Remembrance Day: My Pinboard Wears a Poppy All Year

Today is November 11th, Remembrance Day.
Each November, we start to see poppies on everyone's jackets. It's a touching and simple way to salute the soldiers who have died in the line of duty, for all those who fought and continue to fight for our rights and freedoms - a tradition beginning after WWI and the famous poem "In Flanders Field" by John McCrae.
Every time I pin a poppy to my own jacket, however, I seem to lose it (how is it that we have 3D TV and not a better poppy pinning system?!). Instead, I keep a poppy on my inspiration pinboard all year long as a quiet reminder to myself to never forget.

 To some, this stark symbol might seem out of place amidst images of fashionistas and pretty wallpapers, but for me, there are no rules or limitations on inspiration, on the things that motivate me. Yesterday I was organizing my board (I will share the entire thing another day), and as I repinned my poppy into place, it occurred to me just how inspiring it is.
Each time I look at it, my dziadzia comes to my mind. (Dziadzia is Polish for Grandpa, pronounced Jah-Jah).
 My grandfather, who fought in WWII and saw horrors I cannot even imagine.
My grandfather, who was discharged after shrapnel from a bomb burned into his arm, a blessing in disguise - He was one of the lucky ones.
My Jah-Jah, who taught me to play checkers,  who passed away when I was eight years old.
I miss you. I hope I am making you proud.

Today is for the people who fought along side my grandfather, who fought in wars before him and wars after him. I thank you and I pray for the day the world is at peace.
Lest we forget. 
 
You might also like:
Tassel Garland Pinboard / DIY Ribbon and Linen Pinboard

Changes: Life, Love and Loss

Today I'm over at Beth's blog DesignPOST participating in her Take Two series sharing the biggest and best changes I've made in both my space and my life. The bonus question asks what I would do if I had only five dollars...any guesses? Head on over and check it out! 

On a more personal note...

Thinking about changes has me reflecting on the past year and how much my life has changed. I'm so confident that I am following the path that I was born to take, but that doesn't mean the road has been easy. Four months ago I wrote a post hinting at some tough personal issues that I was going through. It was impossible for me to talk about then, still hard for me to talk about today - especially in a public forum, but as a blogger I feel it's important to let you all into my life. Not just the pretty parts, but the raw, personal parts too.

The fact is, in June my three year relationship came to an end. 

We continued to try to make things work for awhile after that, but at the end of the day we realized that we have grown apart and that it's time for us both to move forward. I have gained so much from what we shared and am so grateful for the relationship we had. He is a good man and I know that he will do great things with his life. I wish him all the best - the best life, the best love, the best friends. 

I'll be honest, after it ended I fell into a pretty big slump. I questioned my choice, what I was doing with my life, if I was on the right path, what would have happened if I had stayed in my hometown. It's never easy to let go, even when you know it is the right thing. But as the months have passed I've gained confidence in my decision and am moving forward. I'm ready to open my arms to new opportunities and accept all that is coming for me. I know today that no matter the circumstances, the outcome would be the same - God has His plan and I am so excited for all that it entails. I feel fate at work. I feel something special in the air. I wake early every morning healed, thankful and ready.

To myself and anybody else going through something similar I say this:

Keep your chin up. You are worth it. You are strong. Don't be afraid to be alone. Don't be afraid to fall in love again. Don't think you are incapable of staying in love - when you find the right person it will stick. There is someone out there completely right for you, so right that everything you've gone through will make sense. Don't let fear paralyze you. Your happiness must come first. Take chances and listen to the voice in your head, trust your gut, and most importantly follow your heart.

Have a blessed day my loves. xo

                                                          

Tagged: Five Things

The beautiful and talented Nadia of Preciously Me tagged me in this 'five things' post I'm sure you've seen going around. I have to admit that this is kind of a tough post for me to write. As you may or may not have noticed (I try to distract you with all the gorgeous design things!), I don't really use the blog as a way to share much about myself personally. I know I'm not the only blogger out there who struggles with how much to share, but I also love reading about other bloggers' personal biz now and again...so here goes!

1. I have never dyed or colored my hair.
I love my naturally blonde hair, and it saves me so much money. Occassionally, however, I think about going ombre like this:

via

2. Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my youth.
Okay not exactly 'wasting' but.... I have always been a hard worker. I worked and paid my way through my first degree, debt free, and earned the gold medal in English for being top in my graduating class. Now, I've moved to a new city where I don't know very many people, and again I spend all my time focused on school and work (and blogging). These are the things that I both love and consider vital to my success, and I'm willing to sacrifice my weekends for my goals. But sometimes I get the feeling that I should use my youth to throw caution to the wind and go on a spontaneous vacation, or take the night off and go drinking with friends. I think balance is key, and I'm still working on finding that.

3. I love chips and chocolate...together.
You might have already known that I love chips if you caught my 'Favourite Things' post over on Mimosa Lane, which featured this picture of me cradling a big bag of regular Lays like it's my child:

If you didn't see it and want to know even more about little ol' me, check it out here.
BUT what you don't know is that every time I eat these salty chips I need a little sweet chocolate on the side. Usually I'll eat them in combo with chocolate pudding or a Hershey Bar.
You may be thinking 'gross' but clearly PC gets what I'm talking about:

4. Before blogging I almost never wore jewelry. 
I really preferred a plainer look, and even now some days I still do. But it's hard not to find yourself drawn to beautiful statement necklaces and arm parties when you see all these fashionistas on Pinterest and Blogger. Now I really enjoy throwing in some accessories to mix it up! Here is a peak at some of my current jewels:

5.My biggest insecurity is my dark circles.
Chalk it up to being pasty and having iron deficiency anemia, but I have always had dark circles under my eyes. I remember a couple of times throughout my childhood when other kids would ask me how I got two black eyes. It still haunts me. For the most part I am really confident in my natural appearance, and feel comfortable going out with almost no make up on...but I ALWAYS have to put a little concealer under my eyes. I have found over the years that keeping on top of my iron supplements and  applying coconut oil under my eyes twice a day helps so much. If y'all don't use coconut oil...you are seriously missing out. Google it peeps.

I'm still hunting for the perfect concealer. I'd love to try Clé de Peau Beauté concealer but I can't justify the price right now.

 I hope you guys enjoyed a personal post thrown in the mix for a change.
Now I'm passing on this fun tag to a few more lovely ladies! Hannah, Holly, Kristen and  Natalie, tell us five things we might not know about you!
xox