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An update on this crazy thing called my life

10/10/2018

Hello there everyone! If you have been following my Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook the last couple weeks, you have probably caught a glimpse into the craziness that my life has become! By some cruel twist of fate, everything that could possibly happen, has come together to happen in the same three months. The months of September, October, and November 2018 have come together for the perfect storm!

On September 29th one of my best friends who I've known over half my life got married, so we of course had to be there! Me and Nick left the 26th and drove up to Ohio. The wedding was incredible, and getting to see and hang out with everyone was even better!

We spent the next six blissful days at my parent's house, spending our time sitting outside talking and laughing, enjoying each others' company, and the wonderful fall weather. We also went shopping at all the amazing discount stores we have in the area, snuggled with puppies, shot guns, me and my mom read a lot of books, and we hung out with some friends.

On Friday we headed over to Nick's Dad's and Step-Mom's house. We had a great time hanging out with everyone. Saturday morning we got to watch Nick's sister's volleyball game, then headed from there to Nick's cousin's wedding!
On Sunday we returned to Atlanta, getting home at 2:30 in the morning.

All day Monday and Tuesday was spent printing out tons of financial paperwork, hanging out at the police station, filling out more paperwork, getting fingerprinted, paying about a million dollars in application fees, and running all over God’s green earth, all to get our business license! Now we are just waiting for them to do inspections and get back to us! This is really stressful, because we don't really know when they will do the inspection, or when they will approve our business license. So we could be open this weekend, or in a month, who knows! So as soon as we get the go ahead, we will be moving everything in to the shop, and opening!
Now on to even more craziness...

I'm sure all year you've been reading and hearing about our upcoming trip to Vietnam for a yoga and mindfulness retreat with saigon om. We leave for this retreat that I planned almost a year ago, in less than two weeks!!!

So to sum this all up, in the same month that we are trying to open our own business, we are traveling not only out of state, but out of country as well! And we will possibly be opening up right before we leave for Vietnam, leaving us to pay rent the entire two weeks we are there! Sheesh!
Obviously we didn't plan for any of this to go this way. We had a lot of trouble finding a location for the shop at the beginning of this year so we had to push it back. We thought that we wouldn't be able to open until next year, but then this location popped up out of nowhere, and here we are!

So what are we to do? Stress like crazy and freak out?
Nope! I have decided that that is not the way I am going to handle this! The whole situation is definitely not ideal, but there is nothing to be done about it, it is what it is. I have just decided to be as prepared as possible, and not under any circumstances let it get me down! We have rent and all of our other bills (excluding the shop) for November already paid, so when we get back from Vietnam we won't have to worry about anything except for the tattoo shop.
So there it all is! The craziness of our lives right now. But you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything, because I know that we are going for what we want. Even if it's scary. Because I know that fear is temporary, but regret is forever.

I will just leave you with this, because it is us. Yes we are scared. Really scared actually! We have moved away from home, spent so much money, and put everything else on the back burner for this dream. And going all in on something is about the scariest thing you can do. But we are doing it, and we know that it will pay off!
So thank you for reading, and following us on this journey, I will keep you updated on our life!

Peace Love and My Crazy Life
Jess <3

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Why I am a Modern Day Housewife

9/15/2018

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I am so excited to share that I have recently written an article that got published in the first issue of Peachy Keen Pinup Magazine! Not only were some of my waterfall photo shoot pictures included in the magazine, but directly opposite it was my article that I wrote specifically for the magazine! Go check it out, you can purchase a digital copy, or have the magazine shipped directly to your door! There are some beautiful girls in there!
So since I love you guys so much, I am sharing this article with you that I hastily scribbled down in a day to meet the deadline, but it actually turned out really good, and I am very pleased with it! Here you have, "Why I am a Modern Day Housewife", accompanied by the amazing photos I just received from my latest photo shoot at Dixie Pinup Studios. They were shot by the greatest pinup photographer around, Brooklyn Brat Images. Enjoy!

"As someone who loves 1950's culture, I have come to take the role of housewife very seriously. I have always been pretty good at cleaning, budgeting, and cooking the occasional meal, but it wasn't until I got married in 2015, that I began taking all of that seriously, and embarking on my housewife odyssey!

