blogging – Angela Joy

baby got goals

Got Goals cropped tee: Shop Good to Be

Did you make a resolution at the beginning of the year? Did you “fail” a week in or not even try at all?

Just because we only have four months left in 2019, doesn’t mean it’s too late to get started. Instead of waiting until next January to crush your goals, why not start now?

Improve Health and Wellness

Health and wellness go beyond your physical body. It also includes your mind and soul, so be sure to think beyond your waistline as well. Do you need to start practicing more self-care? Have you been struggling with depression or anxiety? Don’t wait until next year to take care of yourself! I started doing yoga earlier this year and dropped all of my other gym memberships because not only is it good for my body, it is also good for my mind. It also is more feasible for my body to do multiple times a week since endometriosis makes a high-impact workout painful!

Save Money or Get Out of Debt

This is something I started doing mid-yearish. I knew I wanted to save more and spend LESS! I looked at my bank statements to see where I was spending all my money! You may not think much about a $3 burger here or a $4 coffee there, but these little things add up quick. I started doing the Dave Ramsey envelope system and now I see what all the hype is about!!

Get a New Job

If you loathe your current job or have been wanting to make a change for years, start doing things to get a new job today! Don’t wait around several months and continue to be miserable when you could be doing something about it! Freshen up your resume. Update your LinkedIn. Make a list of the companies that you would love to work for and reach out to them or sign up to get job opening alerts.

Making SMART Goals

Whew, I hear about SMART goals all the time in my professional life! But they are the key to accomplishing any of these goals. SMART goals are goals that are:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Based

Keep track of your progress month-by-month and take pride in each and every step you take. As you achieve your mini goals, reward yourself well. Do you have goals you’ve made progress on lately? Or are you setting new ones before the year is over? Let me know in the comments!

This is the only life you’ve got—let’s finish this year well no matter how it started!

Beauty, fashion, Style, What's New

Hot Girl Summer

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

Does everyone feel it’s too soon to browse pre-fall outfits or is it just me?! Walked in one of my favorite boutiques over the weekend and it was FULL of fall sweaters and I thought whew, I can’t even think about buying these right now! Even the lightweight ones aren’t wearable until Octoberish here in Alabama!

Since this hot and heavy weather seems to be sticking around a bit longer, I thought I would talk about some of my favorite makeup products that stay put for 12+ hours during a full day of activities!

#1 Elf Poreless Putty Primer | First of all, ELF has come a long way since it’s original days as a cheap, low quality makeup brand! I have many things I love from this brand, but this one is my latest fave. Feels light on the skin and creates a great smooth canvas!

#2 Makeup Revolution Full Coverage Foundation | Oil-free yet creamy and comfortable formula that dries down to a long-lasting, demi-matte finish. Totally full coverage and doesn’t settle into fine lines!

#3 NYX Born to Glow Liquid Illuminator | Even in this extremely hot summer, this stuff gives a luminous and healthy goddess glow. I promise it won’t make you look a sweaty mess. Also looks great under makeup or alone!

#4 Smashbox Spotlight Palette | An easy-to-use, 3-well highlighter palette that spotlights your favorite features, adds dimension and gives you a buildable glow. This palette is my FAVE for traveling because it has 3 different levels of highlight perfect for daytime and going out wear.

#5 Laura Mercier Undereye Brightening Powder | A transparent, weightless powder to set under-eye concealer, brighten dark circles, and diminish the look of fine lines. Need I say more?

#6 Essence Lash Princess Mascara | My lashes look like falsies when I wear this and it is typically less than $5!

#7 NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray | I purchase this stuff over and over again! Every time I stray from it, I come right back. It will lock your makeup in place for hours. Even in this terrible heat!

#8 MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick | I love a good lipstick. One that stays all day, has high color pigmentation, and is under $10 seems like it would be too good to be true. But this one is it! This stuff does NOT budge. Like at all or all day. You can purchase online for swing by your local Walgreens to find it in stores.

#9 Countercontrol Matte Effect Gel Cream | This stuff provides all the hydration and no shine. Plus it’s a safer beauty product and doesn’t contain anything that you don’t need to put on your skin and in your bloodstream. I am trying to transition to cleaner living. It’s hard, but this brand makes it a little easier!

I hope these product recommendations work for you. Give them a try and let me know if you’re going to make them a part of your daily rotation to beat that dreaded makeup melting off in the heat look!

Career, fashion, What's New, Work Wear

Prevail

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

prevail [ pri-veyl ] – prove more powerful than opposing forces; be victorious.

This week I am talking about another one of my favorite spots –– Prevail Union –– Located on the first floor of a building from 1898, which was home to the S. H. Kress & Co. department store, Prevail is a craft coffee shop focusing on delivering fresh roasted coffee and unique drinks while in a comfortable, cozy environment. Hip and industrial, it resembles a coffee shop that one typically wouldn’t expect to find in downtown Montgomery.

I’ve been going to Prevail since my first day of work in Montgomery. Back then, it was located in a smaller spot at a nearby building. I fell in love with the honey vanilla iced latte and the homey environment where I could cross things off my to-do list.

Prevail sends a subtle, yet consistent message which constantly reminds us that alone, we may endure, but together we prevail.

No no matter what your situation in this season, if life is hard, love harder, be slow to anger and quick to forgive, and you will prevail. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow, but you will win!

Look Again.

