My Thoughts

Battling Lonely

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So. I am the ABSOLUTE WORST when it comes to being lonely. I don’t know why–Maybe I’m just a super social person. I’ve tried to think of reasons and can’t really come up with any besides “it’s just the way I am”– Point is, I definitely do not handle it well.

The good thing is that I recognize it. When I get lonely I love to run right back to bad relationships or drink or drown myself in work. Not cool. Not healthy. None of those things are improving me as a person so why do them?! So, I have come up with a list of 25 things to do when I am feeling this way and I thought I’d share:

  1. Go exercise
  2. Take a Bath
  3. Make a to-do list of what you need to get done/your own 25 things to do when you are lonely
  4. Cook something you’ve never tried before
  5. Start a blog (such a good stress reliever)
  6. Call a loved one you haven’t talked to in awhile (Grandma & Grandpa won’t be around forever)
  7. Clean your car
  8. Redecorate/Rearrange your bedroom
  9. Re-vamp your resume
  10. GET OFF FACEBOOK (It is toxic)
  11. Color coordinate your closet
  12. Get a pedicure
  13. Clean out your closet and give the clothing you don’t wear to charity
  14. Go to a bar and have 1 (yes, only one) drink that you’ve never tried
  15. Plan your meals for the week (and stick to them!)
  16. Force yourself to laugh. You can trick your brain into thinking your happy by just smiling
  17. Take a nap on the couch
  18. Watch a new series on Netflix
  19. Take a road trip for the day even if it’s a short one
  20. Paint your keys with nail polish
  21. Try a new make-up tutorial
  22. Design your own water bottle on Etsy and order it.
  23. Write out a list of why you are so awesome
  24. Refinish a piece of furniture
  25. Take 5 minutes and write down or think about all the things you are thankful for in life. (You have two arms, you have healthy children, you have some place to live)

And when you can cross one off the list– it feels pretty dang good.

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Troubles will come & they will pass.

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Do you ever have one of those days where you just CAN’T get happy? I mean, It’s not like my life is awful. I have SO much to smile and be happy about. But even so, sometimes it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Between working full time, going to graduate school full time, homework, and a photography business it’s hard to keep my sanity.

(I don’t know how people go back to school when they have kids, seriously!— Whole new level of respect for them!)

I want things in my life to fall in place and they just aren’t. No matter what path I choose, something goes wrong. It makes me feel like it’s my fault. Like there’s something wrong with me.

I tend to overthink mostly everything. (I need to work very hard on changing  that about myself.) But when I step back and look at the BIG picture of life, how lucky I am to even be living, how lucky I am to have a laptop and a cell phone to use whenever I please, how lucky I am to have an entire family that loves me– I remember a line from one of my favorite songs ever, Simple Man.

“Troubles will come, and they will pass…”

Although life isn’t exactly comfortable or easy for me right NOW doesn’t mean that it won’t be next week, or next month, or even next year.

I just need to be patient and remember I get the privilege of waking up every morning to work towards a future goal.

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3 ways to keep bleached hair healthy

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Balayage and Ombre are so big right now it’s hard to not want to be part of the trend.

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But, as we all know bleaching hair can really damage it. I’ve learned from experience. Chopping all your hair off is usually the result. (Why my hair is so short in both pictures!)

Now, I’m on the road to recovery. I  LOVE my ombre because there is NO upkeep. I can let my natural color grow for as long as I want and save so much money from going to the salon less.

It’s just the ends I have to worry about. Here are some ways to take care of your hair to keep it healthier and longer.

  1. Make sure you are washing it correctly. 

Don’t wash it everyday! Seriously, dry shampoo works wonders. When you do wash it, put conditioner on just the ends of your hair before you shampoo it. Try to keep shampoo only towards your scalp & try to keep condition just towards the ends.

2. Use Anti-Snap

I can’t use any oils or serums on my hair because it will make it too oily. But I can’t use nothing because my hair is too dry on the ends. Extreme_AntiSnap_150x250

I use Redken extreme anti-snap and LOVE it. Anti-Snap has made it harder for my hair to break off, which has made it grow more.

