Live your best life.. #1

Start everyday with a fresh new start.

Let go of what happened yesterday, last week, last month.. I know, easier to say than to do. Sometimes the stress of everyday life gets to you.. the stress is waiting for you the moment you open your eyes in the morning. This is something I want to work on to live my BEST life. We only have one..

I'm really awful about holding on to anger sometimes. Whether the issue started yesterday or last year, if you've got me to the point where I feel sincerely wronged (doesn't happen often), then there's really no going back.

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the only one who gets burned." -Buddha

It's so true! What good can it do to focus on hurt or anger from yesterday? Or in another light.. If you are constantly holding onto pain, how can you enjoy the beauty of today? How can you create a beautiful present for yourself? You can't. On top of that, I'm a huge believer of like attracting like. If you focus on pain, anger, and negativity, you will only bring more of that towards you and into your life.

Let the pain, anguish, failure, or upset from yesterday be an important lesson that you've learned. Take it in. Think about what you can take away from the situation.. and move on.

I want to start living every day not in the past but in the PRESENT. What beauty can we find in each and every moment? It's an opportunity that we have every day; to get out of bed, and try again. Each and every person has the power to choose what will become of his or her "today". The past will never again be here, there will never be an opportunity to change it. What a powerful thought that all of us can choose to move ahead, think positive, and create our own amazing destiny. :)

I think of this as spring cleaning for my soul. 

"Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be."

What can I do to live every day with a fresh start?  How many days do you wake up for work or school, hit snooze 5 times, and think "Ugh, another day of THIS?" I do it too. It's waking up and focusing on the negative. So, before I put my two feet on the ground in the mornings, I will make a conscious decision that I will have a blessed day. Focus on a positive thought. Change your perspective.

It's true, we cannot control what might happen when we leave the comfort of home and take on the day. What we can control is how we react to these things. Food for thought!

Via Pinterest

Fashion Envy

You know that awkward stage in between high school and early college when you realize, not only are your size-0-destroyed-denim-shorts-with-the-pockets-hanging-out getting a little snug around the waist line (fine, I will start buying size 2's, but this girl ain't happy about it).. You're pretty sure you're too old to be wearing them. Well, I'm kinda at that stage except I'm almost done with college and I want to start looking more fresh and tailored. I'm done with all black. I'm done with sequins. And I'm definitely done with my Hollister shorts with the pockets hanging out (the boys still like 'em!).

So, this weekend I started sorting out my closet. That statement does not do justice in explaining the task truly at hand. It's ridiculous. I did get rid of lots of things last year, but I tend to do this: "Hmm.. I know I'll never wear this. But.. But.. What if I get invited to go to Puerto Rico.. and I need something that's kinda Mexican-y to go dancing in? Or something?" I don't dance, but that's beside the point.

So I have started 3 piles:
1. Throw away (the stuff I've kept for so long, I shouldn't even bother donating)
2. Donate (things people would wear that might be too small, big, or out of style)
3. Sell (take to a consignment store, things I've bought recently on a whim)
4. Keep- in a bag, somewhere.. and see if I ever think about wearing this stuff again. This is the stuff I haven't worn in forever but the pack rat in me tells me to keep it.

It's a work in progress...

So, here are my two latest purchases. These super cute cuffed sateen shorts from express in silver, and this pair of chambray cuffed shorts from target. I also found the cutest girl with the cutest fashion blog, Gal Meets Glam. Go follow her. I want to try to recreate this outfit for next weekend.

Jordan's been gone all weekend at the NASCAR races with a friend, so his mom and I went swimming today at her neighbors house. It was my first time in a pool this year, and we had a good time! Now I'm a little sun soaked and tired, so I'm layin' around waiting on the season finale of OC housewives to start. Tamara's gonna throw a drink in Jeana's face tonight.. Exciting ;)

Have a great Sunday evening!

*Edit
Forgot to do day 3 of the photo challenge. My favorite place to be..

Home :)

All About.. Me :)

1. What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work in Human Resources, preferably recruiting. Right now my goal is to be a health-care recruiter. My major is Human Resources Management, and I will hopefully go for my masters in the program as well. Just sayin', I'm spoiled and I wanna do something where I make a lotta money!

2. What is your favourite fragrance for Summer?
I love the original Juicy Couture perfume for summer. It was the perfume I always wore when Jordan and I met, and I don't wear it that often anymore. I need a new bottle!

3. How do you take your tea/coffee?
With lots of sugar/creamer ;) My favorite from starbucks is a cinnamon dolce frappucino with an extra pump of mocha.. yum.

4. What is your most important beauty secret?
Spray tans! I used to be a tanning bed worshiper, but not anymore. A few months ago I bought a tanning package, and I literally felt so guilty when I went. Not to mention that I have sun spots on my belly now that get worse with sun. I used to think spray tanning was such a pain, but now I love it. It takes practice. And more money. But less wrinkles!

5. If you had an all expenses paid vacation, where would you go?
I would probably go to Atlantis in the Bahamas. That place looks amazing. I've never really traveled anywhere cool, besides New York City.

6. If a genie popped up in your lap right now and offered you three wishes, what would you ask for?
1. World peace
2. Fair and completely functional government for all countries! (this could solve so much)
3. Have my mom back :) This would actually probably be a very selfish #1 choice

7. If you could only have breakfast, lunch, dinner or desert foods for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
I think I would choose dinner. What would I do if I couldn't eat baked potatoes?