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

*DRESS*: **Blue Door Boutique**; *SHOES*: **Targe**t (I have the higher heel version, but mine are equally as comfy to work all day in!)
*HANDBAG:* **Louis Vuitton “Sac Plat”** (This bag was investment piece for me, but it is the perfect every day work bag and is different than the normal Neverfull style!)

Even though I live in a small town, I have the privilege of working five days a week in Montgomery. So I can do all the shopping and eating I need to do that one normally couldn’t do during the week in Greenville. I unfortunately can’t get everything I need from Walmart and Taco Bell – I know some of you can relate!

When I started working in Montgomery, my foodie senses were tingling. So many new things to try! If I was stranded on a deserted island with only a few things left for the remainder of time, I could probably live off of good burgers. Thankfully for me, right around the corner from my office is one of the best burger spots around, Hamburger King.

So why am I going on and on about a burger spot, you may ask? Well I had my wisdom teeth extracted yesterday and this was my “last supper,” before the surgery. Boy did I pick a good one!

Hamburger King, which opened in 1970 is a tiny, hole in the wall spot with a few counter stools and some tables for four. It’s something you might pass by and think isn’t worth your time. Look again. If you’re into dive spots with no frills, this is the spot for you. The first time I tried it, I was HOOKED. It’s the kind of burger that makes a little mess while you eat. So be sure to go with someone you aren’t embarrassed to eat in front of 🙂

Just a friendly reminder, they only sell chips. No fries. But I find a good bag of salty Lay’s always hits the spot with one of these burgers. Also, make sure you have cash on hand. There is an ATM inside, but sometimes it’s down and I would HATE for you to miss out on the chance to eat here. The ONLY downside to this spot is the lack of pickles. I love pickles on my burger. But it’s so good that I can get over it!

I’ve been eating fairly healthy and sticking to my yoga routine when possible, so this was a fantastic cheat meal right before being stuck at home eating ice cream and soup!

To wrap this rambling post up, I wanted to say I have been very nervous about jumping back in to blogging and creating my own stationery line! Sometimes I think, my content isn’t special and the market is oversaturated with photos of girls in new clothes! Or I get worried people will make fun of me! But I realized the one thing I have that no one else has is ME! My voice, my mind, my story. So I am going to write and live out my vision and goals only as I can.

I hope if you have dreams and visions for your life, no matter what they are, you are inspired to live them out with no fear of failing. At first glance, it may appear too hard. Look again. Always look again.

Let me know what dreams you’re chasing after these last six months of 2019!

Travel, What's New

Coffee Break Thoughts from the Airport

Featuredby Angela ThomasLeave a Comment

My job can be a little exhausting. Okay, sometimes a lot. We are a dedicated nonprofit with a small staff. I’m actually doing two jobs within the organization right now during a transition period.

Through my job, I am tasked with traveling sometimes. There are one-day trips to exhibit and then there are week-long trips for conferences. I have essentially traveled three weeks of the past month. I haven’t been home much and as I sit here in the airport waiting on a flight that won’t get me home until 11:30 tonight (then I have to drive an hour home), I think how fortunate I am to be able to travel alone.

I’m not sure if you’ve had the opportunity to travel alone, but let me tell ya… it makes for some serious self-reflection/processing time. As I walked every inch of the city of Louisville (and visited the underground speakeasy you see above) with no one but me, myself and I, I had the sweet, rare opportunity to really process where I was at and how I was doing in terms of life in general. I was challenged and reminded and affirmed of His love for me and plan for my life all at the same time.

I am exhausted and looking forward to some time at home for a long weekend before I fly out again two weeks from now. But I’m so thankful to have had that time to step away and be alone. I know the craziness of the holidays is soon upon us, but if you have the chance to carve out some alone time for yourself, whether it be a couple of hours or a whole weekend, I can’t encourage it enough! It was pretty transformative for me.

I am so overwhelmed and I am so thankful.

So here’s my question for you, friends, how are you doing, doing. Are you giving yourself the rest you need? Are you giving yourself the grace you deserve? I haven’t been.

There will be a million things telling you that you’re not doing enough or being enough or accomplishing enough. But you have one friend right here today telling you this simple truth… you already are. You Are. Enough.

If you’re like me and have a hard time believing that to be true of yourself, my challenge to you today is to pause. Give yourself the rest you don’t think you have time for because I guarantee you that you do. There will always be a million excuses not to, but you know what I can promise? Life will go on. And you? You will be so much better off for it.

Go buy that Starbucks holiday drink and go on a walk around the prettiest neighborhood you can find. Or curl up on the couch and put on a Hallmark movie… and instead of checking your email inbox and finding other ways to do a million things at once, just watch. Light your favorite candle, put on your favorite worship song and spend thirty minutes journaling and pouring your heart out to the Lord. Replace one of the “to do list” things you feel like you have to do with something that brings you rest.

I know I know.. it goes against everything our millennial-multitasking minds tell us to do, and that’s the beauty of it.

Let’s fill this season with a bit more rest, ok? That’s how I intend to round out the remainder of the year.

So before I step off my soapbox, let me just say one last thing. It is good to trust in the Lord. He is faithful, and He is the best author. Trust Him with your story, friend. In the valleys, remember there are so many pages you haven’t lived through yet, and remember that His love, which is so far greater than any love we’ll ever find here on this earth, will lead you through each one.

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