3. Weekly hair treatments

Coconut oil is my #1. On nights that my hair is dirty and I know I will wash it the next morning, I COVER my hair in coconut oil & sleep in it.

You can also buy weekly hair treatments at Wal-Mart or Ulta, I just think coconut oil is easiest because I use it for other things as well.

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Things Could Always Be Worse

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This morning I woke up at 5:45 to go workout like always. Chugged some pre-workout, slipped my shoes on and tied my ratty hair up into a bun. My brother-in-law was in the kitchen waiting on me so I yelled “I’ll drive to the gym!”

Little did I know 8 minutes later I’d be getting pulled over for ignoring a “Road Closed” sign that I literally have gone around everyday the last month. (not exaggerating.) One $139 ticket later, I was pissed. Why did I say I’d drive? Why couldn’t that cop just have told me not to do it again?

Needless to say my workout was horrible. When we got home I knew my day was going to be that much worse if I didn’t get a good sweat in so I decided to go run. (Exercise is seriously the BEST stress reliever, next to eating a huge cheeseburger)

As I was running by an Arby’s restaurant (wishing I was inside eating a huge #2 with curly fries) I thought to myself “thank god I don’t have to work at a fast food restaurant.” I’ve had my fair share of bad jobs, and that is one that I would never want to have to do.

My point here is things could always be worse.

The rest of my run I focused on all the positives I have in my life. Focusing on the good made a $139 seem so pointless in the scheme of life.

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Firefly Lane

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I am not much of a reader, but at night when I am having trouble falling asleep I can read a few chapters in a book and sleep like a baby. (Seriously, it works every time)

I started a book called “Firefly Lane”  by Kristin Hannah a few weeks ago and I REALLY like it. It takes a lot to keep me interested, especially when it’s something like reading. But this book has kept my interest and actually WANTING to read it!

The story is based around a family that has lost their mother and how they are dealing with the struggles that losing her has brought.

I would recommend this book to young and old (my mom is actually the one who gave it to me!)

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The “Facebook” effect

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So you think that girl/guy you’re so jealous of and stalk on social media has the perfect life right? They seem happy 24/7. They are beautiful, smart, funny. Everything YOU want to be. And to top is off, their boyfriends/girlfriends seem even more perfect.

I catch myself doing this a lot. Looking at other people’s lives and finding myself disappointed with my own. Yesterday I was looking at a fellow bloggers Instagram upload where her boyfriend had gotten her Gerber Daisies (my favorite flower) “just because.” At first I was all like “What the hell Austin, you suck!”

Then I realized him not getting me flowers for no reason doesn’t mean he’s a bad boyfriend to me. There are plenty of other things that he does for me that make me happy. People (including myself) mostly share the good things and rarely share the bad.

The point is, don’t be so quick to get unhappy with your own life. Think of all the shitty things that happen to us in REALITY. Do we share those things? No. Neither do those that you are jealous of.

I’m mad at myself for even comparing my life to others’s based off of social media. Sure, some of the stuff shared on social media is genuine, but ask yourself, if someone is THAT happy with their life, why do they have to share it and let everyone else know just how happy they are? I’d say at least 50% of peoples posts are pretty sugar coated.

We share our “Ideal” selves on social media, not our REAL selves.

We ALL have something beautiful to bring to the table. It may not seem like you have the perfect life, but no one does. Just remember that.

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April Fools!

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In the spirit of April Fools day, which is also my best friends birthday (HAPPY 22nd Haleigh!), I am going to tell you about the best April Fools joke I ever played. It was my junior year of high school and my mom still woke me up for school every morning. I had a habit of falling asleep on the couch, which really ticked my mom off, so I knew it needed to be incorporated into the plan.

I laid out two pillows from my bedroom and covered them up with my comforter. (I froze that night but it was TOTALLY worth it.) Then, I laid out my hair extensions in the perfect way to make it look like it was me that was laying out on the couch.

