Return Of The Jedi

I haven't posted in a while. I haven't written in a while, for that matter. And I'm going to tell you why. Why was Grace mysteriously absent for eighty-four years? Was she on a soul searching mission through the continent of Africa with only the linens on her back and a canteen of boiled and purified water? Really, that would be super dope and I wish that was the case. But it sadly is not.

I feel like I've been on a soul searching mission. One that is still ongoing and one that I'm still trying to figure out. Since we last spoke, my spring melted into summer. I got busy with dance and work and stress of the production season, but really, in that time, I was thriving. I had a nice big group of friends from dance including boys that were brought in for production time. We were going out every week to celebrate rehearsals and the start of our new friendships. Though I was stressed with choreography, I was happy. The stress was a good stress. My medicine was working, I was going to therapy. I was so happy. Dance concert happened and our friend group was strong and we lasted into the beginning of the summer. Ugh, it was so good. And then it wasn't.

I got into a car accident on June 25th. My mother's freaking birthday! Happy birthday mom, here's a scary phone call. No one was involved and no one was injured, thank God, but I very well could have been. It was scary. All that I did was dip down into a ditch and then I couldn't get back up onto the road. I hit a sign and the ditch stopped the car from flipping and hitting a telephone pole. The car? Totaled. My summer? Nonexistent. It seemed to stop as soon as I hopped out of the car, my hands shaking and my face rushing with a tingle of adrenaline. I was, for lack of a better term, pissed.

That was when I really started to notice myself lose control. I had been doing so good. So happy. I was going to bed every night excited to wake up the next morning. I wanted to be alive! I was smiling and laughing and pst, can I tell you a secret? I even fell in love. BLEH,
EW. I KNOW, RIGHT?! And that was scary because A) I had never felt that before. B) I couldn't do anything about it  and C) There was no way that anyone could feel that way about me.

I was so in my head. My isolation began again. I felt like since I couldn't get myself places, that I didn't deserve to be there. That no one wanted me there. I deserved to feel this way. I deserved every negative thought that was going through me. My suicidal thoughts started to relapse and I was so lost. Exhausted. Drained. Numb.

A good friend of mine reached out to me in this time of need and invited me to church. I'm very open with the idea of God. I believe there's a something, a someone. I needed to surround myself with people and good energy again. So, I went. Is it cheesy to say that it changed me? Even just a little bit?

It was refreshing. It was good to know that there is always someone to love you. There is always something listening if you are brave enough to speak. There is always something or someone pushing you in the direction that you need to go in. And I loved that. I needed that.
Since then, I've had a lot of questions about religion and my own personal journey through faith and spirituality. It's good to have a group of people that can sit down and answer my questions and guide me through this because I still feel so lost. But we're getting there!

School has started back up, and so has dance. I'm hoping that the routine helps me get back into a better mindset. It's my senior year and the last thing I want to be doing is crying in my bed over how lonely and sad I am. I'm taking classes at the local college, and I was even cast in the Autumn play! Better things are coming. It is just hard to remember sometimes.

XOXO

Spring Up Your Life!

There's a little boutique in the town that I live in called Ophelia. On the corner of the street with marble pillars and big bright windows. Windows with mannequins in little dresses and skirts and pants. It is almost never crowded and always beautiful. And in the window for weeks upon weeks, I stared at this particular dress in the window. I showed my mom when we drove past together, I gawked at it when shopping with a friend. She bought a maroon jumpsuit and I sighed because of my two dollars and that little dress that seemed to taunt me.

So I went back to that boutique on the corner at the beginning of March. I ran to the last dress that I saw, a large LAST CHANCE sign hanging near it. It was a small, and I was so upset! but the lovely girl working that day showed me a mannequin that was in the window who was wearing that dress. She was wearing MY dress, because it was my size and I was way too excited about that. So of course I bought it!

One of my sweet best friends is a pretty stellar photographer, if I do say so myself. So this past Saturday, we decided to go out and about taking pictures in this dress. Don't worry, I got him that free Panera lemonade. We also took photos for an art project, and you just have to know that those turned out amazing!

This dress is figure flattering and so stunning on. The color blocking element of the dress is one of the elements that I love most about it. It is just amazing. Millennial pink pink sleeves, yellow torso, black collar and skirt. And GUESS. WHAT?! The dress ties together in the back in a little bow that, if you ask me, just makes it so much cuter. Why is everything so much better with a bow?!

This dress gives me some Mid-Century Modern vibes. Maybe it's the high collar or the sleeves, or even the shape and fit of the dress. Let's just say that it's all of it combined! I decided to pair the dress with a yellow purse from Old Navy. I also paired it with a pair of nude wedges. They're my mom's and she was in Australia in the time that we took these photos, so SHH don't tell her.

We took a few photos in a local Chocolate shop called Sweetheart Chocolates. And it was just too cute! Small and quaint and it smelled like all things yummy and delicious. We bought the chocolate covered oreos which are personal favorites of mine!

