Saturday, August 29, 2015

20 Random Facts About Me




You visit my blog, support me & share this journey with me here, so I thought you may want to know a bit more about me. Here are 20 Random Facts to entertain you…



1. Rae is actually my middle name. It wasn't until my twenties that I really started to embrace it.

2. Happiest when I am CREATING or PLANNING something. 

3. Thinks handwritten 'Thank You' notes never go out of style. 

4. Real Housewives junkie. Shout out to Bethenny Frankel

5. Queen of 'TO DO' Lists. 

6. I LOVE WINE. Wine makes me HAPPY. 

7. Knows all the words to The Notorious B.I.G. "Juicy"

8. Music is my therapy. 

9. Secretly wish I could sing and perform on stage. 

10. Fall is my favorite season. Pumpkin EVERYTHING! 

11. Proud supporter of yoga pants & tank tops. 

12. Always have wanted to get a tattoo.

13. The Bigger the better. Hoop earrings that is.

14. Carries at least 3 shades of Lip Gloss at all times. 

15. Favorite Movie: Dirty Dancing 

16. The word Ya'll will always be in my vocabulary. 

17. Naturally a Red head. 

18. Never thought I would actually move to NYC

19. Turning 30 was a game changer for me.

20. Song I most relate to right now is Jessie J- "Masterpiece"



Tell me a random fact about yourself. Comment below. 



XO, Rae

Friday, August 28, 2015

Your Job Shouldn't Define Who You Are





Lately, I dread the question "what do you do?"  It's often the first thing asked when meeting new people. It's only natural to ask someone in effort to get to know them, but it often comes with a reaction based on the answer given. I have never had hesitation in answering to others what my career is until now. I have always had a job and position in which I was excited to share and tell about. But now that I am not working, this question has made me almost cringe when asked. I have yet to quite figure out how to answer this question. 

Not because I am embarrassed but because I want people to know more about me and not just how I pay my bills. It's not like I want to just say well, I quit my high paying job to stay home, write about my life and sketch handbags. Doesn't sound so appealing, right? And honestly most people may not understand it. Especially new people that come into my life. I'm pretty sure my parents and friends are still trying to wrap their minds around it. I feel like no matter how I answer the question, it sounds the same. And my career prior to now almost feels discredited because new people in my life don't know my prior accomplishments.

Let's be honest, when you find out someone isn't working, usually the reaction is negative or envious. You might even make a comment like "oh, must be nice." I'm sure I have been guilty of this myself. Regardless of the reason why, not having a defined job can have a negative connotation. Often we judge others based on what they do for a living. Especially living in New York, career is everything. You walk among movers and shakers on the streets everyday. Most people move here only to take their career to the next level. Don't get me wrong. I have zero regrets about quitting my job. Your job should be what you do, not who you are. For once in my life, I'm not known as "girl who works to much". My job was my life. I barely allowed for anything else to take place because I was always putting work first. And most of the time I wasn't happy.

There is more to me than what I do what for a living. I am a creative, ambitious, loyal to a fault girl who will always want the most out of life. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of failure but I want to know that I at least tried. I am constantly evolving and growing into the person I want to become. Who I am today is not who I was ten years ago or even 10 months ago for that matter. I hope to add 'Successful Entrepreneur' to my next resume!



XO, Rae


Friday, August 21, 2015

Girls Night Out Playlist





HELLO FRIDAY! 

When I lived in Atlanta, I listened to Q100's The Bert Show in the mornings. The cast of the show would often come up with different playlists for all sorts of occasions. I thought it would be fun to create a playlist of my own in honor of GNOAfter a long week, you deserve a night out with the Girls! And since it is FRIDAY and all, seems only fitting to commence a Girls Night. SO CALL YOUR GIRLS, DOWNLOAD THE PLAYLIST AND HIT THE TOWN!



Katy Perry "This Is How We Do"......This is the song that gets you amped up and sets the mood for the night. 


Jessie J "Burnin' Up"......You pour yourself a cocktail.


Beyoncé "Freakum Dress"......You head over to your closet and pick out your outfit for the night.


Justin Timberlake "Damn Girl"......You start getting dressed and feeling a slight buzz. 


Nicki Minaj "The Night Is Still Young".....Your girls are arriving and a dance party ensues in the living room. 


BeyoncĂ© "7/11"......You're  dressed, your girls have arrived and makeup & hair are on fleek.


Taylor Swift "Shake It Off"...... Now everyone has a drink poured, you take some group photos and of course a selfie. This last song plays as you get ready to head out for the night and shake off the week! 


And there you have it, my playlist for Girls Night Out! 


Have a favorite song that gets you amped up for GNO? Comment below. 



CHEERS!



XO, Rae





Check out the Bert Show Facebook page.

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Never Too Late to Choose a New Career






I came across an article on Facebook today shared by the page of What Not to Wear and had to share!