I wrote a note (which I have no idea how she didn’t see it first) that said “April Fools Day Mom!!” LOLLLL. When ACTUALLY she woke me up (in my bed) that morning, I asked her if she thought it was me. Her reply was awesome and exactly the reaction I was after. “I thought that you were dead when I felt a soft pillow which I expected to be you, and I jumped back for a second! Then I saw the note and laughed to myself.”

Of course I start cracking up. She then said that she not only did it once but when she walked through the living room after fixing her hair she tried waking the fake Taylor up AGAIN! HAHA. I was so pleased with myself.

This plan went much better than the year I told my sister that our dog died…

Whats the best April Fools Joke You’ve ever played on someone?! (leave a comment below! Seriously, I love April Fools so much.)

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Think positive everyday.

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Sometimes I forget to stop and think about how lucky I am to have the things that I do. When I look around and see so many things that I don’t have yet, so many things that I want, I get jealous and begin to think so negatively about myself. “I’m not good enough.” ; “She’s so much prettier than me.”; “I am not happy”…the list goes on.

Last night I was having a lot of those thoughts and couldn’t sleep. I texted my friend Alyssa and within 5 minutes she was calling me. (Something to be so thankful for.)

After talking to her I realized (and this is not the first time I have realized this) that it’s all about my perspective.  I woke up this morning and told myself that I was going to try my best and have a good productive day, no matter what. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but today it did.

My mom always tells me “Happiness is a choice, not a destination.” None of the things (relationships, clothing, cars, etc.) are going to make a difference in how happy a person is, maybe for a little while, but eventually the feelings keep coming back. I’ve learned that I need to be happy with myself before I can be happy with anything else.

Don’t think negative and you won’t have a negative day.  It’s that simple.

I have a list on my phone of things that make me happy. When I get in moods like I have been this past week, I read over it and then add one thing to the bottom of the list. Reading these brings me back to reality and helps me think positively. It also helps me see how many great things I really do have.

Choose happiness today!

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Bachelorette Parties

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Spring is almost the corner, which means lots of couples are getting ready to get married. None that I know all that well, because my girlfriends swear they’re never want to get married. *Cough, HALEIGH, ALYSSA, ERIN, cough*  Upcoming weddings mean that there are about to be a lot of bachelorette parties in out midst.

I have only been part of one bachelorette party, but I am almost positive it was the greatest one ever. Alright, it was my sisters, so I might be biased–but seriously the day included mimosas and pole dancing— awesome. 

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One bachelorette party that I know will be attending in the near future is for one of my other sisters, Kylie. I am not going to be the one to plan it because 1. No one nor myself trusts me to and 2. She has 6,000 other friends that will do it for her. That doesn’t mean I am going to sit back and not throw any of my opinions in. I want to go canoeing, eat hot dogs, and make a weekend out of the occasion. (reasons no one wants me to plan it)

If you are the one helping her with this important, and completely necessary day, you should make it the most cliche, ridiculously fun experience ever.

Including but not limited to:

1. Pole Dancing

Yes, this is my first suggestion. One of the most fun things I’ve ever experienced, and if the bride likes to workout, this is also great for working on your fitness!

2. Penis EVERYTHING.

Cups, plates, shot glasses, straws, glasses, etc. Easily accessible at your local Spencer’s.

3. Lingerie Presents

4. Limo Ride

5. Dinner & Drinks

6. The bar afterwords

Where she will wear a sash and a light-up hat.

Ready, set, party!

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My first day

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Well, I started my new job at Cocos Boutique as Creative Director of Social Media today. Absolutely loved it. I have a cute little desk set up right next to a window, a studio photography room to work in, and two great bosses who treated me with respect all day long. What else could a girl ask for? Today’s agenda included taking pictures of the new arrival shoes and purses then adding them to the website.image

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IMG_8366 It was fun. I also posted to social media throughout the day, so if you don’t do so already, be sure to go follow Cocos Boutique on Facebook, Instagram & twitter! SO many cute things. There will also be a blog coming soon! I’ll keep you posted for that 🙂 I feel like my future is bright and I can’t wait to use my creativity to help them grow.

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