Dear 2014...

Dear 2014,

You were truly marvelous.

I learned a lot from you. I learned to be brave, to work hard for what I want, and that there's a difference between being kind and being cowardly.

I learned that free time with those I love is a sweet and precious thing, and it should be treasured.

I learned that the greatest thing in this life is family and the friends that become your family.

I learned that I will always want to write, and that nothing will ever fulfill me quite like that does. I wrote a book this year, and I can't wait to write more.

I learned to say yes to more, and to not be so afraid of so many things.

I learned that life is better when you're happy to be alive.

I learned that sometimes, I will fail. But I also learned that it's not truly a failure unless I accept it as one and choose to stop trying.

I learned to always keep trying.

I want to say I loved every minute of you, but we both know that just wouldn't be true. You brought more car issues than I could have imagined, way too many health problems, and a couple of just really hard times.

But if there's one thing I've learned from you, it's that everything is going to be okay. No matter how many health issues or car troubles or giant unexpected bills happen, they'll all work out. The hard times always turn into sunshine, and if you have someone to walk through the rain with you to get there, then life is good.

I should say that I'll miss you, but I don't think that's quite true either. I will forever cherish the memories from this year, but I'm so excited to see what 2015 will bring.

You were full of laughter, full of learning, full of new experiences, and so, so very full of love.

Thank you.

"There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind." -C.S. Lewis

Happy to be Alive, Because: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

If there's ever a time that makes me over the top happy to be alive, it's Christmas time. 

1. The Macy's Day Parade at Universal. This is tradition, and whatever day we do this on ends up being one of my favorite days of the year. This year was no exception.

A small note about the above picture...I have recently discovered that if you take a picture of me A) after 10PM or B) After 8PM on a day that was full, I will look like I've had too much to drink. So that's fun. 

2. Tonight is mine & Christopher's annual Christmas date night. We go to the mall and split up so we can buy our last presents for each other. It turns into a fun game of avoiding each other and pretending we didn't buy anything. Then we have dinner and celebrate how freaking fantastic the week of Christmas is. 

So yes, I'm voluntarily going to the mall on the last weekend before Christmas. Glutton for punishment over here. 

3. My week has been full of playing Santa. Making lists and shopping and wrapping and mailing...I love buying presents!

4. Christmas music. Can't stop, won't stop. I've been going strong with the Christmas music since midnight on Thanksgiving, and I'm not even close to sick of it yet. 

5. Because Christmas is in six days. If that's not a reason to be happy, I don't know what is. 

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Hot Cocoa Bars & Elf.

1. Christmas memories. We went to see the tree lighting last week, but ended up getting caught standing in the rain.While that normally would have been frustrating, it's hard to get mad about something when there's a gorgeous Christmas-tree all lit up like magic in front of you.

2. Hot Cocoa Bars. 

My mom and I set up a hot coco bar for a Christmas party on Tuesday, and it was adorable. And delicious.

3. Elf.

This is how we ended our weekend--with the greatest movie ever. Have you watched it this season yet?!

4. These pens. You need them. You'll love them. Buy them immediately. I got a brand new pack on Tuesday, and I can't stop journaling and making to-do lists, simply because these pens are so fantastic.

5. Christmas in love. I wrote about it yesterday, but MAN...I love spending Christmas with my partner in life. Sneaking around to hide presents from each other, having someone to share the late night drive home from Christmas parties with, and a billion other things that make my heart feel like it's just going to explode with love. Spending Christmas with my best friend is just my favorite thing in the world.

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Good Books & Christmas Trees.

1. CHRISTMAS! We're in full-blown Christmas mode over here, people! The tree is up, some presents are wrapped, Harry Connick Jr. is singing Christmas songs to me, and my penguin mug is full of peppermint mocha coffee. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

via

2. The Downtown Orlando tree lighting ceremony is tonight! Along with food trucks and Christmas music. Excuse me while I find my new happy place.