8. If you were Hello Kitty what colour hair bow would you wear?
Hot pink, definitely.

9. What is your biggest makeup pet peeve?
One of my makeup pet peeves is when someones foundation is way too pink. Too yellow can usually work. I do not understand why people buy pink based foundation. Even if you're a little pink, you should be buying yellow to balance it out. I think it was Bobbi Brown who said all women should wear yellow based, no matter what. And I agree.

10. If you could wear only one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My necklace from James Avery, it's half of a heart. My mom has the other half (she passed away on August 8th, 2010). It has this scripture on it "The lord watch over you and I while we are apart one from the other".

11. What one talent do you wish you had?
I wish that I was way more coordinated! I am clumsy, and have not ONE athletic bone in my body!

12. Which product will you continue to purchase?
I have recently started wearing bare minerals. It has improved my skin SO MUCH. Especially since this girl accidentally falls asleep with her makeup on, sometimes. ;) I only like it if I have a spray tan, though. If my tan is fading, I put a small amount of Estee Lauder Double Matte with a small amount of bare minerals over, then blend, blend, blend!

13. If you could look into the future, would you? And what would you like to know?
No, I think that would probably cause more problems than it'd be worth.

14. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
That guy from Twilight... Not Edward. The other one.


15. What made you start a blog?
I blogged regularly through out middle school and high school, and eventually let go of the habit. I restarted to keep track of the memories I'm making, my accomplishments, and all my thoughts that I need to get out of my head.

Be Still & Listen ღ

Today is day #2 of the 30 day photo challenge.. and that means today is take a picture of what I'm wearing! So, this is actually what I wore yesterday. But really, right now I'm wearing some blue soffe shorts with a leopard print top I wore to work, not cute.

Yesterday I went with Jordan's mom to a womens event at her church with a couple of her friends. It was western themed, and the perfect reason to bust out my cowboy boots. If there's ever an excuse to wear those babys, I'm there. ;) It was really nice, and dinner was served. I ate two helpings of berry cobbler and did not look back. It was so good! The speaker really resonated with me while telling her story. Her family has been hit hard by the economy, so she did a lot of speaking on bouncing back and listening to God for what steps you should take when you have no idea where you're going. Hence where I got the name for this post, "Be Still & Listen." I should do more of that, I think everyone should.

My family has also been hit hard by the economy here in Oklahoma, and we lost our home that my dad built and raised our family in. We were and still are so heartbroken by it. I dream of one day having the money to buy that house back, fix it up, and let my dad live in it until it's his time. Sometimes, I drive by it (crreeeppy?) and think.. Man, what are those people doing in my house? I kind of imagine walking in, going to my room, just laying down in the middle of it and breathing this big sigh of relief.. I'm finally home. I realize that probably won't ever happen, but I guess it's some sort of coping mechanism just thinking about it. The one thing that makes me feel better, is that there is a little girl who lives there. I saw her one day, and she was riding her pink bicycle in the driveway. The same driveway where my dad taught me how to ride my own pink bicycle as a little girl. I hope that house gives it's new family the same kind of deep, unforgettable, loving memories as it did for us.

The speaker also talked about not blaming yourself for hardships, not harboring your failures on your own, but giving them to God and knowing that he's not finished yet. I really believe that. I can't wait to see where life takes me! Here's a picture of Pam (Jordan's mom) and I at the event.

I also won a cute, slightly dead, but still pretty potted flower arrangement that was from our table centerpiece. I set it out today to get some sun, so it's lookin' up a bit. It's currently sprucing up my kitchen!

Ok, surely that's enough of my ramblings for today. Love life 'til your heart stops! Xo

Happy Memorial Day! ღ

So, here I am. My own little nest in such a huge world. I hope to use this blog as an outlet for anything and everything that inspires me, that I love, that I hope for, or anything and everything in between. Hopefully it serves in helping me to grow, learn, and keep track of many wonderful memories!

So.. Happy Memorial Day everyone! Although I wish I could have spent it cruising the lake and getting my tan on (I've been on an anti-tan kick lately anyway), I had a good day resting up for the work week and grilled out for dinner. See!

Jordan's mom fixed shrimp, steak, sweet potato, and salad. Yum! I feel much better than yesterday, when I stuffed myself with junk food all. day. long. I felt like I had an excuse though, that's what 3 day weekends are for, right? But really, it's crunch time, gotta start eating better for bikini season! I've been trying to prepare somewhat of a workout routine that is not too hard, not too easy, and doesn't take too long. I'm horrible about thinking that if I can't do something exactly how I planned, I don't want to do it at all. I recently came across this quote on pinterest (if you don't have pinterest, get one NOW! you're missing out)..

Done is better than perfect. Yes, yes it is. I definitely need this tattooed to the inside of my eyelids! I also found a 30 day photo challenge that I plan on completing. Not sure if it will be 30 consecutive days, but we'll see. The first is a photo of myself, so here's me bein' cute, taken today ;)

And here's Smokey bein' even cuter. We were outside helping (watching?) Jordan and his mom do some cleaning up in the garage.

I guess I will go indulge my guilty pleasure that is Housewives of New Jersey. So ridiculous. It's like a train wreck, you can't help but stare! Ta Ta ღ