.I Hope That I Will Never Let You Down.

I know that there's a difference between slight of hand, and giving everything you have.

.First Letter of Thanks.

Ever since I was a kid there was this constant drive in me to succeed. It would have never been possible without those around me. Especially my family, but also people who have graced my life with their presence. Thank you to my oldest brother Matt for telling me he thought I was good enough to succeed in Advertising, which is what I then went and majored in at college. To my brother Michael you are the funniest guy I know, you have a heart of gold, and I am so happy to call you and Matthew two of my best friends. Mom & Dad you are supportive, loving, sarcastic, good hearted, giving, passionate people. Dad have such a servants heart and even when people are not looking and you get no recognition for the random acts of kindness you keep doing them daily! Mom you are AMAZING! You taught me how to cook for the first time, how to be a young little lady that I have grown up to be, you are one of the most hospitable people out there. To my amazing grandfathers you were two strong men with gifts in all areas of life, anything you set out to do you did with dignity, grace, and always succeeded. To my grandmothers, you are bar none the most sassy women I have ever met, thank you I got it from you. Some may think it is a curse, I say it is a blessing! HAH! As for my Richmonders, you are some crazy SOB's, and you are constantly there for me even though we are miles apart. Kelley, Betsy, & Sarah, you are the greatest girls and each have your own hand in my life in different areas, I know I can always count on you thank you. Kelley you always supported my photography passion, and even made that book for me which I still have to this day! Betsy you constantly amaze me with your timing of phone calls always calling me when somehow I am going through the roughest and most low points in my life. Sarah you are the big sister I never had. Abby Foster you have seen it all girl, you have been around through my lowest of lows. We have been through our own hardships, and somehow been able to share two completely different / difficult experiences, and help each other through it! Thank you Thank you Thank you for all of the late phone calls you have listened to me vent, cry, and supporting me no matter what. You are an amazing woman and I am so proud of where you are going keep it up girl! I can't wait to see you in August! There are so many more people I want to thank, but for some reason today I wanted to thank these specifics. You have loved me when I was unlovable, stuck by my side when I was being an asshole or sassy to no end! You have made me laugh, and many of you have held me when I cried. You have shown me what true friendship, and family mean. I would not be where I am today without all of your support, and guidance. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

.Wake Up.

Mornings have become such a huge part of my life lately. I have an internal clock that Likes to wake me up around 7:30 to 8 a.m. At first I could not figure out why I was waking up this early, then I realized stop complaining, morning is one of the greatest times to self reflect, get situated, get motivated, catch up on what's happening at night. Although some mornings more difficult then others, by that I mean bad dreams, or unsolved emotions which drag on in late hours from the night before, or longings of familiar things. I am taking my new move and motivating myself to keep going to not let the thoughts of everyday ruin my chances of greatness. I am thankful to everyone, and everything that has been given to me throughout these past few months. Some people have effected me in ways they will never know, and in my morning hours I think of them, they motivate me, inspire me, yet at the end of the day I know this needs to come from within. I am seeing these changes happening rapidly, as I am on my own. Recently I have been spending my morning hours reading, I am reading 2 books right now. The first one is called "Lucifer's Flood" by Linda Rios Brook. The Second one is one I have read before called "Nicomachean Ethics" by Aristotle  this book is about virtue and moral character. Aristotle wrote it for his son, and although sometimes it is hard to understand I like to do my research on why he thought these ways. Lately I have been drinking tea instead of coffee, orange juice instead of milk, eggs & yogurt instead of cereal, silence in the morning instead of music. These slight changes may not last long because in life change is inevitable. I am enjoying my time in Nashville, some mornings I wake up and wonder where am I. Feelings of loneliness set in occasionally, yet I brush them off, realizing in due time I will make way. Sometimes I think of days (certain ones) I hold them close to my heart, looking on them with the utmost love and respect. Without those days it would have never led me here. Morning time is a good time you should try it. Hell if you are ever in Nashville, come have a cup of tea enjoy my porch, read some books, listen to the bird mix tape that graces my window every morning, afternoon, and night. That is enough for now. I am headed back to my porch for some reading, I have a huge interview today at 12! Need to get prepared! 

.When.

When am I really going to get the motivation to quit?

. Adventures Ahead .

Alright, here we go. New chapter in life is about to happen. This upcoming Saturday I will be moving officially from Cleveland, TN to Nashville, TN. I will be living with Amanda Stout in East Nashville, we found a badass quirky little loft/ house its split up into top and bottom. As much as I am nervous, I believe it is whole heartedly one of the best decisions I have made for myself, and my future in the long run. Nashville felt like home instantly, so why not go where it feels like home. As much as I will NOT miss cleveland, and I will miss being somewhat close to Richmond. HAH. I will however be traveling quite frequently to GA to make sure I am there to see my little niece grow up. Right now I am doing some freelance work for a few different companies, and I will write another blog about those amazing opportunities that have presented themselves with perfect timing and perfection in their own ways. Timing is key in my life, and the timing lined up like it was connect the dots for this move. I am blessed to have these opportunities and do not take lightly that I am starting off somewhere new. It will be hard at first to adjust, but I know I will be happier than if I was to stick around Cleveland any longer. It will feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! Its been a pleasure Cleveland, but 5 years too long. I will miss my friends however, some of them. HAH. Is that bad or me being honest. HONEST. Can't wait to see what happens in the next few months. Long live my time in Nashville. Long live this summer it is going to be a good one I feel it in my bones!

.Strengths.

At my University we were required to take this quiz on what our personal strengths were. Here is a list and a bit of information of my top 5. I took this almost 3 years ago now. It is pretty interesting that these are still the same to this day.

Futuristic
"Wouldn't it be great if . . ." You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests-a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world-it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you. They can energize others, too. In fact, very often people look to you to describe your visions of the future. They want a picture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits. You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make the picture as vivid as possible. People will want to latch on to the hope you bring.

Maximizer
Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else's, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps-all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don't want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It's more fun. It's more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

Strategic
The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, "What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?" This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path-your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: "What if?" Select. Strike.

Communication
You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information-whether an idea, an event, a product's features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson-to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.

Self-Assurance
Self-assurance is similar to self-confidence. In the deepest part of you, you have faith in your strengths. You know that you are able-able to take risks, able to meet new challenges, able to stake claims, and, most important, able to deliver. But Self-assurance is more than just self-confidence. Blessed with the theme of Self-assurance, you have confidence not only in your abilities but in your judgment. When you look at the world, you know that your perspective is unique and distinct. And because no one sees exactly what you see, you know that no one can make your decisions for you. No one can tell you what to think. They can guide. They can suggest. But you alone have the authority to form conclusions, make decisions, and act. This authority, this final accountability for the living of your life, does not intimidate you. On the contrary, it feels natural to you. No matter what the situation, you seem to know what the right decision is. This theme lends you an aura of certainty. Unlike many, you are not easily swayed by someone else's arguments, no matter how persuasive they may be. This Self-assurance may be quiet or loud, depending on your other themes, but it is solid. It is strong. Like the keel of a ship, it withstands many different pressures and keeps you on your course.

.Baby Juliet & Auntie Lola.