The Cake by Hannah

A small town girl spreading kindness like buttercream frosting

How I Saved My Eyes + My Bathroom Refresh!

You guys, okay. I am excited for today’s post for two reasons:

  1. I finally am sharing a peek at our fresh bathroom! It’s nowhere near done, but I am so excited about where it’s headed.
  2. Today is a prime example of working with a brand I LOVE and use already.

Here’s the thing you guys… I am blind. Like, so blind. I must be in contacts or my glasses at all times other than sleep or I will be useless. I have had glasses since the 4th grade and have worn contacts since 7th grade. The first 13 years of wearing contacts, I only wore monthly contacts. I would order a 6 month supply and switch them out roughly every month (but was really bad about keeping up). About two years ago, for some reason, my eyes basically just were rejecting contacts. Didn’t matter the brand or how on top of switching them out I was. My eyes were fuzzy, itchy, and red all the time. I thought I would never be able to wear contacts anymore and have to get Lasik if I ever wanted to see again sans glasses.

Then, it was actually my best friend who suggested trying dailies (which I didn’t even know existed!) and it changed the entire contacts game for me. I will never do anything other than dailies now that I know how much it helped me and saved my eyeballs. I have been using Cooper Vision’s Clariti Daily Contacts for two years! So, when they randomly reached out to me asking if I happened to use them… I was like WHAT?! YES. YES, I DO!

I order mine through Costco. DUH. And it’s so much cheaper than anywhere else! This is one of those things I know is so niche, but I really do care and these really did change my eyeballs and saved their life. *I am not being dramatic.* Things got so bad it would feel like I got sunscreen in my eyes if I looked at the sun. This all went away almost immediately when I changed contacts!

OKAY, so next up: MY BATHROOM!!!!!

We have these colors all throughout my house now, and I am here for it. My walls are SW Alabaster, vanity is SW Inkwell, and my doors are a fun mixture of 1/2 Stardew and 1/2 Uncertain Grey. You just come in and ask for a half gallon of each and then to mix it together! It’s so pretty.

We are slowly painting all the doors in our home this mixture, and are restoring some furniture with the Inkwell. I also have some dreams of an Inkwell accent wall in my dining room with gold frames! A key to freshening up your home is picking a pallet and sticking to it in all your main spaces. It helps your resell value and is just aesthetically pleasing.

I linked below some of the additions to our bathroom I have in my cart, waiting for my budget to say “go!” 😉

 

Ready in 15!

Since becoming a mom, getting ready as quickly as possible has become… a necessity. There are days I get just 20 minutes to do hair, make-up, and get dressed while Knox runs around my room. If you asked my parents if they thought this could ever be possible, they would actually probably laugh in your face. And then say, “Oh you were serious?” When I was a kid/teenager, I literally could take 2+ hours to get ready and pick out an outfit. Every day was a catastrophe of nothing to wear and a mountain of clothes on my floor that I would have to then come home to put away… just to have the same ordeal the next day. In middle school, I actually had a bulletin board I took pictures of my outfits for the week and would plan out. O_o It’s my wing 1 coming out…. #enneagram humor.

Anyways, all this to say, getting ready in 15 is such an accomplishment for me that I wanted to share my secret. 😉 I have THREE TIPS that have 100% made getting ready so easy!

  1. A closet that has ONLY items I love. I have mentioned this before, but seriously y’all. Do it. Pitch anything that doesn’t make you feel awesome. Don’t have a ton of pieces hanging in your closet that you’re frustrated to “have” to wear because you need to do laundry. I love every single piece of clothing currently in my closet, and I am confident that if I had to throw something on I could (even if my TOP favorite items were dirty).
  2. Good skincare. So, first, I have learned how to do my make-up far better (and just way less!!!) than middle and high school. 😉 Praise God for glowing up and social media helping all us ladies learn how to ACTUALLY do our make-up rather than wearing foundation way too dark, eye shadow too high, and mascara too thick… Just me? But, for real, good skincare and quality make-up products have made getting ready so easy. There are days I literally put barely a layer of foundation and perhaps a layer of mascara, and it’s because I feel so confident in my skin! That goes WAY deeper than my physical skin, that is FOR SURE. However, having clear and beautiful skin has helped me feel less need to wear make-up. It’s made my routine a lot faster! I can do my make-up in a solid two minutes or less. Not kidding.
  3. T3 MICRO HAIR DRYER!!!!! This is my #1 practical reason I can get ready so quickly now. This hair dryer is worth every single penny. It blow dries my hair in 4 minutes, minimal to no frizz. If I use the blow out brush with it, I literally don’t have to touch my hair with a hot tool of any kind. I throw in some texturing spray and some serum… and I am good to leave. The first few times I tested this drier, I was sure it was going to be an overrated item. It’s not. I am a believer! Just like I believe in quality, more expensive make-up that lasts longer and needs less… I am now a believer in quality hair tools. It really does make a difference! The awesome news is that this drier is part of the NSALE!!!
    #NSALE Items 
    Other

    Bedroom Rugs

Editing Your Instagram Feed

Heya cuties! I am SO pumped about today’s post. If you are remotely involved on social media, you know a pleasing feed is one that is consistent, cohesive, and uniform. I have played with my feed for years now, circa VSCO days to now Lightroom + a preset. Trying to nail the perfect look that really captures a bright, colorful, poppy, but also crisp aesthetic has been difficult.

