Why I'm a "Crazy Commuter Girl" (For Now)

Hello Lovely Humans!!!!! I hope you have all continued to be, well, lovely. (: I have had a lot going on in my life recently, new opportunities and schedules, new adjustment periods of my life, and honestly I did end up having to put this website on the back burner a little bit. But I am determined now to get it up and running again, and to update you all on what I have been up to. This is what inspired me to make this post, about why I am doing the "crazy" thing, but working a job in New York City at the same time as living all the way in west New Jersey.

Now, I know what you are probably all thinking...New Jersey isn't THAT FAR AWAY from New York. You're right, it isn't! Is an hour and 40 minute bus ride multiple times a week (both ways, so make that almost 4 hours to be exact), a fun time? Not at all. Do people I talk to here look at me like I'm a tiny bit insane. Quite often. But besides the fact that I am definitely quirky in my own ways, working in NYC steadily before having a place to live here may by far be the craziest move I've made yet. But honestly, it really has made me realize SO MANY THINGS so far, and I would like to share them with you today. So here is why I am currently, the "Crazy Commuter Girl", and why I actually in a way...kind of love it.

I have a TINY piece of one of my Life Dreams 

I'm putting Life Dreams in capital letters for a reason! We all have these things we've imagined for ourselves our whole lives, maybe even starting from a young age for some of us. These "Life Dreams" are the places we always imagine ourselves ideally ending up or achievements we imagine ourselves making to live our most fulfilling version of our lives. One of mine has always been living in and having a job in NYC, preferably one of a creative and artistic nature. But I never had any one specific job pin-pointed exactly in my mind. I have a million things I'm passionate about, singing, video blogging, acting, writing, creating art in general....but one thing I always knew was that I just saw myself BEING here. So yes, who knows where my journey will lead me, but for right now I do get to be here. I get to come to the city I've always imagined myself in for work at an actual job, and that little piece of achieving my Life Dream is enough to make the commute and occasional fatigue worth it. 

LIGHT ENERGY TIP: Make a list of your Life Dreams, and start to become aware of which of them you have already achieved, or are coming close to! If you feel you haven't yet, start with a game plan, one time step at a time. Because that's how all good plans work. The tiny steps matter! 

I'm more appreciate of the new exposure to experiences 

I of course was working quite steadily with multiple jobs before I had my first city experience with my internship. The jobs I had at home I cared about and still do, (I'm still a music teacher and give private lessons in New Jersey once a week which I LOVE), but being in a new place has made me more aware of and appreciate of my surroundings. Even when I am reminded of the fact that yes, maybe I am a little overly ambitious and a bit "crazy"to be working here on the regular with no place yet to call home, I wouldn't get to see the sights here, meet the people, and even just hear the sounds. New York is exciting to me, and there is always something new to discover here each day. That isn't something that I find myself stumbling upon very often back in my hometown, being a girl who comes from a very suburban, more "country-style, laid back" hometown. So once again, the access to these new experiences is my second reminder that it's worth it. 

LIGHT ENERGY TIP: Compare your current situations to your situations in the past. What is in your life now that you can be more appreciative of? Look around you and take note of those things, because many times we don't realize right away that they are there. 

For example, if I didn't have my first opportunity to start making my way into the city with my internship, I would have never seen these cute little shops in Union Square, where one day I randomly browsed and met some cool artists and found inspiration. OR I wouldn't have found one of my favorite go to coffee shops in the Union Square area. :) 

By the way, this spot, "Le Cafe Coffee" literally makes the best americano I've had so far in the city. And I've been exploring! Check them out , right in Union Square. 

I know I'm climbing a ladder and I'm in a "hustling" period right now. 

We've ALL been there, lovely humans. We all have periods in our lives where we have to hustle a little bit to get to our goals and what we want. I've been through many. The high school into college period where I was well...hustling to simply make good choices and learn to take care of myself, stand up for myself and be a confident person. The college period where I was hustling to get through school, figure out what I wanted my focus to be, and keep on track until graduation...And trust me, was is the hustle (a full 6 year one!). But because of those past points in my life I know that now is yet another period just like those. Yes, I'm overly tired. Yes, I'm trying to LEARN how the city works and I'm doing it alone. And for someone with no family or close friends who live here...I'm not going to lie, it's a little scary! (More on that later). But I know that every step I've taken has lead to me being here right now. And for whatever reason that was meant to be, and long periods of hard work and struggling to make things work out sometimes are necessary for the big reward in the end. I felt that when I graduated college, and this is just another time where I have to work hard to feel that again. 

