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An ode to sophomore year | LGIP Blabbers

Posted in Lifestyle
on 05/17/2017

I always dread the end of the year. Saying goodbye to Baton Rouge, my friends, and all LSU’s little quirks (I’m talking to you traffic, Tigerland, hella good food) just makes me sad. V descriptive of me, I know lol. I thought I could take a hot minute to do a little soul searching/reflection on my sophomore year of college (peep my freshmen year post for reference).

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Same pose, different year.

I had the privilege of living in my sorority’s chapter house overlooking the LSU lakes, and let me just say I think it’s become one of my favorite places in the world. Having 52 other roommates had its ups and downs, but man did we have the best freakin time. There was always someone awake to study with, watch chick flicks (10 things I hate about you became our favorite movie of all time), or go grab some late night snacks too (lol that happened way too much). How lucky am I to have been able to share so many memories with such a fabulous group of gals and even more lucky to be able to call our chapter house home for another year! If you ever have the opportunity to live in the house, do it. There’s plenty of time (the rest of your life) to live in houses and apartments, but to live with 52 other girls — there’s only one time and place for that!

School beat me up a little bit, but as I said last year I have gotten so much affirmation that I am in the field I love. Getting a job at Hemline and starting to gain valuable experience was one of the best things I have done thus far. I also think I finally figured out how to study for tests lol. In high school I didn’t have the best study skills, but once I got to LSU I knew I needed to gain some. After taking some challenging classes this year (@Econ @Costume history) and coming out with good grades, it feels like I finally got it down.

Much like freshman year, I learned life is about balance. Having to juggle school, a job, and Alpha Phi made my life nonstop chaos, but that’s the way I like it. Having limited free time for homework and studying actually makes me get focused much faster. I mean, I was constantly running from one thing to the next, but I would rather be busy making choices that will aid me in the future than hanging around watching Netflix all day every day. The key to balance: my planner, alarm clock, too much coffee, and a mimosa every so often (hah!).

As another school year has come and gone and I am still single I just can’t help but laugh. The words “where is my man?” have come out of my mouth too many times to count this year! Boys will come and go, but the girlies are forever (I’ll be living by that for the rest of my days). Maybe next year I’ll actually find a man but until then catch me on the couch watching corny rom-coms with the gals.

Some miscellaneous musings…

I also learned I like t-shirts and jeans a little too much.

I’m really really bad at checking/replying to texts.

Having a 17 year old car is awesome because it teaches you way too many life lessons (how to jump start a car, put coolant in it, fill it up with gas too often, go without heat etc).

LSU parking is my least favorite thing on this planet.

It’s never too late to make new friends.

I needed to step out of my comfort zone (and I honestly still do). This was probably one of the hardest things to learn this year. There’s only so much fun in playing it safe!

Shout out to y’all for sticking with me (as weird as I am) for another school year. I do not want to accept the fact that I’m growing up so quickly!!

GEAUX TIGERS!

madison

Life Lately | April Edition

Posted in Lifestyle
on 05/03/2017

Howdy friends.

I’m coming to you mid finals week to share my April Life Lately. I’ve been totally off my game lately, but dang there’s just something about the end of the school year that does it to me. Everything goes wayy too fast. April was one heck of a month — spring break and my last few weeks of sophomore year (can I get a WTF).

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Maria’s birthday was this month so we celebrated with some Mexican food (always the best way). In classic Maria fashion, a photo shoot had to follow, so here’s the outcome. Honestly my face 99.9% of the time. My fringe top makes an appearance once again, along with my favorite pair of jeans (under $40), and TKEES (I wear these everyday).

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Spring break was such a great break from school (even if it was only for a week)!! As I chatted about in my spring break posts (here and here), I went to Sea Brook, SC for the week! We hung around at the beach and took a day trip to Charleston.

