dress || sandals || sunglasses || similar earrings (1/2)
A couple of months ago, Wishes & Reality celebrated its third birthday but I didn’t ever get around to doing anything to celebrate this milestone. You see there is something about blogging that makes time go by even faster than normal. I’m not sure if its sticking to an editorial calendar or always planning for the next post, but I swear blogging makes time zoom past at a seemingly astronomical speed.
If you’ve read W&R for any length of time, you know that we keep things pretty light around here. Fashion, food, family, fun. And although I’ve shared some very personal stories (see here and here), I feel that there is quite a lot that, as a reader, you might not know about me. So today I thought it would be fun to share…
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me
1. I grew up in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota
These photos were shot by my husband in my childhood backyard! Each year I pack up the kids and we spend 2 weeks with my father and stepmother in my childhood home. The kids run and play and hike and explore. They swing in the hammock and visit the neighbor’s horses. All of the things I remember doing for hours on end as a child. Its pretty magical to see it all again through their eyes. In hindsight, I realize how very lucky I was to grow up where I did.
2. I lived in New York right after 9-11.
I had lined up an internship with Saks 5th Avenue that was scheduled to start just weeks after 9-11. It was an incredibly surreal experience to be there during that time. I had always thought I would end up living in Manhattan. And although there were so many parts that I loved about the city, in the end it was just too overwhelming for me. I have found Chicago to be so much more accessible and livable. To this day, I love going back to visit NY but being there during such a difficult time definitely left a lasting impression.
3. I was a VP at a major financial institution before I became a mom.
I had planned to stay in fashion after college, but the types of jobs I wanted were mainly in New York. Since I had decided that was not the place for me, I decided to refocus my efforts. After a very short stint in retail, I left the industry for a job in corporate banking working with medium to large corporations. I worked my way up to a VP title in the years that followed and enjoyed great professional success. It was a position that also afforded me the opportunity to travel extensively. I ultimately decided to leave when my son was born, as it would have been just too much time away from my new baby for me to bear.
4. I’ve become more and more of a homebody as I’ve gotten older.
I used to love to go out with friends and was rarely home. These days, there is almost nothing I enjoy more that time with my family, or curled up on the couch with a glass of wine and a favorite TV show.
5. I’ve been married for over 10 years.
My husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this past January! The years have flown by and I can’t wait for what’s to come. Marriage isn’t easy, but its funny how the more time that passes, the easier it seems to get:)
6. I graduated high school and college at the top of my class, but really had no clue “what I wanted to be when I grew up”.
I was always pretty “book smart” and school came fairly easily for me. With that said, although I was ambitious, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I think in the end, being fluid with my choice actually helped me to find success. To this day, I believe that its so important to be able to reinvent yourself with life’s changes.
7. I write another blog, besides this one.
I recently joined the team of Vintage Meet Modern and am loving being part of the team. I’m currently authoring many of the blog posts and am excited to contribute to future projects as VMM grows. I hope you’ll check out the site, there are so many unique and beautiful pieces!
8. I workout 4-5x a week.
I suffer from pretty severe anxiety and took medication for it for years. I also resisted going to the gym for years. When I finally discovered weight training, it was a total game changer. I loved feeling like I was getting stronger. And incorporating cardio made such an impact that I no longer needed medication*. I never thought I would be a person who loved going to the gym, but all that has changed. While I don’t jump out of bed in the morning dying to go, I genuinely love my workouts once I’m there. *I’m not saying that exercising will have the same impact on everyone; I can only speak to my own personal experiences.
9. I am NOT a morning person.
I totally wish I was but I’m a total night owl. I can stay up until midnight or later and there isn’t much I love more than sleeping in. My workout schedule has been the one thing that has gotten my moving in the morning.
10. I LOVE to cook.
Before I had kids, my husband did all the cooking. My specialty was fried eggs and toast. I can’t remember what finally got me into the kitchen, but once I started cooking I was obsessed! I love being creative and coming up with my own spin on recipes. You can find lots of them right here on the blog.
So there you have it…10 things you didn’t know about me! If you made it all the way to end of this post, wow! And thank you.
Now what about you?! Tell me something about YOU! Comment below with at least one interesting fact about you!
And as always, thanks much for stopping by! Xoxo
