It's a bit funny looking back on winter type of photos now that we're in the heat of summer, especially considering these were taken in early March - which is crazy for a Floridian like me since we don't get seasons like that!

I have been finding solace though in going through photos from earlier this year when life was looking a little brighter. These are from the trip to Northern California, this day specifically in Lake Tahoe. We drove up from Sacramento to spend a few days in Amador and decided to take a day trip from there to Tahoe to drive through the mountains and see what there was to do!

It was a fun little getaway, but I do remember at that point of the trip after constantly being with people for a few days prior, that I was starting to feel drained. If you're an introvert too, you know the feeling, and if not then maybe this will help you know what it's like. As an introvert, it's so important to have some time to yourself to recharge and feel centered again, especially after being around people and staying busy for days. But on a long trip like this, it's not the most practical to just get away for long enough to recharge, so I thought I would share some tips on how to get through it!

While we may not be going on trips for the time being, I know a lot of people are staying home around family and roomates and not really getting much of a break from them these days. So if you're in this kind of situation too, this is for you!

Here are five tips on how to be around people as an introvert (and not go crazy haha).


1  - plug in the music 

During the car ride to Tahoe with everyone together in the van, I plugged in my earphones and started up a playlist of music. Sometimes it helps to close your eyes and escape in your mind.

2 - break away for an evening

One night of this trip, everyone had fallen asleep early so I took myself down to the bottom floor of the airbnb and turned on an episode of the Bachelor that I hadn't watched yet. I can't tell you how nice it felt to just sit down there alone for a couple of hours and have a break from everything.

3 - communicate with the people around you 

I know this may seem like it defeats the whole topic, but stay with me for a minute. Sometimes people don't understand the need for alone time but sometimes they do. If you're trying to hold yourself together around them, it can be easy to feel frustrated or annoyed. So instead, try communicating with them. If the people around you aren't understanding your need for a couple of hours alone, let them know! It's as easy as telling them, "hey, I would love to spend time with you, but I'm starting to feel drained and need a couple of hours to myself to recharge. Maybe you can call up a friend, do some laundry, or find something to keep busy and then we can do something together later."

4 - find a creative outlet 

Most everyone has some kind of outlet that helps channel their energy or emotions into something positive. This blog does that for me, along with writing just to write. I don't tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve (unless I have completely hit my breaking point) so I need an outlet like this to write things out. For others, it could be reading, creating music, making art, playing a sport, or anything that helps you channel your feelings in a way that lets them out and makes it feel okay again.

5 - set aside quiet time 

Wake up a little earlier if you're a morning person or go to bed earlier if you're a night owl and set aside a few minutes of quiet time to talk to God, read passages in the Bible that speak to you, and maybe even listen to some worship music. There's an incredible amount of peace that comes from putting away the phone and the never-ending distractions of the world and replacing it for a few minutes of quiet solitude, starting the day by saying hey God thank you for the new opportunities of life you have for me and ending the day by telling Him all about it. Whether it's good or heavy or in between, He's always there listening, even if you don't feel it. How do I know? Because of the times that I have felt it. A peaceful, warm embrace from all around as you lift your head up with eyes closed and it feels like sunshine coming from above. It's a feeling hard to describe but also hard to miss. And that is how I know He is real and He is here, ready to take on this life with you.


I hope these tips helped in some way if you stumbled upon this blog feeling overwhelmed or in need of a break. It can be tough being an introvert in a world of constant energy and busy lives. It's perfectly okay to spend time alone and get back to feeling like yourself again. Even if you're not an introvert, everyone can benefit from having time to themselves. It gives you a better sense of self, helps to feel grounded and centered, and offers perspective on everything going on around you.

So go on and try these out, and remember that despite how it may feel, everything is going to be okay. ♡

I'm loving these two lipsticks by Revlon from their new super lustrous collection! They make me feel so glam that I got all dressed up, taped newspapers to the wall, and set up the camera for a self-timer photo shoot (that turned out to be some of my 'most proud of' photos yet).

The red lipstick is the iconic cream in shade 440 'cherries in the snow' and the neutral one is the glass shine lipstick in 020 'nude illuminator' that I received complimentary from Influenster to try out! They are both so lightweight, and while the red lipstick is the most vibrant color, the nude lipstick is more subtle but so moisturizing that it can be used as a tinted lip balm! These are each added to my favorites for a classic lipstick - whether I'm going bold or more neutral.


