One Year of Faith & Fancy!

Today, January 6th, officially marks one full year of blogging! I cannot believe it. What a year it has been!

I don't remember the exact moment in time that I decided to start back up after a two year hiatus, but I think the stress of nursing school, the heartbreak of a crumbling relationship, and more than anything a desire to express the more creative side of myself were all significant factors in that decision. I still very vividly remember writing that 'Hello Again' post, which is still one of my favorites to this day. Little did I know that that post would be the first of many, and was the start of something that has truly brought me so much happiness over the past year. Faith & Fancy has allowed me to explore and express the more creative side of myself that I don't think many people, including myself, knew was there. Although it is not my career, I feel like it has allowed me to discover my own little niche, and I am forever thankful for that. The decision to bring back Faith & Fancy was one of the best decisions I made in twenty sixteen.

It has been a year of happiness, but it has also most certainly been a year of growth and much learning. Every so often I will look back at those early posts and cringe just a tad at the questionable choice of filters on pictures shot on an iPhone. However, it shows me just how far I've come in what has really been a short amount of time. At the beginning of Faith & Fancy, I had no idea not only about the very technical side of blogging, but I also had no idea just how much time I would have to put into learning it all. Little did I know that I would have to teach myself all about the world of Photoshop, Lightroom, HTML code, and DSLR cameras. It took a lot of trial and error and practice, and I am by no means a pro in any of these things, but I am proud of how far I have come and excited for all that is yet to be learned!

On January Sixth of last year, I was completely naive to the amount of time, money, and effort I would have to put into this new found love of mine. Time and money were both something I didn't have much of while in nursing school, but the desire was there and thus the effort always followed. Despite the limited free time I was working with, I knew that if I tried and just trudged along, my efforts would be worth it. To me I was happy to just get a couple posts up a week, sometimes less, but I knew that eventually all three aspects would come together. Although time is something I definitely have more of these days, I'm still working on the money aspect! Eventually all three will come together and I look forward to seeing the growth that will occur when they do. For now, effort is most important in my book, and I promise there most definitely is no shortage of it here!

Most importantly thank you all. Thank you for your kind words and endless support over the past year. It really means the world to me and I am so grateful. It brings me so much happiness to be able to share the things that bring me joy, words of wisdom, highs and lows of life, pretty and tasty things, adventures, and everything in-between with you. I think I would continue to blog even if no one bothered to read it, however knowing you all enjoy following along makes it that much sweeter. Thank you!

In that very first post, I said that Faith & Fancy "Will serve not only as source of happiness for me, but it is my hopes that it will do the same thing for you". Here we are a year later, and it is still my hope that Faith & Fancy not only provides you with a source of happiness but also a dose of inspiration and shot of zest. I hope you continue to stop by and follow along in this adventure of mine, I love having you along for the ride. Thank you for the sweetest of years. I look forward to many, many more.

Much love, Gretchen.

Below I'm Sharing Some of My Favorite Highlights from the Past Year!

January // Said Hello Again and shared some of my Skincare Favorites

February // Talked about Love Notes and Valentine's Day and tried a New Restaurant

March // Daydreamed of a Tropical Paradise, shared my First Outfit Post, and got personal About the Future

April // Reviewed one of my Favorite Mascaras and shared my Running Essentials

May // Finally tried SoulCycle and talked about the inspiration behind the Name 'Faith & Fancy'

June // Completed and posted my 101 in 1001 list and told you all about my Go-To Eye Cream

July // Talked about Perspective, getting the perfect Summer Glow, and Seersucker Bikinis

August // Revealed my favorite Summer Getaway, shot the cutest Summer Clutch, and prepared for a Thirty Day Trip

September // Talked about What I Had Learned, went on that Trip to Europe which included London and Paris

October // Came home with So Much Gratitude, wrote about Italy, France, and Spain, and shared this Red Lip

November // Celebrated my Twenty-Third Birthday, revealed our Bathroom Renovation, and talked about Gratitude

December // Welcomed the Holiday Season, crafted a Holiday Cocktail and Gifts, thanked and said Goodbye to 2016

What a year it has been! I am blessed and look forward to all that is to come! 

xo. G

New Year's Resolutions

 

Ah, those good old New Year's Resolutions. I feel that there are two very different camps when January first roles around and the term 'resolutions' is making a much more frequent appearance. There are those who could care less about resolutions and have a 'why bother' attitude, and then there are those who are all gung-ho about making quite the list of resolutions. And then there is me -  I fall somewhere in the middle of that.

I feel there are definitely benefits to making resolutions come the new year, as long as what you choose are quality resolutions. By quality resolutions, I mean that they are personal to you and not just the cliché resolutions you hear every year. In order to determine what those resolutions are, it requires you to take a moment and really reflect on yourself. I think self reflection is important all throughout the year, but especially when getting ready to take on a New Year. What better way to enter into a New Year than by looking at ways to better yourself and put your best foot forward! That is my plan at least, and below I am sharing the resolutions that will allow me to do that. Enjoy!

1. Say Yes More // This is one of my favorite resolutions this year and has been something I had been thinking about a lot leading up to the New Year. My trip to Europe back in the fall most definitely is the inspiration for this resolution, as I feel I said yes to so much on that trip. Even the things I felt iffy about doing or had reservations about, and guess what happened? - I didn't regret a single one thing I said yes to and ended up so happy I did it. Yes of course I was travelling and that isn't the most accurate representation of real day to day life, but I figured that only good things could result if I you're brave enough to just say yes. So in 2017 that is exactly what I am going to do. I am going to say yes - to new opportunities, new people, and new adventures. What is there to lose?

