~ one year ago ~

Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served in the past, are currently serving, and to all of our heroes.  I thank you.

One year ago today, I had the honor of riding in a WWII Jeep during the 2012 Veteran's Day Parade, dressed as Rosie the Riveter.  What made the day even more special was that I carried a photo of my grandfather from the war.  He was standing beside his plane, in his uniform, and looking so handsome - just as he always did.  It was a gloriously beautiful day, and one I won't soon forget.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ halloween ~

Happy Halloween!!  I hope you all had a fantastically spooky night.  In case you're anything like me (and feel that Halloween is the best holiday there is), here are some truly terrifying vintage photos that just might scare the living daylights out of all those who view them.










This year I carried on my tradition of dressing as a historical woman.  After several rolls of duct tape, 16 hours of work, a lot of cussing, and a whole pack of hook and eyes, I present to you....the original 1941 Wonder Woman!



I spent the night eating handing out candy, watching the SNL Halloween special, and hanging out with neighbors and friends at a community bonfire - definitely a successful night!



You might remember that the last three years I was Mary Poppins, Carmen Miranda, and Rosie the Riveter...

So tonight I put away my costume, tomorrow I celebrate my birthday, and Saturday I start planning next years costume.  Goodnight all!

xoxo,
Eliza

~ war paint ~

Here's a topic that I feel needs to be addressed: mistakes.  They suck, don't they?  There's no denying that.  Whether it's small (drinking coffee at 8 PM and not sleeping that night) or big (telling someone how you feel before they're ready to hear it) or ginormous and life-altering, a mistake can certainly take a smile off your face very quickly.  But here's the thing: most (except for the really big ones) are only a passing situation.  That perm will eventually come out, you can always repaint the bedroom (princess pink might not have been the best idea), you can return the shoes that you thought were your size, send back the dinner that you thought was dairy-free but wasn't.  Even the majority of the bigger ones can be forgiven, corrected, forgotten or found funny 5 years later.  So why do we beat ourselves up about having a temporary lapse of judgement or not thinking things through?  Maybe it's because we set standards for ourselves, sometimes even harsher than the standards we set for the people we surround ourselves with.  When something doesn't go as planned, we hold ourselves responsible and call it a mistake: something to pick apart, analyze and dwell over.  Well here's the thing - people think that if you are constantly aware of your mistakes, you won't make another.  But sometimes you are so busy thinking of the past (where all your mistakes live) that you miss an opportunity to avoid a mistake in the present.  Even set yourself up for a mistake in the future.  So try this next time (and there will be a next time, I assure you): forgive yourself.  It might sound cliche and impossible, but it takes less energy than beating yourself up.  Understand that you're only human and treat each mistake as an opportunity to build yourself up, instead of tearing yourself down.

Put on your war paint, hold your head high and MOVE ON.  It's not healthy to get so stuck on past mistakes that you forget to truly live.  So here I am.  Admitting that I've made mistakes in my seventeen years (some big, some small), putting on my brave face, and carrying onward.  

~ side note: my war paint happens to be eyeliner, which is surprisingly hard to draw on in a straight line ~

 So, do we have a deal?  Forgive yourself.  Let go.  Move on.  Don't let the past keep you from experiencing the present and looking forward to the future 

A negative mind will never give you a positive life