Thank U, Next

2018 was a beautiful year filled with many accomplishments. When I was 17 years old, I made a mental list of accomplishments that I desired to have by my mid-twenties. By the grace of God, that list if almost filled. The majority of those accomplishments required me to put in my time, energy, and most importantly discipline. This year I earned my first master's degree, went on my first cruise to Cozumel, Mexico and The Grand Cayman Islands, and I went 365 days without eating any meat.  That last one took a lot of self-control because I used to love getting a Big Zax Snack Meal from Zaxby's or a Bojangles Chicken Finger Supreme combo. This coming year, I may decide to incorporate salmon back into my diet just because it can be very beneficial to the body.

The pictures below are just a collection of photos that summed up my life in 2018:)

I wore this dress on repeat all summer to the point where I uploaded to my Poshmark store ;)haha

I went out a few times this year, but I plan to have way more fun. All work and no play is not living!

The day after my friend's (co-workers) Charleston wedding, I went down to Folly Beach to walk in the sand and eat at a "beach- front- restaurant". 

The accomplishment that made my parents very proud, and made me feel empowered as a woman.

"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise, in every society, in every family"- Kofi Annan. One of my favorite quotes. 

Random picture -_-

I am leaving you with this bible verse from Proverbs 16:9 "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps". Remember this scripture as you go forth into the new year.

Stay blessed,
Tatiana :)

Fall Maxi Skirt Outfit

 

Cream Sweater // Maxi Skirt // Booties // Bag

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great Monday. Mines consisted of participating in a writing workshop during our teacher work day. It was super informative and I learned several activities I can try with my students, but I am more tired than tired! -_-

Now, let's discuss yesterday's festivities. I took this picture Sunday at my grandpa's 84th birthday party where I had so much fun celebrating with my family. I originally bought each item in this outfit with the intentions of pairing them with other items. Since it was a house party, I knew I wanted to be comfortable, yet cool because we all know once everybody arrives at a family house party you'll wish you wore something cool. :)

I'm leaving this post today with my grandpa's favorite bible verse. Ever since I was five years old (around the time my grandpa built his church for God), he always would say, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path!"- Proverbs 3:5-6

Stay blessed,

Tatiana ;)

Marigold Sunshine Ruffle Wrap Dress

Gold Wrap Dress // Steve Madden // Aldo Cognac Bag

 Hi everyone! I'm so excited that it finally feels like fall in the mornings and evenings here in Greenville. For those who didn't know, fall is my favorite time of year because of pumpkin spice lattes, leggings with over sized sweaters, and going to football games. I've kind of put fall shopping on the back burner because I'm in the process of changing the course of a few things in my life. I'll definitely discuss those details in a later post, but today I wanted to show off this outfit:) 

Gold is definitely my favorite color for this fall. I paired this dress with my Steve Madden leopard heels, my Aldo cognac side body bag, and delicate jewelry pieces. The multi-colored bracelet was given to me by my brother when he went to the Dominican Republic. 

Today's bible verse comes from Matthew 5:16- "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven". I posted this on my Instagram page, but I figured I would post it again for those who may be in need of this message. The greatest message I receive from this bible verse is the reminder that we need to focus on making our light shine without the anticipation of having it acknowledged. Our expectations can lead to disappointment, which can lead to discouragement when it comes to shinning our light in this world. This message is for anyone feeling as though their light is going unnoticed. Remember that when you are glorifying Christ, there is always someone watching who may by positively or negatively influenced by you.

Stay Blessed,
Tatiana :)

Cinnamon Bodysuit and Denim Skirt

Bodysuit // Denim Skirt // Booties

Philippians 4:6- "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done."

5 Day Cruise on Carnival Paradise Part 1

Happy Labor Day everyone! Even though school just started back, I've been looking forward to Labor Day Weekend so that I could finally get some rest. I ended up going to Atlanta, Georgia with my sweet mama for a little retail therapy. On the way to Atlanta, we stopped at Tanger Outlet in Commerce, Georgia. We ended up stocking up on home decor from Kirkland's and tons of girly stuff from Aerie's. We eventually arrived at Atlanta, and enjoyed every minute of the trip. We came back Sunday, so that we could have a more relaxed Monday. So, during my relaxation I had the opportunity to finish this blog post about my Carnival Cruise experience. Instead of providing a step-by-step descriptive analysis of my total experience, I decided to simply provide photos with captions. Enjoy!:)

Relaxing at the Serenity Deck (21 years old and up only). Jacuzzi and beach chairs provided.

Early morning workout. There were classes provided, but I opted to do my own thing.

Breakfast was my favorite meal. I woke up every morning by 8ish. It's a habit:)

Staff always placed an animal towel on our beds when we returned from exploring the ship.

Another cute animal towel.

I had time for a selfie while getting ready for dinner. 

Another selfie!:)

Tori taking pictures with our favorite person on the cruise, Raul.

Enjoy looking at the food below:)

Dinner always consisted of a three course dinner, but you could ask for as many dishes as your appetite requested. 

After dinner, there were photographers eager to take pictures of the guest.

  

I decided to purchase these photos because I've NEVER taken such fancy pictures like this before:)

Next day outfit I wore for dinner. 

We dressed up every night, but I decided to only upload a couple of outfits for this post.

My favorite appetizer of all the appetizers. 

This tasted like a strawberry milkshake. 

This was okay.

This was super rich and delightful!;)

We were completely stuffed, but we did have time to make a new friend on this trip! Stay tune for part 2 of my Carnival Cruise experience!:)