TheModeLife

Top 5 Beauty Products

Allison McConeghy — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:01:46 +0000

Here are my Top 5 beauty picks for the season!

Laura Mercier Silk Crème Foundation – I love the buildable coverage and subtle glow of this foundation.

Lancôme VIRTUÔSE BLACK CARAT Divine Lasting Curves – I admit, I am a mascara addict! I have literally tried 99% of the formulas out there and always come back to this one. It lasts all day without leaving rings under your eyes and provides great length.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler – The best eyelash curler out there! Provides great curl that lasts all day.

Urban Decay Naked Palette – This probably doesn’t count as 1 product as it contains 12 amazing eye shadows. It has a great selection of shades and textures and you can create a million different looks.

Diorskin Nude Tan Nude Glow Sun Powder – The most natural looking bronzer I have tried. It blends seamlessly and warms up my fair complexion.

What beauty products can you not live without?

In a Perfect World…

Terri Spaulding — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:41:46 +0000

…I’d be a perfect mom.

But, there is no such thing as a perfect mom.

We make mistakes, we often say and do the wrong things. We worry. We embarrass. We celebrate. We support. We expect too much. We are often disappointed. We demand the truth. We do not accept excuses. We yell. We cry. We laugh. We sigh. We get angry. We talk too much. We talk too loud. We make sense. We exert control.

And yet underneath it all, our goal is really to protect.

Mothers often find themselves overwhelmed, a little stressed and a lot behind the eight ball. As a result, some days we forget to show how much we care. How much we love. How proud we are. And we fail to communicate how much we just want the best for our children.

We are after all, just human. We are not perfect.

When my children fail, I take it personally. As if it is somehow a result of something I did (or did not do) as a mother. As if it is a reflection of my parenting skills. Was it something I never taught my children? Or something I failed to show them by example? Or something I didn’t explain correctly?

I find myself wondering if things would have turned out differently if I had been more patient, or kinder, or stronger, or if I had been a stay at home mom, like my mom was?

Don’t think you are alone if you second guess yourself and the way you have raised your kids, because I do. A lot of people do. Especially when it seems that our children have not heard us. Or when we think that they should know better.

I think that between us, my husband and I have gone through every … what happens when/if, scenario we could think of. Hoping that it could prevent our kids from making mistakes we had already made, or prevent the regrets we’ve come to know.

But in the end, it isn’t about us. It’s about letting our kids make their own choices and their own mistakes. The consequences are theirs to own. It isn’t a reflection of how I have parented. It isn’t about me at all. And if at the end of the day we have given it our best effort and offered our most honest attempt to show them the way, and yet they still choose a path different from what we would have chosen for them; it is not our fault.

There I said it. It is not my fault.

In my heart I know I have done my best and parented as I have, for all the right reasons; and with love in my heart. In my head, I still have a hard time not taking it personally.

We help our children grow wings, and when it is time, they either fly away or fall. If they choose not to listen, there is little we can do, except be there to help them get back on their feet.

As I learn to accept my grown up children and the choices they make, I sometimes think to myself, it’d be so much easier if they’d just listen to me. (Maybe I even voice that thought aloud to those who I know will understand.) It’d be a heck of a lot easier for me anyway, if my kids would just do it my way….

But it is not up to me, and parenting is not meant to be easy. Think: hardest job ever. And then think: most rewarding job ever.

So as this Mother’s Day approaches, remember to celebrate your mother, and others who have acted as “moms” in your life. Acknowledge their love, and their efforts to guide and support you. And remember, the hardest thing they may have ever faced, was to let you go.

What’s been the hardest thing for you in your life so far?

Make Up Trends for Spring/ Summer: Everyday Look

Kristyn LaPres — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:11:12 +0000

The Mode Life got together with professional make up artist, Aimie Vredevoogd, to learn some new looks for spring and summer 2012. Aimie demonstrated an everyday look on our model, Jamie. Here are the steps Aimie took to give Jamie this fabulous, fresh look!

