what’s too many #LBDs? asking for a friend.
hellooo february, the month of love! last year i wrote a post on dating tips to celebrate valentine’s/galentine’s day and it was shockingly a huge success. this year i wanted to do something different (of course). and instead i’m bringing the focus back on #1, which is YOU. no amount of dating tips will get you anywhere if you aren’t in love with yourself. sure, some people get lucky in life to meet their soulmate at a fairly decent age, some take a long timeee #ahem. so you’ll be dang sure the man who ends up with me will be beyond exceptional. because i won’t accept anything less. it’s about to get real deep here on JDC. recently i went through a shift in life that took me to another level of self love and greater appreciation for my own journey! ah, gotta love those life experiences/lessons. more after the jump.
PS — this dress is everything. i snagged it for almost $50 #hellobargainshopper and didn’t even care when i’d wear it again, heck i was gonna wear it for this fabulous photo shoot so what gives?! i LOVE the longer sleeves, the mock neck, the classy crochet (never thought i’d use those two words in one sentence) overlay, the length, and the peplum hem. it screams JANNA all over it anddd the look of this dress like one from Self Portrait at a fourth of the price. the only thing is… don’t get this snagged on something or you’re pretty much screwed. :D but hey, if this isn’t your jam, i’ve linked a ton of other options under $100.
currently on my playlist: all of me by John Legend
the last few months i spent a lot of time soul searching. gosh, i learned so much but still such a novice. i started to make some subtle changes in my life that had some HUGE impacts — only in a few months too!! and hey, they’re not gonna be anything new you haven’t heard of all over the internet. but people always talk about self love, anddd um, the next question is great, what does that entail? through some guidance i’ve found what works for me and the results are insane. the amount of people, connections, experiences, and opportunities that have come into my life are CRAZY. i invite you to join me and step into this higher meaning of life. sharing my tidbits in my random thoughts below.
JOURNAL. journal every morning and night. while i’ve heard of this i never actually practiced it. the mind is most clear in the morning, so take time to jot down the things you’re grateful for. start with three. at night before you sleep, reflect on your day — how did a certain person, thing or instance make you feel? heck, it’s your journal write whatever you want. just write though. writing reaffirms the learning process. you’ll become so good at this that you’ll start jotting WAY more than three things in the AM. i even started to write down the things i wanted in my life that i haven’t quite obtained yet. this is a form of “acting as if” and it’s a powerful thing. do this for 30-days straight, until you can start doing it subconsciously in your mind. so i’m that gal who’s getting ready in the AM / driving to work talking to myself about all the things i’m grateful for in my life. call me crazy but it’s a game changer or is it life changer? haha. when you live in a constant state of gratitude, it puts you on a totally different level of existence.
BREATHE. breathing is everything. breathing or any form of meditation helps calm the mind. imagine all the information your brain takes in and processes everyday, YIKES! hate to have that job!! breathing helps clear that clutter, it helps you become more in tune with your intuition so that you can ultimately make the best decisions that align with your true self. close your eyes right now and take three deep breaths, i bet you can already feel some calmness flow through. try it!
AFFIRM. find an affirmation. read it, write it (remember, writing it down reaffirms the learning process), repeat it out loud. heck, get so good at it that you memorize it or write your own affirmation. do it for 30-days straight. affirmations are so powerful because they say it takes 30-days to ingrain something in your mind. essentially, what you’re doing is reprogramming your subconscious mind. there is a whole boatload of information on the subconscious mind but in summary, it controls 95% of your brain, it stores memories, habits, past experiences and retrieves them. its job is to make sure you respond exactly the way you are programmed through past experiences. so CLEARLY it is the the KEY to personal growth. reprogram it with affirmations. start affirming TODAY!
ENERGY. energy is everything and everything is energy (even on a scientific level)! yes, life is full of problems and we always want what we can’t have etc…. but let’s just redirect our focus from our problems and what we don’t have to what we’re grateful for as this is the running theme for this post. try to see the bigger picture. you’ll find yourself vibrating at an energy of love, joy, happiness, and peace. these are some of the highest forms of vibrational energy. AND only in this state will you be open enough to attract, accept, and see all the things/people/connections/opportunities coming into your life. LIKE A MAGNET. because… you attract what you are. period.
TRUST. doing all the above creates a direct relationship with your intuition, that gut feeling. generally speaking, i consider myself an intuitive person by nature. BUT i recently learned i was never completely following it 100%. see, listening to your intuition is good, but the real thing is actually FOLLOWING it through. which most of us fail at because or ego makes us question our intuition. trust your intuition when it FIRST speaks to you. it’s a powerful thing that’s why it only speaks once.
in all instances, all answers and self love come from within. focus on yourself, choose yourself at the end of the day. always always. let go. forgive, learn the lessons. remember, that your value and self worth stands no matter what happens or who walks in and out of your life. sending you all the love & strength on this beautiful journey of stepping into your authentic self xx
dress | Bardot fiona mesh trumpet dress in black (wearing size small) — same from Macy’s // same from Zappos // same from Nordstrom // same from Nordstrom Rack // same from Bloomingdales // same from Lord & Taylor
shoes | Jimmy Choo abel pumps in black patent (old design) — current design // similar
bag | DVF lytton clutch in black quilted leather (old) — similar and a good Bottega dupe
rings | Gorjana amara ring set // Amanda Deer c/o CZ solitaire ring // Amanda Deer c/o CZ accents midi ring
bracelet | Vita Fede mini titan crystal bracelet in gold
lips | Christian Louboutin velvet matte lip color in rouge 001M (FAVE RED) -- similar in a matte liquid
photo credit: Steven Gunter
