Feeling Alive at 25

On my 25th birthday I look back at my quarter century of life with gratitude to God, first and foremost, and reflect on what has gotten me where I am. Throughout my 25 years of life I have a few lessons learned, and believe in the following:

1. Be genuine: always act and express yourself in a way that is true to your core. Sometimes we have to make a poker face, and hold back, but always try your best to be genuine.
2. Always set high goals: With planning skills, determination, and a support system, never stop setting high goals to reach.
3. Be kind: several of my family members are the perfect example of this. While I was growing up, I wasn't the kindest, nicest or most approachable person. I considered myself "too cool" for others that weren't my friend, or hadn't already received that status from high school society. As I look back, I  know I made some people feel bad about themselves and I didn't realize that until now that I am older. Since then, I have committed to be a more kind person who recognizes the need to treat individual with kindness.
4. Be thankful: This year I had all of my family come and help me with my home remodeling/ reconstruction. I was so impressed, thankful and felt so loved when they came to help me. This three month renovation was such a blessing that I still do not know how to express my gratitude. This is an extreme example of gratitude, but I continue to be thankful for the small things in life.
5. Play your part; things don't work on a one-way street: Being in a marriage I have realized how much being part of a team really matters to success. Sometimes I need to put my pride aside and compromise.
6. Smile.. A LOT!
7. Laugh.. A LOT!
8. Forgive: This continues to be a point of improvement, but forgiveness is a big part of everyone's life, and necessary. I've realized you don't forgive for the other person, but forgive for yourself.
9. Exercise regularly: This helps me with stress relief and of course to look good!
10. Time is precious: Everyday it seems that my days get shorter. As I look into every week and every day, I try to plan everything so that I can maximize my time. The more I plan my week, the more I accomplish and feel proud. I share my personal Google Calendar, Evernote and use Wunderlist to help me get organized. These are also great tools for Favio and I to share tasks and plan social commitments.
11. Take risks!: This has been one that I continue to make a priority because I prefer to have things done "safely". My biggest risk was taking on my current role at work. When I accepted, I wasn't sure how I was going to do it. With my leadership team's trust and support I have been able to manage my job on my own for over a year. Today, the biggest risk I am taking is sharing my blog out with the world.
12. Surround yourself with people who believe in you!
13. Experiences last longer than things: As I've gotten older, my taste has gotten simpler, but my curiosity more and more complex. I have realized that memories, experiences, and relationships are a more valuable place to invest my money.
14. It's ok to fail: This one was tough, especially since I am a perfectionist. Hearing "no" and "you should reconsider" are tough phrases for me. Over time I have realized that these phrases are actually something I am grateful for. When time goes by and all you hear is "everything is great", I feel like I am not learning. I now see "failure" as an opportunity to grow and learn.
15. Trust God's timing: I always want things my way, when I want them and how I want them. As I've gotten older I've realized that things happen for a reason, at a certain time. I've been working on being patient and recognizing that certain things are out of my control. Those that are in my control, I can worry about. Those that are not, are in God's hands, and his timing will take care of the resolution.
16. Put your family first: This year I have gotten even closer to all of my family members. I have realized that they are there for me at any point in my life to help me out and make me happy. 
17. Make a positive impact: Anything that you do in life should be done with a positive outcome in mind, that will both benefit you and others; think win-win.
18. Admit your are wrong: I am still working on this one, but it is important to admit you are wrong and take responsibility and accountability even when it is negative and you are wrong.
19. Stay true to the moment of choice: As described by Dr. Covey, if you decide to accomplish a task, spend time with someone, or do anything else with your time, stay true to what you choose. With a society that moves so quickly, focus is an acquired skill. 
20. Always kiss your spouse hello and goodbye: Always let your significant other know that you love them and appreciate them. What better way than a kiss before you leave them, and when you see them. A little affection goes a long way.
21. Share your knowledge: We are in a social society where it is essential to share information with others in order to be successful. I believe that, the more that people know, the farther we can get in life as a society.
22. Be an overachiever: I believe that you need to work harder and accomplish more than is expected of you.  If you push your skillset further, you will advance even if it is by small increments.
23. Find a job you love: I have always wanted to have a job where I can help people and have found that in my current field- I help people enjoy their jobs and businesses solve problems by capitalizing on people's skills. These are things that make me happy and excited to continue to learn about my field.
24. Dance: This is not only for fun, but for stress relief, expression and because you can't just stand around when you hear that beat!
25. Explore!: I love to travel, be outdoors and explore different areas in life. This is what keeps me curious and fulfills me. 

