Jenn over at Optimization, Actually started doing a "weekly wins" post and because one of the books I just read encouraged to start focusing on all the good every week rather than the negatives, I decided to follow suit and do the same. Wow that was one heck of a run on sentence. I apologize.

So every weekend I am going to attend to write about what really rocked my week. wish me luck..

Vacation

Me and R finally got around to taking a mini honeymoon just to clear our heads from the whirlwind that was our wedding and life all mixed in . We visited Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Islands. We got there just in time for the last day of the Boldt Castle. We were in the glorious off season where it was pretty quiet. I really recommend visiting places on off season, as you get the place to yourself. I am going to be posting more about that in another post. Stay tuned!

Health

• I am finally seeing some progress with my skin. It has cleared up quite a bit in the acne department and it' starting to get a nice glow back. I am so happy to see progress. Now I need to keep myself going with the system I have so my skin will keep glowing.

• This coming week I am jumping back on the healthier lifestyle bandwagon and getting my butt back to the gym. I really think it is a seasonal sport for me.. I can't bare to spend my time in the gym during the nice weather.

Personal

• This has been the year of reading self help books and I have to say, I have really enjoyed most of them. I never was an avid reader and when I did read it wasn't non-fiction of any sorts. I have read quite a few non-fiction this year and I have several more I want to squeeze in before the year is over.

• I am finally back to playing with my makeup. I know this sounds silly, but it's a real win for me. I spoke about this earlier in the week when I posted about my passions coming back to life.

Blog

• I spent most of the week/weekend working on a new series I am bringing to the blog this week. It is something the really gets me excited and I can't wait to get it posted.

• I cleaned up my blog post section as well as my email account and it is much tidier and easier to navigate now. Super big win!

Browsing the "draft" section of my "posts" tab on blogger can be quite an adventure. I have started and stopped so many thoughts. Some because I worried what people would think. Some because I got a few sentences banged out and then had no where else to go. Ever have one of those days? Thought you had miles to write only to hit a road block right away.

I have been blogging for 2 and a half years at this point and it still surprises me to see how quickly the motivation and inspiration can come and go. Some days I have what feels like a million ideas all at once and I can't get them all out fast enough, and other days I sit there staring at the screen with literally nothing at all.

Today I want to say screw all the doubts and worries. Screw writers block. I want to write what I am passionate about. I want to write those posts that may make some people feel uncomfortable. Not because it's inappropriate, but because sometimes these subjects need talking about. Today I am also using this as a way to join in with Alyssa over at Alyssa Goes Bang's Back to Blogging Non-Challenge.

So here are the posts I want to hit "publish" on but have be too scared to do up until now:

Fashion posts: Yes I do enjoy clothes and makeup. I do enjoy mixing styles and patterns and putting it all together. I have even been told I am good at these things. Expect to see something more regular soon.

Mental health posts: Yes I know. We go round and round with these ideas, but no one seems to write about them regularly. I am working on something now that I am hoping will open the door a little wider.

Travel posts: I am not so much scared to write about travel as much as I am scared to take more trips. I grew up military and traveled a lot. Now that I am an adult, my wanderlust has grown fiercely and I want to find my wings and get back out there.

I was looking back at some of my photos from my bachelorette party and it really made me smile. My bridesmaids and closest friends gathered and we had a lovely time at the Radisson Station I'm Scranton, Pa.


I am originally from PA so we naturally had the party there. The hotel was beautiful and we got upgraded to the Hospitality Suite which was ah-maz-ing!


We spent the evening eating takeout, doing facials getting dressed up and dancing the night away. We found a Sublime cover band and the contact high was immediate if you get my drift.

We ended up in a bar where there was an Octoberfest competition where we all held large glasses of water until we couldn't.

I will admit I didn't hold it very long before my arm felt like it was going to fall off. We danced a lot and it was my heaven on earth.


I really enjoyed the tame evening with some of my favorite people.

Come back next week as I share some of my favorite wedding photos!

I was looking back at some photos from a few years ago (a couple I'm sharing here now), and one thing that stood out most to me was that I was wearing makeup. That may seem like an odd thing to say, but I used to wear it all the time.

Look! Makeup!

 Another thing you may not know about me is I was all set to go to school in NYC for make up artistry and then I was in a pretty bad car accident. It put that plan on hold pretty indefinitely.


At the time I wasn't about to let my injuries kill my dreams, so I self taught myself. I spent several hours a day watching tutorials, reading books, and practicing techniques.


From there I learned, I applied myself, and I felt successful. Then life changed. I moved. I went through some hard stuff and makeup just wasn't a priority. Once a passion, became a chore.


I left life come between me and my passion. I let toxic relationships suck the life out of me until I broke. I put aside my needs for others. I landed in a dark place where my passions not longer mattered.

That's NEVER okay.

I needed a reminder. I needed something to tell me that I'm allowed to have th ose passions back. I started to unload the toxic. I started to remind myself that I'm a beautiful, strong woman who deserves happiness.


Lately I've started to reach for those makeup brushes again. There are photos of me wearing makeup.

I smile when I see myself in the mirror again. I look alive and happy. Letting go of all that built up stress from others has given me back something I love.

Me over the weekend in makeup!

You can do this too. Just let it go and let those passions back in now. You deserve that smile.

Wedding planning was never my favorite thing. I didn't have tons and tons of pins on my pinterest boards. I just kind of winged it. So when the parts that came around that didn't require anything from me, i.e. Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party, I was in heaven.

Today I am going to recap my Bridal Shower. The shower was the first week of August, and a hot day to say the least. It was held back in my hometown in Pennsylvania in a beautiful church hall.

My friends and family put on a beautiful shower with homemade food and games. I'lllet the photos do the talking. Photo credit goes to my lovely friend Kellie!









There you have it. My cute Bridal Shower. There was great food, great laughs, and great friends. Okay there may of also been some lingerie and chocolate syrup..

Don't forget to catch my recap up to the shower here, and come back next week, same place, same time for a recap of my Bachelorette party which may or may not include a Sublime cover band and a contact high..