Step 1. Apply moisturizer and primer to your entire face. Aimie used Ebryolisse Laboratories Lait-Crème Concentrè moisturizer, Make Up Forever High Definition Primer for the face and Mary Kay Eye Primer for the eyes.

Step 2. Aimie used Eve Pearl Concealer in Salmon Trio to reduce dark shadows around the eyes. Then she applied Mac Studio Sculpt foundation in NW15 on the entire face and Mac Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder on the T-zone (forehead, bridge of nose, chin).

Step 3. Aimie then contoured Jamie’s face. She used Too Faced bronzer in Chocolate Soliel and drew a line from Jamie’s ear to her mouth, then blended very well with a large brush. She then added it to Jamie’s jaw and hairline. You’ll want to use bronzer on any of the places in your face that you want to go “inward”. She applied NARS Orgasm Illuminator on Jamie’s cheek bones and NARS Orgasm blush on the apple of her cheek, then used Mac Pearl Cream Colour Base down the bridge of Jamie’s nose, on her temples and on her cupid’s bow (above the lips) to bring those features “outward”.

Step 4. Moving onto the eyes, Aimie used Mac Lingering brow liner to define and enhance Jamie’s brows. She then applied Mac Pigment Shadow in Gift o Glamour all over Jamie’s lid. She used Mac Gold Mode and swept from the center to outer lid and Mac Satin Taupe along the top lash line and half way on the bottom lash line. She finished the shadow with Mac Ricepaper on the brow bone and blended it into the lid.

Step 5. Aimie used a lash curler and then applied L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes to Jamies upper and lower lashes.

Step 6. Aimie gave Jamie’s lashes a beautiful, finished look by applying Mac Lip Conditioner to the upper and lower lips, lined Jamie’s lips with Too Faced Perfect Nude liner and finished with Mac Lustreglass in Love Nectar on both the top and bottom lips.

This is a look you can take anywhere this spring or summer… a look that makes you look sun-kissed with a hint of glamor!

Photography by Kristyn LaPres

Heart Smile

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:00:36 +0000

By Cori Thackery (Guest Contributor)

I’m turning the big 3-0 this year, but I’m not freaking out. Sure, I feel a little intimidated that I can’t use “naiveity” as an excuse anymore, but mostly, I’m ready to get out of my 20s. I’m actually kind of looking forward to it. I’m ready to be a 30- something with confidence. I am done feeling sad and guilty. I have life experience. I might actually be able to give advice with purpose. I’ve been scorned and have survived. I’ve had some of the highest ups (my wedding, the birth of my daughter) and soul- crushing lows (death, depression). I’m going to be true to myself and not worry what other people think. I recently purchased this quote on a piece of art: “If it makes your heart smile, it’s the right decision.” This is my new mantra.

Even though it’s still 2 months and 24 days away, I’ve kicked off the anticipation of my 30th year by chopping off all my hair. My husband said (jokingly) that I look like Suze Orman. It got me thinking, maybe I DO need to be more like ‘ole Suze! She certainly doesn’t mind dispensing advice although it is hard to hear, but true. She is obviously confident, otherwise there is no way she’d walk out in public, on national television no less, with those flashy blazers she sports. I’ve realized, there are two ways of living – you can either stop fighting and succumb to the pressures around you, or you can push through the mud until you get to the other side. Believe me, I know how HARD it can be to fight. I’ve had numerous pity parties (reservation of 1) over the course of my life and have cried myself to sleep too many times to count. I know what it’s like to wake up only to dread seeing the sunlight because it means it’s time to face the harsh world once again, even if that means staying in your post-partum maternity yoga pants all day (and even if you’re well past the point of needing them). I know what it’s like to be so confused with the direction life has taken you thus far and not having any clue what would make you happy. You know what I also know? I know that it’s not living feeling that way. Your memories shouldn’t be a fog and you need to find someway to see the beauty of what’s around you. You know what makes my heart smile? My husband. My daughter. My ability to create.

