Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! This year, we are spending New Years pretty low-key- I don't think I am going to make it to midnight. I'm pretty tired and haven't felt that great the last couple of days. Tomorrow morning, we are starting the new year off on the right foot, we hired someone to help my husband put up the hardi-board siding. He has been doing so much work on the house that his ankle has been bothering him, so hopefully, he can let this guy do most of the running around and let his ankle heal.

I am leaving you with some photos of the last day of our trip- Amelia Island was an amazing ending to 2014 and I look forward to all of the blessings that 2015 holds for us! Tomorrow, I will be back to share my 2015 goals with all of you- have a good night!

Amelia Island Trip, continued//

After going horseback riding on the beach, we grabbed a coffee and headed to visit Fort Clinch State Park- I really enjoyed the simplicity of the time era. The architecture and scenery were both so amazing, I could not stop taking photos. If you ever visit Amelia Island, make this a stop-it was so worth it!

Venturing Out//

Christmas day we headed out to Amelia Island to get away for a few days. I like venturing out and trying new things even if they are out of my comfort zone and I found the perfect adventure! A place in Amelia Island has horseback riding on the beach called Happy Trails.

It was so breathtaking riding horses on the beach, but my anxiety took over a little bit because I felt so completely out of control. Let's just say I did some praying and was so happy when I made it back without getting hurt. I really wish we had spent a little more time with the horses- they were so sweet. We brought about 8 large apples and cut them in pieces for all of the horses to enjoy after our ride. It was a wonderful experience- my husband enjoyed it so much that he wants to do it again. Such a lovely way to end 2014.

More pictures of our Amelia Island Trip to come tomorrow.. stay tuned//

Merry Christmas!!

Hi lovely readers! I hope that  your Christmas is full of love and spending time with those that you love.  I can't believe tomorrow morning is Christmas Day!! After opening presents in the morning, we will be heading to Amelia Island for a few days to relax. Hope that you have a wonderful Christmas!

Reasons Why I Love and Adore my Husband//

Earlier this year, after my husband and I celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary, I promised that I would do a post about some of the many reasons that I love and adore my husband. Things have been a little crazy this year, but better late than never.

Reasons why I love and adore my husband:

//He makes my coffee every morning and wakes me when it's ready..he always lets me sleep in as long as possible//
//He does the little things- like making sure that I don't forget my iPhone or my umbrella if it's raining..he tells me what the weather is so I know how to dress//
//In the winter- he heats the vehicle and turns my seat heat on because he knows I'm extremely cold natured//
//He opens up the car door for me.
//He is very protective over me-he doesn't like people around me that try to take advantage & hurt me
//He takes me shopping and is always so patient and waits on me.
//He loves me for who I am-unconditionally. He has never tried to change me into someone else.
//He knows that I detest driving, so he drives me around//
//We have an unbreakable physical, mental and emotional connection that I have never had with anyone before in my life. Quite often, we will think the same thing at the same time.
//We have had several people that have tried to break us up over the years and we only grew stronger each time//
//I completely trust my husband with my life and I don't give trust away easily//
//We completely "get" each other.
//My husband is extremely intelligent - intelligence is extremely attractive to me//
//He can do anything around the house- he even made me an art easel because I want to start painting//
//He is strong, he can handle me and he supports me 100%
//There are no words to describe our chemistry for each other..I still get butterflies//
//We like to listen to the same music- when we first met, we connected on our music similarities//
//We have the same silly sense of humor- we like to laugh a lot and tease each other.
//We make a great team- whether it's working on our house, cooking in the kitchen or traveling the world together..
//We both love learning new things and adventure//
//He knows that I love to have photos for memories and he is always patient about taking photos//
//He cares for me- he hates to see me hurt or cry. He understands my deep compassion for all living life & sees the true, soft side of me that most people never get to see. He knows me like no one else does or ever will//
//He understands that I am a very sensitive person and he is always there to support me and listen//
//He lets me be free and doesn't try to cage me- I will always be my own person and not follow what society thinks that I should be or do//
//He is very understanding and knows when I need my quiet time to think and recharge and when I need some love and attention//
//In my sad moments, he is always there to make me laugh//
//He is always thinking about me- whether it's a sale on a handbag or an iPhone accessory that I need- it's the little things for me that really counts- he pays attention to my needs//
//He has always stuck by my side when so many other people just don't try to understand me or take the time to get to know me- I have to connect with someone on a mental & emotional connection//
//We both have extremely high morals and stick by what we believe in//

My husband is my other half- I don't care how cliche it sounds or how the general consensus may be that a person should be complete on their own already. I was lost; not having any direction at age 19, except for going to school where I met my husband and he changed my life for the better. He helped me to become the person that I am today- he has taught me so much about love and living life to the fullest. My husband is a loyal, kind and amazing man- I love him more and more each passing day. I know that God put us together 17 years ago and I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him..

Letting Go//

If you've never watched this video by King & Country "Without You"- you should watch it- for me, it relates to how I felt with losing my Dad and my dog, Roscoe- letting go of those that I love is the most difficult thing that I will ever do in my life//

Today was one of those days- ever have those days when something triggers you and just makes you sad? That's how I felt today- I felt so alone and invisible like I didn't matter really to anyone.. and then I started missing my Dad, and then my dog, Roscoe- they were the two in my life that loved me unconditionally and the hardest for me to let go and I really don't know how to let the sadness go. It's always there deep down, until something triggers it, then I can't stop crying..Sometimes, I have to just cry, release the pain so I don't drown in it...Do you ever completely let go of that kind of pain? I never want to forget them..