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Charleston (as I talked about in my most recent post) was life changing! Everything was just so charming. I’ve discovered that I love traveling to historic cities and I seriously hope I can visit there soon. The pops of color on mailboxes, doors and walls stole my heart!

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As soon as I got back from Spring break, it was nonstop preparation for finals. In fact, I had a test the day I got back from spring break and a project due that Wednesday (life is rough). As I always say, my agenda can get my through anything and everything. I swear that thing has been glued to my hip since I got back. Lol, it’s seriously my life saver. My motto: write it down!

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Our last social event of the semester was this month. The theme was Hangout and we had it at some sand volleyball courts about 20 minutes from LSU. Y’all, it was seriously so fun. I think I went a little too crazy on the hair and makeup. My swimsuit says “Champagne Campaign” and it went perfectly with my cutoffs. For funsies, I wore my tassel choker. I put glitter in my part (so fun) and some jewels on my face. An in-your-face matte pink lip finished off my look!

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Embarrassingly enough, I think I have worn these jeans shorts at least 15 days of this month. I just looovve them. Sadly they’re 2 years old, so I don’t have a link for them :-/ But I am on the hunt for a new pair of cutoffs so if ya have recommendations, comment below! I actually made one of my work girlies take the pic of me since I was obsessing over this outfit. My tassel choker and white lace up top was the perfect mix of basic and fun!

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In celebration of the end of the year, we went roller skating last week. Oh my gosh y’all, it was so freaking fun. I was a little shaky on the skates (I think the last time I roller skated was probably 7 years ago), but once I got comfortable again I was making laps and doing all sorts of fun stuff! I brought my camera on the rink (risky I know) but I had to capture a roomie pic. I’m gonna miss living with these girlies next year. RIP Coz :-/

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FUN BRUNETTE strikes again, haha. Our seniors went out in Tigerland for the last time last week so Catherine and I tagged along! I decided to whip out the Fun brunette shirt, cutoffs (are you surprised) and funky earrings.

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My mom, Bruce and I headed to Mobile this past weekend to see my brother in his last game of college baseball (so sad). The weather was awesome but a little windy (hence my crazy hair). I went simplistic with a white tee and cutoffs (see? I’m wearing them again). My huuugge monogram necklace is also making a comeback.

My music favorites for this month:

There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes

Papercut by Zedd

Stay (with Alessia Cara) by Zedd

My beauty favorites for this month:

NARS blush in Torrid

Smith’s Rosebud Salve

I’ve been lusting after this month:

I’m shoe espadrille crazy right now, so forgive me.

Espadrille sneaks

Espadrille flats

Espadrille sandals

At this time next week, I’ll be out of school! That means more fun posts to come :-)

madison-bronze-foil

Life lately | March edition

Posted in Lifestyle
on 04/13/2017

Wellll I assumed it was better late than never to get my March Life Lately up. So here goes nothin. :-)

I love when I can actually have a lazy Sunday; it seriously makes my week so much better. Flipping through a magazine and jamming to Ed Sheeran’s album makes for the perfect day.

 Are y’all tired of me talking about this fringe top yet? I swear this is last time for a while… But I’m just so in love with it. Such a risky purchase on my part, but I’ve been longing to stray from my basics tees and tanks.

Honestly, we all need a little motivation sometimes! I’ve been getting my monthly dose from my planner. Each month’s got a cute illustration/quote — they make the perfect insta pics.

I’m a firm believer that all you need in life is a good taco!! Life is better when ya have a lil Mexican food in ya. I always love grabbing some tacos to satisfy my craving!

Our chapter’s annual Red Dress Gala was this month! I ended up rocking my dress from last year since time crept up on me this year so I wasn’t able to buy a new one. My Dad came to support me and we had a fab time hanging out with my gals and their parents.

Since our Red Dress Gala was this month, we ended up making a family weekend out of it! Sunday was a mom’s tea and pop-up shop event. I had to work the Hemline pop-up so my lovely Momma (who was the best sport) came to help me. We caught up over some lunch after, making it an overall chill Sunday.

