I’ve had my fair share of depression, if not more. I know that depression isn’t anything new and that in fact there are hundreds of people that I know or have crossed paths with that have suffered from the same demons as I do. Knowing those things honestly doesn’t make it any easier for me to accept, to be honest. I know that I am not alone and that is all fine and well, but it doesn’t comfort me.

I thought about posting a picture of me in deep thought or looking out a window or something more dramatic like that, but in reality the picture of me above is ME. Looking at me in my everyday life you probably wouldn’t know that I have any issues with depression because most of the time I am smiling. I am laughing, I am cracking jokes or being a smart a$$. I’m not the typical picture of depression on most days. I will be honest and tell you that I certainly do have those days, sometimes clustered together, of just BLAH.

I knew this woman who also suffered from depression and anxiety and while we were talking one day I was telling her that it is so frustrating to feel one way on the inside, depressed, and then look another way on the outside because I felt like no one understood that just because I don’t sulk around all day doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. She said to me very matter of fact like “You’re a duck” and I laughed.. “What?” She said “you’re a duck… above the water all you see is this graceful, cute little duck gliding on the water seemingly effortlessly, but underneath that water those legs and feet are just going crazy to keep the duck afloat… You’re a duck!” YES. THAT! That is a perfect way to describe how I feel and who I am.

Yesterday at church the sermon was entitled “Ugly Praise”. The Pastor’s basic message was that when we are in a ditch, and there seems to be no way out and we might even feel hopeless… we need to praise God. I understand that might be a difficult concept to understand because most people do like I do, once we get past that tough point then, we praise the Lord for delivering us. Well, we’re all getting it wrong. You see, even when we are struggling to get by He is working on something and all we truly need to do is praise Him while we wait. I heard once that if you are waiting for help from the Lord you should go out and help others. I think that also applies here. Not that God needs our help necessarily, but we can still praise and serve him even in our brokenness.

I don’t like to admit that I struggle or fight demons on the daily. It’s not something that I am proud of. I guess I see it as a sign of weakness, but this is me. Some days I am happy, and some days I am sad, and some days I am a mixture of both. I’m done hiding the way I feel from day to day just because it changes and I am afraid of what someone might think or say. This is me. I’m a work in progress and I will get out of this ditch.

I’ve been a resident of New Jersey for 2 and a half years now. I have to say that I loved the state for longer considering a few things; they have a beach and not a lake that they call a beach {as they do in upstate NY where I also lived for 3 years}, NJ is home to my fav Real Housewives cast, the love of leopard is strong with this one and the spirit of NJ and the east coast is something that has and always will be a part of me… I’ve always been very “east coast”.

That all being said, this last Fall with Hurricane Sandy my love for the shore and the place that my family and I call home has grown deeper and truer and will forever be in my heart. Hurricane Sandy, although horrendous and saddening it was, didn’t win. The spirit of New Jersey as I mentioned earlier did not weaken one bit. There is this attitude of gratitude, respect, love, admiration and pride at the Jersey Shore.

The beach has long been my go-to place when life gets me down. Since high school it has been my comfort in times of distress and has brought me peace and rejuvenation. The 1st year we lived here I suffered the loss of a pregnancy, when it was time to say goodbye I chose Long Beach Island as the place to go and say my goodbye’s to my precious child. I took lots of pictures of the sunset there and those photos and that memory will forever be with me and my husband. Saying goodbye is never easy, but I know that I can always remember that special moment by simply visiting one of my favorite places.

Today starts a 4-day weekend that I will be spending with 39 other bloggers from across the country to support the shore and promote travel to the Garden State this Summer because we are stronger than the storm and we are ready for all “yous” to come and see us. Our beaches are gorgeous, our boardwalks are famous and our spirit is alive and well!

I’ve shown you how I would wear this watch to a summer party, on a casual day at work and now the real me, my everyday life as mother to 3, carpooler, chauffeur, errand runner and friend.

An easy way for a mom to rock a trend is to rock it comfortably. As I have mentioned before, the simplicity of the watch I received really left me open to be creative. Here I again drew from the orange and paired these printed shorts with orange, brown and other earth tones and wore a basic tee. You want to keep it simple when wearing busy patterns, you have to be careful not to overdo it.

One of the features of the watch is that it is made of a tough, temperature- and impact-resistant thermoplastic polymer colored to match the cases; screws down to ensure water resistance. Now, if you are a mother you know that these things really come in hand when you are chasing kiddos around and things sometimes get rough. Us moms take some spills every now and then so the durability of this watch is a bonus.
I truly hope that you enjoyed my 3 looks inspired by ESQ Movado’s ESQ One. The watch is fashionable, functional and affordable even for a moms budget. You can certainly see how you will get lots of use out of this watch.

Disclosure: I was provided the Movado ESQ ONE watch in exchange for my blog posts featuring the watch. All opinions and photographs are my own.

