Dress: Missoni // Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell (old) // Sunglasses: Ray Ban (Saks, old)
Hello Jersey Girl, Texan Heart readers! Today is my birthday and I told everyone I didn’t want to celebrate and I’ve mentioned it plenty of times on here that I’m not looking forward to it, but today I wanted to write a special little post and give a few shout outs to people, places, and memories over of the past 27 years. Today, I’m going to write about 28 things that I am thankful for. If you read my post from last year, I wrote about things I learned in all the years I’ve been alive. So, this year instead of writing about all of these things I’ve learned over the years, (since I’ve already done that once) I want to switch it up this time around.
1. My Parents and brother.
Of course I’m thankful for my parents because well, if it weren’t for the both of them I wouldn’t be alive. They have molded me into the woman that I have become. They set everything up for me in life. They taught me the fundamentals and they also allowed me to make mistakes that I would learn from. My parents disciplined me when I deserved it and they pushed me when I was at the verge of giving up. I probably wouldn’t have went and gotten the education that I have if it wasn’t for my dad’s military style ways. It wasn’t always a good thing because I would rebel, but at least I got the most important things down pat haha! My mom has obviously been my best friend from day 1 and she still continues to be there for me. She knows everything about me and I love that I can feel comfortable enough to talk to her. I’m extremely lucky to be this comfortable with my parents. I hope that when I have my own children they feel comfortable enough to talk to me about their deepest darkest secrets. My parents have always put my brother and I before themselves. They’d rather spend time and money on us, than themselves. I never once had my parents take a vacation on their own, if anything they sent us on vacations. As much as my brother bothers me just like any sibling would, he’s taught me a lot. Even though he is my younger brother, he definitely has his own perspective on life. Plus, he got me out of having a curfew at the age of 25 (my parents were super strict) haha thanks Max.
2. My Boyfriend.
Where do I even start with Joey? First of all we both friend zoned each other for about 10 years before the timing was finally right and we started dating. We’ve been together for almost a year now and I really feel like he is my best friend. I can tell him anything and he won’t judge me. He supports me with any decision I make. He supports this blog 110%. There were a few times where I said I was going to stop and my mom along with Joey kept telling me to keep going because this is my baby. He also stepped up to the plate when my dad had a different job that prevented him from taking my pictures, Joey self taught himself with my camera and started taking pictures for me. He’s talked to me about his dreams and goals in life and I’ve shared mine. I feel like I’m finally comfortable with someone and I know it’s genuine and not just another guy who’s going to be in and out of my life. Ladies, one thing I will say is sometimes if you are feeling like you’re going to be single forever, remember not to settle and find someone who deserves you. I can say from experience it’s definitely worth the wait.
3. My fur children.
Oh Lilly and Kuba. These two are so special to me. Kuba doesn’t live at home anymore, my brother took him to Boston but when he is home he’s such a little cutie. Then there’s Lilly, the monster of the household haha. She’s not really a monster but she is super crazy. These two have taught me how to take care of another living being. I got Kuba for my 18th birthday and Lilly was my “I’m homesick” dog in Texas. Well, when I moved back home she came with, if my parents wouldn’t have allowed her to come I probably would have stayed in Texas because that would ruin her as a dog. You can’t adopt a shelter dog and then bring them back. That’s like adopting a child and bringing them back to the orphanage, you just can’t do that.
4. My friends.
I’ve gotten pretty lucky with the friends I have. I have a small group of friends. I can probably count on one hand how many friends I have. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I would much rather have a few true and genuine friends than a big crowd of people who really won’t be there for you when you need them. Don’t get me wrong I have a lot of friends that I can go out to dinner with or have a girl’s night with, but only few that I will pour my heart out to because I know, what we say in confidence stays there.
5. My Health.
Even after my most recent accident and my health condition I would have to say I’m pretty lucky. I don’t have a chronic illness and I’m not as limited as other people with my health condition. Yes, I’ve been hospitalized but I’m alive and well for the most part. I really did get lucky with my health.
6. My Car.
Not only did this car keep me safe (Volvo is the safest car) but it’s my favorite car to date. I love it more than my first car and thankfully she will be saved. I’m thankful for a car because not only do I love cars and one of my hobbies is car related but there are people my age who can’t afford a car or can’t afford maintenance to keep their car running, or even not being able to buy gas. I’m lucky enough to have the luxury of having a car that I call my own (it’s my first car with no cosigner!).
7. All of the lessons learned.
From life lessons, to lessons in a classroom, I’m thankful for them all. During my years here on this earth I’ve learned quite a few things. I’ve learned from my mistakes and I’ve learned from experiences. I’ve learned from trial and error on certain things.