2. Read Before Bed // I am really going to try and be better about reading before bed this year. There are always so many books I want to read, but I just don't seem to make the time to sit down and actually read. Not only will reading before bed give me the time to actually read some of the books I've been wanting to, but it is also a much better alternative to mindlessly scrolling through Instagram before bed. It's a win-win!

3. Drink More Water // This one pretty much goes without an explanation. There are so many benefits  from drinking water, and I want to strive to be better with my hydration through plain old water! With all the super cute water bottles these days, and tasty ways to stay hydrated there are no excuses!

4. Journal on a Regular Basis // Another New Year's Resolution inspired by my travels around Europe. As you know I journaled myself through my month long adventure, and was so happy that I did. I now have a book of memories that I can always look back upon for the rest of my life. I don't want to only be able to look back upon trips I've taken, but I want to be able to look back upon all different aspects of life. Not only will journaling allow me to do that, but writing in and of itself is good for the soul!

5. Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle // Not to make excuses but between the hustle of nursing school, a month in Europe, and the recent holidays, twenty sixteen was definitely the year I strayed a bit from the healthier lifestyle I usually strive for. It is nothing I feel bad about, and to be honest with all I had going on last year I am happy to have even kept up with working out as much as I did, but I definitely want to get back on track this year! I value living a healthy lifestyle and feel it is something that should be strived for year round. With the new year upon us I plan on doing just that!

6. Set Goals More Frequently // I am a firm believer in goal setting. Setting goals (and actually writing them down) is one of the best ways to actually accomplish them. I think the best way to do that is to take your 'big' goals and break it down into smaller goals. By accomplishing those smaller goals you are steadily getting closer to accomplishing the big goals! I definitely always have big goals floating around in my head, but I want to be better about making those smaller ones. Twenty seventeen you are going to be the year of smashing those goals!

7. Be More Punctual // I'll admit it, I am guilty of not being the most punctual person in the world. It's not so much that I am always late for things, but more that I get to wherever I am going just in the nick of time - aka I always feel like I'm rushing around to get to wherever I'm going on time. No good. The start of twenty seventeen felt like a good time to break this bad habit!

8. Make that Extra Effort with Friends // Anyone who is out of college knows that getting together with friends post-grad is hard! The days of walking down the hall to hang out with friends is (sadly) long gone, and with people all over the map, doing all sorts of exciting things, it is hard to coordinate schedules. Hard, but not impossible! With a little effort it can most definitely be done - it just takes that little extra. Even if it is difficult to get together in person, making the effort to shoot a friend a 'thinking of you' text or even picking up the phone and calling them can be such a meaningful gesture.

What are some of your New Year's Resolutions for 2017? I'd love to hear! 

xo. G

Hello January and Hello 2017!

Can you believe that we are officially in January of twenty seventeen! I need to keep pinching myself because I'm in disbelief that twenty sixteen has come and gone, and here we are ready to take on a new year! I am very excited to see you January, and think you are going to be the start of one really amazing year. Check out some of my January finds below! Enjoy and Happy New Year!


New Year's Quotes // I love words, I love quotes, and as I shared here, I love New Years! So of course, I was all over these New Year's quotes. It amazes me the power that words have to change our perspective, make us think, and inspire us. I hope that these ten quotes do just that for you - I know that they most certainly have inspired me to embrace the fresh start of a new year.

Writing is Good for Your Soul // Ah, now this is such a good one. Twenty sixteen most definitely taught me just how good writing can be for you. Not only did I not know my own capabilities when it came to writing, but I had no idea the power of getting your emotions on paper. Of course writing is good for your soul for many reasons, regardless of how strong of a writer you think you are. I definitely urge you check them out and get inspired to write a little bit more this new year!

January Horoscope // Raise your hand if you are as guilty as I am of reading (and maybe believing) your horoscope a little too much... no shame. Regardless of how believable or true they are, I still get a kick out of reading my horoscope and believe there is no harm in doing so!

Resolutions You'll Keep // With a new year comes those damn resolutions. Some people love making them, whereas others won't even bother. I think they are important and are a great way to keep yourself accountable for changing your lifestyle or habits. However, I feel like they need to be high quality resolutions that are personal to you, and that can be achievable (with effort) as opposed to just the cliché resolutions you hear people throw around every January. If you haven't made your resolutions list I think that reading through these is  a good place to start for a little inspiration! I'll be sharing my twenty seventeen resolutions with you later this week so stay tuned!

Detox Drink  // I don't know about you, but I am totally feeling the post-holiday hangover right about now. After a couple weeks of too much sugar, indulgent food, and not nearly enough water or work outs, it definitely catches up with you! I am feeling it, ugh. Time to get back to that much needed healthy lifestyle, and although one detox drink won't undo all the holiday damage done, it's a good place to start!

January Wishlist...

J.Crew OTS Top
Mark and Graham Travel Pouch
J.Crew Cashmere V-neck Sweater

Things I'm Loving...
Teavana Perfectea Maker
Rodan + Fields Unblemish Wash
'I Feel It Coming'

xo. G