Blog Posts

Bathrooms around the World

12/4/2017

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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Travel is My Education

10/18/2017

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A short poem I wrote, called "Travel is my Education"

"Travel is my education.
Language books, are my text books.
Airplanes, my school bus.
The locals are my professors, fellow man, my classmates.
Watching the sunrise is my homework, and swimming in the ocean is my gym class.
This world is my classroom, and with pleasure each day I attend,
with eagerness I await,
and with joy I heed, the lessons it loves to teach."

Be sure to keep up with all my travels here!

Peace Love and Travel
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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10 Reasons Why Vanuatu Must be on Your Bucket List

8/16/2017

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Vanuatu is a South Pacific Ocean nation made up of a ton of tropical islands. lt is actual paradise. Like, for real!
I traveled to Vanuatu when I was 19, and had the time of my life (it even made it onto my "Top 30 Moments of My 30 Years of Life" List!). It is a must to add to your travel bucket list, and if you don't believe me, I have 10 reasons why! But before we get to those, here are a couple Vanuatu facts, tips, and a small disclaimer.

Port Vila is the capital, and largest city of Vanuatu. We flew into Port Vila, which is what I would recommend you to do.
The currency of the island is the Vanuatu Vatu (VUV). An American Dollar (USD) is worth approximately 108.23 Vuv. I would recommend you to not exchange money in the airport, as the exchange rates are always sky high at airports. We exchanged money at the post office.
Most people in Vanuatu do speak English, so communicating in Vanuatu is not a problem.
Now for the disclaimer; as with any time you travel, it is important to be safe! Vanuatu, like any place in the world, has dangers. While there, I got caught in some treacherous waters while swimming, and also had to fight off a drunk guy on the beach. Just be smart, cautious, and always travel with someone.
Now, here are the 10 Reasons why Vanuatu must be on your Bucket List!

1. A string band will be waiting for you at the airport
Enough said!

2. The picturesque beaches
Want to go to a beach that is off the beaten track and not crawling with tourists? Vanuatu is the place for you!

3. The infinity pools
This is at Breakas Beach Resort. We actually did not stay here, we were living in a nearby house, but we would walk along the beach until we got there, and they let us swim for free (if we bought a drink!). I'm not sure if they still do that, but either way, it is a must visit, and there are plenty other infinity pools to dip your toes into in Vanuatu.

4. The Markets
Open air markets are the best. It is real life. It is the perfect way to interact with locals, try local foods, and there is always something interesting to be found!

5. The sunsets
The sunsets in Vanuatu, as with most other beautiful places, are spectacular!

6. Waterfalls
Waterfalls are pure magic, and Vanuatu's waterfalls are no exception!

7. The locals
These people are wonderful! So friendly, kind, genuine, open-hearted, and interesting!

8. The food
Because Vanuatu is an island, it offers plenty of fresh fruit, coconuts picked right off the tree, fresh seafood, and plenty of other interesting things!

9. The ocean
Yes I am aware that I already mentioned the beaches, but come on, look at it! The ocean deserves its own category on here! Look at that water!

10. Adventure is everywhere
When you are in Vanuatu, you know for certain that you are not in the United States. My favorite places to travel are the ones that seem to have been forgotten by time. The reason for this is that you never know what's going to happen. Everything, from going to the bathroom, to eating, to walking to the store, can (and probably will) turn into an adventure!

So have you added Vanuatu to your bucket list yet?!!

Peace Love and Vanuatu
Jess <3

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Book Review; Manifest $10,000 by Cassie Parks

6/25/2017

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I was so excited when I received my copy of "Manifest $10,000", complete with Cassie's John Hancock scribbled on the inside!
If the name of the book didn't sell me, the rest of the front cover certainly did; "Learn how to manifest $10,000 by using the law of attraction and improving your money mindset." Yes please!
I looved that the book was not super long; it is only 94 pages, of step by step, and how to's.

In the last couple of years I started to learn about, and read manifestation books. They were all awesome for starting out manifesting, getting my head in the right place, and teaching me the general techniques and ideas behind it. "Manifest $10,000" by Cassie Parks however, takes manifesting money to a whole new level!
This book makes manifesting money seem not only within your grasp, but totally do-able, and fun!

I am about two months into the book, and am having a blast going through all the steps so far. Two of the items that I wrote down that I would spend part of the $10,000 on, were a good blush, and eyebrow makeup. After less than a month of doing the steps, I received a blush, and eyebrow makeup for free from Influenster! I was blown away! I can not wait to keep going, and see what else happens!

If you have been waiting for a sign to start manifesting, or to try something different in your life, this is it! Pick up this book and see what magic you can start manifesting into your life right now!
You can find "Manifest $10,000" on Amazon, in paperback or kindle edition.
And also check out Cassie's website.

*Disclosure*
I was given this book, and these are my thoughts on it.