LIGHT ENERGY TIP: It's human nature that there are going to be times in your life where life feels "easy breezy" and where life feels like you're hiking up a rocky mountain. When you're going up that mountain...what's on the other side for you? There is something there, and I know this for a fact, because all the periods in our lives when we work hard it's not to stand in one place. Keep climbing that mountain lovely humans, just remember what's potentially over it! 

At first I was scared and excited. Sometimes I'm still scared, but I constantly feel more knowledgable. 

Listen guys, like I mentioned, I do NOT come from a city family or background. The most I have been exposed to that lifestyle was through auditions where usually I had someone come with me because I was too afraid to go alone, or visiting friends who would meet me somewhere. The idea of navigating New York by myself was terrifying because it all just seems...so huge. And in a way, it is! My first day, I actually took a "practice trip" in, to plan exactly what subway I would take and where my internship would be so I didn't get lost. Now, some of you might actually think that's smart. I mean, it wasn't a DUMB idea. It helped a lot! But I was so afraid of making a mistake or something going wrong. The bottom line is, over time it became easier until I was able to travel in a relaxed state of mind, similar to how I traveled from campus to campus when I was studying in college. 

Eventually I got my first paying job which I have now, and I had to learn how to get to a different part of the city. But from my experience using the subway system regularly for my internship prior, I actually didn't feel quite AS scared. My point is, that each little baby step feels scary, but each is actually a little easier than the last. Each gives you at thicker skin, a broader mind and a higher sense of self trust. This is maybe the most important thing I've learned since journey-ing out here...is that life is kind like a constant layering on of evolving and advancing, and the only thing standing in the way of that is FEAR and INSECURITY. That's what I'm trying to stop us all from having with these blogs and videos anyway! 

Where I work now, in Upper East Side, New York. 

LIGHT ENERGY TIP: I'm actually just going to state a fact here, because this is SO IMPORTANT. There is NOTHING you can't do on your own. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Anything you want, you are capable of making happen and strong and smart enough to figure how to do so. 

All in all, I'm tired and over joyed. 

It's always hard to make a major life change. It's draining, nerve wracking, and unpredictable! But the big picture as I always say, is what we really need to keep in mind the most. I'm doing one of the things I've dreamt of since I was a little girl. So even though it isn't always super east and comfortable all the time, I feel so lucky and proud that it's my reality right now. I think going after your crazy dreams is more worth all of the ups and downs in the long run, rather than making a safe and comfortable choice that isn't what you REALLY want. So ask yourselves lovely humans....what DO you want for your life? Do you have even the smallest inkling of an idea? If so....what's stopping you? Who is stopping you? No one, but yourself. 

Stay lovely,

Kelly

:) 

Some highlights of my city journey so far.....

Here I am on my second day going into my internship. I was so excited and definitely got overly dressed up the first two days. That was...before the fatigue maybe?

This day I explored a bit after my internship, and got lost in Union Square. I was EXTREMELY exhausted on this day. It was honestly pretty bad. I just kept walking because I missed walking around listening to music, and pretty soon I didn't realize how far I actually ended up going. So I had to re-trace my steps and go all the way backwards. I did however stumble into this cute pop-up shop and bought some lip balm and a new lipstick spontaneously since my lips were really dry.  Then my day ended by getting gloriously "pranked" by some guy running around with a microphone screaming in people's faces with his friend filming it, obviously probably for some viral video type of project. Who knows, but hey, "Welcome to New York" I guess. 

One of the last weeks of my internship, and just about to start my new job! I was more comfortable at this point and feeling less nervous excited but more adjusted to the city commute and the subway system. Until next time loves!!!! 

How to end your day in a "Light Mindset", Everyday!

Hello lovely humans! 

