January 11, 2016

Antietam National Battlefield – Happy New Year!

Elizabeth H. Boots, Shoe Bliss, Uncategorized Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor sweater, ann taylor tunic sweater, Antietam Battlefield, Antietam National Battlefield, Battle of Antietam, brown leggings, cream tunic sweater, Fashion Blogger, History Blogger, nine west, nine west boots, nine west brown boots, nine west tailor booties, Shoe Blogger, Washington DC, whbm, whbm leggings, White House Black Market, White House Black Market leggings 4 Comments

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a great New Year’s Eve!  There was a time when I liked to dress up in a sexy pair of heels and dance the night away.  Now, I prefer quieter evenings at home.  I tend to fall asleep around 10PM, but I set my alarm for 11:58PM.  This way, I wake up in time to watch the ball drop and wish everyone a Happy New Year.  🙂

I love the feeling of a new year.  There is hope and opportunity that feel just within grasp.  All I need is a pair of stiletto heels to be tall enough to reach them!  😉  Of course, this was not always my attitude.  I used to avoid change, but the problem with avoiding change is that it happens anyway.  What I quickly learned is that the only constant in life is change.       

In the Summer of 2005, I had to find a new job because the airline I was working for was relocating to Arizona.  I also finally applied to graduate school after many years of ignoring my desire to pursue an MBA because of my fear of failure and my fear of success.  

Within weeks, I had a new job and admittance to the University of Maryland.  These joyful changes were quickly followed by heartbreaking changes.  My boyfriend and I parted ways after many years together.  Then, my dad was diagnosed with cancer of the small intestine.  It was a lot to deal with to say the least.

Yet, I persevered with the help of a new friend I met in grad school.  His mom survived breast cancer so he understood the emotional roller coaster I was going through watching my dad suffer through his cancer (he survived, thank God!).  My dear friend was a Godsend. 

He changed my outlook on life.  “I can’t…” became, “How can I…”  He also taught to me to think of life in terms of 3 buckets:

• Bucket A – I have 100% control of the outcome
• Bucket B – I have some control of the outcome depending on my influence on other variables involved
• Bucket C – I have no control of the outcome; so acknowledge and move on

Practicing this new way of thinking changed my life!  He inspired me to wake up from my robotic slumber.  To cease dwelling on things I could not control (Bucket C) and live life with passion and purpose.  This blog is certainly a beautiful result of this new way of thinking and I will be forever grateful crossing paths with this man.    

I hope you will make this your best year yet!  Be that phoenix rising from the ashes and take the road less traveled.  Get away from the perpetual fog of everyday routine as that one change might make all the difference!

Have a wonderful week.  🙂 

Lizzy’s Latest for this week is the Nine West Tailor booties.  I will give my review of these boots on Wednesday.  For now, enjoy the pictures from the Antietam Battlefield!  🙂