by Joey | Apr 13, 2015 | Throwback
I feel like in this life, we are far more concerned with everyone else than we are with ourselves. We pay so much attention to what someone else is doing, how they handled something, how much they’re making, what their job is, the list goes on. And then we feel inadequate. Or we take a path that doesn’t feel right. We make choices influenced by what others are doing. We try to model ourselves after them.
All the while forgetting to ask ourselves the most important question. What is right for me?
People are different. Situations are different. There is always a part of the story you aren’t seeing. And people have the right to keep some things private and handle things the way they need to handle them. And you know what? So do you.
People get so caught up in what something means. How something looks. What other people will think. And they forget to worry about what makes them happy. They forget to worry about what works for them.
Since I’ve graduated college (too many years ago to name because it makes me feel old) I’ve felt the pressure to be. To be something impressive. To be something important. To be successful.
But the fact is, all of those things have very different definitions depending on the person. You can exhaust yourself and completely deplete yourself of value if you base your life on someone else’s definition of success.
It’s easy to feel insecure. To feel like we aren’t good enough. To feel like we aren’t impressive enough. Especially when we can constantly compare ourselves to other people’s successes.
But you guys? You have to do what is right for you. You just do. Life is way too dang long to be stuck doing things just because you feel like you have to. Or because you’re trying to keep up with some facade.
It’s okay for things not to work out. It’s okay to walk away from something that isn’t right for you, especially if it’s causing you pain. It’s okay to take more time to grieve a loss if that’s what you need. It’s okay to choose the career that makes you happy even if it’s not what your family wants for you. It’s okay to praise the God you believe in. It’s okay. (Okay, now I feel like I’m channeling Juan Pablo. Ess okay. Ess okay).
I’m still on this journey. The journey of doing what’s right for me. For my life. For my little family. And it’s ever changing, and that’s okay. What was right for us two months ago might not be what is right for us now. And what is right for us right now might not be in a few years.
The tide is ever changing, my friends. You have to learn to go with it but all the while never losing sight of yourself. You will have to do things in this life that don’t make you happy. You’ll have to do things that you don’t want to. And that’s okay, too. As long as you use those things to propel you to the place you eventually want to be. Be wise. Be patient. But be persistent in finding your happiness.
Whatever that might be.
by Joey | Apr 10, 2015 | Throwback
[insert heart eye emoji here]
In love. I mean
In. Love. I’ve been lusting after a purple holographic forever and ever. This beauty is from The
Born Pretty Store. It’s hard to find a good holographic nail polish. Drug store brands have been attempting it for a while with not much luck (in my opinion).
Until this baby landed on my doorstep, Color Club held the cake in the holographic department.
I will say this, it’s the tiniest bottle you ever did see, and it’s fairly expensive considering that, but what’s inside is oh my gosh swoon worthy.
I also got some stamping plates and a stamper included–but for the sake of transparency, I’m going to need a hot minute to figure that mess out. So keep an eye out for a fancy mani including those suckers.
by Joey | Apr 9, 2015 | Throwback
++That is how I spent part of my Friday. I absolutely love living in a place that the pool is open year round. It reached 80 degrees, and hanging out in the sunshine with my neighbor was perfect. Also–yes, I was reading Dark Places but I’ve given up on it. I just couldn’t get into it.
Such a fancy photo, right? I told y’all. We do real life around here.
++ My neighbor texted for me to stop by last night and gave me all that cake! I nibbled on some (yes, with a glass of wine) and holy bananas. Best cake I’ve ever had!! So freaking delicious.
++ Today is my Friday! The kids have been on spring break all week which has meant longer days for this girl. Things have been so insane since the whole Charlotte thing happened that I’m dubbing tomorrow a “do what I want” day, you know, besides some writing that has to get done. I’m thinking pool, reading, then netflix. I’m a busy lady 😉
++ We sprung another neighbor’s dog from the crate this week. She was working late so we went and busted Otter out to come hang with us and b-dog. I was worried there for a while that J wasn’t going to give her dog back. They were sort of in love.
++ Oh. And J threw his back out on Easter Sunday. He’s not really sure how it happened, but he’s been in a good bit of pain all week. Here’s hoping it heals up soon!
Okay friends! Your turn!
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by Joey | Apr 7, 2015 | Throwback
- Lindi Lip Balm I didn’t expect anything great out of this balm. I’m not really sure why. For some reason when a lip balm is “high end” I shrug it off (you’d think I would have learned my lesson from the Fresh balms–hello, heaven). This stuff is fan-freaking-tastic.
- L’oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream I’ve used this BB cream on and off for years. But since I’ve been working out of the house again, I’ve been reaching for it daily. It provides enough coverage to make my skin look nice but not so much coverage that it seems like I’m wearing a ton of makeup.
- Wet ‘n Wild Single Shadow in Nutty I eyed this for a long time before I bought it (don’t ask me why I didn’t just grab it the first time I saw it…it’s $0.99 for crying out loud). I’ve been reaching for this every single day. It’s a perfect iridescent shade that provides dimension with just one shadow depending on where you blend it.
- Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso Literally every single day for the last two months. Can’t stop won’t stop.
- L’oreal Infallible Shadow in Iced Latte I’ve been using this in partner with pretty much any shadow I’m reaching for (lately, Nutty). I pop a little of this in the center of the lid and in the inner corner. Love.
Non Beauty Favorites:
- HIMYM. I’m a FRIENDS girl through and through, but this sitcom has such a warm place in my heart. J and I started the series together when we first got married–and since then I’ve seen most of the episodes twice or more. But lately, it’s been my go-to “unwind” or mindless show to have on.
- Fitbit. If you’re my friend on Fitbit, you know my new job has been kicking some fitbit butt! I’ve fallen in love with it all over again in the last couple months. I especially like that it makes me feel less grumpy about having to go up/down 2 flights of stairs from our apartment and having to take B-dog out for potty breaks.
- Tyber Creek Pub. If you’re in the Charlotte area–this was my favorite eat this month. I got the steak sandwich and it was awesome. Seriously. I get the steak sandwich pretty much everywhere we go, and this was the best one I’ve ever had. The atmosphere was genuinely Irish, and the staff was great. Oh. And it’s walking distance from our house.
by Joey | Apr 6, 2015 | Throwback
On January 18th of this year, I jotted that verse down in my journal. I remember having complete faith in it. But I also remember putting my head down on my desk, allowing the tears to fall, begging God to lead me to that rock.
When you’re waiting for a miracle, time feels like it moves backwards. I craved that rock. I craved that firm place to stand. For years the ground beneath my feet has felt like a treadmill on a speed a notch too high.
And then someone pulled the cord.
And the treadmill came to a dead stop.
And I fell flat on my face.
On Sunday, I sat at a dining room table surrounded by people who were strangers eight weeks ago. My bosses invited J and me over for Easter dinner since we weren’t traveling home. And after a lovely afternoon, my boss and I were saying our goodbyes.
“This just feels so normal,” I said, implying that it seems like we’ve all been a part of each other’s lives forever. And my boss agreed, then added “because we both took our time making sure we found the right fit.”
I was reminded of that day in January when I wrote down that verse then. I walked down to my car silently thanking God. Solid ground feels pretty good.
He set me on my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand…