So this week's blog is going to be really awesome I hope for some of you who are looking for some guidance on this particular topic. After a long day during the work week, sometimes we get so caught up in our own stress that we end up having a worse night mentally and emotionally than we really need to have. Trust me, this has happened to me more times than you know. The negative energies that sometimes cloud our minds and try to dictate how our days play out tend to take over quite easily if something stressful happened or if our energies in general are low. But we all have the ABILITY by using activities that reset our mindset in a sense, to FIGHT these negative energies. It's honestly a pretty amazing thing! So I am going to share with you simple steps that work for me all the time when I feel tempted to let my afternoon and night-time experience take a negative turn due to life's unpredictable events. So here is what works for me, and hopefully will work for you too! 

 Do something that makes you feel accomplished, and do that FIRST. 

After a hectic day, it's definitely a struggle to want to continue to work hard and be productive. But, accomplishing personal goals stimulates our minds to feel good about ourselves and active, and it's better to be active before we start to wind down for the day and feel relaxed. Just letting ourselves feel rewarded for making a small accomplishment is enough to boost our light energy and remind ourselves that we are special and capable despite our stress level. So accomplish something small! DON'T over-do it, though and this is key. If you are reading a book, finish that chapter. Do that work out even if you initially feel low energy and don't want to. Work a little bit on that assignment that's due. You don't have to fully finish a task, but do something to at least make you feel that sense of accomplishment, even the smallest accomplishment counts! For me, I usually work on editing my videos and blogging, of course. 

Do something silly! 

What is better for fighting off negative energy than accessing our silly, carefree, child-like parts of our souls? We all have them, but in times of stress they can almost be locked away in our minds and temporarily forgotten. The keyword here is temporary! The best way to access them is to give ourselves permission to be silly. Dance around to a song you like even if you aren't a good dancer! I don't know, play with some goofy snap chat filters. Watch a funny show. Or have a photoshoot with your dog and reenact the opening of the Lion King....you know, stuff like that. Guys, I'm very strange. But I find ways to entertain myself and the easiest way to access your light energy and start fighting off those negative vibes is to give yourself permission to let down your walls, and simply not care for awhile! So go have fun, my lovely friends, and play a little! 

Do a project, get creative with your surroundings. 

Reorganizing your personal space or changing your surroundings can do SO MUCH for resetting your mindset. When things feel "same old, same old", you can start to feel negative about your surroundings and therefore your life without even realizing it. I always find that brainstorming creative ways to improve my living space helps me feel refreshed, inspired and just in general giddy. It also once again, enforces a sense of accomplishment! So re-organize your room or apartment. Draw a picture and hang it on the wall. Even just cleaning your room up a little bit can make a difference, and help you feel like you have a fresh start, even if it isn't a new day yet. I had the most fun ever hanging up pictures on my wall from my old house I lived in at college in my current room, and hanging up these twinkle lights I bought. I also re-organized my entire bookshelf and got rid of the stuff I never use anymore. Seriously maybe I had a little bit too much fun, but I will tell you guys that every time I turn these lights on I kind of do a little happy dance. Do something new to make you feel refreshed and just in general...happy! 

RELAX. Treat yourself you lovely human being! 

YOU DESERVE to feel relaxed and rejuvenated after a long day. I don't usually take bubble baths, but I chose to recently and trust me I did NOT regret it. (Lavender is extremely soothing at the end of a long day by the way, and helps you get into that sleepy mindset which is great for me considering I'm a major insomniac.) But anyway, do something super duper ultra relaxing that maybe you have never done for yourself in the past! There is nothing wrong with pampering yourself when it comes to relaxing the mind, body and spirit. We tend to always think that we need some kind of special occasion in order to pamper ourselves, but when it comes to taking a hot bath, a nice long shower, sitting under a heated blanket, listening to soothing music, you name it, we can do that every night if we want to! I haven't taken a bubble bath in a long time and I felt so refreshed and almost a little bit "little kid silly" afterwards, because it was just nice! It was nice to have "me" time, and just time to sit there and think in an extremely relaxed and private setting. We don't give ourselves permission to have that kind of relaxation on a weekly basis all the time, and it's something that could really improve our moods and mindset and it's also not something we need to earn. It's something we always deserve! 

Do Something deeply rooted in your Soul. 

