Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts

Let Yourself Dream Again

Tuesday, June 26, 2012



A gentle reminder today that your adversaries do not have the final say on your success or what happens to you during your lifetime. Often times you'll notice that just as you're finally on the road to achieving your dreams, someone will try to distract or discourage you. Try to remember who the comments are coming from, the negative ones will never come from the mouths of those who are achieving wild success and experiencing joy in their own life.

I hope this inspires someone today. Nothing pains me more than seeing someone muster up the courage to achieve something great in their life and having that dream squashed by someone who hasn't even achieved the kind of success they'd like in their own life. 

Remember that others like to keep those close to them at their level. If you are moving on up, don't be surprised if you feel a struggle to not get dragged down by unmotivated daydreamers who refuse to put feet to their faith and take action. Sometimes it's uncomfortable but we must leave others behind if we truly want to move to bigger and better things. Like rocks in a backpack; discouraging friends, colleagues, strangers and even family members can weigh us down but only if we let them!

Classy women often walk alone. Read this quote from a post I wrote last fall. It's a good reminder that if you feel alone at times on your journey to achieving your dreams or fulfilling your calling, you're on the right track. After all, going out on a limb is where all the best fruit is!

Have you ever had others try to squash your dreams? Were you able to push through and silence your nay-sayers?

P.S. Reminder that the Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway is ending soon! Don't forget to enter, there's a gorgeous red dress up for grabs worth $78! Enter {here}.

XO

Classy Women Often Walk Alone

Thursday, September 15, 2011


*images: (1), (2)

Best Motivation Video Ever!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

You might remember that I recently wrote about the importance of being willing to make changes and take risks to live the life you've always dreamed of, in my post Be Bold, Achieve Greatness. Most recently I shared with you where I'm at right now in my own life and the risks that my husband and I are taking to create an even better life with more opportunity. I love motivational messages that encourage me to live life to the fullest and I thought I'd share this quick little video with you, it's SO inspiring!



I first saw this video titled 'best motivation video ever' at The Lettered Cottage, and knew I wanted to share it with all of you. My favorite message comes right at the end of this video. If you've never failed, you've never LIVED! Life equals risk, there's no way around it. Falling in love, being self-empolyed and even working for an employer are all risky business.

Most people are scared to death of taking big risks or moving towards the unknown, but the reality is that as uncomfortable as change may be, if you don't take chances you can't make advances. It's okay if things don't go exactly as you planned, it's what we do with failed attempts that make us successful in the end. Life is short, we only get this one chance to do everything that we've ever wanted. Don't let other people put their map on you or tell you what you can or cannot do. With daily diligence and an inner passion, you can reach your biggest dreams!

I believe that doing what we love will truly make us happy. It's sad to see that there are so many unhappy people in this world. We can chase after everything under the sun (money, things, people) but at the end of the day if we aren't fulfilling our life's purpose, pursuing our goals and are not really enjoying what we are doing with each day, we cannot truly be happy.



What have you always dreamed of doing but held back from beginning? What have you decided to tackle, regardless of how long and difficult the road may be? As always, anonymous comments are welcome. What would you if you knew you couldn't fail and money wasn't an issue? I'd so love to hear what YOUR dreams are!

Dream Big!

Pure Inspiration: Blog Posts I'm Loving!

Friday, July 23, 2010

In my spare time over the past couple days, I've been catching up on a little blog reading. Between delightful decor, fresh & fun ideas, crisp color and fabulous fashion, these posts have provided a lot of inspiration for me. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you in the hopes that they'll inspire you as well. I hope you'll take a couple minutes to enjoy each one and maybe even discover a new blog or two. You won't be disappointed! :)

1. The Colors of Summer- This blog post that Tara of Between You & Me shares, is pure photo bliss. She takes all the goodness of summer and wraps it up with a pretty bow. All of the color really evokes the feelings of 'happy' and 'fun'.

2. Master Bedroom: Mini Makeover- Kate of Centsational Girl has impeccable taste and her designs are clean, gorgeous and budget friendly. Her master bedroom is stunning and what she did with her walls makes me want to pull out some paint and a brush and get started! This master bedroom is elegant and glamorous.

3. Thirty Before 30-Beth of 'Hello, Splendor' shares her bucket list of sorts as she approaches 30. I love lists like this and what I especially enjoyed is that her list is totally attainable. Maybe this will inspire you to create a list of the things you'd love to complete this summer or finish before the year is up!

4. The Harvest- Erin, the blogger behind Rare & Beautiful Treasures, shares one of her greatest leaps of faith which I found so inspiring. She also has a stunning home that she has created over time with her hubby and always posts the best decor photos! She writes from the heart, loves God and desires to do all that the Lord has for her. As I find myself walking into a place of great change and transition myself, I could really relate. I won't say any more, you need to go read her story!

5. Pink & Green Thursday: Beautiful Things Like You!- I recently discovered the blog Pink Preppy Lilly Lover. Trish  fills this blog with everything lovely. Like me, she adores preppy style which includes the latest from Lilly Pulitzer and anything southern,  lovely and sophisticated. I loved this particular post because there was so much gorgeous eye candy (hop over and you'll see what I mean) and a sweet little surprise at the end too-a great giveaway! Oh, and if you ADORE Paris like I do, you'll love this post she shared back in March-the photos stunning!