For those of you getting offended, saying that women aren't servants, and that the concept of a housewife is antiquated, just know that being a housewife isn't about being inferior, and treating your spouse as if they are your superior. Just the opposite actually! I feel such an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment when my house is spotless, the money is budgeted, the bills are paid on time, and there is a healthy, delicious meal made from scratch, waiting on the table. For me, being a housewife is about the most empowering thing I can think of. And of course there's that lovely Mother Teresa quote; "If you want to change the world, go home and love your family." Swoon! That is exactly what to me, being a housewife is all about. Showing my husband, our dogs, (and someday if we have kids) how much I love them.

I am a housewife but; I also work a part-time job as a waitress, I have my own blog which I
love, I donate time and money to different charities, I do pinup modeling and events, and
my husband and I are in the process of opening our own business!
I consider myself a modern-day hosewife; I am a strong, smart, independent woman who does a little bit of everything, while taking care of the people she loves. And I love it.

P.S I'm not always in the mood to cook and clean, so I found myself a man who also likes to cook, clean, and who does the laundry every week (because I hate laundry)! We are a team, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Me with some of my beautiful Georgia Pinup Posse girls, embracing the nostalgia together.

What do you think?! Does being a modern day housewife resonate with you? If this is something that you want to delve more into, I have tons of great resources on this blog!
Check out my recipe section for some great food inspiration,
my money section for budgeting tips,
and my blog post "How to Host a 1950's Housewife Dinner Party" for inspiration!

P.S Go like my pinup Facebook page, or follow my Instagram for more great pictures like these!

Peace Love and Modern Day Housewife
Jess <3

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Tiki Time!

7/26/2018

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Hello fabulous darlings!
A couple weeks ago I was fortunate enough to attend the Trash Diva Atlanta One Year Anniversary Tiki Party! I was able to attend this amazing event with my fabulous ladies of the Georgia Pinup Posse, which made it a thousand times more memorable!

First there were free mai tais in coconuts, along with great sales at the North Highland Avenue location of the beautiful Trashy Diva stores!

Next we were treated to a completely fabulous burlesque show at the stunning North Highland Inn and Ballroom. I have never quite seen anything like it!

We even saw a black cat laying around. And did I mention that it was Friday the 13th?!

The rest of the night was spent taking pictures, dancing, and laughing!

Don't forget to come on out to the Georgia Pinup Posse's end of summer yard sale! I'll see ya there!

Peace Love and Tiki Time
Jess <3

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Our Atlanta Apartment

5/3/2018

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Hello friends! Well we've been in our apartment in Atlanta for about a year now, so I thought I would show you around our humble abode via a virtual tour!

Let's start with the living room!
Our living room has a fun travel theme to it that I just love. It all comes down to the details.

...Moving on to the kitchen and dining room.
The kitchen and dining room both have a cute retro coffee and bakery theme to them.

Next up on the tour is my office.
My office is where all the magic happens! All the household budgeting, my blogging, all goal-making and recording, my craft headquarters, and also where all our shop documents, and office supplies are kept. For that reason, it is the most cluttered part of the house; the walls are covered in calendars, to do lists, budget lists, yearly goals, and all things inspirational. The top of the desk holds all kinds of papers, folders, my laptop, odds and ends, and dry erase boards.
It is very music themed; Starting with Cat Stevens and Led Zeppelin posters, my guitar propped against the wall, and it is home to my record player and my awesome record collection.
I absolutely love this room!

And now the bedroom.
Our bedroom is pretty simple. Just our king size bed, bed-side tables, dresser, a chair, and a table that holds our noise machine, essential oils, candles, and flowers.
First we start off with the walk-in closets! Because obviously they're awesome! I'll just show you mine.

Decorations from our wedding.

The master bathroom.
The master bathroom has a beautiful gold and black color scheme.

The second bathroom.
The second bathroom is very plain, but I love it because it is where I take my baths.
Here is where I take all my beautiful bath photos you see on my Instagram.

I hope you liked our home!

Psst! Did you know that I'm now a Strawesome affiliate! Check them out via the banner above!