Peace Love and Manifest $10,000
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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Create Your Dream Home from The Ground Up

6/10/2017

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By consulting site work experts like JT Magbe Contracting, you can set a sound basis to make a house a home.

By consulting site work experts like JT Magbe Contracting, you can set a sound basis to help make a house a home.

Today I am teaming up with JT Magbe Contracting, a North-Georgia based construction company, to talk about landscaping! As most of you know, me and my husband moved to Atlanta less than three weeks ago. One of the first things we noticed when driving around our new hometown was the diversity, lush greenery, and stunning beauty of the homes of Atlanta. I was, and still am, thrilled by this (I do nothing but stare out the window of the car looking back and forth at all the homes as we drive down the road)! I am obsessed with beautiful homes, especially with interesting greenery around (or on) it! Me and Nick are always talking, and fantasizing about our future home, and I can not wait for the day when we can finally buy a house, and turn it into our dream home! But until then...

Imagine a plot of land with gorgeous, mature trees, lush vegetation, ample space with shifts in terrain, and maybe even a small stream or pond. Now, picture your dream home tucked nicely inside this fabricated scenario. You might be picturing something straight out of a Thomas Kinkade painting, a utopian paradise where happy families gather for dinner every evening and tuck themselves into bed each night to a barrage of sweet and restful dreams. Bringing a masterpiece like the one you have just envisioned to life does not have to be a fantasized and unattainable concoction only available in the artwork hanging on a living room wall. If you live in or near the Atlanta, Georgia area those dreams may be closer to reality than you may have imagined.

As the Atlanta and North Georgia housing market skyrockets in a positive trajectory, sellers are happily closing on houses in record time, and they are witnessing a market so deficient in inventory that buyers are getting into bidding wars and often sellers are receiving offers above their asking price. It could not be a better time to sell your home if you are interested in moving. However, the issue arises because of the lack of available inventory as a buyer. This dilemma can be easily solved if you are willing to build the home of your dreams. If you purchase a parcel of land, you can design and construct walls to your new home in a manner which fits your style and aesthetic. You can hand select all the finishes, and you will be able to customize your home and truly bring your dreams to life.

After you find the perfect piece of land for your future home, there begins quite a bit of preparation before a single hammer or nail are brandished. First, you will need to take inventory of the entire property to get an understanding if there are any existing structures which might need to be removed, if trees or wildlife need to be cut away, or if the ground needs to be graded and flattened to create a solid foundation for your future homestead. This initial assessment of the land may seem like a tall order, but luckily JT Magbe Contracting, LLC. can help you through the entire process.

Finding the perfect piece of land to build a home on is only the first step in the home-building process.

JT Magbe Contracting is a North-Georgia civil construction company specializing in all forms of site work including grading, demolition, excavating, utility pipe construction, such as sanitary sewer, water and storm sewer; retention-detention pond maintenance, clearing, brush mowing and forestry mulching. They have experience working on commercial and individual/residential lots. With over 20 years of civil construction experience, the professionals at JT Magbe Contracting can help you add value to your property by seeing its full potential and manipulating the landscape to maximize it and start laying the foundation for a beautiful home and yard.

Landowners with plans of building on a lot might be interested in brush mowing, forestry mulching, and land and tree clearing services. JT Magbe Contracting does the job with only one piece of equipment, and they do it quickly, efficiently, and they keep the area clean with no leftover piles of unsightly debris. Their goal is to do the job with minimal ground disturbance, and they take a careful assessment of the area before they get started to ensure a high level of ground and soil integrity while also meeting the needs and goals of the landowner. They do not rely on burning to dispose of the remains, so you never have to worry about a smell lingering after the job is done.

Depending on the topography of the land, a bigger, more intensive job may be required, but no matter the size of the job JT Magne Contracting handles it delicately. North Georgia is riddled with rugged bluffs, steep drop-offs, differing elevations, and rolling hillsides. These drastic changes in terrain make it difficult to build a new structure. Excavating and grading are two more services offered by JT Magne Contracting. Excavating and grading are ways of leveling the ground in preparation for a solid foundation. It can also be done to create an area for a lake, pond, or myriad of other landscape needs.

If you are dreaming of building a home, then consider buying a raw plot of land and trust the site work experts of Northern Georgia, JT Magbe Contracting, for any commercial or residential excavating, grading, brush mowing, forestry mulching, and tree clearing services.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get my hands on a cute little house, and have JT Magne Contracting help turn it into my dream home (right after making my bathroom look like this)!

*Huge thank you to JT Magbe Contracting for sponsoring this post!*

Peace Love and Your Dream Home
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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Pictures of me on my Wedding Day

5/1/2017

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Well here they finally are, pictures of me on my wedding day!
I am so excited to show these to you, because I absolutely adore all these amazing pictures that were taken of me on one of the happiest days of my life. I feel like they capture how truly glowing from the inside out I was!
You can find links to the rest of our wedding pictures at the bottom of this post.