Tis the season

Monday, December 15, 2014

Tis the season to be inspired and filled with hope. Being such a season I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite things right now - spanning from blog posts to make-up items. I figured this could serve as a way for you to get a few doses of inspiration and also maybe pick up a few Christmas gifts all at once!

for the heart:

Thryve Magazine - like seriously what, I'm amazed I'm able to be a part of such a production!
Hannah Brencher - try to sign up for her weekly Monday emails too
Mara Grace's Instagram & Tumblr & heart
(especially these two:)

A photo posted by k e l s e y (@sheinthemaking) on



These Village Church Sermons (1, 2, & this entire series)
This Stacy Reeves Post
Random dance parties for one or with a friend.
This awesome Janie Perez post about following your dreams.
The fact my best friend just graduated from college.


& My Fall to Winter Days Playlist:


Especially Sam Smith's version of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. I seriously teared up and my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. You'd have thought I just won the lottery I was so blown away.


for the body:

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish - Currently sporting Creme de la Creme
NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Prague is slaying me.
Nest Perfume Roll-Ons in Dalia & Vines and Indigo


for the taste buds:
Trader Joe's Kettle Corn - May purchase here if no TJ's are near you
Mango Ceylon Republic of Tea Bags

What are some of your must haves or must shares for this season? I would love to know!

With all I have,
Seysey

I'm not really, so much of a nice person.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

I know, this is weird. I think so too. But it's true, so I'm going to write about it anyways, and maybe you'll see where I'm coming from, and will find some awesome area of common ground and we will become great friends. Or maybe you'll think I'm way off. Either way, I've never particularly striven to be a nice person. In most cases, when you initially meet me, I think I definitely seem to be - maybe too much so. I typically make friends by complimenting people on extrinsic things, such as their beautiful leather bag, serious eyeliner game, or their perfectly distressed boyfriend jeans... which is probably why all of my best friends are smoke shows. Once you get to know me, however, you see I'm really not all that nice at all. And honestly, I don't think I want to have much to do with the term.

On my birthday, my best friend called me kind, and I recall responding to her saying something along the lines of "Oh wow. I know it's my birthday, but you know I'm really not all that nice." And she said, "I didn't say nice, I said kind. There's a difference!" Haha and it really got me thinking about both of those words and the intentions behind each one.

Some people just have nice-ness in their bones. They always have something sweet to say to you no matter what and it can really be rather pleasant to have that little boost in your day. But I think it sometimes, it can become a problem. And maybe I'm overthinking this, but sometimes I believe it can really become an issue because of two reasons.

  1. It can become a sport of comparison.  I think it can become an issue when someone says that you are always more beautiful, smarter, that your laugh is always sweeter, that you always dress far cuter, than in a gist you are always more than the complimenter. I think putting yourself down to lift others up is never the way to deliver a compliment nor is it ever a solution. And I know, you're probably not taking it to heart, but please don't underestimate the power of your words! Each time you speak out about a person or yourself you are breathing those things into life. And one day you may begin to feel like everything about you is a little less than others around you and wonder why. Plus, people don't need compliments that lift them up by putting you down. If you really think about it, that shouldn't make anyone feel very good about themselves to believe to be better than you and it's quite honestly a little confusing.

  2. Because are you really being nice when it comes to masking the truth? If my hair is a mess or I smell or my lipstick is far from poppin',  I don't want a friend who is going to tell me I look great. I want a friend who is going to pull out a hair tie, some bobby pins, her travel stick deodorant, and hand me her latest shade of Essence lipstick. Plus, surface level compliments fade quickly anyways. If you want to create an impact that lasts, then speak to someone about their character.

It seems to me, at some point, the term nice can become nearly equivalent with an adjective for someone who is a master in people pleasing. I honestly don't believe in saying or doing things just for the sake of being nice. I think sometimes people are honestly just so afraid to be honest with others nowadays. For fear of how they'll be perceived. For fear that others won't like what they have to say and no longer want to stick around. For fear of seeming judgmental when all they're really trying to do is show they care.

I think in our generation, it's safe to say most everyone just wants to stay in a state of happy. Whatever that is. And if there are things or people that disrupt this or are "killing our vibes" then they don't need to be in our lives. Because "good vibes only", right? And I think it's a shame. There's nothing to that. That's not life. So much of what we learn in life comes from our struggles, and our growth from them. From healing and learning. People can sit and tell you what you want to hear all day. They can encourage your poor decisions. They can push you to take your one life down meaningless winding roads because that's what sounds like a good idea to you at the time, so it sounds good to them. Or, they can stand up and be a friend and tell you not necessarily what you want to hear, but what you need to. And it might not be pretty or nice. But if someone cares enough about you to put all of those fears and the fact that you can take it all wrong on the line, then I would say there you have a kind, caring, and genuine friend.

