Update + You're Enough

Dear Ones, 

Gosh... it's been so long since I've made myself sit down and write.  Honestly, I've been avoiding it like the plague. Not that I really have anything dramatic or terrible to tell you... I just felt lost in what I wanted to say.  

I went to Australia for 8 weeks. It was beautiful. I can't really put into words how much I loved it. We adventured.. we saw family and friends (except for you, dear Gracie... next time, I'm determined!).  There will never be enough time.  We will always have things we want to do but can't... but it was incredible and we got to do so much.  

We came home to winter and excited dogs and a familiar bed and beautiful friends.  It was so good to be home.

Since being home I've sat and stared at all my crafty things... all my vintage treasures I've been storing up... I've cleaned them and rearranged them (my biggest form of procrastination) and told myself that once it's all perfectly organized... then... then I will start to make things.  

It's all perfectly organized. It has been for weeks.

I scroll through Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest looking at all these articles that say "Make 7928370384 billion dollars just from working at home!", "Create the perfect website so all your customers will buy your things!", "Use social media correctly and earn 6903495x more dollars!", "Take my free webinar and all tell you all my secrets except for the one that will make you money... you'll have to pay for that!".  I scroll... and I scroll... and I scroll... and I read all these messages that tell me it's easy.  I don't have the secrets. I need more money. I'm trying too hard. My brain isn't working properly. I should give up if I don't know the secrets.

I know these articles and webinars and all these things are meant to be helpful.  I've actually found great tips from some of them.  If you're looking to do something you've never done, education is key.  But currently... they've overwhelmed me. I don't know if any of you out there can relate but I just got lost in it.  I got lost thinking that what I'm doing isn't like everyone else...and that's not really okay to be different. What I make isn't cool enough. The things I know and the things I've taught myself just aren't enough. 

And then today.. I don't know what it was.. maybe it was seeing about 60 more articles telling me to earn $100,000 from home in my newsfeed (please for the LOVE Andrea get off Facebook... I know, I know) but I opened up my computer and started writing this because I thought that there has to be a dreamer out there who feels lost with me. 

We are creative beings. There are so many things we should do. So many algorithms and steps to follow and ways our pictures should look and a new social media we should have and products we should be selling and and and and and... it really never stops. The list of shoulds will always be there.  

But my dear dreamer, I don't want to be a "should" with everyone else.  I want to be creative, I want to dream. I want to do things my own way. Articles and social media will forever tell us to fit in. To follow the steps. To get more money. To be the best and beat everyone else. 

I lost myself in the shoulds. I started this little lovely adventure because I LOVE creating. It makes me so happy. And even more than that... I love having a platform to tell you that you are so ridiculously loved. You're beautiful and brave and the world needs a you so badly.  

So I thought of this quote I’d seen before many times,

It’s so true. Don't let it steal your joy or your dream. 

We are enough. Don't give up on your dreams... whatever they are.  Maybe they aren't selling something or creating ... maybe it's just to wake up earlier, to be tidier... to eat more chocolate. Whatever your dreams are... read the articles, read all the things, do whatever it takes to educate yourself to achieve your dream.  But, don't let them get you lost. Don't let them tell you that you aren't enough.  Just begin. If you have passion and heart then you have enough to begin.  

And let me also say that I've begun a lot of things with passion and heart and failed.  I gave up (waking up earlier), I got lazy (waking up earlier), it wasn't for me (waking up earlier) or it just made me unhappy and I didn't HAVE to do it (waking up earlier). But if it's a dream or goal that gives you life and joy but you're stuck because you feel like you aren't doing it the way everyone says you should be.. keep going. I think that joy, genuine intention and passion are recognized and rewarded more than doing all the right things. 

Plus, I'll always be cheering for you. 

If you feel stuck or lost or need to be reminded that you're loved... please oh please email me, comment, message me or send a carrier pigeon. I'd love to remind you that you're enough, pray for you and cheer for you. 

I love you, dear sweet souls. I missed writing to you. 

