TGBL-"Respect Yourself".

So excited to be linking up again with Hayley and Lauren in their weekly linkup "The Girl Between the Lines"! This week's topic is talk about a lesson in life that you wish you've learned earlier in life. My lesson is to respect you. Read on to figure out why I picked this. 

Okay, so picture a little overweight awkward high school freshman surrounded by skinny beautiful girls whose bible was the Clique novels. She wears glasses, and was obsessed with the picnik website.She wanted friends, a boyfriend, and just to be popular. She loved music, singing and was considered an outcast.
Ladies and gentlemen, that girl was me.
Now, fast forward (can you believe six years) to 2014. That same little girl lost her baby fat, gained some friends, and honestly doesn't give a crap. She's not popular, but she has a lot of friends. She's a single lady because she doesn't want to date someone that's just there for no apparent reason. She's got style, she's got grace, she's a winner.
What happened to cause that change?
Well, let's talk about it. Between that time period, I got a couple of boyfriends, most of them lasted less than a week. I went through a terrible breakup and learned the hard way that no matter how much you wish that you want something then maybe it doesn't happen. I lost my self esteem, had depression, lost a ton of weight in a way that I wish I didn't, grieved the loss of my grandfather, and went through a lot of other stuff. During that time, friends came and went, styles came and went.
One thing that I wished that I learned while going through all of that was that you need to respect yourself and your needs. You're the one that has to deal with all of that. You're the one that doesn't need the people that bring you down. You don't have to apologize for being different, although high school doesn't exactly make it easy to stand out. I wish I learned that I didn't need the boy who told me that I wasn't good enough because then maybe I wouldn't have dealt with my body issues and handled them the way that I did. I wish that I didn't have to deal with that, however that made me a stronger person.
If I knew that then maybe I wouldn't  have dealt with that. However, there's something about learning lessons the hardway. It makes you a stronger person, and you know that whatever happiness that comes your way is something you fought hard for and deserve it. 

Me, the Future Mom.

It's hard to imagine, at my age being married. It's even harder to imagine myself with children, and as a mother. It seems like a long way off, but as I go onto my Facebook and see people who I knew when I was little with kids of their own I think of one thing. We're getting old.
Every now and then, I do then wonder what I would be like as a parent. What would I allow my kids to do? What would be right for them, and what would be wrong?
While at work one day, I did realize one thing that I wanted my kids to have. That my friends, is books. Lots and lots of them. Growing up, my mother never said no to books. Neither did my grandmother. So, because of that I have a lot of books. I believe that because of the amount of books I've read, the more information that I was able to contain, and the more my imagination as a child grew. As an adult, I am still an avid reader when I have time. I read at least one book a week. (In case you all cared, and I know that you do, I am currently reader the Shopaholic series. It's amazing, and I recommend it if you guys want a quick and easy read) Reading things for class is honestly no issue, because I am able to do it efficiently, and with little to no problems.
I think that reading should start as early is possible. Granted, I am not going to read to my kid in my stomach while I am pregnant. But, I promise to read to them as soon as they are old enough to know what I am doing. I promise to follow in my mother's footsteps and never refuse books when my children ask for them. I want them to enjoy books just as much as I did. If they don't, then that's perfectly fine as well. At the end of the day, I want my children to be happy about reading. I don't want them to feel like it's a chore of some sort. I think that way, they come to enjoy it more.
As an English major, I say that books were a huge part of my journey to tell a story. I hope one day to line the shelves with my own books next to the ones I currently aspire to be.

#inspirationmovement

I think that something that is important to anyone is that they should know that their loved, and that they are important. Positive thinking is something that I think should be a huge part of this blog, and I'm proud to introduce you to my newest, and perhaps my greatest feature. Ladies and gentleman, let's join the inspiration movement.
Now, what is the inspiration movement? Good question! This movement is a positive part of my blog that focuses on thinking positive. My goal of this feature is to inspire others. To make those who are having a bad day to realize that it's not a bad life, it's just a bad day. To those who feel like they aren't loved, to make them feel loved. I've been through a lot in my life, and it's my turn to help others who struggle, and need someone.
I feel like there's not enough positive things in my life, in addition to the world in general. Let there be inner strength. Let there be inspiration. Let there be creativity. Let there be the end to negative thoughts, and let there be hope that we all can be happy.
Feel free to join the movement! My goal is to put a post with picture of an encouraging quotes that I see on Pinterest, or to talk about self love.
Here's some pictures to help cure you all of the Mondays!


These posts are from my pinterest board!

"Shake It, Break It; Unknown to Fate"

It's safe to say that everything in life is a result of fate. Who we're friends with, what we decide to do as  a living, and who we are romantically involved with. It's all up to some sort of decision or other event that has happened to us.

How many of you every wondered what would have happened if something did or didn't happen? Like if you didn't go to that certain event, then you would not have met that cute guy that is so called the love of your life. I wonder if I had chosen different paths in life I would be doing different things, and perhaps on a different one. Are we all in the mercy of fate's hands?