3. This book. I read Even in Paradise last week (because my library delivered it to my apartment, hollllaaa), and it was SO GOOD. It had a very Great Gatsby-esque feel about it, which we all know I love.

4. The song of the year mashup. I love these! I love hearing what was popular that year, and seeing the music videos all mashed together is SO cool.

5. Christmas shopping. Buying presents is one of my favorite things ever. I love it all--making lists and searching for deals and wrapping them up and trying to keep them a secret until Christmas--I just love it!

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Tiny Pumpkins + High Word Counts.

1. Gatsby has his own tiny pumpkin. He thinks it's the greatest thing that has ever happened to him and is carrying it around with him. I melt.

2. Toy Story 4 is happening. Buzz + Woody forever.

3. I've started planning my Christmas list and there are few things that make me happier than getting to buy other people presents. It's so exciting!

4. We carved pumpkins this week! Fall activities are approximately one billion times better when you're in love with the person you're doing them with.

However, my pumpkin was so incredibly terrible that the internet shall never ever see it.

5. I'm pretty on track with NaNoWriMo so far! I've got a little over 8,000 words done right now. If you're participating, tell me your word count! I want to know how everyone's doing!

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

Why I'm Happy to be Alive This Week.

1. This new blog design. Can we just talk about this for a second? I'm in love. It's perfect. I'm never going to stop looking at it. Sarah is an absolute genius.

2. Photo adventures with Megan.  She was supposed to do a winter-themed photo shoot for a magazine, so we drove around the sunshine state and made it look like it was winter.  So, so fun. So, so hot. I'm so thankful for adventurous friends!

3. Helene opened an Etsy shop...and it has Friday Night Lights Shirts in it. Okay, so it has Texas shirts in it. But I, along with everyone else who has watched fallen in love with FNL knows that Texas is not just a state, it's the home of Jason Street and Matt Saracen and Tami Taylor.

Now you can wear "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose" or "Texas Forever" all day long. Riggins would be proud.

4. Pumpkin carving is happening this weekend. I'm so excited!

5. It's Friday. I'm just going to leave you with this.

Oh Hey, Friday! 5 Reasons I'm Happy to be Alive This Week.

linking up with Karli for Oh Hey, Friday!

1. I had no idea so many of you would be participating in NaNoWriMo this year! I'm so excited to see how everyone does! There's really just something about trying to reach a goal while knowing so many people around you are doing the same. It's motivating!

2. This is a weekend that is really, truly off. No deadlines, no projects, just a weekend off! 

3. I finally found the pumpkin spice creamer. My no-creamer diet was going great, but then...October. We can revisit this in January.

4. Cool(er) mornings and nights. Hey, when you live in Florida, you take what you can get.

5. Feeling inspired. Which has a lot to do with it being October and NaNoWriMo coming up! And the cooler weather..and the pumpkin spice coffee..fall is just inspiring all the way around!

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

Oh Hey, Friday! 5 Reasons I'm Just Happy to be Alive Today.

1. It's October. The best month ever. Coming soon: November and December. We're on the up and up, guys.

2. It's the weekend. This really needs no explanation.

3. I have a puppy (fox?) who likes to watch the sunrise. And it's just the sweetest thing. My heart is happy.

4. I'm spending my morning under the covers, drinking coffee and making to-do lists.  If you're a to-do list junkie like me, you need to go download these immediately. If you need some ideas for your to-do list this month, click here.

5. In a few hours, the love of my life will be home. And I don't want that to ever stop being something I get excited about. We dated long distance for a long time, and I would be so incredibly happy whenever he came home or came to visit me. And I'm still happy--I'm happy that I have a person who will come home, exhausted from working, and will sit and have coffee with me and pretend he cares about the to-do lists I'm showing him. That's pretty lucky.

Why are you happy to be alive this week? Link up with Karli to talk about it!

Happy to be Alive, Because: Dog Days & Fall Candles.

1. ^^That was the view I had while drinking my coffee yesterday morning. Not too shabby. 

