The time has come…

…for me to be my best friend’s MAID OF HONOR!!!

Y’all this is a huge deal, you have no idea. I’ve been dreaming of this day since I was 9 years old. I repeat N I N E years old. That’s 17 years of dreaming.

For some backstory: Haili and I met on my very first day of 5th grade when I moved from Maryland to Northern Virginia. I was absolutely devastated to leave my school / friends and was terrified that I wouldn’t make any new friends in the unknown Virginia school. But, low and behold, I walked into Mr. Reichlen’s class in October of 2001 and was introduced to a bright white haired, tomboy blondie named Haili Hartman. From that point on, we’ve been inseparable.

Haili is more than my best friend…she’s legitimately family. Our friendship dynamic is that of sisters: we share everything, we have the same sense of humor, we bicker, we’re (sometimes brutally) honest with each other, and we’re loyal af to one another. The list goes on and on, but you get the picture – she’s my main girl. A1 since Day1.

So back to current day: when I moved back from California in February, one of the VERY first things on my to-do list was to get my best friend engaged. Her (now) fiancé, Petey and I had been discussing this plan, and all of the details, months before I actually moved home! He planned out every detail and asked me to help carry it out…needless to say, I was ecstatic to be part of the process!!!

It was an amazing proposal, followed by a surprise engagement party with all of their closest family and friends. The day was perfect.

Naturally, once the engagement happened, I kind of assumed the responsibility of MOH, without even being asked yet lol. To the point where one day I turned to Hay and asked “should I wait til you ask me before just assuming I’m actually your maid of honor??” Luckily she laughed at me & said absolutely not, otherwise things could’ve been really awkward 😂

Fast forward a few months to May: Haili asked me to come over for wine one day after work. To my surprise, she SHOWERED me with gifts and a beautiful card, officially asking me to be her maid of honor!!!! I was smiling from ear to ear.

This is easily the best title I’ve ever held, and I cannot wait for all of the festivities to come!!!!

I love you Haybay 😘

Advertisement

Life Update

Hey there!

Excited to officially be launching my site! Wanted to provide a quick life update on what’s going on with me 🙂

By now, most people know that I’ve moved back to the DC area after living in California for 3.5 years. But, what isn’t as widely known is everything that’s happened since February….So here goes:

March: Kyle and I house hunted and found an amazing townhouse in Shirlington that we fell in love with! Shirlington is on the outskirts of DC, on the Virginia side. It’s a cute town that’s in South Arlington which is a perfect spot for us! It’s in close proximity to the city, which is perfect for me, but also has that quaint suburban-town feel which is more up Kyle’s alley. It’s right on the edge of Old Town Alexandria, which has the waterfront, and is also close to Pentagon City and Crystal City for some great shopping! In sum, I’m suuuuper stoked on where we’re living.

April: I started my new job!! I got hired back at the end of February, but my start date was set for April 9th since that’s when the next sales cohort was starting. This ended up being the perfect starting time for me because it gave me time to get home, get settled, and move into my new house! That month I had off was also a great span of time to unpack and get my house in order before jumping into work. But, that’s besides the point…I started at Cvent as a Senior Account Management Associate on the Event Solutions team! For those who are unfamiliar, Cvent is the leading event technology company. We provide software solutions to event planners and hoteliers to simplify and streamline their jobs! I’m SUPER pumped to be at this company for a number of reasons: for starters, well let’s be honest, it’s right up my alley! I’ve spent the last six years studying hospitality business and event planning is a passion of mine; On top of this, I’ve always wanted to get more into the tech field since it’s such a dynamic and growing industry; PLUS the fact the role is super similar to what I spent the last two years doing at SnackNation. So it’s actually a perfect mix of everything and I’m excited to continue to grow my career with this amazing company!

May: I officially went live in my role at work! The entire month of April I spent in training with Cvent, learning all of the products and Cvent specific sales techniques. But, on May 7th, I was officially “live” in my role which was super exciting because I can finally dive in and start making an impact! I spent the month of May getting acclimated in my role and learning my client base. Outside of work, Kyle and I also threw a housewarming party which was a huge success! We had our closest friends and family over to celebrate the fact that we’re finally under one roof, and let me tell ya, it was a TON of fun!

June: It’s only the second day of this month, but it’s already off to a great start! I’m currently en route to Emerald Isle, North Carolina for the annual Thunell Family Vacay!!! Arguably my favorite week of the year 🙂

In addition to everything above, I also had the chance to travel around the east coast a little bit for some fun milestones with friends! Some of the places include: NYC for two friends’ engagement, Baltimore to officially see my friend’s new townhouse and explore the city, Blacksburg to see my sistercousin graduate from Virginia Tech AND to see my college BFF + her pregnant belly(!!), and Lake Anna to celebrate MDW with family!

That’s it for now! Thanks for joining me on this ride we all call life! Can’t wait to continue to share my life with you all, as we strive to see all things through a rose colored lens!

Stay happy and positive, friends!

Xo,

Lexi

Prepping for a Bi-Coastal Move

Back in February, I was tasked with the huge task of relocating my life back to the east coast from California. Through this process, I learned a whole lot and I wanted to share 🙂

First and foremost, I started the process by trimming down my belongings. I’m sure I’m not the only one who regularly says that I will “spring clean” each year and then doesn’t. But when it comes to moving, you have to actually commit! This means that I spent hours going through my stuff and sorted out stuff that wasn’t absolutely necessary. After compiling a few loads of things, I immediately dropped them off at Goodwill. (Again, this means you can’t procrastinate and drive around with these things in your trunk for 6-months 😜)

After this task was completed, I did some research on some different companies that move belongings for cheap, and found that Busfreighters was a great option! This company is operated through the Greyhound Bus System and offered the cheapest rates on the market! This was a no-brainer for me, being that I was on a budget.

