Archives for October 2019

October 31, 2019 by Elle

19 GOING ON 20

It’s ma birthday!!! Thank you to everyone who has made me feel so loved today! I seriously have felt so much overwhelming love by so many amazing people and I just feel so blessed!!! I love you all <3

Today I wanted to share just two (out of many!!!) things I have learned in my 19th year. Looking back, this year has been so crazy good, full of so many amazing things & a few lil’ bumps in between. But hey, who said perfect was any fun anyways?! 😉

God is truly so good. And when I say that, I mean it. I’m learning to release so much stress I have always put on myself to “figure it all out” & just trust that there is a plan for my life. There is a plan for my future. And I can rest & find peace in knowing that I do not have to have it all figured out. It’s not my job. What is my job? To live faithfully, take bold risks, be kind, apologize when I have done wrong, and to use the blessings I’ve been given for good.
It’s the small moments that matter. The long walks with my mom, the phone calls with a friend from home, the dorm room dance parties with my besties, the conversations with a professor during office hours, listening to my favorite song on the radio while singing my heart out with my sisters, reading a good book, hugging an adorable baby real tight, and just simply being present… those are the moments that matter. I’m only 19 (well, 20 now!!! Ahh!), but I’m realizing just how much I need to be soaking in all the seemingly small moments that are what will matter in the end. I don’t want to live a single day of this life I’ve been given with focus on anything that doesn’t truly matter (easier said than done, I know), but this year I’ve really had my eyes opened to that. And as I continue into this next year here on earth, I am going to be even more diligent than ever to just soak up all the sweet little moments life has to offer me. 🙂

I’m so grateful for you, year 19. And 20, I’m ready for ya!!! Let’s kick some booty!

Always,

Elle

P.S. Below was one of the top moments of my 19th year: experiencing the Kendra Scott car. Y’all know how much I love Kendra. And this car?! Incredibleee!!!

October 25, 2019 by Elle

ELLE’S EVERY WEEK (pt. 3)

Lil’ break from the blog but we’re back, ladies & gents!!!

So, let’s get into the updates. To be honest with you, I had a tiny bit of writer’s block the past week! And perfectionism was kicking in! And I just felt stuck with my writing. After some time reflecting & realizing that my perfectionistic tendencies were preventing me from writing, I kicked it right in the booty, opened my laptop, and began typing away. Stay tuned for a bunch of posts coming WOOHOOO!!

My every week, pt. 3:

As I write this, my sisters are en route to come visit me!!! And Hunter Hayes is coming to TCU tonight!!! WHAT! I love Hunter Hayes so much. “Wanted” & “I Want Crazy” are my fave songs of his. They are just so good. So, I’m SUPER excited about that. I can’t wait for my sissies to come & we get to cuddle up in my twin bed & watch A Cinderella Story (Hillary Duff edition, of course) and go around Fort Worth and have so much fun.
Kanye West’s new album (“JESUS IS KING”) is so dang good. Wow. I am actually blown away by the number of secular music artists who are singing about God’s impact on their lives. How cool is it that we live in a world where people of all backgrounds, all religions, all pasts, & all stories can come together and create music & art & writing & so many things that bless the lives of others. It is so awesome to me. And I only hope I can be someone who bridges together people of all faiths while sharing the impact the Lord has had on my own life.
Instagram accounts I’m recently loving: @tombilyeu & @lisabilyeu. They’re a power couple who founded Quest Nutrition (ya know those chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars I love so much that I wrote about a couple weeks ago?! YEP, these people founded that brand!) who also are in the personal development realm and they have so much wisdom. They are so motivated & driven & love each other so well and have so many tips to make your life the best it can be.
Let’s see… what have I not updated you guys on since the last every week?! Well, I went home for fall break and it was SO GOOD and restful and I loved being with my fam. Then last week/this week was all about getting back into the grind of things & finding my way back to having structure and routine and all the things that come with college (and really, life in general) PLUS some fun things with friends! It’s so funny because when you get to college and you’re living with people who you also go to school & church & all the things with, not seeing them for four days feels like a century! If you’re a college student living at school, I’m sure you can relate to this!
I am working on a project that I am hoping to share within the next month or so… EEEPPP!!! It’s a surprise (cue monkey emoji covering its eyes) but I can’t wait to share it with you!
I am realizing just got crazy good life is. We’re about to get deep (typical me), but truly just wow! Guys, how amazing is it that we get to live this life! And that despite any hardship or hurt or challenge, God is making all things good. Keep trusting in that, friend.

