A Look Back on 2017 // Goals For 2018

I’m apprehensive to say goodbye to 2017, after all it has been a year full of beautiful life moments and milestones for me and my family. This year has been such beautiful blessings, some lows and highs—mostly highs—and I remember every moment as though it was yesterday. Part of me want to cry because the year is over and part of me is smiling — 2017 left a permanent smile on my heart that I will cherish forever. Before leaping into the new year, I wanted to look back on some of my favorite moments and milestones of this year.

All endings are also beginnings, we just don’t know it at the time. –Mitch Albom

I said “I Do.”

We got engaged on Christmas last year so naturally I started the year planning my wedding, which was exciting, stressful, and I mostly had feelings of happiness for the big day. From the bridal shower to the rehearsal dinner I have special memories about my wedding journey. We had such a beautiful wedding day filled with moments that is now forever ingrained in my mind. Being around our closest friends and family on a day that was months in the making was gnarly–the one day out of all 365 days I’d repeat over and over! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much love and joy and happiness, I mean dancing with my husband, my daughter, and our family + friends on my wedding day is indescribable. I want to seriously go back and do it all over again. I want to put on my magnificent lace wedding dress again. I want to see all the smiles on our guests’ faces. I want to say my vows again to my husband. I want to dance to Nigerian music with my daughter again. I want to relive that day over and over…. so thankful for everyone that traveled far and near to show us love, we love you all!

May you prosper in all that you do, wherever you turn. –King David

Our wedding was featured on Modern Weddings — click the logo below to read the feature!

Always Creating Blog.

2017 was the year of collaboration for Always Creating Blog. It was definitely one of my most successful years with brand partnerships and getting the opportunity to create content for brands like, Daniel Wellington to Neutrogena to JustFAB to SaladPower and Thiel Audio, among other outstanding brands was more than a dream come true! I would like to extend a heart felt + sincerest thanks to the brands that have trusted me to help create content for their products/services; such an honor to be an Influencer in this space. After blogging for years (9 years to be exact), it’s a great feeling of accomplishment to do what I love doing. I’m so proud of my little blog and its journey since 2008 when I started blogging, albeit the blog has evolved as my life as evolved and changed. I am hopeful for and open to new opportunities for Always Creating Blog in 2018. I love receiving an email or card from a brand well after we’d worked together saying how much they loved working with me, it’s just such a blessing! I love my brand family and I cannot wait to see what 2018 holds for Always Creating Blog (and Always Creating Studio).

 

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss

Social media has been such a huge contributor to my blog life. Honestly, I just love that technology has the power to reach so many lives in a positive way. Because of social media I have been able to form some amazing friendships with fellow bloggers. I love the support we show to one another. Blogging, social media, especially Instagram is very competitive so to connect and engage with like-minded individuals all over the globe has made life as an Influencer so exciting. Content creation is a deep passion of mine and I live and breathe it day and night. Creating content allows me to connect my audience with some amazing products and services, but most importantly, it allows me to meet people I would not have otherwise met and for that I am grateful.

Always Creating Blog Followers.

My followers are seriously the reason why I do what I do. Thank you to each of you for taking the time out of your crazy busy life to look at my content, read my posts, share a heart and comment on Instagram; you guys are AMAZING! I read every single one of your comments and DMs, so keep them coming! I love that you guys love my work and appreciate my work; it means so much to me. I spend so much time creating for you and I love that you love it. I love my #GoodVibesTribe! xo

THANK YOU, ALL 44,701K of YOU.

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I know that my life might look glamorous and fun and beautiful, but the reality of it is that all of the things you see on my Instagram and/or here on my blog are possible because of my determination and hard work and persistence. I strongly believe that when you work hard on achieving your dreams it will manifest itself so don’t give up, do it even when you don’t feel like it.

Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. –Wilfred Peterson

Travel.