I learned at a young age that life can be really &*%@ing unfair. When I was 11, my younger brother was diagnosed with Leukemia. I can tell you everything about the exact moment when I found out he had cancer. For the next 2.5 years, my memory seemed to have blocked out just about everything that happened. I couldn’t tell you who my teachers were, why my friends got into petty fights, or who was “going out” with who. Here’s a memory I do have: Being happy, coming from a good day at school only to walk into my house to hear my brother screaming. He had canker sores all in his mouth and refused to take his meds because of the pain. My parents were pleading with him, arguing with one another. The pit in my stomach returned and I could have kicked myself for being so stupid and enjoying my day when there was chaos at home and feeling guilty that I had fun when I should have been thinking about what I could do to help my brother. I remember being teased because my “friends” couldn’t just stop over. They couldn’t even have a remote sign of sickness, for fear my brother might get it. They had to take off their shoes, wash their hands, and basically douse themselves in bleach before we could hang out. When I think of those years, it’s like remembering a really bad, really long storm that hovered above our house. My brother was 7 when he died in 1996. I was only 13. I remember my mom, even after losing a child, made a decision to pick herself up off the ground (even when it seemed impossible) and make a happy life. I look at her approach to life, after losing her only son, and don’t know if I could do the same. But you have to – you have no choice. You have to pick yourself up and move forward. Do I still cry after 16 years because I miss my brother? Yup, I sure do. I’m sad for me and I’m sad for my mom and I’m sad my daughter will never know her uncle. I’ve made my choice – I will not live in the fog and I will make my life worth living.

A couple of years ago, I gave birth to the love of my life, Miss A. Of course, like any new parents, my husband and I had some rough patches during our on-the-job training in the first couple of weeks.. like maybe we shouldn’t turn on all of the lights when she wakes up every two hours and maybe we both don’t need to get up and maybe crying because my toast fell on the floor really isn’t the end of the world. I knew I was meant to be a mother, but I was definitely not prepared for post-partum depression. I was oh-so-tired, and sad, and overwhelmed, and I couldn’t relate to my child-less friends, and my husband was annoying, and I loved Miss A so much, but this was so much more work than I ever thought, like SO MUCH MORE WORK, and on and on and on… The best part of my first post-partum appointment (aside from getting an anti-depressant) was my Doctor reminding me to use a “back-up” birth control (like that was even an issue) and saying, “If you think you’re depressed now, just wait until you find out you’re pregnant again.. then you’ll REALLY want to jump off a cliff.” Yes, there were a bajillion hormones raging through my veins, but I sat on the table laughing hysterically while tears were still dripping down my face! Here I was again, years after my brother died, but I learned to muddle through this stage of my life too.. it was hard – it still is hard – except, now I’m just chasing a toddler who throws temper tantrums and I actually think I want to go through it all again. What can I say, she makes my heart smile.

Going through all of this crazy post-partum stuff was even more crazy because I was unemployed. Sometimes (depending on who I was talking to), I made my life sound more amazing than it actually was. “I’m a stay-at-home mommy!” In fact, to most people I made it sound more amazing. I still am so thankful that it allowed me to spend the first year of my first baby’s life at home, taking care of her and watching her grow right before my very eyes, but I wish that’s all I got to do. Some days were amazing and we would play and I would take 50 pictures of her staring at a ball because it was “SO CUTE!” Most days were much less amazing and I was freaking out because we had no money and I didn’t even have a prospect of a job lined up. I actually fulfilled a long-term substitute teaching position during my last trimester of pregnancy. The school was hiring for the same exact position I was teaching, but I didn’t get hired because I didn’t have enough “experience.” They were right – I didn’t have enough experience kissing rear ends, which was apparently on the invisible section of the job application. I went on another interview that summer and out of 3 final candidates and 2 positions, I was the one they decided against. So, what did I do? I wore my maternity yoga pants everyday. I rarely put makeup on. I ate crappy foods. I watched even more crappy television. I gained the “baby” weight that I lost when I was breast-feeding, so now it didn’t even have a cute name – it was just fat. Somehow, we got through it. My husband listened to me cry and we panicked together. I didn’t think I would though – eating ramen noodles for dinner sucks. ass. bigtime. Being an adult eating them out of necessity doesn’t have the same cute, nostalgic appeal as it did in college. We didn’t get to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary because I was working some sucky minimum wage job and half of my income went to daycare. I’m not too proud to say I’ve worked at Target, and although I could spend a month’s salary there, there is no joy to be had as an employee. My trainer was 19. My manager was 21. I was 27 with a Bachelor’s degree and half- way through my Masters. You do what you have to do.. to get to a point that makes your heart smile.