In my first post about my ESQ Movado ESQ One watch I showed you how I would wear it to a summer party. Here I am showing how I would wear the watch to work on casual Friday.

The clean look and fresh feel of the watch make it perfect to dress up or dress down. Paired with jeans and a blazer, the watch is a perfect compliment to the ensemble. The green from the top along with the details in the shirt with oranges and browns coordinate with the orange pop in the watch.

The ESQ Movado ESQ One is offered in a fabulous array of fashionable color combinations such as orange & black, pink & orange and black & yellow to name a few. I’m sure you can find one, or two, that will inspire you like mine has inspired me.

My final look is one that is ideal for my everyday mommy life. It’s so important to me to remain true to myself and my style even while being a mother of 3. That actually is one reason that this watch is a great buy for a mom like me, it’s comfortable with it’s silicone wristband and it’s easy to throw on with almost any outfit.

Disclosure: I was provided the Movado ESQ ONE watch in exchange for my blog posts featuring the watch. All opinions and photographs are my own.

I received this awesome watch courtesy of ESQ Movado & Glamour Magazine and I was challenged to create 3 different looks based on the watch. When I received it and saw how classic, simple and sophisticate it is I was thrilled to get working.

INTRODUCING ESQ ONE™ Cool & colorful. Fun & fashionable. Swiss quartz precise. One great watch design in twelve eye-catching color combos. With so many tempting choices at $150 each, everybody will want ONE – or two or three!

For my 1st look I went for a fun, summer night party look. The crisp white face and wristband along with the orange pop of color of the second hand immediately get me in the summer mood. I also love that the watch wrist band is made of silicone which makes it really comfortable. One of the neatest features of the watch is that it is water resistant to 10 ATM with screw-down crown. Tested to meet international standards.
In my 2 other looks I will share with you even more fun features and ways to wear this fashionable watch. From the office to the park, there are so many possibilities.

Disclosure: I was provided the Movado ESQ ONE watch in exchange for my blog posts featuring the watch. All opinions and photographs are my own.

I’m sitting here working on my blog; rearranging pages, updating others and deleting some, and then it dawns on me– What the heck am I doing? Like, for real what am I doing with my life? First of all, I do too much and I know that, but I know no other way of life… I’m very high energy and creative so it’s hard to sit still.

Writing is something that I enjoy, it seems to bring in some decent cash although it is not consistent… when it pays, it’s well worth it plus it is soothing to the soul to journal/write. I also do photography which I recently made into a huge deal {had 2 Groupon deals within 6 months of each other} and now I have burned myself out of that and I am winding down that chapter of life. I will still photograph people and things and stuff, I just am not going to make it a career like it has been for the past year. Over it. I did that to myself.

I’m also a bible college student, wife, mother and friend. These things I hold in higher regard than the other things that I do. These things are the things that make me who I am.

But, who am I? What will I be when I “grow up”? I need a title, some sort of validation for all the work, blood, sweat and tears that I have put into this life…why? I don’t know. I just know that I have this constant feeling that I need to to move forward, forward, forward always.

I started this blog as a children’s boutique owner, then I became a freelance writer, then a small business consultant/PR rep for small businesses… then back to freelance writer all the while I was still sewing for the boutique. Stopped the sewing after the birth of my 3rd child and picked up Community Management and more freelance work. Photography got thrown in there somewhere and now, 2 years later I am putting down the camera and picking up what?

For so long I felt the Lord telling me to be still. I was still and I did get some clarification and resolution to some personal issues going on in my life. Now, I feel like career wise I need to hear from Him again. I legit don’t know what to do.

I feel like there is so much to consider now that my youngest is 3 and will be in preschool soon enough. I certainly don’t want to just stay home and be a homemaker, not that there is anything wrong with that, it’s just not me.

When I grow up, I want to be successful at whatever it is that I am doing, I want to make a decent income and I want to be happy. Now, to narrow down the list of what I can do and make a list of what I should do. Humph.

Straighter teeth give you more than a great smile—they also help to reduce your risk for tooth decay and gum disease. If left untreated by a dentist, tooth decay and gum disease can cause mouth sores, tender or bleeding gums, bad breath and possible tooth loss. Orthodontic treatment with Invisalign can assist with straight teeth, helping you to avoid problems such as an improper bite, difficulty speaking or chewing, and jaw problems. {taken from Invisalign.com}

For me, the benefits go beyond these perks health wise. Invisalign’s benefits to me included added confidence and the feeling of self worth as a mom to name a few. I’m forever thankful for this opportunity to reap the benefits for the rest of my life.

To read more on how Invisalign can help you click here

Disclosure: I am a member of the Invisalign Mom Advisory Board and have received complimentary treatment in exchange for my honest feedback. Read more at Invisalign’s site.