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Outfit of the Day; The Varsity

1/15/2018

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Last week me and the husband went out and explored Atlanta a bit. We ended up at The Varsity, a piece of diner history. Opened in 1928, this place is a downtown Atlanta institution, and with two stories and a gift shop, it is the world's largest drive in restaurant! It serves classic (greasy and deep fried!) yummy diner foods! It was featured on the Travel Channel's Food Paradise Show, pretty cool!
Now on to the outfit details! Diner pictures to follow!

What I Wore;

- A Batman top that my Mom bought me for Christmas

- Annabella shorts that I bought at Goodwill for $3.00

- My Doc Martins that my husband bought for me for $25 at a flea market

- Black sheer tights that I received for free for modeling them

- My purple sweater from Say What? that I got at a garage sale

- My wonderful pink earrings that my Mom got me a couple Christmases ago

- My beautiful new haircut is from my new salon, Melrose and McQueen

Shop My Look;
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Photo credits go to this handsome stud right here!

The dining room was almost deserted when we go there, which was awesome! The food was greasy and delicious-get the onion rings! OMG! The vibe was laid back and old school, which I loved almost as much as the onion rings!

We had a really great time at The Varsity, and I would definitely add this to your list of things to do in Atlanta!

25 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Traveling

Peace Love and The Varsity
Jess <3

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Bathrooms around the World

12/4/2017

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Today's post is dedicated to bathrooms!
The humble bathroom; we all use them, hate cleaning them (well I personally don't really mind, but I'm a weirdo that likes to clean!), and simply can't live without them!
I have traveled a lot, both in the United States, and around the world, and have seen some crazy bathrooms! I never realized however, how many pictures of bathrooms I had actually taken, until I discovered Rate My Loo on Instagram. Rate My Loo posts great pictures of bathrooms from all over, if you need a daily bathroom fix, go check them out!

The first bathroom on this bathroom tour of the world, is one that I hold dear to my heart; the bathroom in my first apartment in China!
I absolutely adored this bathroom! There was no distinction between shower and toilet! You could literally turn the shower on, move the nozzle a little to the left, and shower while sitting on the toilet! What more could you ask for?!

This next one is a little (ok a lot) more primitive! But as I always say, the primitive-r the
fun-ner (ok this is my first time saying that, and I'm pretty sure neither of those are actual words but, you get the point!)! So check out this super fun bathroom! This gem was located in a remote village in Vanuatu called Takara Village.
No need to flush,everything just drops straight down into this hole in the ground!

Going in the complete opposite direction of the bathroom above, we move on to one of the most amazing bathrooms I have ever visited!
It's no wonder this beauty is so amazing, it is located in the best airport I have ever been in, South Korea Incheon Airport.
Now, if you've never been on a 13 hour flight before, then you simply can not realize the true luxury of a bathroom that has a shower in it, that is located in the airport where you are about to have a 12 hour layover, right after said 13 hour flight! Oh, and it was free to use! Yes, this bathroom was true bliss.

Ahh the squatty potty...No collection of bathrooms would be complete without it!
For anyone who has done extensive traveling in Asia, I am sure you've come across a one!
The squatty potty is actually a really healthy and smart way to poop (it's all about the pooping posture! You can actually buy a "squatty potty" to replicate this posture in your own home!) but sadly, as China is becoming more and more westernized, they are doing away with a lot of the squatty potties.
Here are some more pictures of the glorious squatty potty...

This is a bathroom in a bar/music venue in China! I'm pretty sure this was the owner's cat, he was just chillin' in there all night!

This is for real! It was hanging in a bathroom! I think in Singapore.

Some abandoned bathrooms in Vanuatu.

I thought this was cool! This was on the outside of a bathroom in Waihai, China.

Me and my friend Rachel goofing off in a bathroom on an airplane!

Hey there hilarious sign in a Starbucks bathroom in Xi'an, China!

I believe this was in Vanuatu.

Soooo....this is a real thing I found! A feet-washing point at a McDonalds in Singapore.

Our lovely shower and toilet area while we were staying in a little village in Vanuatu.

I still have no idea what this was about! Hahaha. I found this while at a music venue in Cleveland, Ohio when we were watching Panic! at the Disco.

