So many new things have filled the past month, friends!
I’ve been wanting to write a post to catch you all up on what’s been happening recently, but just haven’t been able to get myself to do it until now. It has been a difficult, yet absolutely amazing, past couple of months. It seems odd putting those very different labels on the same two months as I’m writing this, but it’s true.
There have been some minor life changes, some major material upgrades, and even a new furry addition to our family.
My hubby went back to work this summer after being laid off, so while that’s a good thing financially, it’s been a life change nonetheless. I work from home for the most part, so it’s just me and the cats now for the majority of the weekdays.
I’ve devoted a lot of time to taking care of my parents and projects for their house, as well as doctors appointments and grocery trips for my grandparents. Unfortunately, I took an unexpected break from blogging because of so much happening personally. I felt a lot of anxiety and overwhelmed, and truly couldn’t get my mind in the right place.
I am SO happy to back writing this post though, and hope to get a ton more regular in posting again. I have missed it and missed checking in with so many of your amazing posts, as well, for all of you bloggers out there.
New Car
In mid-July, we bought a new car! Kyle said it was my birthday present (I can’t believe I’m 29 now!). This was a very stressful, yet exciting, ordeal. I’ve had my Buick Verano since July of 2015, just a few months before Kyle and I got married. I had grown an attachment to the car. It was my first real ‘adult’ car, if you will.
Kyle hated it from almost the beginning, haha, and this year, had really pushed for me to get rid of it. It started having issues in the last year or so, and they definitely continued to become more frequent. So while I knew it was for the best, it was still sad for me to consider getting rid of it. In addition to that, I was super stressed about having a car payment again and the entire buying process.
Back in June, Kyle wanted me to start looking at what type of car I wanted, so I reluctantly did that. I researched a bunch, but couldn’t really find anything online that I liked. The one requirement that was very important was that it would be an SUV. I am with my parents often, so I wanted something they didn’t have to struggle to get down into. My Buick was difficult for them, as well as my grandparents, to get down into.
Funny enough, I was sitting in the drive-thru at my bank and saw this beautiful SUV next to me. It was stunning! I had no idea what brand it was, but I knew I wanted to look as they pulled out. When I saw the symbol, I literally laughed out loud to myself. I thought, ‘Of course I found an SUV that I like and it’s a Cadillac of all things, I’m never going to get that!’
My parents laughed along with me when I told them what happened. I couldn’t wait to tell Kyle later that day, as I was sure he was going to laugh along with me. To my complete surprise (understatement!), he started looking at them online and finding an affordable option! I was in complete disbelief, but he found a used one that only had 10,800 miles on and it was a 2018. So to us, it’s basically a brand new car!
I was absolutely sick the day before when Kyle had called the dealership to see if it was still available, and when they said that it was, he booked an appointment for the very next morning to go see it. It was in Cleveland, so it was a 4 hour drive for us. I had pretty much convinced myself that we were coming home with the SUV. I did not want to drive all that way for nothing, and listen to Kyle whine about still having the Buick, haha.
We barely slept that night because we found a little kitten with a damaged eye near our home, and we broke our rule and took it inside. More on that later in the post!
We made it to our appointment the next day after a stop through McDonalds drive-thru for a much-needed coffee. It was a bad car salesman experience, but I still came home with my new car at a price Kyle felt was fair. So it worked out!
It is so comfortable and definitely the prettiest vehicle I’ve ever owned. I am SO thankful and blessed to have it, and really still can’t believe it’s mine after a little over a month.
New Kitten
Back to that little kitten we found the night before I got my car: meet Pepper! If you follow my IG stories, you may have already seen her.
Kyle heard a cat meowing that morning before he went to work, but couldn’t see it. When he came home from work and started cutting the grass, he heard it meowing again. He saw the kitten across the street and was worried it would get in the road. We have a lot of speeders down our road, unfortunately.
I saw him holding this kitten from the window inside our living room and was really surprised. We have our cat Draino and have never taken in another cat. I went out to the garage and saw this sweet little kitten. She came right to me and my heart melted.
We both knew we couldn’t keep her because of Draino, but her right eye looked like another cat scratched it. So we worried about her getting hurt again, and let her stay in our garage. I called literally everywhere to try to find her a good home and put it out on my Facebook page to see if someone I knew would be able to take her. No one wanted or could take her. All of our shelters were completely running over with kittens.
Kyle and I talked about it and after a week, we decided she was going to be ours. It didn’t seem fair to our adult cat Draino, but it seemed like we had no other options. We could never just drop her off somewhere, which is what I think happened to her in the first place.
We were watching Paul McCartney’s documentary on Hulu and I decided to call her Sargent Pepper, Pepper for short. After a little over a month, she is getting bigger (seems like daily!) and is so playful. We’ve finished up the antibiotics that the vet gave us for her eye, but unfortunately she will never be able to see out of it. We are thankful it doesn’t have to be removed though!