At the end of the day, after you've done your relaxing and pampering activity, gotten your projects done, had some fun and followed all of these steps, end the day by doing something true to you. Do something that you LOVE, that always has and always will make you happy as a person. (Now if that is intense exercise or something active, obviously maybe choose a slightly less active passion to choose to wind down the night with), but make sure that you do this activity when you are in a relaxed state of mind, your light energy has already been heightened due to all of the previous steps you've completed, and you don't have anything else stressful to worry about for the remainder of the night. Only you know in your heart and soul what makes you feel happy, comfortable, inspired and simply well, true to who YOU are and what your heart beats for! If you don't know right away what that is, I guarantee if you take a few minutes to sit there and think about it, that it will come to you. I end each of my days meditating before bed. It depends on the night how deep I go. Sometimes I do an intense chanting mediation, other nights I want to be a bit more physical and do something more yoga and movement based, and some nights I just want to be a "sleepyhead" and I focus on guided bed-time meditation. Either way, spirituality, imagination and energies has always been something I felt deeply passionate about, affected by and drawn to. So figure out what that thing is for you, and end your day doing it! You can read, you can write music, you can play music, you can draw, even cook, write down your thoughts, do some research on a favorite subject, talk to a significant other, I can go on and on. But I can't tell YOU what your soul activity is, only you can do that! And I believe in you that you can figure it out! :) 

So those are my steps to fighting off all the negativity and ending each day in a place of light! I really hope that by sharing what honestly has saved my life many times, and I'm not really exaggerating, can resonate with and help some of you if you ever feel stuck in a negative pattern that you feel that you can't get out of. Trust me loves, you ALWAYS can. Take is from me. A simple change of routine, types of activities chosen, and therefore rewiring of the mind with no more effort than choosing to light up the soul a bit, can BREAK that pattern. It's that simple, it's that good for you and honestly....it's that fun! 

Stay Lovely,

Kelly 

:) 

I hosted my first Bunco Party in my 20's and loved it!

Hello lovely humans! 

So this week's post will be about something honestly I never thought I would be getting myself into....and that is, the experience of joining my Mom's Bunco league. Now for anyone not familiar with what Bunco is, I'll explain briefly because it's really quite simple. It's a dice game where you roll three dice, and rotate between 3 different tables, and it's really very simple and doesn't involve much intense concentration. Now I'm sure you're thinking, "Wow Kelly, that was a quite underwhelming example. Why am I reading this?" However, the reason for this is because Bunco isn't just a game, but actually a bit more of a social event. My mom has been on the league with these women since I was a child, and I always remember whenever she would host Bunco at our house, it was almost like having a mini party. It really is a cute and fun activity, and since I reached around age 16 or 17, I started occasionally playing the game as a substitute in place of any of the women who couldn't make it. I always enjoyed myself despite the fact that most of the women on the league were my mom's age or older, and finally after subbing another time last month, I decided to join officially. So this past Tuesday was my first time ever hosting my own Bunco! I want to share some things that the experience has taught me, but also just make this "Bunco themed" post because I had a great time and want to savor and share the memories! So here are the highlights of my first Bunco party.

I got creative. I LOVE planning parties, so I had to decide on a theme. 

I especially love themed parties. Since my first Bunco would be for the month of July, I decided to go with a patriotic "4th of July" theme. Now I know it is nowhere near July 4th, but I wanted to do something summer-y (is that a word? Maybe?) but also festive and appropriate for a party so hence the theme was born! So I decided to plan all of the food and drinks under this theme, as well as plates and utensils. If it is your month to host Bunco at your house, it is up to the hostess to provide food and drinks, and usually some kind of a dessert (more on all of those later). But of course, as some of you may know I'm in general a pretty festive person, I like to go all out sometimes, so naturally I wore this rather loud and some may argue obnoxious but I think it's adorable and super comfy, star dress from none other than Target (come on they seriously have the cutest stuff sometimes!)

And yes....I also did matching blue eye make up. I'm a nerd, I know, I know. But this make-up is so fun. It's from the Unicorn Glow line put out by Wet n Wild (the eye shadow is "Unicorn Wishes" and the highlighter is "Unicorn Glow", which I purchased as a birthday gift for myself because, unicorns, obviously. )Anyway, I will continue with the Bunco experience, but if any of you are interested I'll post the link here for the make up kit. The eye shadows are super sparkly, almost like actual diamonds on your face it's insane, and I've been obsessed with the highlighters. Anyway, moving on, stop gushing over cute and pretty things as always Kelly, proceed.

