Tiny Triumphs

Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like everything and their twin brothers' cats are stressing you out?

I had one like that recently. And I know that it won't be the last. It's very, very easy to feel overwhelmed when stressful or even just overtly busy days come around.

But here's just one thing I've learned: focus on the tiny triumphs.

What do I mean by tiny triumphs? Well, they can be the little things that can make a dull or overwhelming day that much brighter. They can be things like:

• Getting a front door parking spot when running an errand
• Seeing many butterflies fly past you on your commute to and from work
• Your favorite song coming on the radio, or playing your favorites from a mixtape or your phone
• Getting a text or a phone call from a friend
• Texting or calling a friend
• Enjoying your favorite drink, coffee, or soda during a busy day
• The sunshine through your car's sun roof
• Hugging a friend or family member or pet(s)
• Studying God's Word and finding a verse or passage that convicts you and speaks to you

These are just a few things that can be considered the tiny triumphs in any given day. And the tiny triumphs can build and build and build until you realize that you can in fact conquer the day you are given, there are people who love and cherish you, and everything's going to be A-OK.

Plus - and most importantly - God has your back. Never, ever forget that.

How to Choose Your Next Year's Planner

You may be looking at the title of this post, and you may be wondering, "Don't most planners start in January?"

Yes, a lot of them do...but some start as early as July or August. Such an early start can help people who are students or teachers looking to plan out their school year, or those who are ready to plunge into planning into the next year (since many of these early planners are 18-month planners, as opposed to 12 months), just to name a few. I'm also saying this because the new Erin Condren planners launched this week.

Now, before I get into this post, I want to say that I'm talking about layouts here. You can purchase any layout in nearly any format these days - ring-bound, coiled, inserts for a Filofax, etc - so it's become easier than ever to find the planner that's right for you. Because of this, keep in mind that your agenda needs may be suited for a smaller or larger-size planner. Just browse around and see what's right for you.

Also, these are just my opinions, so again, please check any planner out for yourself before you dive in financially.

So, with this in mind, what kind of planner should you choose? Let's talk about that.

You might want to consider a Horizontal/Academic style planner if:

• You are a student and only need one or two lines per subject or class
• You use to-do lists primarily
• You want room to decorate with stickers

Planners include: Erin Condren, Paper Source, Kate Spade, Rifle Paper Co., Filofax, Kikki K, May Books

You might want to consider a Vertical layout (days aligned in columns) if:

• You need to categorize your day into to-do's, work, housework, any of your children, etc.
• You need ample space to write everything you need to accomplish, but not necessarily on an hour-by-hour basis
• You want ample room to decorate with stickers

Planners include: Erin Condren, Plum Paper, Paper Source, Sew Much Crafting vertical inserts (found on Etsy), MAMBI Happy Planner

You might want to consider an Hourly/Daily layout if:

• Your work is very time-sensitive
• You work in a field where you book appointments well in advance by the hour (I can see this being great for teachers, some students, photographers, wedding/event planners, etc.)
• Your planning is primarily functional (but you can still add stickers if you so desire...I've seen hourly layouts decorated extremely well)

Planners include: Erin Condren, Day Designer

So, the bottom line is...purchase the planner and/or agenda that works best for your needs. There are SO many out there to choose from, but go with the one that will help you actually plan the best. After all, you can take on the world, one step at a time...or at least pen stroke by pen stroke. :)

What planner are you using this year? Let me know in the comments below! :)

New Orleans, Louisiana | Geaux Wild Planner Conference

I finally visited New Orleans, Louisiana for the first time with my family. It only took 24 years, but I'm SO glad I finally got the chance to go.

So, why wait any longer to talk about what I did there?

Cafe Du Monde

In a matter of hours after we got off the plane, we ventured out into the rainy New Orleans night and visited the original Cafe du Monde. The original location is open 24/7, so we were sitting under the covered porch at midnight. What a way to start our trip!

This place is a must-visit, no matter how long or short your stay in NOLA. Chickory coffee is out of this world, and the Beignets even more so.

World War II Museum | French Quarter | Garden District

In the preceding days (between our sessions at Geaux Wild; more on that later), we visited several places within New Orleans.

The first I want to mention is the World War II museum. When they say that it's the #3 best museum in the country, and #1 in the city, they're not kidding. Now, I wouldn't recommend that you bring little, little kids to this museum - simply because of the fact that they show every single thing that happened during WWII, and it can get very intense at times - but it is absolutely worth visiting.

Now, I want to mention the French Quarter. My favorite parts were Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral.

