"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert Einstein

Believe in yourself.  So simple yet so difficult to do.  With all of the negative outside influencers in our lives it's hard to believe in ourselves.  The media pushes us down and society knocks us across the head.  We're being pushed from all sides towards the pit of failure.  It takes strength, determination, and the will to fight back to believe in yourself and DO something.  It takes confidence ... confidence in your own abilities, confidence in who you are, confidence in what you can achieve.  A lack of self-confidence is spreading at epidemic proportions ... not just in females.  Guys, too, suffer from confidence issues.  Their sex does not make them immune to the negative outside influencers.

Jessie and I made a video, awhile back, addressing the topic of self-confidence and girls.  We feel very strongly about this issue and believe that things must change.  We wanted to hear about this topic from the male point of view, also.  So, we gathered seven amazing guys and wonderful friends and got their feedback.  They had so many great things to say that we had to split the video up into two parts.  See what they had to say, below!

Part 1

Part 2

Share this message (and your own) with others & fight back against this epidemic!

Ignorance + Confidence = Success

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and success is sure." -Mark Twain

One of my wonderfully amazing best friends (yes Joshy, that's you) sent me this article one morning, recently.  It is absolutely amazing!!  Read below for a short snid-bit and if you like (which I can't see how you wouldn't) then click on the link to read the full article.

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"To some extent, we all have a tendency to self-defeat.  It's human nature.  In fact, it's one of the key ways we cope with failure (which, by the way, is a frequent pit stop on the way to success).  Self-sabotage actually protects us from devastation.  Actually, self-sabotage may not be the best word to describe the concept.  In its intended form, it's more like when a skateboarder "bails".

"Conquering the Enemy Within" by Jack Busch

Now, go conquer your enemy within!!

A little Seuss magic .. A lot of Seuss lovin'

Jessie and I had sooo much fun filming the Dr. Seuss Birthday Tribute video.  If you haven't seen it already, check it out below!  While it was super exciting drawing whiskers across my face and donning a tall white and red striped hat it was even more fun picking up 50 balloons from Party City and trying to stuff them into our cars!  Here's a little behind-the-scenes look into the making of this video!

First, I rearranged my entire room pushing all of the furniture to one side! It was a good morning workout!

We then stuffed two dozen balloons into each of our cars!

And then we nearly took fight with a little help from the helium and a lot of help from the wind!

Once we reigned in the seuesstastic balloons, we got everything ready "on set" ;)

"Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered." - Dr. Seuss

How To: Wedding Rehearsal Bridal Bouquet

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My roommate Amanda made this gorgeous bouquet for her best friend's wedding!!  Below are step-by-step instructions!!

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1. Save ribbon and bows from bridal showers.
2. Take a paper plate (I used one from a shower, so it had a pretty design) and cut a 1 inch circle in the middle.
3. Take one of the long ribbons, put it through the hole so that it is wrapped around the plate and tie a knot in it near the hole and under the plate.
4. Repeat step 3 until you have covered the plate as much as you would like.  You'll end up with all of the knots right next to the hold on the bottom of the plate.
5. Use another ribbon to wrap around all the ribbon hanging under the plate.  I taped it at the top and then wrapped over the tape and tucked it in the bottom.
6. Add as many pre-made bows to the top of the plate as you would like by taping them down.
7. Take it to the bride to use at the rehearsal!!

"How do I love thee?  Let me county the ways." -Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Is your world a world of black & white? Or shades of grey? Or multi-color?

I eat rainbows and poop butterflies!!!

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.  It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do.  And that enables you to laugh at life's realities. "  - Dr. Seuss

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Life is mean to be lived, enjoyed, laughed at, and not taken too seriously.  For when you start to take things a bit too seriously, you're asking for troubles.  No one knew this better than the great ol' Doctor of Seusses!!  What a brilliant man he was!  I have always had a great love for his books, however, that love really blossomed once I entered my twenties ... perfect age to fall in love with children's books, right? I think so!

The truth is, his books aren't meant for just children.  They each have valuable life lessons scattered throughout.  And if I'm being honest, I would love nothing more than to live in a world full of color alongside dawns and foons and lurches!!  Who wouldn't?

The great Dr.'s birthday was yesterday, March 2.  So, in his honor and due to our love and sincere appreciation for the wonderful man, Jessie and I made a birthday tribute!!  Check it out, below, and get inspired from some of our favorite words of his...!!

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.  It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do.  And that enables you to laugh at life's realities. "  - Dr. Seuss

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose." -Dolly Parton

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?  Who do you see?  Is she pretty?  Is he handsome?  Is she ugly?  Is he weird?  Is he/she happy?

Unfortunately, when looking in the mirror, we all too often see a person through the eyes, and opinions, of others.  We see someone who is marred by the guidelines of 'beauty' that are set by society.  We see a face with too much acne.  Hair with too much frizz.  Hips with too much jiggle.  Arms without enough definition.  A nose that's too big.  Boobs that are too small. A body that screams "imperfection".  

Well, I'll be the first to tell you that if you have any of these thoughts (or similar ones) when looking in the mirror, you are WRONG.  You are so very wrong, and it breaks my heart to know that you can't see your own beauty.  But you are not alone and you are not without hope.  Far too many girls, and guys, look into the mirror and don't like what they see.  It's because they have been taught to dislike what they see, that is, unless it fits this mold that has been shaped by society and the media.

Dear friends, girls, guys, men, women, anyone who may be reading this, YOU are beautiful.  YOU are special.  You will never fit into that mold, because you weren't meant to.  We each were blessed with our own body, our own mind, and they're unlike anyone else's.  So, revel in the hundreds of freckles that adorn your cheeks.  Appreciate every unique feature on your face.  Celebrate your boobs, be they big, small or nearly nonexistent (don't degrade something that may one day nourish a child)!!  For you are beautiful in all of your differences and uniqueness.  

Those legs that are too short.. they are beautiful.  Those ears that are too big.. they are beautiful.  That pudge that hangs over your jeans.. it is beautiful.  You are beautiful.  Know it. Believe it.  And revel in the knowledge that no one else is quite like you.

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." - Mother Teresa

It's as easy as ABC. Learn to Live your life according to the alphabet.

A .. act with kindness
B .. believe in yourself
C .. care for all around you
D .. dare to believe
E .. engage in meaningful conversations
F .. find your passion
G .. go out. explore.
H .. hold hands with the one you love
I .. imagine the possibilities
J .. just do it (thanks Nike)
K .. kindness goes a long way
L .. love unconditionally
M .. make friends, not enemies
N .. never give up
O .. open every door. you never know what's behind it.
P .. don't pretend. be yourself.
Q .. quit doubting yourself
R .. remember where you came from
S .. stop self-deprecating talk
T .. try new things
U .. understand that you won't understand everything. you're not meant to.
V .. visit far-away lands.
W .. wonder. wander.
X .. expect the unexpected. life never goes as planned.
Y .. your opinion matters
Z .. be zealous. it's contagious.

"This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often"

Thanks to a great friend, Joshyua, for sharing this beautiful message with me!  I WILL have this painted in my house one day.  It's a message we all should read each morning, every day.  It's so simple, yet so powerful.