2. This. Gatsby had a sleepover with his best friend, Goose, and they clearly had a lot to talk about. Gatsby thinks he weighs about 100 pounds, and Goose thinks he weighs about five. They make a good little team. 

3. This tweet:

It seriously made my day. Thanks, Jenna! 

4. It's been a really long few weeks.  Life has been really good, but I also feel like there's just been bad news after bad news after bad news. So this morning, I'm having an extra cup of coffee and spending extra time snuggling with this guy before I tackle my to-do list. It's the little things. 

5. Fall Candles are burning. My pumpkin decorations are going out today. And I may even squeeze in a trip to Hobby Lobby. Life is good in the fall, my friends. 

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: FRIDAY.

I know that Fridays are meant for being happy and thankful, but this week is most definitely a contender for the worst week ever I've had in a while.

A car wreck (that I cannot wait to write about), a ticket (my first ever), a stolen credit card (Target, I love you, but you're killing me here), a 4:00 wake up call every. single. morning. (which I realize is normal for some people, but yo..I'm tired), and what I feel like are a thousand other things that have gone wrong since last Friday.

But weeks like this one are the exact reason I list out five reasons I'm happy to be alive every week.  So let's do this.

1. Friday is here. And I've never been so happy to see it. 

2. My family came to visit!

3. The pumpkin spice latte comes back into our lives on MONDAY. I know a lot of you are griping about this because you just can't be bothered to have pumpkin interrupt your summer.  To you I say:

4. On that note, I played this on repeat approximately seventeen thousand times yesterday to combat the horrible day I was having. #adultlife

5. New headbands are here! And they are super colorful.

On that note, I'm off to drown my sorrows in buckets of sunshine. It's just so much harder to have a bad day when you're tan, yes?

Linking up with karli + amy to celebrate how we're all just really happy to see Friday.

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

Happy Life Advice: Part Two.

happy life advice part one

Dress however you the heck you want to.

Wake up an hour earlier to live an hour more...

...but every now and then, sleep in for as many hours as you possibly can.

Compliment other people as much as possible.  If you like something about them, tell them.  Don't keep it in your head.

Write letters.  To friends, to lovers, to strangers...just write them. 

Have a go-to playlist that is easily accessible for the not-so-great days.

Don't let a day pass you by without reading something. A book, a chapter, a page, a quote...just something. 

Buy something at the start of every season to celebrate a new chapter.  Fall should be celebrated with new boots, or at least a pumpkin spice latte.

Celebrate good hair days with all the selfies your little heart desires. 

Say something positive out loud every day, even if it's just to yourself.

Drink lots of water.  Because there's only so much that coffee and champagne can do for you.  Water is your friend.  

Learn to be amazing at cooking at least one thing--cookies totally count. When you're having a bad day and feel like you can't do anything right, go cook the heck out of that one thing.  See?  You're super talented.

And of course, get a puppy. 

What's your advice for a happy life? 

Happy to be Alive, Because: Vacations & Mechanical Bulls.

1. I've been on vacation all week and it has been incredible. No responsibilities and lots of free time...perfection. 

2. Just about every day this week has been a pool day. I now have a tan that teenage me would have had the first week of summer, but adult me is pretty proud of it.

3. I rode a mechanical bull. 

Sorry for the bad picture, but really...when's the last time you saw a mechanical bull somewhere with good lighting?

At the beginning of this year I decided that one thing I didn't like about myself was that I was too timid. So this year I've been trying to say yes as much as possible and stop letting "no" be my first reaction to everything. So on Wednesday night I rode a mechanical bull while wearing a dress. And it was fantastic. 

4. Even though I'm super sad that we have to go back to the real world on Monday, I can't help but think about how lucky I am to live with someone every day who I would want to spend a week of vacation with. This next week may include a lot more work and a lot less pool, but it'll still include coffee in the morning with my very best friend. And that's pretty great. 