A constant throughout my 20s has been my crafts. I sew and make cute things out of fabric. There were times when I barely had enough money to pay for the art show fee, let alone supplies, but the money I made and the people who complimented me as an crafter and artist were amazing. I’ve sold my things all over the country online, in local shops, and I got licensed through a local univeristy to sell magnets. When I was feeling sad or depressed and didn’t want to even get dressed for the day, I would turn to my sewing machine & make something awesome. I watched Project Runway like it was my job and I hope to make my own clothes someday. Sewing and creating absolutely one- thousand times over makes my heart sing at the top of it’s little pink lungs! I’ve made cute headbands for my daughter. I’ve sewn curtains for our home (when I couldn’t afford fancy-schmancy ones in the store). I’ve made money at craft shows that made my mortgage payment, and then some. I buy one yard of fabric and make some beautiful. It makes my heart smile to share my craft with someone else.

So, where do we go from here? I got a job. My co-workers appreciate me. My husband loves me. My daughter still wants to be around me and thinks I’m fabulous (maybe a slight embellishment). We eat organic foods and healthy dinners. I have only a few close friends, but I love them like family. Do I have bad days? Oh yes. Am I sad? Sometimes. Am I ready to be a 30-something whose heart sings everyday? Absolutely.

What makes your HEART smile?

Top 5 Summer Trends!

Editor — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:38:48 +0000

By Hillary Ascroft (Guest Contributor)

Pastels, bright and bold floral prints – either a dress or a top paired with a dark skinny denim
Stripes are BIG for summer – anything striped – from tops, handbags & shoes
A mix of black and white patterns – always a classic
Pleated skirts or tops are a super HOT trend
Color blocking is a must for the season

Get on board with these summer trends!

Summer is here, ladies! It’s time to talk about our favorite thing…clothes. I have always considered myself somewhat of a trendsetter and I can say that I am very excited about the top 5 summer trends that Rosa Piccione, of Grand Rapids, shared with me.

According to Rosa of Rosa’s Closet, there are several trends that you need to be rocking this summer. First big trend is pastels, bright and bold floral prints; I am currently obsessed with pastels. A dress or top paired with a dark skinny jean is sure to make you look fantastic – I already bought a gorgeous mustard top from Rosa’s. Why not give fun colored denim a try? Show off those legs! Dress it down for day with a cute pair of flats, or dress it up for thenight out with a great pair of heels or boots.

Our second fabulous summer trend is stripes. If you’re thinking you can’t pull off stripes, don’t just think of shirts, tops and shorts. Think oversized handbags, beach bags, and shoes! A cute pair of striped wedges, who could resist?

The third summer trend is one that rules my closet, a mix of black and white patterns. Clean, crisp, and always a classic, you can’t ever go wrong with black and white. Match one of the other summer trends, such as pastels, with a crisp white tank, or a loose crop tee, and you’re ready for a day of shopping with the girls.

Coming in at number four are pleated skirts and tops. Show off those legs that you’ve been working on this spring in an adorable pleated skirt. This is something you will surely be able to rock at the office on a warm summer day and then still be able to hit the town after!