It's extremely difficult to cope when you always feel like a piece of your heart is missing- I wish I knew how to completely heal, I hate feeling broken..I am one of those people who has a very difficult time letting go, I just keep holding on, holding on...even when someone's gone or when they no longer treat me kindly. My heart and the love that I have feels too big for this world sometimes//

My heart has been so broken lately, because it recently came to light that several of my siblings really could care less if I existed- I guess I just always hoped that I could have a relationship with my brothers and sisters and that they would learn to finally love and accept me for who I am. I am so envious of sisters who have a close relationship or who look up to their older brothers...I lost my Father over 14 years ago, so when he died, I really needed my older siblings to be there for me and support me..like I have always done for them. Instead, soon after, the family dynamics changed drastically and I found several of them turning on me. I was just so hurt- I cried so much and couldn't figure out how to fix it so that they would love me. I didn't realize that I should never have to prove myself or change who I am so that someone will love me. I guess my lesson for the upcoming new year, is if a person wants to leave you, let them walk away, don't try to beg them to stay, let them go. Letting go of someone you love, even if they are alive, is still a huge loss- it's letting go of what used to be, the good times that you had with that person- like my older sister tucking me in to sleep or my older brother threatening to beat up the boyfriend who was treating me unkindly..it's like a death of what used to be//

So right now, in this moment, even before 2015 arrives- I am releasing this burden from my shoulders- I am letting go of the relationships that no longer exist, the hope of people changing for the better and memories that will never be relived again. I am letting go of the fact that I can't make someone love me or see me for the true me- people are going to believe what they choose to and I will never be able to change their mind. I release it all to God, I am tired of carrying it around with me every day-it's such a heavy burden.  I can't go forward in the future that God has planned for me, if I keep living in the past and what might have been. 

I want to go into 2015 leaving all of this behind me, I am so ready for a new year, a new beginning- I am ready for good things to come into my life, I want to be happy again. I hope that if you have anything that is pulling you down and breaking your heart, that you will let it go today. It's not an easy thing to do, but I believe that things will start looking up once we leave our burdens behind and let God take care of them.

What are you having a hard time letting go of?

Eshakti Dress Review

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Jane from Eshakti about a collaboration and review for a Custom made outfit of my choice. Honestly, I have never had anything custom made before, so I was excited for the opportunity! 

Eshakti offers all of their styles from 0-36- sizing for women, all shapes and sizes! The customization process was very effortless and simple. Basically, you would just measure the waist, hips, arms, back, chest, etc- once they have your measurements and you choose the style of clothing that you like- they custom make everything to fit your measurements. The dress that I am wearing actually had imprinted colorful flowers on the front and I was able to customize it to remove the flowers to make it a more classic dress.  I was also able to add or remove the pockets, but I adore a dress with pockets- genius!

I am very pleased with my experience with Eshakti- as soon as I tried my custom made dress on, I fell in love with it. I don't think I have ever received so many compliments about a dress! I am very excited to do some shopping on their website- they have so many different styles to choose from including dresses, skirts, jackets, etc. I would definitely recommend visiting their website to check out the different styles. You can also visit them on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. 

Eshakti is graciously offering all of my lovely readers a 10% OFF when you use promotional code- mylifebeingrenewed – valid from 12/12/2014 – 01/12/2015. Happy shopping!

*The Eshakti custom made dress was sent to me to review free of charge, however, I was not paid any money to do this product review. Any products that I review are of my own personal opinion and experience.

Life update//

Hello lovely people! It's been a little while since I've blogged- things have been crazy, lots of having fun, working, growing- life pretty much:)

Work has been busy, but good-I've been doing lots of things out of my comfort zone which has helped me with my anxiety. I've learned so much and taken on so much more since I started working at my new job (now almost 2 years) and I love working with my boss- we are a team and he always has my back, which I really appreciate.

House- my husband has almost finished with the entire living room, dining room and kitchen wood flooring. We still need to buy a couch, coffee table and a nice chair for the living room- we have been going to Home Goods almost every week to try to find something that we like. The shower wall tile is now finished, the curved shower curtain rod is now installed and the exterior siding is half-way finished. We have also been doing a lot of yard-cleaning and having bonfires with romantic picnics by the fire- definitely enjoying that part of country living! Things are coming together and I am excited for it to be finished so that we can enjoy!

Self- I have been working on my inner-self a lot lately and I am very happy with the person that I am becoming.  It's only taken me 30-something years to come out of my shell and start loving myself and to begin standing up for myself- now I never want to go back to being that person that I used to be again.

Spiritual- I have been doing lots of praying and getting my relationship back on track with God. I felt like for a couple of months, I got into a negative head-space again and instead of thanking God for the good, I was finding all of the negative in  some situations that I have been going through. I will admit that I have been under extreme stress, but I should have stopped and gave it over to God instead of letting myself get anxious. Honestly, it's just so much easier that way:)

Fun- We have taken some time out from working to watch some movies and we also had fun on Small Business Saturday hitting up all of the local shops in our hometown- we were able to almost finish our Christmas shopping! We also put up our first real Christmas tree in 4 years- it's nice to finally be in our new house having Christmas this year.

I just cannot believe that 2014 is coming to an end in 25 days..it's been an interesting year-lots of trials and a few heartaches and disappointments, but some really great growth came out of it as well. I am excited to see what the new year brings- as long as God is in it, it is bound to be full of amazing things!

Hope that you are all having a lovely weekend!!