From here, I had to pack up my belongings, count and weigh the boxes, and then submit a quote on their website to place my order. I was able to estimate 20 boxes at a total of 500 lbs, which totaled just over $500! Not bad right?!

After this was submitted, and the boxes were packed, I went through and numbered each and every box while simultaneously keeping a key in my journal of what items were associated with each numbered box. This was a great way to keep track of my belongings while also ensuring security. I figured it’d be smarter to have numbers on the outside of the boxes than a big giant label calling attention that my entire wardrobe was inside of this box…

Once the quote was submitted and a date was set, it was smooth sailing from here! They showed up on the day I scheduled, within the 4 hour window of time I chose, and packed my stuff into the van! It was as simple as that! From there, they took my belongings to the station, loaded it onto the bus, and off it went!

1 week later, my belongings showed up in Virginia, at the bus station I requested. I went to scoop them and it was easy as that! They could’ve even delivered them to my doorstep for an additional fee, but I figured that wouldn’t be smart considering the budget I mentioned above.

Luckily, this was a super easy process and made my move super enjoyable! I’d be happy to chat if anyone needs some more detailed pointers 🙂

5 Ways I Endured my LDR

Okay, let me preface this post by saying long distance relationships are not for everyone, and definitely not for the faint of heart. Making the decision to embark on a long distance relationship means you are all in and ready for the challenges ahead; It means being strong + pushing through weeks on end without seeing your best friend; It means leaning in to the challenge and trusting + supporting your partner through thick and thin; and ultimately, it means you love that person and no amount of miles could ever get between that.

These are a few of the conditions that were set before Kyle and I entered our cross-country LDR. Much to our satisfaction, they proved to be legit because we’re approaching our 5 year anniversary this year!

Back in 2014 when I decided to leave my life in Virginia to move to Los Angeles, mine and Kyle’s relationship was fairly new. We started dating in my senior year of college when I was at James Madison University and Kyle was working full time in Northern Virginia. (Are you noticing a trend yet?) We were just barely dating a year when I made the trek out west to uphold a longtime promise to my bff. Lucky for me, I had an extremely loving + selfless man by my side who only wanted the best for me. He didn’t hesitate when I proposed a long distance relationship and supported me as I went off to accomplish my dreams. It takes a special type of person to be so understanding and selfless in a situation like this. In fact, I tell him often that he’s a better person than me, because I don’t know that I’d be so willing…

We’ve always been a couple that has had to travel distances to be together, so we figured out some best practices that I wanted to share! Here are the 5 things that helped us through:

1. Be Flexible

This seems like a given but it’s definitely worth reminding. In a long distance relationship, there are going to be times that you and your partner aren’t on the same schedule. And truth be told, that’s OKAY. A lot of times Kyle would call me to chat, only to find out that I was 5 episodes deep into my favorite show with my friends. Or I’d call him to tell him something exciting, but he’d be swamped at work and ask to call me back. Obviously these situations aren’t ideal, but they’re real life. Learn to roll with the punches and be understanding of your S.O.’s schedule. It’ll serve you well in the long run.

2. Schedule time to talk

Having a set time for you + your lover is crucial. Whether this means a nightly Facetime or daytime texting date, you and your partner need some time for each other. It doesn’t have to be the same time every day, just as long as there’s set time every day.

3. Plan trips

This was key in mine + Kyle’s relationship. We were constantly on the move to see one another. This meant that there was never a time we didn’t know when we’d see each other next. Before leaving each other, we’d already have another visit on the books. This will help you both have piece of mind and will give you something to look forward to.

4. Be trusting

A relationship without trust is like a car without gas…it doesn’t go anywhere. Allow your person to spend time how they please. This will give them the space they need to grow without feeling suffocated by an overbearing partner. This aspect of mine + Kyle’s relationship is something that I’ve always been eternally grateful for…he never second guessed my intentions or plans and always supported me. Take note 🙂

5. Be trustworthy

As important as it is to be trusting, it’s equally, if not more, important to be trustworthy. In order to be trusted, you have to give your partner a reason to do so. This means being honest, devoted, and committed to your love. Be communicative…this will give your partner piece of mind and will let them know that you’re 100% open with them. This is huge.

Thanks for reading along! I hope you found this helpful. If you + your partner are about to embark on this challenge, let me know! I’d be happy to share some more tips + tricks on how to navigate these waters 🙂

Xo,

Lexi

Welcome to my journey!

Hi there! Thanks for joining me on this journey to a happier, more positive life! My name is Lexi, and I started this blog as a passion project to spread happiness and share beauty happening in the world around me! I found that too often we, as a society, are hyper focused on negatives and I’ve decided to try and change that by making a conscious effort to see the world through a rose colored lens.

This blog comes at a time in my life that I’m experiencing transitions, growth, and major life changes. Through the midst of it all, I wanted something fun and creative of my own. As a person, I’m often defined as an optimistic, happy, and outgoing individual. With this in mind, I wanted a platform to share this outlook with others in hopes of impacting the lives of those around me.

For those who aren’t familiar, to see things through a rose colored lens means to “view life through glasses that are tinted in a pink or rose shade.  An optimistic perception of something; a positive opinion; seeing something in a positive way, often thinking of it as better than it actually is.” 

Make no mistake though…this is not to be confused with delusion. I’m aware that hardship and negative experiences are real and regular part of life. However, I’m also someone who recognizes that how you deal with these experiences can mean more than the experience itself. And for that, I choose to strive for positivity!

Hope you’ll continue to stick along for the ride! I promise it’ll be a good one 😉

Xo,

Lexi

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. — Colin Powell