Recently, life has been rough and I took a break from Facebook, IG, and promoting my blog. I wanted to take a moment to share what has been happening with me.
Depression is real. Anxiety is REAL. Sometimes in life, things don’t pan out the way you planned (and I'M A PLANNER ugh!😮😤) which can make you feel like you’ve failed or are less than. From the outside looking in, everyone assumes that I have it all together. I have a great job, amazing family, I travel frequently, all the while, I have been absolutely miserable, stressed to the max, and afraid of what was to come. I will share with you a couple of things I've implemented the last few months to get back to myself! 😊 1. Lay On Someone's Couch - Therapy.
One of my 30 before 30 items was to" lay on a couch" aka go to therapy but I just kept putting it off. Like what would I have to talk about? (I have PLENTY to talk about) Does my insurance even cover it? Am I going to be crying in these sessions? Blah Blah Blah...Reasons why I continued to push this OFF!!
In May, I found an amazing therapist that has really helped me navigate through the rough patch I was experiencing. In African American culture, it is quite taboo to go to a therapist. Many look at you crazy but I knew it was something I had put off for far too long! Therapy has provided me with a safe, judgment-free space to express my feelings and emotions while getting advice on how to rid myself of negativity to produce my best self! Sessions are an hour long and seem to go by far too quickly...The moment you're really in the throws of a story, it's time to END! 😑 But it has been such a necessary addition to my weekly routine! #TherapyWednesdays has really become a weekly/consistent release for me. Getting to talk about my stress from work and my personal life in a no judgment zone, is JUST what I needed at this stage in life! I've learned to not take on so much emotional drama and stress, how to say no, and how to put myself first! Therapy is really an under utilized tool!!
If you're experiencing hardships or struggles, stress, relationship drama, etc, give therapy a try! It's so worth it! If you don't know where to begin your search, email me! I'd love to help!
Next blog post will be about the second thing I've implemented, Self-Care!
When I first created my 30 Before 30 List, I added a few things to the "Extreme" category that I knew would be far fetched but maybe just maybe I would accomplish them hence, #6 Dallas Bike Ride - 20 Miles.
While sitting at my fave place, Stirr, my Sister and another friend saw the Dallas Party Bike rolling down Main Street and they were like "We should do that!!!" and I thought to myself "Hey, that counts as a bike ride!!" 😂😂
After our first stop at Cold Beer Company
The process to book the bike is pretty straight forward, depending on your party size, you can either grab a couple seats on an already scheduled party bike OR buy out the entire bike for your party! I bought the entire bike for 2 hours which holds 15 people, choose 3 locations, or your party bike guide can choose for you, to run in, get drinks/shots or food and hop back on the bike!
**Choose a good weather DAY!! We went in November and got lucky with a not so cold day!!**
Rules for the bike:
-Wine and Beer only (no glass containers) ... but there are ways around that lol! 😏
-Don't get TOO intoxicated
-Stay on the bike while it's moving!
Pretty simple. We plugged in an aux cord and got rolling!! YOU DO HAVE TO PEDAL but there are 5 non-pedaling seats available! The best part is riding through Deep Ellum and interacting with people on the streets... Way too much fun!! Check the link below to book your party bike!
Listen. I KNEW that I wanted to host a RIDICULOUS brunch for my 30th and invite my closest friends and family. I didn't want anyone to worry about a THING on the day of my party just wanted everyone to come eat, drink and enjoy each other and that is EXACTLY what happened!
My party was bananas! Friends and family, AMAZING music (thanks to my crazy talented little brother Bryson) , GREAT FOOD, although I didn't eat... Just an INCREDIBLE DAY!!
Before I delve into the mushiness of it all, let's talk party logistics. I didn't have a real budget in mind but I knew I wanted to be able to eat the next week lol. In August , I looked at The Summit Grand Prairie (swanky senior citizen rec center) but decided against it. Next up was The Woolworth in Downtown, their private room only allowed for a small amount of guests- I have a huge family so a place that could only hold 30 people was out of the question. Fast forward to December, slightly discouraged because nothing was really GRABBING me!! My Sister, Aunt & I attended a TangoTab Christmas Eve volunteer event at Stirr Dallas, where I frequented, but guess what guys?! They had broken through one of their walls and created the GLORIOUS private dining room space.
