When Thinking About Life Remember This

Hello Sweetie. I found this quote today and it really resonated with me.

All of us have to go through our own challenges in this world. We all have to deal with the cards life has dealt us, whether we want to or not, right?

Depending on the situation you are going through, it can be very taxing on not only your emotional health, but your physical health as well.

I can tell you that my divorce was THE HARDEST emotional issue I have gone through in my entire life. This was harder for me than any surgery I have had. . .one of which nearly took my life.

I WAS A MESS!

The strong girl that everyone has looked up to in the past was gone. I couldn't find "Happy Jamie" no matter how hard I tried to find her.

It is amazing what time can do though. Life could rebuild itself and I could build a new future.

I had regret of a failed marriage. I thought I had everything with my hubby. There was guilt that I couldn't make it work. That I couldn't "fix" our marriage (Yes, I'm a fixer of problems.).

I had regret of not trying to seek help for he and I a lot sooner.

Most of all I had regret of not being true to myself and allowing myself to lose who Jamie really was.

What I have learned is that we all must keep our faith, no matter what that means for you.

We must do what is best for ourselves. I'm not giving you an excuse to be selfish and hurt others for your gain, but I'm saying you need to make good decisions that will bring positive outcomes in your life.

Finally I learned that we are so much stronger than we ever give ourselves credit for, and we must NEVER give up.

I was completely broken.

I had my physical form, but I couldn't find ME inside.

I thankfully had a great support system that held me up when I couldn't hold myself up.

One day you find that the clouds do part, the sun starts shining again and your life gets back on track.

Would I change this experience? YES.

Would I have rather not had to go through it? ABSOLUTELY!

Am I proud of the person I have become because of it? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!

Whatever your challenge is, know that you are not alone. No matter how lonely you feel, people DO understand what you are going through.

Remember that things WILL get better, no matter how clouded that future has become in your mind.

Most importantly never look back with regret. Your amazing future is waiting!

Pretty in Pink

Hello Lovely. Today I was feeling particularly Springy with so many flowers in bloom, the birds singing and the weather just absolutely perfect for outdoor activity. It makes me feel like love is truly in the air. . .that could also be because I have the most amazing boyfriend a girl could ask for!

I was very excited this morning to pull out my Everlasting Love Lace Dress from Forever 21. I originally bought this for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with my boyfriend, and just like I have fallen in love with him, I am head over heals for this dress.

I do not like anything too low cut in the front, so for me personally, this rounded neckline is perfect. What you can't see in the picture is that this dress also has a keyhole button closure and cutout in back to give it just a little something extra.

I will never forget the reaction I got when my boyfriend first saw me in this dress. I was coming out of my bedroom and he was waiting in the living room for me to head to our Valentine's Day dinner. When he saw me he paused for a second, got a huge smile on his face and let out this amazing, "WOW!" I was hoping he would like it, and was thrilled to receive such a response from him!

We all need that one dress that makes us feel great. It fits right in all the wrong places, it accentuates our femininity and it gives us that confidence booster that yes "I Look Good Today!"

This is MY I Look Good Today dress. What does yours look like? If you can, post a picture in the comments or tell me all about it below!

Friday Flashback

Happy Friday Beautiful!

This week I returned from a week long vacation to visit family in PA (My home state) for my cousin Kyle's wedding. It was a beautiful day and one that brought so many family members together that I hadn't seen in over 20 years! I always love seeing what everyone is wearing and the decorations at receptions. I absolutely LOVED the centerpieces at their wedding. So elegant, yet very simple.

While I was up in PA, the weather took a drastic change. When I arrived it was gorgeous. . .mid 70s, no humidity; definitely a nice change from the balmy weather this Florida girl is used to. This weather is what I was expecting for mid April and that is how I packed. To my surprise, the weather on Tues of last week dropped to in the 30s and snow. . .SNOW! Yes I have seen snow many times, but is has been nine years since I had seen it. I know for my northern readers you probably think I am crazy being so excited to see snow after you have endured a very brutally cold winter, but I was like a little kid seeing it for the first time.

Fast forwarding to this week, it was full force getting back into the swing of work and of course celebrating my birthday! I cannot express the gratitude I have to everyone for their birthday well wishes. I thought I'd share a few highlights of my special day with you. . .



{A special bday photo sent to me from two of the sweetest girls I know.}

 

{A birthday dinner with my bff. We started with a cheese board: goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola and buffalo}



{To finish off this AMAZING meal was a special brithday cannoli from Ciao Italian Bistro.}

This morning my boyfriend surprised me with many gifts that were meant to bring back memories we have shared together. I loved everything, however I am still in AWE of this this gorgeous hand blown glass bowl!

I would love to hear about your week. What you have been up to? Did anything inparticular make you smile?

A New Year, A New Me

Hello Gorgeous! Remember me?

I know it has been a very long time since my last blog post - last July to be exact. However today, on my 36th birthday, I wanted to hopefully get back in to the blog that brought so many amazing people into my life.

Since we last talked, my life has been a whirlwind of change! As you know I had been married and I shared wiith you many stories of our life together. Well, part of my absence here is due to the fact I was dealing with my divorce. I have to tell you this took me through the darkest time emotionally I have EVER faced in my entire life. I'm sure a lot of you might think that is interesting knowing I live life from a wheelchair and things might not always be "easy" for me. However, no challenge I have ever faced with my disability compared to the heartache I felt making the decision to leave my husband - a man I had been with for 12 years.

As time has moved on, the clowds have parted, the sun has shined through and I swear I am stronger, happier and more couragous now than I have ever been in my entire life. I look back in amazement of how strong the human spirit truly is!

I am of course LOVING my job and the little lives I get to be a part of each and every day. I mean, how could you NOT love these little cuties?

My social life is amazing. I have a wonderful group of friends and the most amazing boyfriend a girl could ask for. I'm excited to tell you all more about him later.

So being that it is my birthday, I have one wish. I hope you will join me once again here at I Look Good Today so we can continue to touch people's lives and bring some sunshine to each other's day!