MY "YEAR OF YES"

I remember back to last year when I was thinking about what I wanted my 2016 New Year's resolution to be - I knew I didn't want it to be something that I would look back on after a month of starting and say - well that lasted all of two seconds, better luck next year... I decided there would be no resolutions of working out X times a week etc., eating healthy Monday - Friday, you know the stereotypical goals everyone sets and I've yet to see someone stick with an actually accomplish. Instead I wanted my goal to be a mindset change. Hence, my 2016 New Year’s Resolution turned into my year of "YES!”

So you might be wondering what a year of “Yes” entails. Well I first heard about a year of “Yes" during a Ted Talk I was watching of Shonda Rhimes (shout out to all my #TGIT gal pals out there) - you can watch the Ted Talk HERE...she also wrote a book called Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person that you can purchase HERE (I haven’t gotten around to reading it but it’s on the top of my list for 2017). While Shonda's "Year of Yes" was a year of saying "Yes" to all things that scared her, I wanted my "Year of Yes" to be something a little different. I decided my year of "Yes" would be saying "Yes" to any and every opportunity that was presented to me. If I got asked on a date - instead of finding any and every excuse not to go (I had a tendency of being pretty great about saying "No" in regards to this topic) I was instead going to say "YES". If I was asked to hang out with a group of friends I didn't normally hang out with... I was going to say "YES". You're starting to get the picture... when I started to think back on the past 21 years of my life I felt like I had lived a lot of my life saying "No" to things or opportunities that were presented to me. I still haven’t been able to pin down why I had a tendency of saying "No" but the only explanation I could come up with was that if I didn't commit to anything than it always left a window open for something better to come along – I know that’s a horrible mindset to have… trust me I lived it.

So where did my year of "Yes" take me - well to start it introduced me to a wide range of individuals that have now become close friends, it helped me take the plunge and move to Chicago - a city that I knew nothing about or a single person living there, it encouraged me to push through the first few months of wanting to move back home, it took me to visit my two best friends in Houston and LA, and it ultimately ended up making 2016 one of the best years I have ever had.

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to look back on a year and know that you took and ran with any and every opportunity you possibly could. Did all “Yes’s” lead to rainbows and butterflies… absolutely not but I can say wholeheartedly that I will never think back to 2016 and have “What Ifs?”

So where does 2017 take me... well I'm declaring 2017 the year of "Me" and while this likely sounds like a very conceited resolution, I can assure you it is anything but. For me 2017 will be a year of focusing on and developing myself as person... I want to be better about volunteering, I want to learn how to sail, I want to work on my patience, I want to learn how to love my body more and not be so critical of its beautiful flaws, I want run a 5K, and most importantly I want to end 2017 a better version of myself than when I started. I don't think I am always going to get it right and I don't think that I will be able to knock everything off my list of things I would like to accomplish but if 2016 taught me one thing it was that – a simple mindset change can have a much greater impact than you could have ever imagined. 

I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

NOTHING WORTH HAVING COMES EASY

It's crazy to think this Thursday will mark 3 months in Chicago and while I don't think I was ever truly prepared for a move this big... I'm so glad I took a leap faith. If I had to explain to anyone how these past couple of months have been it would go a little something like this - graduating and moving across the country by yourself and not knowing anyone feels a little like someone tied weights onto your ankles and then threw you in the deep end of the pool. I know... I'm dramatic but that is truly what the first couple of weeks felt like. I don't think you are every truly ready to grow up but somehow you just start going through the motions and before you know it  you are going through your days, paying your bills, cleaning your apartment, and you wake up and are like "Holy crap! I did it! I'm figuring out this thing called growing up one day at a time!" A couple of things I've learned since moving to Chicago.

1. Use a gas powered stove
2. Navigate public transportation like a #BOSS
3. Set up auto pay for bills #NoLateFees
4. Build IKEA furniture
5. Set up an internet router
6. Enroll in benefits
7. Be responsible for another being beside myself... I love you Doak
8. A/C is expensive - opening your windows is free
9. Sometimes you just need a 2 hour phone call with your best friend  
10. Leaving everything you've ever known is never easy but "Nothing worth having comes easy"

Chicago, I can't wait to learn everything else you have to offer and thanks for being the best decision I ever made for myself. 

xo,

Lauren

IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

It's amazing to think that I started this blog over three years ago when I was going through a break up and needed something to focus my time and energy on. Although I've ignored my blog off and on for the past year or so... I never forgot about her (yes I refer to my blog as a her - we have shared a lot of personal stories together lol). There have been plenty of times that I would log on, type up a blog post about what had been going on in my life, and it would end up getting saved as a draft and never posted.

While it saddens me that I haven't had the time to give my blog the attention it deserved, it also excites me as I am about to enter an exciting time in my life and I can't wait to share it with you all. I recently graduated from Florida State University and decided to pack my bags and head to the Windy City of Chicago to start what I think will become my dream job! There has been so much change in my life over the past couple months from finishing my senior year of college, having an internship with HSN, going back to FSU to graduate, and ultimately packing my life up and road tripping to Chicago. I can honestly say it is so nice to know that I am here to stay and have some consistency in my life again!

As you all know, when I started this blog I was a 18 year girl trying to find her voice - I was obsessed with makeup, clothes, and any other girly things I could get my hands on! Well here I am now 21 almost 22 and I can honestly say I have grown up a lot in last 3 years - and with that means its time for my blog to grow up as well. Thus, new posts might not be what you are used to if you have followed my blog since the beginning.

Since it has been awhile since I have updated you all I want to share a little about me and what I'm currently obsessed with. I absolutely love minimalist design and learning more about how to live a minimalist life. I have also grown to have an interest in learning about clean eating and transitioning over to completely vegan and cruelty free makeup up and beauty products. So while these might not be the topics that I would have talked to you all about in the past they are topics I have grown passionate about and can't wait to share more with you.

For those of you that have reached out during my break from blogging I will be forever grateful for you!