This bathroom! Hehe. This was at an outdoor music festival in Xi'an, China.

Peace Love and Bathrooms
Jess <3

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We adopted a dog!

9/28/2017

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I am beyond delighted to introduce to you the newest member of our family; Rocco!
He is a four year old terrier chihuahua mix, and he has completely captured our hearts!
I have been wanting a puppy for a while, and finally decided that now was the time; our lives are stable, we have good jobs and enough money, a place to live, and the Atlanta Humane Society had just taken in over 400 animals from shelters in Texas and Florida!
So on September 13th we made a trip to the Atlanta Humane Society. Tears filled my eyes as we walked up and down the aisles, all the dogs looking up at us through the glass, begging us to take them home and give them a family.
I wanted to adopt all of them, but unfortunately couldn't. But I found my precious sweet Rocco, and we have given him his forever family!

So adorable and so happy!
He loves to play and cuddle. He is so perfect for us, and I am so in love!

As of late I have become super passionate about animals; helping put an end to animal cruelty and neglect, stopping the vicious cycle of puppy mills, and ensuring that every animal out there has a loving and stable home.
Adopting Rocco was the third step I took in my fight for animals. I have also begun to take a closer look at labels, and not support companies who do animal testing. I also give monthly to the ASPCA, they are doing some amazing things in helping stop the abuse and neglect of this country's animals!

Each year, 2.7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States, simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet. The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. When you adopt, you save a loving animal by making them part of your family and open up shelter space for another animal who might desperately need it.

If you buy a dog from a pet store, online seller or flea market, you’re almost certainly getting a dog from a puppy mill. Puppy mills are factory-style breeding facilities that put profit above the welfare of dogs. Animals from puppy mills are housed in poor conditions with improper medical care, and are often very sick and behaviorally troubled as a result. The moms of these puppies are kept in cages to be bred over and over for years, without human companionship and with little hope of ever joining a family. And after they're no longer profitable, breeding dogs are simply discarded—either killed, abandoned or sold at auction.
These puppy mills continue to stay in business through deceptive tactics — their customers are unsuspecting consumers who shop in pet stores, over the Internet or through classified ads. Puppy mills will continue to operate until people stop supporting them. By adopting a pet, you can be certain you aren't giving them a dime.

My sister worked at a vet's office for a short time, and she got to witness the horror of puppy mills first-hand. She actually rescued a beautiful little chihuahua that a breeder brought in to euthanize, simply because she was to small to breed. That poor dog was traumatized, and months later is just starting to open up to other people besides my sister. She was definitely abused and neglected.

Here are some ways you can help;

-Give to the ASPCA
A monthly gift of $18 is nothing to us, but can make a world of difference to the hurting animals that the ASPCA helps every day.

-Adopt a pet!
Rescue animals make amazing pets. They will love you so much, and it is amazingly rewarding for you as well! Go to Adopt a Pet or visit your local humane society to find your new best friend.

-Begin boycotting companies who still use animal testing
Let them know that animal testing is not ok! Boycott them, and write to the companies as well, telling them they will not receive any of your business until they stop!

-Volunteer
Volunteer at your local animal shelter.

My boys!

Peace Love and Adopt don't Shop
Jess <3

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A Month of Living in Atlanta

6/19/2017

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Hard to believe that today marks a month exactly since we moved to Atlanta!
You can read all about our move here.

We have both kept ourselves pretty busy since arriving in Atlanta.
I usually work five days a week at my job, and do a lot of hanging out there reading and relaxing when I'm not working.

Nick has been working in Alabama for the past two weeks, so I haven't seen a lot of him lately. I have three days off in a row starting tomorrow, so I'm going with him to Alabama for a couple days!

When we actually have a day (or a couple of hours) that we're both not working, me and Nick go out and explore!

One of my favorite things about Atlanta so far, is the food! There is such a variety of different foods that we certainly don't have in Ohio. We have been eating as much authentic Asian food as we can get our hands on!

Oh, and Cuban food!

Thanks for reading guys!
And thank you so much for all the kind words and encouragement, we really appreciate it!

