An April 2017 update! A year later this post about the LuLaRoe Cassie skirt continues to be one of my most popular blog posts; if you’re interested in seeing more LuLaRoe check out the following posts:

• A lace LuLaRoe Lola Skirt
• Another polka dot LuLaRoe Cassie Skirt
• How to wear your black LuLaRoe Leggings for fall
• Springing forward with the LuLaRoe Madison
• Valentine’s Day with LuLaRoe Amelia
• LuLaRoe Valentine’s Day leggings

I will try my best to continue updating this with LuLaRoe posts!

One of my big focuses the past few years has been not only to take better care of myself across the board, but also to work on how I think about myself and talk to myself {surprise — I’m totally one of those crazy people that has full blown conversations with themselves!}

I read this poem about two years ago and it’s something that’s resonated strongly with me ever since.

“I treat myself like I would treat my daughter. I brush her hair, wash her laundry, tuck her in goodnight. Most importantly, I feed her. I do not punish her. I do not berate her, leave tears staining her face. I do not leave her alone. I know she deserves more. I know I deserve more.” — Michelle K.

I don’t write about my struggles with anxiety and depression all that often but the fact is that even now, years after my initial diagnosis, I still struggle day to day with being kind to myself.  Reaching a point where I don’t feel the need to internally berate myself for something small has been a huge milestone for me personally, but perhaps an even bigger success lately has been recognizing things when I’m in situations that are causing me to backslide.  The past couple months have been extremely tough personally, but I’m proud of the way I’ve stuck up for myself and known that my heart and intentions are pure.

So what does that long intro have to do with today’s post? Well aside from the fact that it’s heavy on my heart and mind as I’m writing, it also has a little bit to do with LuLaRoe.  {Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post!}  My good friend Tracy was my first real introduction to LuLaRoe’s products.  I had previously blown them off; I’m not a leggings kinda gal — I know atrocious right?  One of Tracy’s college friends is a Louisville local and I shopped with her a bit before this post.  While I was shopping with Sue, I was struck by how incredible it is to find a company so focused on empowering women through clothing that includes a wide variety of sizes, shapes and silhouettes.

I entered Sue’s house fully intending to pick something out for my blog post and leave and ended up spending over an hour with her talking about LuLaRoe the company and how powerful inclusive clothing can be and ended up leaving with several purchases for myself and my mom on top of the item for my blog post.  My mom ended up not liking the skirt I picked out for her {ironic, I know}, so I went back last month and swapped it out for this fun polka dot LuLaRoe Cassie skirt for me.

In so many ways, blogging has been my creative outlet beyond work, beyond school, beyond reading and all the other things I enjoy doing to keep myself busy and focused on the good.  I don’t think I realized it at the time, but fashion was something that allowed me to feel good about myself when I wasn’t able to see much good in myself.  And what a blessing it is to be able to understand what the difference in those two is now.