Songfest (an LSU signature Greek Life event) was at the end of this month. I was so so sad I wasn’t in it this year, but I had to go to support my girls! We came armed with low sticks and signs galore. Hard work paid off and our girls won third place!!

Here’s an outfit of the day pre Songfest. I’ve found myself doing adult things on Sundays lately, so cute clothes have been needed lol. I styled my OTS top (part of my new FP set) with some white flares (did I mention how excited I am that they’re back??) and my TKEES. Shoutout to my pal LJ for the fringe hoops!

 

My music favorites for this month:

Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by Ed Sheehan

Rock City by Kings of Leon

All my Love by the Beatles

I’m linking my best playlist for y’all here.

My beauty favorites for this month:

Two Faced Born This Way foundation

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Philosophy Purity Made Simple

 

I’ve been lusting after this month:

TKEES in Sweet smoke (gloss)

Tie front tops

Quay sunnies

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madison-bronze-foil

Spring break packing like a pro

Posted in Lifestyle
on 04/09/2017

Alright y’all, it’s finalllly here. Spring break — heck yeah!! Don’t ask me why our Spring break is so late this year because I honestly couldn’t tell ya. As a chronic over packer, I thought it might be cool to do a lil packing post. I’m headed to Seabrook, SC for spring break this year (it’s super far away from where all the LSU people are going so wahoo) so I’m bringing some casual stuff but also a few dressier pieces in case we go out to dinner a night or two!

Beauty

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My go to for the beach/warmer weather is Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, some waterproof mascara and blush and/or bronzer. Since I’m stuck with some crazy bad skin, I’ll probably opt for a heavier coverage foundation (aka my Two Faced Born this Way). Benefit Hoola is gonna come in handy since I’m still hella pale from the winter (lol).

I always pack my handy dandy dry shampoo, tanning lotion and some hair product. My skincare routine is kinda up in the air since I’m about to start accutane, but I’m bringing my basics with me (wash, toner, moisturizer, eye cream).

Clothes

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Honestly, I never really know how/what to pack when I go on vacation. Ultimately, things end up with me picking out 17 outfits and throwing them in my bag. This trip, I’m thinking we are majority of the time going to be out and about so I didn’t worry much about bathing suits. As for my out and about clothes, I always stick to basics so that way I can mix and match them. My focus was jean shorts and basic tees. I threw a dress/romper or two and my new two piece set from Free People. Hopefully I’ll have a good variety of pieces I can kinda tweak to whatever we’re doing (because we literally have no clue)!

Etc

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Here comes the fun part… accessories!! I’m packing some of my favorite hats (diy’ed by my pal LJ) to go with my plethora of basics..

Shouts to my blogger pals LJ and Caroline for making this post come to life! Check out LJ’s hat DIY and how Caroline styled the hats!

I’m sure I’ll be chatting with y’all next week about my adventures in South Carolina, but until then, sayonara!

madison-bronze-foil

Life Lately | February edition

Posted in Lifestyle
on 03/01/2017

I’M BACK (as I always say after a hiatus). I could go through thousands of excuses, but frankly my inspiration was shot the past few weeks. Time slipped me by with a few tests and projects due, so blogging fell to the back burner. That’s definitely something I need to work on moving forward haha. Well, I guess I should let y’all know where the heck I’ve been this February while I haven’t been working on LGIP. Let’s get it….

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We jetted off to Dallas, TX at the beginning of this month for Alpha Phi’s leadership conference! The weekend was full of learning with workshops nonstop! I got to bond with my gal pals as our new exec board and we made some hilarious memories.

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Alpha Phi’s formal went down this month as well. I took Catherine as my date (not in the mood to deal with boys lol) and we went for a black and white color scheme. My dress was a serious steal at $20 off the sale rack at Hemline! I paired it with some black chunky heels, a black choker, and some hoops. I think the choker and hoops are quickly becoming my signature look.