This year has certainly brought us so much happy and love, and I am so grateful for all the opportunities that I have experienced. Travel was such a huge part of my life in 2017 although I’ll be honest, I didn’t travel as much as I wanted to this year. Next year I hope to travel more…I don’t have a travel bug per say, especially since I did most of my traveling when I was in college so now it feels like my life is a vacation so I don’t feel the urge to get away, lol, if that makes sense…(creating your dream life), it’s possible! Anyway, this year we made a few trips to the beach but my travel highlight was my honeymoon to Dominican Republic. A week of good food and weather and drinks and VIP service by the beach, yes please! I loved the DR so much that I want to move there, such a beautiful country!

#Momlife.

This year, my Little A turned six and started Kindergarten! Hard to believe I have a Kindergartner to be honest…she’s grown into a very strong willed little lady. She still lets me hug and kiss her in front of her classmates when I drop her off; although once she said to me, “mooommm”, and I was kind of sad (cried walking back to my car, shhh, don’t tell anyone)…lol, she hasn’t done it again since then so I’ll keep taking all the hugs + kisses I can get from her! Best way to describe her personality right now is six going on sixteen …and not going to lie, she’s been in trouble once or twice at school so hopefully as she gets older that will sort of go away (hopeful). Little A is a little jet setter and traveled to LA quite a few times this year; she’s bi-coastal since her Dad and stepmom and baby sis live out there. She was able to be there for the birth of her little sis and I got the sweetest photos from her Dad. I love when she goes to LA because she comes back with such excitement to share all her adventures with us. Honestly, I think for being a kid of co-parenting she’s well adjusted and understands the situation to the best of her abilities. I am proud of myself because I wanted to create an environment where she can thrive regardless of where she spends her time–with me or her Dad. I think because her Dad and I were committed to it from the beginning it helped to set the foundation for her. Not to say there haven’t been hiccups, but for the most part it’s been all good. With a few adjustments we plan to continue doing the same in 2018. Anything for my Little A!

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. –Eleanor Roosevelt

2018 Goals for Always Creating Blog.

As many of you know I’m Always Creating so I have some exciting things in the works for both the blog and STUDIO brand. For BLOG, I would like to add a couple of editorial interns. I would like to create a curated online shop where you can shop items from fashion to home to unique gifts. I’m also being asked to style homes or closets or questions about where I find my clothes, etc., so I thought it was a natural progression to create a shop where I can curate all the items I LOVE for YOU. If you like this idea, please comment below. I want to make sure that I’m creating content that will be useful to you.

Another goal for 2018 is to start focus on creating more interactive content, i.e., videos so I will try my best to create YouTube content. I know that when I do Insta Stories and Live you all seem to love those content so I would like to take it a step further and create a space where you can watch the videos back.  In addition, in 2018, I would like to…

• become a contributor to an online lifestyle / fashion blog or website, like the Everyday Girl or Glitter Guide. I also would like to become a wedding blogger and/or work in that space from the content creation standpoint
• attend NYFW; it would be a DREAM come true
• attend blogger conference(s); meet some of my favorite blogger bffs IRL
• travel for brand partnerships
• blog more consistently and grow my readership and following

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Personal Life.

Wow, if I am being honest this is a tough one for me. I have been struggling with coming up with a personal goal for myself for the new year; I want it to be meaningful and achievable. I don’t think I have had a goal(s) and/or resolution(s) the best few years. I think I’ve just been pushing myself to work harder + stay focused, to create and cultivate meaningful relationships, to focus on things within my control and let go of things I have zero control over. As I have gotten older, I have grown more spiritual and less religious; more content and happy and grounded and I will continue to do these things in the new year. I have so many aspirations and dreams and things on my bucket list that I wish to cross off in the next 365 days, like travel to Paris, become a vegetarian again (yes, I once was for three years), return to my yoga practice, and try different kinds of wine. Haha, it’s all about balance, right? In all seriousness, I want to live a more healthy lifestyle and get back in shape, drink more water and just try to have a balance in all that I do.

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you may roam… –Irish Blessing

Thank you for your support this year, I love sharing my life with you. I wish you abundance of happiness and joy and love and success and good vibes in 2018. May 2018 be kind to you all!

A SPECIAL thank you to my husband and daughter, you guys rock my world! I love you!