That’s all for this week! Catch up with you soon xoxo

Always,

Elle

P.S. AN AMAZING BFF OF MINE SENT ME THIS CANVAS FOR MY BIRTHDAY AND I HAD TEARS WHEN I GOT IT! ISN’T IT SO BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! All caps needed were needed to describe my excitement <3

October 11, 2019 by Elle

ELLE’S EVERY WEEK (pt. 2)

My every week: part two!!!

Oh my gosh the past couple weeks have been so fun. Last week was Theta initiation week and we had lots of fun initiation festivities- it was so sweet. Then, Saturday night was our formal at the Texas Rangers Ballpark (so cool!!!) and Sunday we had Theta brunch at the Reata rooftop (an amazing place in downtown Fort Worth overlooking the city). Basically, it was packed TO THE MAX with so many awesome things & cute pictures & it was just the best. Definitely still catching up on sleep though. 🙂

2. My friend Meredith has an amazing podcast–A Genuine Girl– that I looove to listen to every week. This week, she talks all about “how to be less busy” and how to make time for the things you love. It is SO GOOD. Link here.

3. I get to see my fam this weekend WOOHOOOO!!! I am just so beyond excited to snuggle up on my couch with hot tea and watch Eat, Pray, Love with my mom & sisters (I literally have told like every person I know that I so badly want to watch this movie & I can finally watch it & I am so dang happy.) I just love Julia Roberts in this movie so much & just want to live in Bali and do yoga for a year and travel to Italy and live on a sanctuary in India.

4. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 has really been on my heart recently. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs.”

Wow. Whenever I read this words I just feel God close to me. Maybe you are a Christian or maybe you are Jewish or Muslim or maybe agnostic–the list goes on– but I hope we can all read this and see what the perfect representation of love is. No matter our differences, I believe that this love that is described in the Bible is the kind of love that would heal wounds, overwhelm hearts, and bring us all closer together. I so deeply desire to be loved this way & to love this way. To love in a way that is patient & kind & in a way that keeps no records of wrongs. I don’t know about you, but I surely need to be reminded of how I can love the best I possibly can. And how comforting it is to know that we are loved by a Creator that will never fail us, a Creator who will never leave our side and who reminds us that love never ever ever fails.

5. Okay, so I really want a pair of over-the-knee black boots. So random, I know. But I don’t know the best places to look!!! DSW?! Steve Madden?! Do any of you have knee high black boots that you love?! Tell me where I should look in the comments! Help a girl out <3

That’s all for this week! Have the best weekend xo

Always,

Elle

P.S. Pics from all these fun things I mentioned (+ more) below 🙂

Back row: bigs, front row: littles <3 love y’all so much

Me & Em after we ran (literally) to Nektar at 8:50 PM and then got locked in the store cause the door broke. LOL.

October 11, 2019 by Elle

ON HYPING YOUR GIRLS UP.

“Elle, thank you for always being a consistent commenter on my Instagram posts. I know it is kind of silly, but it means so much to me to know that you will always hype me up when I post something. Even though I try not to care about likes and comments, I do.”

This was a recent conversation I had with a friend. Little did I know that my friend telling me this would inspire this very blog post to come about.

Haven’t we all been there though?! The dance of posting, trying not to care about how the post “does”, but yet still looking for likes & comments to validate how good the picture is or how we look in the picture and just all the things. I have talked with twelve year olds who have just downloaded Instagram for the first time and sixty year old women who only post photos on Facebook and it seems we all are swept up in this, regardless of age.

You see, for awhile I was solely trying hard to help the girls around me stop seeking validation from everyone else. I was also trying so hard to stop myself from seeking validation from everyone else. And while I fully believe that it is SO important that we do not look to others to define our worth (p.s.- planning a blog post all about this topic), I also believe that we are called to be the kind of friends and girls/women who cheer each other on. The kind of women who give the compliments on Instagram; who scream loud and jump up & down when something good happens to someone else; who tell other girls how beautiful they look in that dress.

And so, I am now writing a blog post about why you should take the time to cheerlead the women around you. When people ask me why I believe it is SO important to comment & like & send the encouraging text, I tell them this:

The world is going to try to tell us there isn’t enough good to go around. That we as girls must “compete” for a limited amount of beauty & brains & boys & experiences & all. the. things.

