The Joy Pledge

The Joy Pledge~ a dedicated effort to find and choose joy on a regular basis in hopes that sharing it will, in turn, inspire others to choose joy as well

Lately I have been on a "finding happiness" kick. Having suffered from depression and anxiety through most of my teenage years and my early twenties, I am now inspired to change this. Depression and anxiety can be so toxic and harmful. It makes you take for granted everything that is so precious in your life. You focus so much on the negatives and the "what-ifs" that you are missing the here and now! Life is just too damn short to feel miserable all the time!

I saw the Joy Pledge while surfing the Net and just loved the simplicity of it. This is something everyone should do.

How it works:
There are no rules to the joy pledge. This isn’t a weekly or monthly project, or something dedicated solely to photos or solely to words. A joy pledge post stems purely from inspiration. Maybe it’s a photo of a sunset, or a description of a newly mastered yoga pose. It might be a recorded conversation with a stranger, or a picture of the best cupcake you’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling. A joy pledge post exists to share and inspire the art of finding and choosing joy at every available opportunity.
If you choose to take the joy pledge, the same rules (or lack thereof) apply to you. Bonus points will be awarded to those who can find joy in the most uncommon (and perhaps unjoyful) places.

So I am taking the Pledge! Hopefully you do too! :)

The Happiness Project.

I am not really into "self-help" books. I've tried reading them before, but I just couldn't either identify with the author or the solutions to solving problems I found ridiculous.

I was looking on a blog that I follow and she mentioned she was reading "The Happiness Project" and was feeling inspired. I immediately became intrigued. A Happinesss Project? Sounds right up my alley! I would love to be happier! So I looked it up and right away I was impressed!

The Happiness Project was written by Gretchen Rubin. One day while sitting on a bus, she realized life was just passing her by. She was happy. She's married, has two daughters and a successful career. But she felt like she wasn't appreciating her life enough. She wasn't the happiest she could be. So that is what started off her happiness project. I related to her story. I am happily married, have wonderful friends and family, a beautiful house, cute little fur babies, and a good job. But I'm not as happy as I could be. So I decided I want to start my own as well!!
As of right now, I'm only half way what I would like to work on. Once I am finished, I will post it on my blog to share with you. :)

The Happiness Project is pretty simple. It is your own project to take specific steps to boost your happiness! Every one's project will be different and will focus on parts of your life you would like to work on being "happier"  (ex. Work, marriage etc.).

You come up with: Your own resolutions
                             Your own personal "commandments" to follow
                             Keep a one-sentence journal
                             Keep a "list" Journal (if you are a list person, which I am! Hey, it might help me out with new blog entry ideas!)
                             Keep a "Secrets of Adulthood" Journal, which allows yourself to be reminded of what you have learned with time and experience.
                           You can create an inspiration journal with quotes, pictures, anything you find inspiring.
                            

The Website is http://www.thehappinessproject.com . Check it out if you want. It explains what I have mentioned above in more detail.

:)

Mix Tape Monday!

Sorry I haven't written in awhile, I am recovering from the flu.
I thought I would do a simple post today, to let you know that I AM still alive!!

Mix Tape Monday this week is all about LADY GAGA!! I LOVE her!!! She is crazy awesome! She is her own person and doesn't give a shit what people think of her. If you actually listen to her songs and don't pay attention to her crazy get up, she is pretty inspiring! We should all be a little more like Lady Gaga (with the exception of wearing "meat dresses" out to town!).

So here are a few of my favorite Lady Gaga songs!

1. Born This Way

2. Judas

3. Bad Romance

4. Telephone

5. Poker Face! (This song was played at our wedding five times!!)

:)

Favorite Things Wednesday!

1. Quote Tattoos: They just say so much about a person!

2. Revenge Movies: The first half of the movie you feel sick to your stomach, but once you get through that and see karma kick ass it's awesome!!

3. Cover Girl Liqiline Blast- I will never use another eye liner again! It's amazing!

4. True Blood (Books and TV series): Besides Dexter, it has to be the most entertaining show on TV.

5. Wicker Emporium: Since owning our own home, I love it there!

6. Dolce and Gabbana Glasses: I ordered myself a pair this week! Never been so happy to be a "Four Eyes"!

May is bringing back Memories!

Around this time five years ago, a curly haired boy and a very shy girl started dating.

I knew from the very first date, this guy was going to change my life!

We became inseparable!

I knew in a very short time, I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

He is one of the people I can count on to make me laugh, make me smile when all I want to do is cry.

It really doesn't seem that long ago, driving in his Valiant at all hours of the night, telling each other things we never told anyone before.

And it all led up to this....

Love you Aaron! :)

Tattoos....

I find it absolutely fascinating how tattoos are so popular right now. What used to be so taboo has now become  socially acceptable.
Don't get me wrong, there are still alot of people out there that are not fans (my mother included), I just find it interesting that most people from my generation has a tattoo (or multiple).

 One of the questions I am asked by people who don't have a tattoo is"Why"? Why did I decide to put something permanently on my body?

Here's my answer: I believe tattoos are a way of expressing yourself. To me, they are beautiful works of art that are permanently on your body that you chose to be there. They are a reminder of where you have been and how much you have grown.
I have three tattoos. My first is a star on my lower back I got when I was 18. I do not have a picture of it on my computer right now but I will post one eventually. I just love stars! My mom's middle name is "Starr" and a girl had it on a movie I saw a long time ago.
My second one is a tiara on my ankle I got when I was 22 celebrating my new job. I feel that this one describes me perfectly. :) I mean, I DID have a fairy tale/princess wedding after all!

My third one is the word Breathe with three stars by it. I got this a few months ago. I was going through a really hard time and suffering from anxiety. It is to remind myself to take time for myself and just to "BREATHE". The three stars represent three very special people I have lost in my life.

I would like to have one or two more. The way I see it, you only live this life once and if this is something you want to do- go for it! Do your homework, find an artist you trust and a design you love and do it! Life's too short!

Book Tuesday!

Young Adult


Young adult books are not like they used to be. Back when I was a teenager (I make it sound like it was EONS ago)  found that young adult writers wrote like they were writing for idiots! So, I stopped reading young adult and read books by V.C. Andrews (her older stuff) and Dean Koontz.

I admit, what got me back on the young adult band wagon was Twilight, but since then, I have found other books that have definitely beat Twilight to a pulp!

Synopsis:

I Am Not a Serial Killer is the story of John Cleaver, a 15-year-old sociopath who works in a mortuary, dreams about death, and thinks he might be turning into a serial killer. He sets strict rules to keep himself “good” and “normal,” but when a real monster shows up in his town he has to let his dark side out in order to stop it–but without his rules to keep him in check, he might be more dangerous than the monster he’s trying to kill.

This book was AMAZING!! Crazy creepy, and did not see the twist coming what-so-ever!

Synopsis:

This has now become a series and I love it! It's a post-apocalyptic world with zombies!

Synopsis:
Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

If you have not read this book YET, do yourself a favor and pick it up. You'll be glad you did. This book has to be on my Top Ten Books of All Time.