I've been looking at this post for weeks now, trying to figure what I should write about. The photos are all laid out and it's ready to go. All that's missing are the words.

Every time I sit down to write I come up blank. There's a lot going on in the world, it makes my head spin and I have so much to say. But none of it comes out right.

So many conflicting views, half the people I love I can't even talk to. I want to be a light, but most of the time I'm afraid of being told that I'm not right. What has this world come to when you can't even distinguish between what's false and what's true?

There are all of these questions, expectations, things you should say and should stay away from. But one thing I have always wanted for this blog is to stay true and to use it to be a light. So that's what I will do.

Even when it's hard, even when people tell me I'm wrong, I will always strive to be honest and use this space as an outlet for real feelings that in hopes will let someone reading know that they're not alone.

One thing I have learned during this time is that it's okay to have a different views, different thoughts, different feelings, different understandings. We were all made as individuals to come together in our differences, not let them tear us apart. Life is hard enough as it is. So one thing that I stand for is unity and love. Because verse after verse in the Bible tells us to love one another. Over time I have realized that people just want to be heard. They want to know that someone out there is listening. So I will listen, I will love, and I will use any kind of influence that I've been given to share hope, love, and peace.

It's okay to feel what you're feeling as you walk through these tough days. Just know you're not alone. ♡

These days feel a lot like living in neutral - both with outfits like this and life itself.

Three months ago, I was driving home thinking life couldn't get much better or even much worse. How could it, when everything felt so perfect? Nothing could change that, right?

Fast forward to the other night a couple days ago, and it felt like everything was the complete opposite of perfect. All I could see was how it's all just out of control.

The world feels like it gets crazier by the day. People are arguing and can't see eye to eye because of differing opinions. Relationships are being strained. Seems like every time I blink, a marriage is ending. I've given up on dating because the guys I like never like me. People that I love with my whole heart are tired of living. Everyone around me isn't happy. I'm not happy. And I wish there was something I could do to change that.

I've never really been one to show how I'm feeling. And because of that, things often build and build until I'm collapsing under the pressure of all the emotions from everything at once. Still I don't show it until I'm alone. I have to stay strong for everyone else.

So in between those times when it's all at once, I live in the neutral, gliding through life trying to do enough and be enough. My soul craves big dreams and adventures and a life outside of my comfort zone, but fear stops me every time. It keeps me in neutral.

Fear leads me to question what will people think? I could disappoint someone else by living my own dreams. What if I can't do it as well as I believed? What happens when shifting out of neutral means leaving? I always say how sad I am that people don't go after their dreams, but here I am doing the same thing.

And I've come to the point where I'm pacing back and forth in the kitchen at 12:00 am trying to keep myself from completely falling apart because I thought this year I was finally doing better but now I'm feeling that very thing that held me in my own head all these years and I know I have to do something about it but I just feel so stuck living in this neutral wondering if I'll ever get out.

I don't write this as a cry for pity but rather a space to be honest, after wearing a mask to pretend I'm alright all this time, hoping that maybe if someone reading this feels this way too then they won't feel so alone in it.


The other night I watched a movie that put things into perspective and brought a certain sense of clarity. It's a movie I have seen countless times before but never quite picked up on this. And that's -


I always want to be the best person that I can to everyone, but at what point does it mean giving up on everything I've ever wanted, including my own happiness?
I realize that I need to start making my own decisions despite the fear of all of those things, or continue to live life in neutral.


I've been seeing Psalms 40 talked about a lot online lately. If there's anything you read, let it be verses 1-5.


What comforts and keeps me sane during times of uncertainty is knowing that He has it all under control. He has so much planned for me that I can't even comprehend yet. And I can see it in things that have already happened, like opportunities I couldn't have even thought to ask for but came my way anyways. Things that say "hey, I'm here, I have a plan and you're going to be okay."

I just did a fear vs. faith exercise - writing all of my fears on one side of the page and faith, what I'm capable of on the other side. It's something that I saw on Instagram the other day. I thought my fears would be longer than my faiths, but it turned out the other way around. Because although fear often whispers to my heart, I know the truth. I know that God has a plan. I know who I am. And I know that anything is possible because God can do all things.

So in a life of uncertainty, when fear can easily find its way in, I have to remind myself of these things. Although I love a neutral outfit, I no longer want to continue living life in neutral, but rather a faith filled life that I've always dreamed of. ♡