I can’t help but wonder if we could have saved her eye if I could have got her into the vet much sooner. It was a struggle, everywhere was completely booked and I took the absolute soonest appointment I could get. They wouldn’t give me any medicine for her eye without seeing her. I do understand that, but it made me so sad to watch her eye get worse each day without being able to do anything about it.
All The Things!
I am so blessed and had so much excitement happening around my 29th birthday this year. I feel a little guilty talking about how much anxiety I’ve felt recently. Do you ever feel this way? Like, you know there is so much goodness in your life that you think it’s bad that you’re feeling down.
I have felt really overwhelmed in the past couple of months. That’s what really led to me taking an unexpected break from regular posting here and on Instagram. I can shake it for a little while, but it seems to come right back. I’m doing my best to focus on positives and to pay close attention to how I react to things. I believe that’s where my power really is.
My hubby always reminds me to remember the big picture when I’m getting caught up in things that happen day-to-day. It truly offers some perspective, as long as I remember to stop myself and think about it in that way.
That’s a wrap on my little life update, friends! I am wishing you all the brightest day and appreciate each and every one of you for stopping by and reading. 🙂
Let’s Chat!
Do you have any tips for anxiety?
What’s one of your favorite things to do?
Have you ever taken in a stray animal?
I’m glad you are back to posting. I am so sorry you have been feeling anxious lately. I can relate. Congratulations on your new car and kitty. I hope you have a wonderful day full of love, joy and hope.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Regine! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your kind words and well wishes. I’m so sorry you can relate on the anxious note. Sending lots of hugs and prayers your way that you feel at peace, friend!
Wishing you the brightest day!
So happy for all the good happening in your life! I adore your new car and Pepper is so adorable. I feel ya on the anxiety and the only thing I can offer is prayer and giving it all to Him. I think you know this though. 🙂 Hope things are on the upswing and praying for you. XO
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you bunches, Kathrine! 🙂 I am so sorry you’ve been feeling the same way lately. Sending you all my love and prayers, my dear friend! You are so right, He is the answer to our anxiety. We just have to give it all to Him. I believe things are getting better, and I think a new chapter is opening for September. Wishing the very same for you!!
Oh my goodness, your kitten is adorable!!! I caught Charlie too. Same with Pumpkin but she wasn’t a tiny kitten like Charlie.
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
Thanks so much, Jennifer! Aww, I had no idea you found both of them. They are absolutely adorable and I have no doubt you’ve given them such an amazing life so far!! 🙂
Congratulations on your new car and kitty! Beautiful photos thanks for sharing.
New Blog Post
Thank you bunches, Abdel! 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful day!
I am so glad your husband found work that is great! And congrats on the new car wow!! And your mew addition, just loovvee.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thank you so much, Allie! You are so kind, I appreciate YOU! 🙂
Yay for the new car and for the new addition to the family! Pepper is so adorable! Hope you feel better in the coming days!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you, Lovely! 🙂 I am beyond blessed, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the well wishes!
Congratulations on your new car and kitten. Both are so pretty! Happy for you :)Lovely Post dear! xoxo
Allurerage
Thetrendybride
Aww, thank you Jennifer! I appreciate it so much! 🙂
I love your kitten and the car! Congratulations Ashley. Nice post! Have a great day!
Rampdiary | Fineartandyou | Beautyandfashionfreaks
Thank you bunches, Jyoti! 🙂 I hope you have the BEST day!
I am so sorry to hear that you have been feeling anxious and overwhelmed, but it does sound like you have had a very hectic few months, so hopefully things will start to calm down now. So glad that your husband has found work and Congratulations on the new car and kitten. Pepper looks adorable and her eye looks so much better (I had a dog who lost an eye completely, but it never seemed to bother her, although it was traumatic for us!)
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
Thank you so much, Julia! I do believe things are going to calm down a bit and my mindset is already starting to be better each day. I appreciate your kind words so much! Isn’t it wonderful how resilient animals are? I’m so sorry you had to experience the eye removal with your dog, that would be so traumatic!
Congrats on your new car, and kitty looks adorable. Welcome back! I also took a break from blogging but I’m back and it feels amazing. Enjoy your day!
https://www.ninakobi.com/
Thank you so much, Nina! Glad you’re back also and feeling great, my friend. Can’t wait to check out your new posts!
It’s so cute❤
Aww, thank you Kinga! 🙂
Wow so many life updates and great things! Congrats on the new car and kitten! Pepper is too cute. And glad that your hubby got a job again! Thanks for the updates and here’s to a great rest of the year!
xoxo,
Christine
https://dailykongfidence.com/
It feels like a lot lately, Christine, haha! Thank you SO much for your kind words, I truly appreciate all the well wishes. Hope you’re having a fantastic weekend, friend!
