Remembering the Holiday Magic

Now that the last of the holidays are over, things seem to be slowing down and are beginning to feel a tad bit normal again. I still haven't taken down my Christmas decorations yet, but that will come this weekend. To be honest, I'm a bit sad. I love Christmastime and wish it could have lasted just a tad bit longer. However, I cannot complain as I've had a wonderful holiday season jam-packed with almost everything that I wanted to enjoy this season.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the holiday season with you:

If you follow me on Instagram, then you would have seen this hideous creation right after I glued on the very last sequin and was finished pinning on these battery-operated lights. Did I win the contest? No, apparently someone else had an uglier sweater, but at least I can't say that I didn't try!

My mom came down twice in December to spend time with me. The first time, she and I baked up a storm - between the eggnog bread, sugar cookies, chocolate crinkles, thumbprints, and whoopie pies, I'm surely surprised that we even had time to watch Christmas movies or go to my holiday party at work!

During the first weekend she came down, I had her marked as my +1 at my company holiday party. Here is the fancy tulle dress I wore, and us at the party in our fancy makeup. The following day, we enjoyed the Holiday Pops concert at the Seattle Symphony, where we eventually bumped into my boss.

Finally, it wouldn't be Christmas without the beautifully decorated trees! The top-left was at the Puyallup Fairgrounds - where I had attended the Victorian Christmas Festival. The bottom-left is the beautiful tree that beams brightly at Westlake Center in Downtown Seattle. Finally, on the right, my own little Christmas tree, lit with white lights and sparkly butterfly and flower decorations.

Only 355 days left until Christmas 2016! ;-) Until then, I am going to enjoy every last minute leading up to it - including all the days of January left unexplored.

I'm wishing you all the best this year and hope that you have the best and most joyous year yet.

Much love,

Em

Creating Pockets of Adventures

Blessed. This is the perfect word to describe my life. While not everything goes in the direction I hope, nor does it ever happen in the ways I plan, it's mine and I have joy. More often than not, I face obstacles and sometimes rather painful experiences that I find to be overwhelming at times. All the same, I conquer. I have faith in a few things: a higher power, that higher power within me, and in myself. Faith always carries me through and has brought me to where I am.
I think my life to be somewhat average in many ways. I am not poor, but I am not wealthy. I can usually obtain the things I want if I plan for them and budget in most instances. However, I wasn't always affluent enough to afford small luxuries, such as my beloved Starbucks habit or my car. These two things would have exceeded my budget by far if I were 23-years-old again.
Though, one thing that I am wealthy with is ambition. I've always been wealthy with ambition. If I want something, I find a way to m…

I Didn't Know What to Say

This world is full of both wonderful and heartbreaking circumstances that wear us down daily. As a nation, we are mourning another tragedy where violence has torn apart communities and families - and for what purpose? We just don't know.
I didn't write on this yesterday because I didn't know what to say. I've read that it's the deadliest mass shooting in American history. I don't know what's more sad to me: that this deplorable act is something that I feel numb towards given the increasing numbers of shootings and tragedies we are seeing nationally, or the act itself: where some random person unbeknownst to even his own family made a decision that forever altered the lives of millions of people.
The biggest encouragement and consolation I can try to provide is to continue to shine the light into the darkest corners of the world. Whether you emit joy and love, peace or kindness, these are a few ways to impact the world in a positive way that anybody can gi…

Compassion

Months ago, I filmed a video about compassion and empathy. When I downloaded it to my computer, I didn't have the time or the drive to edit and upload it... until today. I re-watched the full 11:37 video and realized that my message was very clear and that it applies just as much to today as it did when I originally filmed it in November.
Compassion. It's something that many people lack - not on purpose, but out of convenience. Out of carelessness. Without a thought. People aren't bad because of it, rather unaware and lacking mindfulness of who is around them and how they may be feeling.
I wanted to share this video as a reminder for people to view other people as humans - as people just like themselves. To have empathy and compassion because you just do not know what another person is going through.

Lovingly yours,
Em

Bellezza di Vita

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