My new home : Kansas City!

So, this post is going to get a little personal...

Kansas City. It's hard to believe this is where I call home, now.

I must admit - before I mention anything else - is that moving away from your hometown (in my case) has been super healthy & rewarding. (However, I do miss you, Chester!!!)

So, this past Christmas - Tyler & I were given the option to move to Kansas City for a WAY better job opportunity (on his part) - but, we had to decide in THREE DAYS.

We had nothing to lose (& being a Pilates Instructor {as much as it hurt to let my current clients go} I could find work anywhere) - so we made the huge leap and moved to Kansas City.

And, wow - it is more beautiful than we ever could imagine. I literally thought Kansas City would be like the Wizard of Oz (farms, dust & nothing sparkly). Holy hell... I was so wrong.

For ALL my friends who are from South Florida - Kansas City is a hidden gem (kinda how Nashville, TN used to be...) - it's like a Palm Beach of the MidWest. Seriously - all my stores are a ONE MILE radius from my house : Lululemon, Trader Joe's, Anthropologie, The Fresh Market, Whole Foods & so much more. Plus, the food here is WAY BETTER. (That will be a whole different post.) And, the homes are right out of magazines & Pinterest. SO BEAUTIFUL.

Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains. Did you know that Kansas City is #2 IN THE WORLD for the most fountains? Do you know who is #1? ROME! Pretty amazing.

So far - all of Spring - Tyler & I have been like 6 year olds on Christmas morning. Every day, there are new flowers blooming & something new that we are finding out about our house.

Another thing that I found really surprising here - EVERYONE IS MORE FIT! I took a barre class the first week I was here and thought I was going to die. And for those of you who know me - I'm a pretty fit person - with my Pilates & long runs. We are dealing with a whole new kind of fitness animal here. And, did I mention everyone here is BEAUTIFUL!? Everyone really takes care of themselves here!

Here are some fun pictures I have captured around my runs:

KC Dogwood!

Beautiful KC Tulips!

One of our parks has an Oriental Theme! Lots of running trails here :)

I will post more soon.

..xox...

Liz

Twenty-Something's

What is it about our twenty-something's? By far, my twenties has been the hardest, craziest & most incredible decade (so far).

Some may have experienced:

Engagements. Weddings. More "Education". "Big Girl" Jobs. Living on your own (not attached to your parents' gas card). And so much more!

I think I can say that most twenty-something's are still looking for that purpose... what you really want to be when you grow up (not the office assistant job you got directly out of college). Or maybe you are doing some soul-searching... why did God put you on this earth?

The best advice I can give you - is do what you love. And more importantly - do what you're good at (you'll probably make more money :: if that's important to you). 

I've learned pretty early that you limit your own self - and the choices you make, prove that. 

I'm scared to make that leap of faith from a corporate job into being "my own business" - but, it's going to be totally worth it. And, I'm almost at the finish line.

I'll leave you with this last thought for tonight ::: don't ever wait - because a year from now, you will wish you have started then. There's never going to be a perfect time. 

Happy Tuesday!

..xox..

Liz

New Year, New You

I cannot be more excited for this new year - not to mention, I am more of an odd number kind of girl! ;)

So, what are your goals and aspirations?

I think the biggest challenge of setting any kind of goal - is making sure you keep the momentum throughout the whole year.

2012 was pretty awesome - I married my soulmate, who is the best man in the entire world. But, what's next for 2013?

I'll share with you:

(1) My husband and I are currently saving for a house - so hopefully, this time next year - we will have our first place together!

(2) As for my career - I will be teaching Pilates full time in a couple of months. I CANNOT WAIT! I'll be teaching at Pilates of Boca East and a brand new studio that just opened in West Palm Beach called Pilates of West Palm Beach!

<<Check out my flyer below!!>>





(3) Another goal of mine is to write down something I am thankful for everyday. I believe that the more thankful and accepting you are of your life - the more things start going your way. This cannot be more true!

I wish you all a happy and healthy new year! Work hard, be thankful & truly believe - and you can achieve whatever you want!

...xox...

Liz

The Seed

My Boss forwarded me an excerpt from the book called The Seed - and I want to share it with you. Read what he sent me below - it will shed some light on those who are struggling in their current career OR who are just getting started.

 

For me - I find it that I want everything in my career RIGHT NOW. I want to already be the "Top Dog". I know it doesn't happen overnight - and reading this helped validate that I am on the right track.