Finally, before we left for home, we made a quick stop through the Garden District. Mom knew of a house with wrought-iron fences that bore a cornstalk motif - aptly named the Cornstalk Mansion. This mansion was home to a former governor of New Orleans, and its tenants were also corn merchants.

Geaux Wild Planner Conference

The reason why we went to New Orleans was not only to sightsee, but also to attend the first ever GO Wild Planner Conference - aptly titled "Geaux Wild" for the location this year - where so much excitement awaited my mom and I.

SO much happened, so I'm just going to list the highlights here:

• We heard great speakers, including Day Designer founder Whitney English and keynote speaker Erin Condren!
• We received a lot of wonderful swag, and I'm so grateful for the generosity of all the Etsy sellers and the ladies who spoke at Geaux Wild, along with the convention's coordinators and staff. You guys rock!
• The decor was absolutely fantastic; they went all out on the purple, gold, and green throughout the convention center, no-holds-barred.
• The events were so fun! My favorite part (besides hearing Erin Condren's keynote speech) was the Planjama Party, where we got to decorate a whole blacklit wall and also preview the newest Erin Condren planners (which I am SO pumped about).

Overall, the trip was a BLAST. Not only can I not wait for GO Wild 2017, but also for the next time I get to visit New Orleans!

Complement, not Compete

When I was in New Orleans last weekend at the Geaux Wild Planner Conference (post on that coming Monday!), and I had the privilege of hearing Erin Condren speak, she brought up an excellent point:

She brought this up as she was talking about how her daughter had been struggling in school with mean girls, and yes, I agree that we all need to complement instead of compete with each other (especially us women of all ages).

Can we apply this to our faith, though?

Yes. yes we can.

1 Thessalonians 5:11a states: "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" (NIV). Paul was writing specifically to the church in Thessalonica, and he was likely addressing their specific needs (the rest of the verse goes on to say "just as in fact you are doing," which could imply that they were already good encouragers, and Paul could just be giving them a pat on the back and urging them to continue). What if we took that advice, along with making every effort to encourage every time we even thought about competing with someone?

Sure, there are people in our lives who seem so cool. Either they're superstars at their job, or they are great with household management, or they have the relationship or marriage of their dreams, and the list goes on. What we don't realize is that the people we think are so cool are far from perfect. Though the people we see as "cool" on the outside may appear that way, the appearance usually varies from what's underneath.

So, don't bring anyone down. Don't belittle someone. Likewise, don't make anyone feel inferior. Instead, encourage everyone. Help them when they need it. In turn, you both will be blessed, and you could potentially gain a fabulous friendship that you wouldn't have otherwise had.

Plus, you have no idea how much a complement can mean to someone.

Complement instead of compete, y'all. You'll be glad you did.

How I Edit My Instagram Photos [2016 Edition]

I use Instagram. A lot. So much so that I've even written an article on it for work, and - as of writing this post - I've posted 1,958 pictures onto my account, going back as far as my sophomore year of college.

Now, I've talked about Instagram posting before, but the apps I use now have changed quite a bit since then.

(Disclaimer: I'm using an iPhone to do these edits, but the apps I'm using are also available on other platforms; just click the links to check them out. :] )

For our example today, I'm going to edit a picture of one of my adorable dogs, Azalea.

This is Azalea. She's my baby diva princess, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :) It's rare to get her to look at the camera straight-on. Lol.

Step 1: A Color Story

If I only edit with one app, it's "A Color Story." I love it because of how easy it is to achieve the look I want, which usually consists of brightened colors and heightened contrast. I especially love the way this kind of style looks in travel photography.

My go-to filter is "Disco Ball" under the "Good Vibes" set. I'll also use "Lipstick" and "Palm Springs", and sometimes "Laura" if I want it in black and white. Then, I'll turn it up or down as needed to enhance the photo. Occasionally, I'll use the Color Fog or Light Leak feature to add a fun little something extra to the photo.

And that's usually all I do! I do this to pictures of landscapes, objects, people, and selfies.

But if I want to add something else, I enlist the help of a second app...

[Optional] Step 2: Over or A Beautiful Mess

Occasionally, I'll add text to a photo. When I add text, it's usually an overlay, because I've always loved the idea of a "handwritten" note or phrase or typography on an otherwise blank canvas. I usually add text to food photos or landscapes (like out plane windows). 

Left: edited with A Beautiful Mess; Right: edited with Over

To Collage or Not to Collage?

For my collages, I usually use Moldiv, but there are SO many apps out there to choose from to make them (across different types of phones, too!).

How do you like to edit your photos for Instagram? Please let me know in the comments! :)