West Elm + Wax by Lax

I  remember when we first started our Wax by Lax journey and we talked about our first craft show. I told my hunny how I had always dreamed of being a vendor at a show. So we signed up and we were accepted and there we went buying all the props we would need to get started. I was certain that craft shows were exactly what we needed to get Wax by Lax off to the right start. 

Well... it wasn't all I had hoped for. It was hot and raining and super slow. At the end of the show, the amount of money we made still managed to leave us in the negative but it was a great experience for us both either way. We talked to customers about our product and our process and we started getting more comfortable sharing our candles with others.

Almost 10 months later, and I am in awe at how far we have come. We had our third "pop up shop" today (2nd at West Elm) and every time we do one, I am still in awe at how much we have achieved in such a short time.

Wax by Lax wasn't something I ever imaged would turn the way that it has and even though we still have SO MUCH to learn, I feel confident that we have done pretty well.

Our little angel is what keeps us going -- making him proud is our goal. I just hope that he is looking down at us from heaven and is happy with his momma and daddy <3

Moving Out

It's been a week since we left our old apartment for our first home together. It was indeed a bittersweet day for me. After all, it was my first apartment by myself and because of that, it has a lot of symbolic meaning to me. I also went through so much in that apartment. I went through literally the best times of my life and the worst so to say it was difficult to leave, may actually be a little bit of an understatement. Besides the fact, of course, that I absolutely loved our community.

It was in that apartment that I saw my hunny for the first time in over 10 years. He came over, brought me food, and we sat on the couch watching True Blood. It was late and awkward and so amazing all at the same time. It was there where we had our first kiss. It was also there when we decided to try to have a baby and there that I found out I was pregnant. The worst day of my life also happened there, when I found out our baby was gone to be in heaven. 

 The months that followed were the worst of my life. I was completely broken and as I tried to find my way back to normality again, I saw myself surrounded by the same four walls. I would clean and sometimes break down and cry. I was reminded every day of our baby boy, where we had put his crib, and I would constantly imagine how our life would be different if everything had turned out OK. I would try SO hard to focus on all the amazing things that came from this place. But finally, it was time for a change.

This school year I started at a new school. It's been an amazing change and so cathartic. Now, we are in our new home and we are absolutely in love with it (apartment tour blog post coming soon!). I love it, it feels fresh and so amazing. I am less than 10 mins away from work now so it's easier and I get to sleep in a little bit more in the morning. I even get to come home for lunch and see my hunny. 

Yes, I do sometimes miss the area where we used to live but our new place is SO much better and it's a place we picked together and made it a "home" together. I am excited to see what new adventures we will have here.

our first kiss in our new home <3

Free My Mind - 50 Questions

A couple of years ago, I completed a 50 questions blogging challenge (answering 5 questions at a time) and reading back now, I have been able to see just how much I have changed since then. So I decided to go ahead and do the challenge again now... now that life has challenged me so much and I now that I am, in a way, a different person than I was back then when I originally answered them. I'm curious to see how my answers may have changed since then.

The questions can be found here online...

Here are my answers to the first five for today's post...

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? Honestly, this is a pretty tricky question for me. On one hand, I feel like I have been through so much in life that has, in a way, forced me grow up quickly. I guess, if I had to choose an age, I would be at least 35 based on the person that I am, what I enjoy doing, how I act, how I feel about certain things, and where I am in life right now with all the experiences life has shown me. I'm in reality 32 and sometimes I feel like I act like a much older person but at the same time, I feel like I still have so much left to experience in life. 

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? No one likes failure. Well, at least I think no one does. I, for one, am so competitive (with myself!) and hate when I fail. However, I also know that if I don't fail, it would signify that I never tried (or that I'm just that awesome LOL) and yes, I believe never trying is even worse. If you don't at least try something, then you will be depriving yourself of a learning experience. 

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? I think people do things that they don't like because of curiosity and because of expectations. I think people are curious at first about certain things and that curiosity may lead them to want to do something. Also, some people might do things because of expectations from others. For example, some people might feel like they have to do certain things or live a certain life because of what's expected from them. I'm not saying this is necessarily a good thing but it's a very common reality. As for the other side of this question, I think we like so many things we don't do because of fear. I think fear of what may happen is what keeps us from pursuing a lot of things we may like. 

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Definitely but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I rather say more than not have said anything at all. I think it's important for us to set goals for ourselves even if we know that maybe we will accomplish only 3 out of the five, for example. I think we should at least aim for something and we can't do this if we don't say we will. 

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? I would have to say ignorance. I think ignorance is the root of so many other problems we face in the world. I really think that if ignorance wasn't so prevalent in today's society, we wouldn't have as much crime, suicide, depression, arguments, etc. I think, in general, people would lead happier lives without depriving themselves of meaningful relationships with others because of ignorance.