 

Read below:

 

"

1. You are here for a reason and the most important thing you can do in life is to find, live and share your purpose. It’s the one thing in life that truly matters and if you don’t pursue it, everything else is meaningless.

 

2. Follow your passion. It so often leads you to your purpose. You may not know what your passion is right now. That’s ok. The important thing is to make it your life mission to find it, live it and share it. To help find your passion, seek out jobs and experiences that allow you to use your strengths and gifts. Do what energizes you.

 

3. Beware of hobbies. Just because you love spending time on Facebook doesn't mean you would enjoy working for the company. And just because you love to cook doesn't mean you would enjoy owning a restaurant. For example, I owned restaurants but I realized I didn't love the food business. I loved the service and marketing aspect of the business.

 

4. Quit for the right reasons. Don't quit because work is hard or you're experiencing challenges. Quit because in your heart you know there is something else for you to do. Quit because you are not benefitting yourself or the organization you work for. Quit because you are absolutely certain you are no longer supposed to be there.

 

5. Learn from every job and experience. Every job, good or bad, prepares you for the work you were ultimately born to do.

 

6.Your current job may not be your ultimate purpose but it can serve as a vehicle to live and share your purpose.

 

7. Whatever job(s) you take after graduation simply decide to serve. When you serve in small ways you'll get more opportunities to serve in bigger ways.

 

8. Your dream job is likely not the one you dreamed about. So often we end up in amazing careers that have nothing to do with our college degree or childhood dreams.

 

9. The quest for your purpose is not a straight line. It is filled with mystery, signs, obstacles, victories, dead ends, delays and detours. Your job is to stay optimistic and faithful on your quest.

 

10. Don't rush the future. There is a process that seeds must go through in order to become all they are destined to become, and you must go through this same process to become the person you are meant to be and do the work you are meant to do. You may want things to happen NOW but more than likely if you got what you wanted NOW you wouldn't be ready for it. The purpose process prepares you, strengthens you, shapes you and grows you to be successful, not in your time, but in the right time.

 

11. Be the Seed. Seeds surrender themselves to the ground so they can be used for a greater purpose. Wherever you work, decide to plant yourself where you are and allow yourself to be used for a greater purpose. When you plant yourself and make a difference you grow into the person you were born to be and produce a harvest that will benefit others and change the world.

"

 

I hope you got as much out of this as I did! :)

 

...xox...

 

Liz

Power of the Mind

Aside from the fashion, fitness & everything princess - I have something different I would like to share with you in this post.

I forgot where I heard this or even where it came from - but - have you heard about the power of the mind? And believing in something so much... that it actually comes true? I've seen this work miraculously throughout my life. I'm going to share with you two specific instances where this type of thinking has been influential. 

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*Many, many years ago - I believe I was 9 or 10 years old. I remember sitting in the golf cart at a horse show up in Wellington. I was holding onto the reins of my sweet white pony, Mikey, with one hand and a magazine, Sidelines, in the other. I flipped to a picture of a young woman (between the ages of 17-20) who was being recognized in an article for her performance at the North American Junior & Young Rider Championships - which is an International Junior Olympic Competition for young riders.  It's the most prestigious event a Junior Rider can be invited to compete in. I remember specifically telling my trainer, Jane, that I would be competing in that one day. 

Sure enough - it was something I worked hard for, for 8 years. (Not only did I work hard... I obsessed about it.) I did have some luck - to where I was able to sell one horse - to afford another - which then led me to the horse I competed on in Young Riders at 17. Later, I did several Grand Prixs on this horse - before I went off to college. Anyways - the point of this short story is - I believed in something SO MUCH and thought about it whenever I was riding horses - and somehow - with a lot of work - I got there. 

Chester & I

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*Now, this short story may not have a happy ending - but it does show you how you think (whether it's positive or negative) can really affect your life. Recently through this blog, I have shared with you my family's story with my Dad. Well - for as long as I can remember - my Mom has always told me that when I "grow-up" to have a "specific". What she meant by this is - for me to be an independent woman - and to always have my own source of income, so I will never be entirely dependent on a man. My Mom always told me that if "something ever happened to my Dad" that our family/financial situation would be devastated because she didn't have a career. I promise you - that I heard my Mom tell me this 1000x. It was almost as if she was predicting something was going to happen - and sure enough - it did.

In no way am I blaming my Mom for anything! However, I thought it was interesting how she said something so many times for so many years - and it actually came true.  

No real reason for this photo - hehe - but it's Tyler & I!