The article was published by MyDomaine.

         



I can completely relate to this article. At the age of 32, I am now seeking a new career after being in the medical field for most of my adult life. I loved being in medical and managing but I  have always felt like there is more out there for me. Being creative in any sense is where my passion lies. Creating my blog has helped me to get that creativity back in my life. I love event planning and have a new passion for designing handbags. Who doesn't love a good handbag?! Ambitious, I know. Life is short and I want to be able to wake up every day and truly be excited about what I do. It shouldn't feel like work so much as it should feel like fulfilling your dreams. I had no idea that these very successful women started their careers later in life. It's inspiring to say the least. If you are also contemplating a new career, I encourage you to read this article. Your thirties are just the beginning.



XO, Rae 






Saturday, August 15, 2015

Last Days of SUMMER





HAPPY SATURDAY! I can't believe Summer is almost over! Feels like it went by so fast. I am definitely enjoying my first Summer here in New York City. And I'm so happy that I have had the time off to actually enjoy it. There is so much to do in this City, it amazes me! I will be sharing MY favorites of Summer things to do in NYC, soon!

I recently spent the day in Long Island at Jones Beach with some friends and went fishing off the piers. I haven't been fishing in years! It was so relaxing and just a fun day out on the water. Sometimes escaping the city for even just a day is nice. We all need a break from the hustle here every once in awhile. Can't wait to share the rest of my Summer adventures with you! Stayed tuned for more up on the blog! 

Enjoy your weekend! GO SOAK up the rest of those SUMMER Days! :) 



XO, Rae

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Topics Women Hide From




As women there are subjects that we tend to avoid being honest about. And sometimes try to avoid all together. Maybe it's for fear of being judged or looked at differently. I think it's often not until someone else is honest about their feelings that we then can admit we feel the same way. Why are we so afraid of being honest with our selves and even more so with each other?


Getting pregnant is one of life's little miracles. Many women base their whole entire life on when they will become a mother. And when it does, they are overwhelmed with joy. Well maybe not for some women. Some women although very much wanting to carry a child do not feel it is the best experience. Not all women actually like being pregnant. Yes, there I said it. I have not been pregnant myself but I have watched several friends go through two completely different experiences when it comes to pregnancy. And it's difficult to see the friends who did not have the greatest experience being pregnant feel shameful for feeling that way. Why can't a woman say that she dreads the part of gaining weight, feels like her body is disowning her, never had anything close to a "glow", admits to drinking more than the recommended coffee amounts, desperately wants to drink a glass of wine and has no urge to breastfeed period. Why is it so frowned upon for a women to speak her truth? You don't hear women who have great pregnancies shy away from telling everyone....and I mean everyone! But the moment a pregnant women even starts to say something that sounds like a negative remark about pregnancy, you can just see the looks of other women judging her. 



Getting married is something you dream about ever since you were a little girl. You grow up playing house and even marry off your Barbie and Ken dolls. Then as you get older, you date different guys and endure one too many heartbreaks. You see relationships for what they sometimes really are. Temporary spaces in your life that you can't control. You begin to realize that maybe marriage is not what you want or believe in anymore. But your afraid to even say it out loud much less tell your closest friends and definetly not your mother. After all they are all married or engaged and would probably tell you that your just going through a phase. Or tell you that you've just dated the wrong guys and not to worry your future husband is out there somewhere. But you know deep down if marriage wasn't in the cards for you, you would probably be just fine. But again we feel this guilt for being brutally honest. And for fear of downplaying our friends marriages and relationships, we simply agree that it's just a phase and your probably just being a little bitter. 


Hold your head high and never let them see you sweat. We are trained since an early age to have our life plan mapped out. College, career, marriage and kids. But what about plan B?  Or even better yet, plan C? Did anyone ever tell you what happens when plan A doesn't fall into place? I didn't think so. So why is that? It's almost as if plan A doesn't go accordingly, than somehow we must have failed in our life. And even worse we would have to admit that we failed if we tried to discuss it with someone else. Not everyone fits into plan A and that's okay. Life is often better lived off script. So what, you didn't go to college or even finish. And maybe your in your thirties just now figuring out what you want to do for your career. And maybe being single is your plan for now so you can travel first before getting married and having kids. What's so wrong with that plan? Your life doesn't have to be like everyone else's or even in the same order. But we fear to admit to each other that we like our plan better and that life sometimes tastes better against the grain. 


You should never apologize for how you feel, who you are as a person or where you stand on certain topics. So often we seek approval from others. But being honest in how you feel may likely make others feel relieved. We also seek other women who are just like us. It's much more comforting and inspiring when you have those who are closest to you share in your same feelings. So next time your faced with these topics, be true to YOU. Make no excuses and remember, you may not be alone. 


XO, Rae