Happy New Year, my dear readers.

It's crazy to think that Christmas and new years eve have come and gone.

1. Set realistic goals.

It's tempting to create outlandish ideas for how you want your life to change in the next year, and although those are good, it's also beneficial to make goals you can actually succeed in accomplishing. For example, one goal I have this year is to be healthier and have more self-control. Notice I didn't say "go on a crazy diet" or "loose this amount of weight". I just genuinely want to feel more energized day to day and learn how to have self-control (especially when it comes to sweet snacks!!!)

2. Do something you love at least once per week. 

This is an extremely fresh lesson that I have recently learned after graduating college two weeks ago. For years I read books and watched documentaries because I had to for a class, but now I've read two books just because I was intrigued by them. I also recently watched the OJ Simpson vs The People series on Netflix, which satisfied my love for historical events and crime shows :)

3. Learn the true meaning of self care. 

I used to think that self care was putting on a face mask and taking a bath, but after having "me time" doing those things, I never felt any calmer. I'm starting to realize that self care is not just clearing up your skin or taking time for yourself to accomplish all of the "to-dos" on your list. Self care is putting your phone down (or better yet, turning it off) and being present during time with your family. Self care is creating boundaries for when you will be available to post on social media, answer work emails or hang out with others. As a believer, quiet times with the Lord are not only necessary to know God better, it has also become one of my favorite times during the day where I have no distractions and I'm able to take a few deep breaths.

4. Do something that excites or scares you. 

Now when I say scares you, I don't mean go and terrify yourself, I mean like getting your adrenaline pumping or doing something that you wouldn't normally do. In 2017, I went to India for two weeks on a trip with 20 other college-aged girls, I rode on a helicopter and walked on a glacier with my siblings in Alaska and I took my first plane ride alone out to California to visit my friend Linnea. Keep yourself on your toes and do a few special things this year.

I hope that as you close out 2017, you take no regrets with you and that you've made a few discoveries of your own and I hope that your 2018 is filled with excitement and new, amazing memories!


Thank you Kelly Kwong for these gorgeous photos! Kelly was very easy to work with and came prepared with cool ideas for our shoot. I would recommend her for your wedding, graduation or family photos!

Many people often ask me "What does it take to be a blogger?" Well...the greatest answer I can give is time. Blogging is not just me sitting here taking one picture and posting it for likes. Blogging is intense and creative and logistical and time consuming.


I get up at 5 am at least once a week to go do three or four outfits with Angi in the negative degree weather that we often have in Minnesota. We have to work around two work schedules constantly. We have to work around lighting and locations.

If I collaborate with other photographers (like Kelly who did the photos for this post) then we have to find a few hours in a week that work for both of us. Then my photographers have to dedicate time to working on editing my photos, which is time consuming for them.


If I collaborate with a company, then I have to put aside at least two hours to pick and choose outfits from their store and go on their schedule.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it is! Creatives are the new entrepreneurs and we are spending every free minute we have working towards a goal we dream about - being able to blog as a career and be our own bosses.


On top of putting in time for all of that, we also put in time with each other. Going to events and meeting other bloggers, photographers, designers and influencers is fun, but also requires at least one night of our week.


Now I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, in fact I thrive off of this kind of work. I love getting inside the head of my readers. I love trying to figure out what style they like or what content they want to read about. At the end of the day, the pay off (for me) is much greater than the work I put in.

If you are hoping to begin a blog and are confused on where to start, reach out to a local blogger you admire and ask to meet for coffee. Some of the greatest lessons I learned has come from "informational interviews" with female bloggers I look up to.


Also, as I come to the end of 2017, I wanted to say THANK YOU for this incredible year of blogging. I have more than doubled my following this year, have met many incredible women changing the face of fashion in the Twin Cities and I am SO ready to see what 2018 brings!


Thank you Kelly Kwong for these gorgeous photos! Kelly was very easy to work with and came prepared with cool ideas for our shoot. I would recommend her for your wedding, graduation or family photos!

I spent the afternoon at a Christmas fundraising event where you travel to five homes throughout the South Metro that have been decorated for the holidays by local business'. Some people may not be into that, but I love home decor ideas and I love Christmas, so it was right up my alley.


I knew I would be in and out of the car and may have to park farther away, so I wore my lightweight, plain black jacket. It was a bit windy and chilly today, so the jacket provided the perfect coverage.
 

While in Capitola, California, I was inspired by the different pops of color on the buildings  throughout the city and have been trying to integrate color splashes throughout my wardrobe (and Instagram photos) ever since. This Ann Taylor scarf was a perfect addition to the look. It not only added an extra bit of warmth, but the pop of color gave life to the look overall.

I purchased this scarf at an Ann Taylor Factory store, which is not sold online. I did find some similar scarves, that you can see here, here and here.


All images taken by the incredibly talented Angi Klepnev. 
If you're looking for a photographer for your blog shoots, senior pictures, family pictures or wedding, I would highly recommend her. She is very detail oriented and can always find breathtaking locations.