So, what I am trying to say is - if you believe in something so much - and will do anything to have it. You will achieve it. The power of the mind is incredible.

...xox...

Liz

Today's Inspiration

I must say that I'm huge on quotes and all inspirational sayings. I always look for some kind of inspiration throughout my everyday life - whether it's a quote I see in passing or a phrase I liked while reading a book.

Anyways, I received an email today from my Mom. She does forward me lots of emails - but this one struck a different note with me. So much so - that I wanted to share it with you:

‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked Jesus (John 18: 38).

A new seeming truth asserts itself and those who recognize it as the end of the world as they know it resist and are bitter and hostile.

Those who were sick of the old and want something entirely new are carried away with enthusiasms and passion … and they wish to impose their newly-found truth upon the world.

Both have completely nullified the really creative work at hand.

In the reign of the Holy Spirit – the world of possibilities – blossoms forth and is to be found in the present moment.

In a time of great change, one can be very preoccupied with what is ending or very obsessive with what seems to be beginning.

In either case, one losses touch with the pearl that is in the present with its obscure, but dynamic, possibilities.
 

Truth and goodness are to be found in openness, readiness, attention, courage to face risk … to not know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going … to recognize the possibilities offered by the present moment and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.

Such are the ways of love.

Such is the place in which to remain ... always.

I'm sure each person who reads this will have their own interpretation. However, this is what I took from it:

There are going to be times in your life that require great change - both good and bad. However, we should never lose touch with the present. Because before you know it - that moment will be in the past, too. Also, know that God will never present you with an obstacle that He thinks you can't handle. We need to accept our fate and move forward with courage, faith & hope. Perhaps this fate will bring you to new possibilities - those that wouldn't have been possible without this "big change". 

Don't miss your chance to live in the moment.

...xox...

Liz

Princess Bride

Today marks the one month anniversary of mine & Tyler's wedding. So... I think it's appropriate to share with you some of my favorite photos along with some additional details about the wedding. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Me and my Maid of Honor, Mary Kate (sister)

 

I was married at St. Joan of Arc Church in Boca Raton, FL on January 28th at 2PM. St. Joan holds a special place in my heart because it is where I was baptized and went to school from K-8th grade. 

Colin, Me & Mary Kate

My Amazing Bridesmaids

Kristal & Mary Kate

Saying Our Vows

Family :)

My Uncle Mike walking me down the aisle.

Bridal Party

We did it!!!

I must say that this wedding would not have been possible without the help, love & dedication from so many people. This was truly the best day of my life!

So... what about my flowers, dress, shoes & cake?

My flowers were done by Ron Weeks, who is a florist in Delray Beach, FL. He is a long-time friend of my Aunt Betsy. Let's just say he was more than generous to us - and we really appreciated it. 

My Bouquet :)

My dress, which I am absolutely obsessed with, is a Lazaro. We found it at Boca Bridal about 10 months before the wedding. It was the only dress I tried on - and it was the one I had my heart set on when I first got engaged (back in July 2010). When we went dress shopping, I brought the designer name and number to Boca Bridal and was so surprised that they had it (it was from one of the collections in 2009). Anyways, when I tried it on, I knew it would be perfect... and it was :)

Lazaro Wedding Dress

 

 

 

Believe it or not, I found my shoes online. This is something that I would not normally do - but I found an amazing website that sells only wedding shoes! I highly suggest this website to any bride who has not found their shoes, yet. It's called My Glass Slipper. Perfect... right? Hehe.

Princess Shoes

I don't know about you, but I believe the cake is an important part of the Reception. It's the focal point! So, I knew that the cake needed to scream "us"! Tyler was the one who actually picked it out - but of course, I added the sparkles to it. The flavor of it was vanilla rum (yum yum). And, we got it from Ana Paz - her cakes are spectacular! She's based out of Miami, FL. 

What tied it all together:

This bow was on the back of my Uncle's car - which we rode in to the Reception.

We chose to have a candy bar for our guests. It added the perfect touch to the Reception. I made hot pink bags with mine and Tyler's initials on them (for the guests to put the candy in).

The Reception:

The Reception was at the Gulf Stream Bath & Tennis Club.

Our wedding day was more than perfect. We truly have the best family and friends who gave us unlimited support throughout our entire engagement and our Wedding. 

Tyler and I have been together for 8 years - and we couldn't be happier. I'm excited for our life-long journey together and all that life will bring.

...xox...

Liz