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If y’all know me, you know I am a sucker for a hamburger. On my lunch break one day, I headed over to Five Guys to indulge in my guilty pleasure. Man, was this burger fab!! 10/10 would recommend.

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THE FGL CONCERT WAS LIFE CHANGING. I used to be a big fan of them when I was a sophomore in high school. I hadn’t really listened to country too much in the past few years but once their new album came out, I was brought back. I’ve been bumpin’ nonstop since the concert. Seriously, the best $80 I’ve spent in a while. I’ve seen FGL before but they stole my heart that night!!

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Holy cow, are Mardi Gras balls some fun! One of my pals from Alpha Phi was in Krewe DuMonde so she invited a huge group of us to celebrate with her at the ball! This red dress is from Asos (my sister’s from senior prom) and I loved rockin the red!

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Due to the fact I had work in Baton Rouge allll weekend, I was only able to hang in NOLA on Monday and Tuesday. Nonetheless, it was a great time! Monday we went to the night parades on St. Charles and on Tuesday we just hung around the house. Overall, a super laid back getaway.

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Kay, so I just think this picture is cute so it needed to be included. On Fat Tuesday, Catherine and I met up with my sister down in the Irish Channel area. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and hung around for a bit. No outing is complete without a picture to document, right?!

My music favorites for this month:

I’ve gone back to my country lovin days with my new found obsession — Florida Georgia Line.

God, Your Mama, and Me by FGL

Anything Goes by FGL

My beauty favorites for this month:

NYX gloss

NYX powder

Marcelle mascara

I’ve been lusting after this month:

 Marc Fisher wedges 

Steven Madden platform sandals

Ray Ban aviators

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Alright peeps, we can do it! Let’s take March by storm!

madison-bronze-foil

Life Lately | January edition

Posted in Lifestyle
on 02/01/2017

January marked many celebrations for me: the new year, spring semester of my sophomore year, and lastly my twentieth birthday. It was a month of reflection in a way (getting deep on you guys). Lots of thinking went down about my goals for the future, in addition to plotting how I am going to marry Niall Horan (lol).

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I’m not looking back, I swear. Just kidding though because I relive old memories all the time. January started off interestingly enough, with me chilling on the couch with my dog on NYE. Am I lame or what?!

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I’m sure y’all saw my post featuring this casual cool look, but if not I’ll link it for ya here! I’ve been living in Spanx leggings, comfy sweaters and t-shirts. No shame in being a little boring from time to time… Catherine and I shot these pictures in Downtown Covington after a quick lunch and we had such a fab time!

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Surprisingly it has not rained much in Louisiana since August… But since we had a shower or two this month, I only found it necessary to break out my Hunters. They can cheer me up on any gloomy day.

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Hi my name is Madison and I am addicted to coffee. Not much else to say except for the fact that I can pretty much always go for a cup of coffee. My dad, sister and I went to brunch at Abita before I left for school and their coffee was amazing. I had to snap a pic.

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This month I started taking flatlays over at Hemline. It’s been hella fun experimenting and learning! Did I mention I love anything fashion related? Yeah, I guess it was assumed.

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Back to school means back to having a social life… well somewhat. Mags and I went as Jackie and Donna from That 70’s Show (mostly cause I wanted an excuse to wear my new MuMu bells) to our first exchange of the semester.

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This month my bff Maddie and I have been experimenting with my blog pictures. She just got a new lens so we’ve been testing it out. We shot my birthday shoot was in Downtown BR, where this fire geometric wall art was! These pictures were nothing short of amazing!! To see more pictures, follow Maddie on insta here!

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Read my “20 things I learned by the time I was 20” if you wanna know how I’m feeling about being 20 now. I had an overall laid-back birthday this year which is surprising considering I AM NOT A LAID BACK PERSON. But dang, did it feel good to just chill. My fam and friends always make my birthday fab and I appreciate them so dearly!