My heart immediately leapt for joy!! 😂😂 "This is it guys", I exclaimed to Tosha and Kathy, "This is where I am going to have my party"!
So, I got the ball rolling. Let me just say Brandi Austin and the entire team at Stirr is amazing! Being an event planner, I had tons more questions than the average person but Brandi answered me right away, sometimes at 10:30pm! She's awesome!
Let's talk cake, Haley of Hive Bakery in Flower Mound is crazy good! She created this amazing VEGAN unicorn cake for me last year so why would I look elsewhere?
I sent her my color scheme and she sketched out the BEST cake!! Geodes, Gold Flakes and Fresh Flowers... what more could a girl want?! Oh and the most incredible part IT WAS ALL VEGAN!!!!
Her Attention to detail was impeccable... this cake was too pretty to eat but it was DEVOURED by EVERYONE!! See, vegans can have fun too!! 😍
See those PERFECTLY matched strawberries? Made by a totally different vendor, B. Dallas' Cakes! I LOVE the fact that I was so thorough in my color and design scheme that these 2 TOTALLY different companies were able to execute PERFECTLY!!!
In addition to the strawberries, B. Dallas' Cakes made: Chocolate covered Oreos, Cake Pops and Rice Krispie Treats...ALL AMAZING!!
Because I am EXTRA, I just kept ordering different items to make my sweets bar OVER THE TOP.
Rosebud Chocolates made my "30" White Chocolate Lollipops and Label With Love created a super cute personalized STICKER, no glue gun necessary! Just peel and stick!
Cookie Whipped made my amazing Hot pink and Gold Framed Cookies!
And Finally, this amazing piece of signage is from Ten23 Designs !
Turning 30 is incredible and I feel amazing!!
Thanks for reading!!
-Amber-
Sitting at home one Friday night, in my dungeon - my bedroom has blackout drapes THAT I LOVE invest in some HERE!-, anyway, I decided I wanted to create a bucket list for turning 30! Things I had always wanted to do but hadn't and bring my friends and family along for the ride! I created a Groupme with my closest friends and family and laid out my plan. The immediate support I received was incredible. Get you some friends and family that SUPPORT YOU!!!
I decided to categorize everything 5 ways:
1. Travel 2. Extreme 3. Self-Improvement 4. Real Life 5. In The Mean Time
Reviewing the list today, I was crazy to think I would complete all of them, came up with this mid September, BUT having an imaginary timeline pushed me to complete as many as possible! Of the 12 or 13 items that I have completed, I did so in no real order and CANNOT wait to share the things I have checked off so far.
If you are looking for an exciting way to celebrate a milestone year or just celebrate period, a bucket list is the way to go!!!
Next blog post will be about my GRAND BRUNCH, IT WAS AMAZING!!!!
Having lost over 75 pounds and turning the big 3-oh, I knew I wanted to capture my progress & celebrate with a photo shoot! Leading up to the shoot, I scoured the internet for inspiration and stumbled upon so many AMAZING shoots that included a fun aspect of a cake smash and I thought, "I am SO doing that!" Some say I am TOO serious so I figured this would be a great way to take some amazing shots while showing my fun side!
Months of planning went into this shoot (smh) I am TOO thorough!!
Hair, makeup, multiple outfits, & jewelry options, I wanted everything to be PERFECT
and perfect it was!
Studio Bella's was beautiful and such a breeze to use! Team Howard Photography was RIDICULOUSLY amazing! Hair & Makeup was, I mean, just look at the photos, stupid good! Normally, I am behind the scenes making sure everything is spot on for everyone else so this experience was incredible to say the least. Checkout the full photoshoot below!!
The inevitable time when you begin to reevaluate your life.
For some, it can be a depressing time, realizing you haven't quite accomplished EVERYTHING you planned out but for others it is a time of gratitude. I chose the latter.
The closer I got to 30, I decided I wanted to celebrate with my friends and family doing
fun activities that we may have all wanted to do at one point or another.
Although I didn't quite complete my list before I hit 30, the time spent with loved ones was AMAZING and the list will be COMPLETED!
I am:
Thirty - An Event Planner - An Executive Assistant - Vegan
I look forward to sharing my 30th year with all of you!
To start, check out my Weight Loss Story!!
#GetInspired #NoExcuses #ThisIsThirty
There I will share my weight loss journey along with recipes, exciting adventures to celebrate turning the big 3-oh and answer some of the many questions I have received!
