savedbythebelle

Well here it is, folks. We're finally hitting those last few days of the year, and a range of different emotions have probably began to consume your thoughts. Feelings of accomplishment, relief, or excitement for the upcoming year may be running through your head - whereas some of us tend to experience guilt, regret, and even uncertainty regarding the future around this time. I think we can all agree in several aspects that 2017 was not the best year. Rather than ripping apart every tragedy and global crisis that occurred over the past 365 days, I want this post to have a more positive affect. We need to address the bad, but not linger on it. We need to learn from our mistakes, but not blame others for creating them. We need to take responsibility for our actions, and then take  action. For starters, let's reflect on this past year and bring our attention to the combined factors that made 2017 so difficult. Here are 7 things we are definitely leaving behind in 2017: 1) T...

Everyone has their favorite season. Whether it be the scorching heat of summer, the breathtaking flakes of white snow in the wintertime, or the blooming flowers of spring that please the senses, Fall always seems to be a crowd-pleaser come September. As soon as that first leaf loses it's green glow and separates from the tree, collectively, the American people store their shorts and flip-flops in the back of the closet to make room for warmer wear. So, why is that? Why as a society do we crave that Fall feeling, that indescribable sensation, that #mood? The answer is simple (as simple as 8 detailed descriptions can be) as to why exactly Fall is hands down the best time of the year. And, now that the cool temperature finally has arrived, this post seems so very fitting. Let's get into it! #1. Fall Holidays Autumn has some of the very best holidays falling under the months of September, October, & November. Halloween, being the most celebrated, is an ever-so-popular o...

Welcome back & happy Friday everyone! It's been quite a while since my previous post and a lot has happened since then - not only on a personal level, but within our country as well. There has been a significant amount of tension and fear amongst the American people whether it be from hurricane destruction, forest fires, the expiration of DACA, or Taylor Swift's disgusting new song (sorry, not funny). So it got me thinking. All sarcasm aside, if anything destructive were to happen to Fort Wayne, I would be crushed - literally & figuratively. Fort Wayne is where I was born and raised, where I rode my first bike, took ballet lessons, visited the zoo, met lifelong friends, and spent the majority of my childhood summers. Despite how frequently I complain about growing up in a small-town area, I wouldn't trade these memories and experiences for anything. For today's blog post, I've compiled a list of telltale signs that you grew up in Fort Wayne, IN, and just how...

Well hello again! I know it's been a while (two months to be exact) since my last post, but I've been in a bit of a creative slump lately. I fell victim to summer laziness & spent more time by the pool than I did with a pen and paper... oops 😁. Now I am back & ready to get in some sort of routine and force myself to be productive again. Like I had mentioned earlier, I've been experiencing sort of a writer's block. I've been feeling very complacent and uninspired recently, and having a pretty flexible schedule has made those effects even worse. As I have been preparing for college with campus visits and applications, I've had multiple realizations - one of those being what occupation I'd like to pursue. It's taken me about a year to completely narrow down my options and focus in on which path would ultimately lead me to a successful career, and I think I've finally got it figured out. So, for all you old people that keep pestering me at famil...

Welcome back, everyone! The school year has finally ended, the sun is shining (kind of), the flowers are blossoming, and the time for summer activities starts now! In past years, getting into 'summer mode' has taken me longer than I would've liked it to. The occasional waking up at 6:30 am thinking it was time for school had happened more often than not, and staying out passed midnight on weekdays still gave me a mini heart attack. It would sometimes take me weeks to mentally switch gears, which would result in wasting half of my summer days! I think after a few years, I've finally figured out how to plan these two months for the optimum summer experience. I know I'm not alone in this category, so here are a few tips & tricks I've found useful in doing so. #1: Get out of the house! I probably sound like your mother don't I? Well, sometimes she's right. On a serious note, being cooped up at home can have negative effects on your health, social de...

Welcome back, everyone! For this blog entry, I've decided to take a more serious route (quite different from my previous uploads, but we'll see how it goes). Fortunately, the end of the school year is coming to a close & those who were once seniors in high school will make their first big leap out into the real world. I know this may seem strange (coming from someone who still has one year left to get her life together), but I've been thinking quite a lot lately about what kind of person I want to be and what impact I want to make on the world. This past year hasn't been the easiest on me in terms of balancing school, social life, work, private matters, family, and several other obstacles too personal to share. I know, woe is me. Although there have been several occasions where it seems that the mountain is too steep to climb, I have always had friends & family by my side, supporting me all the way. I feel incredibly grateful to have been blessed with individua...

Hey friends! I apologize (once again) for the lack of posts that have been occurring over the past few weeks. I had recently hosted an exchange student from Japan who stayed with my family and I for about six days. During that time, it was my responsibility to show her around Fort Wayne – the local shops, cafes, monuments, buildings, parks, malls, restaurants, etc. Prior to meeting my exchange student, I was extremely excited to be a tour guide for a week & be able to show a visitor what makes my city special. What I did not expect was the amount of "Fort Wayne Favorites" I would soon fall in love with. If you're anything like me when it comes to weekend outings, you know that making a trip to the "popular" venues in the city is definite no-no. In my opinion, many of these newly established places in Fort Wayne tend to be hyped-up and overrated. It seems that Fort Wayne is now beginning to cater to the younger crowd by constructing centrally located apartme...

                Hello everyone! Yes, it's finally Sunday. The end of a very long week has come at last, so pour a hot cup of coffee, sit down, and relax with this life-changing information I'm about to reveal. You may have guessed correctly that this weeks topic is one I feel very passionately about: Fashion. No matter the age, gender, or culture, I feel as though fashion is a language we all understand. Designer Rachel Zoe once said, "Fashion is a way to say who you are without having to speak". The way you dress/present yourself in public can say a lot about the kind of person you are, your confidence level, and personality type. If there's one thing I've discovered about the fashion industry, it's that there are no rules or definitive answers to what is considered fashionable or not. Each and every one of us has our own individual style, so who am I to tell someone the way they dress is unattractive without insulting their persona? Today, I ...

Introduction ↠            Happy Sunday everyone! I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to compose this first blog post, but this weekend has been quite hectic to say the least. It seemed as though the universe had been working against me in every way possible, and I'm just happy to have come out alive. But enough about that - let's get into what this post is really about!            I am extremely excited to have created this blog, and the support people have been giving me elevates that feeling by 100%. I was very reluctant to begin publishing my thoughts online at first. I had the notion that people would judge me, criticize my opinions, and even call me pretentious. It took me almost a year to realize that these kind of people are irrelevant and not worth my time. You can't always please everybody, but you can do what makes you happy (cheesy, I know). So with that being said, I'd like to thank the people who took the ti...