As I move into my last 5 years of my 20's I plan to continue to learn, explore and LIVE!

Giving our home personality

When I think of someone's personality, who they are, what they love, who they love, what is important to them, I think about the experiences they have had. Most people remember experiences by taking pictures, taking a video or even holding keepsakeswith them that remind them of that moment. Unfortunately, my home doesn't reflect any people or experiences at this point and that is something I am committed to improving on.

One of the most important moments in my life was my wedding, last year, which I have A TON of pictures of! I have been wanting to display them in my home, but hanging pictures has been SUCH a chore because I am a bit of a perfectionist. It has to be the perfect frame, the perfect color and the perfect size. Not to mention that it is a chore to go get my pictures printed. The best option is to send your pictures to be developed through a store's website.

Anyways! I finally got my giant wedding picture framed at Michael's. Their framing services are expensive, but offer warranty, security, and very professional services, so I would recommend them. After going through several options of frames, I chose a frame that was on sale. I then looked at options for an inside frame and noticed that it gave the picture more depth, so added a light beige colored internal frame and chose a custom, super awesome glass  (Conservation Masterpiece) where you can't even tell it is covering the photo.  With all of these upgrades, thankfully they had a sale and I ended up paying $250.

When they told me the price, I almost backed out! I thought the price was ridiculous. Favio and I were at Michael's staring at the picture and talked about possibly taking it elsewhere. We talked about the importance of displaying our special day in our home, what it meant to us, and what we wanted to share with those who walked in. We decided to make the jump and get it framed. A few weeks later, we had the picture back in our hands and it was worth every penny!

The tricky part was actually getting to hang the photo, yet another obstacle and decision in the process. I decided to share some tips with you on how to hang your pictures.

Hanging pictures 101

Step 1:  Decide where the picture goes

This is the most important piece of hanging your photo. Going back to the premise of this post, you want to make sure that you are giving the right impression of your personality, and what is important to you. In our case, our marriage represents commitment, love and eternal friendship and partnership. Our special day is something that we want very present and visible in our home, so we chose to hang it on the wall you see as soon as you open the front door. When choosing your frame, think about your house colors and location of the frame. Of course it needs to look good with the photo, but also needs to fit with your home.

Step 2: Get the right tools! 

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Step ladder, drill, stud finder, screws and measuring tape. Considering my wall is small, I chose not to use a level and judge level by eye's view.

Step 2: Measure your picture dimensions

In order to even know if your picture is going to fit on the designated wall, you need to measure it's dimensions.

Step 3: Measure the frame's dimensions in relationship to the spacing of the wall

When you have decided on the wall that you want to hang your photo, you need to decide the spacing on the wall. We decided that we wanted it centered on our small wall, so measured the length of it and marked the center spot.

Step 4: Mark your screws!

In order to get the frame centered both horizontally and vertically, measure where the string is in relationship to the frame. In my case, the string was 6 inches from the top, so I knew that I needed to get the screws in the wall horizontally, and vertically.

Step 5: Find a STUD! (my husband says I'm really good at this... since I found him)

In order to ensure that your picture is going to hang properly, you should use your stud finder to find a stud to support your photo. If your experience was like ours, and you weren't able to find a stud directly in the center of the picture, go to Plan B.

Step 5: Find a STUD! - Plan B

So, we were on a mission to find a stud in the middle of the wall but weren't successful, so we realized that our frame had a string in the back the length of the frame. We drilled the holes directly horizontal to each other so that the frame can hang from two spots, and also be secure on the stud.

Step 6: Photo Hanging Party!

Once you have your screws in, you can mount the photo and double check the spacing and level. Hopefully you have a successful looking photo and have added some personality to your home. 

I will continue to add some love, and personalization to our home and will keep you posted! :)