Unicorn Glow Line

I learned a lot about being responsible for satisfying guests. 

So naturally, I had to come up with food and drinks to serve. The hostess usually provides anything from small appetizers to actual cooked meals, and sometimes even just casual chips and snack foods. I wanted to stay within my patriotic theme, but also cook some original things as well since cooking is something I love and feel passionate about. My original hummus recipes are my favorite things to make, so clearly a hummus was on the menu, and also my stuffed mushrooms are usually a pretty big hit at parties. So naturally those two appetizers were my immediate ideas. However, as someone who is big into vegetables and occasional fish (I'm a Pescetarian but basically I might as well be Vegetarian), I do realize that not everyone is down with all the veggies. So this challenged me to think outside of the box, because my job as a hostess was to make sure the women had a nice time and a variety of options to choose from. So going along with my July theme, I thought of doing pigs in a blanket, because 4th of July, grilling, yeah. You know what I'm getting at. Also, as one last appetizer, I figured I would ask my Dad if he wouldn't mind helping out and making his famous "Texas Salsa". This stuff, which my sister and I have been eating every summer for years....is basically addicting. It's also bright and summery (that is now a word, I've decided) and fresh, so it fit into the theme perfectly! It was the biggest hit out of the appetizers. I wasn't surprised. If anything, I learned that even though I have specific tastes, not everyone's is the same as mine, and that's okay! The goal was to make others happy, and I pulled that off. Hey, they did like my mushrooms too though!

Pina Coladas are pretty popular...

Now drink wise, my Mom actually, and I give her full credit for this, came up with the cutest idea ever. Since I mentioned the July 4th theme, she came up with the drink idea of making Pina Coladas, but garnished with freshly cut strawberries and blueberries, which in my opinion is extremely summer themed. (And color wise...fits the theme as well. I wonder why...hm....yeah it's obvious moving on.) But they were a HUGE hit, and ended up making the party a lot more fun for the ladies. I myself don't really enjoy hard liquor anymore to be honest, it's not my thing. But I enjoyed serving it for sure. For anyone who is curious, the recipe is super easy:

Kelly's "4th of July" Pina Colada (That name sucked. Wow, not good at drink names.) 

one shot of Malibu Rum

one shot of White Rum (We used Captain Morgan.) 

5 oz of Pina Colada mix 

16 oz of ice

Blend it up, and then pour, and garnish with thinly sliced strawberries and just some blueberries you can sprinkle on top. It was a super fun and cute drink to make, and I will not lie and say I wasn't even mildly entertained by how much fun everyone was having.... if you know what I mean. (It was more than mildly.) Thanks, Mom.

I stayed true to "me" but also kept my mind on everyone else. 

Now when I said above in this article that I love planning parties...I do! But, I haven't really planned entire parties, (besides my graduation party, which I planned decor and food wise voluntarily everyone, trust me it was my choice), until this one. The pressure did feel also slightly on, because these women have been hosting these parties and playing this game for over 25 years. I'm serious, that's what they said. Twenty. Five. Years. Now I had a small feeling that they would go slightly easy on me since I am my mother's daughter and also since they knew that it would be my first Bunco. But one of the biggest events of Bunco, is the prizes at the end of the night. Yes, that is correct lovely humans, there are PRIZES. (Don't you all want to play Bunco with your mom and her friends now? Probably not, ANYWAY), it was up to me to choose first prize, second, prize, travelers, most wins, etc. I won't go into detail about what each of the prizes mean because that isn't the point of this post honestly, it's more about the experience and not the rules behind Bunco. But regardless, I was given a list, a certain budget, (That is the Bunco leagues' budget, so it's basically leant to the hostess and then  returned), and a number of gifts to find for the prices on the list. Now these prices aren't insane. First prize is anywhere from $15-$20, so I'm sure you are catching on that these prizes are in the "cute, little fun things" category. That category happens to be right up my alley. I have never typed this sentence before, but there is a first time for everything I guess..... I went HAM at the Hallmark store. Yeah. I literally found everything I needed there. It worked out perfectly. In choosing the gifts though, I stayed true aesthetically to what I found appealing and also useful and cute, but I also kept in mind the women's possible reactions as well. So the gifts ended up being very "Kelly" but also very "Anyone else!" Which is the point. I think it's very important to stay true to who you are and not change for anyone. However, if you are doing something for the benefit of others though, you have to expand your mind and imagination a little bit, and that was something new that I learned. 