Love, 

The Lovely Adventurer

5 Lovely Things Vol. 1.0: Things to help start the New Year strong

So here's a little known/actually probably well known fact about me... I'm soooo terrible at being self disciplined.  Thus, any and all "New Year Resolutions" I've had have been more like "New Year Jokes".  For reals though. I'm terrible. 

This is my very serious face so that you'll believe me when I say, truly, truly... I am so terribly terrible at self discipline. 

So, this year instead of making a new joke I decided to choose some things that would just help me be more disciplined.  Since... that's really the root of all my problems in life. Eat tacos... or pay bills? tacos. Watch Netflix.... or do laundry? Netflix. duh. Paint my nails.... or clean stuff? nailzzzz.  These thoughts happen on the daily. #oops 

So, here are my 5 Lovely things for the week that are hopefully helping me to start off my New Year strong. 

1. Planner

a) I'm obsessed with Sugar Paper LA. Their products are the bomb diggity and they sell them at Target where I spend 99% of my life... and my money. 

b) I love writing everything down, in pencil. Does that make me old?  I can't handle google calendar or writing things on my tiny phone keyboard.  Give me all the paper and all the pencils. please. and a lot of erasers. 

c) I love the layout of this planner. It includes a big monthly view, monthly goals, weekly goals and a large slot for writing each day out.  I'm all about compartmentalizing life and this one has alll the compartments. I love it. 

2. Tile 

This one doesn't necessarily help with discipline... but it helps keep my sanity so that's pretty great.  I've had this for a while longer than the start of this year but dang, people. I love it.  Where I am lacking in discipline I am also lacking in memory.  I make up for it all in beauty, don't worry. hahaha. But seriously, my memory it is terrible. 

So I'm constantly losing my keys, my phone, my purse... errything. Enter TILE. have you seen them?!  You just attach them to whatever you want (I think they have sticky things to attach them to things that aren't keys) and then program it with an app on your phone.  Now, anytime you lose your keys or whatever you get into the app and have it track down the location of your keys.  It also plays this cute little song so you can find it.  Kind of a struggle if you lose your phone and your keys... but I have yet to be that awesome. I'm sure there will come a day. 

Tile. get one. it will keep you sane. 

3. Calendars. All of them.

I'm a very visual learner. Usually my months go something like this:

"I'm going to be awesome this month!  It's January! Let's do this!"

..."crap... is it really February? I forgot to do all the awesome things." 

"I'm going to be awesome this month!  It's February!  Let's do this!"

..."crap... it's March?!  I forgot to do all the awesome things."

"MARCH! Awesome! Things! Maybe? meh. maybe in April." 

So this year my bff Target sold a million amazing calendars in the dollar section and I bought them all. I'm plastering them everywhere to remind myself how many days I have left to be awesome and that I can't let my goals and dreams slip away so easily. Remind Remind Remind... that's the secret to an awesome me. 

4. Ridiculous Glasses  

A lot of days I take life way too seriously. And also, I really struggle with caring WAY too much about what people think of me. So, I buy fake glasses. And I wear them. In public. At first I broke out in sweats because they are pretty ridiculous and some of mine don't even have lenses #ghettoglasses But the more I wore them the more they made me laugh.  It was like a secret joke with myself. A lot of people would compliment me or just stare at the glasses that are larger than my face. I've learned to just let it go and let it make me laugh. So, find something that makes you happy and helps you take life a little less serious. 

5. Daily Inspiration

I spend way too much time talking to myself with negative words. Not believing I can do things or focusing on everything I'm not instead of everything I am. I'm determined to surround myself with some love this year and to focus on the lies I believe. This little dry erase board from you guessed it, the target dollar section, is my first weapon of choice. I'm excited to document the messages I'll be writing. 

So, those are the things I'll be using to start my year off strong and try to tackle being at least 5% more disciplined. What are some of your new year goals?  Whatever they are, you can do it.  I believe in you.  You are you, and that's enough. 

Love,

The Lovely Adventurer