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My music favorites for this month:

Choke by One Republic

If I Ain’t Got You cover by James Bay

Cough Syrup by Young the Giant

My beauty favorites for this month:

LUSH Grease Lightening

Maybelline Full ‘N Soft mascara

Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo

I’ve been lusting after this month:

Fluff ball sneaks

Ray Ban Aviators

Free People sweater

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What did y’all think of January? Did y’all have a good first month of 2017? Let me know!

madison-bronze-foil

20 things I learned by 20

Posted in Lifestyle
on 01/25/2017

Hey my ladies! How’s everyone’s week going so far?

I celebrated my TWENTIETH birthday this week so you could say things are going pretty good. With 20 comes some *wisdom* so I figured I would make a fun, personal post for y’all. Dang have these 20 years been full of trials and tribulations.. But man, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I wish y’all could see were there to see the immense amount of struggle that went on behind these pictures.img_0006 img_0047 img_0081 img_0023 img_0030 img_0032 img_0096

Photos by Madeline Dunbar.

Twenty things I learned by 20:

  1. Listen to music — all kinds. In the car with the windows rolled down + volume maxed out. It makes life 1000000x more fun. I would recommend 1D (my men!!).
  2. Wear whatever ya want! Honestly some of my favorite outfits have consisted of things I was utterly afraid to wear (I’m talking to you MuMu bells).
  3. For the love of god, keep a planner. I swear I could survive WWIII if I had my planner with me. Oh, and get ya some colored pens, cute stickies, and washi tape too. I’ve learned that jammin’ on my planner is one of my favorite pastimes… #nerd
  4. WORK LIKE A GIRL BOSS! As a self proclaimed workaholic, I can already see the fruits of my hard work — in school, my job, LGIP, etc. Bottom line: if ya care about it, WORK for it! There’s no shame in a little sweat!
  5. When you work hard, you gotta play hard. Don’t be afraid to let loose every once in a while. Put on some jams, dance in your room; go out for drinks with the gals; go shopping — do whatever makes you happy! One of my favorite things to do is drive around the LSU lakes to take a quick break. It’s seriously the best sight!
  6. READ books, read articles on the internet, read magazines, read blogs, read something. Keeping your mind stimulated is muy importante. Some of my favorite books over the years have been: The Clique series by Lisi, The Sweetest Thing, and Lonestar Southern.
  7. Keep up with your nails. I feel most put together when my nails look nice. The all time fave polishes are OPI Lincoln Park After Dark and Essie Marshmallow.
  8. The gals are everything. Carrie Bradshaw says “Friendships don’t magically last forty years…you have to invest in them.” I completely agree. They’re who I turn to in any crisis, celebration, or just the in between. I’m extremely extremely #thankful to say the least.
  9. BUY THOSE SUNGLASSES. You can never have enough. I’ve become slightly obsessed with sunglasses over the past three years or so. Ray Bans are my go-to for ALL occasions. I love throwing em on when I look horrible walking around campus #mebeinsneaky. They’re just an all around life saver and they def make you look cooler than you really are.
  10. I am a total Netflix binger. I can watch like 7 episodes in a day without moving. Honestly, it could start to become a problem. But for now, it’s my relaxation time. I’ve seen it all… from SATC, Desperate Housewives, That 70’s Show, Grey’s, New Girl, and probs 6970708 more. Always down for suggestions for my que!
  11. Coffee is my lifesaver. Can’t live without it. I have become a Starbucks Gold member once in my 20 years, and man did I feel like a superstar. Regardless of my green level status now (I’ve been #downgraded), I still love me some iced coffee (skim milk, 2 splenda).
  12. Take more risks. If you fail, you’ll have learned a lesson; if you succeed, you’ll have learned a lesson. There is nothing wrong with failing everyone in a while. Hey, I’ve learned I suck at sports, fancy writing, and science. But I’m super great at organization, social media, and my fashion classes. LGIP in itself was a huuuugggge risk for me. It was so gut wrenching to put myself on display, but I conquered that fear! It’s become one of my biggest triumphs to date (mostly cause I’m so proud of myself for keeping up with it for this long)!