Our final summer trend is color blocking. I know you’ve all seen it done and some of you are probably thinking that you can’t pull it off. Trust me, I had the same thought until I tried on my first color block dress. Let’s just say I pulled a Rachel Zoe and said; “I die” and “bananas” multiple times, especially after I paired it with some amazing five inch heels. It’s scary at first but give it a shot; I know you will love it! Try it in everything from dresses to tops and swimsuits. When the blocking is done right it is going to make your body look bangin’….yeah I just said bangin’. Now get up and check your closet! If you don’t have at least one item in there that goes with these five summer trends, then call me! I always need a shopping partner and Rosa’s is the perfect destination for trendsetting fashion!

What Summer Trends are you dying over this summer?

Dining Out for Life

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:19:43 +0000

On Thursday, April 26, 2012, we are asking you, the community to Dine Out For Life in support of HIV/Aids services in Grand Rapids.

The Grand Rapids Red Project, an organization dedicated to creating awareness and educating individuals about HIV/AIDS and other life-altering diseases, will join more than 55 cities throughout the United States and Canada to raise money for local HIV/AIDS support organizations with its daylong Dining Out For Life® event.

Dining Out for Life® is an international fundraiser involving the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors, and restaurants. In support of The Grand Rapids Red Project’s Dining Out for Life® event, 23 restaurants throughout Greater Grand Rapids will donate a portion of each patron’s bill to the Grand Rapids Red Project. The establishments involved in the city-wide event are: Amore Trattoria Italiana, Bar Divani, Bartertown, Biggby Downtown, Bistro at Courtyard Marriott Grand Rapids, Blue Water Grill, Brewery Vivant, Brick Road Pizza, City Sēn at City Flats Hotel, Cygnus 27, Green Well Gastro Pub, Harmony Brewing Company, HopCat, Mangiamo!, McFadden’s, Red Jet Café, Noto’s Old World Italian, The Score, six.one.six at the JW Marriott, Skywalk Deli, Stella’s, Twisted Rooster and Viceroy.

“We are extremely grateful to our participating restaurants and generous sponsors,” said Tami VandenBerg, board president for The Grand Rapids Red Project. “Preventing HIV and supporting our neighbors who are HIV Positive benefits all of us, our entire community. We are fortunate to have such forward-thinking businesses in Grand Rapids.”

On April 26, Dine out and fight aids.

Why Katniss Kicks Ass

Chelsea Slocum — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:06:29 +0000

I know I might be a little late in the game on this, but I’ve got to chime in, Katniss kicks ass. Her hardcore, survival spirit coupled with her compassionate heart hooked me from page one. I had been hearing about The Hunger Games for months and tried desperately to download a copy from I-Books (this is only one of MANY books not available through Apple, why? Why I ask you!) Finally a friend let me borrow a tattered copy, one that many people had borrowed and loved. I was so excited! I had given up television for Lent (that didn’t last long) and was practically salivating to dive into The Hunger Games.

Without giving away the ending, though many of you have probably either read the book or seen the movie by now, the book is situated in a post-apocalyptic world divided up by districts and run by a tyrannical President. As a reminder of the wars of the past and the districts place of current subservience, two teenagers are selected annually from each district to compete to the death in a gladiator-like Hunger Games.

The book was great, it was better than great, it pulled me into a world of survival where cruelty was commonplace and Darwinism ruled. The unfairness within the districts was stark and I’m sure many English/Social Studies teachers have used this book as an opener into real world injustice and revolution discussions. The book itself is short and fast-paced. The dialogue and action scenes keep you at rapt attention. So many of my friends have said to me, “I’m not a reader though, I don’t do books.” This book is different, trust me. Using an alcohol related analogy (go with what you know) this book is like a shot of tequila. It’s not a fine wine that should be savored and sipped on. It’s a kick in your behind that makes you draw in your breath and yell WOOOOOO! I highly recommend it.