5. My parents and little brother are coming over today! I can't wait for them to see why I love where I live so freakin' much.

Happy Friday! Cheers to vacations and to real life, too. 

What made you happy to be alive this week?

H A P P Y F R I D A Y : vacation + new blogs.

1. After today, Chris is off for an entire week! When he normally only takes an hour or two off every day, a whole week feels like an eternity.  I am so excited!

2. I found the picture I was talking about in this post. 

so tiny and snuggly!

3. The new Pretty Lovely Littles goodies will be out in ten days! I've been finishing everything up this week, and let me tell you...I have never been so excited about new products before. These are, hands down, my favorite that have ever been in the shop.  Pssst: keep an eye out, because there may be a few pre-order items listed this weekend!

4.  Megan has started a NEW BLOG in addition to her photography blog.  She is a beautiful writer and I highly recommend following along. If not for her writing, then for the hilarious pictures she posts of her 101 pound dog who thinks he's the size of Gatsby.

5. It's Friday.  I'm drinking a cup of coffee.  The laundry is going and there are candles burning.  Sometimes it's the littlest things that make you happy to be alive.

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Lemonade + Local Friends.

1. It's August!  I love Fridays, I love new months, and I love months that bring me closer to to pumpkin candles and scarecrows. So today is a really good day.

2. Megan has moved to Orlando! 

I knew Megan and I were going to be great friends when we both went on a trip to LA two years ago and didn't know each other, but still adventured all over together all week. If by the end of the week you are taking grainy selfies (see above) together, you know the friendship is a keeper. 

3. Sushi and blueberry lemonade. 

Which is how we celebrated Megan's move to the great city of Orlando. I told you, a keeper. 

4. I plan on spending my entire weekend by the pool. Reason #873 Florida is the greatest: I can talk about pumpkin candles and pool days in the very same conversation and it's totally normal.

5. You can still go win yourself some money. Happiest of Fridays to you!

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Friday & Gatsby.

1. Friday is here, people!  I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: Friday just sounds so much sweeter on some weeks rather than others.

2. Chris. I've had a crazy, crazy week. One of those where you try to figure out everything in your entire life and then question everything you figure out at least twice. To have those weeks while living with someone you love that actually cares about your life? Incredible. 

3. As of this week, my book has been out for 3 months! That means I should be getting the first report soon. I can't wait to see how things are going and to try to decide next steps for that. 

4. I haven't had creamer since July 8th. This is huge, because I am a coffee freak connoisseur. But I was absentmindedly reading the back of a bottle and realized just how much sugar I was drinking (guzzling) first thing in the morning. I mean, as soon as pumpkin spice creamer hits the stores this will all go out the window. But it's nice to know I can actually do it. 

5. Gatsby cries every morning until I open the blinds. Then he sits and just watches out the window. It's the cutest thing ever.  

What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: You're Mine For Life.

23 years ago today, my favorite human being was born.  Happy birthday to my babe!

1.  I have someone to take these types of pictures with:

And these types of pictures with: 

2.  I get to wake up and see my best friend every morning.  Cliche?  Duh.  Absolutely true?  You bet.  And he brings me coffee every morning.  Boom.

3.  No matter how many times I tried to imagine what this season of life would be like (a lot of times, by the way), I never thought it would look like being married to the hardest worker who is just as passionate about my dreams as his own, living 17 stories in the sky downtown, and spending nights adventuring and then coming home to a little fox.  It's nothing like I thought it would be, in all the best ways.

4.  I get to do life with someone who knows me, pushes me, makes me laugh, brings me flowers, knows just when to bring home pizza and wine, and walks my sissy dog.  That, my friends, makes a good life.

5.  I am about to have the best weekend ever celebrating the love of my life.

Cheers to 23, my love!  It's gonna be a good one.

What made you happy to be alive this week? 

Happy to be Alive, Because: Jason Street & The Magic of Beginnings.

