2014 : tears, triumphs and toasts to new adventures.

Well, here we are. Christmas has come and gone. I was, in fact, not on the naughty list and now it's time to recap a whirlwind freaking crazy year and talk about the triumph over those blasted imperfections that managed to become such lovely blessings.  You ready for this, ma peeps? 

In true Raylynn spirit I'm only going to talk about my Top 5 moments because I could easily talk about each of the pictures above (one per month) but I won't bore you and you've probably already seen them if you follow le instagram. Even as I look at all of the photos I get sentimental because this year goes down in the books and each picture has a story and it's deep and close to my heart. Before we go any further I want to share my annual holiday card with you. 

Below the visually obvious, "Simply Blessed" it reads, "A whirlwind year with tears & triumphs! Happy Holidays from the 'Hood. Love - Raylynn"

Let's get down to business.

 *Raylynn's 5 Best Moments of 2014 (there are plenty more)*

1.  April:  Spring brought a lot of sadness and looming reality that my career of 11 years was hastily coming to a close.  In the midst of all the struggle, I found great solace in my little experiment on Instagram and even more joy in creating a hash tag revolution for my darling kiwi girl Anneke.  The photo above (that resembles more of a dead body than a gingerbread man) was the very first #shoeselfieforanneke that I snapped and, as of writing this, I am pleased to report that we have 317 photos from across the globe for our darling girl.  She is doing amazing things as she continues to face her personal struggles and I am so proud of her.  I will admit that I'm a bit jealous that it is SUMMER in her world right now, but I can't have sunshine and sand all the time.  If you would like to read about the revolution -- click here--

After a whole lotta prayin.....

2.  June: PEACE OUT CAREER OF 11 YEARS!  It may have happened on June 30, but let me tell you what that goof ball picture of me looking tired and haggard but so damn overjoyed was the greatest day of my life and the best day in June.  I finally chose to leave the comfort of money that came with a whole too much drama and politics for a new job in a new industry that has given me the flexibility to grow, be creative and connect with such amazing and wonderful people.  Every day I come to work I thank God for dropping that one special person in my life who made the connection to this new job.  She is a guardian angel of 2014 and I don't let her forget it. 

3.  July:  I love July.  It's my birthday month.  And it also started with a week of relaxation, pampering and a trip to see my Jo in Idaho for the Fourth of July.  As I acted like a kid with my sparklers in the street, I again thanked God for all my many blessings and the fact that I was sleeping through the night again.  To read all about that fabulous week goooooo here!

 

4.  September:  Three words.  Van. Lady. Love.  Read the original blog.  It's probably one of my all-time favorite posts this year.  I sound like a complete crazy person and a silly groupie girl over that cute beardy boy named Steele, but I'm only sort of crazy and they are such a great band.  Truly.  Never underestimate the power of a good pair of red shoes.  Needle point that on a pillow. 

 

5. November:  Fashion features for an entire month!!!!!!!!!  Woot!  This girl was in heaven sharing some of my favorite outfits with all of you.  And it meant that I had the opportunity to have another photo shoot with a lovely photographer from Ogden.  Kel-Z Photography and I had a blast running around Ogden snapping some gorgeous photos for features on Mandatory Metallica, Polka Dots in the 'Hood, and Bringin Homemade to the Yard. 

 

Ok, because I'm the boss, I will say one extra thing because ... I can....  This year, because of my exit from my career, I was able to join the Friends Board for the Weber-Morgan Children's Justice Center.  I wrote about this in September after we did our annual motorcycle ride, but I just have to say that it has been such a HUGE blessing.  I am surrounded by some really incredible people who are fiercely passionate about this cause and it has boosted my spirits and got me out of my comfort zone on a few things.  I love it.  As the year ends and I look at my calendar for 2015 much of the first half of my year is going to be consumed by planning for our HUGE gala in May.  It is going to ROCK & I can't wait to tell you all about it. 

 

I spent some quality (pish, who am I kidding) time in bed, very sick, this past weekend, which meant I got to peruse social media and find inspiring quotes.  I found this one and I've decided that it's going to be my personal mantra for 2015.  I've taken this approach with my blog already and have kept it strictly about my musings and not about sponsorships or money because I know that who needs to find me and my words will and those who don't, won't.  Plain and simple.  We don't need to prove to people that we are awesome, my lovelies.  They can take the time to talk to us and find out. 

The moral of the story:  Although my year was FULL of tears, it was also full of SO much triumph and joy and that is what I will look back on with gratitude in my heart when I remember 2014. 

