Howdy there! As you know I've been trying to do things that are "out of my comfort zone" more lately. I'm trying to get "comfortable" with the idea of being "uncomfortable" is really what it feels like. I mean lets face it.... owning your own business can be a little wacky and you may find yourself in weird situations where you're not quite sure what the right thing to do or say may be. Whelp... I find that true to life too! I don't know how many countless times I've found myself in a less than "awkward" social situation where I'm fumbling for words or quite frankly just don't want to tell people what's on my mind because I don't want to come off as rude or hurt their feelings. Besides all those things... I've been striving to push myself in other areas as well. I've got certain goals I had planned for 2014 and I intend to stick to them even if I "don't wanna" or am "tired" or just "don't feel like it". I've been pushing myself to workout almost everyday... which I'm not gonna lie. It's been brutal. The good news is that I can see a change in my body already. It's only been a month (which sometimes feels like forever) but I've had two people tell me I look different.... in shape and better. I don't just look better but I feel better. I've finally gained that "sense of control" that I lost those three years ago. I do still see pictures of myself or catch my reflection in a mirror and cringe. Hey, I'm only human. The great news is that I'm not beating myself up as much as I used to. I think it's been a lot easier since I know how hard I've been working. My body aches sometimes but I sleep just a little bit better at night knowing that I'm eating healthier and am exercising on a daily basis.
I purchased this dress from Modcloth in October last year for my sister's wedding. I was about 10lbs heavier or a tad more back then. It was right before I quite my full time position working for the city of Austin. I'll spare you all the depressing details as to what I was going through at the time. Basically, I was at a breaking point in my life where I knew I needed to make a change. I guess sometimes you kinda just have to "snap" and kick yourself in the butt and just make things happen. Whelp... that's what I did.
I still am uncomfortable with how "curvaceous" I am in these images. I think I'm still living in la la land sometimes. Hey, I'm a 33 year old gal now. I still fit into the dress but it was looser in all the right places that it wasn't last October. I may not ever be a tiny as I was back in the day but I'm becoming okay with that now. It's not technically about "how much your weigh" but about how healthy you are. I'm slowly getting there.... baby steps.
Enough about all that.... let's talk about this hat! I adore hats now. Especially this one that I purchased a few years back at XXI. I'm so glad I did because it's been a fun accessory. I have quite the hat collection now! The Mister would be "rolling his eyes" right about now... ha ha! He has hat to drill countless holes on my side of the room above my vanity so that I may hang my precious hats on display. Wait till you see the new one that I just purchased at H&M with my girl Mandy Bustamante of Nestled in Nostalgia. I can wait to post the images!
Other "big girl" goals I have planned this year besides getting back into shape is writing a book. Ooooooo! I've had the idea on the back burner since 2013 but seriously... it takes a ton of time and devotion to make it all happen. My business is still quite new.... a four month old baby to be exact. I'm devising a plan on how to make it all "happen" but did I tell you.... it take time? Ha ha! Hopefully, I'll be able to sit down on a weekly basis and crank out some patterns and then compile it all together. I know it's not as simple as that and yea.... I'm doing my research. I've actually had a pattern published before in a book so I kinda know a little about how things work. What will I be writing about you ask? Well, I'm writing my Memoirs.... just kidding! I'm writing a crochet pattern book. Yup, I think it's about time I expand my horizon and take on crafting from a different angle. There's only so much actually crocheting a gal can do. Hopefully the book will get my vision "out there" and will supplement my income.
It was a pretty gloomy and rather hazy day for these images but I had to work with what I was given right? These last few weeks have been quite strange as far as Austin weather goes. We've had plenty of rain.... which is good. I mean, we don't have to water our newly planted garden. Then on the other hand we had a crappy cold snap and had to cover all our plants and throw a heater in there under the blankets. We had a few casualties.... some heirloom tomatoes and the basil but all in all I think we're still in business. The business of having a kick ass garden that is! More on that later....
Bye bye now! Ya'll come back soon.
Dress: Similar
Cardigan: Target
Wedges: Target
Hat: Forever 21