  13. LEARN TO BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. If you have succeeded, take a moment to be proud of your accomplishments. Often people that are proud can be confused with people that are “full of themselves.” THAT’S SO NOT TRUE. It’s called being humble in how you celebrate your successes.
  14. It’s okay to be single. Look you’re talking to the girl who had never had a boyfriend in her life! It’s nothin’ to be ashamed of. Learn to love being alone! Holy cow, do I love to be alone!! Car rides, bike rides, color coffee dates, shopping trips all make me heart sing! Your time will come, don’t sweat it. These boys don’t know what they’re missin!
  15. Things don’t always work out the way you plan them. Take this for example: I was supposed to go to Ole Miss for school, last minute I decided to go to LSU (more scholarships). I was not excited at first. I had a random roomie but I knew 879758 people from my hometown were coming here. I felt uneasy, I felt like I didn’t belong here. I was the girl that went to LSU. It seemed too comfortable, in a way. Fast forward to my sophomore year at LSU: what the heck was I thinking back then? LSU is where I was meant to be. I love my major, I love my sorority, and I even have a job I love here in Baton Rouge. Things really do work out. You’ve gotta try and take the losses with a grain of salt and turn them into wins.
  16. Shoes make the outfit. An extensive collection will aid you in any situation. Also find a roomie who shares your shoe size, you’ll practically triple your collection (thank you, CQ)!
  17. Mascara is life changing. If I could use one product, I think mascara would have to be it. It opens up your eyes and makes you look awake (something I can always use). But really, I just love the look of some long and lush lashes!!
  18. Your family makes for the best besties. No really. I literally call my Mom almost everyday. She is my support system and she’s always got great advice for me (and I have fashion advice for her). My Dad is always encouraging me to shoot for the stars; I def take after him with all of these computer skills and that never shut up thing I’ve got going on. My twin sister is always there for me to send some funny Facebook post to, or a random old picture of us when we were kids (we love to laugh).
  19. I am desperate to travel. Dang y’all, I swear I never leave the state of Louisiana. Eventually I need to see the world. Fingers crossed when I graduate I’ll finally be able to go to Europe (I’ve never been out the country.. lame I know)!!
  20. I love fashion. Always have, always will. I started to dress myself as soon as I could walk. As a little girl, I always dreamt of becoming a famous fashion designer, or just working in the fashion industry. That dream stuck with me all throughout school and followed me into college where I now study Fashion Merchandising. Going where my passion was gives me so much drive. I am so willing to put in the work I need to get me going! LGIP was a jump in the right direction!

DANG CAN’T BELIEVE I MADE IT THIS FAR!! But really.

Cheers to 20 years, and another 20 more just as great (or even better)!!

Y’all da best.

madison-bronze-foil

Chin up, buttercup!

Posted in Lifestyle
on 01/18/2017

I sat down to type my post for tonight and guess what happened… nothing.

chin up, buttercup!

Ya heard me, literally nothing. SO instead of what I had originally planned to post for tonight, I thought I would leave y’all with some mid-week motivation #humpdaaay. Here’s a personal favorite quote of mine from JFK (the most beautiful president to ever live).

Failing has always been one of my most gigantic fears. Being a perfectionist doesn’t help much either. In a way, I think that’s what held me back tonight. Putting out a post that’s not my finest work puts a bad taste in my mouth. It’s seriously such a nerve-wracking experience to put yourself out there for people to read. There’s a mental hurdle ya gotta jump over sometimes, and tonight was not that night for me.

Here’s what I got for ya. Hopefully next week, I’ll be back in action with some realll LGIP stuff.

Cheers to finishing this week strong! Y’all got this! #getshitdone

madison-bronze-foil