Until 2015, my lovelies!  And CHEEEEEEEEEEERS!
-R

 

Anniversary.

I was sick for the majority of this week so I haven't quite caught up in normal life which really means I've been wracking my brain to think of this week's blog subject. And then it hit me, my fabulous little Instagram feed hit the one year anniversary point. Almost like a whirlwind first year of marriage... So fabulous yet so damn turbulent that I couldn't forget about it even if I tried.  And so here I am with a sappy recap. Ha! Just kidding.... We all know I hate sappy. So let's go with sassy and a bit jaded. Yes, perfect. 

For those of you who have recently discovered the random musings of beYOUdesignsut, you most likely don't know that it really started out as an experiment.  In my former career I was a small business banker and almost every meeting I had with clients the subject of social media would come up. Naturally, me being a woman of 25... I mean 30-something, my clients generally assumed I was a SM (social media) expert. Well, not really. I had a private Facebook page and a private Instagram page, but for the most part I kept it pretty simple. And all the nonsense about hashtags and "at" signs were just that: nonsense.  At the same time I had a number of people that would consistently ask me about my outfits and where I bought them and how I came up with them, etc.  And certainly last but not least I was pretty sick and tired of seeing all these websites and IG feeds with rail-thin chicks who you know are mostly air brushed and sans personality and making those of us with curves and flab in all the wrong places feel like shit.  And then the experiment was born. 

In the beginning it really was all about the fashion. I made a few idea boards and then would post my personal outfits. The picture above reflects some of my first posts (minus the bottom right photo).  It was a really good coping mechanism for me as well because I was going through some rough emotions due to some failing relationships and my job was turning out to be hell on earth. Everything was happening for a reason. 

I had NO IDEA how blessed and watched over I would soon become because of this little experiment. One day I stumbled on an absolutely incredible declaration of a gorgeous woman in the UK who, with IG as her witness, made the promise that she wasn't going to let the looming thoughts of self-hurt win the battle and that she was going to overcome her struggles. I tear up just thinking about it because it was powerful. So powerful that I sent her a message and we are now the dearest of friends and we are international sisters. My Lottie. She was because of a hashtag search. 

And then there were my kiwi girls. I don't really know how we all found each other, but I know that it was absolutely no coincidence. These brave, beautiful, snarky and incredible women are fighting the vicious battle that is eating disorders. Oh how much I have learned from each of them and I am truly amazed at their courage and sass and ninja skills in a world that is just downright terrifying.  

And remember how this was all about the FASHION? 

Then one day I found Simone. A stylish instagram shop owner who became an instant friend because of her infectious love of thrifting and a long list of other things. She is by far one of the most creative women I have met in all of this. And she is an incredible mom, even though I know she thinks she's not on most days. 

And remember how this was an EXPERIMENT?

Throughout all of this I found that I was not only changing the shift of thinking for a few, but I was healing and mending too! Because believe it or not my self esteem has taken a beating a time or two or ten. It is NOT easy being a woman in Utah. Ugh. Let's not get on THAT tangent. But, I was also dealing with some unresolved mourning and the journey with that alone went hand-in-hand with my "experiment." 

In February I decided to do a fashion feature during the week of Valentine's Day about loving the body type you were given and how to dress it to flatter it, not to hide it. In the midst of all of this I found my dear friend April. She is an Ogdenite extraordinaire and a true foodie and a fighter of fights that need no explanation. I absolutely adore her and her little family. They have become dear friends who I appreciate so much. And her husband may have been the final straw of convincing me to learn to ski this year by his compelling sales pitch for the learner's deal at Snow Basin. Damn him and his sweet sales skills. 

There are so many things that I have learned in the last year. But I think the one thing I've learned the most is this: there is not a single damn one of us who is not fighting a daily battle of some kind. And if you think you aren't then look in the mirror and have a serious chat with yourself. Additionally, our nationality, religion, sexual preference, marital status, number of children, number of shoes we own or fancy purses we hoard does NOT define us. What defines us is the beating heart in our chest, the lungs that breathe the air around us, the brain that thinks and the two feet that carries us to our next destination. We all still want the same things: to be loved, revered and respected. 

God be with each of you who have made it to the end of this post. You are not alone. Fear not to be YOU.  And if your biggest fear is saying I love you to the one who you've loved for months, don't worry....you're not alone. I promise. I understand. 

The moral of the story: everything happens for a reason. And thank God for that.

Until next time, my lovelies.

-R