If you want to keep updated with our lives, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat (jessicalapinta)!

Peace Love and Atlanta
Jess <3

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A Small Town Girl (from Ohio) Moves to the Big City (Atlanta)!

6/1/2017

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Hello everybody! Wow! A lot has happened since I talked to you last, exactly three weeks ago;
Monday marked a week since we packed up Nick's car, said goodbye to everyone we know, and took off for a new life in Atlanta!
It has been terrifying, stressful, exhausting, and emotional to say the least!
Today I finally found some free time to share with you guys how our move went, and just what has been going on with us since the move!
(P.S If you want to keep up with our every day lives during this adventure, and be the first to know what's happening, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat (jessicalapinta), I have been posting like crazy lately.

Saying goodbye to my family on Monday morning was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Me and Nick are both very close to my family, and have been living with them for the last year, so leaving them was rough. The ten hour drive was hard. I cried a lot, and felt very uncertain, and emotional.

Our plan was to stay at an extended stay hotel for a couple weeks until we got jobs and an apartment (since you can't get an apartment without having a job, and it's very difficult to get a job in a place you do not live!).
The extended stay we were going to stay at closed their office at 4:00 p.m, unless you called to let them know you would be checking in after that. And since we were going to be later than 4 p.m, we called them. And called them, and called them and called. Almost the entire drive, we were trying to get ahold of them, and absolutely could not. So! We stopped at a Dunkin Donuts outside of Atlanta, got some food, and tried to figure out what to do. I must admit, I was very emotional, exhausted from the ten hour drive, and stressed out. Then at that moment I got a text from my mom, so of course I started crying! We sat on our phones in Dunkin Donuts and finally found a hotel nearby that had rooms available. It was a nice hotel and it had a pool. So we did some well deserved relaxing.

On Tuesday morning we left our hotel, then drove about forty five minutes to get into Atlanta. We got to the extended stay, only to find that we would most likely be murdered if we actually stayed there!
Again, not knowing what to do, we went to a McDonalds, and sat outside to eat. There were a couple homeless guys outside also. I said something about the homeless guys to Nick and then all of a sudden I think, "We're homeless!" More tears!
Enter Matt to save the day! Our good friend Matt lives in Atlanta, and he gets ahold of us and tells us that the next day his roommate is leaving for a week and a half, and we can stay in his room until he gets back!

We couldn't move in until the next day, so we found another hotel to stay at. It was pretty nice, but it was the smallest hotel room I have every stayed in!

Later that afternoon after we checked into the hotel, I had a job interview. I was hired on the spot!
The place is called Honey Bubble, and it is the cutest little Asian bubble tea shop!
You may remember how obsessed I am with bubble tea from my blog post about it.

That night to celebrate, we walked from our hotel to the most amazing little Cuban restaurant called Papi's. It was so perfect, relaxing, and exactly what we needed to lift our spirits.

The next morning we checked out of our hotel, headed on over to Decatur where our friend lives, and unpacked our life! We now had a home (for the next week and a half)!

After unpacking I got dressed, and then headed on over to Honey Bubble for my first shift! Since then the only days I have had off was Saturday and today.
Since I have been working pretty nonstop, I sadly haven't really had a chance to explore. So on Saturday our friend Matt took us out!

Since me and Matt are both obsessed with China, our first stop was the Great Wall Supermarket! This place was insane; It was an Asian supermarket, with a Chinese food court inside! It was all authentic Chinese food, some of the menus didn't even have English writing. We stuffed ourselves with sweet and sour fish, beef noodle soup, ma po tofu, dumplings, rice, and hot tea. I was in Heaven! And Nick finally got to experience authentic Chinese food.

Our next stop was Sweet Hut Bakery and Cafe where we had Chinese pastries and bubble tea. We also stopped at two farmers markets which were crazy exciting, then spent the rest of the day driving around looking at different parts of town.

So that pretty much sums up our move from Ohio to Atlanta!
How am I feeling about everything? Well, I'll let you know when I figure it out...

Peace Love and Atlanta
Jess <3

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My Peace Love Life's Five Year Anniversary!

