Happy Monday.
Since summer is winding down, I plan on posting pretty regularly now, and I thought it only right to fill you in on what has been going on since I graduated and moved back home. It was two months ago today that I, and my boyfriend at the time, packed up all my things and moved Smalls and I back up to the Bay Area. I knew I would be taking the summer off to enjoy my time with my family and friends, and I would be scheduling my surgery [READ HERE]. Crazy how time flies by... Tomorrow morning (Tuesday August 21st) at 7:30 am I will be in the o.r. where I will be having two great doctors fix me up. I have quite a bit of recovery time ahead of me - which means lots more time for blogging/ pinning/ etc.
These past few months haven't been easy. I never mentioned on here that while going through all the chest stuff I also had two moles removed/ one turning out to be A-typical. To be honest, I was really angry at myself due to the fact that I am the only one to blame for the way I have treated my skin. Out of the situation I have two new scares to remind me that the sun is the real deal, and I am now encouraged to get all my moles checked every six months because I am at a higher risk of developing cancer. So basically I boycotted bathing suits and being in the sun this summer. Being tan for a couple of days makes no sense in the long run for me. I'm learning to embrace my fair skin.
I'm also rediscovering my inner strength. Recently the boyfriend of almost 4.5 years and I broke up. I have so many mixed emotions that I won't share out loud (on the Internet), but from them I'm learning to focus on better things ahead of me and building up my confidence in myself. And I've got my little guy Smalls and thats really all I need right now.
In more exciting news:
- L. loves to share has a new co-photographer! All pictures on here will be taken by me or KMS Photography (unless stated otherwise). I am so blessed to have a bff who is super skilled - Thank You Katie Michelle ♥
- I finally joined a gym! For the past 3 weeks I have been putting my pretty nikes to good use and kicking my butt into shape. I didn't want to focus on losing weight, but rather on toning. I have muscles that I didn't even know existed!! I joined with my stepsister and have been meeting with a trainer twice a week. The feeling after a PT session is amazing - I am so proud of myself and know that my hard work is paying off. The bummer part is that I have to stop due to surgery recovery BUT I will be back at it after. I am so driven to see the results that I want, and now that I know it's possible nothing is going to stop me.
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I share my stories in hopes of making at least one of you aware of topics that as young women we tend to block out and assume could never happen to us (especially in our 20's). I was that way before this year. I never took the time to educate myself on self breast exams and never really cared enough to feel for myself. If you have history of breast cancer in your family (OR even if you don't) I encourage you to pay attention, and as corny as it sounds, get to know your breasts. I would never wish that moment on anyone when the doctor finds something you didn't know was there.
Same goes for your skin. There are so many ways to protect ourselves now - buy make-up with sunscreen in it, wear a hat/ sunglasses, take 5 minutes to put sunscreen on and re-apply later, etc. I went through a stage during my first two years at college where I thought that the tanner I was the prettier I looked - Stupid right?! Not only did I not wear any sunscreen and fry myself at the pool but I would then go do a stand up tanning bed. I can't go back in time and erase the damage I did to myself or continue to be upset about it - I can only protect myself now, be aware of my existing moles/freckles, and form a great relationship with my dermatologist. Hopefully most of you choose to be smart when outside and know that being tan is not everything..
I have come across some powerful blog entries/links lately, please feel free to check them out:
- The Everygirl just post about Lindsay Avner and her non-profit Bright Pink.
Not only is Lindsay inspiring as a business women but she's got a lot of information to share if you want to be proactive in the fight against breast cancer.
- This one was posted by Lauren Conrad (LC)
* the video will make you cry
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cute pup! welcome back!
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Thanks for the mention bestie!!! Love you!
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