Thursday Thoughts: Believe in Yourself

2015 is here! Happy New Year everyone!

As you may have seen on Instagram, we rang in the New Year at Disney California Adventure. It was WAY more special than I expected it to be. I mean, should I be surprised? Disney does it again! My favorite moments were dancing to country music in Cars Land, rocking at the new Freeze the Night dance party, and the AMAZING fireworks/water show in Paradise Pier at midnight. I seriously wish they played that show every night!

As we welcome this wonderful new year of possibilities, I like to keep a mantra in mind to guide my goal setting. My hope for 2015 is to dream bigger. We were given the gift of this new year to fill it with more hugs, more dreams and more love. This quote sums up my outlook for 2015 perfectly.

Because what are dreams if we don't believe they can come true?

The full quote is even more powerful:

Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving Source - a Sower of Dreams - just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true. – Sarah Ban Breathnach

I am not very familiar with this author, but her words instantly hit home for me. I am ready to take that leap of faith and make my dreams come true!

Ready to believe in yourself this year? Make this your desktop or phone background to stay motivated!

Click the links below to download, save, then set your new background!

Best wishes to making your dreams come true in 2015!

Why I Decided to Look Back

As 2015 approaches, I started to put on the blinders and focus full steam ahead on the future. But I was missing one important piece of the puzzle: the craziness that was 2014.

This fall, between our two back-to-back moves, I was feeling pretty down on the progress I had made on my business. There is so much more I wanted to accomplish this year, so many ideas yet to be created!

While reading this article on Scoutie Girl, something inside me woke up. I realized about how far I had come.  I was in such a hurry to put 2014 behind me that I forgot to take into account the incredible ways this year has shaped me as a person.

I often forget to be kind with myself for the things I can't control. And while I'm all about stretch goals, I also tend to throw goals out the window when they seem too unrealistic (I know I'm not the only one out there!).

Seeing all the awesome and crazy things that happened over the course of 2014 put into perspective what I can realistically expect 2015 to look like.

So here it goes, all the amazing and crazy things that happened in 2014:

• Quit my advertising agency "day job"
• Started my own business
• Opened my Etsy shop
• Designed my first website (this one!)
• Celebrated our one year wedding anniversary in Disneyland
• Moved to California
• Lived in three different places
• Got serious about blogging
• Became a Disneyland Annual Passholder

Whew! What a year! I'd like to think that I'm almost there... 2015 you are my year.

Later this week I'll be sharing my 2015 goals here on the blog (accountability time!) but I'd love to hear your 2014 highlights in the meantime.

Share your highlights below in the comments or link to your blog article!

Thursday Thoughts: On Christmas

Merry Christmas friends! Right now I'm getting ready to watch the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, an annual tradition in my family. I hope you all are getting to spend some quality time with your loved ones today, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Wishing all of you a magical Christmas feeling!

P.S. This photo was taken last week during the Disneyland Christmas Fantasy Parade. Can you find the dancing reindeer?

Thursday Thoughts on Disneyland: A Source of Joy and Inspiration

Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955 to a mass of fans and press hungry to experience Walt's vision. While opening day was rocky and full of technical failures, crowds continued to line up the next day starting at 2 am. What many viewed as a money-grabbing, open-and-shut exhibition, Disneyland went on to become the most well attended theme park in the world. Walt was driven to make Disneyland the best theme park for his daughters, but never lost sight of how to reach a mass audience. His innovation and vision, which many found crazy at the time, are an amazing example of believing in your dreams, then working hard to make them a reality.

This is an excerpt from Walt's opening day dedication that he delivered to a chaotic crowd of reporters. But what sticks with us today is not the chaos or mishaps, but rather Walt's dream for Disneyland and his inspirational words.

Next time you think you are facing an uphill battle, think of how you will look back from the top of that hill and how proud you will be of your accomplishment. The world deserves to see your Disneyland, so go out there and create it!

P.S. I'll be in the parks today for the first time as an Annual Passholder. I can't wait to share all the wonderful joy and inspiration I find!

It's the Holiday Season + FREE Winter Wonderland Art Print

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! Seriously, I can't contain my excitement over here. Since this evil cold is keeping me from decking the halls, I've been a busy little elf designing some fun free printables to get you all in the festive mood. But first, a little Thursday Thought about this time of year. I can't put my finger on it, but this time of year brings me such joy and happiness. Need a little help getting in the holiday spirit? Then download this fun printable inspired by the Disney movie Frozen and one of my favorite holiday songs Winter Wonderland.

Even if you're not a fan of the movie (or SO OVER IT... I hear ya), this printable should bring you right back to getting cozy by the fire with your loved ones. Because that's what the holidays are all about, right?

Enjoyed this free art print download? Make sure to share it with all your friends! And check back in 2015 for the launch of my new art prints collection!

Happy Holiday Season everyone!