Tuesday Update

Nineteen Fab Gifts

Published on April 28, 2017April 29, 2017 by fabulouslepLeave a comment

My Fab life grows and grows with each gift, costly or not, that I receive. While April is quickly wrapping up and I am still in that birthday mojo, I have thrown together a few of my favorite things.

19 of the Most Fabulous Gifts I’ve Received:

A trip with my mom- these tend to come often. Business trip on your kid’s birthday? Problem solved.
My camera- They don’t call me the #selfiequeen for nothing. I love me a quality pic.
Alex and Ani bracelets– My arm candy wouldn’t be complete with out them! I mean, seriously these ladies have come in clutch for the gift-giving world. Every occasion in a gold bangle- BRILLIANT! {The pineapple is, of course, my fav}.
S’well water bottle– The pink bottle that completes every day’s look and keeps my water c h i l l. Due to my water bottle fetish, my mother has limited them to gifts only (or I would literally buy them all).
Peep: Simplified Planner (#18)
Jesus Calling– The devotional my best friend sent me in the mail. Not only do I get to reflect on and with God every day, but I get to think of her every time I read it.
Bags- If you’ve ever lost me at the mall, you know where to find me–> searching for my next clutch, tote, or every day-er that I most likely (100% likely) do not need.
Luggage- for real. If you’re going to look cute when you travel, then little miss suitcase better follow your lead. I love that my suitcases have gotten me through my best trips. It’s like we have a relationship (too far?). Also, a very practical and much needed gift.
Try to find me at the airport.
THROWBACK: American Girl Dolls (+Bitty Baby)- only THE best gift a girl could ever ask for. When I was Little Lindsey, these dolls were my peeps, and I was totally THAT girl that brushed their hair, dressed them up, and then just looked at them. They’re so pretty! {Samantha will always have my heart}.
Concert tickets- An event is always fun and GIVES those MEMS. My 15th birthday was complimentary of Taylor, herself. Swift, that is.
The holes in my ears count for year number 8. Libby Lu (wow I am dating myself) pierced me forever with my first pair of pretty little pearls. Good thing they fit because this one is a no gift receipt kind of deal.
FitBit Blaze– The ultimate “I don’t text in class and I don’t get 10k steps every day” electronic device. It may cause wrist radiation, but that hasn’t stopped me from buying more bands on Amazon.
Soft smiles for FabFit!!
Lip gloss & Perfume- All. Day. Long. If we’re talking lip gloss, the Stilas are my favorite!! My collection is unhealthy but, hello, all light pinks serve different purposes. As for perfume, I got Marc Jacobs’ Daisy for Christmas this past year, and I am honestly still trying to decide if I like the smell or the bottle better. Hmm?
Cards- Not gift cards. And no, not the ones that rain money. Don’t get me wrong, those are fab, but the kind that have sweet words. Being the hoarder I am, every card I have ever received is in a hot pink box under my bed. (When you are writing your cards, remember that people DO read them!!)
A playlist- Literally free. Literally the best. My “poor” brother (fo real, dirtttt poor) made me a Spotify playlist and, well, it made My Top 19, so that’s something. I love listening to it thinking about him adding songs that he knows I love, smiling at our favorites, and laughing at some of the funnies he snuck in. (He keeps me hip.)
Shoes- ALL of them. The April birthday is perfectly times for those new spring flippies. My summer Havainas are usually thanks to making it another year older.
Yes, all of my toes are the same length.
Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones– Well, well, well I recently received my first pair of these magical buds and they have quickly become my best buds. (I even had to look the name up because I don’t keep up with new technology! Shhhh…)! They accompany me on every run, but my favorite part…I can squat WITH music WITHOUT holding my phone. Boom.
Birthday donuts- When someone wakes up 10 minutes earlier for a donut run to give your birthday a few more sprinkles, keep them. I repeat, they are keepers!!
I spy Alex and Ani. I spy a hat.
A signed copy of Emily Ley’s, Grace Not Perfection– We all know my obsession, so there’s no need for an explanation. One question though: who else is counting the hours until Monday’s Simplified Planner release?
Hats- I’m a hat girl, and tHAT’s a fact. I have a million of these lifesavers, and the majority have been gifts. My people know me so well (and by knowing, I mean they KNOW I wake up 5 minutes before walking out the door). Here’s my go-to STL classic.

Gifts are so special. We all know that gift card runs to Walgreens are sometimes the easiest option, but a well thought out gift can show how much you value the relationship or friendship. Like I said, I love love love wearing, using, or just simply having things that other people wanted me to give me. They DO NOT have to be expensive and some don’t even have to cost! I will be the first to admit that I like nice things, but who doesn’t? Gifts are all about thought, which is why simple HBD texts, tweets, instas, and FB messages go a long way. Everybody loves a birthday shoutout.

In all seriousness though, I don’t know what’s better: receiving a gift or being the GIVER. Sometimes when I’m on the hunt for that special gift, it’s hard for me to stop. Or or or isn’t it the best when you find the PERFECT gift? And you just have to give it to them unwrapped because they obviously need it. Right now. If you are in the gift-giving role anytime soon (or it’s just time to treat yourself), I hope this list helps you make someone else’s (aka your) life even more fab.

Our Darling Duo

Published on April 10, 2017April 10, 2017 by fabulouslepLeave a comment

St. Pete has been on the books for several months now. The annual business trip that we girls have conveniently turned into a mother-daughter trip was just fabulous enough to fill our love buckets until next year.