Want to see more inspiring blogs? Click HERE. For more dreamy decor photos, click this link.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay cool,  possibly spending time poolside! This past week hit 105 degrees in Orlando which even sounds insane. If anyone is looking for me on Sunday, I can be found at the beach! ;)

xo

Sunday Inspiration

Sunday, April 18, 2010


One particular song has been running through my mind. Normally if it's a typical catchy song on the radio, it can be somewhat annoying, but this one is beautiful and powerful. Upon reflection, this song is actually perfect for the current season of my life. I have a lot of new things taking place right now, and while I'm really enjoying everthing I'm working on, some days it feels as if challenges are beating me down or are reminding me of past failures, even if for a brief moment.

The song is called 'Our God is Greater' by the artist Chris Tomlin. Here is the Youtube video which displays the lyrics and some beautiful images too. I hope this song will inspire your day!



When the circumstances of life feel like they are taking over, overwhelming us and pushing us down, we need to remember that they are all but temporary. Our awesome and Almighty God is FOR us, so who then who could ever stop us or stand against? God is greater than ANY of our challenges and problems.



Have a blessed day!



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Quotes by Oprah

Sunday, January 3, 2010



Today's post is short and sweet, I'm sharing some of my favorite quotes from a classy woman that ALL of you know and many of you love-Oprah! I hope these 7 quotes will cause you to think about your own life and go after your dreams this year!

'Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.'

'My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.'


'The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams!'

'I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself.'

'There's no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!' (on exercise/losing weight)

'Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.'

'The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.'

~All quotes listed above by Oprah Winfrey.

What is your favorite quote? It doesn't have to be one from Miss. Winfrey, but I'd love to hear which ones you refer to when you need some inspiration!

Fall Decor Inspiration

Monday, October 12, 2009



While the Florida heat continues to blaze into the middle of October with no relief in sight, I decided to hunt down some fall decor images to inspire me to start decorating. With all this sticky humid weather, I started to think about how pumpkins might rot on my porch. So, I'm holding off on any type of outdoor display for another week or so.

In the meantime, I'm going to pull the gorgeous fall wreath (that I purchased at Costco 2 years ago) down from my attic and today's classy ideas will specifically focus on the indoors and are more elegant than themed.



WALL ART




Image from Verosimile.com

What a great way to incorporate some of the outdoors inside your home this fall. Whether it be a bedroom, living room or hallway this soft artwork could blend into many decor schemes. You can switch it out come springtime for something different.


CENTERPIECES




This would make for such an elegant centerpiece for Thanksgiving Day, particularly if you're hosting the dinner. I loved this image because it incorporates beautiful, colorful flowers, candles and bright pumpkins.  The trick here is to cut the top of the pumpkin large enough to fit a small glass vase inside for the stems to sit in.








These little cornhusk votives are a great way to inexpensively add a little fall flair to your table. Simply wrap the dry cornhusks around the votive (you can use some doublesided tape) and then wrap either some ribbon or some raffia around the bottom or middle of the votive. Just pop in some tealights or votives candles and you're ready to go! I aslo love the gorgeous purple roses placed in the center of the table. This would be a great casual tablescape to add for guests dining with you or simply to add some spice to your dining table for everyday use.



Image from MarthaStewart.com

This looked super easy and quick to put together. Simply gather a few smaller platters or one long platter as shown above to create an elegant look with some pumpkins, or acorns and candles, add whatever you like. to add a touch of elegance, add some real flower clippings before guests arrive or use artificial ones so you're centerpiece will last longer.





This is a perfect example of how you can keep your decor very neutal, using mainly earthtones and browns without feeling the need to add a lot of orange if you don't want to. Add some little pumpkins with name tags as place cards and an ultra-simple centerpiece of pillar candles in tall or hurricane vases with some acorns beneath.




SIDEBOARD & CONSOLE TABLE DISPLAYS





I found this image last fall and have been wanting to create these glittery, glamorous little pumpkins. You  can use either real or artificial pumpkins and then add very fine glitter in multiple fall colors to each pumpkin or you can mix some of the colors together. You can either prop them up on large candlestick holders as shown or place them atop cake plates, and even add the domed lid too for a fun kitchen countertop display.




Image from wwwPotterybarn.com

Potterybarn has a lot of great vase fillers and I particularly like their faux acorns. Of course you can use the real deal too, if you have an oak tree on your property. Add some real or faux leaves and a pillar candle and you have a great piece that can be used on a kitchen table, on a coffee table or a sideboard or console. The best part is many have a large glass vase and neutral candles already so there is little to invest.




Image from www.HGTV.com

This is one of the most simple things you can do to add some color in your home. Use candles that you have already or pick some up at the dollar store that you don't mine altering and glue some lentils and beans to th side of some pillar candles or even orange and white pumpkins. The process of gluing might take some time but it is a fun project and if you decide it's not for you, you can peel off the beans and glue for it's natural state once again.






I love glass cloches, cake stands and apothecary jars, so this particular idea is one of my favorites and one that I'll likely be adding into our decor soon. By adding a few gourds, you can really add some great color for a wonderful display. You can keep the glass cloches and reuse them for christmas too by simply switching out the contents.


Image from www.bhg.com

This super easy dried corn vase filler is such a fun idea. You simply pop a candle in and it's done. To update for Christmas, you could replace the corn with dried cranberries.






If you love monograms like I do, you can add the names of everyone in your family or use the pumpkins to spell something specific like harvest or fall. For more information on how to create these visit the martha stewart website.

What are your favorite fall decorating ideas? What have you done so far to add the feeling of autumn in your home? Do you have a favorite display or centerpiece you use or create every year? We'd love to hear all about it, feel free to link us to some images too!