But I found it y’all!

And, like anything I share about on here, when I find something I love I want to tell you about it! A few weeks ago, Paul and I sat down to strategize my blog and feed. I decided I wanted a new preset but wasn’t sure which one I wanted. Like, there are a gazillion to pick from. How am I supposed to sift through them all to pick the ONE I love most?

Dani Austin Presets have completely transformed my feed. I LOVE how vivid and crisp they are. And, because I love it so much, they have even created a code for you to get it for your own feeds.

You can use HANN20 at checkout to get 20% off your order. 

The Presets

I own this one, the Dani Austin Preset Pack (3 presets included). I use Poppy the most, but depending on the location and lighting, I use the other two from time to time. I love how crisp and bright my photos look with her settings applied! This pack is only $49.99

She also has a Blogger Preset, which she deems the perfect simple preset for any blogger. This set is true to color and crisp! AND, it’s only $19.99. WHAT A STEAL!

So, maybe you’re reading this and are like, “Han, I literally don’t know what you’re talking about and I don’t have Lightroom. Not a problem! It’s so easy, y’all. Like, I mean it. You simply need to download the Lightroom App to your phone, and then Dani has simple steps to follow once you buy her presets to get it on your phone and use. Once on your phone, you just copy her preset photo’s settings and paste it to your own photos. She also has guides to tailoring the presets to your photos (because it’ll almost never be perfect by just pasting). You sometimes have to adjust exposure, colors slightly, etc. But, from someone who is terrified of anything complicated… I promise, this is so not complicated.

If you own a business, want to be an influencer/blogger… anything. Then, having a solid social media presence is key and a cohesive feed it VITAL. I even use these presets for all of my clients now, too!

Do not forget to use my code! 

‘Hann20’

Before and Afters

Original- No Preset Added

How Do I Start Counseling?

Today’s post is by Carleigh, and I am so grateful for her willingness to be open about her experience with counseling. I personally have also seen the power of counseling for personal breakthrough and freedom, and I can’t encourage you enough to see one yourself. There is no shame in seeking health of any kind. Nobody questions fixing a broken wrist or an off-set jaw. Nobody thinks twice about seeing a doctor when you have a cold or the flu. We are here to use this platform to shed light on something that IS NOT SCARY despite what the world has made us believe. To shed light on something that brings hope, beckons freedom, and can change your life. No matter how healthy or heavy you are in this season, I hope you are as blessed by Carleigh’s vulnerability as I am. I hope you see the benefit in seeing someone who can help you process what you are feeling and facing. There are seasons for seeing a counselor weekly and others where, like annual or quarterly check-ups, you maybe just need one once a month or every other. You and your counselor can decide together! xoxo, Hannah 

Happy Thursday, friends. Carleigh here. Today I want to talk about a topic that is very personal to me: counseling. While the topic of mental health is getting more attention and becoming more common to talk about today, I would say that there is definitely still a lot of shame and uncomfortableness around the subject. But I wanna shine a big ‘ole spotlight on counseling and say “This thing is awesome!! Everyone should do it!!”  Since there’s not one perfect person in this world, we could all use a little help… and that’s exactly what counseling is for. 

I chose to go to counseling, because I pretty much reached a breaking point in my life where I couldn’t do anything, felt lower than I ever had, and was having panic attacks that I couldn’t get a handle on. I was isolating myself more and more, and never felt like doing anything. It put a strain on pretty much every aspect of my life. I didn’t really understand what was happening to me, but I could see how it was negatively affecting my life in ways I wasn’t okay with and I wanted it to change. I ended up being diagnosed with anxiety and depression by my counselor, and part of my time in counseling was spent trying to understand what those things even meant. I needed someone to explain to me what those illnesses were and connect them to how I was feeling. I also knew that I wanted to get better, both for myself and for those around me, and I knew that I couldn’t get there by myself.  