This is seriously the perfect dress for Springtime. I already have planned to wear it for three other events and, like, can those happen now? I just want to live in this dress!

Shoutout to my bestie Ryan for tolerating me, taking pictures of me, and also buying those oreos. And thank you Sweetheart Chocolates for letting us take pictures in your store!

XOXO

FEBRUARY FAVORITES!

PHEW. February. Like, what? Twenty-eight days that I thought would never end. It's the shortest month, yet it felt like the longest! Here, I was still getting back into a routine of work and school and socializing. Which, I'm still working on. I feel like January is always a trial month and then February is REAL. Which, meh. This can either really work in your advantage or not.

February is the month of love and red and hugs and kisses and chocolates and all of the boys that decided to suddenly ghost me! Just kidding, but really(I'm not salty at all). A lot of new things came into my life that I decided to keep around for my own personal enjoyment.

I didn't do January favorites and I almost didn't write my February faves. But like I said, January is not real! It's an illusion! A trial month! February is real, let's get down to business. So here are my February faves!

gif from awesomelytechie.com

The first favorite of mine that I just have to mention is my favorite read of the month. For February, my library does "blind date with a book," where you pick out a book that is covered up based on the little quote written in paper. I picked up "It was a pleasure to burn." I was like oh em gee this is going to be some sappy sweet Rainbow Rowell/ John Green esque ish. But no, it was Fahrenheit 451!

I had been meaning to pick it up and read it for awhile, and it was like fate. Valentine's Day brought us together. It very quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. I just couldn't put it down! Whenever a book does that for me, it's definitely a keeper.


Obviously, I have been quite the fan of red this year. February was no exception. It was deemed as normal to wear red from head to toe, and I was very happy about that.  Lipstick, nail polish. Dresses, flannels, sweaters, t-shirts. I love red! It's romantic and sexy, feminine and elegant. You can be absolutely anything in red.

And you no what else is pretty awesome? My JORD Watch!! So as not to bore you, I'll just leave it at this; BEST. WATCH. EVER. So sleek, stylish, and fun. Goes with everything, makes me feel like the first lady or something. If you're interested in learning more (and you should be!!!) you can check out the full review/giveaway here.

I've also really been in love with Jeffree Star liquid lipsticks this month. Which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, but I mean come on. They last, they're beautiful, and cruelty free! My favorite shade to rock is Nathan from the family collection. 

Still on the topic of makeup, I have a new favorite highlighter. It's hard not to please me in the highlighter department. If it's shiny, I'm buying. Gifted to me by a dear friend (Shout out to you, Jennie), Hippo from ColourPop is seriously EVERYTHING. My skin looks glowy and lit from within. It's almost that silky wet look and omg it's amazing.

Those are just a few of the things that I loved in my February. I would love to hear about your favorite things! Is it an eye shadow, a pair of socks, a soundtrack? Here's to many more favorites in March and beyond.

XOXO

The BEST Women's Watch For Spring Time

**Sponsored by JORD Watches. All opinions are solely my own- That's What Grace Said.**

I've never been a watch girl. Ever. I could never find a watch that suited my personal style, so I just opted to avoid watches all together. Too formal. Too "manly". Too bulky.

And then, JORD Watches waltzed into my life.

Shoutout to my man Tony, who was the one that approached me to send me a JORD watch. As a slow growing blog platform, I check my emails every day just to see if anyone is willing to work with me. And that fateful day that Tony contacted me on behalf of JORD, I was so ecstatic!

Perfect for men and women, JORD has styles, designs and colors for literally anyone and everyone under the sun. Because JORD's watches start at such a reasonable price, you could gift arm candy to any one of your friends and family members, any time of the year.

I picked a watch from the Frankie Series, all decked out in Purpleheart wood *swoon* & Plum. I have to say, I couldn't have picked a better watch! It's the perfect statement piece that is also casual and toned down just enough to rock with absolutely anything. Dresses, leggings, t-shirts, jeans. Dressed up or dressed down.

Since this watch is so effortlessly beautiful, I thought that I would pair it with an effortlessly beautiful outfit, trying to keep the watch at the forefront of the look. The bright pinks and corals of the kimono pair nicely with the plummy pinkness of the Frankie watch.

Against a black bodysuit, a nice pair of jeans, and a necklace to balance out the accessories, this watch is absolutely everything. The floral Kimono really ties everything together, and in my humble opinion, makes the watch pop just that extra bit. Your eye is drawn to that purpleheart wood because it is a simple breath against the chaos of the floral.

I am so so happy with my JORD Watch, and guess what?! You could have the chance to win a $100 gift code to use on JORD's website! Isn't that amazing? The bummer is, only one lucky person will win that code. But all who enter will get a 10% off discount once the giveaway closes, and that is just as sweet. So, what are you waiting for?! Don't you want to spruce up your wardrobe with a new watch?!

You can enter this amazing giveaway here. The giveaway will close 3/18/2018 at 11:59 pm. Both the $100 gift code and the 10% off discount codes will be expire May 6th, 2018.

XOXO

Luxury Wooden Watch