14,000 Things To Be Happy About

It's 11 p.m., and instead of sleeping soundly, I am wide awake thinking about all things   life . You know the feeling; you try to map out your entire future in one night, at the latest possible hour of course. This is definitely a regular occurrence for me; but tonight is a little different, because I have 14,000 reasons to let every worry go. For now at least 😉

Lately I've been struggling with some things. I won't go into detail, but I wasn't focusing on the big picture. By accident, I was scrolling through Instagram and found this book, '14,000 things to be happy about.' Without hesitation, I ordered this gem off Amazon for a wild $4, and it's hands down the best investment I've made in a long time.

I forget how blessed I am in my moments of weakness; and how little it takes to be happy. Some days it's just a smile, or a lick from your pup, maybe just a phone call from a friend. But that ONE tiny thing is enough. That's why this book is so special to me, it's 14,000 tiny things that remind me just how important and easy it is to be happy. 

"A stream-of-consciousness list: pajamas at breakfast, seeing the moon rise, a lake catching the last flecks of sunlight coming in over the pines, the position of your head as you bite into a taco." ✨ 

Don't forget in all the hustle and bustle to rejoice in the little things too. 💘 Happy Wednesday friends! 

Survival Letterpress

One of the highlights of writing a blog is getting to share with others about wonderful companies. But the biggest blessing? Sharing about wonderful companies that are started by incredible humans. This is true of Survival Letterpress in Kansas City, and I could not be more thankful that our paths crossed the way they did.  

Joey & Amanda Gross started Survial Letterpress in 2014, after years of chasing dreams to start their own letterpress and design studio, (they started in an apartment in college, then moved on to garages and basements. And now, this well deserving duo has a space at Bonfire Space in Mission). 

I was introduced to these guys through a mutual friend, (they had done some design work for them, along with business cards), and the feel was exactly what I had been searching for. I came to them with a vision for a new logo for Little Fixations, but not knowing exactly what that was. Meeting up with Joey for the first time, getting to chat with him about my hopes for the site, I knew my blog was in the right hands. 

Amanda then came up with the concept with the Little Fixations logo, (that beauty can be found on the top of this page). It was better than I could have ever imagined. Shortly after, I discussed the idea of business cards for an event I had coming up. These guys are so gracious, and gifted me with the most beautiful design work I've seen in a long time, (I may be biased and all... But I couldn't stop looking at them for a solid 10 minutes after I picked them up).  

I highly highly recommend using these guys for any print work you need done! From wedding invites to business cards and posters, their work is something special.  

Amanda and Joey, thank you for chasing after what you love and making a wonderful business out of it. You guys are such an inspiration.

Check out more of their amazing designs and behind the scenes work on their Instagram! 

So Worth Loving

I knew I had wanted to write this blog post for awhile. I also knew I wanted to be blatantly honest with myself while I wrote it. So deep breath in.... Here we go. 

My name is Alyssa, and I live in Kansas City Missouri. I have 25 years worth of beautiful memories in my rear view mirror, with plenty of stops ahead, (at least I hope!) But life isn't always easy. This blog post reflects so much more than a tshirt, but this tshirt is also much deeper than 100% cotton.  

Before I get into the brand, here's my 'story'.

I have struggled many years with depression, I think we all have in some ways. Mine was always staring at me back in the mirror, my appearance. I hated that it affected me the way it did; but sure as the sun would rise & set, I woke up fixated on my thighs, or my nose that was bigger than I would have liked it to be, or my acne that I couldn't rid even though I had acquired those stubborn zits since my teen years.

When was it going to be my turn to feel good about who was looking back at me in that mirror?

What I had been forgetting all along though, was that I had stopped loving myself. Sounds crazy right? But it's true. Somewhere along the way, I had ripped myself apart to the point where I was forgetting to love anything about me.  

I wasn't allowing myself to grow into the woman I was meant to be. I was a half bloomed flower that I just stopped watering. 

So how do you change that mindset? I had gone years feeling this way, I wasn't sure how to fill such a hole. And if I'm honest, sometimes I still don't. One thing I've learned throughout this struggle, is to take it a day at a time. Would I like to be slimmer and toned? Absolutely! Realistically, Is that going to happen overnight? No. (No matter how hard I struggle through my run or jumping jacks. Some things take time). 

I've also learned that you have  to take time for yourself. Go to a yoga class, spend some time walking around in Target, (oddly enough, target is a treat for me. To each their own!), go get yourself a sonic slush. You deserve to treat yourself.   Don't deny yourself of this small truth.

Something else that has helped me tremendously is the brand So Worth Loving.  They remind me it's not about where I've been, what my past is, but it's truly a daily reminder to love ME . Because you know what? We're worth that. We are  worth loving. We are more than our mistakes. We're more than our weight on the scale, than the nose on our face or the freckles we hate and try to cover up. We are worthy of so much more than what we can physically see.

I encourage you, if you're struggling like I am, to follow them on Instagram  . I'm lifted up daily by their posts, and as silly as it seems it's helped me tremendously. 

I hope this post finds someone somewhere who is struggling just like me, and I hope you know we're going to be okay. We've got this! And I've got so much love for all of you! 

Thank you for letting me get a tad personal tonight. It means the world to be able to bond with people going through the same highs and lows. ❤️