Happy New Year's Eve to you! What a year, what a year 2019 has been. In this year, I leaned into creativity, rest, joy, sunshine, and what it looks like to be a daughter of God. He has cracked my heart and filled it so many times this year, and that is what the true growth is!
In 2019 I turned to Instagram to share content much more often than my blog, and to Instagram stories much more than posts in my feed! My first form of creativity is drawing and I LOVE manipulating words + fonts to make something beautiful. That's why sharing stories is my FAV. I feel I can be more real, too, (working on bringing more realness to "polished" posts), which makes it all the more fun. Stories are what they sound like -- storytelling. And telling a story is all I am trying to do with this blog.
However, stories are fleeting! And so I think that giving some of my favorites a permanent home through a yearly recap is the perfect way to reflect and share. I got the idea from my friend Gabby -- read her post here!
LET'S BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING!
I kicked off my year at SEEK - a conference for Catholic college students! It was SUCH an awesome experience shared with my best friends in Christ. The rest of January was spent getting re-acclimated to school (Google calendar always) and having fun with friends before the semester got too serious.
FEBRUARY
Starting to eat lunch + dinner at my sorority house was a very joy-filled part of 2019. I mean -- seeing my friends twice a day AND getting to eat a corndog in between classes? Sign me up.
Greg and I spent Valentines day in our local 24hr donut shop at 1AM because I had a TERRIBLE (and tearful) flight. But I made it home and we CELEBRATED in an imperfect but really quite lovely way.
Greg and I spent Valentines day in our local 24hr donut shop at 1AM because I had a TERRIBLE (and tearful) flight. But I made it home and we CELEBRATED in an imperfect but really quite lovely way.
I got to speak to my favorite student org, Fashion Board, about brand authenticity. What an honor!
I also soaked up some sun at USC and was reminded over and over of how lucky I am to get to live this life.
I spent a long weekend in Tennessee on this gorgeous lake for a FOCUS retreat. It felt like a deep breath for my entire life. Following the retreat was USC Fashion Week madness -- the most fun!
MARCH
Not a ton of Insta stories for March (busy time!) but two things happened that I'm really proud of.
1 - I wrote my favorite and most personal piece for The Everygirl and they even have me a graphic for the feature! Dream!
2 - I GOT SPONSORED BY A KOMBUCHA BRAND. Dream x2!
APRIL
I drank all of the above kombuchas, worked the MASTERS, and spent 7-8am every Thursday with my girls talking about life + Jesus. No complaints here.
I got to meet my family in Rosemary Beach for Easter and wore way too many tennis skirts despite playing no tennis.
MAY
I said some really hard goodbyes in May! The hardest being to my freshman year floor -- floor 6 you are missed!
I got home and immediately picked right back up with my best friend Caroline. I visited her at Miami University for her AMAZING final presentation of her entrepreneurship class and then spent her 20th birthday watching the sunrise while Greg made us chocolate chip pancakes on a roof. 5:30 wake up calls are welcomed when it's for this!
I started my summer internship which has been my favorite job to date. Creative freedom for all social media channels of a fashion business? SIGN ME UP. I did some of my other favorite job, babysitting these cute kiddos, as well!
JUNE
Greg and I met up with my cousin Grace in Chicago to see Anderson.Paak in concert! We SPRINTED to get front row spots and it totally paid off.
Doing all the summer things!
Greg turned 21 and I made him this cooler (my pride and joy).
JULY
Had lots of sister dates to coffee shops and the pool. Embraced my summer queen lifestyle!!!
VISITED A LAVENDER FARM (best time ever).
Went back to my happy place in Michigan. I learn a lot from slow lake days!
More summer fun shopping with my friend Ashley!
AUGUST
August was a very long very warm blur. Recruitment happened, and although I wasn't a fan I still got to spend lots of time with friends!
SEPTEMBER
New York Magazine flattered me by asking me questions for one of their "ask a cool person" articles. Does this make me objectively cool? The jury is still out. I also got to visit Charleston with my girls and eat biscuit sandwiches as big as Charleston itself.
A TRUE DREAM COME TRUE! New York Fashion Week. AHHHHH! Still not over it, still don't really believe it happened. Here are pictures to remind me of the best time of my life.
Greg visited and I took him to his first SEC football game! And went to an ADPi Tacky Prom function with my cute little. Wholesome college fun!
OCTOBER
Celie and I went to our jungle themed mixer together as a last hurrah before fall break.
Fall break was awesome! Catching up with my friends (and my dogs) is the best thing.
USC continued to flirt with me every day, making me fall more and more in love with the school!
NOVEMBER
Cute coffee shops, breakfast sandwich runs, semiformal, and finally signs of fall!
DECEMBER
Said some super hard goodbyes in December (I'm studying abroad next semester!) but also said lots of happy hellos to my hometown faves! Who couldn't just love December and all of its festivity?
If you made it this far, I am impressed! Thank you for that. Please let me know in the comments your favorite little moment from 2019!
Stay sunny & all the best in 2020!
Meg