Have you read this book? Please share your thoughts on it below!

Other TML book reviews:

March Book of the Month: Who Fears Death

February Book of the Month: Bossypants

January Book of the Month: TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY

December Book of the Month: Room by Emma Donoghue

November Book of the Month: The Weird Sisters

Get Your Shop On With Lia Rose Boutique!

Kim Bode — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:41:53 +0000

Lia Rose is excited to announce the launch their online store!

All the styles and fashions you have grown to love are now available online to be shipped directly to your doorstep.

Lia Rose specializes in modern clothes that fit your lifestyle, budget and figure and represent timely, classic and ageless fashions for today’s women. New designs arrive every week, and each one is specifically created to fit a woman’s body and make you look and feel fantastic.

Customers will now be able to browse the many unique and contemporary fashions Lia Rose offers as well as a variety of accessories…all online.

Just for being a TML reader, type in promo code modelife20 at checkout and receive 20% off your purchase!

Visit www.liarosegr.com and get your shop on…all from the comfort of your home.

Become An Interior Designer: 5 Resources For Combining Color

Anna Donahue — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 12:00:42 +0000

Interior designers know how to combine colors the right way and you can learn a lot by checking into these resources I’ve found for you. Even if you don’t understand the technical side of color theory, you can get a lot of help by taking a look at these 5 simple suggestions.
Benjamin Moore’s Nuance Magazine has a new look at what the color combination trends are for today. Paint isn’t the only thing that designers look at when working with color. All elements of the environment come into play and that includes everything in the room! When you click on Nuance Magazine it will take you to an online version of the magazine. Click on the image and then click again on “English” to open the magazine and you can flip through the pages. You will be amazed by the absence of bright color on the walls and the presence of rich, warm color in all of the artwork, accessories and furniture. Notice how they are using different combinations of light paint color on the walls and trim.

Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer is a user friendly way to learn what color combinations will work best in your interior design project. When you are working on a design plan for a particular room, you can recreate your design on line with accurate color choices. It’s easy to switch out different color combinations too so you can see exactly how the colors will change the room.

Old House Journal’s Guide to Period Paints will educate you on many levels and give you tons of help with historic color combinations. If you have an old house or are helping someone restore or remodel an older home, this is the resource you need. Many paint companies also have historic paint color charts designed for period color theory.

Swatchbox is program you can download for free. You’ll be able to combine your own interior design plans with Benjamin Moore colors. This is another way to visualize your ideas and show exactly how your interior design project will look before the painting and decorating starts.

Benjamin Moore also has many different color selection tools including phone apps for matching colors. Check out this web page to get info on how to sign up for a free account with Benjamin Moore. You can order free color sample sheets that are much larger than the small paint chip samples we’re used to seeing. Sherwin Williams also has free color sample sheets available.

If you are serious about becoming an interior designer or if you want to learn more about how to decorate on your own, check into my website for all kinds of info!

My interor design blog has all kinds of free resources including all of the color sample ordering tools and apps for choosing the right color combinations for your projects.

Letter To My Younger Self – April

Shanna Anderson — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:39:58 +0000

Gosh Shanna, on one hand, there are so many things I want to tell you, but on the other hand, I want to keep it all a secret so as not to spoil the adventure. I want you to make mistakes- nearly all the mistakes that I made. Without that, you’re not going to turn into the same person writing you this letter. So I guess I’ll be selective and encouraging.

As I write this to you, I’m imagining you at about 14 or 15 years old and so let me start by telling you that you’re really awesome. And you turn out to be really really awesome with incredible friends, incredible experiences, and a life to be envied. Being a teenager is very tough and it’s awkward and embarrassing. You will screw a lot of things up, but overall, you make it through with flying colors. And just so you know how bad it gets (so you can cope with your dad buying you maxi-pads next week), I’ll share with you the most embarrassing thing that happens in your teens. You poop your pants. In public. In white linen pants. And now you not only laugh about it, you post it on the internet for the world to read. You don’t have to believe me, but if you take this to heart, don’t worry too much about being embarrassed about all the things that seem life ending now. In the future, you’ll laugh at them all.