8. My first dog.
He started my love for dogs. He was like my big brother when I was born. He kept me safe and taught me what it truly means when people say dog is man’s best friend. He allowed me to pretend he was Toto when I wore my Dorothy outfit, even though he was a german shepherd haha. He taught me what it’s like to love something other than another human being.
9. Family in a foreign country.
The next thing on my list will explain this more in detail but I’m truly thankful to have a family in a foreign country. I get to visit them and see the rest of the world. Sure it stinks around the holidays when everyone has a huge family get together and for us sometimes my brother even can’t make it home, but we make due. I think I also cherish my family more since they are overseas because I have only seen them a total of 8 times in my life so all of the memories and moments are truly cherished.
10. Being Multicultural.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud to be an American, but I’m also proud of my Polish roots. I will forever have pride in both countries and I will always consider myself American and Polish. I know two different cultures which is cool, and makes me different. I feel like thanks to both of these I have a lot of history going through my veins.
11. My readers.
Y’all didn’t think I’d forget about you did you? Of course I’m truly thankful for those of you who come to this little space in the cyber world to read about my life, and look at my outfits. I know that there are A LOT of bloggers out there in the world and I’m so thankful that I’m one of them that y’all read. It truly means a lot.
12. My blog.
This blog has seriously changed me for the better. I’ve gotten more confidence that’s for sure. I’ve learned so many new things and I was able to get in touch with my creative side. When you work for the corporate world you tend to get stuck in a routine. You tend to get bored and in my case I get stuck in a rut with my outfits. My blog is my spot to be creative and show off my fashion sense that I very rarely show at work due to dress code. My blog has gotten me to think outside of the box. It has gotten my organizing skills up to par. I mean, everything is organized it’s a big change from the past.
13. My self taught skills.
When I started my blog I knew nothing about photography, I didn’t even know what a DSLR was. I knew photoshop existed (my dad worked in computer graphics for 20+ years) but I could not tell you the first thing about it. Now, after some help from YouTube, trial and error, and when I want to swallow my pride I’ll ask my dad for help, I’ve learned the basics of everything. I still haven’t put my camera in manual mode, it’s still in auto mode but don’t worry, one day it will happen! I edit all of my own pictures now. I still have a lot to learn but I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
14. Brands.
I’m so thankful for all of the brands that I’ve worked with over the past few years of my blogging. I’ve been able to discover so many new brands and purchase items from them along with receiving things for review and it’s been a blast.
15. Blogging Networking.
I met some of my friends thanks to blogging. I’ve also met so many talented people who share the same interests it’s pretty amazing. I’ve been able to set up little blogger events (more like meetups) thanks to blogging and it’s really put my planning skills to test.
16. My good memories.
I’m obviously thankful for all of the good memories I have. I may not talk to some of the people that gave me those good memories but I will forever cherish every laugh and giggle I’ve had, especially the laughs until you cry. Laughs that make you cry and make your abs hurt are THE BEST.
17. My bad memories.
I’m glad that I got to experience some bad memories. I don’t like to go through life regretting things or holding grudges. There are few people that I hold a grudge against. Now that I’m older it’s not even really a grudge, it’s more like I’ve just gotten rid of toxic people that were in my life. At one point they did help me make good memories but they have also left me with bad memories and the difficult decision of just walking away. I’ve also learned from the mistakes I’ve made and I am grateful for that because I won’t make those mistakes again.
18. Texas.
Oh Texas. How I miss you so. Take me to Texas by George Strait has been on repeat lately ever since I uploaded my Fall Lookbook to my YouTube channel, don’t forget to subscribe! I’m so extremely grateful that I was able to experience Texas. I definitely didn’t move there at the right point in my life, but then again, maybe I did. I feel like I needed to just get out even if it was for a few months so that I could experience life elsewhere. I’m glad my parents took me back home with open arms because I’m sure that was hard for them, knowing that I didn’t succeed like I wanted to. Texas also opened up my eyes. When I came back I had a lot of things going on and I was able to start life all over again. I came back and decided things were going to change on my part, and they did for the better.
19. Ex boyfriends.
Ex boyfriends taught me lessons not just because they showed me what I DON’T want, but they also taught me lessons about myself. I learned that I am tough as nails and I won’t go down without a fight. I learned that the morals my parents instilled in my head from a child stayed there throughout my life. I learned that I should have self worth and that I AM WORTH IT. Just because things don’t work out, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. I was single for quite some time before I started dating my current boyfriend and honestly I’m happy I was. I learned that it’s ok to stand on your own. I needed to find myself again before I was able to let anyone else in.