To me, kindness goes a little deeper. Its roots and intentions are in not necessarily in pleasing someone but in being genuine, touching someone, truly helping another, and ultimately going a little deeper than something that will quickly fade away.

I don't believe you should falter or hide the truth for the sake of someone's feelings - though hopefully you can find a way to put it more delicately or try to come from a kind place in the heart - because we all need a reality check sometimes. And hopefully we are fortunate enough to have a person in our lives who cares enough to give it to us. And yes, sometimes honesty, even with the kindest of intentions, still hurts a bit. But sometimes it's a refining process. And honestly, that's more of how I strive to be. I strive to possess kindness and not be afraid to speak the truth, but in love. To be compassionate, and understanding, yet unwavering on what stands to be true. I desire for there to be deep and genuine purpose behind the things I do and say. I guess I don't find value in solely being nice, because it's difficult for me to find honesty in it. I think in a sense, it actually takes away from true and earnest words spoken. And it's kind of come to the place where when I compliment someone and they tell me I'm nice, I usually make it a point to correct them. Because I'm really not. I'm just honest. And if I say something that happens to be considered nice, it's just because it was true. And that you can trust if I'm paying you an earnest compliment, it will be genuine, and true, and specific to YOU and your being and your character. I want you to know that if I'm saying it, I really mean it because I'm not just someone who goes around saying anything just to make people feel good. And I mean yes, if you have on a killer pair of shoes I'll have to comment on those too. But if I catch you walking around at an event in a pair of Louboutins, I'll probably say we need to have a serious chat about why you enjoy torturing yourself, suggest we go buy you a pair of flats and ask if you wanna chat over a couple of Caramel Apple Spices.

xx, Seysey


Interview With The Christian Girl

Thursday, December 4, 2014


So a little while back, I had the opportunity to be interviewed over at The Christian Girl by Natalia Crawford! I was seriously so honored I was asked to be featured alongside women who are seriously doing incredible things, building churches, running non-profit organizations, and some women I personally keep up with and look up to like Lindsey Eryn Clark. This blog is such an awesome source of inspiration, spiritual wisdom, and a bunch of great posts that are relevant for all different types of women and their walk of faith. They even sent me one of these beautiful and encouraging little journals they sell on their site too! I had a great time and hope you enjoy reading it!

Your Worth

Monday, December 1, 2014


This is a post on worth. Yes, YOURS. Hence the title... and I'm pretty sure you all got that haha. But what you may not know is that though this may be a huge mind dump - I can't believe I just typed that either - I feel like it's SO important for me to address this - because at least 90% of the time, when I'm driving myself crazy, or I find myself frustrated or upset, it's related to this very topic. (Surprise fun fact: I also specialize in run on sentences.)

I've gotten to the point where I've realized that social media is currently the best vehicle I have to communicate what I'm passionate about with the world. And that's perfectly fine with me because I'm going to use whatever I have to spread the truths that I know, if they can help someone in some sort of way. Someone who wants to be understood or wants to make a difference or wants to know that it's okay to believe in themselves when it doesn't seem that anyone around them feels the same. And maybe I'm able to confidently write about this because I know that there are at least a handful of my close friends - actually I think including family at least a solid 15 people who would hold me accountable to the woman I am and the worth I possess. And maybe you don't currently have someone in your life right now who could be that person for you. So if this is you, please let me the person to remind you of how valuable you are and exactly what it is you deserve in this life.

You deserve to be treated with respect. Constantly. Infallibly. You deserve to be surrounded by people who love you and who you love. Who uplift you, who hold you accountable to cherishing and appreciating the valuable, beautiful soul you are, who hold you accountable to the things you've said you want to accomplish in this life, to the magnificent creation God has called you to be, and to the incredible potential He's placed within you. Yep, to all of these things. You deserve to experience unconditional love, despite your faults, mistakes, and imperfections. You deserve to experience freedom. To unapologetically be yourself. To exercise your right to say no to things you don't want to participate in and to stand up and to do so firmly for the things you feel are unjust. To experience the freedom of forgiveness. You deserve to feel like the most valuable gem on the face of the Earth because YOU are worth more than all of the rubies and diamonds that are ever to exist. You are worth more than all of the sparkling lights in the night sky. You are His greatest treasure.

click read more for the nitty gritty: let's get real.