denver vibes

So I moved! It's a bit of a fixer-upper (that's the cute way to say "my place is ghetto", right?) but I am happy. Though it is small, it's all mine and I did it on my own. Loving my little temporary home in Denver.

Happy Birthday to Me

Twenty-one, you were quite the doozy, weren't you!? I'm not going to sugarcoat it, since you didn't sugarcoat very much that you sent my way this year. Okay, except maybe the cake. But that's kinda it. 

This year I want to be intentional. I want to risk my heart for all the things I love. I want to take notice to beginnings over endings. I want to swallow life experiences whole. I'll choose the pain of growth over the pain of staying put. I don't want to take this new life I am gifted with each morning for granted. I don't want to wait until my life is nearly over to realize how lovely its been. 

It's beautiful how much my hopes and dreams have changed in just one years hindsight. So bring it on, 22! I think we are going to get along juuuust fine. 

Hi 2014

"There are years that ask questions, and there are years that answer." -Zora Neale Hurston

2013 was my year of answer.

In joyous expectation, I prayed for the graces, patience and stamina it would take to see through the dreams and goals God had deposited in my mind and on my heart. While in the past I had abstained, this year I devoured. I followed my most intense obsessions mercilessly.

I tried my best to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, to be confident amidst uncertainty. I vowed not to shrink back just because something wasn't easy. I pushed back; I made more room between I can't and I can.

When things became tough, I stopped looking for someone to blame and started looking for something to DO. I mirrored what I admired, reflected on what I desired, and attracted what I expected.

I flirted with life and travelled all around the United States. I breathed in deep the air of new places; San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Newport Beach, Houston, Albuquerque, Omaha, Santa Monica, Connecticut, Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Reno & Mexico.

I focused on how my life felt; not just on how it looks online.

I desired for my heart and my passions to be the most beautiful things about me. I set fire to my old self. She was too busy shopping, gossiping and watching the days go by wondering why she hadn't gotten as far as she would have liked. Oftentimes I wondered, 'Where is the girl that I was last year? And what would she think of me now?'

I am happy with the woman I have become this year, I have worked hard everyday to be her.

twenty-somethings

one

"Some of the most life-shaping decisions you'll make in this time will be about walking away from good-enough, in search of can't-live-without." Shauna Niequist

two

"The moment you feel like you have to prove your worth to someone is the moment to absolutely and utterly walk away." Alysia Harris

three

"There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves. Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you." Steve Maraboli

four

"Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy." 

five

"Experience: the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." C.S Lewis

six

"If anything, the pain of rejection and failure has made me grow much more than if I had won."

seven

"Trade your expectation for appreciation and the world changes instantly" Tony Robbins

eight

"Your are not designed for everyone to like you."

nine

"May the space between where I am and where I want to be inspire me." Tracee Ellis Ross

ten

"Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching...I have been broken, but- I hope- into a better shape." Charles Dickens

eleven

"Had I not created my whole world, I would have certainly have died in other people's." Anais Nin

twelve

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." Steve Jobs

thirteen

"Wanting to leave is enough reason to go."

fourteen

"If it is right, it happens- the main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away." John Steinbeck

fifteen

"Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again." Sarah Ban Breathnach

sixteen

"The same fire that melts wax hardens clay."

seventeen

"A grateful heart starts where my sense of entitlement stops."

eighteen

"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value." Albert Einstein

nineteen

"If it'll keep my heart soft, break my heart every day." Warsan Shire

twenty

"Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now, and now is right on time." 

Hannah Truly HQ

A peek at the new Hannah Truly headquarters- I'm all about neutral colors, but fresh flowers in a summery hue make me smile. I love having my desk near the window for all the pretty natural light that comes in the morning. And speaking of mornings, there is no better way to start them than with a cup of coffee in an inspirational mug, am I right? This one seemed more than fitting for a summer of being my own boss!

Many Thanks

Class of 2013, I owe you a big thank you! What an amazing blessing you all have been in my life. Words can't express my sincere thanks and appreciation. Being a part of your last year of high school has been truly humbling and so exciting! Congratulations on graduation to each one of you- I am so excited to see the great things you accomplish and the happy things you do as you move on to a new chapter in your lives. Keep in touch!