20. Ex friends.
Now, these are some people that I hold grudges against. It’s weird how I don’t hold grudges against ex boyfriends but I do against old friends. Maybe it’s not necessarily a grudge but I’m just hurt when I think about certain situations. There are old friends out there who I will never speak to again, and it’s not because I’m pissed off and want to rip their hair out, no, it’s because I don’t see a point. There are things that cannot be undone and I’m someone who stays loyal to their friends, not everyone is like that. I’m thankful for the good times that I did experience with my old friends, and I’m thankful that they showed me their true colors. It made me realize that I’m a naive person and I see the good in everyone.
21. My life.
I may not live an extravagant life, but I’m happy and thankful for the one I have. I have a roof over my head, food on the table, and shoes on my feet. I may not be driving the Audi R8 (one day) and I may not be where I wanted to be at in life at my age, but I’m happy. I’m happy with where I am. I feel like you are supposed to have things figured out by this age, but maybe it’s ok not to. I wanted to be married with children by the age of 25, and my perspective totally changed once I actually reached 25. Heck, I’m 28 today and I still don’t think I’m ready for children. I haven’t lived life yet.
22. Weekends.
Oh goodness, I know this is dumb, but I’m so happy I get weekends off. When I worked in retail I had the weirdest hours and absolutely no routine. Yes, having a routine sucks sometimes, BUT I love being able to say TGIF and actually mean it. I love not having to work on holidays and Black Friday, which is pretty much doomsday in the retail world. I love weekends because I get to enjoy life on the weekends, I step away from work and go into my own bubble. I spend time with people and fur people I love.
23. Vacations.
I’m sorry but yes I love vacations and am so thankful that I can take them. I wouldn’t be able to function if I didn’t get some time to myself. If anyone from my job reads this, don’t get me wrong I like you but sometimes I really need to just step away and relax.
24. My 5 senses.
Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to have all 5 senses. I can’t imagine life without my 5 senses. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing if someone doesn’t have all 5 senses, but after going my whole life seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling I can’t imagine losing one of those.
25. Coffee and Cheese.
I can’t function without coffee and I just love cheese so much. This is one of the many reasons why the boyfriend and I get along because we both LOVE cheese. It’s seriously the most delicious thing to hit my taste buds.
26. Google.
I didn’t grow up with the internet, I still remember waiting for the dial up tone so I can go on AIM in high school but I google everything. You can find anything on google. I really don’t know how I functioned before without google. I remember having to write reports with a card catalog. Do those even exist anymore?!
27. Giving presents to people.
One thing I love doing is giving gifts. I love surprising people with them and I just love giving them. I’m grateful for the fact that I’m actually able to do this because I know some people can’t even put food on the table and struggle extremely hard.
28. Music.
One thing I truly do love it music. I almost always have music on. If you look at my iTunes you would say I’m a very musically confused person. I listen to almost everything. My boyfriend even says how he’s surprised because I like everything and actually truly enjoy it. Music is a very powerful thing.
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Happy birthday! Your outfit is so cute and those shoes are to die for.
http://dogmomchic.blogspot.com/
Happy birthday! What a great, positive post!
Kim
http://trendkeeper.me .. October Wishlist!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL!! What a great post!! Very wise thinking girl!! I hope your day is spectacular….like YOU!! 😉
Happy birthday!!!! We are only two months apart in age 🙂 I love reading through lists like this, it's so nice to see all of the people and things you grow to love and appreciate over the years!
Brooke
Pumps and Push-Ups
HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYYYY!!!!
~Sara
Great post! Happy birthday!!! 🙂
Jaymie
http://www.jaymieashcraft.com
OK, I only made it to number 8 because I don't have too much time right now (Vivian is calling for me) but I will come back to this post. Happy 28th Birthday Gorgeous Lady. Love that blueish-teal sheath mini dress and those super fun fun fun booties. You look WOW!! Well done!
Happy birthday! I love your 'thankful' list, such a great way to reflect. I also have to shoutout to your dress, which is too cute!
Annessa
http://www.seekingsunshine.com
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Hope you enjoyed it. You have a wonderful list of things that you are thankful for. I try and do this, as I keep a journal, or just every now and then take stock of how lucky I am. I didn't know you had an illness, it seems as you function welland are doing quite well with your health. That is great. I love what you wrote. Love the color of your dress on you too!
Thanks for linking up with Turning Heads Tuesday
jessxx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Aw Happy Birthday Monica. What a lovely and thoughtful post. You included a long list of things to be thankful for that I would not have thought to include. Love your Birthday outfit and ballons.
Thank you for linking up to "Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me"
Rachel xo
Garay Treasures