One piece of advice that I hope you do take to heart though is, always be truthful. There are so many cool things about you. You don’t think so now, but please believe me as your older and wiser self, you’re very neat. Don’t lie about the things you wish you had or were. Getting caught in a lie is the real embarrassing stuff. Way worse than pooping your pants. So be truthful. Don’t over-share and brag, but be truthful.

Also don’t be too proud. You’re going to struggle with this. I still struggle with this. But I expect that in another 30 years, I’ll wish I wasn’t so proud and I’ll wish much more often, I’d just said I was sorry rather than stood my ground. You won’t be a pushover, I promise. But it’s OK not to win every time. You’re not right every time, I assure you. So around the people that love you and you know you can trust, be vulnerable and not too proud. Step down. You will live more peacefully with those you love.

Wear sunscreen. As I write this to you, I have wrinkles on my chest (and I’m not a grandma). I have to live with your mistake, so fix it! I know that mom nags you (and I agree that she looks like a pasty ghost so it’s hard to listen to her), but please do listen to her and wear sunscreen. If you wear SPF 30, you’ll still get color and be sunkissed, but you wouldn’t have burned and wouldn’t have left me the skin I have today, with sun spots, and markings that I scowl at. So please, go to the store and get sunscreen. Wear it on your face everyday and the rest of your body if you’re outside for more than a half our. Seriously.

SPOLER ALERT. You end up meeting and marrying a really great guy. I’m not going to tell you when or how, but he rocks. You decide to marry him because he’s exciting and full of adventure, and gives you a more fulfilling life than you ever imagined you’d have. And he moves heaven and earth to be with you. I want to tell you this, because I don’t want you wasting so much time worrying about boys, worrying if they’ll like you, and worse, trying to get them to like you if they don’t. I know that you will worry about that, but if you can fight it, don’t waste so much time on it. Flirt. Date. Fall in love. Even get heartbroken and cry hard. But just don’t worry too much about them or miss out on your life because you’re obsessing over them. I look back today and really wish that I’d enjoyed me, enjoyed my friends, enjoyed my experiences more and let the chips fall in regards to relationships.

Enough about advice, let me end by reassuring you about the things you’re doing right. You have a kind and compassionate heart and that’s a beautiful quality. Always stay nice.

Continue to live with passion and be transparent with others. Sometimes your emotions will be over the top and dramatic, but I’m really proud to look back and say that I loved people deeply, experienced things thoroughly and completely, and rarely held back my feelings. You’ll go too far sometimes, but I’m glad that I went too far rather than not enough.

Keep up the great posture! I know that boys and mean girls say it looks like you’re trying to show off your breasts, and I know this sounds like a mother, but the girls are just jealous and the boys are intimidated and just want to touch them. You end up tall, thin, and your boobs get way better. Keep standing tall- you’re going to be happy with your body in 15 years and will be so happy that you don’t slouch.

And on that note, hold your head high and be proud of who you are- I am proud of you! You’re in for the ride of your life and the next 15 years will be a momentous journey. Be a consistent friend. Be very willing to love others. Be safe, but also don’t say ‘no’ too often- be open for the adventures. One day soon, you’ll be in Africa (I know, cool, right?) and the waves will be huge, and the water the perfect temperature. Make sure that you jump in and body surf even though you didn’t wear a bathing suit. Your hair and clothes will dry and it will be a great memory. Enjoy the trip!

Letter To My Younger Self: Diana Racek

Letter To My Younger Self: Christine Simek

Letter To My Younger Self: Patti Pangborn

A Letter to My Younger Self: Adrienne Wallace

A Letter To My Younger Self: Annie Spence