I’m here to tell you that this is a lie. There is UNLIMITED good in this world. We were each created by a God who gave us unique gifts & strengths that may look absolutely nothing like the women around us. Her beauty & her brains & her accomplishments do not in any way lessen the amount of value you have in this world, sweet friend.

And so, to combat this competition and scarcity mindset, I set out on a mission to be the most encouraging, hype-girl person to everyone around me I can possibly me. Am I perfect at it? No. Does it take time to figure out what type of encouragement specific women (& men) in your life need? Yes. But I can tell you what, it doesn’t hurt to at least try. Even though we may try to fight it, we all desire to be complimented & encouraged & rooted on by the other girls in our life.

Today I want to encourage you to encourage at least ten women in your life. Celebrate someone’s accomplishment or just shout out something you love about them on your Instagram story. Send that text message letting that girl know how INCREDIBLE she looked in that dress. Comment on that other girl’s Instagram letting her know she’s a queen. Tell your mom how FREAKING AWESOME she is doing. Maybe, just maybe, become a consistent Instagram commenter like I am. It seems small, and maybe Instagram comments don’t mean anything to you, but I can tell you what, it sure as heck means something to another girl somewhere. Maybe even your sister or mom or best friend who needs words of affirmation to feel loved. Show the world that women are here to publicly cheer each other on, not to tear each other down.

HYPE YOUR GIRLS UP. I know, I’ve used caps a lot in this post. But I can not emphasis this enough. Hype them up, ladies. Start getting in the habit of constantly encouraging the women around you. I promise you, your encouragement to her doesn’t in any way diminish the absolutely amazing light shining inside of you. Instead, your encouragement to girls around you makes all of our lights shine even brighter. And I don’t know about you, but this world needs each and every single woman’s light to shine bright for all to see.

Let’s all be the biggest hype girls we know. Just think of the impact we’ll make.

Always,

Elle

P.S. – This is my momma & she is FREAKING AMAZING!!! <3 & so beautiful, am I right?!?!

October 2, 2019 by Elle

ELLE’S EVERY WEEK (pt. 1)

My first edition of my every week!!! I love sharing random thoughts & updates about my week and life and thought it’d be fun to start a new weekly post about everything on my heart & mind. Some of it might be deep, some of it might be downright silly, some of it might be the most random thing ever. But, hey, I guess that is kind of how I am in real life, too (lol). Without further a due…

Lately I am OBSESSED with morning workouts. I used to be more of an afternoon/evening worker-outer (is that a word?) but the past few weeks I have been so into getting up early and starting my day with a workout. I have been reading up a ton on the benefits of working out in the morning and have felt all of them: clear mind, increased energy, better mood, ALL. OF. IT. Guys, if you can even squeeze in a thirty minute walk in the mornings, I promise it’ll feel so good and start your day on the right foot. Also, I feel like I am 100000% more creative when I workout in the mornings… not sure why, but I get a lot of great ideas while power walking on the treadmill (4.0 speed, 6.0 incline).
Do you ever think about people living in the teeny tiny villages on remote islands? What their life is like, what they eat, what their daily routine looks like, etc. Welcome to a peek into my brain. It is always so crazy to me that this world has over 7 billion people and some of us have only ever lived in one place their whole life and some of us have traveled to a bajillion places and yet we are all human and all live in this world.
Last week was big/little reveal week for my sorority and oh my gosh, IT WAS SO FUN. We delivered baskets for three days filled with alllll the fun treats & t-shirts & lil gifts and then on the 4th day, we have a big reveal. We decorated my big’s car with tons of pink heart balloons (typical me hehe) and Maddie (my LITTLE!!) ran out and we took tons of pics and were soooo happy & then we went to dinner at HG SPLY Co. (one of my faves in Fort Worth). It was the best. My sweet little is absolutely amazing and I am so blessed. It is so fun to build a relationship amongst your sorority fam and have someone from a different stage of college get to pour into you & love you and then you get to pour into & love each of them. Ugh I just love it. <3
Quest Cookie Dough bars. I love them. That is all.
I am trying to do something for personal development everyday, whether it is reading or listening to a podcast or just actively writing out my intentions for my life & day. I firmly believe that God has given us gifts & abilities and has an incredible plan for us, but we have to choose to follow it.

Always,

Elle

P.S.– Here’s me & my sweet Carla in Nicaragua. I miss this precious angel so much. <3

Archives for October 2019

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