Also, yeah look at this final presentation of the gifts. I mean come on now. I was proud of myself guys. (Also, okay we aren't all super heroes here and can't see through the bags so I'll just tell you guys right now what was in them because...I mean I don't know if I was reading this and I just read that entire paragraph about the importance of picking out gifts for Bunco, I would want to know too.) 

The best prize was a beautifully hand-painted wine glass, then were two really cute summer themed bowls with cute pictures on them of orange peels and peaches, then a really nice ocean scented flicker candle with a seashell decoration hanging off of it, these cute pineapple wine glass toppers in rainbow colors and a Starbucks gift-card.

Anyway, 

It was super fun watching everyone open up their gifts all of the ladies loved them and my Mom actually ended up winning the Starbucks gift card which each day I am tempted to steal. Just kidding. 

Usually at the end of Bunco, the women tally up who won what prize in each category, and then they all eat dessert and drink coffee and chat. I'm more of a "cook" than a "baker" so my mom actually ended up making this Pineapple Upside Down Cake that she used to make for every Bunco in the past. That was kind of nostalgic for me honestly, because it's definitely been awhile and it brought back memories. 

I did this to bond more with my Mom, and also surprisingly everyone else! 

To recap this whole experience, the biggest thing I learned from hosting my first Bunco party, was that I shouldn't have felt even slightly hesitant for getting involved at all. My mom has been playing in this League for years, since I was a little kid, and now that I'm an adult and I can enjoy the same kind of experience and also I've grown to love cooking and party planning and just in general giving people things to make them happy, I shouldn't have felt weird about joining and being the youngest one. I was surrounded by friends and loved ones, because I brought in some "substitute" players of my own, and over all it was an awesome night and everyone had a great time. But most of all, I know my Mom is so happy that I joined. This is something that I can enjoy with her, and it's an activity we can enjoy once a month together as mother an daughter. Yeah, it's kind of corny, and yeah, as of right now I am the only person on the league in her 20's, but do I care? Not really! Not anymore. Because it was a fun, silly, heart-warming and over all cool experience. That's right guys, I said it, "cool". Bunco is cool. 

Stay Lovely, 

Kelly 

:) 

Nature Adventure!

Hello lovely humans!

 It has officially begun! I am so excited to start making this blog something special, especially with this first post being about something so near and dear to my soul: nature. Today I went on a spontaneous adventure to Merrill Creek with my sister. I haven't been there in so long, it felt amazing to go back. Being somewhere beautiful where you can explore with someone you love is like no other feeling in the world. It's so healthy for the soul to get to experience memories like this, and it's human "nature" (heh, heh. Get it? Wow, I'm terrible) to be attracted to nature. It just makes us all happier, and I'm sure many of you have felt the same way in the past. So here are some key things that I noticed and learned on my little adventure with my sister. 

I was re-rooted and reminded of my strong connection to Nature. 

This sunlit path is the perfect example honestly of how nature has always affected me emotionally and spiritually, ever since I was a young child. Whenever I would feel discouraged or lost or alone, something about looking up at the moon on a clear night, or feeling the sun soak into my skin, or feeling the sensation of the wind blowing through my hair, would re-charge me and re-inspire me to continue believing, being optimistic and thriving. I consider myself lucky, the fact that I am able to feel this way about nature. It feels like a gift that I can hold onto and cherish whenever I need it. 

Being mindful ended up being helpful! 