Now, I do know what you’re thinking. Skipping school for vacation? Is that necessary? Absolutely not. In fact, it’s 100% irrational, and I will be paying for it, but a trip with my mom? At a pink hotel? I’m. So. There. She really needs to learn how to say no. Like, “No Lindsey, you should not miss four days of classes for no reason!” But until then, vacation on.

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset — Four days. Four bags. One gal.

We are absolutely those girls that take ALL the travel pictures, but we will take that into account the next time we book a 6am flight. “You’re out of chai?” Girl, it’s 5am, there is no way you’ve had a line around the corner for chai’s . Iced coffee it is, but not without an eye roll. Oh the bags (under our eyes!!). But also, oh the bags, as in luggage. Three words that will most definitely never come out of either of our mouths: “I travel light!” HA. To the people that can pack ONE outfit a day, how do you do it? All the cudos.

I went from pool to beach to pool to beach, waiting for the lovely lady to get out of her meetings. She’d order drinks and we’d repeat. Hers was the real deal, but if y’all recall I’m only 19!! After we turned our bodies into lava, the shower and aloe prepped us for dinner. Only to return and be in bed by 10, of course.

It would have been easier to cover this absence up had I not gone from human to tomato on the first day. Y’all (I can say that, I’m still in FL), my skin!! People that pay for a peel at spas, I’m going to let you in on a little secret, I got this one for a killer deal! Okay fine, it was free! This classic burn has left my skin fresher than ever, you know now that it has shed like a snake.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset — Save your breath. No, we are not sisters.

The highlight of our trip was catching up with family nearby. The sweetest cousins that just don’t live close enough were my dinner dates not once but twice. They are friends to my idol, Emily Ley, and my heart went from smiling to SMILING when I FaceTimed her. Yes, you can read that again, but it’s still going to say FaceTime. If you’re wondering (and I know you are), she’s as sweet as her book, planners, and hecka beautiful Instagram.

Well, that’s a wrap on our trip- back to reality! I just love our duo. I love the things I get to do with her, the places she’s taking me, and the smiles we share. I’m so thankful for this human. I’m even more thankful I get to call her mom. And I’m triple thankful I get to live this fab life with her.

A Prayer, The Thank You Kind

Published on April 5, 2017April 5, 2017 by fabulouslepLeave a comment

College. College is hard. It turns out that change is more constant than routine, giving our lives a rather fluid consistency. Friends that I have just met this year are coming in and out, grades are… well, out the window, but “good” can serve its purpose when asked, and home is just a few miles too far away. Like I said, it’s hard. The one constant that always remains? He has been there for me when other people have not (or when mom just doesn’t have enough time to squeeze a road trip into her Tuesday lunch). God — good old God.

God,

Thank you for my people. I love them. I love them a lot!

Thank you for the people that have not stayed in my life. They taught me things about myself, and I needed to meet them.

Thank you for keeping me grounded in college.

Thank you for letting me make mistakes. I’m learning that learning curves are my best curves.

Thank you for the days when you know I need a Netflix episode in bed so my teachers relax on homework (which could come more often if You were wondering.)

Thank you for my heart, that I try to give to everyone, but keep for myself when I know I should.

Thank you for my planner. I’m fully aware that it is irrelevant because You have a mind of Your own, but it looks pretty and makes me think I have it all together.

Thank you for leading me through life with a plan. A plan that I would love to know every detail of and write it in my pretty calendar for next year, but cannot. It simply does not work that way, and I will eventually come to terms with it (But for now, I’m going to just let You keep ruining them- apparently it’s more fun that way).

Thank you for motivation and determination.

Thank you for FaceTime and texting.

Thank you for children.

Thank you for wise (old) people to teach us all they know.

Thank you for dogs. Puppies in particular, but they are all pretty cute.

Thank you for hot showers on rainy days.

Thank you for my smile, her smile, his smile, and all of their smiles. (Some of Your best work, in my opinion).

Thank you for the power to further knowledge every single day. Just when I think I’m getting super smart, I go and learn something new.

Thank you for ALL the coffee to get me through the paper I waited last minute to write.

Thank you for a good grade on the previously mentioned, extremely procrastinated, paper.

Thank you for keeping me safe.

Thank you for chocolate. And ice cream — don’t forget the ice cream.

Thank you for my role models to guide me through life.

Thank you for my health.

Thank you for books and stories to captivate our thoughts.

Thank you for the beauty within the earth, itself.

Thank you for the sunshine, the clouds, the rain, and the thunderstorms that remind us that You are indeed still up there.

Thank you for the bed that lets me dream my dreams and stay up past midnight thinking my thinks.

Thank you for opportunities — ALL of them.

Thank you for french fries — the crinkly ones.

Thank you for the beach that gives me all the feels.

Thank you for my memories. I love them.

Thank you for blessing me in so many ways.

God, most importantly, thank you, thank you, thank you for listening.

The most sincere thank you’s do not have to be the deepest. It is true that many people think a prayer must be the rosary on your knees. Well, I am here to tell you that I talk to God probably 101 times a day, and trust me, I’m not on my knees!! It’s kind of like shooting your high school BFF that “Happy Wednesday!! I miss you!” text. Every person’s prayer is different, but it’s the actual prayer that counts. How the message gets to God does not matter. Clouds are my trigger. A sky full of beautiful clouds instantly sends a little thank you card up to The Big Guy from me.

I’m grateful. And oh boy, I’m so, so thankful.

What are you thankful for?