Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends! Here are some hot chocolate pictures I took. Thought it might be fun to switch things up with different spices added to hot chocolate for an extra special touch! Cardamom and star anise add nice flavor and look lovely, too. Instead of using cinnamon sticks, try out some cinnamon that resembles tree bark. I think it's so pretty and rustic.

Happy Holidays, y'all!















Change in the wind


I went into hiding for a few reasons:

1) I just wasn't feeling excited about blogging. I needed time to rethink where I wanted my blog to go and what I wanted it to be. It was almost starting to feel like journal entries I had to do every week in college for my classes.

2) What the heck should I write about? I never know whether I should write about multiple interests or if that would water it down. Should I stick to only a few topics?

3) Inspiration for posts had escaped me and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to feel forced into writing something just to write something. I wanted each post to be thought out and intentional. 

So that being said, hello again! I'll be posting a DIY on my blog soon that I posted on my Instagram. I'm also working on a new project for the new year that I've been wanting to do for a while. More details on that later! It's something that's pretty special to me and I want to share it with others. 

If there is something y'all would like to see on this blog, please don't hesitate to let me know. Want more DIY? Recipes? Do y'all like the Meatless Mondays where I feature vegetarian recipes I find and love? Let me know in the comments below!



Meatless Monday: Chuy's Dip


I love Mexican food. I love Chuy's. I LOVE THIS DIP.

When I go to Chuy's and they ask if I want salsa or guacamole, I'm like ehh.... How about that creamy greenish dip instead? (Because I can never remember what it's called.) It's actually a jalapeno ranch dip and let me tell you... I could drink that stuff because it's so good. I found this recipe on Pinterest and I'm adding it to my list of go-to party dips. Or my personal I'm-watching-a-movie-and-will-eat-three-bowls-of-this-with-chips dip. Next time you're hosting a football party at your house, try making this. You'll wow your crowd for sure. But I'll give you this fair warning: You might end up hosting a lot more football parties after this because everyone will be desperate for more of this dip.


They Say I'm A Dreamer

So after getting back from running some errands last night, I turned on the TV and the first thing that came on was XFactor with a sixteen-year-old boy named Carlos singing "Gravity" by John Mayer. Throughout his performance (WHICH WAS AMAZING), you could tell that he was so excited and overwhelmed with emotions because he was singing to a huge audience and the famous XFactor judges. At one point in his performance, he even said, "Wow... This is amazing."

And that's when it hit me.

I never watch shows like this, but I think it was kind of a message for me from the Universe or something to see that clip of Carlos singing. I needed that kick in the rear to remember to never give up and to keep trying. I teared up and wondered why anyone would ever choose settling for something practical over chasing their dreams. We are given this one, precious life. Don't you think you should go out and chase your dreams? Be the best you can be? Who has the right to tell you you can't do it?

"Be mindful of your self-talk. It's a conversation with the universe." -David James Lees

If someone were to tell me that I can't be a tour photographer for a really well known artist/band, I like to remind them that the President has his job. There's only a new one of that position every 4-8 years. Sure, it's a hard job to get, but someone has to do it. What if someone told Barack Obama that he could never be President and he listened? Nina Davuluri just became the first Indian-American to be crowned Miss America. At some point, someone probably told her she probably wouldn't have that title and it was a waste of time to try.

Well I'm here to tell you the opposite.

GO CHASE YOUR DREAMS! Don't limit yourself by settling for what's practical. If things don't end up working out the way you want them to, at least you know you tried. At least you know you gave it your all. I refuse to listen to anyone who tells me my dreams are too big. Nope. Tuning you and your negativity out. Surround yourself with people who support you and bring positivity into your life. People who want to help you and tell you that amazing things happen just outside your comfort zone. People who remind you that you CAN do it and to push a little harder and wait a little bit longer when you start to give up.

Don't put your dreams on the back burner, friends. No one gets their dreams handed to them. You have to work for it. The journey makes the end product that much more special. And if all this isn't enough, here are some extra words of encouragement. I believe in you and I believe in myself. We can do this.

















Uplifting words for bad day blues


I read this once a while back and keep this in mind every time I am having a bad day. It's amazing how a few words can really pick you up and inspire you to be a better person and look at life in a different, more positive way. So if you're having a bad day, then give a friend a hug, compliment a stranger, or just pick up a piece of litter from the sidewalk. It might not sound like much, but it's something that starts to lift your spirits and feel better about life. It gets better. I promise.