I really wanted my goal to be to stay in the moment as often and consistently as possible during this experience. Many times, it's so easy to get lost in our own heads due to the stress of life, and trust me, that happens to me often. But I wanted to simply focus on and appreciate my surroundings, and being with my sister. Erin and I had lots of fun exploring and wandering around. We saw some pretty cool areas, and interesting landmarks. Choosing to be mindful and curious, sort of as a young child would, is something that is hard for many adults. But when you look at life really with a sense of wonder and appreciation for what is right in front of you, you really do notice things that we tend to miss as we grow up. I was very successful at staying mindful during this adventure!  I thought this tree looked pretty dope and snapped this picture. Funnily enough, it actually ended up saving us a little bit at the end of the day! Erin and I actually did end up getting a little lost, (more on that later!), and once we saw this tree, we were sure that we were walking back in the right direction. If I wasn't mindful and appreciative of the moment, I wouldn't have even noticed it! 

I was reminded of how grateful I am to have my sister. 

 

Another reason why nature is so important, is that it always can give you amazing memories with the people you love. My sister is my best friend, and I am always grateful to have her in my life. But getting a little lost together, visiting a familiar place that we have always enjoyed going to and exploring NEW parts of that place, made me remember how much fun it is to just be with her. And it always makes you feel better just to remember the love that you have in your life, whether it be family, friends, pets or even just passions. I definitely should have worn sneakers, but insisted to wear my signature flip flops like the sometimes stubborn person I am, and Erin made fun of me when I regretted it (We always make fun of each other it's kind of our relationship. But trust me, she was right. Wearing flip flops to Merrill Creek is definitely not a good idea. Lots of bug bites were involved.) Even though we did get lots, and ended up on a super long trail by accident, it was the inside jokes and exploring that made it fun and worth it. 

I felt like little "Alice in Wonderland Kelly" again and it was wonderful 

What is "Little Alice in Wonderland Kelly", I am sure you are wondering. When I was a child, I just always felt connected to her and like I WAS her at times (Curious and curiouser....).I used to explore in my backyard all the time as a kid, and my imagination was always extremely vivid. I still connect to that part of my life and the youthful part of my soul, (which is why I like to draw cartoons and create characters), and more so than anywhere else I feel that my imagination can explore the most successfully in nature. I don't believe that you are ever too old to see the magic in the world around you. I felt myself swept away by the beauty of it all many times, and over all I was just having fun exploring. Erin and I even stumbled upon this baby bunny, which let us walk so closely up to it. Some real "Alice in Wonderland" happenings were happening, for sure. And yes, I did make a wish on that dandelion flower like a 5 year old, it's just how I do, my loves. (I'm definitely the coolest. That was sarcasm.) 

The experience helped me remember that things aren't that bad. 

The most important thing that I learned from this experience, was that nature is healing. It can change the entire way you think about things, just by spending some time in it. On this particular day, I was feeling down and discouraged about things. I almost didn't want to even go to Merrill Creek because I was stressed and tired, but I went anyway and I'm so glad that I did. Just feeling so small compared to the huge world around me, and hearing the calm and quiet that comes with being in nature (well aside, from the birds and the bug noises, but those were equally as calming), helped me realize that life isn't so bad. It may be stressful, it may be hard to find out exactly what you want to be, what path you want to take in life, and where to go next, but one thing that we will all always have is this Earth. We are all lucky enough to live on such a beautiful planet. This planet is magical if you take the time to acknowledge that! I had a moment where I just sat by the water and talked with my sister, as we reflected on our lives and where they've lead so far, and it was exactly what I needed. It's a memory that will always stay with me, especially when I re-visit the same spot that we sat, which I definitely plan on doing. All you need sometimes is a little quiet, a little adventure, a little bit of nature and the company of someone you love. 

Stay lovely, lovely humans :) 

Kelly 

The Beginning of Whatever this Becomes....

Well, I mean, I see no other way to say it. So I would say that the title above is appropriate. Regardless, I guess I'll start with my signature greeting (At least I have that figured out! )

Hello Lovely Humans! And welcome to my website and blog! 

The picture above, of that giant dork, is me (what a surprise! You probably thought it was some random other girl, why would it the the writer of this blog? How absurd! Okay, I'm done), and clearly it isn't the most flattering or professional looking picture. But I chose to post it for a reason, hear me out. I see the start of this blog and this project as the start of a new journey for me, and a new chapter of my life. So on this night a few weeks ago when I took this picture, I was up until around 2 am, sitting on my lap top buzzing with inspiration and excitement because for the first time in a long time I felt like I was beginning to understand the big picture and what I wanted to do with my life, over all. 

