Looking Back at 2016, Moving Forward to 2017

I bet everyone is thinking the same thing right now…wow, is 2016 really about to be over? Reflecting back, overall I guess I can’t really complain about this year! Okay y’all, time to get personal here…I’m taking a look back at 10 notable things that happened for me in 2016:

1. Turned the big 2-5. Uh what?! Yes, I turned a quarter of a century old. What’s funny is that I get mistaken a lot for being under 21…but then again I feel like I’m starting to feel the effects of getting older. Darker circles/bags under my eyes, not wanting to go out as much/being a grandma, always feeling tired, hair falling out….haha JK, but actually not really JK :/
2. Moved into a new apartment with my bestie. An AWESOME apartment may I add (dear friends – come visit me if you haven’t yet!) 🙂 It’s been so nice having a best friend move to NYC and be right by my side, exploring the amazing city together. Some days we feel like we are living out some real life Gossip Girl episodes 😉
3. Went to another country. Before this year I had only been to Canada besides the U.S., and now I can add Mexico to that list! I know, I know, it’s not outside of North America yet (#lame), but I’m getting there. The beach views of Puerto Vallarta were amazing, and that relaxing vacation was one I’ll never forget.
4. Did a long distance relationship for the first time. I’ve always said I could NEVER do an LDR, but somehow I found myself in one. I said goodbye to in person quality time and hello to numerous facetimes/phone calls. It may not have worked out in the end, but it was a great adventure and I can say it definitely made me learn a lot about myself and grow as a person- increase in patience, time, commitment, appreciation.
5. Was blessed with a nephew. I don’t have any brothers, so this was a big deal that a boy was added to the family. My darling little babe Paxton is the cutest ever. If you follow me on snapchat or instagram, you know how obsessed I am with him 🙂
6. Went to SXSW for the first time. How did I live in Austin four years and never go? Not sure, but I had a blast at all the events – and highly recommend for you to take a trip if you haven’t.
7. Started a new job in the CPG/Beauty industry. I’ve always worked in the retail industry, so this has been a whole new experience – but proud I went out of my comfort zone and took the risk. Not to mention, my bestie works for the same company AND our office just happens to be the Empire State Building. Totally getting the full NYC experience!
8. Did a girls trip to Nashville. It was a blast, and it was so interesting meeting such different kinds of people there! I’m the biggest country music lover, and those honky tonk bars were quite an experience like no other.
9. Finally saw Rihanna in concert. AHH! I’m seriously the biggest fan (she is literally #goals) and have been wanting to see her perform since forever ago. She did not disappoint!
10. Last but not least, launched The Livstyle! I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for about 6 months now, and it has been such a journey. Blogging takes so much time and effort (more than you would think!) – I feel like I’m literally doing something for the blog in all my spare time – but I love it so much! It has basically become my #1 hobby, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I went to amazing NYFW shows, met some wonderful NYC bloggers at fashion events, and got to try out the coolest clothes/products to share with my followers! P.S. I’m so thankful for all my followers – y’all really put a smile on my face every single day 🙂

Next comes my New Year’s resolutions. Sooo New Year, New Me right?! 😀 I feel like every year I come up with resolutions and then forget what they were months later, hah! This year, I want to narrow them down to three resolutions to help keep my focus. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m SO ready for a new year and a fresh start!

1. Be more spontaneous and get rid of any doubts. I feel like I’m a super organized, predictable kind of person (aka borrrring, lol just kidding 🙂 ). But really – I want to get out of my comfort zone in many aspects of my life and take more risks, travel to new places, meet new people, learn about/try new things. This is the year that I want to take a big trip to Europe and/or Asia! I see so many of my friends booking vacations to various countries on a whim, and I need to follow their lead 🙂
2. Value, focus and appreciate my time with people who matter. Stop wasting time on those who don’t. Sometimes I feel like I get too caught up in work, social media, or my personal hobbies to remember what’s really important in life – growing relationships with people that bring me happiness, make me a better person, and mean the most!
3. Develop my blog further and create higher quality content. Seems typical, but now that The Livstyle is pretty established and I’ve learned a lot about blogging over the year – I want to do everything I can to make my blog the best it can be for y’all!

Hope y’all enjoyed reading, I know this was a long one! Have a fabulous New Year everyone – let’s make 2017 the best one yet! P.S…What are y’all wearing on New Years Eve? Clearly I’m all about the sequins & sparkles 😀

Dress: Missguided (similar) | Clutch: Michael Kors (similar) |