2015 in Review

I seriously cannot believe that 2015 is over. This has been such a roller coaster of a year for me. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to reflect on everything, and that I'm able to be so excited for what the future has in store for me. Today, I wanted to take some time to look back and share some of my 2015 happenings!

Starting at the beginning of the year, I fell into a more comfortable stride with blogging. As I have mentioned before, I had no idea what to expect when I started this little space. And I sure as heck didn't have a vision of what it would look like after I did! I began writing posts that were more personal to me and had the opportunity to work with some lovely brands to do sponsored posts! I was able to shoot a sponsored outfit post and tried a few on my own. If you want to see some of my sponsored posts, you can check them out here! 

I have some exciting things lined up for 2016 so far and can't wait to share them with y'all. Now for me, blogging is more than just writing reviews in exchange for items. I truly love being able to express myself freely and have found my way into the best communities out there! I didn't realize how much finding the right group of blogging friends would impact my online experience. I feel supported and know that I have an awesome group of witty, kind, and helpful people at my fingertips whenever I need. That's an incredible feeling in my book! For those of you wondering, I've found these lovable bloggers through different groups. Primarily, I have found the most assistance within the Millennial Blogger Network, Show Your Blog Love, and Style Collective communities. I recognize that these are specific to me and my needs, but I highly encourage you to find where you feel supported within the blogging community. It's changed my experience drastically!

I also took a leap and invested in two courses to learn more about blogging: Quit Your Job to Blog and Instagram for Success. At this time, I don't intend to take my blogging past a hobby level- so I had serious hesitation in dropping some cash to learn more about blogging. But I cannot express how happy I am that I did! I'm still working my way through my first course and can honestly say that I've learned enough to up my blogging game already. I can't wait to get further into this course and begin my second one.

Although I still write anonymously- mainly due to the fact that I don't want my blog to pop up through internet search for professional purposes- I feel as though I've still been able to connect on deeper levels with y'all online. I hope to increase that next year and look forward to seeing my current relationships blossom. I've also decided to post more photos of myself and aim to be more open with y'all in the next year.

Lastly, I wanted to share a couple of personal happenings for 2015. (And thank you for sticking around if you're still reading! I know this is a long-winded post.) For those of you who had been reading for a while, you may have heard me talk about my long distance relationship that I was in for the past 5 years. And you may notice that I haven't mentioned it over the past 6 months. Over the summer, things ended. At first, this was so devastating for me that I had to take time away from many facets of my life, including blogging, to take care of myself. And to be honest- I wasn't sure that I would ever find the energy to continue blogging, but healing proved to be a gradual process for me. Thankfully I was able to slowly get back into the swing of things. I am sending my SINCEREST thanks to the sweet girls who noticed my absence online and thought to reach out. That really helped to inspire me to continue writing. Also, in the more recent months I've had a whole lot going on with work. I've taken on new responsibilities and been able to participate in a few programs that have helped me to be more successful at my job. It's kept me busy but has definitely been worth it!! Also on this topic, I have some exciting news to share with y'all, but it deserves a whole post to itself so stay tuned for that next week.

While this blog may not be viewed as successful by some in the community (in terms of social media followings and pageviews), I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect space of the internet for me. Thank you to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read, comment, pin, and/or tweet to interact with me! I wholeheartedly love y'all and look forward to growing together in 2016! See you in the new year!

What sticks out most to you about 2015? What are you excited for in 2016?

A 2015 Round Up- My Favorite Posts!

Happy Monday y'all! I hope you had an amazing Christmas and weekend following. Although mine was busy, it was fabulous! My holiday season is filled with tradition. On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a family dinner before church. We go to an old, tiny Methodist church every year for their evening Christmas Eve service. I've never actually attended any other services at this church but I couldn't picture going anywhere else on the 24th! We have a traditional service that wraps up with candles and 'Silent Night'. That is the epitome of Christmas spirit to me. On Christmas day, we do brunch at my sister's house with my mom and open presents together. This year we made gluten-free cinnamon rolls from scratch. They were DIVINE. I've never made a bread or dough before and it seemed very time intensive. Absolutely worth it, though. After brunch, we cleaned up and head over to my dad's to open presents there. We spend a few hours just as the family, and then my step-mom's family comes over for dinner and the White Elephant gift game. It's always a hoot!

Saturday my sister and I hit up a few after-Christmas sales to spend some stocking cash. I got a new watch and a few Christmas decorations that I'm excited to use next year. More than anything, I enjoyed spending time with my sister and running into family friends. It's always nice to be home.

As 2015 draws to a close, I wanted to gather up some of my favorite posts from the year. I've had some awesome collaborations and put together some posts that I'm really proud of! I truly hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have, and I hope you enjoy them a second time if you've been with me all year.