1.  It's Friday.  This has been one of those weeks where I've had to put the tips I talked about yesterday intro practice many times.  I'm so glad it's the weekend.

2.  This beauty lives on my counter now.  

That's a wax warmer that looks like a mason jar with a gold lid.  In other words, someone, somewhere has designed a wax warmer just for me.  Now my house smells like lavender and vanilla all day long.  Win, win, win.

3.  I've been watching Hart of Dixie.  How did I not know about this show?!  I started watching it because Jason Street is in it and I will watch anything that has anyone from Friday Night Lights in it on pure principal.  I'm kind of just pretending that it's his life post-Friday Night Lights.  AKA, I'm just waiting on Tim Riggins to show.

4.  Trips to Hobby Lobby and new fabric. 

I'll be back on Monday with some new headbands, and I'm pretty freaking excited about them.

5.  This:

via

Cheers to Friday and the magic of beginnings!  What made you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Stars, Summer, & Coffee.

1.  I saw The Fault in Our Stars.  It was beautiful.  If you're on the fence about seeing it, read this.

2.  We now live in a tiny studio apartment.  This means when I wake up, my entire apartment smells like coffee.  Which is a beautiful thing.

3.  It's officially summer.   And by that, I mean it has been officially summer to me since May.  I have no idea when summer technically starts, but since I am now an adult with no summer break, any day that is warm and free is dubbed summer.

4.  The entire fourth season of Pretty Little Liars was released on Netflix on Tuesday.  In other news, I have four episodes of Pretty Little Liars left. . .this pretty much covers my reaction to every single episode:

5.  Days of creativity.  I made a necklace this week of my favorite summer colors.

here

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive, Because: Liars & Anniversaries.

1.  My friend Katie reviewed my book on her blog.  Such an honor to have someone write about my book who had no obligation whatsoever to do so!

2.  Remember this post from last year?  It'll be eight years on Sunday.  I'm so excited to celebrate!

3.  Speaking of years, this Monday marks five years since I started dating Chris.  It's so weird, I feel like it's been way longer than that and I also feel like there's no way it's already been five years.

This is what true love looks like, folks.  Santa hats and elf ears.  And no, it was not Christmas. 

4.  I read We Were Liars this week.  And I actually don't know if this makes me happy or not.  Has anyone else read it?  If so, you know what I'm talking about.  Either way, it was exceptionally written.

5.  It's Friday, I'm off work, and I'm going to spend the entire day making new products for my shop.  Hello, perfect day.  I can't wait to launch this new stuff, I'm super excited about it!

So tell me!  What made YOU happy to be alive this week?

Happy to be Alive: Books, Headbands, and Peaches.

1.  Tomorrow is moving day!  While this means that today will be crazy, I'm so looking forward to waking up in our new home on Sunday.

2.  I mailed out 58 of my books to reviewers this week!  The blog tour for my book is starting in two weeks...this means that 58 book bloggers I have never met will read and post about my book.  This is both insanely terrifying and thrilling, and I'm so excited to see what they think!

3. I made these headbands for my shop and asked Chris to take pictures of me so I could list them.  He was actually really good at it and I got to laugh a lot while listening to someone say I was pretty.  Hello, win-win.

4.  I'm working really hard on being okay with the fact that not everyone is going to like me.  This has a lot to do with the fact that I just sent 58 copies of my book to strangers.  To them, it will be 304 pages of words.  To me, it is 304 pages of three years filled with dreams and emotions and time and tears.  I'm working on being okay with the realization that there are going to be people who just don't like my book.  I was looking on pinterest (because duh, where else else do you turn when you're trying to learn a big life lesson?) and saw a quote I've heard so many times:

I'm pretty sure it's going to be a lifelong journey, but I'm going to try to remember this every are of my life.  Way easier said than done.

5.  Let us end on a wonderful note...it's a three-day weekend.  I wish you immense amounts of pool time with way too much sunshine and guacamole.

Why are you happy to be alive this week?

w h i l e   y o u ' r e   h e r e :