If you think you’re ready to talk to someone but have zero clue where to begin, I get it. It’s scary enough to talk about the hard stuff, and finding the right person that you can trust with the hard stuff is almost enough to make you not want to do it. My advice is this:

  1. Find someone that you feel comfortable talking to. Only you can decide who that person is. Start by asking around if you’re comfortable with that. Ask a friend or anyone you know that has experience with counseling if they can recommend someone. Ask your church if they know of a local counselor or if they have a program themselves. If you don’t want to ask anyone you know, just google counselors in your area! While there is nothing wrong with going to counseling, it’s understandable if you don’t exactly want to run around advertising that you’re looking into it. For me, I wanted someone that was a professional, qualified to help me, and that I wouldn’t run into at the grocery store. That is what I needed, but it may not necessarily be what you need.
  2. Give it a chance and some time. Once you find someone, just go and try it out. If you don’t feel comfortable with that person, find somebody else! Keep searching until you find someone that you trust will help you in the way you need.
  3. Study the difference between psychologist, therapist, and counselor. There are some different approaches, and depending on what you think you need, one may be a better fit for you than the other. Biblical counseling is a great place to start, but a licensed Mental Health Counselor also has the education and ability to diagnose and assist medically as well.

If it feels like you’re the only one that is going through something or needs help, let me lovingly tell you that you’re wrong. I have been there, and so have so many others. If walking into a counselor’s office is a scary start, then begin with a mentor who can direct you toward a counselor as you feel more ready. But, if we can encourage you in anything, start talking TODAY. Remove the duct tape that has covered your mouth in fear and start talking with someone you trust. Counseling is a wonderful thing that has changed my life for the better, and I’ll shout that from the rooftops if it encourages someone to give it a chance. Take care of yourself friends, you deserve it.

xoxo,

Carleigh

Landing The Dream Job

Whether you’re 21 and looking for that first big break out of college or 41 getting closer than ever to that dream corner office, we all have a picture of “the dream job” in our heads. At 20, my dream was Today Show, New York City, and being besties with Kathie Lee. Then, as I realized my dreams were changing a little and that I wanted to get married straight out of college, things shifted in my head and heart, and I graduated feeling like… Well, everything I dreamed of for the last decade of my life isn’t my dream anymore. So, now what?

Today, I want to piggy back a bit on yesterday’s post with focusing on some tips to landing the dream job. Whether entrepreneurial at heart or dreaming of corporate America, these tips from myself and Carleigh will hopefully help you and put some drive in your heart and push those dreams to the forefront of your mind!

1. PRAY about it. If you don’t know what your dream job is like I found myself feeling, ask God to show you what your passions are and how He wants you to use them. If you do know what your dream job is, ask God to open doors to opportunities and make them clear to you.

2. Be brave. Reach out to your dream company or person you want to work for. The last 7 years, I (Hannah) have sent more emails than I even could count to brands that seemed outrageous to work with and people that seemed bonkers to ask to meet with, but yeses came and doors have opened. Above all, I have lived by the scripture “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it and it will be yours.” I walk forward confidently knowing I have gone to God in prayer and will chase the dreams in my heart until they are removed or fulfilled. The worst that can happen is the desires of your heart change, a door closes, or you get a “no.” Write that email, take the leap to go into business for yourself. Whatever it is, it’s not going to happen unless you fight for it and take action.

3. Prepare. Are you qualified for your dream job? If not, take the steps to qualify yourself. Get the degree or certification. Take the online workshops. Build connections within that world to get your name out there and learn everything you can. Become the best at whatever it is so that you CAN land that dream job and make that dream life happen.

I literally worked 5 grueling years in the Dallas Start-Up world before settling into (and feeling prepared for!) what I actually wanted to do.

4. Be patient. It may not happen overnight, and that’s okay. Don’t compare where you are to anyone else. Keep working towards your dream and trust that it’ll happen in the right time.

5. Work hard. When you do get that dream job, put your all into it. Be available, do the extra work, and always say yes to opportunities. You will find a rhythm that works and things will pan out. Even still, 4 years into running The Cake, I am constantly learning (I watched Youtube tutorials for editing just last night for hours!!!), constantly asking for help, and always looking for ways to get better and make my brand better. The blog, our media company- all of it- is where it is because we worked hard, applied all experiences we’ve had (good and bad!), and were bold.

6. Take anything you can get without compromising the dream.  When you’re 21, you’re not going to be lead anchor of Today. But you could be an intern writing scripts. You aren’t above any job that will teach you skills. Also, if you are in a place you have no idea what you want to do- get a fun job that allows you the creative space to build something while figuring it out. Ex: I worked at a Pure Barre while I built up The Cake blog. Figure out ways to pay the bills while pouring majority of your energy into the dream.

 

One thing I wish I did differently: As 27 year old Hannah, I wish I could tell early 20-something Hannah to serve the job she’s in faithfully, even when it doesn’t “deserve it.” I had a couple situations I felt wronged, but rather than proving my work ethic DESPITE the situation, I stopped caring. I wish I could change that, and it’s something I want to encourage you in. Your character isn’t swayed by anybody but YOU. Honor, respect, integrity- these are all up to you (even when our flesh doesn’t want to give it!). 

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