How to Appear Confident (even when you don't feel it!)
7 Bible Verses to Ease Anxiety
How to Prioritize "Me" Time
My Fall Bucket List
5 Packing Tips for Business Trips
The Leather Jacket
4 things you should try alone
Why I Stopped Taking My Coffee to Go
Current Coffee Table Books
French Toast for One
What I've Learned from Living with Awful Roommates
My 7 Workday Essentials
The Perfect Fringe Cardigan 

I also did my first guest post over on Seashells and Sparkles! I love Rachel's blog, twitter, AND instagram, so I was thrilled to get to work with her. Check out my post here: 3 Tips to Nailing Your Next Interview. Thanks again Rachel!

Be sure to check back on Thursday for a special year-end post! I'm really excited to share a more personal year-end post with y'all. Have a fabulous Monday!

A (Different) Christmas Story

 
Earlier this week, I was one of the crazy people who ventured out to do some last minute shopping before Christmas. This is the EXACT opposite place I prefer to be in during that time of year! I'm a planner, to the extreme, and usually start shopping early so that I can be finished by the time I head home for the holidays. This just makes things easier and allows me to be with my family completely while at home.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, life has been hectic for this little peach as of late. Work is busy, my personal life is crazy, and my family has had a lot going on. The sheer amount of things bouncing around my head at any given point is scary, but my circumstances lately have put things into overdrive! Complaining out of the way, I was less than thrilled to finish up the large amount of shopping I had to do among the masses a mere 3 days before Christmas.

That's definitely another perk of shopping early- there's no mad rush in the stores!! I can't stand crowds and have a low tolerance for people who are rude. It seems like everyone turns into a shopping grinch around the holidays and I just prefer to stay at home away from it all. My final gift that I was purchasing happened to be a Starbucks giftcard and travel mug. Oh boy was I relieved to be finished shopping AND at the mecca of caffeine. It had been a long day of loud chatter, long lines, and complaints constantly swirling around me.

After waiting in the long line, I was grateful when my turn rolled around. I placed my complicated drink order and stepped to the bar to people watch as I waited for my bright red cup of joy to pop up. I'm so glad that I was watching my surroundings, because I saw the sweetest act of selflessness. I witnessed a man buy coffee for the frazzled young mom in front of him who was struggling to find her wallet in her large purse and balance a baby on her hip. It was so small, but seeing the unexpected happiness on her face reminded me what this season is truly about. It's not about buying the perfect gift. It's not about perfect wrapping, or the flawless picture for the card, or staging the perfect Instagram.

It's about giving. It's about showing love to everyone, even the lady delaying your turn to order a your caffeinated beverage in a long line. For me, it's about celebrating the birth of Jesus by mimicking his behavior. I hope that you have a lovely Christmas, and regardless of your beliefs, I hope you find the true meaning of the season and carry that with you even after the lights and trees come down.

In vs Out December!

I absolutely love linking up with Allison of Because I Said So for her In vs. Out link up! Head over to her site for more posts and be sure to link one of yours up as well! She is keeping it open all week thanks to the Christmas holiday!

IN:
Warm Weather
Last Minute Shopping
Playing Tourist in Your Own City- evidence
Holiday Reunions with Friends and Family
Wrapping Presents- Am I weird?! I totally love wrapping!

OUT:
Sold Out Gifts
Rain
Traffic

Thankfully, I haven't had a ton of "outs" for this month. I've been too busy! Maybe that's an out in itself. I'm going to be reeling things back over the next week-ish to be fully present with my family over the holidays. I'm always a fan of going totally unplugged for the holidays, but I'm not sure that is fully realistic for me this year. So if this is the last time I see you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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In case you've missed them, here are my favorite posts from December!
10 Ways to De-Stress this Holiday Season
My Coveted Leather Jacket
My Ultimate Christmas Playlist
My Favorite Fringe Cardigan

What's been 'in vs out' for you over the last month?

The Leather Jacket

It's no secret that I was on a serious hunt for a leather jacket earlier this fall. Thankfully, I found one and am excited to be featuring it in today's post! I honestly am not sure what I wore last fall, because I feel as though I've lived in this my whole life! I wear it all the time. Not only does it go with everything in my closet, it adds a nice edge to my typically feminine look.

While shopping for my jacket, I made the decision to stick with faux (popularly termed vegan) leather. This was easier on my wallet and boasts just the right look I was going for. I found this jacket after WEEKS of searching at the Georgetown Zara store! Few words can describe my excitement over this find better than sheer joy. It really is perfect for what I had in mind!

Jacket // Tee // Necklace (similar) // Sunglasses // Jeans // Booties

In this look, I paired my jacket with a bright tee, my favorite long necklace, and my staple Jack Roger booties. If you run into me on the weekends, there's an 80% chance I'm wearing this outfit with a slight variation. Embarrassing, I know. But I can't help myself! It's just so comfortable for the fall. The jacket is roomy enough to wear with my chunky sweaters and keeps me just the right temperature for fall weather up in northern Virginia. And lately, our weather has been so warm I've gotten a few extra weeks out of this baby!

Do you have a favorite jacket? What's your go-to fall look?