5/11/2017

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Today, five years ago exactly, I wrote my very first blog post on My Peace Love Life Blog!
I was very excited, this was something I had wanted to do for a while, and now, I was finally doing it! The post wasn't anything too special, it explained why I wanted to write a blog, and told a little bit about myself.
Since that first blog post five years ago, I have written well over two hundred blog posts. I have grown exponentially as a writer, a blogger, and incredibly, as a person also!
This blog has been an outlet for me, creatively, as well as emotionally.
Today I am celebrating five long and hard years. Years of making this site from absolute scratch, reading every blogging article and book I could get my hands on, watching tutorials, and learning everything I could about the blogging world and the computer world also, because I am not very good with technology (I still use a flip phone!).
During those five years, there were plenty of times when I wanted to give up! It was too hard, I wasn't seeing results fast enough, I wasn't making as much money as I wanted, yada yada yada. But I never did. And you and I can both thank my supportive, wise, and wonderful husband for that!
So that brings us to the thank yous! The first one obviously goes out to Mr. Nick LaPinta. Without you I would have quit a long time ago. Without you I wouldn't have the strength to keep going on, and wouldn't have had all the inspiration that you gave to me. You help with my writing so much. You inspire me to be a better person, and a better writer. I love you.
Next, I want to say a special thank you to those of you who have supported me and been with me from the beginning! If not for you, no one would have been reading what I wrote, and what would have been the point of me continuing to write if no one was reading it?! You gave me the strength to get this blog to where it is five years later! Thank you so much!
Thank you also to those of you who have joined and started reading over the years! Whether you started reading this blog five years ago, or today, it makes my heart so happy seeing this little community growing, expanding, and becoming my dream come true! Truly, thank you all!

In honor of this big milestone, I wanted to reflect on some of my favorite posts, as well as your guys' favorites over the years. Unfortunately, today I also had to visit the dentist and have a couple procedures done, so I am a bit too overwhelmed and exhausted to do that right now. So instead I will direct you on over the the category, "My Favorite Posts!"
In that category you will find all my absolute favorite posts I have written over the years. Please enjoy!
And to leave with you today, I have a big announcement...

That's right! We are finally moving!
Me and Nick have been talking about doing it for years, and finally all of our hard work, patience, and saving has paid off. We are both just out of control excited to start this new chapter of our lives! To everyone who has been asking, or who is going to ask why we are moving, the answer is this; a lot of reasons. We are not only sick of the cold (I don't like being miserable 4 months out of the year!), but we are growing very weary of all the negativity that seems inescapable here. Once you start on a different life track like we have, have hopes and ambitions that are a bit out there, and develop a different perspective on life that is contradictive to what everyone else thinks, be ready for this negativity. The way people try to talk you out of whatever you're trying to do, and instead tell you what they think you should do, or by telling you all these horror stories about what might happen like, "This one thing happened to my second cousin's ex boyfriends's half sister's hairstylist's mother in law's friend, so you probably shouldn't do that." Or, when they straight up tell you that they don't think you will succeed. And yes, all of those have happened to us! I know that there are negative people everywhere, but there is such an overwhelming amount around here. So we are done with the snow, the negativity, and also, we are just ready for something different!
Me and Nick have agreed that we have both grown stagnant here. Small towns have a way of doing that. Suffocating you, making you feel as if every road in every direction is closed, and the only one available for travel is that one road that runs through the middle of that small town, never letting you leave, keeping you forever trapped. And so we are leaving. We are getting out. We want to grow, and we want to prosper! We want to reach all of our crazy dreams, goals, and plans! Even if they sound ridiculous to everyone else, we want to go off on our own, and make big things happen for us!
So thank you to all of you who have been supportive, and for all of those who understand! We could not be more ready for this move. The time has finally come, and we are diving in!

To end today's celebratory post, I just want to express how truly blessed I feel right now!
In this wonderful year, I am celebrating seeing my blog turn five years old, I got to rejoice in myself turning 30, and I also am about to embark on this brand new, super scary but exhilarating chapter, of moving to a state I have never been to, to open up a business from scratch, with my wonderful husband! Wow!
Thank you again everyone! Love you!!!

Peace Love and 5 Year Anniversary
Jess <3

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