I think that we are. We all in some ways victims of fate. If I didn't decide to join the paper, then I never would have realized that I want to be a journalist. If I didn't switch my major twice, then I wouldn't have met the awesome people that I did. If I didn't switch my math class, I would not have met someone so great. I guess fate as a way of playing its way out when we least expect it. We're all victims of fate because it knows what we're doing even when we don't.
Fate is confusing to the naked eye. It's confusing to me, and I have four of them. Sometimes, we think that life is journey that is predestined, and picked out for us the second that we left the womb. It's crazy to think that someone has the answers, even though you don't. It's comforting in some ways, because then you know after all of this angst and depression, everything will be okay in the end. 

21 is the Loniliest Number

21 is the age to be. Once you're 21, its something that reminds us that we are basically adults. You can get liquor in the US, and basically do all of the other rights that are promised to us at age 18. So many of my peers are looking forward to this age. I am too, because hey why not be able to get booze? However, with this great freedom comes some sort of responsibility. Or at least, being careful and not doing anything completely and utterly stupid like drinking more than you can handle and all of that stuff.

In my opinion, I feel like this birthday is some sort of liberation of becoming an adult and being free. Becoming an adult with more freedoms, and therefore trusted with the ability to drink legally. Now that our bodies have matured enough, we are able to handle the great responsibilities of becoming an adult. However, with that being said I think that there's more to it than that. Is it the freedom to do whatever we want to be so appealing?
Some may say that turning 21 is part of the party culture. Only now, you can get as much beer, wine, and other drinks as you want. Being 21 is that right of passage. Some people think that becoming 21 is that excuse to party even harder. Some underage peeps even try to hit up those who are this golden age just to get their underage hands on some wine. It's a long 21 years til you reach the world of being legal.

I will be turning 21 next year. I have no plans of going out and getting drunk. However, I do plan to have my first alcoholic beverage, and some wine. I don't plan on getting wasted, but I do want to celebrate the fact that I am now able to drink these things, and purchase them legally. Yay to being of age. One thing that I don't like to see is people judging people who think that having wine, and having a lot of its a bad thing. If you want to go crazy on your 21st, that's your business. It's a big birthday, yes. Hence the wine, and champagne. However, I want to remember it, and not wake up and wonder what the hell happened the night before.  Therefore, it's a celebration. Not a chance to get passed out drunk. 

The Art of Not Caring.

My name is Natalie, and I''m done caring about what people care about me. Why? Because then I felt like I would be molded into being someone else's version of me. 

I'm in the process of eliminating things in my life that makes me feel upset or uneasy. Why? Because I deserve to be happy. I'm at a stage in my life where I deserve peace, love, and happiness. I don't deserve to have people weigh me down in a way that's somewhat unhealthy. I wonder if the art of being happy is in fact having a big ego, and two middle fingers waved up high in the air. 

So, how do you not care? It's plain and simple. Lemme introduce you to some tips on how to in fact master the art of not caring; 

• Do things that make you happy. If you want to become a writer over a doctor, than do that. If you have people that impact you negatively, then perhaps it's time to say good riddance to them.
• Get rid of people in your life that don't treat you right. You deserve people that treat you fairly, and should have your best interest at heart and vice versa. If someone makes you feel like you don't matter, than they are stupid. If you feel like you're being forced to comply with someone who in essence brings you down, it's time to say goodbye.
• Laugh off all of the things that are negative about you. I'm a bitch? Okay cool. I just learned how not to take people's crap. I'm fat? No, I'm healthy. Call me when you're done trying to shove celery sticks down your throat? I'm opinionated? Yes, that's why I blog. If I didn't have an opinion than I would still be learning about why Freud did something.
• YOLO. Yes, it's making a comeback. You only live once, so live in this moment. Do things that you know the opportunity will never come again. Live life, and enjoy it. 

In essence, life's really to care about what others say about you. So, 'nevermind what the haters say, ignore them til they fade away'. 

Top Three Fav Cartoon Characters!

I'm a little kid at heart, but I think that everyone has a favorite cartoon character that makes them really happy. No matter what age you are, when you see them you're like a little kid and it just makes you happy. Even in our adult days, we can't resist. I have three, because I am just cool like that. Hence the whole post dedicated to my favorite characters.

Snoopy; Okay, so for all of you who don't know Snoopy is my favorite character ever, and I have an obsession with him. You gotta accept these things, and I do greatly. I honestly can't resist when he's on television, because Christmas, Easter, and Halloween isn't the same unless you catch up with the gang for the hundredth time. Whether it's Snoopy coming out from the pumpkin patch, or cooking Thanksgiving dinner with the classic toast, jelly beans, and pretzels, it just is something that adds overall holiday cheer to every single holiday.

Lucy Van Pelt; Yo, this is the crabby little girl. But, behind her crabby outer features there's more to her. Yes, she steals footballs. But, she's not afraid to tell you like it is. And she's really sensitive. There's more to her than being the bully, and we see that later on the comic strip. Out of all of the children on Charlie Brown, she will always be my favorite.

Minnie Mouse; The only Disney character I like is Minnie Mouse. She's been popular since the 1950s, and she's Mickey's awesome sidekick, slash girlfriend. But, she's just like a little black dress-classic. Even though she's a bit more popular than Snoopy, she's just awesome with or without Mickey. She's known to rock any kind of dress that she wants, and is kind of like Barbie. All and all, Minnie Mouse is just awesome.

Whose your favorite cartoon character? Comment below!

Sources for images are from Google images.