Weekend Reading: 12.15.18 Career Inspiration & More

December 15, 2018


Photo by Jakob Owens 

Hey there gang! We've almost made it towards Christmas Break! I'm so excited to visit home and not go into the office for the holidays. I'm sure you are too, so here are some things I've found around the web this week that I think you'll enjoy. Have a happy weekend my friend!




Weekly High
So the part of the week that stands out the most was having the honor of going to the private Christian Louboutin Sample Sale. Guys... it was AMAZING! Since I'm a 9.5, I can wear their 9.5 - 10.5 shoes and there were so many amazing options! The shoes were still an investment, but an investment that I've wanted for 10+ years. I only bought what I could pay in cash for, so I only got one pair of shoes... even though there are 2 more pairs I left behind that I keep thinking about. One of the pairs I keep thinking about are the ones I found for a friend... I feel like Gollum/Smeagol from the Lord of the Rings because I want the precious shoes!!! I know, I have a lot of issues, but I am who I am. Maybe next year I can manage to get invited again. According to the research I did before the sample sale (because I'm crazy and need to research everything/have a plan for everything, the a lot of retailers also feature sales for the glorious red sole heels for about 65% off during a summer sale. I'll link to some sales if I can find them on sale right now. It's the holidays so sales are bound to be popping up. Until then, here are some great places to find discounted luxury goods (because paying full price for anything is stupid lol)
  • Etsy 
  • The Real Real 
  • The Outnet
  • Poshmark
  • Bag Borrow Steal


Weekly Lows
Oh goodness, this was honestly a pretty low week for me. I was really upset about my career status, finances, weight, physical appearance and so much more this week... but I was mainly upset about my career and how far behind I allowed myself to get in my online class. I felt defeated and that led to a pity party, which led to skipping the gym 3 out of 4 days this week (but I did go on Friday night, so yay me!) Although I was mad at myself, I wasn't shaken to my core with thoughts of being an utter failure or launched into a manic depressive episode like I experienced for the first 3 quarters of the year... and that alone gives me SO MUCH FREAKING HOPE! The fact that I've put myself back in therapy and I'm developing the coping skills to push through these hard emotions and psychological and physiological reactions is an amazing confidence boost. Also, writing to you, for you, here on my own website is a major lifeline for me.

I feel happy, free and fulfilled when I write, dance, create, curate and solve problems. And I'm doing all of those things. I'm not doing them as frequently or consistently as I want to, but baby steps are just as important as big leaps. Life is a marathon after all, not a sprint. If you take anything from this message today, I hope it's this: you don't need to have it figured all out right now! You just need to do 3 things a day that moves you closer to your goal! Whether that's meal prepping to eat healthier and save money, budget, apply for 3 new jobs you'll actually enjoy, set aside 30 minutes today to figure out what you want to do with your life, sign up for an online course to master new skills, paint in order to nurture your soul, put on a face mask, clean your room or even just get out of bed (trust that the latter feels nearly impossible for me when I'm having really bad days), you're still making progress.

So I'm challenging you right fucking now, grab a pen and paper and write down 3 productive things you should do today that will move you towards your goals and feed your soul. I don't care how big or small they are. as long as you do those 3, your day has been successful. I did this exercise this morning (while using my amazing happiness planner - this is the only planner I've used for the past 2 years because it's the best planner I've ever had). My 3 were the following:
  1. start an application for a report part-time job (because I want to make a lot more money in 2019... like $15K more and it's gonna happen!)
  2. write this blog post
  3. finish Module 3 & 4 for my online course

Please share the three things you're going to commit to today below! That way we can cheer each other on while we move one step closer to creating our dream lives. No one else is going to give it to us. We have to make it on our own. Thank you for spending time with my thoughts today. I appreciate your support so much and I hope we can help each other on our journeys while we try to "make it' in the world. Lots of love my friend.





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December Mood Board & Wellness Challenge

December 3, 2018

Lifestyle Holiday Photo Collage
Photos by Haley Phelps ,Honey Fangs , Mourad Saadi , Simon Zachrisson 
And just like that, it’s Christmas again. I’d be lying if I told you I felt sane and put together right now. I still want to accomplish soooooooooo much and participate in every single holiday activity before the season passes, so it’s safe to assume that I’m putting way too much pressure on myself. But I'm aware that this mentality is the opposite of healthy, so I've come up with a plan to swerve the BS. I’m not ok with spending this amazing time of year being overwhelmed, stressed and anxious. I am constantly working on being kinder to myself and purging my limiting beliefs. So this month, I’m trying three things to embrace the magic that comes along with the holidays, be content with where I currently am and live life joyously regardless of how much I check off my to-do list! I hope you challenge yourself to do the same, that way, we can learn how to be more present together. We’re here to help each other figure out life, after all. 
  • Every Sunday evening for the month of December, I’ll block out solo me-time and try a different wellness/fun self-care activity. I’m thinking at-home spa night, poetry night, cheesy Christmas movie, fill out my “Style Your Mind” book, paint & wine night, solo dance party... this list could go on and on. This is the number one way for me to avoid burnout (btw, I feel like I'm on the verge of burning out) and to feed my soul. This is part of my self-rescue plan.

  • Go to a coffee shop for 3 hrs every weekend to have uninterrupted time to work towards building my dream career. By going to a coffee shop, I continue to prove to myself that I’m capable of showing up for the things I want in life, even if I’m not going at the speed I desire. 

  • Pick a holiday activity out of my holiday bucket list jar (I'll be sharing this list later on in the week) each weekend and commit to doing it. I won’t get to all of the things on my list, but I’ll at least get to 5 of them, and I’m ok with that! 

This year, I’m giving myself the gift of not trying to do it all. I’m doing what I can for now and letting go of the rest. So cheers to us for being ok with where we are and learning to embrace the moment. Life rarely pans out the way we plan anyway so we might as well learn how to push through our angst and have some (responsible) fun. I hope you can take these 3 steps and apply them to your week. I know we’re one step closer to figuring this thing called life out. Thank you for supporting me and my brand. You’re love and time means the world to me. Lots of love my friend. 

 P.S. Here are a few budget-friendly things I'm rewarding myself with this season. These small things put a smile on my face and help me remember to embrace the small things in life. And if you shop from these links, I make a super small commission (but 5 cents is better than no cents so I'm not complaining). Hope you enjoy! 


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