Happy Belated, and so glad to hear there were many exciting things around your birthday! Love your SUV, and Pepper is so adorable. Sorry to hear you’ve been overwhelmed and anxious lately. You have a lot on your plate so remember to take time to care for yourself too. I know that’s not always easy, but it’s something that makes such a difference, even going for a walk to clear your mind, deep breathing or treating yourself to something. Prayer is a big one for me too. I hope things start to get better soon, and happy to see you back:)
Aww, thank you so much Martha! 🙂 That means SO much to me, and I will definitely take your advice. I know that I haven’t been putting in the time to work on me lately, and I think it’s definitely contributed to the anxiety recently. Prayer is huge for me as well, and I have to remember to give it over to Him. Hope you’re having an amazing weekend, my dear friend! 🙂
OMG your new kitten is so cute. Little fluffy love. Congratulations on new car.
http://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com
Thank you bunches, my friend! 🙂
So much has happened in the last few months. Same with me…lots of changes.
New kitten is adorable! Hope you’re doing great!
http://www.fashionradi.com
Sending you hugs Radi, and hope you’re doing well! 🙂 Thank you so much, Pepper is a handful, but a cute little kitten for sure, haha.
It sounds like you had a few hard months but I’m glad things are turning around. Your new kitten is adorable! So happy your husband is back at work! Congrats on your new car! Enjoy the long weekend!
Jill – Doused in Pink
It has been a little difficult to navigate, but truly feel like things are moving in a better direction. 🙂 Thank you so much, Jill, and I hope you enjoy the long weekend too!!
In love with the kitty cat ♥
Aww, thanks so much!! 🙂
What a cute kitten – it’s so nice you could give her a home when no-where else could take her! The new car sounds awesome too 🙂 So many exciting things, you have been so busy, no wonder it was tricky to find time to blog!
Hope you are having a great weekend 🙂 We had a quiet day yesterday as we had a big day at the zoo on Friday – we got to feed a giraffe!
Me too, Mica! I’m glad she is a part of our little family now. 🙂
Aww, that sounds lovely, my friend! I would be SO excited to feed a giraffe, haha!!
Yeah congratulation on your new car. And this kitty is so adorable ! I’m so glad it found you.
And I’m glad you had all theses happy moments through your month especially if it was a stressful and busy one.
I’m wishing you all the best.
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
Thank you bunches, Margot! 🙂 The good moments definitely outweigh any of the not-so-good ones!
Hope you have an amazing rest of your week, friend!
Kitty is so so so adorable. Many congratulations on the new car. Woowow! you must be very excited. Good luck!
Lots of Love: Mariann Yip
Aww, thanks Mariann! It has been an exciting time, I am very blessed to say the least. 🙂 I hope all is well with you friend, and you’re enjoying your week so far!
I had my last car FOREVER! It was a 2007 Honda CRV, so they are pretty reliable and it had never broken down on me, but my husband said it was time to get a new car (it has way over 100,000 miles on it). So, what did I get for my next car? A new Honda CRV! Ha, ha! I am kind of glad I got it before Covid, because I’ve heard it is so hard to find exactly what you what right now with car shortages. So, you are really lucky and when I saw your IG photo with the Cadillac logo, I had to ask you about your new car! Ha! My son is 15 and he loves all cars and has so much information on them it is insane. I am so glad you decided to adopt Draino!! We have 2 cats and our older cat had a hard time adjusting when we brought the other cat to our home. The two cats still hate each other, but they mostly tolerate each other! Lol!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
I’ve heard they are great cars! It’s so hard when you have something you really like and it’s reliable, but they can definitely have more issues when they’re 100,000+ miles. I’m glad you got a new one and were able to get what you wanted! 🙂 Haha, I’m so glad yours have reached the toleration point. Mine are definitely getting better, but I hope it gets even better later on. 😛
What a little cutie! Makes me want to go rescue a kitten 🥲
Check out my latest post on What To Wear To Fall Weddings if you get a chance 🙂
https://thegypsyfiles.com/what-to-wear-fall-weddings/
Brit Correia
Aww, thank you SO much, Brit! I will definitely check it out soon. 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
New kitten! New car! So much new!
But I totally get it re: feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I can totally relate! Especially when there’s so much pressure to be ever-online and always posting, or what have you. Taking time for yourself is so important!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Yas, it really has been, friend! It has been a lot, and I’ve still been taking some downtime here on the blog – but truly feeling like the break has helped and excited to get back in the swing of things. 🙂
Aww congrats on the new kitten! Sometimes we all need to take time off the blog because our personal lives are more important. Ever since my son has been born, my blog has been pushed to the bottom of the list but I’m glad I did because I didn’t feel so overwhelmed.\
http://www.rdsobsessions.com
Thanks so much, Rach! She is a little cutie and still so full of energy after we’ve had her for a few months now. I completely agree, and I’m so happy you made that choice for yourself. It really does us a disservice when we pile on too many things at once, and I imagine that’s tenfold as a momma!