I'm an actress and a singer and song writer. I've dabbled in all areas of the arts from musical theatre to classical singing, to television and film acting and stage acting. I graduated from college this past January with a degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Music, I moved back home. And then, I sat. I sat and I wondered, well, "What now?" Yes, I am actively pursuing performance art and what I love. I take acting classes and am always working on my craft, and I started writing music again and am finally in touch with that part of my life for the first time in awhile. If anything, after being in college for a good five and a half years, I've realized that then I didn't really much time to focus on my art and now for the first time a long time, I had all the time in the world.

So, I began to think. I began to research, and think and research some more. About three years ago I started a project called "Kelly True Thoughts". Since I've been through high school all the way through college I have noticed many changes in myself as a person, and the way that I see life, the people around me, and my choices. As I always say, I see myself as an eternal optimist, and always have, and even in my darkest of times, I have been able to hold on to this little light inside of me that never let myself fully give up or refuse to find the bright side. So in this project, I started making YouTube videos and a Facebook page where I would talk about my experiences and how I grew and learned from them. Over the years, I had a few people share with me that I have been able to help them, and that was the most amazing feeling that I ever experienced. 

So having all of this post college time on my hands, I began to at one point feel a bit stuck and lost. I felt scared, uninspired and afraid for my future. I felt like I had a million things I wanted, but no firm grasp on any of them. I felt like I was still doing what I have always been doing, "dreaming" and not "doing". Yes I was actively pursuing my dreams with acting and singing by writing and going to class and going on auditions, but I still felt like I wanted to be doing something more. That's when I realized that I needed to get in more of a business mindset, and get serious about this project, which is definitely my passion project. 

My goal is to spread sunshine to others who made need it but also just others in general, through the best ways that I know how. These ways are communicating my thoughts and ideas through words, music, and the thing that lights me up and since I was young and even still today, my wildly active imagination. I realize that I want to take other people to a different world, one that will make them smile and feel connected with their inner "child-like" wonder, because we all have it inside of us, and mine has helped me through some seriously dark times. I have always had an affinity for cute characters and cartoons, ever since I used to draw comics in elementary school to help me with my anxiety issues. I wanted to somehow help others, but also tap into that part of my self. So I knew I needed a plan, and a solid one at that! I knew the idea sounded crazy and a little bit of too much of everything, but that has always been the way that my brain has worked (I'm a crazy, artistic Gemini with quite possibly a mild case of ADD), so I finally just listened to my gut and my soul and went with it. What if I combined all of the things that I loved, positive motivation, music and cute characters into one project, and a project with a goal to give others advice and tips to live life more positively?

So that is where I decided to make this project into my own little world, and I would love for you all to be a apart of it. By starting to draw cartoons again, I realized how much I missed it, and decided to incorporate mini web-comics into each video on my YouTube Channel. I came up with a solid format for my YouTube channel, made this website, started the Instagram, and now finally I am beginning the blog! I want this site to be a different world that we can all escape to just for a little bit, to feel uplifted, inspired or even learn something new about ourselves. I want to introduce you all to the crazy characters in my imagination, just like the kinds that I used to draw that helped me through personal struggles when I was growing up. Because I don't think we ever have to fully lose sight of that wonder we felt as children, before we were engrained to feel fear, and self judgement, insecurities and self doubt, the kind that comes with adulthood. So if you feel that you can use a little bit more sunshine in your life, I really hope that this can be the place that you come to! Thus, I created my first character in years, Moongleam Mira. 

I posted the picture above, because that night I felt so inspired to just be alive, living now in 2017, with the resources and the opportunities to help others and reach out to the world in a time period where it is more accessible than ever. I was full of ideas for my characters and for my video topics, and I was just excited to be able to have the time to dive in and create, and give my all into doing so! I wanted to savor that moment, in that unprofessional "before bed" picture, right at the beginning of this journey, so that maybe someday I can look back on it and smile and remember how it all began. 

So there is my story, here we are, and welcome to "Kelly True Thoughts". 

Stay lovely, lovely humans! 

~ Kelly 

© 2017 Kelly True Thoughts