Today is my twenty fifth birthday. Can you believe that? A quarter of a century. As a kid I never pictured myself at this age. I saw my childhood (obviously) & I saw myself as like a 40-year-old. Nothing in between.

Yet, here I am. & here are you. & today I'm 25.

Your twenties are hard. You'll go through a lot of ups and downs. I hardly have anything figured out about myself, my life, or my future. But, I have learned a few lessons over the years & I wrote them down. Take a read if you're bored at work ;D

Sending you tons of love on my drive home from Buffalo. Thanks for being a part of my past 4 years.
PS. If you're up for a trip down memory lane… I've linked my birthday posts from 2014, 2013 (n/a), 2012ish, 2011 & 2011 (Two post day, aww. I was so excited about being 21).

xox

Love yourself. You are your only permanent companion. Accept your quirks. Celebrate your strengths. Don't be so hard on your weaknesses. Play up your good stuff & accept the other qualities. You aren't perfect. & that's okay. Perfection is boring, anyway.
Confidence is the most attractive quality.
French press.
Stay modest. Remember where you came from. Try to put others before yourself. What you put out into the world is what will come back to you.
Train your mind to see one small happiness every day. Write it down at night. It will affect your entire life.
The best book you will ever read is Tiny Beautiful Things. Send it to all of your friends. Read it once a year.
Learn how to cook. It is cheaper than eating out & it is lovely fun.
Accept help. So many people want to see you succeed. Help others, whenever you can.
Drink two Nalgenes of water every day. It clears your skin & will help you feel good on the inside.
Treat yourself.
Eat dinner with your family as much as possible.
Wear whatever you want. You can pull off any fashion trend if you do it with enough confidence.
Always be honest. In all your relationships. With others & yourself. At work, at home, with friends, with loved ones. Always.
The bad days will help you appreciate the good ones. The long days at work will help you appreciate the easy days lounging in the sun.
Celebrate.

Photo by Lydia Phillips at Mintwood Photo Co.